178 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



years. There can be no doubt that in this region, so far distant from 

 civilization and from assistance, if ranging with a small staff of men 

 is to be of any avail, no means of facilitating it can safely be neglected. 

 In fact, the very inacce"ssibility of the reserve at present would seem to 

 render it all the more imperative that not only should it be thoroughly 

 explored and trails to every part of it be opened up and kept clear, but 

 that steps should be taken to insure that the rangers become intimately 

 acquainted with their beats and that a system be devised and introduced 

 whereby the utmost advantage may be taken of the small staff available 

 in the event of fire breaking out in any section of it, by rapid concentra- 

 tion of the whole force, if need be, at the point of danger. It has unfor- 

 tunately to be recorded that a brief visit to the reserve disclosed the 

 fact that considerable areas of it have already been burnt over, and in 

 fact it would appear that perhaps the finest pine belt of the reserve, 

 that occurring on Eden Island in Lake Quetico, estimated at 20,000,000 

 feet, was only with the greatest difficulty, and at that only owing to a 

 change of wind, saved from destruction by fire, so that it is apparent 

 that if the reserve is to fulfil its functions and to be conserved to pos- 

 terity, greater expenditures will have to be devoted to the maintenance 

 of a more adequate staff to protect it. 



Moose, deer, fur-bearing animals and wild life in general abound 

 in the reserve. On one occasion, within the short space of an hour or 

 two, no less than 14 moose were counted, and so fearless are these crea- 

 tures in this locality that it was almost invariably possible to approach 

 to within a few yards of them in canoes. So inquisitive, indeed, was one 

 specimen that while the party was lunching on one bank of a stream, 

 it entered the water from the other bank and swam across towards it, 

 and when canoes were launched and started to meet it, it was not until 

 the prow of one canoe actually touched its head that it could be diverted 

 from its purpose. Tracks of moose and deer were everywhere to be seen 

 in abundance, and those of bear and wolves were not infrequently 

 observed, while it was of rare occurrence that the morning would not 

 reveal the inquisitiveness of the smaller creatures by the tracks or 

 marks of numerous varieties around the vicinity of the camp. At the 

 present time no protection is afforded the reserve from October to May, 

 and the very abundance of the big game and fur-bearing animals un- 

 doubtedly offers very great temptation to the hunter and trapper who is 

 aware of this fact. Indeed, investigation of such evidence as was obtain- 

 able and the examination of numerous witnesses all tended to indicate 

 that advantage is taken of the unguarded condition of the reserve and 

 that considerable depredations in these directions are annually effected. 

 In the winter, when the lakes are frozen over and the forests bare, travel- 

 ling is very considerably facilitated, and it would appear that hunters 

 and trappers alike enter the reserve, chiefly, perhaps, from the States, 

 and shoot the moose and other game and capture the fur-bearing animals 

 to their, heart's content, removing their trophies across the border 



