Table 8 



LICENCE SALES, RETURNS. REPORTED KILL AND 

 PERCENT SUCCESS — BLACK BEAR HUNT — 

 SPRING 1963-1966 



LICENCES SOLD 



Non-Resldent Resident 



1963 1^999 354 



1964 2,169 414 



1965 2,647 583 



1966 3,910 813 

 NO. OF RETURNS 



1963 543 * 



1%4 801 71 



1965 985 84 



1966 1,170 96 

 PERCENT RETURNS 



1963 27.1 



1964 36.9 17.1 



1965 37.2 14.4 



1966 29.9 11.8 

 BEARS REPORTED KILLED 



1%3 237 * 



1964 332 27 



1965 459 49 



1966 503** 55** 



(478) (37) 

 PERCENT SUCCESS REPORTED 



1963 43.6 * 



1964 41.4 38.0 



1965 46.6 58.3 



1966 40.9** 38.5** 



"Figures not available. 



**1966 Percent success based on kill of one bear per hunter. 503 bears 

 killed by non-residents and 55 bears killed by resident hunters based 

 on total reported kill. 

 PHEASANT MANAGEMENT 



The prime objective of management is to maintain or in- 

 crease natural ring-necked pheasant populations in suitable 

 habitat, and to provide recreational opportunities at as high 

 a level as possible consistent with principles of sustained 

 yield and other uses of agricultural land. 

 Management includes the maintenance of natural popula- 

 tions in areas having less than 50 inches annual snowfall 

 a year; the utilization of game farm stocks as efficiently as 

 possible; and the collection of information relating to 

 pheasant populations and their harvest. 

 Season lengths varied from four to 83 days across the 

 Province, depending upon the availability of pheasants and 

 maintenance of breeding stocks. Bag limits remained un- 

 changed with the exception of Lincoln County, where an 

 experimental "cocks only" season was instituted. 

 Distribution of Game Farm Stock: Two Provincial game bird 

 farms continued to play an important role in the regulated 

 township system in maintaining private lands open to public 

 upland game hunting. Day-old chicks, poults and year-old 

 breeding stock were provided to municipalities and sports- 

 men's clubs for immediate or subsequent release. Increased 

 numbers of adult birds were reared at the game farms for 

 release on public hunting units operated by the Department. 



Table 9 



PRODUCTION OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS 



CODRINGTON & NORMANDALE GAME BIRD FARMS 1966 



Old Breeding 

 Chicks Poults Adults Stock 



Codrington 17,435 7,800 3,016 1,366 



Normandale 28,430 7,800 2,430 1,260 



Total 45,865 15,600 M46 2,626 



Harvest Information: Districts continued to evaluate trends 

 in pheasant populations and the effects of management 

 practices including regulations and stocking. Statistics on 

 opening day and season hunting success are shown below 

 for three southern districts. 



Table 10 



PHEASANT HUNTING SUCCESS — 1966 



No. No. Average Daily 



Hunters Pheasants Bag Birds 



Checked Taken Per Hunter 



DISTRICT 

 LINDSAY 



(opening day) 

 SIMCOE 



(opening day) 



(remainder of season) 



(complete season) 

 HESPELER 



(opening day) 



(remainder of season) 



(complete season) 

 ERIE 



(Pelee Island — 

 complete season) 



(Mainland — 

 complete season) 



179 



614 



704 



1,318 



989 



1,376 

 2,365 



157 

 1,049 



92 



406 

 189 

 595 



711 



600 



1,311 



883 

 372 



0.51 



0.66 

 0.27 

 0.45 



0.72 

 0.44 

 0.55 



2.81 

 0.35 



Habitat Management: One of the most important factors 

 limiting native populations of ring-necked pheasants is the 

 loss of nests and nesting hens from hay-mowing operations. 

 The staff of southern Districts publicized the need to leave 

 the cutting of grass along roadsides, farm lanes and other 

 waste areas until after July 10 to increase pheasant pro- 

 duction. Publicity respecting other effective management 

 practices also was provided. 



Special Studies: To evaluate the effects of such factors as 

 land-use practices, agricultural insecticide applications, and 

 harvest regulations on pheasant populations in the Niagara 

 Peninsula, a special five-year study was instituted in 1966 

 in Lincoln and Welland counties. A graduate biologist was 

 hired on a contract in November, 1966 for a six-month 

 period to coordinate initial stages of the study which is 

 continuing. 



HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE 



Management of Hungarian partridge is designed to estab- 

 lish populations in all areas of suitable habitat in the 

 Province, and to provide maximum recreational use of 

 available partridge stocks. 



Kemptville District staff live-trapped 101 partridges during 

 January and February, 1967. Some 50 of these birds were 

 released in March in Tecumseth Township, Simcoe County; 

 36 were released in Darlington Township, Durham County. 

 The remainder were held for propagation purposes at the 

 Codrington Game Farm. 



Partridge populations in the most important hunting range 

 in eastern Ontario continued to prosper. Covey counts, 

 average covey size and availability of birds during the liberal 

 season established from September 24 to November 26 

 inclusive, indicated an increase in the number of Hungarian 

 partridge from the previous year. 

 BOBWHITE QUAIL AND OTHER SMALL GAME 

 Bobwhite quail continued to increase in numbers and in 

 distribution, and the counties of Kent, Lambton, Middlesex 

 and Elgin enjoyed a hunting season from November 2 to 12 

 in 1966. 



