THE GAME BREEDER 



109 



through which such waters flow. Up to 

 that time, practically nothing had been 

 officially done towards developing the 

 great sporting attractions of this prov- 

 ince, outside of the salmon fishing, for 

 which a few leases had been granted. 

 The provincial authorities at once sought 

 means to develop the rights, in the pos- 

 session of which they had been confirmed 

 as above related. During the first few 

 years of their administration by the 

 Province, the inland fishing privileges 

 were leased on a somewhat limited scale. 

 But in a short time the leasing system 

 attained considerable proportions. 



The protection of fish and game was 

 the main purpose of the leasing system, 

 and this purpose it has admirably served. 

 In the incorporation of fish and game 

 clubs, it is the principal object for which 

 the incorporation is granted, and in all 

 leases of either fishing or hunting ter- 

 ritories, the main condition of the lease 

 is the protection of fish and game and 

 the enforcement of the fish and game 

 laws. It is in consideration of this pro- 

 tective work that the valuable privileges 

 of practically exclusive fishing, hunting 

 and camping are leased on liberal terms 

 to Fish and Game Protective Clubs and 

 to individual sportsmen. The advan- 

 tages enjoyed by these lessees cannot be 

 had anywhere else, and amply justify the 

 constantly increasing popularity of the 

 system. Some of the clubs have quite 

 a large membership, and in addition to 

 their club houses, their territories can 

 now boast the existence, in various pic- 

 turesque surroundings, of private camps 

 or bungalows or other summer hom.es. 

 Others might well follow their example. 

 There are many lovers of the woods, in 

 both Canadian and American cities, who, 

 whether sportsmen or not, would be glad 

 to learn of the opportunities of enjoying 

 club privileges in the Province of Que- 

 bec, and of either sharing the accommo- 

 dation that more commodious club build- 

 ings or cottages could supply, or of erect- 

 ing summer homes in the woods for 

 themselves. 



The advantages to the' Province of 

 Quebec from the existence of Fish and 

 Game Protective Clubs and from the 



system of leasing fishing and hunting 

 privileges are enormous. Without the 

 efficient protection afforded by the mem- 

 bers of these clubs and by the guardian- 

 ship which they are required to main- 

 tain over the territory entrusted to their 

 care, large tracts of country now serving 

 as fish and game peserves, whence large 

 game, fur, fin and feather overflow into 

 the surrounding woods and waters, 

 would now be destitute of game and game 

 fishes, some of which might even have 

 shared the fate of the wild pigeon and 

 the buffalo; for it is patent to everyone 

 conversant with the tremendous extent of 

 our provincial territory and with the fish 

 and game conditions thereof, that noth- 

 ing short of an army of thousands of 

 men could suffice to constitute a perfectly 

 efficient system of governmental guard- 

 ianship. 



To the peope of the Province, both the 

 establishment of Fish and Game Clubs 

 and the leasing of fishing and hunting 

 territories to private individuals have 

 proved extremely advantageous. The 

 amount of money spent here by non-resi- 

 dent anglers alone is much larger than 

 usually supposed. 



An estimate made a few years ago for 

 the Commission of Conservation pointed 

 out that in one year nearly eleven hun- 

 dred non-resident anglers purchased li- 

 censes for fishing with rod and line in 

 the Province. About two hundred of 

 them were salmon fishermen, who paid 

 $25 each for their licenses, whether fish- 

 ing on the open salmon waters of the 

 Province, or being lessees of government 

 fishing rights, members of clubs holding 

 such leases from Province, or non-resi- 

 dent guests of clubs or of owners or 

 lessees of salmon fishing rights. Nearly 

 four hundred non-residents, not being 

 lessees of provincial waters or members 

 of incorporated clubs, paid $10 each for 

 licenses to angle for other fish than sal- 

 mon, while considerably more than five 

 hundred non-resident anglers paid $5 

 each for licenses for similar fishing 

 rights, the reduced cost of such licenses 

 being due to the fact that the holders 

 were lessees of Crown fishing rights or 

 members of clubs. The total amount of 



