SEVENTH REPORT OF THE FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 55 



weirs, 8 wire nets and 2,637 tip-ups. The total number of illegal devices destroyed 

 was 4,761, which represented a total money value of $25,820. 



Actions were begun against 348 persons. Of these 317 were convicted or judg- 

 ments taken, and the total sum imposed as fines and penalties amounted to $9,856.75. 

 Of this amount the sum of $8,526.70 was collected and deposited with the State 

 Treasurer as the law provides. The remaining $1,330.05 was retained by attorneys, 

 justices and constables in cases where their fees were deducted before remitting to 

 this department. There were also fines imposed to the amount of $938 where no 

 recovery was had, and the persons upon whom these fines were imposed served time 

 either in penitentiaries or jails, one day for each dollar, which amounted to 938 days 

 served. The remaining 38 cases resulted as follows : 19 acquitted, either by court or 

 jury; 6 cases on appeal; 4 actions withdrawn, and 2 where there was insufficient 

 evidence to hold the accused. 



Toe much cannot be said in favor of the law of 1899, which prohibited for a term 

 of years the hounding of deer. It was an undisputed fact that, with the advantages 

 of numerous railroads penetrating the Adirondacks about that time and the many 

 people becoming interested in hunting, the deer of the State would surely become 

 exterminated. The Legislature of 1901 should be commended for its legislation 

 along this line, as a law was enacted which forbids for all time the hounding of 

 deer. There is not a question, from the best information obtainable, but that deer 

 have increased in the last five years fully fifty per cent, and they can be found in 

 abundance through the main woods, and also in all the little detached parcels of 

 forest land in every county adjoining the Adirondacks. If this law can remain on 

 the statute books together with the act of 1S88, which limited the number one could 

 kill or transport, there is no prospect of the deer becoming exterminated, although 

 the advantages of reaching nearly every portion of the Adirondacks are much 

 greater. With the increase yearly in the number of people who are desirous of 

 hunting, it might be well to shorten the season, making the close season October 

 31st instead of November 15th. The past two years have shown that more deer are 

 killed during the last ten days of the open season than in the two months prior to 

 that, on accouut of the snow which facilitates still hunting ten fold. 



I would respectfully suggest that while it is not advisable to make too many 

 alterations in our Game Law, for fear of confusing the public mind, it woukl be both 

 advisable and expedient that the following changes in the law as it non- stands 

 should be made during the present session of the Legislature : 



I. Increasing the force of protectors to fifty as against the present thirty-eight. 

 Several localities are now practically without any protection and too remote from 



