Report 



of the 



Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner 



For the year 1909 



Albany, N. Y., January 5, 19 10. 



To the Honorable, the Legislature: 



HEREWITH is submitted the Fifteenth Annual Report of the 

 Forest, Fish and Game Commission, with suggestions and recom- 

 mendations. 



The law as it now stands, with a few exceptions, is satisfactory to the 

 Commission and, we believe, to the people generally. There are more 

 exceptions than necessary, and if some of them were taken out the law 

 would be improved. It should in all cases be general and apply to all 

 persons and places alike as far as possible. The present fire law was drawn 

 by a committee of men not connected with the Commission or the Legisla- 

 ture, and in relation to the so-called fire towns should have been modified. 

 It takes in one hundred and fifty towns that should not have been covered 

 by it, and for which there is no justification any more than there would be 

 to include the towns of all other counties of the State. State control of 

 fires should only be invoked in localities where there are large State holdings 

 in the sixteen forest preserve counties, and therefore should have been 

 limited to the towns heretofore known as " fire towns." In this respect the 

 law should be amended. 



For several years an effort was made to contract the open season for 

 deer, which finally resulted in an open season from September 16th to 



October 31st, inclusive. In 1909 the statute was amended extending the 



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