I960 Moose Pfunt In Ontario. 



A record harvest of 12,000 moose was taken by some 36,000 hunters in 

 Ontario in I960. Despite the fact that it was the biggest moose season ever 

 held in Ontario with increased niimbers of hunters, more moose killed, and 

 a higher percentage of successful hunters, there is little reason for 

 feeling satisfied. With a provincial inventory of over 125,000 moose, we 

 should triple this year's take if we are to make full use of this natural 

 resource. If every hunter who bought a licence this year has been able to 

 shoot a moose, instead of the usual one in three, we would be cropping our 

 moose herd at just about the proper level. 



The main reason for not having a higher kill of moose, is lack of access. 

 Despite the large-scale road building programs of recent years, many sections 

 of Ontario remain inaccessible except by air. With most hunters forced to 

 congregate along existing road systems, the fun of hunting may be lost in 

 the crowd, while animals a few miles distant are undisturbed by the hunters. 

 Our aim over the next few years must be to get more roads open to hunters 

 and relax the restrictions on air travel. In this way any congestion among 

 hunters will be relieved and moose herds will be provided for public use 

 which are now living and dying with no benefit to anyone. 



Since the moose season was reopened in 1951? the sale of licences has 

 increased annually. Table No. 1 shows the increasing sale of moose licences 

 over the past six years. Non-resident licence sales, comprising about 9 - H/^ 

 of the total licences sold, have increased at almost exactly the same rate 

 as resident licence sales. The sale of i^26.00 moose-deer licences, available 

 once more this year south of the French and Mattawa rivers, also increased 

 over the numbers sold in 1956 and 1958 • 

 Table No. 1 , . 



1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 I960 

 Residents 8958 13^^0 17369 22688 263^9 303^0 

 Non-residents ] " 11^1 1550 1893 2362 3^-31 ^212 

 Moose-deer ' ^ 900 38 12^5 Q I6O8 



Totals 10099 15890 19262 26295 29780 36I6O 



The figures for resident hunters obtained by the Fish and Wildlife staff 



24 



