432 



Canadian Forestry Journal, March, ipi6. 



The Question of Registering Hunters 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fisherrnen ---==-----^^^^^^^^^ 



A Group of Interesting- Opinions From Friends of the Association 



Dealing With a Live Problem. * 



For some months past the Secre- 

 tary of the Canadian Forestry Asso- 

 ciation has been gathering data 

 regarding the feasibility of "regis- 

 tering" sportsmen. The object of 

 the inquiries sent to all parts of 

 Canada was to ascertain the views 

 of representative persons and insti- 

 tutions. A few of the replies are 

 given herewith and others will be 

 published in succeeding issues. 



That some means might be found 

 to keep record of sportsmen, par- 

 ticularly fishermen, entering certain 

 forested districts during the season 

 of highest fire risk was the sugges- 

 tion made in the Secretary's form of 

 inquiry. It was further asked 

 whether it would be practicable to 

 secure the names, and probable 

 routes to be followed, at the time 

 the sportsmen took out his license, 

 the information to be forwarded im- 

 mediately by the license issuer, 

 either to a central authority at the 

 provincial capital or direct to a 

 supervisor in the territory most con- 

 cerned. It was not suggested that 

 an entire province could be blanket- 

 ed by such requirement but that sec- 

 tions might be tried out. If the idea 

 was at all practicable, a well-or- 

 ganized body of rangers could cer- 

 tainly obtain valuable information 

 from the system in regard to travel- 

 lers within their patrols, and could 

 hkely eliminate some of the fire risk 

 that annually arises from careless 

 fishermen and hunters. 



From Dr. Judson F Clark, Van- 

 cover, B.C. : 'T see no objection to 



this, if it can be carried out without 

 any considerable expense. Viewing 

 it from the local standpoint I do not 

 see how it can be made effective on 

 the B.C. Coast without a very con- 

 siderable expenditure, but perhaps 

 there would be, some way of hand- 

 ling it which has not occurred to 

 me/' 



A. J. Parr, General Freight and 

 Passenger Agent, T. and N. O. Rail- 

 way, North Bay': "Our thoughts are 

 that this registration would be a de- 

 cided step in the right direction and 

 see no objections whatever to it." 



Edward Beck, Managing Editor^ 

 Winnipeg Telegram : 'T know of nO' 

 reason why such representation 

 should not be made to theProvincial 

 Governments as planned." 



Arthur O. Wheeler, Director, The 

 Alpine Club of Canada : "I consider 

 that the idea is an excellent one and 

 I cannot see any reason why it 

 should not be carried out as you 

 suggest. 



As you say, the very fact of regis- 

 tration is bound to have a deterrent 

 effect and make the man in charge 

 of parties much more likely to be 

 careful, as he would feel directly 

 responsible to the authorities. 



It seems to me, however, that 

 there might be some difficulty in 

 registering people and parties who 

 were making the one-day trips and 

 also in registering parties who start- 

 ed from points that were not at or 

 near registration centres ; but, even 

 if a few were missed in this way it 

 would have a beneficial effect by 

 keeping track of the majority. 



