1912 GAME AXD FISHERIES. 19 



SPECIAL GAME AXD FISHERIES OVERSEERS. 



Overseer Daniel Blea, of South River, reports that, after covering a great 

 deal of ground and making a close personal examination, also from many enquiries 

 from rangers and settlers, he can say that game is very plentiful, both deer and 

 partridge, and from information he has obtained he is able to report that the fish- 

 ing has been good this season. 



The law has been well observed by the settlers and the residents of the dis- 

 trict, and he is pleased to report that the residents have rendered good assistance in 

 enforcing the law, and it was very gratifying to see the interest taken in the incom- 

 ing of the partridge season — so different to former years when there had been more 

 or less killing before the season opened. And as a further help to an observance, 

 he would suggest that the hare season should not start before the 15th October 

 (the date of the partridge season's opening), as a person in the woods with a gun 

 cannot be challenged between the 1st and loth October. 



He would again advise the discontinuance of the sale of venison. 



Overseer Henry Watson, of Toronto, reports: The past year has been the 

 poorest the fishermen in this vicinity have ever had. All kinds of fish appear to 

 have deserted the waters around Toronto, caused no doubt by the vast amount of 

 poisonous matter poured into the lake through Toronto's sewers. The whitefish 

 and salmon trout were very scarce: the herring fishing amounted to nothing. 

 Both the licensed fishermen and the rod fishers are living in hope that with the 

 advent of the trunk sewer the fishing around Toronto may get to be what it once 

 was. The fishery and game laws were well observed ; considering the number of 

 guns and motor boats in Toronto there were fewer infractions than any other place 

 where as much game abounds. The seizures of fish, game and furs were about the 

 same numbers as last year. Some of the fishermen and large fish companies still 

 continue to break the regulations, although they are made to pay a pretty stiff 

 price for so doing. A number of Americans persist in trying to get moose heads, 

 venison and partridge across the border contrary to the Game Act. 



Returning hunters from the north report partridge plentiful, especially early 

 in the season; deer, in some localities, as numerous as ever, but in a great many 

 of the older quarters where there used to be lots of them, they are almost all killed 

 off. 



The greater portion of the deer killed this season came from new districts 

 opened up and made accessible by the newly-built railroads, which penetrate the 

 best red. deer country in the world. This country was overrun, both last year and 

 this, with hunters, and the number they killed was enormous, and, in his opinion, 

 taking the whole north country over, there were many more killed than the natural 

 increase. If this opinion is correct it is easy to foretell what the result will be in 

 a year or two. 



GAME AND FISHERY OVERSEERS. 



Lake of the Woods and Rainy River District. 



Overseer John MosJier, of Fort Frances, reports that the catch of all kinds 

 of fish was less this season than last, especially whitefish. 



Game, especially big game, is more plentiful this season than it has been for 

 years. 



Partridge and rabbits are in abundance. 



