1912 GAME AND FISHERIES. 41> 



lookout as possible in connection with the close season. Angling also continues to 

 be very poor. 



There have been four convictions for illegal fishing this season. Muskrats 

 are becoming less numerous around there, as they are so much sought after by the 

 trappers. He thinks it would be an improvement if the trappers were licensed to 

 a limited number. There are certain trappers that make a living out of them 

 during the open season. 



Ducks are about the only game bird in his district, and they also seem to be 

 very scarce. Blue bill and saw bill are more plentiful than last year. 



Overseer J. W. Taudvin, of Kingston, reports that the hoop net fishing in 

 that vicinity for the past year has been on an average with other years. Last spring 

 it was not as good as in other years, owing to the lateness of the opening of the 

 waters caused by the severe and late winter. This fall has been away above the 

 average for bullheads and eels, pike and other coarse fish not being so plentiful. 

 The bass season has been much better than last year. In June it was very poor, 

 but the rest of the summer was very good and there was no difficulty in getting 

 the limit, and they were of a larger size than usual. Salmon and whitefish were 

 about the same as last year, with the exception of October, 1911, which has been a 

 record month for salmon, the catch being very heavy. 



Ducks and either water fowl are plentiful, and good bags are being reported 

 daily. The stopping the sale of snipe, quail, woodcock and partridge will be a 

 great help in the protection of those birds. Partridge are reported plentiful in 

 the back country. There are no quail or woodcock in that vicinity. Muskrats are 

 becoming scarce, and something should be done, he thinks, for the protection of 

 those animals. The shortening of the hunting season to the month of March 

 only, and trapping to March and April, for two or three years, would be a great 

 help. 



There has been very little trouble there for the past year, in fact it has been the 

 quietest year, and the laws have been better observed than any year he can 

 remember. 



Overseer E. A. Titus, of Wellington, reports that he has patrolled the waters 

 in his division as often as he thought necessary, and he thinks the fishermen and 

 hunters are complying witli the laws remarkably well, only two convictions for 

 illegal duck shooting. 



The fishermen report white fish and salmon trout in Lake Ontario about the 

 same as last year, bass in Wellers Bay plentiful, also in Coneecon Lake. The 

 catch of course fish in hoop nets, was as good as last year; eels were very scarce; 

 carp are becoming numerous in Wellers Bay. The catch of muskrats the trappers 

 tell him, was about the same as last year. He thinks if the open season com- 

 menced later in the season it would be much better; ducks plentiful; mink scarce, 

 very few caught here; partridge quite plentiful. On the whole he cannot see miuch 

 difference this year from 1910. 



Overseer R. J. Walher, of Port Credit, reports that the game laws have been 

 well observed, but with the changes in the game laws this year, and on account of 

 parties not getting acquainted with the same, they started to shoot the same as 

 former years, but when made aware of the changes were anxious to keep the law. 



And with regard to fishery laws, the fishermen in his district are desirous oi 

 keeping the law, and there were no violations that he saw or was informed about, 



