1912 GAME AND FISHEKIES. 43 



spring lishiiig was not as good as other years, owing to the late spring and the ice 

 not going out of the bays until late. But this fall has been an average one; the 

 hoop-net iishennen have had good catches. Bull heads and eels plentiful; also 

 other coarse iisli on an average with other years. 



The gill-net fishermen report that they have had good catches of salmon and 

 whitefish. The Fishery Laws and regulations were well observed. The bass fishing 

 for the month of June was poor in his district, but for the remainder of the season 

 was good, and the anglers had good catches and good size. 



Wild ducks the lirst part of the season very scarce, but the last of October this 

 year are quite plentiful. The hunters report good days hunting. 



Muskrats are getting very scarce in his district and he would advise the close 

 season for trapping until the middle of March. 



Overseer E. M. Huffman, of Hay Bay, reports that everything has been work- 

 ing harmoniously this season, and no violations have occurred to his knowledge, 

 although he has quite a number of fishermen. There are 138 set of hoop nets, 

 26,000 yards gill net, 2,900 hooks, and 12 domestic licenses in his division. 



The gill-net fishing this fall has been poor, due probably to the warm weather. 

 There were very few anglers there this season. He only heard of one maskinonge 

 being caught, and that by a resident. 



Ducks are plentiful, and he has heard of some splendid shooting being done 

 by local sportsmen. Eats were not as plentiful as usual, and he would again 

 recommend a shorter season for trapping. Eabbits were in abundance, and part- 

 ridge fair, but they are not hunted. It is a rare thing to see a black squirrel. 



Overseer John Johnson, of Port Hope, reports that the laws were well ob- 

 served in his division by the fishermen. There have been no reports made to him 

 tlrat the law had been broken, nor has he found any infringements of the law. A 

 great many enquire of him when the open seasons for fishing begin. 



There is scarcely any shooting done in his district, game of all kinds being 

 scarce. 



Overseer C. J. Kerr, of Hamilton, reports that he has paid a little attention 

 to transportation inspection, with a view of ascertaining if any abuses existed in the 

 transportation of fish, furs and game. The first thing he found out was that there 

 are alarming abuses practised by the fish dealers, fur dealers, taxidermists and 

 those engaged in the various trades connected with the game, fish and fur of 

 Ontario, in not complying with the law laid down in the Game and Fisheries Act 

 of this Province, and every device and ingenuity are resorted to, to evade the law 

 and get goods through to their destination. 



The number of contraband small whitefisli and trout this year was not so 

 large as 1910, but he made several seizures, and the season of 1911 in this respect 

 has been a marked improvement over 1910. The opening up of the counties front- 

 ing on Lake Erie, by the Department of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa, practically 

 put the close season for whitefish out of business; and all the fish caught there 

 during close season were spawners — parent fish caught and taken on the spawn- 

 ing beds and in the midst of their propagating season. It was no use to look for 

 small fish in Lake Erie fish boxes, as none could be found. A large lot of whitefish 

 was caught in November in Lake Erie and shipped throughout tlie Province, and 

 mostly to the United States. 



The catch of whitefish in the County of Wentworth during the past season 

 has shown a great improvement, in fact the catch is getting better every year ; also 



