Joey Payeur
Local hunters take heart—the opportunities to bag that big buck should be plentiful this season.
That’s the forecast projected by the Ministry of Natural Resources when it comes to the animal populations in local wildlife management units.
Christopher Martin, acting management biologist for the Fort Frances District, provided an optimistic analysis of the area’s most prized targets.
“Deer populations are in good shape across [WMUs] 9A, 9B, 10, 11A, 12A, and 12B, though recruitment of fawns may have been impacted by moderate to severe winter conditions in 2012-13,” Martin noted in a press release.
“The 2012-13 winter was considered severe for deer in many parts of the Fort Frances District with the exception of WMU 10, where snow depths were lower,” he added.
Martin said deer movements are considered severely restricted when snow depths exceed 63 cm.
Snow depths exceeded 63 cm during parts of February and March this year in areas east of Fort Frances.
“Generally, it is accepted that two-consecutive severe winters are required to cause dramatic changes in deer abundance, and the 2011/12 winter was mild,” he remarked.
Deer-hunting season in WMUs 9A, 9B, and 11A began Sept. 1 for bow hunters while those owning muzzle-loading guns set out on their pursuit this past Saturday (Sept. 28).
The rest of the gun-toting contingent must wait until Oct. 5 to go deer hunting, with the season ending Dec. 15.
Martin rated the hunting prospects for deer as “good to excellent,” with additional seal opportunities continuing to be available for resident hunters in all local WMUs.
As for moose, Martin said Northwestern Ontario has avoided the population pitfalls that have befallen its western and southern neighbours.
“Despite concerning reports from neighbouring Manitoba and Minnesota, moose populations remain in reasonable shape across the Fort Frances District, with populations stable in WMU 9A, 9B, and 12A, declining in 12B, and stable/increasing in 11A,” he reported.
“Wildlife managers continue to be concerned with the expansion of white-tailed deer and potential sources of non-hunting mortality, including parasites [brainworm, winter tick, and liver fluke], climate change, and predation,” he added.
Martin said moose aerial inventories completed by the MNR in WMUs 9A and 12B during the 2012-13 winter showed somewhat troublesome results.
“Calf recruitment improved slightly over previous surveys but remains lower than desired,” he warned.
“The number of bulls for every cow also remains lower than the minimum desired ratio of two bulls for every three cows in these units.”
Still, Martin said hunting prospects are “very good” for this fall.
As for bear season, which started Aug. 15 and runs until Oct. 31, Martin said the local population ranges from stable to being on the rise, and also rated hunting prospects for the bruins as good to excellent.
“While berries were plentiful through the summer, baiting opportunities should remain good based on late-season reductions in natural foods,” he noted.
Waterfowl hunting prospects are somewhat less sunnier, however, with Martin estimating them at fair to good.
“Early nesters may have experienced poorer nest success due to the cold spring, but brood-rearing conditions were good,” he said.
Waterfowl hunting season in the Northern District runs from Sept. 1-Dec. 16 for Canada and crackling geese, Sept. 10-Dec. 24 for ducks and other geese, and Sept. 15-Dec. 15 for woodcock.
Upland game birds appear to be the only hunting interest suffering from a downturn in numbers.
“Ruffed grouse are on the downswing and past the peak of their 10-year population cycle,” Martin reported.
“Cool conditions during 2013 in Northwestern Ontario may have contributed to reduced recruitment and late hatches,” he added.
“Nevertheless, there still appears to be a fair number of birds in the Fort Frances area, with numerous broods observed in the spring.
“As inferred from Minnesota surveys, sharp-tailed grouse are likely also less abundant in the Fort Frances area than in previous years,” Martin noted.
“Again, the late spring may have contributed to late hatches this year, though large broods have been observed,” he said.
“Hunting prospects for grouse are fair.”
The upland game bird season runs from Sept. 14-Dec. 31.
