the area. Wildlife habitat improvement has been started 

 through the planting of white spruce as a windbreak around 

 some of the fields in the south section of the property. 



FUR MANAGEMENT 



The objective of the fur management program in Ontario is 

 to provide for an annual optimum harvest while ensuring 

 the continued propagation of furbearer species throughout 

 their respective ranges. 



Strong market demand for wild fur pelts of all species 

 during the 1968-9 season resulted in one of the most profit- 

 able seasons for trappers in a number of years. Harvest and 

 price increases were reported on all species over the pre- 

 vious year. 



Based on data obtained from the Ontario Trappers' Asso- 

 ciation fur sales service in North Bay, beaver, the major 

 species in the wild fur harvest in Ontario, was in strong de- 

 mand, resulting in an average price increase over 1967-8 of 

 S3. 50. Beaver production totalled 164,888 pelts at an esti- 

 mated value of $3,325,000.00 to the Province's 8,049 li- 

 censed trappers. 



Mink populations and harvests, which have been declin- 

 ing generally across the Province for the past eight years, 

 increased significantly. There was a harvest of 28,464 ani- 

 mals, an increase of approximately 7,000 over the previous 

 year. Sioux Lookout and Kenora were the only Districts In 

 the Province reporting a slight decline in the harvest of this 

 species. 



The average price paid for fisher increased from approxi- 

 mately $13.81 in 1967-8 to $25.45 with a harvest increase 

 of approximately 30%, from 2,189 to 3,536 animals. 



In spite of the increased prices paid, particularly for 

 beaver, areas continue to exist where the harvest is far be- 

 low the existing potential. The Department moves efficient 

 trappers into such sites from areas of lower production 

 potential. This program has proven to be most beneficial to 

 the trappers concerned and aids in the management of the 

 species in that it maintains populations at levels compatible 

 with the existing range. 



No major disease outbreaks occurred in wild furbearers 

 during the year. 



Beaver continue to create flooding problems in some 

 agriculture areas and cottage development sites, as well as 

 along roadways in the sparsely settled areas of the Province. 

 In an effort to alleviate the situation, intensive harvest prac- 

 tices are encouraged where these conditions exist. 



During the fur season of 1968-9, royalty in the amount of 

 $215,102.55 was collected on a total of 686,296 pelts. The 

 value of the pelts was $4,161,541.00, an increase of 

 $813,168.00 over the previous season, covering a total of 

 705,943 pelts. A strong European market brought about the 

 higher prices. 



With the Ontario Trappers' Association fur sales serx'ice 

 in North Bay now handling approximately 50 per cent of 

 the wild pelts produced in Ontario, buyers from the United 

 States, Europe and Quebec are being attracted, and the 

 trappers are benefitting from strong, competitive bidding. 



A total of 289 Fur Dealer's Licences were issued; of these, 

 219 were Resident Fur Dealer's Store Licences, 66 were 

 Resident Travelling Fur Dealer's Licences, and four were 

 Non-Resident Fur Dealer's Licences. 



PREDATOR MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL 



The function of the predator control unit is to assess the 

 degree of depredation caused by wildfire predators. It also 

 implements control programs in areas where it has been 



determined that their presence is detrimental to the domes- 

 tic livestock industry or to maintaining desirable population 

 levels of other wildlife species. 



Department staff investigated 79 instances of predation 

 on domestic and wildlife prey species. A total of 54 control 

 programs were established. Farmers, who experienced de- 

 predation on domestic stock by wildlife predators, were 

 assisted by Department officers in establishing control pro- 

 grams. As a result of these programs, 27 timber wolves, 40 

 coyotes, six bears and 12 dogs were removed from the 

 problem areas. 



Predator control training courses were conducted in the 

 forest districts of Tweed, Kapuskasing, Fort Frances, Kenora, 

 Sioux Lookout, Cochrane, Swastika, Sudbury, Lake Erie and 

 Lake Huron. Fifty-six Department employees received on- 

 the-job training. Extension training workshops, held in con- 

 junction with these programs, were attended by 323 trappers 

 and farmers. 



During 1968, a total of 1,567 timber wolves, 1,643 coy- 

 otes and 29 hybrids were bountied in the Province. There 

 was no appreciable change in the number of timber wolves 

 bountied, compared with 1967; coyotes increased by 284 

 animals. There has been a gradual increase in the number 

 of coyotes bountied since 1962. A similar increase occurred 

 between 1943 and 1947 when they reached a peak of 1,182 

 animals and then decreased to 486, bountied in 1957. 



Payment of bounty claims amounted to $62,025.00 dur- 

 ing the fiscal year, compared with $59,089.00 in the preced- 

 ing year. 



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