ANNUAL REPORT, 1944-45 



this represents an increase of twelve per cent, over the figures of the previous 

 year, the increase is principally made up by the improved sale of such licenses 

 to non-resident hunters. 



CARIBOU: — There are but few parts of Ontario in which this species is reported 

 to exist, and their numbers apparently are extremely scarce. A survey of the 

 reports received reveals the fact that they have been observed in scattered and 

 extremely small herds only in the districts of Sudbury, Algoma, Thunder Bay and 

 Kenora. It would appear that there is little or no reason to anticipate any noticeable 

 improvement in a general way even though local increases have occurred, and the 

 protection afforded by the complete close season which has prevailed in the past 

 will be necessary to maintain this species even at its present limited level. 



ELK: — Such specimens of elk as are found in Ontario at this time are attributable 

 to the efforts of the Department in the past to re-establish this species in this 

 Province. As stated in previous annual reports the original stock was secured from 

 Western Canada with the co-operation of the National Parks Branch of the Federal 

 Government. Their numbers are still quite few, and they are, of course, to be 

 found only in the areas in which they have been liberated, that is in certain por- 

 tions of the Counties of Bruce, Simcoe and Peterborough in the southern portion 

 of the Province, and in the Districts of Algoma, Nipissing, Sudbury and Thunder 

 Bay in Northern Ontario. This species is naturally provided the protection of an 

 entire close season. 



BUFFALO: — A small herd of buffalo was received in Ontario from Alberta some 

 five years ago. These animals were placed on the Burwash Crown Game Preserve 

 located in the District of Sudbury. Little or no improvement has been reported. 



BEAR: — In those parts of Ontario in which suitable habitat prevails these animals 

 continue to be sufficiently plentiful to be somewhat of a nuisance to those engaged 

 in agricultural pursuits, and the damage to domestic flocks and herds has been 

 sufficiently extensive to warrant the provision of a regulation for the payment of 

 bounty to encourage the destruction of bear under certain circumstances. This 

 regulation provides for the payment of this bounty on bears which have been 

 killed in settled agricultural areas in specified portions of the Province and details 

 of the operations under this regulation are provided elsewhere in this report. 



In addition to constituting the nuisance related in the previous paragraph 

 this species is sufficiently plentiful in many sections to afford a measure of success- 

 ful hunting for the sportsmen who are interested in such pursuit, and in this con- 

 nection it is very interesting to note that we have quite a number of United States 

 residents who visit Ontario to participate in the hunting of bear during the season 

 which is provided each year between April 1st and June 15th. 



RABBITS: — In Ontario three species of rabbits are known to exist, viz: — cotton- 

 tail, the European Hare (or jack-rabbit), and the snowshoe rabbit (or varying 

 hare). The cotton-tail rabbit is native to practically all of the southern counties, 

 the jack-rabbit is restricted pretty well to the southwestern counties, though re- 

 ports indicate some extension to the eastern counties and some northern districts 

 in the southern portion of the Province, while the snowshoe rabbit is prevalent in 

 the various northern Ontario districts as well as in some of the northern districts 

 and eastern counties in southern Ontario. 



These animals were sufficiently plentiful in most sections to warrant the 

 conclusion that they continue to provide very enjoyable and successful hunting par- 

 ticularly during the late fall and early winter months. Notwithstanding this favour- 



