Last Minute Moose Hunting Restrictions
Here is an email I just received from the OFAH:
The MNR has notified hunters with moose tags in WMU 5 or WMU 6 that they will not be permitted to use certain roads to reach lands where they plan to hunt moose. At the request of a local Indigenous community, portions of Segise Road, Portal Road, and Deer Lake Road are closed to access from September 26 to December 15, 2026, inclusive, under Section 28 of the Public Lands Act. Travel on these roads for other purposes is still permitted.
The MNR began contacting hunters on October 2, several days after the bows-only moose season opened in WMUs 5 and 6. The OFAH is asking the MNR to explain:
• The evidence used to justify these restrictions
• The impact on tag holders and their points
• The decision to use access restrictions over other management tools
• Why the decision was made after the opening of moose season
• How it plans to address the stated concerns of the Indigenous community
The OFAH is deeply concerned about the impact on moose hunters, the lack of transparency and public communication, and the precedent this sets for moose management. Travel restrictions should not become a preferred way to manage moose over the annual tag allocation process and established moose management direction, and decisions like these can’t be made behind closed doors.
I am putting this out there for anyone who might be in the area to be aware. Please keep clear of the closed roads and stay safe!