Jan. 30, 1904.I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
87 
MVEK mniN' 
North American Association, 
Probably the most successful meeting yet held of the 
North American Fish and Game Protective Association 
was the fourth annual convention which sat at the New 
Falmouth Hotel, Portland, Maine, on the 20th and 21st 
inst. 
The utmost interest was manifested in the proceedings 
.of the association by the sportsmen and fish and game 
officials of the Pine Tree State, and among those in at- 
tendance were the Hon. L. T. Carleton, Chief Commis- 
sioner of Fish and Game, president of the association; 
Vice-President H. O. Stanley, of Maine; C. H. Wilson, 
of New York; J. T. Finnic, of Quebec Province, and 
; General F. G. Butterfield,. of Vermont. Among the mem- 
,bers of the executive committee present were Charles E. 
Oak, ex-Fish and Game Commissioner, and ex-Land 
Commissioner of Maine, and D. G. Smith, Fishery Com- 
missioner of New Brunswick. The absent officials all 
sent excuses. Among them were J. Fottler, Jr., Boston; 
Ivers W. Adams, of Boston ; R. E. Plumb, of Detroit; 
: Hon. A. T. Dunn, of New Brunswick;. Hon. J. H. Sey- 
imour, of ^New York; S. T. Bastedo, of Toronto, and C. 
E. E. Ussher, of Montreal. Ex-Presidents the Hon. S. 
N. Parent, of Quebec, and the Hon. F. R. Latch ford, -of 
Ottawa, also sent their regrets. ]\fessrs. L. O. Armstrong 
j-and H. G. Elliott, of Montreal; Thos. F. Allen, manager 
yof the Tpbique Salmon Club, Andover, Maine; A. T. 
; Bassett> ;of Norway, Maine ; Dr. C. W. Bray, of Port- 
t land; Chas.- F. Burhans, of Warrensburg, N. Y. ; Mayor 
Baxter,, of Portland; Chas. W. T. Coding, president of 
the Portland Board of Trade ; J. Waldo Nash, Portland ; 
G. H. Richards, of Boston, and Hon. F. G. Sprague, 
E Harry P. Virgin, George F. West, Colonel F. B. Boothey, 
I'Hon. B. F ; Ghadbourne, Hon. A. R. Nickerson, and 
others,of , Maine, were among the many who were present. 
Fish and game protective objects are engaging so large 
an attention at the present time that the president, in his 
opening remarks, enlarged upon the opportuneness of the 
association meeting just now in Maine, where, he said, 
ithe great, present need is the dissemination of correct in- 
1 formation upon fish and game subjects. He warmly ap- 
3 proved this part of the programme of the association, .as 
!Well as its recognition of the value and importance of 
newspapers and magazines as the great educational force 
of the United States and Canada. He gave it as his 
opinion that there will be no difficulty in these two en- 
lightened nationalties securing all needful laws and ap- 
propriations for the proper protection and propagation of 
fish and game, when the people shall understand the value 
in dollars and cents of these allied interests. 
Particularly timely references to the importance of 
these subjects were also made by Mayor Baxter, Presi- 
dent Coding, of the Portland Board of Trade, and ex- 
3 Mayor Charles F. Libby, who officially welcomed the 
members of the association to Portland. 
The annual report of the association shows a gratify- 
ing increase in both its membership and financial condi- 
tion. Three deaths in the membership were reported by 
the secretary; those of L- Z. Joncas, first secretary of the 
fi association; Hon. H. T. Duffy, treasurer of the Province 
of Quebec, and John W. McGeary, of Burlington. By 
its recommendations, the association succeeded last year 
in having a bounty placed upon wolves by the government 
of the Province of Quebec, and also in securing the aboli- 
tion of spring shooting of ducks in the same Province. 
iThe influence of this latter action will doubtless prove to 
be very widespread, since the protection of the birds 
in the breeding season must have an important effect 
' upon the shooting wherever the ducks are hunted during 
: their annual migrations. It is in studying, the needs and 
requirements of North America as a whole in the matter 
of fish and garne protection, instead of those of one State 
or Province alone, and in using its large arid constantly 
c increasing influence accordingly, that is to be found one 
of the chief elements of the usefulness of the association. 
,Its recommendations to the Dominion Government to so 
change the provisions of the fishery act as to facilitate the 
:prosecution and conviction of poachers found in posses- 
:fsion of spears or nets when and where they cannot legally 
be used, was not so successful, however, the minister at 
the head of the department declaring that it would not be 
wise to make the change. 
Both the papers read at this convention and the resplu- 
nons adopted by it are of considerable importance. The 
papers are to be printed in the official record of transac- 
tions. Almost all of them were of quite a high order. 
Reports of the condition of the protection of fish and 
game and of the legislation affecting it. were presented 
from all the States and Provinces represented in the 
miembership. 
I For Maine, Mr. H. O. Stanley made report. He re- 
ferred to the great change in the sentiment in rega'rd to 
cprotection which had come over the people within the 
last thirty years. Over $25,000 was now annually spent 
in Maine in- the cause of protection, but the return which 
this expenditure yielded was almost beyond calculatioiv 
iMr. Stanley spoke out very plainly in regard to the 
■Italk about damage caused by deer and partridges to gtOyv- 
■;ing crops. He believed them to_ be greatly exaggeraTed. 
He went 'into the subject at considerable length, giving 
l instances^-which he had personally investigated, and. hi 
which he'fia4 f9ufid ' . ' 
Mr. G. H. Richards reported for Massachusetts, show- 
ing that some advance had already been made in legisla- 
tion concerning fish and game during the last year. The 
sale of trout had been forbidden, except of those artifi- 
cially cultivated within the State. The act protecting 
deer had been renewed for another term of five years. 
He reported an increase of deer in the western part of the 
State, but thought that the number upon Cape Cod re- 
mained about stationary because the Indians there killed 
enough to compensate for the natural increase. 
Mr. D. G. Smith, of Chatham, N. B., reported for New 
Brunswick. He reported a great increase in both fish 
and game, and entered somewhat into the relative value 
of salmon and trout, objecting to those salmon fishermen 
who wished for the destruction of the brook trout, upon 
the score that there are fifty trout fishermen for one sal- 
mon fisherman, and that it was the duty of fish and game 
commissions to consider the greatest ^ good for the 
greatest number. Since the principle of licenses had been 
established in his Province it had proved a valuable 
asset, while the large gain in the number of hunters was 
illustrated by the fact that last year the increase of re- 
ceipts in the fisheries and game department amounted to 
$6,073.53. Mr. Smith reminded the American members of 
the association that each of the Canadian Provinces 
enacted its own game laws, so that it was not correct, as 
was often done, to speak of the laws of one as the 
Canadian laws, when that one Province might have a law 
which could not be found in any other. 
Mr. C. H. Wilson, of Glens Falls, in reporting for New 
York, said that the laws of that State had been very 
much improved during the last year, among the new 
amendments being found some prohibiting the spring 
shooting of web-footed wildfowl, with the exception of 
brant on Long Island, and the sale of grouse and wood- 
cock killed in the State. He made mention of the various 
bills affecting fish and game interests now before the 
House, and to the liberation of large game by Dr. Webb, 
a member of the association, and by Mr. Whitney. 
Dr. John T. Finnic, of Montreal, reported for the 
Province of Quebec, rejoicing at the legislation of last 
session, which placed a bounty of five dollars per head 
upon wolves, and prohibited spring shooting of wild- 
fowl. Large game was very plentiful in the Province, 
but he had to deplore a decrease in partridge and vvood- 
cock. Dealers continued, in some instances, to circum- 
vent the law prohibiting the sale : partridges, despite 
the watchfulness of guardians, and -t. was quite a question 
whether the Government should not altogether prohibit 
the killing of the birds for a term of years. As for the de- 
crease in the number of woodcock, he much feared that 
it was largely due to the killing off of the birds when 
they went south to breed. Dr. Finnic is in favor of 
shortening the present season , for big game in the 
Province of Quebec, which has at present the longest of 
any State or Province. 
Within the limits of the space which one issue of 
Forest and Stream might afford, it, is scarcely possible 
to touch upon all the matters of interest which came be- 
fore the association in one shape or another. Several 
resolutions and recommendations of considerable interest 
were adopted after reference to the executive committee. 
A protest was adopted against the issue of licenses for 
netting game fish in any waters, but upon the strength of 
an interesting paper entitled, "What to do with the Pike," 
read by Mr. L. O. Armstrong, of Montreal, and which 
may be referred to in a future issue of this paper, the 
association, in which Esox lucius seems to have no 
friends, resolved that the best thing to do with him was 
to destroy him.. 
The entire Canadian delegation to the association was 
appointed to urge upon the Federal and Provincial Gov- 
ernments harmonious action with the Governments of the 
States of New York and Vermont in the regulation of 
the distastrous netting in spawning time that is now per- 
mitted_ in Missisquoi Bay and at the entrance of the 
Richelieu River. 
The Hon. C. E. Oak, of Maine, read a very important 
paper upon the relations of wild land owners to fishing 
and hunting interests, urging that if even it became 
necessary to sacrifice the fish and game, it was absolutely 
essential that the forests be protected against fire. He 
clainied that this should be the first consideration in the 
framing of all fish and game laws. His appeal in thi.s 
direction was a very eloquent and forcible one, and the 
association felt it to be so, and the following resolution 
was unanimously adopted : 
"Whereas, The outing interests of North America 
have assumed such , vast proportions, and at"e constantly 
increasing, and whereas, the great areas of wild land are 
of fundamental importance, not only to these interests, 
but to all moral and material interests, and 
"Whereas, The large influx of people into these forests 
on excursions— canoe, fishing, and hunting trip.s — are a 
source of more or less danger to the forests, from care- 
lessness on-accoimt of fire; 
"Therepore, Be it resolved by the N. A. P. F. & G. A. 
in annual meeting assembled, as follows : 
"First— That we will by example and precept do all irt 
pur power to spread intelligence broadcast of the great 
necessity of absolute and perfect carefulness, on all out- 
ing exe-ursions and trips; that all camp-fires mnst-be en- 
tirely ej^tiipfuish^d; cigars and £;hQuI4 .Qiily-;be. used 
while at rest in camp, and all cigar stubs drowned ; we 
will on every occasion give prompt notice to the authori- 
ties of any carelessness in this respect on the part of any- 
body that comes to our notice, and will recognize no one 
as a sportsman who does not comply to the letter and 
spirit of these resolutions. 
"Second — Resolved, that we will favor no legislation that 
jeopardizes the great forest interests of North America." 
Col. Boothby delivered a twenty minutes' talk on 
"JVlaine as a Vacation State," eloquently describing the 
beauties of Maine, and her great advantages over other 
States for tourists and fish and game sportsmen. Col. 
Boothby said that Maine has 1,620 lakes and 5,151 rivers, 
and the great majority of these waters are filled with 
gamy trout and salmon and many other kinds of fish sudi 
as sportsmen like to catch. For game Maine can stand 
up with the rest of them, as the number of moose, deer, 
and bears killed each year well showed. He said in 
1897 there were killed during the season in Maine 136 
moose, 3,556 deer, and in 1902 266 moose, 6,885 deer, and 
61 bears. During 1903 with the famous license law lU 
effect, there were shot 266 moose, 5,677 deer, and 26 bears. 
Maine has steadily gone to the front aj, a hunting and 
fishing State, as all statistics show. Col. Boothby told of 
the immense amount of money that was brought into 
Maine by tourists and sportsmen, and said that many 
people were getting their entire living through this ever- 
increasing business. He spoke of the Rangeley and 
Moosehead lakes regions as great hunting and fishing re- 
sorts, and mentioned many other places in the State of 
Maine of almost equal fame. President Carleton, as 
chairman of the Inland Fish and Game Com.mission, sup- 
plemented Col. Boothbj''s remarks with many additional 
facts proving conclusively that Maine has no second in 
the hunting and fishing and vacation field. 
This afforded the opportunity evidently watched for by 
representatives of the farming industry to complain of 
the alleged destruction of crops by game birds and big 
game. 
"Farmer" William H. McLaughlin, of Scarboro, who 
was present, rose and requested the privilege of asking 
some questions, and President Carleton granted him the 
floor. 
"Do the deer in the north destroy the crops ?" he asked 
President Carleton. 
President Carleton asked Hon. Charles E. Oak, of 
Bangor, as one from that section of the State and thor- 
oughly familiar with the subject, to answer the question. 
Hon. Mr. Oak replied that he did not believe they did. 
Mr. McLaughlin then asked Mr. Oak if he had heard of 
the complaint of S. A. Parsons, of the Rangeley region. 
Mr. Oak said that he had, hnt that he believed the 
greatest amount of Mr. Parsons' damage had been from 
slight freshets from the Dead River, and not by deer. 
He thought the danger from destruction of crops by deer 
was more imaginary than real. He said that Land Agent 
and Forest Commissioner E. E. Ring had investigated 
several of these cases, and he had reported that deer "do 
not nip and bite all through an oat field, but in only occa- 
sional places." 
"Have farmers," asked Farmer McLaughlin, "ever been 
arrested in the State for shooting deer found destroying 
crops on their land?" 
"Not to my knowledge," replied President Carleton. 
Mr. McLaughlin then wanted to know why there was 
no bounty on bears, and why it had been repealed. 
President Carleton in reply to the question regarding 
damage by bears, said he had had several claims of this 
kmd, and in the cases where actual damage had been 
. proven, the owner of the land or crop had received pay- 
ment from the State for the amount of injury done. 
President Carleton announced that the game commis- 
sioners were willing and anxious to meet the fanners on 
the same level and hear any complaints or suggestions 
which they might have to make. He said it was wicked 
to have the farmer and sportsmen arrayed against each 
other, and denounced in withering terms the demagogisni 
that was at the bottom of the insidious attacks upon iij- 
terests that were largely the mainstay of the State. 
An extremely valuable paper upon "Accidental Shoot- 
ing in the Woods," was read by the Hon. J. F. Spragae, 
of Monson, Maine. 
That upon the history and prospects of the lobster in- 
dustry in Maine by Hon. A. R. Nickerson, Commissioner 
of Sea and Shore Fisheries, is a most interesting advU- 
tion to the literature of the subject, and encouraging, 
moreover, in the views expressed as the future of tlie 
supply. ; ■ ■ 
Election of Of fleers. 
The newly elected officers of the association are as 
follows : 
President, J. Tweedle, Prime Minister of New Bruns- 
wick; Secretary and Treasurer, E. T. D. Chambers, Que- 
bec, Canada ; Vice-Presidents, H. O. Stanley, Dixfield, 
Me.; W.; F. H inman, Boston, Afass. ; R. E. Plumb, De- 
troit, Mich..; A. T. Dunn, St. John, N. B. ; C. H. Wilson, 
Glens Falls, N. Y.; G. A. McCallum, Dunnville, Ont.; 
J. T. Finnie, Montreal, Quebec; Gen. F. G. Butterfield, 
Derby Line, Vt. ; C S. Harrington, Halifax, N. S.; S. A. 
McG rath, Franklin, Pa. Executive Committee, J. F, 
Sprague, Monson, Me. ; George H. Richards, Boston; 
H. G. Elliott,..HQntreal; Henry Russell, Detroit, Mich. ; 
. p. G^. Sliiitlij Chatham^ N. B. ; J, H. Seymour, - ^ 
