186 Third Annual Report of the 



I am firmly of the opinion that we are able to detect with our 

 present force but a small percentage of the actual violations occur- 

 ring, and I would respectfully recommend that the force should 

 be increased to at least two hundred men. 



Game Increasing 



From various sources of information, particularly through the 

 protective force, the game conditions in most parts of the state 

 show very encouraging improvements. Grouse shooting in many 

 sections is much more satisfactory than it has been for years, in 

 fact, since the epidemic struck the grouse and practically wiped 

 them out several years ago. The birds had a good nesting sea- 

 son generally, and the strict enforcement of the law, the close 

 season and the bag limit are beginning to have their effects in 

 the general increase of the hunter's favorite game bird. The in- 

 crease holds good, except perhaps in the Adirondack region, where 

 the partridge is not making the gains he should. This fact is at- 

 tributed largely to the abundance of the foxes in that section, and 

 as the taking of foxes by hounding is not permitted, because of the 

 forests being thickly inhabited by deer, the foxes are undoubtedly 

 making heavy inroads on the grouse in that part of the State. 



'Woodcock 



Woodcock are reported as being more plentiful almost every- 

 where, especially in the northern part of the State. This applies 

 both to the migratory and the native woodcock. 



Pheasants 

 Wherever covers have been stocked with pheasants, they are 

 increasing rapidly, notwithstanding the popularity of pheasant 

 shooting, in sections which have not enjoyed bird hunting to any 

 extent for a generation. This is particularly true in the counties 

 of Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans, Niagara, Genesee and Liv- 

 ingston. The pheasants introduced have multiplied very rapidly, 

 and they are well adapted to the agricultural sections, getting along 

 with comparatively little cover. Good reports on pheasant shoot- 

 ing also come from Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. The 



