194 FouKTH Annual Repoet of the 



witli pork and fed to their lumber jacks, all of which has been 

 eradicated. There are no longer wolves in the Adirondack moun- 

 tains, and the lumbermen have found that the killing of deer to 

 feed to their help has become too expensive; and this, with the 

 buck law, all tends to bear out the statement of the northern pro- 

 tectors that deer are more numerous than ever before in the his- 

 tory of the State. 



Also we have had good reports from hunters, who inform us 

 that they are finding more partridge in their native covers than 

 since the epidemic some ten years ago which praf'tically wiped out 

 the native grouse. 



Dogs 



This department has received many protests from bird hunters, 

 who claim that the law works a hardship upon them, as it pro- 

 hibits taking dogs into forests inhabited by deer, or harboring 

 them or allowing them to run at large in the Adirondack Park, 

 or taking them upon forest preserve lands. There should be an 

 enactment of law which would provide for the licensing of bird 

 dogs, so that a sportsman who wished to hunt partridge in the 

 northern counties would be permitted to take his dog into forests 

 inhabited by deer for the purpose of hunting birds. I think this 

 could be done safely by empowering this Commission to issue a 

 license to an owner of a bird dog, permitting him to use his dog 

 for hunting grouse, except within the Adirondack Park. With 

 said license a tag could be issued, similar to the tag v/hich is 

 placed upon a licensed net, the tag to be attached to the collar of 

 the dog, with the number and the name of the owner thereon. 

 This would place the responsibility for the dog upon the ovmer 

 if caught running deer. 



Woodcock 



The hatch of the native woodcock is increasing, and with the 

 flight bird, woodcock shooting within the State is providing a 

 great source of enjoyment for the sportsmen. The adequate pro- 

 tection which I believe is being given this species of game bird 

 by allowing only four to be killed in any one day, will gradually 

 lead to the increasing of the birds breeding within the State. 



