Statistics in comparison with the previous year are as follows: 



1961 1962 



Number of townships reporting 

 Number of hunters 

 Number of birds reported seen 



(not shot at) 

 Number of birds reported harvested 

 Hunter success 

 Man hours to bag a pheasant 



Remarks. Good hunter success figures this year came from the regulated 

 townships in Ontario County where excellent success was reported on the opening 

 day in East Whitby. Previously, such townships as Toronto in Peel County and 

 Markham in York County enjoyed this honour. This year owing to some unknown 

 factor, the Township of Toronto produced poor hunting throughout the entire 

 season. It must be remembered, however, that in the previous year 1961, the 

 Township of Toronto had 300 adult birds released just prior to the opening, 

 whereas, this year the last release of poult pheasants was on September 23. 

 Furthermore, seven of the lower townships in 1961 had a total of 2,307 adult 

 birds released from 3 to 14 days prior to the opening date. These late releases 

 in 1961, in comparison with the early releases of poults this year must definitely 

 be considered as one of the factors which lower our percentage success this year. 



Overall figures in all categories this year show a decline from the previous 

 year and may be attributed to the following: 



1. During the spring of 1962, the Township of Vaughan closed its lands to 

 hunting, thus lessening some of our best pheasant hunting areas. 



2. Most pheasants were planted at least eight weeks prior to the opening day. 



3. Gradual increase in posted lands just prior to the open pheasant season 

 in our lower townships of good pheasant habitat and in some cases where pheasants 

 had been released. 



It is interesting to note, however, that in the last three seasons, hunter 

 success has varied between .46 and .52, with man hours to bag a pheasant between 

 6.8 and 7.4. 



Special Pheasant Survey 

 MARKHAM TOWNSHIP. 1962 — LAKE SIMCOE DISTRICT 



At the conclusion of the open season for pheasants in 1962 in the regulated 

 township of Markham, a total of 595 resident and non-resident township licences 

 had been sold. A 20% sample mail survey of the number of licences sold indicated 

 that 147 pheasants had been harvested in 188 man-days of hunting, for a hunter 

 success figure of 1.7 bird per hunter (season) and 1.28 man-days were required 

 to bag a bird. 



The purpose of the survey was to determine total hunting activity and total 

 harvest of planted birds as well as birds produced naturally, in order to have data 

 which could be used in comparison with field survey figures. 



Two methods were attempted. A questionnaire was placed in the same 

 envelope when each township licence was being mailed to the purchaser by the 

 Markham Township Qerk's Office. Only 37 questionnaires or 6.2% of the total 

 were returned by hunters purchasing licences. This data was not used. 



All names and addresses of licencees were obtained from the Clerk's Office. 

 Twenty percent or every sixth name on the list was sent a mailed questionnaire, 



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