BC Moose Tracker mobile app

[alcesgigantes]

There's about 40,000 moose hunters in BC out on the land every year putting in the hours and learning about the moose in the area they hunt. Hunters will know the patch of ground they hunt year after year more intimately than government biologists ever will, but finding a way to harness the knowledge of all those hunters isn't easy. The BC Moose Tracker app is a citizen science based approach to collecting information on moose population trends. The collective power of hunter observations is huge and this is one step towards engaging hunters in moose population monitoring. In the last 2 years less than 3% of moose hunters in BC used the app, we can do better!
Here’s a few things you can do to help BC wildlife bios better understand the moose populations you hunt:
1. Download the app for iOS or Android phones and tablets (you can find links to the downloads here: www.gov.bc.ca/wildlifehealth/moosetracker (https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.bc.ca%2Fwildlifehealt h%2Fmoosetracker%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0qeYw_mFI4mJALcaSP Prbdz3JACxKKfTdXtPbKd7dzhHL9MqFacZFs4u8&h=AT3cYAkrV8Ua1aMlkzSmeeNwhId805Qu-YLmA86Q0ozO6M_-Eh1pwouz4l8OJA46kutKQsosPmKx-3nnLGOPo996WcjBlXar7iG9QEKpDa4nLvtcHJtzntrZBxWeaOG Wc1AfFBjQLZI9mzGsPf_MEMzG4cUg) )
2. Use the app. Whenever you’re in the field hunting moose record the number of hours you’re out and how many moose you see. We only record data at the Management Unit level, so there’s no worry of anyone finding out where your favorite spots are. Even if you’re out of cell service the data will upload to our server when you get back into service.
3. Tell your friends. More users = more data, and with more data we get more reliable results. Please tell your hunting companions and others that would be interested.
4. Ask questions. If you have any questions about using the app or want to request the summary report from the first few years of the app please write to moosetracker@gov.bc.ca

[todbartell]

I have used it for the last few years. Submit reports often, I hope it helps

[Iron Sighted]

Found it a couple weeks back and started using it, can't see any good reason not to.

[Redthies]

Would it help if deer hunters entered their moose sightings? The time data would not be as valid as I’m not specifically looking for moose, but I’m into a couple of spots that have moose around.

[barongan]

That's interesting!thanks for postinghttp://juragan.club/assets/13/o.png

[Boner]

Found it a couple weeks back and started using it, can't see any good reason not to.

Could they use the data to consider reducing moose pops in caribou habitat areas like the gov has done before to try and get wolves to move elsewhere?

It seems their stance on moose management and caribou management are at odds.

[wideopenthrottle]

hopefully they get good data...its not the same as asking a fisherman how big their fish was that got away...heheheh

[Steeleco]

Would it help if deer hunters entered their moose sightings? The time data would not be as valid as I’m not specifically looking for moose, but I’m into a couple of spots that have moose around.

I've been doing that for 2 years now, all seasons too. It asks what region and what you saw in the time you were out. Can't have too much info!

[mike31154]

I got on board the other day. Having the maps with MU boundaries & Hunting Synopsis built in are great features. Didn't delve too deep into it yet, but why not make it so anyone can report a sighting, not just hunters? Same question as Steelco. So if I'm hunting deer in Region 8 prior to spike moose opening season, is there a way to enter a sighting, even though I'm not specifically hunting moose at the time? Perhaps I missed that feature since I haven't played around with the app much yet?

[alcesgigantes]

I got on board the other day. Having the maps with MU boundaries & Hunting Synopsis built in are great features. Didn't delve too deep into it yet, but why not make it so anyone can report a sighting, not just hunters? Same question as Steelco. So if I'm hunting deer in Region 8 prior to spike moose opening season, is there a way to enter a sighting, even though I'm not specifically hunting moose at the time? Perhaps I missed that feature since I haven't played around with the app much yet?

The app is focused primarily on moose hunters as they are specifically out in areas where one would expect to find moose and are actively looking for moose. That being said you can enter data year round regardless of what you're doing.

The key is the more people entering data consistently the better the data is. With a big enough sample size, over time the the results will be consistent as an index of what's happening in the population. For example the results from the app will be better as an index of relative changes in the population (ie. bull:cow ratio increase or decrease), but may not be as accurate in the specific numbers that would be found in aerial surveys. Let's say in one year an aerial moose survey finds 60 bulls: 100 cows and 5 years later finds 30 bulls : 100 cows, while the results from the app reported 80 bulls : 100 cows in the first year and 40 bulls : 100 cows in the 5th year. The relative change in the bull:cow ratio is the same (decline by 50% in the bull:cow ratio) in both ways of measuring the data, but likely the aerial survey is more accurate. The hope is that with enough hunters reporting their sightings that the results from the app and an aerial survey would end up giving very similar results.

The app will never replace the need for aerial surveys of moose for estimating population size, but there are lots of areas that don't get surveyed very often and the sightings from hunters can help biologists identify the need for a closer look at those populations.

[alcesgigantes]

Has anyone been using the app? Any difficulties with it or questions?

[DannyO]

I was made aware of the app through this post, then I was out looking for deer for 5 days and saw my first ever moose up close and personal. Downloaded the app when I got home and sent in a report ��

[alcesgigantes]

I was made aware of the app through this post, then I was out looking for deer for 5 days and saw my first ever moose up close and personal. Downloaded the app when I got home and sent in a report ��

Awesome.

It's also just as important when you're out in the field to record when you don't see moose. All the information gets put together to give a moose seen/hour metric which can be used to monitor the trend of moose abundance through time.

[DannyO]

Oh good to know , I will enter more dates as I have spent many many weekends walking in that area