118 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



serious, however, than game law violations is the question as to whether 

 we really have suitable game laws. The suitability depends largely 

 upon the point of view. As a matter of fact, game laws are mostly 

 designed not to ensure a permanent, unchanging supply of game, but 

 to ensure to each citizen his fair quota of what game there is in the 

 country. Consequently, although as the population increases, game 

 laws are made more stringent, experience proves that, until all the 

 game has been hunted out of existence, few communities ever come to 

 look upon game from any other standpoint than that of the hunter. 

 Then, they adopt permanent closed seasons, in other words, make the 

 whole province into a game preserve and, if the possibilities of game 

 restoration have not all disappeared, the country may again become 

 restocked regardless of the density of the population. 



As regards interest in game protection, citizens may be divided into 

 three classes : 



1. A small but highly influential minority composed of hunters, 

 dealers in sporting goods, guides and others having a direct personal 

 interest in game, who have practically exclusive control of the making 

 and amending of game laws. 



2. A very small and not very effective minority that is interested in 

 game not as an object of the chase> but seeks for various reasons to 

 shape the game laws so as to retain the game undiminished. 



3. A very large majority which never hunts, has no interest in 

 hunting or anything pertaining to it, and is normally indifferent to 

 game legislation, but inclined to favour restrictions or can at least be 

 depended upon not to oppose restrictive legislation. 



As a matter of practical politics it is out of the question to make 

 the radical changes in game laws that would be required to retain the 

 game in the face of an advancing settlement and rapidly growing 

 population. By the creation of game preserves in all parts of the 

 country, it will, however, be possible to accomplish two important 

 things : 



1. Maintain a supply of game for a much longer period than is 

 probable without game preserves. 



2. Maintain a nucleus in a wild state from which the country may 

 be restocked when the large class that is now indifferent to the fate 

 of the game comes to have a positive sentiment in favour of game 

 preservation. That such a change of sentiment is inevitable we have 

 the abundant evidence of other peoples to prove. 



Briefly, it can be said that the game preserve is essential to prevent 

 the extermination of many species of our large game animals in various 



