10 THE REPORT UPON No. 14 



North Bay, Oxtaeio, October 31st, 1917. 

 D. McDonald, Esq., 



Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Toronto, Ont. 



Dear Sir, — 1 beg to submit my annual report for the year ending October 

 31st, 1917. 



Commercial fisliing lias been exceptionally good and the fishermen are well 

 satisfied with their season's catch. Anglers report good catches, especially in Lake 

 Nipissing and the French River waters. 



Game : I have travelled my district extensively during the past year and am 

 pleased to say that I find a general improvement in the game, and the laws have 

 been fairly well observed. Wild ducks are very plentiful. Wild geese are scarce in 

 this locality, but are plentiful further north. Snipe and plover are increasing. 

 Partridge is still scarce. Many fine specimens of moose have already been brought 

 in, but hunters report a scarcity of bull moose, while cows appear to be plentiful. 

 Deer appear to be increasing and a number of caribou have also been reported 

 further north. 



Fur-bearing animals: Mink and muskrat appear to be plentiful. Otter is 

 about the same as in previous years. Beaver, while a large number are being 

 trapped, still appears to be quite plentiful. According to the best information 

 which I can obtain, all other fur-bearing animals appear to be plentiful. Wolves 

 are reported plentiful in many localities and are destroying a number of deer. 



I would again like to recommend a general gun license which I think would 

 help to prevent a lot of illegal hunting. I would also recommend that the fur 

 buyers' licenses be increased for both residents and non-residents, the former to 

 ten dollars and the latter to fifty dollars. 



I would again recommend that provision be made for a suitable game preserve 

 in the north country along the T. C. Railway as the forests of that country are fast 

 disappearing. 



Yours respectfully, 



G. M. Parks, 

 Game and Fishery Warden. 



Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. 

 D. McDonald, Esq., 



Acting Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Toronto, Ont. 



Commercial fishing has been good in my district in Lake Superior. The re- 

 turns from fishermen show a bigger catch than in 1916, also in Lake Huron. 

 Speckled trout are plentiful in tliis district in all the streams and in some of the 

 inland lakes the anglers report good sport and good catches. Bass are increasing 

 in the inland lakes and along the north shore of Lake Huron and the Sault Ste. 

 Marie River. Rainbow trout arc increasing in the Sault Ste. Marie River and the 

 inland streams in West Algoma. Pickerel are on the increase in Lake Superior. 

 Whitefish and lake trout are plentiful in Lake Superior, but are not as numerous in 

 Lake Huron. Pike and suckers are increasing in this district, more so in the inland 

 lakes. 



