14 THE EEPOET UPON No. 13 



paid to it. Game fish are also on thie increase and are attracting the tourists. He 

 is glad to note that your Department is taking steps to take the ling out of the 

 Rideau waters. He thinks it is a step in the right direction that you are starting 

 bass ponds. He had the privilege of visiting the one at Brantf ord lately and found 

 it doing good work. He would suggest that another hatchery be constructed either 

 in the Bay of Quinte or the Eideau waters. He is also glad to report on the good 

 work performed by the patrol boats, the " Navarch " and " Naiad." They certainly 

 have a deterrent effect on poachers. He was also glad to report that the overseers 

 under his charge, with but few exceptions, are doing good work. He thinks that 

 if they were better paid they would accomplish more good. He reports that the 

 system of licensing guides is working well, and from his personal knowledge of the 

 angling situation he finds that the best rod fishing is in the parts where the Hoop 

 Net fishing is licensed. 



In all parts of the Province partridge have increased, ducks are reported fewer 

 in number, deer also appear to be either fewer in number or harder to kill. He 

 would recommend extending the close season from November 15th-December 1st, 

 also to restrict the hujiters to one deer each. He also thinks that muskrat trap- 

 pers should be licensed. Mink, he thinks, should be protected by a close season, 

 otherwise in a short time there will be none to protect. Beaver and otter are be-* 

 coming numerous and he would suggest that tiiey be killed under Government 

 supervision of the park rangers or overseers, the skins to be sold for tlie benefit of 

 the Province; also that only a limited number of the above be killed each year. A 

 number of cases of violation of the Fish and Game Act came before him during 

 the year, but on the whole he finds that the Act is fairly wiell observed. 



Warden Geo. M. Paries, of North Bay, reports as follows : 



Anglers during the past season have met with better success than for several 

 seasons, more especially in Lake Nipissing and the French Elver districts. 



Speckled trout have been very plentiful in the northern streams! during the past 

 season. He has not had any trouble in collecting angling fees from the non-resi- 

 dents this season, due to the prosecuting of a number of non-residents during 

 the previous year. The licensing of fishing and hunting guides has met with 

 great favour among the non-residents, as it helps them to secure a better 

 class of guides and no doubt all the fishing and hunting parties would demand a 

 licensed guide if their license called for such ; this would also save a great deal of 

 trouble with a certain number of guides who try to escape paying their two dollars 

 for license. 



Ducks were very plentiful all over the district, more especially in the northern 

 sections. 



Wild geese are very scarce in this vicinity, but are very plentiful in the north- 

 ern sections. 



Ag to partridge, the close seasons of 1908 and 1909 have had the expected bene- 

 ficial effect and nearly every part of the district where he has been travelling he 

 finds large numbers of these much valued birds, and he would like to see the open 

 season reduced to one month. 



Eegarding deer, judging from the number taken out by the hunters during the 

 late season, the natural conclusion would be that they were numerically holding 

 their own. The reason for this is that the construction of new lines of railways 

 has made the hitherto inaccessible hunting ground easy for the hunters to reach. 

 It seems incredible that our northern districts should continue to supply these 



