1915 GAME AND FISHERIES. 55 



Partridge are very scarce. There are a good many signs of deer. He saw 

 quite a colony of beaver in the next township in September, Muskrats are very 

 plentiful in the creeks. Kabbits are coming around again in the unburned sections 

 of his district. Ducks were scarce; also golden legged plover. There were 

 numbers of snipe. The black birds (grackles) were not nearly so numerous last 

 season as they were the preceding one and left ^rlier. 



There were some large bush firea and he thinks that this was why there > were 

 not so many deer about. 



Overseer John Floyd, of Nipissing, reports that in his district there are pike 

 in large quantities and pickerel in considerable numbers, but black bass are not so 

 numerous as in former years. Large mouthed bass and herring are very numerous 

 in the small lakes, but very little fishing is done on these lakes. Whitefish are 

 scarce, also maskinonge. As there is no sturgeon fishing it is hard to report on 

 them, but they appear to be scarce. Brook trout are very scarce and there are 

 hardly any lake trout. Suckers are very numerous. 



Red deer are fairly numerous in certain localities and there are very few 

 moose.* 



Beaver are beginning to huild colonies on small lakes, and there are a few 

 otter. Fisher and marten are very scarce. Mink are to be had in considerable 

 numbers, and in some of the marshes muskrats are very plentiful, though great 

 quantities have been destroyed by the Indians during the last few years. Ducks and 

 partridge are fairly plentiful. 



Much difficulty was experienced in trying to enforce the laws owing to what 

 looked like a united effort on the part of certain tourists to do all the illegal 

 hunting possible, and to encourage settlers to do the same. 



Overseer Thomas H. Johnston, of Roysion, reports that the pafit year has been 

 exceptionally good for fishing. He spent four or five days on Cecebe Lake and 

 Ahmic Lake, and collected a'bout $70 for fishing permits. 



Beaver were plentiful while deer were scarce. He would recommend that the 

 hitter have a cloee season for a year. 



N"o violations of the Game Laws came under his observation. 



Overseer R. Lambhins, of Loring, reports that the law has been observed fairly 

 well both by the settlers and by hunters coming in from old Ontario. 



He is pleased to say that red deer have never been more plentiful than at the 

 present time. There were large numbers of partridge at the opening of the season 

 but since then they have been scarce. Ducks are never seen in large quantities on 

 account of there being no wild rice or feed for them. Moose are very seldom seen. 

 the bush not providing proper feeding grounds for them.' 



Wolves are not so plentiful in his immediate neighbourhood as they have been 

 in the past, but a few miles away they were heard in good sized packs this winter. 

 He would recommend that the bounty be raised to $25 and that the person catching 

 the wolf he allowed the skin, as they are very hard to catch. Sometimes a mnn 

 will spend a month without any result, so that until the bounty is raised and the 

 party catching the wolf allowed to keep the skin, there is very little inducement for 

 anyone to go after the wolves. 



With reference to fur-bearing animals, beaver are increasing very fast in his 

 locality. Muskrats, otter and mink are holding their own. Fisher and marten 

 are very scarce ; he thinks this is on account of so much poison 'being put out for 

 wolves in the past. Foxes are fairly plentiful. Bears are not very numerous. 

 Lynx are scarce. 



