Moose Hair Loss Survey

On Tuesday March 24, 2015 I had the privilege of once again participating in the MNR projects. The project was " Moose Hair loss Survey and the Late Spring Moose Habitat Survey. We departed from the Pembroke Airport at 9:00 A.M. Darrell Reynolds, Senior Forestry Technical Specialist, was the navigator on the flight. as well as the Pilot, Myself and another MNR Employee.

Preflight Considerations and Requirements:

During pre-boarding briefings, the pilot will exercise judgment as to the suitability of clothing worn by the passengers, giving consideration to the flight and destination circumstances.

The pilot shall have the authority to delay, or refuse to carry a passenger who does not have adequate protective clothing for the intended flight.

Discretion should be used when considering the flight area and the time of year.

If the staff member (crew/passenger) feels uncomfortable with the mission for any reason, he/she has the right to refuse to participate in the flight and should communicate the concern to the pilot.

Clothing Suggestions

Multiple layers of clothing are considered to be more beneficial than a single layer garment. The reasons are:

· A passenger can remove a layer of clothing as required.

· Layering produces areas of dead air, which will act as extra insulation to prevent the penetration of heat or cold or the loss of body heat.

· Natural fabrics are less flammable than synthetic materials.

Traditional Clothing:

· heavy woolen socks (layered)

· heavy or winter weight long underwear

· durable woolen or insulated trousers

· insulated boots or overshoes

· parka or heavy bush jacket with wind resistant outer shell or a heavy top coat

· hat or head protection with ear coverings (toque, fur hat, parka hood, etc.)

· mitts or gloves (layered)

Briefings:

All passengers are to ensure the pre-flight briefing is received from the pilot and understood. During ongoing projects, if a new passenger is added to the flight, he/should remind the pilot that they are new to the group and have not received the pre-flight briefing.

Operating Over Remote Areas:

Due to the fact that most resource management flights are conducted over remote and sparsely settled areas, emergency survival equipment is carried on board MNR aircraft at all times.

We recommend that passengers each carry a winter sleeping bag for flights in remote areas. Aviation Services will provide sleeping bags for the pilot and four (4) passengers in our helicopters and Turbo Beaver aircraft, however a commercial carrier may not. Passengers are advised to check with the crew of the aircraft for details.

As an extra safety measure, it is recommended that person(s) frequently utilizing Ministry or charter aircraft assemble and carry a small emergency survival kit containing a few basic items.

In the unlikely event that the aircraft survival equipment is destroyed during a forced landing or other emergency situations, each passenger will still have several essential survival items available.

The following kit is intended as a guide to be used when assembling a personal survival kit and suggests basic items only. Keeping in mind that space available in the aircraft is usually limited, it is recommended that the kit be carried in a jacket pocket or in a small day-pack.

· extra mitts

· pocket knife

· compass

· compact flashlight

· sunglasses

· signal whistle

· first aid kit (include pain relievers)

· personal medication

· water/windproof matches*

*NOTE: As per Transport Canada Regulations, under no circumstances are “Strike Anywhere” matches to be carried on board the aircraft.

Moose (Alces alces) are the largest animal in Algonquin Park and a crucial part of the ecosystem, but significant mortality-events of Moose have been associated with Winter Tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations in the past. Moose with heavy winter tick infestations groom vigorously by licking, biting, or scratching against a tree, which results in severe hair loss that can lead to decreased fat reserves, and in extreme cases hypothermia. Winter ticks (and the associated hair loss), plus normal winter coat shedding is what make Moose appear “scraggly” in the spring. To assess the severity of winter tick infestation, Algonquin Park staff have been conducting aerial Moose Hair Loss Surveys since 1984. An index is used to measure the severity of tick infestation based on the degree of hair loss, and make predictions about the potential impact to the local Moose population.

One of the main concerns "The Ontario Ministry Of Natural Resources" have is protecting pine forests from Logging Operations to protect the Moose feeding grounds in spring and summer . Evergreens are needed to provide adequate cover in the hot months to prevent the animals from over heating. They are doing Arial Surveys of the Wetland Area's such as Ponds, Swamps, Lakes and Rivers in Algonquin Park to identify these Area's and their surrounding forests. When these area's are found by Arial Flying they are recorded on a map and then they are sent to the department that is responsible for contracting out logging operations. When the logging operators get the logging map for their area the protected area's are well defined so that they cannot cut near these areas. A survey is done in the early spring to inspect these area's to ensure that they indeed provide the necessary cover.