1913 GAME AND FISHERIES. 15 



were lots of fish and the fish were larger than usual. T'here have not been as many 

 tourists in this district this season as usual, the reason was the cold, wet summer. 

 The law was well observed with the anglers here. 



Bass is on the increase in St. Mary's Eiver, also in the inland lakes the anglers 

 report good catches. 



Maskinonge is scarce in Lake Superior, but there is some in Echo Lake. There 

 was one taken out of Echo Lake this season that weighed 35 lbs. 



Pickerel is getting more plentiful in the waters of Lake Superior and St. 

 Mary's Eiver. There have been some good catches made this season. 



Red deer are very plentiful in this district. They are increasing this year to 

 a wonderful extent considering the number that is taken by the hunters in the open 

 season each year. The increase he would say is owing to the open winters they 

 have had the las,t two years with no crust on the snow. The wolves could not 

 catch them as in former years. 



Moose is plentiful in this district. There ;were not as many taken by the 

 hunters in the open season of 1911 as there were in the season of 1910 in his 

 district. 



Caribou is very scarce in this district, and he would say that there should be 

 a close season put on them for at least ■ five years. 



Beaver is increasing to a very great extent throughout this district. They 

 are doing a great deal ; of damage to timber and roads. Under instructions from 

 the Department 'he has blown up a number of their dams, but what he destroyed in 

 the day time they would build up in one night. He would suggest an open season 

 for one year, or have the Government send trappers out and catch them where they 

 are doing the most damage. 



Mink are decreasing in number very fast, and if something is not done to stop 

 the trapping of this ;.fur-bearing animal for a few years they will soon have no 

 mink to trap. He would suggest giving them a close season of two years as they 

 are an animal that increase very fast. 



Muskrats are holding 'their own. They seem to be on the increase. 



Otter is very scarce here. The cause of their being so scarce is hard to deter- 

 mine, as he has not known that any have been caught there. 



Bears are increasing in that district. There have been quite a number of 

 them killed in the lumber camps, and he would say that they should be protected 

 as the fur is valuable. 



Wolves. There are quite a number of them in this north country, but they 

 have not been able to catch as many deer these last two winters owing to no crust 

 being on the snow in the spring. If the bounty was raised to $25 the trappers 

 would take more interest in catching them as the wolf is hard to catch. 



Black squirrels. There are none in his district to his knowledge so far as he 

 has seen in all his travels through the woods. 



Quail are very scarce in his district. 



Partridge are plentiful. There were a lot of birds taken by the hunters in 

 the season of 1911, some hunters taking as many as 70 birds in the season. In 

 his opinion there should be a limit in the open season of twelve birds to each 

 hunter. 



Woodcock are very scarce in that district. 



Wild ducks of all. kinds are more plentiful this season than they have been for 

 years. Wild geese are scarce. There are a few birds on Lake Huron. These 

 birds should not be taken, only from the 15th September to the 15th December. 



