ANNUAL REPORT, 1941-42 



bulls and three cows, were transferred from their range on the Petawawa Crown Game 

 Preserve in the county of Renfrew, and liberated in a suitable area in the county of Peter- 

 borough. Little if any improvement was reported from the localities in which elk have 

 been liberated on different occasions in previous years in the counties of Bruce, Simcoe 

 and Peterborough, and in the districts of Nipissing, Sudbury, Algoma and Thunder Bay. 

 These are the only sections in the Province in which these animals are to be observed, 

 in addition to those on the Petawawa Crown Game Preserve. 



BUFFALO: — Little change has occurred in the small herd of buffalo, comprised of 

 sixteen heifers and four bulls, which was imported from Alberta in 1939, and placed 

 on lands in the Burwash Crown Game Preserve in the district of Sudbury. 



BEAR: — There would appear to have been some increase in the number of black bear in. 

 many parts of Ontario. They are reported to be quite numerous in many parts of northern 

 Ontario and in the districts of Parry Sound and^Muskoka and the counties of Haliburton 

 and Renfrew. The demand for the pelts of these animals is at present negligible and 

 as a result of this condition there is no encouragement for the trapping of bear. How- 

 ever, much healthy recreation may result from the hunting of these animals, and no 

 doubt many hunters take advantage of the opportunity for sport thus provided. It will 

 be of interest to report that during the spring bear season from April 1st to June 15th, 

 1941, some one hundred and eighty-nine (189) hunting licenses were issued to non- 

 residents of the Province for the taking of bear, again recording an increase in the 

 number of such licenses issued as compared with those sold during this season in the 

 previous fiscal year. 



RABBITS: — The following varieties of rabbits are to be found in different sections of 

 the Province, viz: — cottontail rabbits, European hare (or jack rabbits) and the vary- 

 ing hare (or snowshoe rabbits). 



Cottontail rabbits are reported from all southern Ontario counties with the ex- 

 ception of Renfrew, Haliburton, Muskoka and Parry Sound. Generally speaking, con- 

 ditions as they applied to this variety were very good and some increase was evident. 

 However, conditions were not favourable in several of the eastern counties as well as 

 in the counties of Grey and Bruce. 



The European hare. Or jack rabbit as it is more familiarly known, is confined 

 to the extreme southwesterly portion of the Province, lying south of the district of 

 Muskoka and the county of Haliburton and west of the county of Hastings. With but 

 few exceptions reports indicated that they were quite plentiful throughout this section. 



The' varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is prevalent in many of the eastern 

 counties and northern districts of southern Ontario and throughout that portion of 

 the Province lying north and west of the French and Mattawa Rivers and Lake Nipissing. 

 They were reported to be not too plentiful in any of these areas except possibly in the 

 far northwestern districts, though a slight general improvement in their numbers was 

 observed. 



There is no doubt that the hunting of rabbits is the favourite sport of a large 

 percentage of hunters throughout the Province, particularly in the late fall and early 

 winter, and there are many who participate in the enjoyable and healthy recreation de- 

 rived from such hunting. 



PARTRIDGE: — Satisfactory conditions with reference to both ruffed grouse and sharp- 

 tailed grouse continued to prevail in the areas in which suitable environment exists, 

 more particularly in the northern districts of the Province. The sharp-tailed variety 

 of partridge are the western Canada species and are found in Ontario only in the 

 northwestern districts. Special regulations were adopted to provide for an open season 

 during the fall of 1941, details of which are as follows: — 



