Conservation Commission 197 



being cut off, causes me to believe that it would not be wise to 

 again allow tbe killing of quail in this State, with the exception 

 of Long Island, unless there is a greater increase in the supply 

 during the balance of the five years closed period. 



Beaver 



Beaver continue to increase in the Adirondack region. Some 

 complaints have come to the department relative to the damage 

 done by beaver by reason of cutting timber and flooding private 

 lands. In some instances, after an investigation of the complaint 

 of damage being done by beaver, we found it necessary to disturb 

 their houses, which causes the colony to seek new quarters. 



HUNTING LICENSES 



A careful investigation has caused me to believe that the State 

 is not getting the returns from hunting licenses that it should. 

 The report of the protective force shows that a great many 

 hunters go afield without being in possession of a hunting license 

 as provided by law, taking the chances of being apprehended by 

 a protector for hunting without a license. To educate the public 

 to the necessity of being in possession of a hunting license to 

 hunt any of the wild birds or quadrupeds of the State of New 

 York, the game protective force has been ordered when meeting 

 a hunter afield to inspect his hunting license. This has had a 

 tendency to increase the sale of licenses, which has encouraged 

 me to believe that providing for the issuing of a button with 

 every hunting license, to be worn in a conspicuous place, would 

 practically eradicate the practice of hunters going afield without 

 being in possession of their license, as they would not only be 

 open to the inspection of the protective force, but any person 

 could readily see, by the requirement that they should wear the 

 button at all times when hunting, that they were in possession 

 of the necessary license to hunt. 



MERIT SYSTEM 



I am a great believer in the merit system, as it spurs a pro- 

 tector to give his very best efforts to the work of protecting the 



