Tallying wild game populations

Knowing the number of animals in a population is crucial to our basic understanding of life — and it’s especially important when managing fish and wildlife harvested by anglers and hunters. Effective fish and game management relies on knowing how many moose, deer, walleye, turkeys, and other species are out there. These numbers determine how many animals can be sustainably harvested. To support ongoing hunting opportunities, it’s essential to conduct repeated, reliable surveys over time to track population trends. Fortunately, most wildlife lives in places where we can observe them. And if we can see them, we should be able to count them — though that’s often easier said than done. Moose from the air Moose are the largest animals in the woods but counting them is no easy task. In Ontario, moose are typically counted from helicopters using a method called Stratified Random Plot Sampling. This approach begins by dividing a defined area — usually a Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) or a group of WMUs — into broad zones classified by moose density: high, moderate, low, or null (no moose expected). Survey effort (sampling intensity) is aligned with these classifications, ranging from high to none, depending on expected moose presence. Only a portion of each stratified area is actually surveyed. In Ontario, each randomly selected survey plot covers 25 square kilometres, and the goal is to locate every moose within that plot. Moose density (moose/km2) is then calculated for each stratum, and these figures are used to estimate the total moose population in the WMU or area. Provincial populations Adding up estimates from all areas provides a population estimate for the entire province. Not long ago, the OFAH hosted a webinar on aerial moose inventories, in which the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) outlined improvements to survey standards and guidelines. These guidelines recommend conducting aerial surveys from helicopters during cold, clear winter days, shortly after a fresh snowfall. During such conditions, moose are more active, often feeding in open habitats, making them easier to spot. Moose population surveys provide population estimates within a range of uncertainty, known as confidence limits. The narrower the confidence limits, the more reliable the estimate. A well-conducted Ontario moose survey typically states that the population estimate is 90% likely to be within plus or minus 20% of the actual number of moose observed. That said, it’s estimated that only about 80% of moose present