Uncertainty swirls around Cape Breton moose hunt

Word that the fall moose hunt in the Cape Breton Highlands may be cancelled this year has been a hot topic among hunters.

Word that the fall moose hunt in the Cape Breton Highlands may be cancelled this year has been a hot topic among hunters, including longtime moose hunting guide Dennis Day.

"I think it should be (cancelled). It should have been last year,” Day told CTV Atlantic on Friday.

Day, who lives in Cape North, N.S., said herd numbers in the Highlands are simply too low.

He noted calls in previous years to stop the annual cull so the population could bounce back should have been heeded and this spring's bear hunt – which was called off – should have gone ahead.

"The moose just aren't there anymore,” Day said. “The cull should never have been done. Mother Nature has taken her course. We've had harsh winters, we lost a lot of moose in the harsh winters. We've lost a lot of moose to the bears."

A published report cites a leaked document from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs saying there will be no Cape Breton moose hunt this year.

However, Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources and Renewables isn't saying anything.