"Old Bullwinkle" isn't doing so well in Manitoba these days, and one of the main reasons is moose continue to be overhunted, according to some hunters and biologists in the province.

"Hasn't changed since he walked across the Bering Land Bridge: he's still got antlers, four feet and fur," Vince Crichton, a former Manitoba Conservation biologist of 40 years, told CBC News.

"But look at us! Cars and trucks and snow machines; ARGOs, ATVs, fancy communication equipment, high-power rifles, lights and those things called roads, with increased access. What chance does he have?"

Moose-minded researchers from 12 countries are in Brandon this week for the 50th Annual Moose Conference and Workshop, which is also the 8th Annual International Moose Symposium, to discuss how to help threatened moose populations thrive again.

Holding the conference in Brandon is fitting, according to Manitoba Wildlife Federation managing director Rob Olson, because moose in southwestern Manitoba are "in deep trouble."

"[The southwest] is likely to be the next domino to fall in the decline of the moose in the province," Olson said.

The theme this year, "21st Century Moose Management and Human Dimensions," promises to bring experts, hunters and some First Nations together to share ideas about moose conservation efforts that have helped rescue the species in other parts of the world.

A spokesperson with the province said moose populations are "increasing or stable" in some areas, such as Game Hunting Area (GHA) 26, between Bissett and Lac du Bonnet.

Crichton believes that is largely thanks to conservation closures that have temporarily prohibited hunting in parts of Duck Mountain, Porcupine Mountain, Swan-Pelican forest in the west and GHA 26 in the east.

The following map shows deer, elk and moose hunting zones where it is permissible to use a vehicle to access in Manitoba. (Manitoba Conservation)

But moose are still struggling to make gains in other areas. Olson said there could be as many as 10 other GHAs that should be closed due to suffering populations, but the province doesn't seem to be willing to fund enough population surveys.

Disease and overhunting

One factor that has hurt populations is disease. Winter tick and a form of brain worm common among deer are two big culprits.

Winter tick decimated moose numbers in western Manitoba in 2002. About 40 per cent of the entire population was lost to the tick species that winter, Crichton said, adding warmer springs and falls in recent years has meant more ticks on moose.

The brain worm, present in the majority of Manitoba deer, is a major moose killer right now, too.

But diseases aside, Crichton and Olson both believe overhunting of moose is making it hard for them to rebound.

"It's the unregulated harvest by a [small number] of our First Nation peoples, and now in part of Manitoba, the Métis peoples," Crichton said. "I can tell you right now that the vast majority of our rights-based people are as concerned as I am and others."

"It's not about taking away those rights, it's about protecting them. If there's nothing left, rights are meaningless," he added.

But Sheila North Wilson, Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, said to single out First Nations without the numbers to back it up misses the mark.

"If that's their starting point, they need to figure out what they're trying to say, because Indigenous people, especially our hunters and gatherers, know their role," North Wilson said. "Indigenous peoples' role is to be stewards of the land."

"We're talking about Indigenous, Aboriginal treaty rights to hunting and fishing and gathering.... This is how they survived, and this is how they want to survive, and for anyone or any organization to say they're overhunting or overfishing is simply asinine."

Work together

Alistair Bath, a researcher from Memorial University of Newfoundland, studies how the belief systems, attitudes and behaviour of different interest groups impact their ability to solve things like conservation issues.

As a facilitator by trade, and presenter at the conference, he hopes to get everyone in the same room working toward common ground.

"It's not about blame, it's about what do you collectively want?" Bath said. "We need to get in agreement first of what the common vision is, what are we striving for, and then start tossing out what are the obstacles to achieving this?"

Olson and Crichton want the conference to help strengthen relationships between all stakeholders.

"Let's get Métis, First Nation and licensed hunters together and let's get serious and roll up our sleeves and let's come up with a solution now, not next year, not the year after," Olson said.

"We need government to move. They've made some huge commitments here to us, which is great, but we need them to move on that now. We need action."

This year the province has surveyed GHA 26, populations south and east of The Pas, and plans to conduct three additional surveys in Porcupine Mountain (GHA 13), Duck Mountain (GHA 18s) and GHA 21 in the north Interlake, a spokesperson with the province said.