1907 GAME AND FISHERIES. 63 



were seven violations, all being for the same offence— snaring maskinonge, 

 and the usual fine was imposed in each case, which seems to have consider- 

 ably lessened the amount of illegal fishing up to the present time. 



There are no fishways in his division, although there is one badly 

 needed there, as the maskinonge come up to the mill dam and cannot get 

 any further in the spring of the year. There has been no trouble up to the 

 present time with sawdust here, as there is only one saw mill, and the owner 

 observes the law in that respect. 



Wild ducks were plentiful until the season opened, and then they seemed 

 to fly away before daylight and did not return to the rice until after dark. 

 Muskrats are becoming more plentiful, as trappers are beginning to find 

 out that it pays to observe the law and protect the rats during the close 

 season, and he believes from his own experience, with the close season as it 

 is at present, and if it is properly observed, they will continue to increase 

 m numbers, as the fall trapping and the cutting of their houses open in winter 

 is where the trouble has been with the muskrat. Mink are becoming very 

 scarce in that locality, and if they are not protected in some way before long 

 they will be a thing of the past around there. 



Overseer John Traves, Sr., Fraserburg, reports that for the past two 

 years in his vicinity he had found that deer have increased considerably, 

 and beaver have also increased in numbers. Partridges were scarce, and 

 he blames dogs for destroying the eggs and young birds before they are able 

 to take care of themselves. 



Overseer John Watson, Ccesarea^ reports that, as the fishing on Lake 

 Scugog has been prohibited for the past two years with the 2,200 small and 

 adult b,ass put into the lake in 1904-5-6, he thinks that they have a fairly 

 good supply of fish at present. As the fishing season did not open on that 

 lake until the 2nd of September, there was a fine lot of maskinonge caught 

 for that late season. There was but little fishing done for bass. There were 

 more small bass around the shallow water the past season than he has ever 

 seen in the past 42 years. He says that the spawning season has been fairly 

 well observed, and very little illegal fishing (if anyj, has been done. He 

 made four convictions for buying and selling maskinonge. 



He also made six convictions for violation of the game laws. There 

 were but two Americans fishing in his district the past season, as the sea- 

 son came in so late. As our mink are not protected at present, he would 

 advise that they be protected, as they are the most valuable fur-bearing 

 animal in Ontario to-day. 



y Overseer John Watt, Peterboro, reports that he has a very difficult 

 task, and a never ending one, watching his territory, it being in and around 

 the city. Nevertheless, the law is being better observed now than any time 

 in his recollection. The catch of bass, maskinonge and catfish has been 

 very good as to numbers, but small in size. The waters there are being 

 overfished. It is quite common to see twenty canoes trawling at one time 

 in a radius of half a mile, and this is kept up all summer. There are great 

 numbers of suckers caught at the dams in the early spring when running. 

 There have been a few good specimens of pickerel caught this year and last — 

 the result of fry deposited about five years ago. No noticeable damage from 

 sawdust or mill refuse, and no fishways in his territory, but considerable 

 injury is done by the lowering and raising water levels in the spawning 

 season. There has been some illegral fishing, but less than in past years. 

 He imposed a fine on six persons for violations of the law, and seized three 

 gill nets. He sold six game dealers' and seven hotel keepers' licenses, and 

 disposed of eight angling permits to tourists passing through the city, all 



