1909 GAME AND FISHERIES. 13 



FUK-BEAEINQ ANIMALS. 



The muskrat is the main fur-bearing animal in his district, and is reported to 

 be fairly numerous this fall, but as the water in the different marshes is very low, 

 the trappers anticipate that a great many of them may be killed during the winter 

 through inability to burrow out of their houses and secure sufficient supply of food. 

 While the law has not been as much broken as in the past, he found some cases 

 where muskrats were illegally taken. He would suggest that the killing of muskrats 

 in the month of December be prohibited. The fur at that season is not in good 

 condition, and the owners of the land upon which the rats breed never attempt to 

 trap them until the spring. The consequence is that the only rats taken in this 

 district in December are taken by the poaching element. He would again recommend 

 that the use of dogs, spears or guns in the taking of muskrats be prohibited for the 

 reasons stated in his former reports. The game laws in a great part of his district 

 have been well observed. Most of the Deputy Wardens and Overseers have dis- 

 charged their duties very efficiently. 



An interesting experiment has been attempted in his district by the Long Point 

 Company, who have imported a number of elk and placed them upon Long Point 

 Jsland. He regrets to say that one of these animals escaped, and was killed during 

 the month of November. He has, however, secured evidence and is prosecuting 

 the party who was supposed to have killed this animal. 



Game and Fishery Warden V. Ghauvin, of Windsor, reports that the fishermen 

 are very fairly satisfied with their catch. The catch is smaller than last year, but 

 especially in herring, the price is much better. There has been more whitefiah 

 caught in the Detroit River this fall than there has been for fifteen years past, 

 some fishermen caught as high as twelve hundred a day with a seine. Lake St. 

 Clair has also been good for whitefish, but not as good as any other year for any 

 other kind of fish. Lake Erie has been generally about the same, except Port 

 Stanley and up to Port Colborne, they have caught more perch than they used to. 

 White bass has been more numerous in Lake Erie. Lake Huron has been about 

 the same as any other year. Angling has been fairly satisfactory to the sportsman. 

 The fishermen are improving in their shipping of fish and there has been very little 

 seized this year. The only trouble there is now, is that they do not address their 

 shipments properly. 



In regard to game, quail is about the same as last year ; there have been a few 

 quail killed this fall. There is a lot of quail left for breeding purposes. He knows 

 a bev}'' that has not been shot at. If there is a good winter and dry spring there 

 should be a lot of quail next year. Partridges are scarce this year, also black 

 squirrel, in this part of the Province. Muskrats have been as plentiful as ever. 

 Wild geese are about the same as last year, there are very few of them shot around 

 there. There were more black and grey ducks this fall in the Detroit River than 

 there has been for years. The other kind of river ducks have been scarce. In Lake 

 St Clair Flats there has been fairly good shooting, also along Lake Erie the game 

 law has been fairly well observed in his division. 



Warden Alf. Hunter, of Belleville, reports that fishing of all kinds has materi- 

 ally improved in his district. Commercial fishermen report that the past season 

 has been the best in the last ten years, and that the laws have been observed 

 better. He was glad to report that tiie Province is awakening to the fact that they 

 possess a valuable asset in the Fish and Game, and that more attention should be 



