ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF GAME 

 PROTECTOR. 



To the Hon. Tho?nas H. Guy, Deputy Commissioner, Division of 

 Fish and Game: 



■Sir. — I respectfully submit herewith my report on the enforce- 

 ment of the Forest, Fish and Game Law of the State of New York 

 for the year 1911. The statistical tables which follow show a 

 substantial increase in the number of cases prosecuted. The reg- 

 ular protectors prosecuted this last fiscal year more cases than dur- 

 ing the preceding year, having a gain of fifty-four. The apparent 

 deficiency in recoveries is occasioned by reason of the $14,000 

 recoveries in two actions prosecuted against parties in JSTew York 

 city during the fall of 1909. If this recovery of $14,000 is ex- 

 cluded from last year's total, there is a net gain in recoveries over 

 last year of $323.35. 



The special protectors did not equal last year's record in the 

 number of cases prosecuted, having only 258 cases to their credit 

 this year as compared with 323 cases last year; but the recoveries 

 are more favorable. In the 323 cases prosecuted in 1910 the re- 

 coveries amounted to $6,551.08; this year the recoveries amount 

 to $6,195.80. When it is taken into consideration that but 83 

 special protectors performed work as against 104 last year, it will 

 be noticed that while fewer specials worked, the average gross re- 

 covery was larger, while the average expense for prosecuting a case 

 is less than for the preceding year. This, no doubt, is due to the 

 fact that in February, 1910, many of the special protectors were 

 dropped from the force for nonperformance of work, which makes 

 it apparent that the active specials performed greater service be- 

 cause of the weeding out of the inactive ones. 



The average gross recovery and costs in each case is very com- 

 mendable, iu view of the fact that all men prosecuted were not 

 fined. The majority, of course, were ; but many received sus- 

 pended sentences on pleas of guilty, others were acquitted from 

 John Doe proceedings, and twenty-three persons were sent to jail 

 for a collective period of 1,123 days. 



[63] 



