ANNUAL REPORT, 1945-46 



GAME 



The comments included in the following summary of conditions applicable to game 

 birds and animals insofar as they relate to white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, black bear 

 and partridge are generalizations on the status of these respective species based on the 

 results of a questionnaire distributed by the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology: 



WHITE-TAILED DEER: — There are now no areas in Ontario south of Patricia district 

 where deer are not found. Our principal deer country is still a broad belt from Sault 

 Ste. Marie to Arnprior with an important extension west of Lake Superior. Northward 

 deer are scarce. The hunting pressure on deer is constantly increasing. 



MOOSE: — Moose are scarce or decreasing in several important iwrtions of their Ontario 

 range, but there still remain areas of abundance. The trend, downward, especially west 

 of Lake Superior, is causing some concern. Algonquin Park remains the centre of moose 

 abundance south of the French and Mattawa Rivers. Northward, moose are scattered 

 throughout the country. The Lake Superior, Lake Nipigon and Albany River regions 

 are centres of abundance. 



CARIBOU: — The caribou is scarce in those parts of the Province w^here it still remains, 

 but has not lost ground recently. 



ELK: — Animals of this species which exist in Ontario at this time are the results of 

 experiments to re-establish elk in Ontario undertaken by the Department in the years 

 immediately preceding the period covered by this report. They are to be found only in 

 the areas which have been re-stocked and there only in limited numbers. These re- 

 stocked areas include portions of the Counties of Bruce, Simcoe and Peterborough, as 

 well as the districts of Algoma, Nipissing, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Improvement in 

 conditions applicable thereto is not very noticeable. The hunting of elk is prohibited 

 under the provisions of the Game and Fisheries Act throughout the entire year. 



BLACK BEAR: — Black bear have increased to a remarkable extent and are usually 

 abundant throughout the Province except in the densely settled portion. 



RABBITS: — The prevalence of rabbits provides sportsmen throughout Ontario with a 

 large percentage of the recreation they secure from hunting during the latter part of 

 the fall season, and with practically all of the hunting which is available throughout the 

 winter season. Three species of rabbits are to be found in this Province, viz: — 



(a) The cotton-tail rabbit, which is the source of enjoyable hunting throughout the 

 southern counties; 



(b) European hare (or jack-rabbit). This species has a general distribution 

 throughout the southwestern part of the Province and in some of the eastern 

 counties. 



(c) Snow-shoe rabbit. Reports received in the Department would warrant the 

 assumption that this species is fairly plentiful in the northern portion of the 

 Province and in addition in some of the northern and eastern sections of 

 southern Ontario. 



While there are some areas from which decreased numbers are reported, generally 

 speaking, conditions with reference to the species throughout continued to be quite 

 favourable. 



PARTRIDGE: — Three species of native partridge are well distributed in settled portions 

 of Ontario, viz: — spruce grouse, ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse. Conditions of 

 abundance of these game birds are briefly as follows: 



SPRUCE GROUSE: — Spruce grouse are present but scarce throughout the coniferous 

 forest of northern Ontario. 



