The provincial government is reminding hunters about the importance of taking part in the hunter harvest survey. (Submitted photo/Parks Canada)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Conservation

Important wildlife survey underway

Nov 22, 2019 | 5:42 PM

The Saskatchewan government is encouraging hunters to participate in a harvest survey.

The numbers garnered by the study are used by the Ministry of Environment for a number of purposes including determining the number of animals that can be hunted.

“The results are used to set those quotas, we evaluate changes in management strategies,” said Allison Henderson, wildlife ecologist with the Government of Saskatchewan.

Some of the most important information gathered is the number of animals being hunted and what kind of species they are. Henderson explained the information can also be helpful for determining the setting of seasons.

“We look at hunter success, we can look at the number of days hunted,” said Henderson.

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The ministry uses other methods to help acquire information about wildlife. This includes surveying numbers from the air and other citizen led initiatives.

People interested in doing the survey can do it online or can visit a Ministry of Environment office. Henderson said while it is not mandatory for people to do the survey, she explained the more people who participate the better.

“The more surveys completed, the more thorough our evaluation of wildlife populations can be,” she said.

Don Erhardt, vice president of Prince Albert Wildlife Federation said people who like to get out hunting should take the time to submit their information as it is in everyone’s best interests.

“The number of licenses and the seasons and whatnot are very much dependent on the kind of information the government is able to put together,” he said.

Erhardt said him and the people he goes out hunting with make sure to take part in the survey. While he has not completed this year’s document, Erhardt said previously it has been a fairly straight forward process.

“It’s certainly not time consuming,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn