With moose venturing farther south in Saskatchewan come their natural predators - wolves.
"(The moose population has) expanded quite a bit in southern Saskatchewan over the last 20 years," said Gary Provencher, a conservation officer for the Ministry of Environment.
"From what we know, they've just wandered in from northern areas or areas like Cypress Hills and Moose Mountain where they've always been and they've found good areas of habitat and their population has expanded over the years."
The wolves may be following their food source.
"The main natural predator of moose is wolves and we're starting to get them showing up in southern Saskatchewan in the odd spot," he said.
Provencher said wolves have been seen in a couple of areas near Saskatoon and Swift Current, considerably farther south than they've been in the past.
"It's now quite possible that we might end up with more wolves in southern Saskatchewan, too," said Provencher.
At this point, there's little concern over wolves in the south, but if more wolf sightings occur, attempts to manage the population may need to be made.
Northern communities such as Hudson Bay and Nipawin have established bounties on wolves through local municipalities to manage the population.
Humans are the only other predators of moose in the south and hunting seasons have been established to help control the population. But in the area around Regina, establishing hunting seasons can be a bit of a challenge. High-calibre rifles aren't allowed, so hunters must use "primitive" weapons such as bows, crossbows and muzzle loaders.
"A lot of times they're not as effective as a big-game rifle," said Provencher.
A limited number of 100 moose are hunted in Zone 20, which encompasses Regina, Moose Jaw and much of the area south of the Qu'Appelle River.
"Last year it was 75, the year before it was 25, so it's increasing. We're trying to target our harvesting activities around the major urban areas where moose sometimes get into trouble," said Brad Tokaruk of the fish and wildlife branch in the Ministry of Environment.
"(The moose population has) expanded quite a bit in southern Saskatchewan over the last 20 years," said Gary Provencher, a conservation officer for the Ministry of Environment.
"From what we know, they've just wandered in from northern areas or areas like Cypress Hills and Moose Mountain where they've always been and they've found good areas of habitat and their population has expanded over the years."
The wolves may be following their food source.
"The main natural predator of moose is wolves and we're starting to get them showing up in southern Saskatchewan in the odd spot," he said.
Provencher said wolves have been seen in a couple of areas near Saskatoon and Swift Current, considerably farther south than they've been in the past.
"It's now quite possible that we might end up with more wolves in southern Saskatchewan, too," said Provencher.
At this point, there's little concern over wolves in the south, but if more wolf sightings occur, attempts to manage the population may need to be made.
Northern communities such as Hudson Bay and Nipawin have established bounties on wolves through local municipalities to manage the population.
Humans are the only other predators of moose in the south and hunting seasons have been established to help control the population. But in the area around Regina, establishing hunting seasons can be a bit of a challenge. High-calibre rifles aren't allowed, so hunters must use "primitive" weapons such as bows, crossbows and muzzle loaders.
"A lot of times they're not as effective as a big-game rifle," said Provencher.
A limited number of 100 moose are hunted in Zone 20, which encompasses Regina, Moose Jaw and much of the area south of the Qu'Appelle River.
"Last year it was 75, the year before it was 25, so it's increasing. We're trying to target our harvesting activities around the major urban areas where moose sometimes get into trouble," said Brad Tokaruk of the fish and wildlife branch in the Ministry of Environment.