Manitoba must cancel moose hunt licensing lottery as wildfires scorch habitats, chief says

The chief of a First Nation in northern Manitoba says the province must cancel this year's moose hunting licence lottery as wildfires continue to scorch the region.

Wildfires have torched an estimated 909,000 hectares of the province as of Monday. Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said that includes much of the natural moose habitat where his community's hunters go to harvest.

"A lot of those moose would either have migrated somewhere else, run away somewhere else, or they would have perished within the fire," Monias told CBC News on Monday.

"Most of [their habitat] has been destroyed by fire, so even more so now, the province of Manitoba should not issue any licences or permits for moose hunting in our territory."

Last year, the NDP government made a controversial cut of 75 per cent to the number of moose licences for Manitoba residents — to a total of 100 from 400 — across four of Manitoba's 62 game hunting areas.

Pimicikamak's traditional territory spans nearly 1.5 million hectares and includes portions of four of Manitoba's game hunting areas, including two of four areas that were subject to the 75 per cent licence reduction.

The cut sparked legal challenges from Pimicikamak and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation. Manitoba Court of King's Bench Justice Brian Bowman heard from lawyers representing Pimicikamak, the wildlife federation and the province last November.

Pimicikamak's lawyers argued the province's licensing decision infringed on its rights under provincial laws, Treaty 5 and the 1977 Northern Flood Agreement. The wildlife federation argued the cut in licences was not based on scientific data.

Bowman has yet to deliver a decision in the case.

Monias said Pimicikamak could pursue further legal action against the province if this year's moose licence lottery is not cancelled.

No plans to scrap lottery: Bushie

In May, Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie announced that the province would approve a total of 350 moose hunting licences across the four hunting areas this year. That number was up from the 100 offered in 2024, but still short of the 400 granted prior to the reduction.

The province also said portions of the two areas that intersect with Pimicikamak— 15 per cent of GHA 9A and 12 per cent of GHA 10 — have also been set aside for exclusive use by Indigenous hunters.

Aerial surveys focused on moose were conducted in GHAs 9A and 10 over the winter, and Bushie said they revealed "very positive" preliminary results.

"I think it's more than justified the tags that we've issued to this day," he told CBC News on Monday.

Bushie said the province does not plan to suspend the 350 moose licences, but is willing to discuss a path forward with Pimicikamak and other leadership.

But the northern First Nations advocacy organization representing Pimicikamak and more than two dozen other communities said it has concerns about the reliability of the data that the province used to make its licensing decision in May, given the current wildfire situation.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee said the province's licensing decision was not an example of reconciliation or consultation with First Nations communities.

"Manitoba's decision to proceed with a moose licence draw in the face of wildfire devastation and without transparency and without accountability is a direct violation of our rights and a betrayal of the treaties," Settee said in a Friday news release.

"Our people are watching their food sources vanish while the province hands out hunting tags like prizes. Enough is enough."

Bushie said the province will continue to evaluate moose populations in the region following this year's wildfire season.

"As an Indigenous person myself, I know that the priority for us too is the sustenance and the viability and long-term sustainability of the moose population," he said.

Bushie also refuted MKO's claim that the province was "tone deaf" and "deeply disrespectful" to its member nations for scheduling this year's moose licence lottery notifications on Saturday, which was also National Indigenous Peoples Day.

While Bushie wouldn't comment on the legal cases currently before the courts, he said the issue has led the province to increase its investments in aerial surveys in game hunting areas across the province.

"As we go forward, it's important for us to be able to have as accurate a number as we could," he said. "Our preliminary results so far have shown that those numbers are bouncing back in a very positive way, so that's why we felt very confident in going forward with what we did."