A monitoring study of ungulates and furbearing mammals was initiated for Syncrude Canada Ltd. in the vicinity of Syncrude Lease No. 17 during the period between October 15, 1975, and April 30, 1976. The relative abundance and spatial distribution of moose, deer, and 13 species of furbearers were investigated by systematic aerial surveys and winter track counts along 215 km of established transect lines. The relationships between the distribution of animals and the major environmental features including vegetation, terrain, and disturbances were examined. The relative abundances of ungulates and furbearers are presented as indices of animal activity and/or densities of animals per unit area. The relatively large scale trends in spatial distribution re-evaluated by orthogonal polynomial analysis and were presented as structural and trend-surface distribution maps. These baseline data, when compared to data for subsequent years, will enable an evaluation of the impact of the operations phase of the Syncrude development on the distribution and relative abundance of ungulates and furbearers in the vicinity of the development.