Some 4,113 moose were harvested during the hunting period (September 24 to 28), according to preliminary data, thereby establishing a new provincial record.
This new record eclipses its predecessor dating from just last year by 49 animals. Hunters then killed a total of 4,064 moose, 159 more than the previous record set in 2020 (3,905).
In total this season, 5,124 permits were distributed, which corresponds to nine more than last year. The success rate is just over 80%.
It must be said that the hunt got off to a great start almost everywhere in the province. For example, in Campbellton, 149 moose were recorded during the first two days alone, which represents the best start for this recording station.
In Restigouche-West, the harvest followed the trend of recent years. A total of 305 moose were recorded at the two registration stations, more precisely 171 at Saint-Quentin and 134 at Kedgwick. This is three more moose than last year (162 in Saint-Quentin and 140 in Kedgwick). We have to go back to 2019 to obtain a higher total harvest in this sector (316).
Among the hunters who have hit the mark in this sector, we find Sylvain Lessard, experienced hunter and above all editor-in-chief of the Quebec magazine Sentier Chasse-Pêche. Invited by the Restigouche Chalets of Kedgwick, he is one of the rare non-resident hunters who was able to get his hands on a moose license. Joined during a hunting trip on the North Shore, he described his Restigouchois experience as memorable.
“I would even say that it is the experience of a lifetime. I came back from there completely delighted with my experience. It will be difficult to forget,” he confided, he is so excited about his stay in Kedgwick. This stay also allowed him to harvest his largest moose of his career, a male with a 51-inch plume.
“In Quebec, it would be exceptional to come across such a beast,” says the hunter, noting that beasts of this size are increasingly rare in La Belle province due, among other things, to the hunting pressure which is very intense and population density which is not as well controlled as on this side of the border. According to him, these two elements mean that New Brunswick is increasingly recognized as a very popular destination for moose hunting enthusiasts.
“There are many called, but very few chosen. “It’s quite a chance to get a license,” he says, and rightly so, because the province only issues about 80 permits for non-residents.
However, Mr. Lessard was not on his first hunting trip in New Brunswick. He came a few times to hunt white-tailed deer and bear. He has even tried to catch a salmon on the Restigouche. But it was a great first for the moose. And according to him, the difference between hunting moose here and in Quebec is immense.
“I didn’t feel any competitive spirit in New Brunswick. On the contrary, people help each other a lot in the forest, there is a beautiful atmosphere. In a big game hunting activity in Quebec, this is rarely seen,” he indicates, noting that
in some places there are even conflicts in the forest due to hunting areas reserved for a long time by families or groups of hunters.
To his great surprise, even though moose abound in the Restigouchois forest, he admits to having feared at a certain point of leaving empty-handed. He only managed to kill his beast on Thursday morning.
“I realized that even if the density of moose is very interesting in New Brunswick, the game is not guaranteed for the hunter. We had to work hard,” admits Mr. Lessard, who says he advocates more traditional and more technical hunting.
“I prefer to go into the woods, walk several kilometers and soak up the habitat. We call the beast and shake the branches to flush it out. It takes a little more effort than just driving around in a vehicle to locate the animals and shoot them. It’s more difficult, but also more rewarding when it works,” he relates.
The story of his hunt should be detailed in a future article in Sentier Chasse-Pêche. It is also a safe bet that the hunter’s trophy is likely to be found in these pages as well.
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