DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1947 49 



It is gcncralK' felt that the border area is over-hunted because of its prox- 

 iniit\- to population centres in the United States and. for that reason, there is 

 strong local objection to non-resident hunters. This is directed impartialh' 

 against the entire non-resident group. 



The Gra\enhurst road check showed llu' following for the period November 

 7th to November 21st. It is compared with a check from .\o\-ember 6th to 

 November 19th, 1941. 



I 1946 I 1941 



Hunters 



Moose 



Deer j 



I^ear 



W elves 



At Pelee Island, a complete count was made of the pheasants killed during 

 I he open season, and b\" means of certain additional counts, the following figures 

 were ascertained concerning pheasants on Pelee Island: 



Number of hens before open season 5, 160 



Number of cocks before open season 5,263 



Number of cocks killed 4,615 



Number of hens (illegally) killed 300 



Number of hens after the open season 4,860 



Number of cocks after the open season 648 



All of these figures except the actual kill should be rounded off, but it ma>' 

 be taken that there were at least 10,000 birds on the island before the shoot, 

 and at least 4,000 hens and 600 cocks left after the shoot. 



The Game Bag Census Cards indicated that, by those reporting in 1946, 

 there were 0.7 deer killed per hunter, and the number of deer killed per hunter- 

 da\- was 0.09. The area covered was much larger than that funnelled through 

 the road block aiul included portions where deer were ver\- abundant. 



Onh' 8% of the hunters reporting were hunting ducks, and some of these 

 ma\' have hunted onh' incidentalh. Only 5% as much time was spent on 



duck-hunting as on deer hunting, l)\ hunters reporting. 



Wildlife Library 



A start was made on the assembling of a librarx' on wildlift- management. 

 Contributions and exchanges will be welcomed. 



Wildlife Research 



Close co-operation was maintained with wildlitc- rc-starch p.u'ties Irom the 

 Research l)i\ision. 



Technical Personnel 



At present there is a serious lack in Ontario of men trained in wildlife 

 management. A few service men have shown an interest in the subject and are 

 taking up studies at universities which will give them basic knowledge, but the\- 

 will not be available for emi)loyment for se\eral \ears, during which time essential 

 work is certain to be delaved. 



