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Article: Recovery of low bull:cow ratios of moose in interior Alaska.
- Article from:
- Alces
- Article date:
- January 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Alces. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT: During 1996-1999, hunters killed an estimated 24-30% of the pre-hunt bull moose (Aloes aloes) in Game Management Unit 20A. As a result, the 1999 post-hunt bull:cow ratios declined to 24:100, well below the management objective of 30:100. During 2000 and 2001 we shortened the hunting season from 25 to 20 days to reduce the harvest of bull moose, but kill rates of bulls remained high (23-27%) and ratios remained unacceptably low (22-26 bulls: 100 cows). Subsequently, to recover bull:cow ratios to 30:100, hunters were restricted unit-wide to taking bulls with 1) spike-fork antlers, 2) antlers [greater than or equal to] 50 inches wide, or 3) [greater than or equal ...