Spring Deer Surveys: Because the winter of 1965-66 was very 

 mild in southern Ontario, few Districts put much effort into 

 spring surveys of deer. On the Bruce Peninsula, in Lake 

 Huron District, the loss of deer was only 4.3%. This is very 

 light compared with up to 40% lost during years with deep 

 snow. A browse survey on the Bruce Peninsula revealed 

 that deer wintering in areas where white cedar was abund- 

 ant were using the cedar mostly for shelter. Food was 

 provided by dogwood mixed with small amounts of other 

 hardwoods such as willow, aspen and cherry. 

 In Sault Ste. Marie District, winter losses were only 8%. In 

 three areas where pellet group counts have been carried 

 out each year since 1963, they have indicated a remarkable 

 increase in the deer population. On the basis of these fig- 

 ures, the Sault Ste. Marie District staff predicted an im- 

 provement in deer hunting this fall and the fulfillment of 

 this prediction has already been described. 

 In northwestern Ontario, the situation was completely differ- 

 ent. There was very deep snow, up to 37 inches, and it 

 lasted throughout most of the winter. Observations of deer 

 indicated they were in poor condition. The dead deer which 

 were examined showed little fat in the bone marrow, an 

 indication that body fat had already been exhausted. Al- 

 though neither Sioux Lookout nor Kenora Districts found 

 many dead deer in their spring surveys, shortages of deer 

 did show up in the hunt. Thus, the survey methods must 

 have been at fault and will have to be improved. 



Table 6 



ESTIMATES OF DEER PER SQUARE MILE 



IN STUDY AREAS 



MOOSE MANAGEMENT 



The objective of moose management in Ontario is to provide 

 the most hunting and viewing of moose which can be sus- 

 tained without interfering with other interests. 

 During 1966, nearly 61,000 hunters bought moose licences. 

 Once again a new record was set as the increase was 18% 

 over the previous high in 1965. This increase is all the more 

 significant in view of the fact that there was no hunting in 

 southern Ontario, except in the Pembroke Forest District. 

 An estimated 56,398 of the licence holders hunted and 

 killed 14,593 moose. Thus overall success was 26%. Wide 

 variations in hunter success occurred throughout the moose 

 range, with hunters in northwestern Ontario being more 

 successful than those in the more heavily hunted north- 

 eastern areas. Non-residents as usual were more successful 

 than residents. This reflects the greater amount of effort and 

 money spent by the average non-resident to get a moose. 

 The problem of hunter distribution was the greatest it has 

 ever been. Evidence of this was the numerous congested 

 areas where road-hunters living in campers and tents con- 

 gregated. There was a rapid increase in the number of non- 

 residents, particularly, who were doing their moose hunting 

 this way. As a result of the build-up of hunter numbers in 

 certain popular areas, the hunter success for both residents 

 and non-residents declined. But the number of moose killed 

 remained virtually the same as in the previous year. 

 For example, in Kapuskasing District, where motor tobog- 

 gans are widely used, over 100 man-days of hunting per 

 week were recorded throughout November and mid- 

 December. During the last three weeks, the man-days of 

 hunting dropped to 77, 63, and then increased again to 108. 

 On the other hand, in Geraldton District, where there was 

 little use of motor toboggans, the man-days of hunting were 

 much higher during the first two weeks of October than in 

 Kapuskasing District, but were never over 100 after the first 

 week of November. 



