CONSERVATION OF GAME IN QUEBEC 183 



cannot provide for tliemselves before the end of July, capturing 

 the mother condemns the young to death. This frequently 

 happens on the rocky coast of the North Shore. Thus, as stated 

 above, many foxes are uselessly destroyed to capture one, which, 

 as often happens, may itself die after a few days. 



(5) The North Shore is inhabited mostly by French Canadian 

 families who until these last few years have obtained their living 

 by fishing cod, etc. Now, the income which they obtain by fishing 

 is totally insufficient, especially when considering the increasing 

 cost of living. The winter hunting used to come at the proper 

 time to compensate for the scarcity of fish. If hunting out of 

 season is allowed the fox will disappear in about one year, and 

 the inhabitants of that region wUl undoubtedly have to abandon 

 their villages and go to other parts of the country. 



(6) Where the fox is injurious to crops or poultry it should 

 be destroyed, but, on the North Shore, that danger does not exist; 

 consequently, it is better to conserve a natural resource of which 

 other countries and the other provinces are envious. 



(7) Everybody knows that every two or three years, the 

 careful breeder of foxes needs new wild blood in order to strengthen 

 and regenerate the stock. It has been demonstrated that in- 

 breeding and captivity make the stock degenerate very quickly. 

 In permitting himting only in proper season in Zone No. Two, 

 that is to say, from the 1st of November to the 15th of February 

 (this latter date beginning the mating season for foxes) the hunters, 

 without any destruction could put on the market enough living 

 foxes to furnish the breeders with wild foxes, thus permitting the 

 regeneration of those in captivity. Contrarily, if we allow hunting 

 out of season in Zones One and Two (two unique territories in the 

 Dominion for the production of wild black fox) in a year, the wild 

 foxes will be exterminated and, in not more than six years, the 

 breeder will be forced to cease breeding, his stock becoming rachitic 

 and scrofulous by lack of new blood being introduced in breeding. 



Consequently, the result for the Province of Quebec and even 

 for the other provinces of the Dominion will be marked by a net 

 loss caused by the ruin of breeding and the gradual and accelerating 

 diminution in the fur trade. 



(8) The two classes, 4 and 5, of the measures that we suggest 

 should be included in the proposed licenses, to prevent buyers 

 of other provinces from taking foxes from the Province of Quebec 

 out of season, which they will certainly do if no law prevents them. 



