1911 GAME AND FISHEKIES. 61 



not so plentiful as last year. Carp and dogfish, in creeks and mud bottom bays 

 are on the increase. He thinks in those kinds of waters hoop nets would be 

 advisable to keep down the rough fish. 



The law for bass in his district, as far as he can learn, was well observed. 



Wild ducks this year are on the increase, especially black ducks, plover also, 

 but the law this year allowing plover to be shot two weeks before ducks makes 

 quite a confusion. Some hunters shooting plover could hardly resist shooting 

 ducks if they got a chance and it is hard to apprehend them, as of course they 

 are only shooting plover. 



If the law for all kinds of feathered game commenced on the same day it 

 would stop some illegal duck shooting. 



Judging by the muskrat houses, they are not so numerous as last year; the 

 houses are small and not very plentiful, which might only denote an open winter, 

 seeing they have a strong instinct in that direction. 



Overseer J. R. Wight, of Newhoro, reports that the law has been well observed 

 in the district over which he had charge. The amount of business done is still 

 on the increase. The licenses for rod, and also for guides, is quite popular with 

 everyone interested. He would strongly recommend the limit of a day's catch 

 of bass reduced from eight to five, also their lakes re-stocked with small-mouthed 

 bass fry. The usual number of hoop net licenses have been granted to proper 

 parties to catch out the coarse fish, which are a menace to the spawn and young 

 of game fish. 



The lakes immediately west of Newboro are getting very popular as salmon 

 trout resorts. Specimens weighing 25 lbs. were landed during the summer. The 

 close season for salmon in that section is wrong, they being caught during the spawn- 

 ing season in October. This should be stopped, also the sale of the fish, which en- 

 courages illegal netting. Most tourists would rather catch one salmon than a 

 hundred bass, and bass are not allowed to be sold. 



Partridges are very numerous in most sections, while wild duck that breed 

 in this section are not so numerous. 



Many trappers object to the open season for mink starting on December 1st 

 and ending April 30th. They say it should start and end a month earlier. 

 Farmers complain of the close season on black squirrels, as they are very 

 destructive on corn and fruit. The unprecedented high price of raw furs has been 

 a great boon to trappers, but has led a few to risk the experiment of putting out 

 poison, which kills more game than all the other agencies combined — often the 

 fur-bearing animals. 



His supply of deer licenses was sold before the season opened. Most of them 

 were for hunters in the immediate vicinity, there being a number of deer within 

 8 miles of Newboro. Limiting the number of deer to one has had a tendency 

 to encourage sportsmen going after them. 



Overseer F. L. Wornnoorth, of Arden, reports a very good year. He had no 

 complaints of illegal fishing. There were more tourists than last year, the majority 

 of them being residents of the Province. The fishing was better than last season. 

 The bass in some of the lakes are getting scarce, but the lakes are being replenished, 

 and this will be a great help to the lake near the village. The proprietor of one 

 of the summer houses in the village says he had an exceptionally good year, but that 

 if there were more game fish in the lakes in that vicinity it would be better. A 

 number from Toronto are building a large club house on the shore of Cross Lake, 

 which is about six miles from Arden. 



