26 SECOND BIENNIAL EEPORT [W. VA. 



United States Fish Commission has been quite generous in 'furnishing fish for 

 this purpose, and have aided very much in making tests of pointed water, and 

 in many other ways. The number of fish planted during the years 1911 and 

 1912 was 4,256,804. 



A great deal of time was spent in endeavoring to have tire Statute complied 

 with regarding the building of fish-ways on dams, and it was found necessary 

 to make some prosecutions for failure to comply with this law. There is 

 still complaint that some dams are not yet properly equipped with .fish -ways, 

 but all the time that was possible was given to this work. 



Prospects for both game and fish are improving in West Virginia. Many 

 of the cut-over forests are now growing up in a thick undergrowth which makes 

 an ideal covering for all kinds of game and birds; and streams that were pract- 

 ically ruined during the time that the timber was being cut are again 

 becoming fine fishing streams, and with proper restocking will soon be as 

 fine for angleing as they were in the past. 



The prosecutions made for violations were not as numerous as for the years 

 1909 and 1910, but this is only an indication that the law is being better under- 

 stood and obeyed. All officers, as a rule, have been vigilant in helping to en- 

 force the law. : '.-..- 



To enforce the laws, as some people would have it done, would require an 

 army of deputies as numerous as the State Militia. This cannot be done with 

 our present system of deputies. According to the Good Book we should each 

 use the talents given us. This has been done. If the Legislature saw fit to 

 limit the amount of this work, it is not the fault of the officers. We have done 

 all possible with the means at our command. 



Four years under the new Forest, Game and Fish Laws has wrought a great 

 change in conditions throughout the State. A few more years under the same 

 conditions, with a better understanding of the object of such restrictive legis- 

 lation, with the masses more liberally educated to the idea of true sportsman- 

 ship, and West Virginia will be as the Great Creator intended it the sports- 

 man's paradise. 



Game Laws Distributed. 



Several thousand copies of the Forest, Game and Fish law have been dis- 

 tributed each year and an effort made to inform the people as to the provisions- 

 of same, and thus prevent violations of the law rather than prosecute for same. 



Five thousand warning notices were posted each year, giving the open and 

 closed seasons on game, and other information on the law, which were found 

 to be very effective in furnishing information in abbreviated form, and thus, 

 preventing violations. 



The warning notice is as follows: 



WARNING! 



Information on Forest, Game and Fish Laws. When, how and where you 

 may Hunt and Fish. 



OPEN SEASON. 



Game. 

 DEEK. (with horns over four inches long) Oct. 15th to Dec. 1st. SQUIB- 



