12 DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISHERIES No. 9 



It is generally acknowledged that where wild life is allowed to propagate 

 with a minimum of human interference and in surroundings which provide natural 

 food and cover there will in time be a return to the normal conditions set up by 

 nature. This means not only increased game in the protected areas but a general 

 improvement in conditions throughout the Province. 



During the year five additional Crown Game Preserves were established in 

 southwestern Ontario in accordance with the schedule appended hereto, and changes 

 were made in the boundaries of the Jocko Crown Game Preserve in the District of 

 Nipissing and in the Peasemarsh Crown Game Preserve, in the County of Grey. 



REGULATED GAME PRESERVE AREAS 



The year saw a new development in the matter of the control of indiscriminate 

 hunting. In line with the desire to provide better hunting and to maintain in large 

 measure the privilege which sportsmen have enjoyed for generations of using 

 private lands in the pursuit of game, arrangements were entered into between the 

 Department and some twenty-seven Townships whereby hunting in these Townships 

 would be restricted to certain open seasons for pheasants and rabbits, and that only 

 those who had the necessary hunting license issued by the Municipality would be 

 authorized to take advantage of the open dates. This had the effect of creating these 

 areas as Regulated Game Preserves because of the fact that hunting was prohibited 

 except on open dates as proclaimed on the recommendation of the Department. 

 These open dates were limited to a two-day pheasant shoot and a seasonal period 

 during the winter for rabbit hunting. It had an additional effect of preventing 

 an influx of non-residents to the area because the number of special licenses issued 

 was based on the number of available pheasants and only those with a pheasant 

 license were permitted to partake in the rabbit hunting. The Municipality collected 

 a small fee for the license. The Department stocked these areas with several 

 thousand live birds and hopes to largely increase its pheasant production for the 

 restocking of these Regulated Areas. 



By concentrating the restocking of pheasants on these Regulated Areas, rather 

 than scattering the available birds over a large section of Southern Ontario and 

 thereby thinning the numbers in most counties below the point where hunting is 

 desirable, it is believed a sufficient quantity of birds will be raised to warrant 

 an open season. The bag limit which would apply during an open season would 

 permit the taking of cock birds only. Continuous replenishment of the stock will be 

 part of the plan so that an open season simply means a temporary reduction of the 

 surplus stock. In other words protecting the hens will maintain an ever increasing 

 brood stock and the surplus destroyed during a shoot will be replaced to take care 

 of the next open season. 



Several specific and important results are anticipated from this arrangement. 

 First, and quite important, is the fact that the farmer will not be subject to the 

 expense and inconvenience of having irresponsible hunters tramping over his lands 

 and damaging property during the whole gun license season. It is well known that 

 the actions of a few have brought about a feeling of animosity between the farmer and 

 the sportsman, a situation which threatens to put an end to free hunting. Those who 



