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Big Game Unit 



Reorganization within this unit has provided the opportunity to increase 

 research work on moose and woodland caribou next year. Up to this time deer 

 investigations had received the greatest emphasis. Deer research has been con- 

 centrated in two main fields: one studied the effects of deer browsing on the 

 regeneration of valuable species of forest tress, the other investigated the 

 factors which might be limiting hunting success. 



The deer browsing studies have shown that in some areas where high pop- 

 ulations of deer persist, browsing is a major factor in the failure of some 

 species of trees to regenerate successfully. However, this damage can be 

 minimized by relatively inexpensive modifications in logging methods. An experi- 

 mental program aimed at combining deer management and timber management, in South 

 Canonto Township in the Tweed District, is showing good results and may be the 

 fore-runner of more extensive integration of wildlife and forestry manrjement. 



The factors affecting the success of deer hunters have been investigated 

 for several years. Results show that adverse winter weather conditions and 

 declining food and shelter conditions resulting from the maturing of some types 

 of forest are undoubtedly of prime importance in the declines of deer herds. In 

 fact, as our studies on predation and other factors which affect deer populations 

 progress, it is becoming increasingly apparent that predation and hunting are 

 often relatively minor factors in the overall prosperity of deer herds in Ontario. 



Predator Unit 

 Research by this unit is primarily directed, at this time, to the 

 development of realistic management techniques for wolves and coyotes. In 

 addition to studies, noted above, which are integrated with the big game research 

 program in an effort to assess the effects of wolves on deer and moose populations, 

 several other investigations are active. These include the development of methods 

 for estimating the size and distribution of wolf and coyote populations. 



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