1912 GAME AND FISHERIES. 37 



years at the least. They are very easily shot, as they cannot take the wing as 

 quickly as ducks and other birds of that size. Ducks were plentiful in the early 

 part of the season, but owing to the good weather are gone to the lake. Wood 

 cock are very scarce. Muskrats are quite plentiful, but he would recommend that 

 every trapper pay a license fee, say, of one or two dollars for the season. By this 

 means an Overseer could tell the exact number of rats caught, and it would also 

 bring a revenue to the Province. Mink are scarce. He would like to see coons 

 placed on the protected list, as boys will destroy them before the fur is any good. 

 He has been in close touch with all trappers and fishermen all the time. 



Overseer Edward Lee, of Low Banks, reports that during the month of Novem- 

 ber, 1910, the fleet of fishing craft out of Port Maitland"had a good run of pickerel, 

 which, with the fair prices received, was considered by fishermen as very satisfac- 

 tory. During the month of December some heavy catches of herring were made, 

 and, considering everything, the fall fishing was very good. The catch of white- 

 fish which has been steadily declining since 1908, was this year the lowest on record, 

 the total catch per tug, he should say, would not average more than $500. Enor- 

 mous quantities of herring have been caught during the summer by the tugs en- 

 gaged, and if fair prices had prevailed, so that all the tugs could, with profit, have 

 fished, it would have been the greatest herring catch in the history of the port. 

 The catch of perch to date has been very light. 



The catch by pound net fishermen of all commercial fish is less than the season 

 of 1910, with the exception of herring, which was the heaviest catch in years. 

 Mixed and coarse fish about the same as last season. About 95 per cent of the 

 fish caught are shipped to the United States. Ko abuses exist. The close seasons 

 have been well observed by licensed fishermen. 



Game. Quail, plover, ducks, woodcock, partridge and cotton tail rabbit are 

 plentiful. 



Overseer Kenneth McClennan, of Grovesend, reports that during the month 

 of November last year the herring fishing was exceptionally good, there being very 

 large catches and good prices. During the spring of 1911 whitefish were very plen- 

 tiful, and herring only fair, but the summer and early fall was very light, especially 

 in the eastern part of the county. About the 12th October whitefish came on in 

 fair quantities ; fine quality, and prices good. Blues and perch were quite plentiful 

 during the most of the season, but prices were so low that the fishermen did not 

 fish for them very much. The fishery laws and regulations were well observed, 

 no violations coming to his observation. 



The game laws were well observed. Black and grey squirrels are not as num- 

 erous as last season, but coon and skunk are quite plentiful. Wild geese and ducks 

 were very numerous last spring. 



Overseer James McVittie, of Blenheim, reports that, generally speaking, the 

 season has been very poor in that district, with low prices, except in the early 

 spring. It is his opinion that some have not paid running expenses. 



During July and August the catch consisted chiefly of herring, of a class so 

 small that they were commercially useless. Hundreds of tons of them were put 

 back in the water, and he is pleased to say that the fishermen took great care in 

 returning them to the water, and a very small percentage were injured. There 

 were several complaints of tons of them coming down the lake from the Point, in 

 Essex, which were caught in a certain party's nets and put aboard the steamer 

 " Louise " for Sandusky ; were sorted in the lake and the small ones thrown over- 

 board. 



