ANNUAL REPORT, 1938-39 19 



At the present time there are some ninety permanent Wardens devoting their 

 full time to enforcement work. The services of this field staff are augmented by the 

 assistance of the Provincial Police Force, as well as certain seasonal officers who 

 are employed for varying periods in order to provide adequate patrol service along 

 certain waters during the spring and fall fish spawning periods, as well as enforcement 

 work during the various hunting seasons. 



We are happy to report that the general body of sportsmen never were so 

 conservation-minded as they are to-day. As proof of this we would point to the 

 fact that in 1938 more than 1,500 sportsmen voluntarily offered their services to, 

 and were accepted by the Department as Deputy Game Wardens, in addition to 

 633 who were provided with such appointments at the request of Municipal organiza- 

 tions to assist in enforcing the regulations which govern in the Townships created 

 as Regulated Game Preserve Areas. These men are clothed with all the authority 

 necessary to enforce observance of the Act. It is obvious that the practical support 

 and moral effect of this army of voluntary workers is of very great importance in 

 preventing abuses of the privileges enjoyed by sportsmen. 



During 1938-39 there were some 1,878 cases in which offenders against 

 provisions of the Game and Fisheries Act and Regulations were apprehended by 

 Game and Fisheries Overseers and others authorized to act in the way of securing 

 observance of these provisions, and in which cases various articles of hunting, 

 trapping and fishing equipment and the product thereof were confiscated at the 

 time of apprehension. A compilation of the various reports of seizure submitted 

 by the officers concerned shows that such action was provided by Game and Fisheries 

 Overseers in 1,638 of these cases, by members of the Ontario Provincial Police Force 

 in 78 cases, by Deputy Game and Fishery Wardens in 69 cases, and in the remaining 

 93 cases seizures were made by co-operative action of Overseers, Provincial Police 

 and Deputy Game Wardens. 



A condensed summary of the articles confiscated shows the following: — 



Live animals in 32 cases 



Birds, game animals a:nd meat in 226 cases 



Firearms and ammunition in 760 cases 



Fish in 275 cases 



Nets and Fishing equipment in 327 cases 



Angling equipment in 114 cases 



Pelts and hides in 287 cases 



Traps and equipment in 132 cases 



Water craft in 51 cases 



Motor Vehicles in 17 cases 



Lights in 42 cases 



Spears in 63 cases 



Miscellaneous articles in 56 cases 



This total of 2,382 does not correspond with the actual number of seizures, 

 viz:— 1,878 by reason of various entries on some seizures. For instance an irrespon- 

 sible hunter might lose a gun and some birds or game animals, a trapper operating 

 contrary to the regulations some traps and pelts, an indiscreet angler his fishing 

 rod and some speckled trout or bass, while there would be instances where spears, 

 lights and fish would be involved in each case, as well as other combinations which 

 would account for the apparent discrepancy. 



Included among the pelts confiscated were 947 beaver, 2 fisher, 89 fox, 8 

 marten, 32 mink, 501 muskrat, 16 otter, 68 raccoon and 304 weasel. 



The following comments, extracted from issues of the Bulletin, concerning 

 the sales of confiscated articles and furs, will be of interest. 



