1014 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[June 27, 1908. 
and it is hoped that during next year some plan 
may be decided upon which will enable this 
work to be carried on without interruption. 
Many of our summer visitors who were 
obliged to take out angling permits before be¬ 
ing able to legally angle in our waters expressed 
themselves as being pleased with the new regu¬ 
lations, believing that now fishing would be 
better protected, for no longer could ignorance 
of the regulations as to size and number of fish 
which could be legally caught be urged as an 
excuse. Our officers fulfil their duty in regard 
to the selling of these permits in a much more 
satisfactory manner this year than last, owing, I 
believe, to the better understanding of their in¬ 
structions, and in consequence the revenue re¬ 
ceived from the sale of these exceeded consider¬ 
ably that of last year. 
The general hunting during the open season 
of 1907 has been fairly good, with the exception 
of ruffed grouse. These grand and hardy birds, 
during the last two seasons, have been very 
scarce, not only in Ontario, but all over the 
United States and the Dominion. No doubt two 
or three cold, wet and late springs are to some 
extent the cause of the scarcity, but owing to 
the immense extent of country in which the 
scarcity prevails, other causes must be sought 
for. The prevailing opinion of sportsmen and 
writers is that a general epidemic prevails from 
which these beautiful birds are suffering all over 
the continent. The comparative absence of snow 
in the northern woods of the Province, during 
the winter of 1905-1906, killed immense num¬ 
bers. What little snow fell became crusted, on 
the surface of which thousands of dead ruffed 
grouse, better known as partridge, were found. 
These birds can endure ver^ cold weather when 
on the move during the day, but they cannot 
live through the long winter nights on the ex¬ 
posed limb or branch of trees with the tempera¬ 
ture 25 to 30 degrees below zero. During 
normal winters in our back woods, with two to 
four feet of snow on the ground, the partridge 
do not suffer from the extreme cold, in conse¬ 
quence of passing the long nights covered with 
from twelve to eighteen inches of snow. Never¬ 
theless, the unfortunate fact is that from a 
combination of circumstances, the partridge have 
decreased to such an alarming extent as to 
necessitate one or more close seasons to pre¬ 
vent the extermination of these, the most valu¬ 
able and interesting species of our native game 
birds. 
In consequence of the quail nesting later than 
partridge, the late cold springs did not have 
the disastrous effect on our cheery and useful 
Bob Whites. I am glad to say, owing to close 
seasons and restocking, the effect of several 
hard winters have entirely disappeared. Sports¬ 
men report having found, during the past sea¬ 
son, these grand little birds more numerous 
than in past years. I hope the sportsmen, in 
conjunction with the farmers and their sons, 
will practice self-denial, and that care so essen¬ 
tial in keeping up the supply of quail in the 
southwestern counties of the Province. Modern 
and improved methods of farming have not im¬ 
proved the chances of quail successfully con¬ 
tending with long and severe winters. The wire 
fences that are replacing the stump and rail 
fences, provide neither food nor shelter, while 
the latter provide both, to a large extent, dur¬ 
ing severe weather when neither are obtain¬ 
able from other sources. It is not wise to de¬ 
pend on perpetuating the supply of quail by re¬ 
stocking. The sale and export may be pro¬ 
hibited by those States from which we have in 
the past procured breeding stock. If the Hun¬ 
garian or European partridge will not fight and 
molest the quail, it would be advisable to en¬ 
deavor to acclimatize these strong and hardy 
birds in our quail districts, which I am con¬ 
vinced would be suitable for them, they being 
similar in their habits as to feeding, nesting, etc., 
to quail. As I have previously stated, it sests 
with the sportsmen whether quail are to be per¬ 
petuated or exterminated, as in some of the 
neighboring States. If the unwise and selfish 
practice of killing entire bevies and not leaving 
any for next season’s crop be pursued, then the 
end is in sight. 
The duck shooting, which is general to a 
great extent over the whole of the Province, was 
not as satisfactory as in former years, no doubt 
in some measure due to the unusual cold and 
late spring. Although some good bags were 
made in some localities, good bags were not 
general. Now that our neighbors realize the 
folly of shooting ducks in the spring en route 
to their nesting grounds, we may reasonably 
expect to have more ducks in the fall than for 
some years past. 
Woodcock, so dear to the heart of- every true 
sportsman, are becoming scarcer in the Province 
each succeeding year, no doubt resulting from 
too many colored sportsmen and cheap pot- 
metal guns in the South, the winter home of 
these famous game birds. I have known one 
man to kill 300 woodcock in one season, within 
a radius of ten miles from Hamilton, a far 
larger number than can be killed in the whole 
Province in one season now. 
Snipe and plover were found in sufficient 
numbers to afford good sport; in fact, plover 
shooting is reported to have been more satis¬ 
factory than for many years pasat. 
G. W. Bartlett, Superintendent of Algonquin 
Park, where the imported capercailzie were re¬ 
leased some years ago, reports that three were 
seen last summer on the island on which 
some of the imported birds were liberated. 
Several others were seen by reliable parties. 
Mr. Bartlett reports having seen one himself. I 
am not surprised that more have not been seen, 
as they are very shy and solitary in their 
habits, retiring to the most dense and inacces¬ 
sible pine woods. They do not increase as 
rapidly as other members of the grouse family, 
not rearing more than five or six in a brood. I 
consider it very satisfactory that numbers of 
them have been seen years after the imported 
ones were liberated, which proves conclusively 
that their surroundings are suitable, and that 
they are there to stay. 
Few caribou have as yet been killed by sports¬ 
men in the Province. Many have been killed 
by Indians who occupy the caribou grounds, be¬ 
yond the reach of sportsmen. In the near 
future when the railroads under construction, 
and those contemplated, are completed, the 
caribou grounds of Ontario will become as 
famous as those of Newfoundland. I have heard 
of some very fine heads obtained by Indians, 
within forty or fifty miles of Bear Island, equal 
in dimension to any procured in the Maritime 
Provinces or Newfoundland. 
One hundred and seventeen moose, or heads 
of same, were carried by the Dominion E? 
press Company during the open season, e> 
elusive of those killed by Indians and loc; 
hunters. 
Three thousand eight hundred and eighty-si 
carcasses of deer were carried by express con 
panies, being 406 less than carried by them i 
1906, and 576 more than they carried in 1905. 0 
course this is not one-third of the number kille 
in the Province during the year, when we cor 
sider those killed by Indians and settlers unde 
permits. The reduction from 1906 is due to th 
decrease in the number of non-resident license 
issued in 1907, compared with 1906. 
When we take into consideration the fact, a 
a rule, beaver and otter frequent the rivers 
streams and small lakes in the northern portion 
of the Province, inhabited by Indians, an 
where lumbering operations are carried on, it i 
surprising that so many of these valuable fur 
bearing animals are to be found in their usua 
haunts. Many of the beaver dams are destroye 
and flooded out by the construction of larg 
dams for logging purposes. The rapid con 
struction of railways, making nearly all por 
tions of the Province easy of access, make i 
almost impossible to ever have an open seasoi 
for these interesting denizens of the Nort! 
country. One open season would be tantamoun 
to extermination. 
The coarser species of fur-bearers have beei 
fairly abundant. 
Inspector Holden says: 
“The licensing of guides is a matter worthy 0 
your consideration. Not as a matter of revenue 
but of protection. If these guides were licensee 
the department would have a certain amount 0 
control over them and could make it part o 
their duties to see that the regulations as to th 
number and size of fish caught were adherei 
to, and no one can be in as good a position t< 
do this as the guides. 
“I have talked to a number of anglers abou 
this and nearly all of them agree with-me ii 
saying that this would be one of the best way: 
possible to enforce the regulations. The onh 
objection that I have heard to this being dom 
is the fear that it would be liable to create ; 
monopoly, as they claim that there are not toe 
many guides at present. But I am of thi 
opinion that this would not be the case; b) 
making the fee merely nominal it would not b< 
a hardship on any one, and it would have ; 
tendency to decrease the hours of labor, as 1 
guide’s day would end when his party had caugh 
their legal number of fish, and this chance 0 
shorter hours no doubt would encourage mon 
men to engage in the business.” 
Acting Inspector Webster writes: 
“The cry has been raised so often that th< 
only thing necessary for the protection of the 
fish, is the establishment of uniform laws be¬ 
tween Canada and the various States bordering 
thereon, that most people believe that there is 
something in it, but when we look at the facts, 
the hollowness of the cry is easily observable. 
In the first place it is a well known fact that the 
best fishing obtains on the Canadian side in all 
waters, not as is generally considered, on ac¬ 
count of better protection or of less fishing, but 
is attributable to nature. 
“The question of making uniform fishery 
regulations with the several States bordering on 
International waters, being now under con- 
