Parks Canada expands moose cull in Terra Nova National Park

Parks Canada has intensified efforts to reduce the moose population in Terra Nova National Park by increasing the number of licences, extending the hunting season and expanding the harvest area.

And for the first time, hunters also have access to a boat service in order to access more remote areas.

• Moose cull in Gros Morne expanded to save habitat

It's in response to a declining success rate among hunters since the so-calledHyperabundantSpecies Management Planwaslaunched in 2011to help protect the forest ecosystem in the park from moose browsing.

This information was contained in a September briefing note to Daniel Watson, the new chief executive officer of Parks Canada.

It was obtained by CBC News through an access to information request.

More accessible animals have been taken

According to the briefing note, the success rate for hunters dropped from 50 per cent in the first year of the moose cull to just 24 per cent in 2014-15.

That's because most of the 90 moose taken to date were hunted near roadways, and the remaining animals are thought to be in the deeper forest.

Hunters are also limited in their ability to access more remote areas because of a ban on all-terrain vehicles in the park.

But new measures put in place for the 2015-16 huntare aimed at reversing that trend.

First, Parks Canada extendedthe hunting season by seven weeks. It began Sept. 12 and will conclude Jan. 31.

The number of licences was also increased from 90 to 120. Thisincludes30 for registered charitable organizations, which is up significantly from the previous number of five.

And some areas of the park that were closed in previous years have beenopened to hunting.

It's not known how these new measures have impacted the current hunt. An official with Parks Canada toldCBC News a full report will be available once the hunt concludes.

Tree saplings more numerous

It's estimated that the cull trimmed the moose population in the park to 185 animals by last year, from a high of 240 in 2011.

And there are signs the program is working.

"Since 2011, the number of balsam fir saplings has increased and there has been decreased evidence of moose browsing of hardwoods within the park," the briefing note states.

The note said there is broad public support for the moose cull, and that media coverage remains "positive and balanced."

The results of this year's hunt will determine how the moose cull is conducted in 2016-17.

A similar, larger reduction program is underway in Gros MorneNational Park, where the moose population has been reduced by 30 per cent over the past five years.