1911 GAME AND FISHERIES. 71 



Overseer George Hood, Sr., of Scugog, reports that during the past year there 

 were no violations of the flsihery or gianie laws to his knowledge in his division. 



In regard to fishing, the conditions are much better than last year. On the 

 west side of Scugog there have heen a fine lot of maskinonge taken out this season. 

 Forty lunge went through one boathouse this season, and 300 bass at Port Perry. 

 He sold two licenses. The bass is very plentiful. He has seen some fine bass 

 taken out of Scugog Lake this season, and if the lake is kept up to high water 

 mark, and the fish carefully watched, they will have the finest fishing grounds in 

 Ontario. 



Ducks are very plentiful. The only thing the hunters complain of is the 

 snipe shooting. They claim the open season for snipe isfhould start the 15th Sep- 

 tember, or ducks should start the 1st September. Partridge is very scarce around 

 there. Muskrats are not so plentiful. He thinks all trappers should have licenses, 

 and that would help an overseer very much. He is doing all he can to help 

 preserve the game. 



Overseer Jas. Hoivell, of Bancroft, reports that he has visited the different 

 lakes in his district several times this season, but has had to make several extra 

 trips to Baptiste Lake to investigate some reports of unlawful fishing, but so far 

 as he could find out the law has been fairly well observed. 



He would suggest that all the lakes in his district containing salmon or grey 

 trout be closed the 1st of October instead of the 1st of jSTovember, as he finds that 

 that sort of fish do their spawning in October. There are no fishways in his 

 district. 



As far as he can find out the close season for game has been well observed. 

 Partridge are very numerous this year. 



No angling permits were sold, and none were called for. 



The posters from the Department were received, and have been posted up in 

 the three different townships of his district, so that most people knew the law. 



Overseer C. JicMing, of St. Paul's Station, reports that the bass fishing ihas 

 been fairly good in the small streams, and speckled trout are also fairly plentiful 

 in the spring streams. A good deal of trout fishing was done on Sundays, but he 

 got after a couple of parties last spring, and has not heard any m'ore about it 

 since, though they have made some ugly threats. 



Partridge seem very scarce. He saw quite a number of woodcock in some of 

 the swamps, and ihe thinks they are rather on the increase. Black and grey squir- 

 rels are very scarce. He thinks it would be a good idea to have notices put up to 

 prohibit shooting all kinds of squirrels for one year in localities where they are so 

 scarce. The muskrat is almost exterminated in some parts of his district; along 

 some of the streams and marshes where a few years ago they were very numerous 

 they are nearly all cleaned out, he supposes, on account of the advance in price. 

 There has been a lot of ©hooting done along the streams on moonlight nights, 

 mostly by boys, and it seems almost impossible to stop it. A party has promised 

 to give him the names of several of the boys who have been doing it, and he says 

 he will notify them, and then if he catches them he will follow them more closely. 

 Mink seem very scarce in that district. He does not see why the coon are not pro- 

 tected as well as other furbearing animals. He also thinks the skunk should be 

 protected, as he is one of the most valuable insect feeders and rodent hunters, and 

 is the farmer's friend in general. 



