British Columbia Forestry Commission. 



137 



Laflamme, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, 

 of Laval University, Quebec; Sir Sand- 

 ford Fleming, Ottawa; Hon. W. C. 

 Edwards, Ottawa; E. B. Osier, M.P , .1 

 Toioixio; v.. A. McCool, ex-M.P., ot 

 Nipissing, Ont.; J. F. Mackay, of 'The 

 Globe,' Toronto; Dr. B. E. Femow, 

 Dear o*' the Faculty of Forestry of the 

 University of Toronto; Rev. Dr. Geo 

 Bryce, of the University of Manitoba, 

 Winnipeg; Dr. W. J. Rutherford, ot 

 Regina, Deputy Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture for Saskatchewan and Dean ot 

 the Agricultural College; Prof. H. M. 

 Tory, of Strathcona, President of the 



University of Alberta, and Mr. John 

 Hendry, of Vancouver, B.C. 



Members of the Canadian Forestry 

 Association w-ill note with interest that 

 the Commission includes the Vice 

 President of the Association, four of the 

 Provincial Vice-Presidents and four 

 Directors. The Journal congratulates 

 these gentlemen on their selection a= 

 members of the Commission, as the 

 result of whose investigations gieat 

 things are hoped for, not only for the 

 forests of Canada, but also for the other 

 natural resources of the Dominion. 



Reserves for Protection of Game. 



By T. X. WiLLixo, Chief G.'v.me Gu.\RDr.\N por S.^^skatchewan. 



In the prairie provinces, the home of 

 the grouse and breeding ground of the 

 wild fowl, the decrease in numbers is 

 alarmingly evident. Big game is fast 

 disappearing, there being now not one 

 living buffalo in Saskatchewan, and 

 only about two thousand antelope scat- 

 tered over the south western portion of 

 the province, with probably a like 

 number in Alberta, while both these 

 species are now extinct in Manitoba. 



Settlers are coming into the country 

 in great numbers and the area under 

 cultivation has increased over one 

 hundred per cent, the last season. This 

 is a small proportion of the land area of 

 the province, but it has a widespread 

 effect on the game preservation problem, 

 as on the outskirts of settlement the 

 temptation to kill for the pot usually 

 proves stronger than any respect for the 

 game laws. If, then, it is thought desir- 

 able to maintain wild game in the coun- 

 try, some steps inust be taken to provide 

 suitable areas where various species may 

 breed unmolested by man. 



Some unthinking persons fail to see 

 any reason, practical or sentimental, 

 why any effort should be made to per- 

 petuate the existence of the wild 

 creatures, but fortunately this is not the 

 view held by the majority, and the 

 movement for more effective protection 

 is actively supported by both the sports- 

 men and the nature lovers — two classes 

 that do not, however, entirely agree as 

 to what should be considered game. 



In my opinion those wild creatures 

 that necessitate healthful exercise and 

 skill in the taking and are of value as 

 food when taken should be considered 

 game, and the best measures possible 

 taken to favor their propagation to off- 

 set the loss incident to the hunting 

 season. Both migratory and non- 

 migratory game may be considered a 

 valuable asset to 'the country if we look 

 at the matter from a utilitarian point of 

 view. The food value of the game 

 annually consumed by our people, 

 especially in northern districts, would 

 be hard to estimate, but might be re- 

 presented by very high figures, and 

 there is a distinct advantage in having a 

 good supply of birds feeding over our 

 fields, picking up va.st quantities of 

 insects and seeds that may be detri- 

 mental to our crops. 



A close season in Spring for all birds' 

 is a very important step in the right 

 direction, as no game can increase, or 

 even exist for long, if hunted and harried 

 at the time of mating and nesting. The 

 birds may nest in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of our homes, in the ab.sence 

 of guns and dogs, but every shot fired in 

 Spring gives fresh impetus to the flight 

 of the migrants towards the northern 

 wilds, or possibly destroys a prospective 

 parent of a downy brood. A majority 

 of the Canadian provinces and most of 

 the Northern States have already pro- 

 hibited spring shooting, and it is hoped 

 others will soon fall in line. The 



