50 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



LJan. 20, 1894. 



NEW YORK ASSOCIATION. 



The New York State Association for the Protection of 

 Fish and Game held its annual convention in Syracuse, 

 Jan. 11. The delegates met in the capacious assembly 

 room of the Yates, which had been put at their disposal 

 by the renewed courtesy of Proprietors Averill & Gregory. 

 The following clubs were represented: 



Canandaigua Eod and Gun Club— W. H. Fox, W. H. 

 Knapp. 



Honeoye Falls Anglers' Association — Aaron Mather. 



Sundown Fishing Club, Poughkeepsie-^J. S. Van Cleef. 



Oundiaga Gun Club, Onondaga Castle— C. J. Smith, 

 Isaac Waterman, John Loft, Martin Hill. 



Pierrepont Gun Club, Utica — W. Pierrepont White, E. 

 J. Millspaiigh, Henry P. Crouse, Isaac H. Maynard, Hugh 

 White. 



Black River Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game, Utica— Geo. W. Chassell, W. E. Wolcott. 



Caledonia Fishing Club, Caledonia — Jas. Annin. Jr, 



Niagara Co. Anglers' Ass'n, Lockport — G. W. Weaver. 



Anglers' Association , St. Lawrence Eiver — R, P. Grant, 

 G. H. Strough, G. M. Skinner, Clayton; W. H. Thomp- 

 son, A. C. Cornwell, Alexandria Bay. 



Genesee Valley Fish and Bird Propagating and Protec- 

 tive Association, Eoch ester — F. J. Amsden, 



Rochester Eod and Gun Club — Thos. H. Maguire. 



Anglers' Association of Onondaga County, Syracuse — J. 

 N. Babnock, George B. Wood, M. J. French, John Buss, 

 Amos Padgham. 



Steuben County Fish and Game Protective Association 

 — Z. L. Parker. 



Auburn Gun Club, Auburn — C. W. Brister, C. G. Curtis, 

 L. E. Fiero, Geo. Nellis. 



Onondaga County Sportsmen's Club, Syracuse— C. H. 

 Mowry, C. G. Courtney, H. McMurchy, A. C. Ginty, H. 

 Ayling. 



Erieville Fish and Game Protective Association, Erie- 

 ville — J. V. Perkins, F. t Whitnall. 



Central New York Game and Fish Protective Associa- 

 tion,, Seneca Falls — Chas. Bannister, Dr. A. H. Fowler, 

 Fred J. Davis. J. D. Aldon, Dr. F. G. Seaman, J. George 

 Stacey, A. M. Schermerhorn. 



Honest Fisherman's Association, Seneca Falls — F. G. 

 Seaman, Dr. Gould. 



The president, Charles B. Eeynolds, of Foeest and 

 Stream, was in the chair and the secretary was John B. 

 Sage, of Buffalo. There were present also Gen. D. H. 

 Bruce, of Syracuse, president of the Onondaga Anglers' 

 Association and Vice-President of the State Association, 

 anu Chief Game and Fish Protector Pond, with the entire 

 force of the district protectors. 



On motion of Mr. Frank J. Amsden, of Eochester, who 

 advised the meeting that a Michigan association of simi- 

 lar aims was at that hour forming in Detroit, this mes- 

 sage of good will was dispatched: 



Herschel Whittaker. Fish Commissioner , Detroit: 



The New York State Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game send greeting to the new State association of Michigan. 



John B. Saoe, Sec'y. 



Later in the day a response was received, reading: 

 Detroit, Mich., Jan. U.—John B. Sage: The Tri-County Club 

 thank you for greetings and wish your society long life and activity. 



Herschel Whittaker. 



On suggestion of Mr. Amsden the following message 

 was sent to Governor Flower, not as an indorsement of 

 all his acts and recommendations with respect to fish and 

 game legislation, but as expressing the satisfaction of the 

 delegates that New York has an executive who is honestly 

 interested in the subject. The text ran: 



Governor Boswell P. Flower, Albany, N. Y.: 



The New York State Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game wish to express their gratification that we now have a Governor 

 who shows an interest in the objects we are laboring for. 



John B. Sage, Secretary. 



It had been hoped that the members of the Fish Com- 

 mission would attend the meeting, but the only one pres- 

 ent was Commissioner Hackney, who, being called upon 

 to speak, made a hit by saying, "I am not much of a 

 speech-maker, but I am something like Gen. Grant, I 

 smoke." He said humorously that when elected a mem- 

 ber of the Commission he knew nothing about fish, and 

 had kept up the record. "The Commissioners," he added, 

 "will gladly work in concert with the Association as to 

 legislation and law enforcement." Forest Commissioner 

 Wm. E. Eeed, of Potsdam, addressed the meeting, speak- 

 ing in high terms of the forestry force. On motion of 

 George H. Strough, of Clayton, it was declared to be the 

 sense of the meeting that the foresters should be given 

 authority to protect game and fish. 



Messrs. John N. Babcock of Syracuse, W. S. Gavitt of 

 Lyons and Dr. Gould of Seneca Falls denounced the fyke 

 nets in Seneca Eiver as destructive in an inordinate de- 

 gree and seriously menacing the existence of the food fishes 

 of that river and all the waters of which it is the feeder. 

 Mr. Gavitt read a letter from Senator Saxton declaring a 

 change of front on this question. The feeling of the con- 

 vention found expression in the report of the legislative 

 committee recommending that the clause allowing nets 

 in the Seneca Eiver should be eliminated. 



Mr. Aaron Mather called attention to the questionable 

 action of the Livingston county supervisors who had pre- 

 scribed a tax of $10 on non-resident fishermen. Secretary 

 Thompson of the St. Lawrence Eiver Association, Mr. C. 

 H. Mowry of Syracuse, and others declared that it was im- 

 possible to get good legislation from many of the boards 

 of county supervisors because they were in the control of 

 the netters and fish pirates. 



Mr. W. E. Wolcott of Utica read an interesting report 

 on the deer of the Adirondacks, in which he said: "One 

 year ago reports received from the Adirondack region 

 were to the effect that deer were increasing in numbers 

 at an encouraging rate. This year the reports are not 

 quite as favorable. Beyond a question the deer are on 

 the decrease in some portions of the woods, while in a few 

 localities it is believed they are still on the increase. Some 

 think the apparent gain in numbers at certain points is 

 due to the fact that the deer have been driven there from 

 other sections, and this seems quite a plausible explana- 

 tion. If the deer are increasing in spite of the adverse 

 conditions that exist it is certainly remarkable. A guide 

 at Big Moose Lake saw the carcasses of ten deer last spring 

 decaying in the woods between Big Moose and Eaquette 

 lakes. He thought that the animals had starved to death. 

 The snow was six feet deep in that locality for forty con- 

 secutive days and the mercury below zero. Carcasses 

 were also found in other parts of the woods and. 

 many are inclined to think that the trouble 



was caused by dogs getting into the deer yards 

 in the winter and stampeding the deer. Some 

 reports have been circulated to the effect that feed for 

 deer is becoming scarce in the Adirondacks, but this idea 

 is utterly absurd. A Utican who has frequented the 

 woods for many years saw less than a dozen deer last 

 summer on a trip to Twitchell and Big Moose lakes, when 

 he had been accustomed to see fifty. It is said by parties 

 who claim to know, that a very large number of deer was 

 killed last winter for use in lumber camps in the southern 

 part of the woods. Deer are reported as increasing in 

 numbers at Cranberry Lake, St. Lawrence county; North 

 Eiver, Warren county; Eaquette Lake, Hamilton county; 

 Fulton Chain, Herkimer county. A falling off is reported 

 at Harrisville, Lewis county; Morehouseville, Hamilton 

 county; North and South lakes, Herkimer county, and 

 Sacandaga Valley, Saratoga county. 



"At the Bisby Lakes, Wilmurt, Beaver River, Leroy 

 Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Moose River, Piseco Lake, 

 Schroon Lake and other localities they are about holding 

 their own; and at Honnedaga Lake they are increas- 

 ing. Advices received from various parts of the Adiron- 

 dacks indicate that the number of deer killed last year 

 was much smaller than the year previous." 



Protector Pond was asked his opinion respecting the 

 operation of the present deer law; and expressed a convic- 

 tion that its provisions were wise and efficient. The sea- 

 sons he would not change, nor would he forbid any one 

 of the three modes now legalized— floating, hounding and 

 still-hunting. The followers of each several mode, said 

 Maj. Pond, are a check on those who hunt in other ways. 

 The hounder will Bee to it that the floater does not get out 

 before his time; and the still-hunter will not abide the 

 hounds in the woods after their season has run out. Deer, 

 according to his observation, are on the increase; they 

 have doubk d within the last ten years; and if no more 

 shall be killed annually than the estimate for 1893, of 700 

 deer, the yearly increase will not be taken, and the num- 

 ber will be growing constantly. In certain localities the 

 food supply was insufficient last winter. 



Numerous desired amendments of the fish and game 

 laws were submitted and were referred to the Committee 

 on Legislation. The report of the committee, which was 

 of necessity incomplete, left some of the propositions to 

 be considered at a subsequent time, and their action on 

 them will be reported in a later issue of the Forest and 

 Stream. 



Report of Committee on Legislation. 



To the, New York State Association for the Protection of 

 Fish and Game: 



Your legislative committee would respectfully report: 

 That a large number of amendments to the game law have 

 been submitted to your committee by various organizations 

 and individuals for their consideration, several of which 

 are general in their application and are important, and 

 many of which are local in their character. That your 

 committee are of the opinion that it is not advisable for 

 this Association to suggest many or any radical amend- 

 ments to the existing game law; that the few amendments 

 we suggest are such as experience has demonstrated will 

 improve the law and will tend to gain for it the support of 

 the inhabitants of the localities affected. That in our 

 judgment it is important that the law should meet the 

 support and approval of the mass of the people in 

 order to make it effective. We believe that the bet- 

 ter class of citizens throughout the State begin to 

 realize that adequate protection for fish and game is 

 necessary and that such protection is in the interest of 

 the common people. That in our judgment it was not 

 advisable to recommend special legislation for particular 

 localities, but that the general law should so far as possible 

 be made uniform in its provisions throughout the State. 

 We deem this very important, because when the law is 

 uniform the people everywhere will learn to know and 

 respect its provisions. Your committee would report that 

 in the limited time at their disposal it has been impossible 

 to consider and act upon all the amendments and it would 

 suggest that as to such amendments on which your com- 

 mittee has taken no action, it be given power to sit after 

 the adjournment of your body and consider them, and 

 submitsuch amendments as may be deemed advisable to 

 the Fish Commission and to the Legislature. 



We would recommend the following amendments: 



Sec. 44, after the word "Ulster" insert the words "or Sullivan," and 

 after the word "time" strike out the balance of the section. [This 

 adds Sullivan to the counties in which deer may nor. be hounded. Sec. 

 44 now forbids hunting them in any manner in Sullivan prior to 1897.] 



Sec. 70. Amend by striking out the words "sunset and daylight" 

 and inserting in place thereof the words "one hour after sunset and 

 one hour before, sunrise." [The time during which wildfowl may not 

 be pursued.] 



Sec. 73. Amend by striking out the five-year provision as to certain 

 counties named thereia. [Removes five-years (from close 

 season on quail in Genesee, Wyomi ng, Orleans, Livingston, Monroe. 

 Cayuga, Seneca, Wayne, Tompkins, Tioga, Onondaga, Ontario. Steuben 

 and Cortland counties.] 



Sec. 74. Strikeout the words "fifteenth day of August" and insert 

 the words "September first." [The opening date on woodcock and 

 grouse ] 



Sec. 75. Amend by striking out the words "fifteenth day of August" 

 and "first day of February" and insert in place thereof the words 

 "the first day of September" and "the first day of January." After 

 the words "or sale thereof" strike out the word "between" and insert 

 in place thereof the word "after," and after the word "Jaouary" 

 strike out the words "and the first day of February" and also the last 

 four lines of the section commencing with the word "unless." [This 

 will entirely confine the sale of woodcock and grouse to the proposed 

 open season, Sept. 1-Jan. 1.] 



Sec. 110. Amend by. inserting after the words "Oswego bass" the 

 words "in any of the fresh waters of the State; nor pike, pickerel or 

 wall-eyed pike in the American waters of the St. Lawrence River " 

 [Provides a close season in St. Lawrence River waters for pike, pick- 

 erel, wall-eyed pike, from Jan. 1 to May 80.] 



Sec. 132. Strike out all of the section in parentheses. [Removes 

 waters of Lake Ontario in Jefferson county from present exemption 

 from net law.] 



Sec. 136. Strike out all of the section after the word "Troy;" also 

 strike out the words "Hank Falls" and insert in place thereof the word 

 "Eddyville." [This removes the exception by which nets are allowed 

 in the Seneca River. Also forbids nets in Rondout Creek below Eddy- 

 ville.] 



Sec. 140. Amend so as to prohibit the fishing with fyke net or nets of 

 any kind in the waters of Essex county, or in the Seneca River in Cay- 

 uga, Wayne and Seneca counties. 



Sec. 142. Strike out the words "and in the Susquehanna in the town 

 of Oswego, Tioga county, and from the first day of September to the 

 fifteenth day of October in the Tioughnioga aud Otselio rivers in the 

 county of Cortland." [Prohibits eel- weirs in waters named.] 



Sec. 274. Amend this section so as to limit the powers of the boards 

 of supervisors to restricting the open season for fishing and hunting 

 and providing penalties only for the violation of suc'i provision, and 

 that all local acts of boards of supervisors heretofore passed, so far as 

 they are inconsistent with this act, be declared void. [To correct the 

 doubtful constitutional character of certain supervisors' laws.] 



We would respectfully recommend that the Legislature 

 be urged not to pass any amendments to the game law 

 permitting the spring shooting of wildfowl, or the use of 



nets of any kind for catching fish in any of the waters of 

 this State where it is now prohibited. 



We would recommend that the wardens of the For- 

 estry Commission be granted the powers of game pro- 

 tectors. Walter S. MacGregor (Syracuse), 

 J. S. Van Cleef (Poughkeepsie), 

 W. S. Gavitt (Lyons), 

 G. M. Skinner (Clayton). 



Nets in Inland Waters. 



The suggestion contained in Gov, Flower's message, 

 that nets be licensed in certain inland waters, was dis- 

 cussed, and it was the uniform expression of opinion that 

 such a system would prove injurious to the fish food 

 supply; and this conviction found expression in a reso- 

 lution offered by Mr. John N. Babcock, of Syracuse: 



Resolved, That the several associations or clubs having a member- 

 ship in the New York State Association for the Protection of Fish 

 and Game, be and hereby are requested to use every honorable effort 

 with the members of the Legislature from their respective districts to 

 prevent the passage of any and every amendment to the game Iwas 

 permitting the use of nets in any of the inland waters of the State, 

 including the River St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario within the present 

 limits. 



Report of Committee on Forests. 



Gentlemen of the Association: 



At the last annual convention of the State Association 

 the committee on forestry, consisting of Gen. D. H. Bruce 

 and myself, submitted a report setting forth at some 

 length the danger that threatened the Adirondack wilder- 

 ness, and outlining the steps which up to that time had 

 been taken in the interests of the Adirondack State Park. 

 The subject of forest protection should be and doubtless is 

 one in which every member of this Association takes a 

 deep interest, and in our constitution it is specified as one 

 of the objects for which the organization exists. There- 

 fore a few remarks, intended to supplement the report of 

 a year ago, may be appropriate at this time. The dangers 

 that threaten the forest are multiplying with a rapidity 

 that is appalling and disheartening to the many who have 

 loved the great Northern Wilderness for the freedom it 

 brought them, and they look witb feelings of inexpressible 

 sadness upon the changes wrought in their favorite 

 haunts. During the past year the lumberman has in- 

 vaded new sections with his ax and saw; trout streams 

 have been dammed to obtain sufficient water to float logs, 

 saw mills, which have greedily consumed all available 

 timber near them, have been moved on to fresh scenes, 

 where other mountains and valleys are being denuded; 

 and the wood acid works have continued to devour the 

 hard wood with unabated zest. The wilderness which 

 had previously been girdled by railroads and transversed 

 by one line, has been further mutilated by spurs running 

 in from various quarters. Modern locomotives, palace 

 cars and freight trains thunder through the dim recesses 

 of the forest, where the larger game lately found a safe 

 retreat; the path of the pedestrian is crossed by fallen logs 

 and the landscape marred by unsightly stumps and piles 

 of brush. 



The report of the hunter's gun is drowned out by the 

 terrific explosion of dynamite blasts in stone quarries, 

 iron mines and railroad cuts. The angler, while wading 

 a stream in quest of brook trout, is compelled to go ashore 

 and remain there because the gates in some dam further 

 up stream have been raised to let out water sufficient to 

 float logs down to the saw mill. Below the mill he finds 

 his favorite pools filled with sawdust and other refuse and 

 notes with sadness that the spawning beds of the speckled 

 beauties have been broken up. When one is peacefully 

 dreaming in his boat on a placid lake, watching for a deer 

 to come down to the water, it is exceedingly unpleasant 

 and disenchanting to be aroused by the shriek of a loco- 

 motive or the clatter of a wagon on a newly made road 

 near by. 



The tourist can scarcely follow a blazed line or trail in 

 any direction without having his progress barred by a 

 wire fence too high to climb, or an equally discouraging 

 barrier in the form of a notice printed in large black let- 

 ters on white cloth; "This is a private preserve; no tres- 

 passing allowed," or words to that effect. The result is 

 exceedingly depressing and altogether foreign to the ideas 

 that lovers of the woods have hitherto held. Freedom is 

 gone, and with it one of the greatest charms of wilderness 

 life. Personally I can find no fault with the clubs, for I 

 have been hospitably entertained by several of them, and 

 have standing invitations to become the guest of others, 

 but I take it that to even the club men themselves, or 

 many of them, there are some things lacking under the 

 new regime that they enjoyed under the old. And one 

 of these things is the unrestrained freedom which has 

 vanished before the march of civilization. 



Doubtless, for the present at least, the clubs aud their 

 preserves must be considered in the light of established 

 facts. They have come to stay unless aggressive measures 

 are taken by the State to acquire title to the land by right 

 of eminent domain. Some who have invested capital in 

 the Adirondacks have no doubt done so with a view of 

 making money through the rise in real estate, which has 

 had a very marked upward tendency for several years 

 past. Probably such persons would be glad to dispose of 

 their holdings if paid a fair advance on the purchase 

 price, and it would seem to be wisdom on the part of the 

 State to buy up all available property at the earliest pos- 

 sible moment. 



The legislation thus far secured in the direction of forest 

 protection seems utterly inadequate. Much was hoped 

 from the act in relation to the Adirondack Park, which 

 became a law last spring, but the exchanging of lands 

 does not appear to be enlarging the park very materially. 



The Adirondack Park contains about 2,750.000 acres. 

 The State owns within the park about 550,000 acres, and 

 outside of the park lines but within the Adirondack pre- 

 serve about 140,000 acres. Of these outlying tracts about 

 10,000 acres have been sold during the past year for 

 $85,000. This money, according to Chapter 332, Laws of 

 1893, was paid to the State Treasurer, and is held by him 

 as a special fund for the purchase of land within the Adir- 

 ondack Park. The Commissioners have been unable to 

 buy any land with this money, as it has to be reappropri- 

 ated by the Legislature before the Commissioners can 

 use it. 



At a meeting of the Commissioners held Dec, 7, 1893, 

 applications were received for spruce timber over 12in. in 

 diameter 3ft. from the ground, and they sold the spruce 

 timber on about 17,000 acres. This -money, when re- 

 ceived, will be placed by the State Treasurer in the special 

 fund to buy land. The sale of timber was all on land 

 within the Adirondack Park, 



A writer in criticising the present forestry system, says: 



