46 THE EEPOKT UPON" No. 13 



Deer hunters have stated to him that some restrictions should be put on the 

 number of dogs for each party, say, for a party of six men, four dogs; over this 

 six dog.3 to a party, as he claims six dogs are enough for any party. This would 

 g'ive two dogs a chance to run each day ; of course the other four would be tied up 

 in camp waiting for their turn. The cutting down of the deer to one is a good 

 provision. However, it is necessary to watch the results during the present open 

 season, to detect any defects, if possible. 



In conclusion he would strongly recommend the advisability of establishing 

 game preserves and fish preserves for the protection of the fish 'and game. In 

 that county near by he knows where such a piece of property could be bought, 

 lying near to a body of water belonging to the Ontario Government. 



Overseer Thomas Mansfield, of Pickering Harbor, reports that on the whole 

 the fishing was up to the average, some of the fishermen doing better than in the 

 previous years, while some have not done so well. Angling was about the aver- 

 age. During the season he visited the western end of his division on several 

 occasions and foimd everything in order; he also kept a close watch on Pickering 

 Harbor, and found no illegal fishing, although he thought several times that some 

 parties had intentions that way, but perhaps his presence put a stop to it. He 

 also visited Oshawa and vicinity, also Whitby, and found everything O.K. 



He thinks tliere is no doubt but what whitefish and salmon trout are in- 

 creasing in numbers in these parts, but the fishermen did not seem to strike the 

 herj'ing in any quantities. 



Ducks of all kinds were up to the average of other years, also muskrat and 

 mink. 



Overseer James C. May, of St. Catharines, reports that there is a great in- 

 crease of whitefish and herring in his district. There has been very little illegal 

 fishing done there, as he has only confiscated two dip nets and one short gill net 

 and seven spears. 



Game is not very plentiful, the only game birds being pheasant and grey 

 squirrels. 



There are only a few fur-bearing animals, such as m.uskrats, which are very 

 scarce. 



On the whole the law has been well observed. 



Overseer J. A. Moore, of Trenton, r^'ports that bass and pickerel were unusu- 

 ally plentiful during the last season, and there were not a great many infractions 

 of the law, though many attempts. Ducks seemed to be in large quantities, but 

 were soon run out of the local waters by hunters. The hunters in this section, 

 in so far as ducks are concerned, make no pretence of carrying out the regulations 

 as to the manner of ?hooting, and make a lot of trouble. There has not been so 

 much complaint in his district as in the ones immediately adjoining it. Hunters 

 go out beyond the two hundred yards limit, in some cases as far aS half a mile, 

 and even a mile, with monitors and large flocks of decoy ducks, and the result is 

 that those hunting according to the law get no shooting, and the decoys being 

 placed in the feeding grounds, the ducks are scared and driven away. It is very 

 difficult to catch these persons, who always go in pairs, and unless the warden has 

 a fast boat or just happens to know them and catch them as they land, they are 

 up and away. 



He would recommend the abolition of monitors entirely, placing such boats 



