8 
the season of 1918. With a considerably larger number of hunters 
than ever before it is to be expected that there will also be more 
accidents, but it does seem to us that the number of such accidents 
is unnecessarily large. From data collected we are satisfied that 
approximately 75% of these accidents occur through the careless use 
of firearms by boys from 14 to 17 years of age. How to materially 
reduce the percentage of accidents is a difficult question. Many 
sportsmen throughout the State today feel that no boy under 17 years 
of age should be permitted to carry firearms unless accompanied by 
a parent or other responsible adult. This would no doubt help ma¬ 
terially and overbalance the inconvenience caused such boys who de¬ 
sire to hunt. 
We regret exceedingly to report that during the deer season just 
closed a man was killed in mistake for a deer. This is the first year 
since 1914 that this has occurred. This shooting occurred in Hunting¬ 
don County when A. L. Stapleton, a local resident, shot and killed 
Chalmers Horton, of Mount Union, leaving a wife and a number of 
small children. In the hope that deaths of this sort may be materially 
reduced if not entirely eliminated we would recommend the passage 
of an act similar to the bill proposed by Hon. J. G. Dell, of Hunting¬ 
don County, in the 1915 Session of the Legislature, which provided 
that if a man shot another in mistake for game of any kind he should 
be indictable for manslaughter, and the law-abiding sportsmen 
throughout the State are heartily in favor of a bill of this kind. A 
liberal dissemination of the contents of an act of this sort would 
undoubtedly prove a very beneficial deterrent at least to persons dis¬ 
posed to be careless in this respect. 
GAME SANCTUARIES. 
Our system of game sanctuaries is undoubtedly the most prac¬ 
ticable method yet devised to increase our native game of various 
kinds. Each of these preserves is producing more desirable game 
each year than we could hope to raise on any game farm, and many 
other States are adopting this method to increase their native game 
supply. States where game farms have been in vogue for a number 
of years are also adopting this plan in a number of instances. 
While we at this time have but twenty-four regular game pre¬ 
serves and six auxiliary game preserves, we hope to establish not 
less than twelve to twenty additional preserves within the next year 
with as many of the auxiliary preserves as can be properly located. 
BOUNTIES. 
The method now used for the payment of bounties on noxious 
animals of various kinds in Pennsylvania is by far the best bounty 
system in use in the United States today. The sportsmen generally 
are well pleased with the results secured and fraudulent claims have 
practically been eliminated. Our records show that during the past 
fiscal year bounties were paid on 442 wild cats, 4,246 red foxes, 4,474 
grey foxes, 5,189 minks, and 34,625 weasels, the moneys so paid out 
aggregating $69,254.00. Bounties are paid at the rate of $6,00 each 
for wild cats, $2.00 each for foxes, and $1.00 each for minks and 
weasels killed prior to June 1st, since which time the bounty is $8.00 
9 
for wild cats and $2.00 each for weasels. The increase in bounties 
as made in the new bounty act at the instance of sportsmen is un¬ 
doubtedly inducing more people of the Commonwealth to make a 
special effort to destroy these enemies of game and wild birds. Time 
alone will demonstrate the benefit of this phase of our work. 
PURCHASE OF GAME. 
Repeated efforts demonstrate beyond question that we can never 
hope to materially increase game of any kind through releasing birds 
and animals that may be purchased, principally because no desirable 
game of any kind can be secured in sufficient quantities. We are, there¬ 
fore, putting forth our utmost effort to improve conditions so that our 
native game may increase to the maximum. We are encouraging the 
planting of nut-bearing trees of all kinds, mulberry trees, sweet 
cherry trees, etc., wherever possible, and in the vicinity of our sanc¬ 
tuaries every effort possible is being made to supply a goodly variety 
of food of all kinds for game as well as wild birds. 
RE-STOCKING BEAVER, 
In an endeavor to re-establish the beaver in Pennsylvania as a wild 
life asset, as well as to improve fishing conditions and conserve the 
■ flow of water through the dams built by these animals, a number of 
colonies are being established, especially at our game preserves where 
suitable waters are available. A colony started at our preserve near 
Sizerville, Cameron County, in 1917 where a single pair were released, 
is thriving nicely and the people of the Commonwealth conversant 
with this action are very much pleased with our efforts to again add 
these desirable fur-bearing animals to our fauna. 
PRESENCE OF OTTER, 
An authentic report reached our office only a few days ago that 
on Dec. 26th an otter was killed on Hicks Run in Cameron County 
near our game preserve in that section. The otter while quite plenti¬ 
ful in Pennsylvania in years gone by, in recent years has been prac¬ 
tically exterminated because of its valuable fur and is very rare in 
this part of North America at this time. The killing of one of these 
animals in Pennsylvania is, therefore, such an unusual occurrence 
that we thought it advisable to make special note of same. 
SONG AND INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 
Practically all beneficial song and insectivorous birds appear to 
be increasing splendidly. More people are daily taking an interest 
in the bird life of Pennsylvania principally because of the value of 
their lifework. Through educational work we are doing along this line 
coming generations will contain a goodly percentage of bird con¬ 
servationists which will in future years beyond question mean much 
to our people economically. 
