14 DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISHERIES No, 9 (194G) 



ber 7 Highway. 



Trappers were allowed to take not more than ten beaver during this open 

 season, and while the territory in which this open season prevailed was not as ex- 

 tensive as that in which such open season was provided in the previous year the 

 catch of beaver in 1944 exceeded by approximately 6,000 the catch of the previous 

 year. 



(b) In the county of Grey and in the townships of Orillia and Matchedash 

 in the county of Simcoe, under the following conditions, viz: that trapping opera- 

 tions for beaver would be restricted to licensed trappers and farmers residing in 

 the respective areas; that each trapper or farmer should take not more than ten 

 beaver during such open season, and that such pelts as were taken were to be for- 

 warded to the Department for disposal by us on behalf of the respective trappers 

 concerned. 



The period of open season in each instance extended from December 1st 

 to 21st. 



It has been revealed by Departmental records that there were some 38,070 

 pelts taken during these periods of open season, an increase of practically fifteen ^ 

 per cent over the catch recorded during the season in the previous year. 



It is computed that these pelts had a value to the trappers of some 

 $1,366,713.00, which is in excess of twenty-five per cent of the total value of the 

 entire fur catch taken during the fiscal year 1944-45. 



FISHER: — Very few of these animals are trapped during the season which extends 

 from November 1st to February 28th, and while there was an increase in the num- 

 ber taken during the 1944-45 season as compared with the number taken in the 

 previous season, reports from officers show that any improvement in the case of 

 this species is very restricted and confined to scattered localities. 



FOX: — This species continues to be quite plentiful in practically every section of 

 the Province and they are not only causing considerable damage to domestic poul- 

 try flocks but they are also responsible for some of the decrease reported among 

 certain species of game birds. Several township councils have provided by-laws 

 under the authority of which such municipalities pay bounties under certain con- 

 ditions on foxes killed within the boundaries of the respective townships. This ex- 

 treme prevalence of foxes resulted in the Department continuing the arrangement 

 which relaxed the legislation which provided the protection of a close season on 

 these animals in the counties of Brant, Durham, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Halton, 

 Huron, Kent, Lambton, Lincoln, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxford, Peel, 

 Perth, Prince Edward, Waterloo, Welland, Wellington, Wentworth and York. In these 

 counties it was also provided that dogs could be used for the hunting of foxes with- 

 out permit, as is required by existing provisions of the Game and Fisheries Act. 

 As is indicated further on in this report there were 43,185 red foxes taken during 

 1944-45 which was a decrease of more than 10,000 as compared with the number 

 which was taken in the previous year. 



LYNX: — These animals continue to be extremely scarce throughout the Province, 

 and they are practically non-existent in southern Ontario. There are no reports to 

 indicate they are increasing any\Vhere in the Province, although there was an in- 

 crease in the number taken during the year under review. 



MARTEN:— The conditions applicable to marten are somewhat similar to those 



