282 CONSERVATION OP CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



Saskatchewan. — The Game Act of Saskatchewan is ad- 

 ministered by the Minister of Agriculture, and the provisions 

 of the act are enforced by a provincial game guardian, with 

 the assistance of local game guardians and honorary guar- 

 dians. 



One of the chief needs of Saskatchewan appears to be the 

 organization of a staff of paid and qualified district game 

 guardians, as the present system fails to meet adequately 

 the requirements of the situation, and throws too much re- 

 sponsibility on the provincial game guardians for the proper 

 enforcement of the provisions of the Game Act. 



In all the Prairie Provinces the Royal Northwest Mounted 

 Police, as ex officio game wardens, have greatly assisted in 

 the enforcement of the provincial game acts, and perhaps 

 this fact has been partially responsible for the failure on the 

 part of the governments concerned to organize adequate 

 field staffs for game protection. 



It is gratifying to record that the efforts that have been 

 made to secure a permanent close season on wapiti or elk 

 have now proved successful. The Province of Saskatche- 

 wan is to be congratulated as one of the first provinces in 

 Canada to prohibit the sale of protected game. As Bulletin 

 No. 49 of the Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture, 

 giving a synopsis of the game laws, states: "A game butcher 

 or market hunter is an undesirable citizen and should be 

 treated as such." 



We would recommend that the close season on sage grouse 

 be made indefinite, in view of the very restricted range of 

 this bird in Canada and the fact that it is not Ukely to be- 

 come abundant. 



As a means of preventing accidents, hunters of big game 

 in Saskatchewan are required, as also in Manitoba, to wear 

 white outer suit and cap. Such a distinguishing costume 

 might advisedly be adopted in other provinces. 



Alberta. — As in the other Prairie Provinces the Game Act 



