80 THE KEPOKT UPON No. 13 



lie finds the Game Laws harder to watch than the Fish Laws, as tliere are so 

 many strangers coming on to the lalce, and they are not as good at Iceeping the law 

 us tlie people living in the locality. 



He also finds tliat the men employed as guides shoot for the men who employ 

 them, which is against the law, and very few of them understand section 18 of 

 the Game Laws. They think the guide should be allowed to shoot, and don't know 

 that if they do they are breaking the law. He thinks guides should not be allowed 

 to carry a gun while acting as guides, and if this was added to section 18 they 

 would be sure to understand it, and it would make it easier for the Overseer to 

 enforce the law if only one gun were allowed in the boat when there was a guide 

 employed. Imagine a guide guiding a man and the man shoots at a flock of ducks 

 and misses them and the guide sits in the boat with a loaded gun in his hand and 

 watches them go by without shooting, and the guide a professional duck hunter; 

 also if an Overseer was close by with his back turned and one or two shots fired he 

 might turn around in time to see the ducks fall, but he would not know which of 

 the men did the shooting. 



Partridge are plentiful this season; also black squirrels in that locality. 



The most of the people in that locality would like if there was a limited 

 number of ducks for each man, as some of the hunters are not satisfied with a 

 reasonable number. There was not much trouble with blinds, but he is told there 

 was a little Sunday shooting. 



Overseer Peter Nichols, of Bridgenorth, reports that he has patroled the waters 

 in his division as often as he thought necessary, having heard few complaints. In 

 the close season for whitefish he secured one net, and had one conviction for spear- 

 ing. He would advise that the close season begin on March 1st. 



He reports frogs as very scarce. 



Trappers have had a good season, particularly for muskrats. Mink is very 

 scarce. Ducks not as plentiful as usual. Partridge are increasing; also black 

 squirrels. Hunters are looking forward to a good season for deer, as they are 

 I'cported to be quite plentiful. 



He has had no trouble with mill refuse. 



The notices which he received from the Department he has placed in public 

 places. 



Overseer B. B. Ostrorn, of Franlcford, reports that the oversight of his division 

 has been very agreeable to himself, he only having had occasion to fine two parties 

 for minnow catching with traps without a license. The residents of the country 

 and along the streams are wide awake to all illegal fishing, and assist him in seeing 

 that the law is enforced. He has very little trouble now with our own Canadian- 

 born subjects, but the foreigners give him most trouble. 



He finds that the game fish are increasing; also the red horse sucker, as well 

 as pike, are becoming very numerous, and he believes if nets were allowed to be 

 put in at the mouth of creeks during the spring freshets under the supervision of 

 the Overseer, the sucker and pike would soon be overcome, as these fish always 

 find their way to the warm water, and can be thus caught and given to the resi- 

 dents along said waters with very small expense. Bass, pickerel and maskinonge 

 are increasing, but the increase would be 50 per cent, greater if the spawn destroy- 

 ing fish could be got rid of. He would suggest that eels should be allowed to be 

 caught on the Piver Trent by a special license being granted, as these are the only 

 fish that swim down the stream seeking deeper and warmer water during the cold 



