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FINAL REPORT ^^<^
OF THE
Ontario Game and Fisheries
Commission
1909-1911
Appointed to enquire into and report on all matters
, appertaining to
The Game Fish, The Fisheries, and the Game
of the Province of Ontario
PRINTED BY ORDER OF
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
TORONTO r
Printed and Published by L. K. CAMERON, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty
19 12
Printed by
WILLIAM BRIGGS,
29-37 Richmond Street West,
TORONTO,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages.
Frontispiece. — Moose in the Quetico Forest Reserve.
Preamble.
The Commercial Fisheries 6-89
Depletion of the fisheries 6-10
The whitefish 10-13
The effects of legislation on the whitefish fish?ries 13-14
The limitation of nets 14-17
Close seasons 17-20
Close areas 20-22
A close period 22
The effect on the whitefish fisheries of extensive hatchery operations 22-25
Scientific research 26-28
The licensing of nets 28-33
Various methods by which the provincial fisheries can be rehabilitated and
a strong fish market developed in Ontario 34-56
Prohibition of export 35-38
A provincial fish agency 38-42
The imposition of an export duty on fish 42-43
The powers of the Dominion and Provincial Governments in relation to the
commercial fisheries of the Great Lakes 43-44
An efficient personnel and equipment for a fisheries protective service.. 44-46
The establishment of fish hatcheries and fish agencies 46
The prohibition of export of fish 46-48
Close seasons, a close period and close areas 48-49
A provincial fisheries policy 49-54
General recommendations in regard to the Great Lake commercial fish-
eries 54-56
Commercial fishing in the lesser lakes of the Province 56-60
Recommendations •.•••• 60-61
Fisheries of the Lake of the Woods 61-68
Recommendations 68-69
Fisheries of Lake Nipigon 69-71
Recommendations 71
The domestic license 71-74
Recommendations 74
Winter fishing 74-76
Recommendations 76
The sturgeon 76-79
Recommendations 79-80
The carp 80-85
Recommendations 85
The proposed international fishery regulations 86-88
Recommendations 88-89
The Sporting Fisheries 89-136
The economic function of the sporting fisheries 89-94
The sporting fishes 94-97
The distribution and chief characteristics of the recognized game fishes of
the Province 97-110
The small-mouthed black bass 97-99
The large-mouthed black bass 99-100
The brook trout 100-104
The mascalonge 104-106
The lake trout 106-107
The yellow pickerel 107-109
The rainbow trout 109-110
The distribution and chief characteristics of other fishes which provide sport
and amusement to many anglers 110-113
The pike 110-111
The white bass Ill
The speckled bass Ill
The rock bass 111-112
The perch 112
The sunfish 112-113
The common mullet 113
The common catfish 113
ii TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Pages.
The restocking of depleted waters and the introduction of new varieties of
sporting fishes 114-119
The pollution of waters 119-120
Limitation of catch 120-129
Minnow seines 129-132
The non-resident anglers' license 132-133
Gangs of hooks 133
Recommendations 133-136
The Pbovincial Forest Reserves, Game and Fur-Beartxg Animals 136-239
The forests 136-140
Forest fires 140-145
Methods of checking forest fires 146-153
The fire ranging service 153-158
Recommendations 158-159
The provincial forest reserves 159-182
The Nipigon Forest Reserve 168-176
The Quetico Forest Reserve 177-180
Recommendations 180-182
The game resources of Ontario 182-186
Big game 186-192
The settler in relation to game 192-198
The Indian in relation to game 198-202
Recommendations 202-204
Fur-bearing animals 204-209
Trapping 209-215
Wolves 215-217
Recommendations 217-220
Feathered game 220-228
Recommendations 228
The collection of non-resident licenses and cold storage 228-230
Recommendations 230
Game farms 230-237
Recommendations 237
Frogs 237-239
Recommendations 239
Publicity 239-241
Recommendations 241
A Scheme for the Improvement of the Fisheries and Game Protective Services 241-247
Recommendations 247-248
Acknowledgments 248
Conclusion 249
Appendix. — The Interim Report of the Ontario Game and Fisheries Commission. 251-304
INTERIM REPORT.
Pages.
Preamble 251-252
Wardens and Overseers 252-256
Administration 256-258
The Commercial Fisheries 259-261
Equipment for the Fisheries Protective Service 262-269
Fish Hatcheries 270-273
Bass Brooderies 273-274
Co-operation 274-281
Provincial Park Preserves 281-285
Deer 285-291
Small Game 291-295
Resident Hunting License 296-299
Ling
299-300
Revenue and Expenditure 300-303
Acknowledgments ^03
Conclusion 303-304
— 'The illustrations in this report are principUly from photoKraphs taken by Captain R. M. Sims, D.S.O., the
Secretary of the Commission, and Mr. II. J. Hury, heitl Kuidc to the Commission on its trip through the Quetico
Forest Ucserve.
FINAL REPORT OF THE ONTARIO GAME AND
FISHERIES COMMISSION
1909-1911
To the Honourable John Morison Gibson,
Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario.
May it Please Your Honour, — The undersigned, appointed by
commission under the Great Seal of the Province, bearing' date the seven-
teenth day of July, A.D. 1909, to malve enquiries, talve evidence, and
report generally upon all matters appertaining to the game fish, the
fisheries and the game of the Province of Ontario, which may injuriously
affect the same, and any methods possible to increase their economic and
other value to the masses of the people, begs leave herewith to submit his
final report.
The instructions accompanying the Commission direct that the in-
vestigation shall include the following particulars:
(1) The condition of the fisheries and game within the Province of
Ontario and the adjacent waters, including:
(2) The advisability of establishing provincial fish hatcheries, in-
cluding the estimated cost of maintenance and construction, the best
methods of operation, and other matters relating thereto;
(3) The alleged existence of contracts between fishermen within the
Province of Ontario and foreign fish companies and individuals, together
with the effect of such contracts (if any) upon the fisheries of Ontario;
(4) The matter of foreign fish companies and individuals encourag-
ing breaches of the law on the part of fishermen, and others resident in
Ontario;
(5) The qualifications, conditions of service, skill, efficiency (physi-
cal and otherwise), desirable for fisheries and game officials;
(0) The condition of the present equipment of the Department, to-
gether with the additional requirements (if any) in this regard in the
matter of launches, boats, etc. ;
(7) The advisability of the co-operation by the officers of other
departments of the Government, and of other corporations, with the
officers of the Department of Game and Fisheries, in assisting in the
practical enforcement of the game laws and fishery regulations;
[5]
6 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
(8) Questions relating to the management of the public parks and
forest reserves, especially in so far as the tourist sportsman traffic is con-
cerned ;
(9) All matters and things relating to fish and game which may
assist in the efficient management of the Game and Fisheries Branch of
the public service in Ontario, or be of economic advantage to the Pro-
vince.
The Commercial Fisheries.
Depletion of the Fisheries.
It is hardly necessary for your Commissioner to call to your atten-
tion the fact that the commercial fisheries of the Great Lakes are rapidly
dwindling, for scarcely a week elapses but that the lamentable diminu-
tion in one or other of the once flourishing fishino- areas is strikingly
recorded in the daily press. The grave significance of this state of affairs
is not yet fully appreciated by the general public, mainly for the reason
that, owing to conditions which will be hereinafter more fully discussed,
the citizens of Ontario have not been educated to the economic value to
themselves of the great fisheries lying at their very doors, or to the value
of fish food as a factor in the daily dietary. The population of the Pro-
vince, however, is rapidly increasing; the price of food rising higher and
higher; and it is impossible to conceive that the day can be very far dis-
tant when the citizens of Ontario will awaken from their present
lethargy, require from those in authiority an accounting for the dissipa-
tion of their once splendid fisheries, and with no uncertain voice demand
that the most drastic measures be forthwith adopted to save for them-
selves and for their children what is left of their fisheries, and, if i)()s-
sible, to restore them to something of their former prolificness.
There are still living in the Province men who can well recall the
days when the waters of even Lake Ontario were literally teeming witli
whitefish, and to anyone hearing or reading their accounts it must read-
ily occur that this magnificent fish, had it only been properly conserved,
should have assumed in a populous Ontario the economic role of the
deep-sea herring in the English markets. What a high-class, wholesome
and, at the same time, cheap fisli can mean to the welfare of the poorer
classes of a i)opulous community can hardly be over-estimated, a fact
whicli can be attested to by anyone who has had experience of or even
visited the more crowded areas of any of the greater English cities.
As a food the whitefish is, in all probability, the superior of the
herring; the areas which it has inhabited are vast, and there can be little
doubt but that under wise regulation, even without artificial assistance,
the annual crop of this most excellent fish should have been sufficient
to supply all the wants of the citizens of Ontario for a considerable time
to come, while at the sanu; time yielding a fair margin for export trade.
That a neighboring nation should be consuming the great bulk of
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 7
Ontario's whitefisli, leaving but a small margin at a high figure for her
OAvn citizens, will be discussed in a. subsequent section; but the fact
remains, however, that the diminution in the annual catch of whitefisli
has been so marked and persistent, in spite of increased and better appli-
ances, that it must be open to the gravest doubt whether, under the
present system of administration and regulation, the fisheries are not
being actually destroyed, instead of merely depleted, for it must be
remembered that to rehabilitate exhausted fisheries entails artificial
production on a large scale ; that artificial production on a large scale is
only possible when there is an abundant supi>ly of parent fish, and that
the prolonged absence of schools of whitefish from certain of their former
habitats may result, under the adaptable laws of nature, in a transforma-
tion of conditions such as to render those watei-s no longer as suitable
for sustaining whitefish life.
In the Interim Report of this Commission reference was made to the
sworn testimony, given to former Commissions, in regard to the immense
quantities of whitefish that existed in the Great Lakes even forty and
fifty years ago. and amongst other instances was cited that of 90,000
whitefish having been landed on Wellington Beach in one single haul
of a net. What the average size of these fish may have been it is impos-
sible to tell, but it seems safe to assume that it cannot have been less
than approximately 2 lbs., thus making 180,000 lbs. of fish caught in a
few hours, with a comparatively small amount of net, and with compara-
tively little effort or expense, in one tiny fraction of the whitefish area
of Lake Ontario. When it is realized that the whitefish area of the
Canadian portion of Lake Ontario is roughly one thousand four hundred
square miles, some idea of the vast quantities of fish that must have
existed in these waters can be gained, and the deplorable diminution
that has occurred is very vividly brought home by a comprehension of
the fact that, in spite of a steady increase in the quantity of nets used,
for the fifteen years, 1892-190G, the average 3^early catch for the whole
1,400 square miles of Lake Ontario's Provincial whitefish fisheries only
just exceeded 250,000 lbs. Statistics are not available to show clearly
the exact percentage of decrease since the days when the whitefish were
so abundant, but, even if they were, it is doubtful whether they could
more clearly emphasize the fact tliat it has been colossal than the brief
comparison here made.
The decrease, however, far from having yet reached its limit, con-
tinues marked throughout almost all the whitefish areas of the Provin-
cial waters, as the following short tables will show, and it is this alarm-
ing state of affairs w^hich so strengthens the belief, as almost to make it
a certainty, that unless stringent remedial measures are applied without
delay, the fisheries will be, not merely depleted, but irredeemably
destroved.
8 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Canadian Waters of Lake Superior, 1892-1906.
Average yearly catch of whitefish :
1892-1896 1 ,123,000
1897-1901 591 .000
1902-1906 462,000
Canadian Waters of North Channel and Lake Huron, exclusive of
Georgian Bay. 1892-1906.
Average yearly catch of whitefish :
1892-1896 1.657,000
1896-1901 940,000
1902-1906 1 , 051 , 000
Georgian Bay, 1892-1906.
Average yearly catch of whitefish :
1892-1896 1 ,535,000
1897-1901 450,000
1902-1906 423,000
Canadian Waters of Lake Ontario, 1892-1906.
Average yearly catch of whitefish :
1892-1896 291,000
1897-1901 245,000
1902-1906 238,000
III dealing with fishing- statistics it is always possible to gainsay the
conclusions arrived at from the comparison of any two particular years,
and in fact such comparison affords but a slender foundation on which
to base a sound argument owing to the fact that weather conditions and
other possible contingencies may greatly affect the success of the fisher-
men in individual years. Indeed, on more than one occasion interested
parties have availed themselves of the opportunities afforded by such
comparison, when localized and restricted to two years, to proclaim
through the public press that the commercial fisheries of the Province
were still in a flourishing condition. A period of fifteen years, however,
eliminates to a great extent this element of chance, and the averaging
of the catches in periods of five years enables a clear idea to be formed
of the extent of the loss or gain. It may, in fact, safely be said that out-
side of a few interested individuals Avhose desire for quick profit out-
weighs their appreciation of truthfulness, no one with any knowledge of
the condition of the Canadian Great Lake fisheries to-day will deny that
a steady decrease is occurring which must, unless something is soon done
to prevent it, result in tlie complete exhaustion of the fisheries. The
following short paragraph from a Sault Ste. Marie journal of November
25th, 1910, well illustrates this fact:
" Lake Superior a Fishless Sea."
A despatch from Fort William says : " The catch of trout and white-
fish in Lake Superior has never been so light as in tlio season now clos-
L_
1912 AND FISHERIES TOMMISSION. 9
ing. The result of an all days's trip with one of the fish tugs is often
not more than 300 pounds of fish, which is not enough to pay operating
expenses. A half ton is considered an average catch on a single trip.
That Lake Superior, known as the abode of the finest whitefish in the
world, is fast becoming a fishless sea is a 'startling statement, but that is
what the fishermen assert. Fishermen have been doing less business
each year for some time. Tugs have been going farther and farther out
each succeeding season, and now nets are set as much as five hours run
from shore, but even in these unfrequented waters there are few fish."
Various reasons have been advanced from time to time to account
for this decrease, some maintaining that the increased shipping on the
waters was largely responsible; and others that it was due mainly to the
pollution of spawning beds and feeding grounds owing to the sewage
poured into the lakes at various points and other deleterious matter car-
ried into them by streams and rivers boasting mills and manufactories
on their banks. Doubtless each of these causes has played its part, but
all the experts seem now to be agreed that without question the main
and outstanding reason has been and is over-fishing. With this view
your Commissioner is in entire accord.
In other departments of supply, such as domestic animals or plants,
measures can be taken to increase the production of any particular
species. Fresh land can be devoted to the purpose, new blood be intro-
duced, or quicker breeding varieties imported or grafted. But, in deal-
ing with fisheries, these channels of grappling adequately with the prob-
lem are closed for the reason that scientific knowledge of the life and
domain of the fishes is exceedingly limited, chiefly owing to the obvious
but greater difficulties that have been experienced in closely studying
submarine conditions, so that for practical purposes only those areas
already inhabited by any particular commercial fish are available for its
exploitation, and the effects of the importation of new blood or new
varieties are as yet so little understood as to be fraught with too much
danger to make it advisable to undertake the experiment. Consequently
to rehabilitate inland commercial fisheries exhausted through over-fish-
ing there would appear to remain but two possible methods, namely, (a)
by restrictive legislation, embracing alike the areas to be fished, the sea-
sons of fishing, size limits, methods of capture, and, finally, the disposal
of the fish when caught; (h) by artificial production, which in the sense
here used implies the collection of spawn in vast quantities from parent
fish on their natural spaAvning beds, its admixture, artificial incubation
and hatching of the spawn, and, finally, the placing of the enormous
quantities of fry or fingerlings thus obtained in the waters to be re-
stocked.
The depletion of the fisheries of the Great Lakes has not been so
sudden an occurrence as to have escaped the notice of experts and others
interested in them on both sides of the boundary. Indeed the reverse
has been the case, and as a result of the control of these fisheries being
10 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
vested in numerous and more or less independent authorities, nameh^, the
Federal Government of the United States, the Governments of Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oliio, Pennsylvania and Wis-
consin, the Dominion Government of Canada and the Government of the
Province of Ontario, many and various expedients have been resorted to,
scientific investigations made, laAvs, regulations and restrictions intro-
duced, and experiments in fish hatchery operations on a large scale in-
stituted and tried out, so tliat before entering upon a discussion as to
the best means of rehabilitating the commercial fisheries of Ontario it
becomes necessary to review briefly the results that have been obtained
under various conditions prevailing in different localities throughout
the Great Lakes, and it is plain, also, that what scientific knowledge
there is of the lives, habits and distribution of the various fishes under
consideration should be clearly borne in mind, for more than once in the
history of tlie Great Lakes legislation has been introduced and enacted
to meet supposed conditions, quite at variance with the laAVS of nature,
owing entirely to the machinations of those whose misrepresentations
were the outcome of purely selfish interests. It would seem, however,
hardly to fall within the scope of a report of this nature to delve deeply
into the mysteries of scientific research in regard to each individual class
of fish, even were your Commissioner a scientific icthyologist, to which
distinction he lays no claim, and it is deemed, therefore, sufficient for the
purposes of this report to set out the salient features within the knowl-
edge of present day science in regard to one most prominent variety, the
wiiitefish, while calling attention to the fact that, although all that is
said may not apply equally to every other variety of commercial fish,
much of it is directly pertinent and applicable in a sliglitly modified
form.
The Whitefish.
There are three species of fishes comnumly referred to as whitefish,
namely, the true whitefish (Coregonus Clupeiformis Mitchill), the Frost
Fish (Coregonus quadrilateralis), and the Sault Whitefish (Coregonus
labradoricus). Investigation has disclosed that the true whitefish is a
bottom feeder, as also that the depth at which it occurs most abundantly
is 10-35 fathoms.
This range is that occupied by the fisli during eight or nine months
of the year, and is, therefore, undoubtedly its main feeding grounds. It
is likewise the area over which commercial fishing operations iiave been
carried on profitably at other times than during the migrations of the
fish. In discussing, then, the common or true whitefish it becomes at
once apparent that the area available to this fish is comparatively limited.
It is probably true that young wliitefish of less than I14 l^^s. are to be
caught in depths of water ranging from 20 feet up, but as these are im-
mature fish and conse(|uently unsuited for commercial purposes, this
fact does not materially affect the question of nviiibible whitefish ai-ea.
By kind permission of Mr. Paul Reighard, University of Michigan.
By kind permission of Mr. Paul Reighard, University of Michigan.
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lly<ln i r i '^ ■ • . • ' ■:
By kind permission of Mr. Paul Reighard, University of Michigan.
Whitcfish ;ir<.i (.hux-.n in l>t.
', l..rlM.ni l<..!u. 1.1 fr.iii I S. 11 yilr. >,r ,| In. <■::... > li.Tt
, Ml .I...U1 '■> r-.el. 1
By kinil permission of Mr. Paul Reighard, University of Michigan.
%
is'.
I'lrt. s.— I.AKH ONTARIO.
Whitefish area (shown in black), lo to so fathoms. (Re<iucc<I from If. S. Ilydrographic Office chart no. 14
■ I ill. ^ :ilx)Ut .)8 miles.)
By kind permission of Mr. T'aiil Uoighard, University of Michigan.
2 F.C.
1912
AND FISHERIES COMMISSION.
11
Turning to the charts of the various lakes, it is evidently possible
to mark clearly thereon the area afforded by each Avhicli is available for
the sustenance of whitefish life. The result, including both Canadian
and United States' waters, is found to be approximately as follows:
Area, "Whitefish Area and Percentage of Whitefish Area of Each of the Great
Lakes.
Total area.
Whitefish area.
Percentage.
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron . .
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario .
.32,000
22,000
21,000
9,500
6,500
7,400
2,000
9,400
4,100
2,200
23
12
45
43
34
Having plotted out these whitefish areas it will be noted that, with
the exception of Lake Erie, the whitefish areas of the individual lakes,
while varying considerably in breadth, more or less closely follow the
sinuosities of the coast line, so that between the North and South or East
and West boundaries, as the case may be, there intervenes a body of deep
water unsuited to the true whitefish.
The evidence obtainable would appear to indicate that the whitefish
does not wander at random throughout the areas available to it, but
rather that it is local in its lial)its. In fact, thoise who frequently handle
the fish can, as a general rule, easily distinguish between the fish of the
various lakes. Twice a year, however, the whitefish leaves its habitual
feeding grounds for shallower waters. In the southern lakes the first
migration occurs about June or July (varying somewhat according to
the latitude in the northern lakes), and the fish returns to the deeper
water, as a rule, earl}^ in August. The cause of this migration has been
much discussed, but perhaps the most plausible theory so far advanced
is that this is the season of the year when the insect larvie, on whicli the
fish delight to feed, are most abundant in the shallower waters. The
second migration occurs in October and November, according to lati-
tude, and is for the purpose of spawning, continuing roughly for one
month, during which period it is generally admitted that the fish do not
eat. Both migrations would appear, from investigations that have been
made, not to be a procession along the indentations of the shore, but
rather a regular forward movement from the deeper waters of the normal
feeding grounds into the shallower waters most convenient of access.
The natural ■spawning beds of the whitefish, so far as ascertained,
consist of ledges of honeycombed and other similar rock, found in the
shoaler portions of the lakes. The honeycombed rock, as the name im-
plies, is dotted with innumerable small holes and cavities into which the
eggs, as they are voided by the fish, may fall and remain comjiaratively
secure from the depredations of •spawn-eating fish, and also more or less
free of the danger of being smothered by mud or other noxious deposits.
The whitefish is not a nest-building fish, but is what is known as a
12 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
" School Spawner," approat-hiiig the spawning beds either singlj' or in
schools, the female voiding her eggs irrespective of the proximity or
otherwise of a male fish. The life of an unfertilized egg in the water is
held to be exceedingly short, and it would appear to be a fair presump-
tion that the same would equally apply to tlie germ contained in tlie milt
of the male fish. The average number of eggs produced by the female
whitefish is computed at approximately 35,000, assuming that the nor-
mal weight of the average commercial fenmle whitefisli is 2V2 to 3 lbs.,
but Uie larger the fish grows, the more eggs she will usually produce, as
many as 150,000 having been taken from a fish weighing eleven pounds.
From the fact of the great quantities of eggs that must annually liave
been deposited, it has been deduced that under natural conditions the
percentage of eggs hatched cannot have been very high, even in the days
l)efore commercial fishing on a large scale liad been instituted, and before
the spawning beds had possibly been polluted, for the normal yearly loss
to swimming fish can hardly have attained such colossal proportions,
and, as already indicated, tlie depositing of the eggs in the honeycombed
rock affords considerable security against the ravages of enemies of the
eggs. Consequently, it would appear that there are considerable grounds
for tlie contention of many experts that only a very small proportion of
the eggs, deposited under natural conditions, become fertilized. By some
authorities this percentage is placed as low as one. On the other hand
there has never been any question as to tlie vast quantities of whitefish
that existed throughout the allotted areas in each of the Great Lakes
prior to the advent of commercial fishing on a large scale, and from this
fact alone it would not ajipear unreasonable to draw the conclusion that
nature had perfected the spawning arrangements of the whitefish suffi-
ciently to maintain an optimum population of them under normal con-
ditions, in s])ite of the deiiredations of their enemies at the various stages
of their lives, and in spite of the loss from other natural causes, even
though such provision might obviously not be sufficient to meet the tre-
mendous drain caused by excessive commercial fishing. The belief in the
efficacy of nature's arrangements is strengthened, moreover, by sundry
investigations which have been made as to the fertilization of the eggs
of other s('liool-s])awning fish, in which it has proved exceedingly difficult
to find any unfertilized eggs amongst many thousands examined on the
spawning beds themselves, while the process of spawning was in i)ro-
gress.
What the actual percentage of eggs which are deposited and hatched
under normal conditions may be, it w^ould seem impossible at present to
determine, but the percentage of eggs, collectcnl from fish lipe for spawn-
ing, that can be hatched under artificial conditions, has been definitely
ascertained ; 75 per cent, is placing it at a very conservative estimate,
and it must further be remembered that the eggs which are taken to the
hatcheries are relieved of all danger from natural enemies, and the
devastations of silt and other filth during the process of incubation, so
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 13
that a considerable saving in fertilized eggs is thereby most certainly
affected. Moreover, the fry obtained under artificial conditions appear
just as hardy as those hatched in their natural state, although it would
be impossible to compare the capabilities of such fry in looking after
themselves ^A'hen placed in the open waters with that of the percentage
of fry naturally hatched and which have survived up to equal stages.
Consequently, viewing the comparative merits of natural and arti-
ficial hatching of whitefish spawn from an unbiassed standpoint, there
would appear to be little doubt that the hatcheries can produce a very
much greater percentage of fry from the eggs deposited than can nature
unassisted, but that nature, which alone produced the millions of white-
fish which crowded the waters before the advent of the modern commer-
cial fisherman, is far too valuable an ally to be dispensed with alto-
gether.
The whitefish, unlike many other varieties of fish, is in fair condi-
tion for eating at the time of spawning, for the reason that, owing to the
low temperature of the water in October and November, the flesh is firm
and flaky, and coming presumably fresh from bounteous summer feed-
ing grounds, the fish itself is exceedingly fat.
From the above brief outline of the habits, life and domain of the
whitefish, it would seem, then, that the following conclusions ma}^ be
justly drawn :
(1) Under natural conditions only a comparatively small number
of the eggs deposited are hatched.
(2) A greater number of eggs can be hatched by artificial means.
(3) In view of the fact that the average female whitefish produces
35,000 eggs, and that a percentage of these will be hatched by natural
means, and a very high percentage can be hatched by artificial means,
the destruction of immature fish — that is, fish which have not spawned
at least once — is a great economic loss and detrimental to the welfare of
the fisheries.
(4) The spawning seasons, spawning beds, and areas occupied
mainly by immature fish can be accurately ascertained in each lake.
(5) The feeding grounds of the mature fish are known.
(6) The fish is largely local in its habits.
THE EFFECTS OF LEGISLATION ON THE WHITEFISH
FISHERIES.
When first the diminution in the catch became apparent, the most
obvious remedies were resorted to in the hopes of checking it, including
the regulation of appliances, methods of capture and size of the mesh,
the limitation of the numbers of nets in a given locality, the closing of
certain areas and seasons, and, lastly, experiments in artificial propaga-
tion.
14 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
It was not to be expected that conditioiis should be precisely similar
throiig-hout the vast extent of the Great Lake fisheries, nor that all the
authorities concerned in their control should see eye to eye in the matter
of adopting the best possible means to suit their individual necessities^
for it must be remembered that from the beginning political considera-
tions have played no insignificant role in determining these nuitters on
both sides of the boundary. Consequently, each authority having selected
the remedies that seemed best in its judgment, there arose a situation of
much complexity, in which the various regulations prevailing in adjacent
waters not only served to increase the difficulties of efficient admini'stra-
tion and enforcement of these various laws, but also rendered it almost
impossible to test accurately the efficacy of this or that measure, for while
regulations can obviously be localized to imaginary boundary lines, it
is but rarely that in practice the fishery areas will be found to conform
to the same, and to discover the real merits of a fishery enactment it is
plainly necessary to have it in force throughout the whole of the par-
ticular fishing area affected. Moreover, each authority could, under this
variegated system, attribute the continued decrease in its fisheries to the
foolishness of its neighbors' regulations, a situation which, while it may
be of temporary political convenience, plainly harbors a terrible economic
folly from the viewpoint of a perpetuation of the fisheries and the welfare
of the people concerned. For many years this fact has been recognized
by experts on both sides of the boundary, with the result that a Joint
Commission was appointed by the two Federal Governments concerned,
and there has at length been drawn up a code of regulations which are
to apply equally to all international waters ftf the Great Lake system.
The date for the promulgation of this international code of regulations
has not yet been fixed, but it would appear that it cannot now be much
longer delayed, and in view of the fact that, once promulgated, it will
remain in force for at least a term of five years, and that it deals de-
cisively with the methods of capture and meshes of nets, it obviously be-
comes unnecessary for your Commissioner to discuss either of these
questions. The code, however, deals with the limitation of nets only to
the extent of defining the proximity of pound nets to each other, of series
of pound nets to each other, and numbers in a series, and does not deal
at all with the question of close seasons, and only generally with that of
artificial propagation, and, since it is clearly stated in the opening para-
graph of the code that domestic legislation is not affected otherwise than
to the extent of the provisions of tlie code, it would seem reasonable to
suppose that all these matters are left to the judgment of the authori-
ties concerned. Consequently it would appear necessary to touch on
each of these matters separately.
The Limitation of Nets.
That in virgin waters teeming with fish there exists an indissoluble
relation between the amount of net used and the amount of fish caught
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 15
is a fact too obvious to need explaining, and it is equally clear that in
proportion as quantities of fish are removed from such waters, so will the
rate of catch to each unit of net diminish. Consequently^ when inland
commercial fisheries have been exploited for some little while, even over
vast but, nevertheless, strictly limited areas, such as that of the Great
Lakes, there must come a time when the multiplication of nets ceases to
be commercially profitable. It ha's, in fact, been held by many authori-
ties that, since each area will only produce a certain amount of fish,
dependent more or less on the natural and artificially assisted increase
of previous years, it is extremely doubtful whether more fish are actually
captured where the proportion of nets to the area is excessive than if the
amount of nets was considerably reduced, and in any case that the situa-
tion is bound to adjust itself through economic causes, those weaker
financially amongst the fishermen going to the wall in due course. In
consequence, throughout a considerable portion of the Great Lake waters
no effort at all has been made to restrict the numbers or lengths of nets
in use.
In theory this argument is, in all probability, perfectly sound, but
in practice, under the conditions which exist, its logic is questionable.
In the first place it would seem to presuppose the prevalence of genuine
rivalry among fishermen, each working for his own interests, and takes
no stock of a condition where the vast majority of the fishermen are but
the creatures of a great and powerful corporation. Secondly, it deduces
that complete exhaustion will never actually occur, because such exhaus-
tion would be commercially unprofitable. Here, again, is an assumption
open to the gravest suspicion, for it takes no count of the operations of
a great corporation which, in its avaricious cupidity for fat and im-
mediate dividends, is but all too willing to extract the last ounce of fish
food from any waters on which it can lay its grasp to-day, leaving to-
morrow and the dim future to take care of itself. Thirdly, no account is
taken of location by the champions of this argument, although it must
be plain that where nets are thickly set in channels, or across narrows,
along which the fish are wont to move as they wander over the area of
their particular feeding grounds, the numbers of fish in that locality will
of necessity very rapidly diminish. Undoubtedly, however, there is much
strength in the premises of the argument itself, namely, that each area
will only produce a certain amount of fish, and, even though extraneous
conditions may be such as to prevent the automatic adjustment of the
proper relation between nets and area, nevertheless the argument is use-
ful as demonstrating the fact that a limitation of nets to the minimum
quantity that will catch that amount must be an economic advantage, for
the less the expense at which the fish is caught, the less ought to be the
price to the consumer.
The price of fish has been rising steadily and there has been a corre-
sponding tendency of recent years towards an increase in the quantities
of nets, as the following table discloses :
16
REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME
No. 52
Average Fathoms of Pound and Gill Nets in Use in Canadian Waters 1892-1906.
1892-1896
1897-1901
1901 1906
Lake Superior
151,500
589,100
617,300
65,500
171,800
243,800
457,100
508,600
124,800
212,700
206,000
Lake Huron
742,500
Georgian Bay
Lake Erie
515,300
207,200
Lake Ontario
214,000
On the American side, also, the general tendency towards an in-
crease has been quite as pronounced, and several areas on the American
side of the boundary are swept by a very much higher percentage of nets
than is the case in any Canadian waters. On the whole it would appear,
however, that the percentage of fish taken to the fathom of net is dis-
tinctly in favour of the Canadian fiKhermen in those areas where the
Americans have a great preponderance of nets over the Canadians and
a fair comparison can be made, although more fish are taken on the
American side. Taking the whitefish again as an example : —
State of Michigan. Waters of Lake Superior. Whitefish Area. 2,400 Square Miles.
Years.
Average nets in
fathoms.
Total pounds
caught.
Percentage.
1892-1896
703,300
750,300
1,231,300
2.117.000
1.169.000
1,193,000
3 22
1897-1901
1.53
1902-1906
.91
Canadian Waters of Lake Superior, Whitefish Area, 3,600 Square Miles.
Years.
Average nets in
fathoms.
Total pounds
caught.
Percentage.
1892-1896
151.500
243.800
206,000
1,123,000
591.000
462,000
9.27
1897-1901
2.48
1902-1906
2.32
State of Michigan Waters of
Lake Huron, Whitefish Area. 3,20(
) Square Miles.
Years.
Average nets in Total pounds
fathoms. caught.
Percentage.
1892-1896
525,400
847.100
991.700
501,000
480. OiK)
515, ODO
.99
1897-1901
.79
1902-1906
.58
Canadian Waters of Lake Huron and North Channel, Whitefish Area, 3,000 Square
Miles.
Years.
Average nets in
fathoms.
Total pounds
caught.
Percentages.
1892-1906
589,100
457,100
742,500
1.657,000
940.000
1,051,000
3.07
1897-1901 . .
2.24
1902-1906 . .
1.45
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 17
It must, of course, be noted that very extensive fish hatchery opera-
tions have been in force in the American waters above mentioned, Avhile
on the Canadian side only comparatively trifling efforts have been made
in this direction in the case of the North Channel, and none in the case
of Lake Superior, but, having regard simply to the question of the limi-
tation of nets, the tables above given are interesting as showing, firstly,
that the price of wliitefish in Canada should have been considerably
less to the consumer than in the States in view of the less cost of
production as proved by the higher percentage of catch of the Canadian
nets, although, unfortunately, this has not been the case, and secondly,
that in the case of Lake Superior two apparent!}^ similar areas, in one
of which a considerably higher percentage of nets has been in use than
in the other, that i^;, an area with a limited as against an area with an
almost unlimited number of nets, both show a steady decrease, proving
apparently thereby that both were removing more fish than the avail-
able increase could witlistand, which, again, should serve to emphasize
the very obvious fact that where the limitation of nets is carried to such
a point that the catch of the nets is less than the normal increase, the
result must be an augmentation of the numbers of fish in the waters.
It would seem then that in the limitation of nets there exists a
practical means of maintaining the balance between the yearly fish crop
and the annual increase to be anticipated in particular varieties of
fish, of affording the fish reaisonable security against annihilation in
traversing narrows or channels, and, in a measure, of regulating the
cost of capture and in consequence, the price to the consumer.
Close Seasons.
The main object of a close season for fish is to enable the fish to
perform its breeding functions in security. It is the habit of practi-
cally all the more valuable commercial fresh-water fishes to journey to
the shoal places of the lakes, or up into the creeks and rivers, to spawn,
and consequently, during the period in which the fish is passing through
narrows or channels on its way to and from the spawning beds, or is
occupied on the beds in the business of reproduction, it is peculiarly
vulnerable to the attacks of the commercial net fisherman. Conse-
quently, unless some protection is afforded to the fish at these periods
an enormous quantity of ripe spawn will remain undeposited, which
fact in its turn will evidently have a sinister effect on the natural
increase of a future year, that is, on the quantities of young fish avail-
able to take the place of those disappearing through natural processes
or owing to the operations of the commercial net fishermen.
Reference has been made in a preceding section to the fact that,
under the treatment of modern scientific hatchery equipment, a far
greater percentage of eggs can be hatched out than would take place in
the course of nature, but in the same section it was also attempted to
prove that under no circumstance could it be the part of wisdom to seek
18 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
to dispense altogether with the natural processes of reprodiietion. The
success which has attended fish hatchery operations on a large scale
has not tended, however, towards making this latter theory acceptable
to the majority of fish-culturists. It has on the the contrary, had the
effect of creating a belief among them that the results obtained by
natural production were so insignificant' that the process could safely
be neglected provided there existed sufficient hatchery equipment to deal
with the number of eggs obtainable. As a natural outcome of this
theory, not only has the close season for fish during the breeding season
been abandoned over a considerable number of the fishing areas in which
great quantities of artificially hatched fry can be planted, but there
has developed, also, a school of ardent fish-culturists which claims that
inasmuch as the hatchery plants must be supplied with eggs to enable
them successfully to carry out their proper functions, the breeding-
season of the fish is obviously the period in which, at all costs, fishery
operations should be most vigorously conducted, the commercial net
fishermen being instructed in the art of taking and mixing spawn,
licensed only on condition that they do so, and paid by the hatcheries a
small fixed sum for a given quantity of eggs, the fate of the parent
fish being deemed immaterial in the light of the immense increase
which it will have contributed to assure. Further, in the opinion of this
school, even supposing close seasons to be deemed absolutely necessary,
the logical time for such would be during those periods when the fish
can be most readily caught, but when they are not laden with ripe
spawn, such as the spring migration of the whitefish, referred to in a
previous section. Whatever may be the merits of this contention it is
quite plain that it must depend for its execution on the existence of
an ample hatchery plant.
It can be shown that in those Canadian waters where practically
no planting of fry has been effected, such as the fisheries of Lake
Superior, data of which have already been given, in spite of a close
season being in force during the alleged breeding season of the white-
fish, the catch has steadily diminished, and the same can be shown in
regard to Canadian waters, such as Lake Ontario, in which planting
of fry has occurred on a moderate scale. This, however, can hardly be
deemed proof that the close season is inefficacious, for a similar state
of affairs can be disclosed in certain of the American fishing areas,
where no close season is in effect and artificial i)ropagation is in full
blast on a gigantic scale. It would seem, on the contrary, to suggest
that, as evidently the annual catch is still in excess of the available in-
crease, it cannot but be exceedingly unwise to n(\glect any possible
means of assisting that increase, or, in otlier words, that the close season
should be uiaintained until at least it lias been demonstrated success-
fully over a period of years that it can safely be dispensed with. Most
particularly so must this l)e the case with Ontario, who herself possesses
no hatchery equipment at all, but is entirely dependent on the Dominion
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 19
(Government for even the modest efforts that are being made in this
direction.
In dealing with this question, moreover, it innst be remembered
that, although almost throughout the Canadian waters of the great
lakes there has existed a legal close season, this close season has been,
unfortunatel}', far from rigorously enforced, owing in certain localities
to the deliberate laxity or inefficiency of the officials whose duty it was
10 do so, and in others, such as the north shore of Lake Superior, to the
lamentable lack of even the most obviously indispensable equipment
to enable the officials to carry out the duties they were appointed and
paid to perform.
Also, it is well known to those versed in fishery lore that the dates
of the close season, as at i^resent existing, do not in most cases tally
with the actual period of breeding operations, for, firstl}', the dates are
fixed for the fisheries as a whole, whereas the difference in latitude
will account for a normal variation of at least three weeks, and
secondly, climatic conditions Avill every year exercise a considerable
influence in hastening or retarding the general movement of the fish
to the spawning beds.
In support of at least the first of these contentions may be quoted
the conclusions arrived at by the Georgian Bay Fisheries Commission,
who reported that after an examination of practically all the fishermen
in the district, and those interested in, or having knowledge of, the
fisheries they were forced to the conclusion that the whitefish spawned
on an average fifteen days earlier in the northern and western waters
of that area, than they did in the more southern and easterly, and con-
sequently recommended that the close season for whitefish in the
Georgian Bay region, north and west sections, should be from October
1 to January 1 following, and for the southern and eastern sections
from October 15 to January 1 following. When such divergence as this
in the dates of spawning of one particular variety of fish exists in
waters so comparatively adjacent, it is easy to realize how much more
must it be the case when the latitude and normal temperature of the
waters are widely different.
It has been held by some authorities (amongst others the Georgian
Bay Fisheries Commission, which, of course, included so great an expert
as Professor Prince, the Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries), that
on account of its voracious qualities, and general hardihood, the great
lake trout does not require so much protection as does the more defence-
less whitefisli, and consequently that, even if the trout do congregate
on the spawning beds considerably earlier than provided for by the close
season afforded them for protection during this period, no great harm
will be done by netting them at such times. This, however, would seem
hardly to be a logical deduction, for whatever may be the relative
defensive powers of fish in regard to each other, all are equally defence-
less against the operations of the commercial net fisherman when they
20 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
are congT^g■ated in throngs on the spawning beds, and the result of
netting them at this period, must in each and every case be alike, namely
depletion, unless, of course, some provision is made to care for the
spawn.
It would api)ear then, that in so far as the fisheries of Ontario are
concerned, the time has most certainly not yet arrived for the aban-
donment of the close season, but that on the contrary its continuance
remains a most vital necessity; that in view of the steadily diminishing
production of the Canadian great lake fisheries and of the absence of
adequate fish hatchery plant's it is imperative to obtain the utmost pos-
sible benefits from the close season ; that these benefits can only be fully
secured by the most rigid enforcement of the close season, which implies
an adequate force of competent and honest officials suj^plied with an
ample and efficient equipment; and, lastly, that some measures should
be taken without delay to secure a revision of the dates of the various
close seasons, so that they may tally with the actual dates of the spawn-
ing movements in the various areas of the Provincial fisheries.
Close Areas.
Nearly allied with the (jueslicm of close seasons is that of close
areas. It has been pointed out that for the greater portion of the year
the mature fish inhabit certain areas which may be deemed their normal
feeding grounds; that the immature fish will be frequently found at
these periods in shallower water, and that the mature or commercial
fish leave their regular feeding grounds at certain known periods of
the year for the purpose of spawning, proceeding in general to certain
well-known, or at least easily located, areas to perform their breeding
functions.
The general principle of setting aside areas for the conservation of
natural resources has been A^idely accepted, and is applied to-day in the
matter of headwaters of river systems, forests, bird and animal life,
perhaps nowhere more extensively so than in the Province of Ontario,
but in the conservation of fish life in the great lakes it is conspicuous
only by its almost total absence. AYhy this should be the case it is hard
to explain, for plainly a principle, acknowledged to be so eminently
beneficial to other great but exhaustible natural resources, could not
well but prove itself equally advantageous in the conservation of fish
life.
In the Report of the Dominion Fisheries Commissi on on the Fish-
eries of the Georgian I>ay, a recommendation was made as to the set-
ting aside of a considerable area, in whicli no commercial fishing what-
ever should be allowed, and rod and line angling only on the payment
of a special fee. Although this most excellent recommendation was
designed more particularly for the purpose of ])er])etuating in these
waters the s])orting fisli, flic black bass, the mascalonge, and the pick-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 21
erel, doubtless, had it been acted upon, it would liave liad a beneficial
ett'ect, also, on the other classes of fish, for though the area selected
did not apparently include any of the recognized feeding grounds of
the commercial whitefish or great lake trout, on which these fish are to
be caught in commercially profitable numbers, undoubtedly many of
the immature fish of both varieties inhabit these waters, and would
consequently have had complete protection. It would seem, indeed, that
wherever considerable areas of water are known to sustain for the most
■part only the small or immature of the leading commercial fishes,
whether or not sporting fish exist in them, such areas might all of them
be set aside with advantage, for there is nothing more certain than that,
if commercial fishing operations are conducted in such areas, the small
or young fish, which predominate, will be destroyed in great numbers,
for they will inevitably get into the nets, and this, even in the event of
the enforcement of the size limit being sufficiently stringent as to prevent
the fishermen getting them to the markets, must mean a most prodigious
waste, whose effects cannot but be felt throughout the nearby fisheries
in after years.
There are also certain other areas in which the fish are only to be
caught at those periods of the year when they are spawning, or proceed-
ing to the spawning beds. Unhappily, such areas, of which perhaps
the Bay of Quinte is the most prominent example, sooner or later
become the hunting grounds of a band of men who, appreciating the
ease with which money is to be made by removing the fish as they crowd
down the narrows, or arrive in schools on the spawning beds, undertake
such operations regularly under the banner of legitimate commercial
fishing, although for the most part they would be both incapable of and
unwilling to pursue their normal calling on the open waters, and
remaining satisfied with the profits they thus speedily make at the
expense of the welfare of the whole fisheries are content to sit down for
a large part of the year in totally unprofitable idleness. That if a close
season is to be at all effective such areas should be definitely set aside
from all commercial fishing, must be very plain to any unbiassed mind,
for to allow fishing in them is at once to negative the results which are,
avowedly, being sought.
It is, of course, absolutely certain that the so-called commercial
fishermen in these areas would protest against the introduction of any
such measures to the limits of their power, but it would seem that the
interests of the public at large, Avhich suffer so terribly through their
operations, cannot but be held to outweigh the selfish interests of a com-
paratively small number of men, whose principal occupation is to profit
by the slaughter of easily caught fish, to which every citizen of the
Province has as much right as they, at the very season when those fish
are about to be, or are actually engaged in, reproduction for the per-
petuation of the fisheries. Moreover, the political significance of their
outcry could not be but momentary, for even if the public did not at
22 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
first appreciate that the claims of these men were imjiist, the same
public would no doubt quickly realize that there is plenty of work
throughout Ontario for those anxious to find it, and would further
most willingly open its ears to the legitimate and seductive argument
of cheap fish food for the citizens of the Province.
The conclusions to be drawn fram the above section would appear
to be, then, that so long as it is necessary to maintain a close season,
so long will it be highly beneficial to the general fisheries to set aside
from commercial fishing such areas as are only made use of by the fish
for the purposes of spawning, or which for the most part are only
inhabited by the small or immature of the commercial fish.
A Close Period.
As a final recourse for the rehabilitation of an exhausted but not
completely annihilated supply of animal life, there is no more apparent
expedient than that of declaring a close period. This method has been
tried out in regard to game and game birds in several localities with
considerable success, but no government has as yet made the experiment
in regard to commercial fisheries, although there are certain well known
instances where such a measure would long since have proved an inesti-
mable benefit. In the case of Ontario's Great Lake fisheries, although
the decrease continues to be alarmingly marked, it must be remembered
that at the present time the great bulk of the fish caught in Canadian
watei-s finds its way into the markets of the greater American cities.
Consequently, it would appear that the introduction of such a measure,
which could not but entail considerable hardship on the citizens of the
Province, need never be resorted to, until at least the experiment has
been made of retaining Canadian fish for Canadian consumption only,
an enactment which obviously would at once very considerably diminish
the demand for, and consequently the drain on, the fish, for it would take
no doubt some considerable time to develop a really extensive fisli mar-
ket throughout the Province, and this would afford the fisheries at
least a period in which to recover from their exhaustion.
THE EFFECT ON THE WHITEFISH FISHERIES OF
EXTENSIVE HATCHERY OPERATIONS.
In several sections of this report reference has already been made
to the fish hatchei'y operations which have been and are being con-
ducted in connection with the great lakes fisheries. It has been pointed
out that so far as Canadian waters are concerned the Dominion Gov-
ernment alone has engaged in this enterprise, and at that not very ex-
tensively throughout the major portion of the fishery areas. On the
other side of the border, however, a very different situation exists, for
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 23
there the vaiious States concerued in the control of the tisheries appear
to vie with each otlier in the perfection and increase of tlieir plants,
despite the fact that the Federal Government is also largely interested
in the same work.
Nothing that has been said in previous sections has been in the
least intended to belittle the importance of these operations, for it is
plain that if the fisheries are to continue to withstand the ever-increas-
ing drain of a growing demand, too much attention cannot be paid to ait
undertaking in which seems to lie the greatest possible hope of prevent-
ing a further decrease Avithout resort to very drastic legislative meas-
ures, and ultimately of effecting such an increase as will be capable of
meeting the needs of a steadily increasing population.
In order to obtain some idea of the value of intensive planting it is
necessary to select two areas which are administered under the same
regulations, in one of which intensive planting has taken place, and in
the other little or none. For this purpose the Canadian waters of Lake
Erie and Lake Superior have been chosen, on the former of which the
efforts of the Dominion Government fish hatcheries appear largely to
have been centred, while in the latter no planting whatever has taken
place, in the period selected, with the exception of a few hundred thou-
sand fry on one occasion in the vicinity' of Port Arthur, a present from
the American authorities in return for the courtesy of being allowed to
collect spawn from Canadian spawning beds during the close season.
It must be noted, however, that in the case of Lake Superior an enor-
mous body of deep water intervenes between the north and south shores,
which the true whitefish will not cross, while in the case of Lake Erie,
since practically the whole body of the lake is suitable for whitefish,
there is no such intervening obstacle between the bulk of the Canadian
and American fisheries, so that, although intensive planting on the
American side has occurred in both lakes, it is only in Lake Erie that
it will be likely to have been reflected in the Canadian fisheries, and,
indeed, allowance must be made for this fact in considering the great
divergence in the results disclosed.
Average Plants and Catch of Whitefish in the Canadian Waters of Lake Erie.
Whitefish Area. 2,100 Square Miles.
Year. Plant. Pounds caught.
1892-1896 45.900,000 199,000
1897-1901 60,500,000 354,000
1902-1906 62,000,000 355,000
Average Plants and Catch of Whitefish in the Canadian Waters of Lake Superior.
Whitefish Area, 3,600 Square Miles.
Year. Plant. Pounds caught.
1892-1896 1,123,000
1897-1901 700,000 591,000
1902-1906 462,000
24
REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME
No. "52
Tliese figures would seem to demonstrate that intensive planting is
capable of producing great results.
It is not sufficient, however, to have arrived at this conclusion.
There remains to be examined the extent to which these hatchery and
planting operations must be carried to produce effective results. An
examination of the records of the Canadian waters of Lake Ontario, or
of the American waters of Lake Superior, two examples of fishery areas
in which moderate planting operations have been conducted, will show
that in both instances the catch of fish has decreased, in spite of an in-
crease in the amounts of net used.
Average Yearly Plant, Catch and Fathoms of Net in Usjc in the Canadian Waters of
Lake Ontario. Whitefish Area. 1,400 Square Miles.
Year.
Plant.
Catch.
Fathoms.
1892-1896
1897-1901
1902-1906
4,200,000
4,820,000
3,600,000
291,000
245,000
238,000
171,800
212,700
214,000
Average Yearly Plant, Catch and Fathoms of Net in Use in the American Waters of
Lake Superior. Whitefish Area, 2,400 Square Miles.
Year.
Plant.
Catch.
Fathoms.
1892-1896
11,057,000
21,858,000
15,268,900
2,117,000
1,169,000
1,193,000
703,300
1897-1901
750,300
1902-1906
1,231,300
It would appear, then, to be demonstrated by the above two in-
stances that in these particular waters the extent of the hatching and
fry planting operations was insufficient in comparison Avith the amount
of fishing being carried on.
From these two examples, taken in conjunction with the results
obtained in Lake Erie, it Avould seem just to conclude that the effects
of a plant should appear in a definite ratio on the fisheries, and that,
consequently, it should be possible to determiiie what that ratio is. The
practical difficulties in the way of such an investigation are, however,
considerable, for, as it has already been pointed out, to arrive at definite
results it is essential to consider fishery areas as a whole, and not
according to the imaginary boundaries dividing the adjacent waters of
states, provinces or nations. Thus, to determine definitely the ratio of
plant to the square mile, or to the pound of fish caught, reciuired to
maintain decreasing fisheries to their existing capacity, it would be
necessary to have the whitefish area of each lake or body of water sys-
tematically planted, for it is improbable that the local conditions of the
individual areas would be sufficiently similar to produce like results in
all of them. The greatest efforts in fry planting have, however, so far
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 25
taken place in American waters, where the division of control is so
great as to have rendered such systematic •statistical research work
almost impossible up to the present, but on the Canadian side of the
boundary, over which there is, broadly speaking, but one control, the
only obstacle in its way would appear to be the absence of a sufficiency
of hatcheries to produce positive results, for, although, as has been
pointed out above, owing to the peculiar disposition of the whiteflsh
area in Lake Erie, the enormous American plant would have to be taken
into consideration in that lake, in most other cases the great bodies of
water intervening between tlie bulk of the Canadian and American fish-
ery areas would render such investigations both possible and conclusive.
It is interesting to note, however, that attempts have already been
made to determine the ratio from the statistics available, and although
the accuracy of the results obtained may not be altogether above sus-
picion, none the less they would appear to be most useful as indicating
the approximate figures that may be expected. Mr. Paul Eeighard, of
tlie University of Michigan, in a most interesting paper delivered before
the Fourth International Fishery Congress, worked it out as follows:
A plant of 30,000 per square mile of whitefish area, or of 100 i)er
pound of whiteflsh caught, is correlated, under existing conditions, with
an increase of 72 per cent, in the catch ;
A plant of 10,000, or 32 to the pound of whitefish caught, witJi a
practically stationary whitefish product; a plant of 2,200, or 11 to the
pound of whitefish caught, with a decrease of 2G per cent, in the white-
fish product; pointing out, however, that as the whitefish increased
under intensive planting it Avas quite possible that a less plant than 100
to the pound of fisli caught would suffice to maintain the fisheries.
Assuming the cost of producing fry to be 2 cents per 1,000, which
in all probability is placing it considerably too high, if Mr. Eeighard's
figures be taken as approxinmtely correct, this would bring the cost of
producing 1,000 pounds of whitefish to .f2. In view of the fact that the
price paid to tlie fishermen at present is never less than 5 cents per
pound of whitefish, it would appear that extensive hatchery operations
could not but prove economically a most profitable enterprise, for of
recent years the supply has never equalled tlie demand and the Cana-
dian markets are still capable of very considerable expansion.
From the above it would seem to be established that practical and
economically profitable results can be obtained by conducting fish hatch-
ery operations on a large scale; that in view of the continued decrease
in the Provincial fisheries, steps should at once be taken to establish
considerable Provincial fish Imtchen^ plants; and that, hand-in-hand
with the establishment of such plants, scientific investigations should be
made to determine the extent to which the annual production of the
hatcheries must be carried to produce positive results throughout the
Provincial fisheries.
3 F.C.
26 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Scientific Research.
Attention has already been called to the fact that scientific knowl-
edge of the lives and habits of the fishes is all too meagre, and in the
preceding paragraph the necessity was established for proper statistical
research in order to discover the extent of the fish hatchery operations
which it is advisable for the Province to undertake. It is obvious that
to solve problems affecting the supply of wild animal life, the funda-
mental necessity is an accurate knowledge of the life, habits and environ-
ment of the animal in question, be it fowl, beast or fish, and this neces-
sity cannot but be enhanced when considerable expenditures of public
moneys are contemplated, or actually being born, in the effort to find a
satisfactory solution. Most particularly so must this be the case with
the fisheries, for the difficulties, which from tlie outset beset the path of
the scientific investigator, indicate only too well that his task can be
none too ea'sy, and that, therefore, immediate and continued efforts in
this direction are indispensable if the desired results are ever to be
obtained.
The direction such investigation should take is, at first glance, ap-
parent in so fai' as the purely mechanical end of the fish hatchery opera-
tions is concerned, and to the extent, also, of methodical statistical
research and the study of the life histories of the various fishes. But
the field is by no means limited to these. Fishes, like all the other
creatures possessed of life, not only require food to support that life,
but are subject to a multitude of scourges and ailments which nmy not
only affect their continued existence, or their reproductive powers, but
may seriously impair their value as food for man, to the extent, even, of
rendering them positively harmful to him.
Thus it will be seen that the field of scientific knowledge must not
only embrace the care of the eggs or fry under its immediate charge, but
must also grapple with the lives of the fish hatched, after they have been
placed in the waters, in order to assist them against the ravages of dis-
ease, by attacking and if possible destroying its causes, and also to
secure for them an abundance of proper food at all stages of their exist-
ence, which, in its turn, must imply an accurate appreciation of sub-
marine conditions and an intimate acquaintance with the lives of an
infinity of aquatic plants, minute animals and insects.
There remains also to be determined the relation of fishes to each
other. Some fishes are known to be cannibalistic, and predaceous in
regard to other forms of fish life; while other fishes, suclt as the carp,
are accused of devouring the immature of more valuable sp"cie?,
although scientific support to such accusations has never been f(.i-(h-
coming. Some fishes again, such as the whitefish, which subsist chit'fly
on vegetable matter, such as is to be obtained on the bottoms of tbe
areas vvhich they inhabit, on insects and on the lesser varieties of mollusc
and crustacean life, are known to be harmless; while others, such as the
sturgeon and sucker, are accused of destructive spawn-eating propen-
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 27
sities, although their guilt has never scientifically been established. The
sucker, indeed, furnislies a good example of the comparative ignorance
of the attributes of many fishes at present existing, for while many
authorities and practically all commercial fishermen will unhesitatingly
classify the fish as a deliberate spawn-seeker and eater, other authori-
ties, including Dr. Forbes, and the w^ell-known Provincial icthyologist,
Mr. C. W. Nash, disclaim this propensity on the part of the sucker
entirely. In fact careful examination of the stomachs of many suckers
taken on or in the vicinity of spawning beds failed to disclose any other
food than alga?, entomostraca and other low forms of animal life, while
Mr. Nash, who also made the interesting experiment of keeping suckers,
found that they refused at all times the spawn of other fishes, which was
offered them, although they would greedily devour algjB, earthworms
and various forms of insect life.
Before the institution of commercial fishing on a large scale ap-
parently all the varieties of commercial fishes which now inhabit the
waters (with the solitary exception of the imported carp), existed in
them in gi'eat numbers, and it would appear, therefore, reasonable to
assume that each species must have been assisting, to some extent, in
preserving such a balance in the natural conditions prevailing below
water as to render these suitable, not only for its own prolific existence,
but for that of other varieties also; in fact, that a direct relationship
did exist between the welfare of one variety and that of the other. On
land the direct relationship between various forms of animal, insecti-
vorous and vegetable life is receiving yearly ever-growing attention,
some varieties being cultivated, preserved or introduced by reason of
their beneficial influence or combative powers against some particular
condition, while relentless war is being waged against other noxious
species, often at enormous expense, but justified none the less by the
great profit which it is known will accrue. Doubtless very similar con-
ditions prevail below water as on land, but they are not at present under-
stood. It is plain, however, that commercial fishery operations, when
conducted vigorously against certain species and less vigorously or not
at all against others, must sooner or later effect a considerable trans-
formation in the normal conditions prevailing below water, by disturb-
ing the natural balance. That this might easily result in a great increase
in the numbers of more or less commercially useless varieties, such as
the sucker, is but all too obvious, and if these fishes actually possess the
harmful spawn-eating propensities attributed to them by some authori-
ties, the direct baneful influence of their rapid multiplication on the
numbers of the finer fishes can be readily appreciated. On the other
hand, it is equally obvious that even such a fish as the sucker has its
place in the scheme of nature, for it is well known that they were in
great abundance when the white man first entered the country, so that,
although in view of the effects of commercial fishing on the fisheries at
large it might well be advisable to take steps to decrease the numbers of
28 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
suckers and other coarse fish of little commercial value, it would not be
safe to jump to the conclusion that all such fishes could be ruthlessly
destroyed with advantage. In fact it is a matter for most careful, scien-
tific study.
It has been shown in a preceding section that the establishment of
a considerable Provincial fish hatchery plant is an urgent necessity if
the fisheries are to be improved or even only maintained on their present
footing, acd that the success which has attended fish hatchery opera-
tions in certain of the waters of the great lakes is sufficient of itself to
warrant such an undertaking.
From the present section it may be, then, concluded that in enter-
ing on this business there exists a real necessity to arrange at the same
time for the energetic prosecution of scientific research. In this regard
it may, perhaps, not be amiss to recall the fact that while Ontario has
as great an interest in the fisheries of the great lakes as all the Ameri-
can States combined, she has, as yet, with the single exception of Mr.
C. W. Nash's check list of the fishes of the Province, published by the
Department of Education, contributed nothing to the proper scientific
understanding of them, a condition which can hardly be held to become
her dignity or tlie enterprise of her responsible authorities.
The Licensing of Nets.
Attention is called in the Report of the Dominion Fisheries Com-
mission on the Fisheries of the Georgian Bay to the apparent anomaly
of charging a fixed license for a given quantity of nets, irrespective of the
area in which this license is to be operative, and consequently irrespective
of the catel), and it is recommended that, as a fair means of determining
the value of a license, the catch should be taxed to the amount of |2 per
ton of the finer species of fish and |1 per ton of the coarser varieties, the
fishermen being required to make a sworn declaration as to their catch
on an official form, Avhich form, again, would have to be countersigned
by the responsible government fishery official. In view of the fact that
such a system would reverse the present system under which the value
of the license is collected into tlie Treasury before it is issued, and that
such a reversal is not altogether desirable, it is further suggested that
the value of the license applied for be estimated on the catch of tlie pre-
vious season, and paid for before issuance on these terms, tlie balance
in favor of or against the Government being adjusted when the final
figures for tlie year have been compiled from the sworn returns of the
fishermen and fishery overseers.
At the present time the value of the pound and gill net licenses in
the Canadian waters of the great lakes is briefly as follows:
Pound Nets $50.00 per net
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 29
Gill Net.s, Lake Superior akd Lake Huron, North Channel and Georgian Bay.
Sail or Rowboats with not more than 6,000 yards of net $10 00
Gasoline Launches with not more than 12,000 yards of net 25 00
Tugs with not more than 30,000 yards of net 75 00
Tugs with not more than 60,000 yards of net 150 00
Lake Brie.
Sail or Rowboats with not more than 2,000 yards of net $25 00
Gasoline Launches with not more than 4,000 yards of net 75 00
Tugs with not more than 10,000 yards of net 250 00
Lake Ontario.
Sail or Rowboats with not more than 4,000 yards of net $10 00
Gasoline Launches with not more than 6,000 yards of net 25 00
Tugs with not more than 10,000 yards of net 50 00
Bay of Quinte.
Between the Bridge at Belleville and the Village of Prinyer.
Sail or Rowboats with not more than 2,000 yards of net $25 00
The revenue derived from these licenses has been approximately as
follows :
1908 $46,000
1909 56,000
What exact proportion of the expenditure of the Department of
Game and Fisheries is solely debitable to the commercial fisheries it is
impoissible to determine, for a great many of its officials are largely con-
cerned in the carrying out of other duties, such as the protection of the
sporting fish, the collection of the non-resident anglers' tax and the pro-
tection of the game, while the same condition applies equally to the uses
to which much of its equipment is put. It is plain, however, that if the
expenditures on fish hatchery operations, wdiich have been shown in pre-
vious sections of this report to be practically unavoidable if the fisheries
are to be maintained, have to be undertaken, the Province cannot afford
to do otherwise than collect as great a revenue from the commercial
fisheries as they can reasonably bear, in order to meet, in part at least,
this added charge.
Under the present system it is extremely doubtful whether the best
results from the point of view of revenue are being obtained.
It is a matter of common knowledge that the Ontario fisheries of
the great lakes are largely under the domination of a foreign corpora-
tion, and tliat, in consequence, the great bulk of the fish secured
froin these waters find their way to the iVmerican markets. It is perhaps
not so well realized that the Government of the United States imposes
a duty of i/_> cent per pound on imi)orted fish, and is, therefore, collect-
ing yearly a very handsome revenue from the Canadian fisheries, whereas
the Ontario Government, which has to bear the cost of protecting the
fisheries, if not actually losing money on the transaction, is at least gain-
ing no appreciable revenue therefrom, and at the same time in allowing
30 REPORT OP ONTARIO GAME No. 52
its comniorcial fisheries to be depleted to the advantage of a ueighbor-
ing nation is failing to secure for the present population of the Province
the benefits that should properly be derived from this great asset, or to
assure a continuance of the same to future generations. In illustration
of this state of affairs may be cited the results of an investigation con-
ducted by a gentleman, who is much interested in these matters, in
regard to one particular fishing station on Lake Superior. He computed
that from the licenses issued to the fishermen operating from this station
the Government secured a revenue of |310, and assumed that out of this
sum would have to be provided the salary of the overseer, the cost and
maintenance of his equipment and in addition some portion of the cost
of the annual or bi-annual inspection carried out by a senior official of
the Department of Game and Fisheries, pointing out that the sum avail-
able was none too ample for these various purposes. On the other hand
he ascertained that from the duty levied on the fish imported from this
station in tlie year of his investigation the Government of the United
States derived a revenue of approximately |2,600.
The price paid to the few would-be independent Canadian net fish-
ermen for their fish by the alien corporation which practically controls
the output of the Canadian fisheries, is approximately 4 to 5 cents per
pound, and the fish retails in the greater American markets at from 12
to 40 cents per pound, so that the profit to the corporation is apparently
great. In addition to this, however, since the commercial control of the
fisheries lies principally in the hands of a foreign corporation, it is but
natural that citizens of a foreign nation should be largely concerned in
its exploitation, so that as the matter stands to-day it would appear that
while the cost of protection may be said to practically swallow up all
the revenue derived from the fisheries, not only is the United States
securing a considerable yearly revenue from them, the bulk of the pro-
fits and of tlie actual fish, but also no small proportion of the initial cost
of capture, a situation which is obvionsly most unsatisfactory.
It would seem, then, but just and reasonable that those who derive
the greatest benefit from the fisheries of the Province should be assessed
for the privilege on a somewhat higher scale than is in force to-day.
In this regard the notorious fact must be noted that in a great many
instances far greater lengths of gill nets are still made use of by tugs
than are called for in their licenses, it being usually claimed that if the
nets used were restricted to the legitimate amount, fishing operations
would cease to be profitable. It is plainly not advisable that such a
state of affairs should be permitted to continue. If it be deemed desir-
able to restrict the nets in a given area to the quantities called for on
the licenses issued, and it is true that the present limitations of lengths
prevent, in certain areas, commercially profitable operations, then there
should obviously be issued a lesser number of licenses, xaiictioning
greater lengtlis for those areas, and all such cases should be ])romptly
and carefully investigated by the Department responsible, but under no
Unreeling the Nets.
Herring Fishing.
1913 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 31
circumstances should a deliberate infringement of the privileges granted
by a license be tolerated, as is all too frequently the case to-day.
Reference was made at the commencement of this section to the
recommendation made by the Georgian Bay Fisheries Commission in
regard to the matter of assessing the value of licenses. It would seem
that such a system would undoubtedly be more equitable on the commer-
cial fishermen than that at present in vogue, and, inanmuch as the tax
would be levied on the catch, and not merely on the class or extent of
net used, the Government would derive a proportionate benefit from any
measures it enacted, or any expenditures it undertook, which resulted
in an increased annual production of fish. Moreover, by adjusting the
tax to the necessary proportions, without causing any undue hardship
it could plainly be made to be profitable from the point of view of
revenue, as the following figures indicate :
Revenue From Net Licenses.
1908 — $46,000 approximately (the Department was unable to furnish the exact figures).
Revenue Based on Estimated C.^tch.
1908— Fine Fish, 21,799,990 lbs. at $2 $43,600
1908— Coarse Fish, 5,800,651 lbs. at $1 5,800
Total Revenue $49,400
The tax being placed at |2 per 1,000 pounds of fine fish and |1 per 1,000
pounds of coarser fish.
By licensing the shippers and buyers, and requiring from them a
sworn declaration as to the amount of fish handled and from whom pur-
chased, in addition to the sworn declarations, before referred to, ob-
tained from the net fishermen and countersigned by the responsible fish-
ery overseer, it would appear probable that a considerable proportion
of the illicit netting, which is at present being carried on, would auto-
matically be put a stop to, owing to tlie practical obstacle presented to
men so engaged of disposing of their catch, a fact which would not only
be beneficial to the fisheries, but would also tend to increase the revenue
of the Government, for it must always be remembered in considering the
available fishery statistics of the great lakes that a very considerable
quantity of fish is removed yearly from the lakes by illicit means Avhich
is never accounted for, and that in certain localities the licensed men
have been known to meet with but very poor success, owing entirely to
the extensive and successful operation of trap nets and other illicit con-
trivances in the waters in which they pursued their vocation.
It w^ould appear, however, that the fislnn-ies might justly be expected
to produce an even greater revenue than that obtainable by the method
above indicated.
In dealing with the timber resources of the Province it has become
customary, when throwing open limits to the public, to invite tenders
32 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
for them, or, iu otlier words, to put them up to public auction. By this
laeans a fair return for the privilege granted is assured to the public,
for if tlui prices are obviously insufficient, it remains within the power
of the Government to refuse the tenders, and under such conditions the
general law of supply and demand will, in most cases, ensure a satis-
factory figure being offered.
When the average coBt of catching the fish, which may approxi-
mately be estimated at 3 cents per pound, all included, is eoinpared with
the average retail price of fish, 8 to 15 cents per pound at a conservative
figure, it becomes plain that the concession granted by a fishing license
has a considerable value, and, consequently, it would seem reasonable
to conclude that there must exist therein a fair margin for public com-
petition— that iB, that a fee for the privilege should be obtainable over
and above the regular tax on the catch, as suggested. It would seem,
moreover, that as the value of the particular fishing concession would
be liable to fluctuation, no better method than that of public tender
could be devised to secure it. Such a system would obviously require
a clear delimitation of the bounds of the concession, and a precise state-
ment of the number of licen'ses, with privileges granted by them, that
would be granted in any particular area.
The greatest desideratum in regard to the Provincial commercial
fisheries is plainly that citizens of Ontario should, as far as possible, pro-
fit by catching the fish, and that the population of Ontario generally
should profit to the greatest possible extent by the fish when it has been
caught. Attention has, however, been called to the domination of a
foreign corporation over the Provincial commercial fisheries, whereby a
precisely opposite result is being at present attained. Evidently, if
under prevailing conditions licenses were put up to auction, the bulk of
them would, in all probability, still fall into the handsi of the corpora-
tion referred to, to the detriment of the few independent Ontario fisher-
men, although even so a little additional revenue would be likely to
accrue to the Government. If, however, it were possible to adjust
matters so that the domination of the fish trust over the commercial
fisheries of the Province could be curbed, and citizens of Ontario thereby
encouraged to enter on the fishing business on a considerable scale as
likely to prove a profitable venture to themselves, the system of putting
fishing licenses up to auction, while enforcing a fixed tax on the catch,
could not apparently but be profitable from the point of view of revenue,
as an incentive to legitimate competition and thereby to trade, and,
lastly, as an assurance that the exploitation of the fisheries would ulti-
mately fall into the bands of an enterprising class of citizens of the Pro-
vince. Various meOiods of producing sucli a situation will be discussed
in a succeeding paragraph.
The main difficulties which would be encountered in introducing
the system lie, ai)par('ntly, in the facts (a) that the commercial fishing
business has to be learned like any oilier vocation, more especially so in
191S AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 33
proportion as the water area increases in size, and that, consequently, it
is probably more economical, in tbe case of large water areas at least,
to encourage the development of a distinct class of commercial fisher-
men than to jeopardize the existence of such a class through the intru-
sion of others, ignorant of the business, but attracted by its speculative
possibilities; (6) that after the elimination of the monopolies the un-
certainty of obtaining licenses might deter enterprising provincial com-
panies or individual fishermen from acquiring a sufficienc}^ of nets or
from erecting the freezing and storage plants neces'sary to conduct the
business; (c) that considerable labor and expense would be involved in
advertising for tenders; (d) that there are no doubt a number of men
in the Province who, while possessed of little or no resources other than
those obtained annually as the result of commercial fishing, have pur-
sued their calling so long and have attained such an age that it would be
impossible for them to turn to other means of livelihood in the event of
their being unsuccessful in tendering for a license; (e) that if discrim-
ination were instituted in one case — that is, if a higher tender Avas
refused in favor of a lower it would open the road to all the evils of
political patronage and influence. Undoubtedly some means of protec-
tion for the old fishermen would have to be devised, but this could easily
be effected by refraining from putting up to tender the licenses of those
who had engaged in commercial fishing in the Province any stated num-
ber of years. In regard, also, to the labor and expense involved in plac-
ing the licenses up to tender, these could be greatly lightened by fixing a
term of years over which the license tendered for would be valid, sub-
ject, of course, to the licensee keeping within the law, and it is apparent
tliat the cost of this small francliise could be expected to operate in the
direction of securing a better observance of the laws, seeing that the
licensee would have more at stake. How far, however, the other objec-
tions to the system would counterbalance its advantage can only be a
matter of opinion and conjecture, but the privilege granted by a com-
mercial fishing license is so great, and the advantages of such a system so
attractive from many points of view, that, under proper administration
of the fisheries, it might well be worth while at least to make an experi-
ment in this direction.
It may be considered, then, from this section that the commercial
fisheries should produce a greater revenue than they do at present; that
a tax on the catch of fish would be more equitable on the fishermen than
a license in proportion to the class or amount of net used; that the estab-
lishment of reasonable competition in the fishery business is greatly to be
desired, and that such competition can best be assured by first breaking
up the domination now exercised by an alien corporation over the com-
mercial fisheries of the Province.
34 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Various Methods by which the PROVI^X'IAL Fisheries can be
Rehabilitated^ and a Strong Fish Market
Developed in Ontario.
The situation disclosed in preceding sectionB renders it apparent
that at the present time the Province is not deriving even a reasonable
amount of benefit from the possession of immense fisheries, either in
revenue or fish food, and that, worse stilly the once prolific fisheries are
dwindling with alarming rapidity. It has been shown, also, that by a
strict enforcement of the close season, by seeing to it that the dates of the
close season tally with the breeding seasons of the various fishes, by the
establishment of a series of fish hatchery plants and other measures, a
great deal can be accomplished in the direction of preventing a further
decrease, and ultimately of effecting an actual increase, in the product
of the fisheries, but it has also been pointed out that so long as an alien
corporation remains in practical control of the commercial output of the
fisheries, so long will the fish markets of the Province be of secondary
importance in comparison with those of greater American cities, and,
according to the measure of starvation that must prevail under such con-
ditions, so will their growth continue to be stultified.
Fish companies and individual fishermen, who would be indepen^
dent, have little chance of remaining so for any length of time. The
trust, through its agents, controls the bulk of the plant existent in the
Province which is indispensable for the conducting of the fisheiy busi-
ness. It controls, also, in many instances the shipping facilities and the
ordinary channels of trade. For a time the independent fish company
or fishermen may succeed in disposing of their catch locally, but in
Ontario there is at present but small demand for the coarser varieties of
fish, and at certain seasons of the year these comprise the bulk of the
fishermen's catch. Then, if they should desire to dispose of their catch
outside of their immediate locality, they soon are swept into the toils of
the corporation, for unless they are willing to sell in the future all their
catch to it, the trust refuses to purchase any of the catch at all. It ap-
pears, indeed, that at no time will the corporation or its agents deal
with the independent men other than on the terms " all or nothing," so
that unless the company or fishermen are willing to lose their profits
and the fruits of their labors, or unless Ihey can command sufficient
capital to make storage, shipping and market arrangements for them-
selves, which in souie cases has been attempted but only with indifferent
and short-lived success, they must inevitably, sooner or later, bow to the
dictates of the corjioralion, and thus allow tlu^mselves to be swallowed
up by it. In certain cases definite contracts are drawn up, binding the
fishermen to sell only to the agents of the trust, and it seems more than
pr()])able that in many cases also the corporation supplies the fishermen
with their nets, boats and other appliances, extracting part payment in
kind, but holding always a sufficient balance over their heads as to
ensure the c(mlinnan((' of Iheir allegiance.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 35
Contract or no contract, however, the result is the same, namely,
that the truly independent fish company or fishermen cannot exist under
the present conditions of the fi'shery trade for any length of time, and
it must be clearly understood that the possession of a Canadian sound-
ing title by a fish company is no guarantee either of Canadian proprietor-
ship or independency. In fact, the reverse is, as a rule, the case.
It is plainly necessary, therefore, to examine carefully into Avhat
available means present themselves of effecting such a radical alteration
in the situation as to place it on an economically sound basis, or, in
other words, of breaking the domination of the American fish trust, plac-
ing the control of the fish crop in the hands of the citizens of the Pro-
vince, and developing a proper fish market throughout Ontario, so that
the people at large may profit by their fisheries and not be robbed of the
profit for the benefit of the United States, while at the same time endea-
voring to improve the general condition of the fisheries to the greatest
possible extent. ""
Markets cannot be created in a day, even though the advantage of
their establishment and rapid development were patent to everyone,
neither can a great vested interest be attacked and shorn of its power
without a considerable outcry being raised. The achievement of both
objectives in the case of the fisheries would obviously involve the formu-
lation of a strong, clear-cut policy, embracing the fundamental prin-
ciples of conservation, economic exploitation and distribution, and the
systematic and consistent execution of this policy over a period of years.
Such a policy can only be evolved by a consideration of all the problems
presented, without regard to the various authorities who may be con-
cerned in its initial or subsequent introduction.
Tlie control of the Canadian fisheries of the great lakes, however, is
divided between the Dominion and Provincial Governments in such a
way as to render impossible the adoption of a scheme, for the conserva-
tion and improvement of the fisheries and the development and regula-
tion of an Ontario fish market, at all adequate to the necessities of the
case, without considerable collaboration betw^een them, and thus, even
though, in all probability, the co-operation of the Dominion Govern-
ment is to be anticipated in the event of a forceful fisheries policy being
adopted by the Provincial Government, it becomes necessary, not only
to inquire into the methods available for obtaining the desired results,
but also as to how far these fall within the scope of Provincial legisla-
tion, and as to where it will be necessary to invoke the aid of the Do-
minion Government. Consequently the various available measures will
first be discussed, and subsequently the relative powers of the tw^o gov-
ernments in regard to their enactment. j
Prohibition of Export.
It has been pointed out that the great bulk of the product of the
great lake fisheries at present finds its way into the markets of the
36 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
United Stales; 1)5 ])er cent., in fact, would in all probability prove to
be a faji'lj accurate estimate. It is evident, therefore, that in such a
measure as the prohibition of export there must, under existing condi-
tions, lie great capabilities of very materially reducing the annual fish
crop for a period of yearis, more especially in view of the fact already
brought to notice that, although the potentialities of a great fish market
in Ontario are apparent, actually the existing fish market is still in the
most elementary stage of development.
It must also be equally clear that the indirect effect of such a
measure could not but be the evolution of a far greater demand for fish
throughout the Province, for prices would inevitably fall during the
first periods of its enforcement, owing to the fact that many more men
are engaged in the fishing business at present, and would probably be
wishful of continuing it, than the demand under such conditions would
\varrant for at least several years to come, and consequently the surplus
of supply over denmnd would bring about the usual result, a considerable
reduction in values.
That the general public would only too joyfully take advantage of
such a situation, is perfectly- certain, and it is equally sure that the edu-
cation of the general public to the value of fish food, or, in other words,
the creation of a greater demand and thereby the upbuilding of a great
Provincial fish market, is economically sound from the point of view of
both business and health.
The introduction of such a measure, applicable to all classes of fish,
would obviously disorganize the existing arrangements of the fish trust,
and it would be compelled to seek other channels of supplj^, if the
demands of its present markets were to continue to be filled. But with
the troubles of this corporation the Province has no concern. It is true
that the trust might commence to interest itself in the exploitation of
the Ontario market, and thus continue to maintain its grip on the product
of the fisheries to a limited extent, but even so, at least the citizens of
the Province would profit by their fish to the extent of consuming them,
a privilege which, broadly speaking, they are denied to-day.
There is no doubt but that the enactment of such a measure Avould
meet with a storm of protest from the interests concerned, and from the
tools employed by them in the prosecution of their business, the commer-
cial net fishermen, for it is certain that the former would not relinquish
one of its nmin sources of supply without making a great effort to retain
it, and that it would be made to appear to the latter that their vocation
and means of livelihood were being wantonly attacked. That foi' a time
at least many of the net fishermen would have to seek other occupations
cannot be denied, and it would be necessary to give ample notice of such
a measure so acs to enable the men to make suitable arrangeuHMits, or
possibly even to purchase from them at an equitable^ valuation their
boats, gear and other equipment, where such were beyond doubt the
actual property of (he men, but it must be remembered thai (he average
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 37
annual profit to the man who does the actual fishing lies somewhere
between |400 and |800 only, so that, although work is conducted dur-
ing certain portions of the year only, and there are in consequence
periods of idleness, which doubtless lend an additional attraction to the
life in the view of many of those engaged in it, none the less it can hardly
be deemed a j^rofitable occupation in comparison with others under the
conditions in which it exists to-day. There is, moreover, plenty of room
for those who would have to abandon their calling in other walks of
life in this Province, so that there would be no real hardship to them,
and it would seem that the at lea'st temporary disappearance of some
proportion of them from this business could not but result in an amelior-
ation of the condition of those who remained in it, seeing that what
profits there were in the business would be divided amongst a less
number of men, thus tending to raise the •standard of life in the classes
which engage in fishing, and creating a more remunerative and engag-
ing prospect for those who would enter or re-enter this calling in due
course as the necessities of a growing Ontario market required them.
It might be argued that if total prohibition of export were intro-
duced for a term of years, there would be such a rapid increase in the
numbers of coarse and predaceous fishes, owing to the lack of a market
for these at least at first, that the more valuable and defenceless species,
such as the whitefish, would derive very little actual benefit from the
measure. It must be remembered, however, that total prohibition of
export would, in all probabilit}', only be introduced as one plank in a
broad scheme for the conservation and development of the fisheries, and
that accompanying it there would be, also, instituted an efficient system
of fish hatcheries, whose first and chiefest attention would obviously be
devoted to the more valuable fishes. It is indisputable, as has been
shown in a preceding section, that the fish hatcheries can by modern
scientific methods hatch a far greater percentage of the eggs of the
parent fish than would be effected under natural conditions, and conse-
quently, as the hatching system became perfected, the number of young
fishes in the water as the result of one season's spawning would be vastly
greater than tlie average now being attained by the same number of
parent fish. This alone would seem to be sufficient to counteract the
ill effects of giving the coarser and predaceous varieties even a somewhat
protracted period of security from the American markets.
The principle of the prohibition of export, however, is not only
capable of general application to the product of the fisheries, but in a
more restricted sense to individual varieties of fish. Indeed, the alarm-
ing decrease in the annual catch of whitefish caused the Georgian Bay
'Fislieries Commission to recommend such a measure to the Dominion
Government in regard to that particular species. Naturally, if the
export of one or two varieties were prohibited by legislation, the fish
trust could continue to purchase from the fishermen all their catch
exclusive of the prohibited varieties, and probably would do so, so that,
38 REPORT OP ONTARIO GAME No. 52
while the Ontario market was profiting to the extent of one or two of
the finer varieties of fish, the great bulk of the other fishes would still
be exported to the States.
By partial prohibition of export, therefore, unsupported by other
measures, it would seem that not only would the power of the trust
remain unshaken to a great extent, but that also the Ontario market
would not receive the requisite impetus, for in dealing with such sources
of food supply as the fisheries it is evidently necessary to take into
account the requirements of all classes of the community, and to accom-
plish this, equal attention would have to be paid to the coarse as to the
finer varieties of fish, for the former will in all probability always be
the cheaper and, therefore, in greater demand by a considerable section
of the population.
It must also be noted that the prohibition of export of particular
varieties only would entail very strict supervision of shipments for
export. The methods of packing fish in deep boxes and barrels are such
that inspection is by no means easy at any time. It is well known, for
instance, that no small numbers of black bass, the export of w^hich
sporting fish has already been prohibited, at present find their way to
the fish markets of the States from certain localities, concealed in ship-
ments of coarser fish. To make the protection of particular varieties of
fish effective, in fact as in law, would appear to necessitate, therefore,
a more thorough and searching inspection being carried out by a more
conscientious and efficient body of officials than under present condi-
tions is at all feasible.
If, however, such alterations were effected in the personnel and
methods of the Department concerned as to make effective inspection
possible of execution, and at the same time a method could be devised by
which the Provincial fish market could be fostered in all classes of fish
in spite of a continued export of large quantities of the coarser varieties
to the already established markets for them in the States, it would
seem that partial prohibition might have some weighty advantages over
total prohibition, for in the first place it would not disorganize so
abruptly the existing fishery business, and consequently would meet
with less opposition, and secondly it would not leave in any doubt the
possible undue increase in coarse fish referred to earlier in this section.
In any case there can be little doubt but that prohibition of export,
even if applied only in modified form, would be a powerful factor in
remedying the present deplorable condition both of Ontario's fisheries
and of her fish market.
A Provincial Fish Agency.
The condition under Avhich the fisheries are at present being con-
ducted have already been indicated earlier in this report, and attention
has been drawn to the fact that under these conditions healthy compo-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 39
tition is practically eliminated, the yearly revenue of the majority of the
fishermen is kept at a very low figure, and the fisherman himself becomes
little more than the paid servant of the trust.
In other fish markets, such as those of the American Atlantic
Fisheries, a situation more favourable to the net fisherman exists, in-
asmuch as there have become established certain firms who receive and
market the fish of the individual fishermen on a fixed commission basis,
and consequently the fisherman retains his independence and is in a
position to profit directly by the fluctuations of the market, and a
greater incentive is thereby afforded to initiative and enterprise. The
existence of several firms in this commission business ensures competi-
tion and, consequently, a fair deal to the fishermen. Such a system,
apparently, once prevailed over certain portions of the great lake fish-
eries, but it has completely disappeared in the evolution of the fish trust.
It is clear that the great bulk of the ordinary net fishermen could
individually never succeed in storing, shipping and marketing their
catch to advantage, for even were funds available, which is usually far
from being the case, the very nature of their occupation precludes the
possibility of their having sufficient leisure to attend satisfactorily to
such details. Consequently, the presence of some form of middlemen
who will receive, store and market the fish, either by direct purchase or
on commission, would appear indispensable in connection with this
business. That under normal conditions the competitive form of middle-
man, as represented by the commission houses of New York, is more
equitable than the autocratic form, as represented by what might be
termed the Chicago Fish Trust, both from the point of view of the fisher-
man and the consumer, would seem highly probable, but it is plain that
if the profits of such commission houses could be reduced to a minimum,
so as to but little more than cover the cost of operation, the profit to
both fisherman and consumer would be correspondingly greater. This
could be achieved only by the Government undertaking the work of the
commission houses, or in other words, by the establishment of a Gov-
ernment Fish Agency. A strong plea in favour of such a measure is to
be found in the report of the Georgian Bay Fisheries Commission, and,
as no more clear or concise explanation of its advantages could very
well be constructed, it is quoted at length : —
"A fish agency, or several such agencies, would be a much simpler
matter (i.e. than the successful Dominion Government sea-fish dryer
at Souris, P.E.I. ). The agent would merely act as receiver of the fish,
as consignee from the fishermen, and pay them at current rates on the
plan adopted at Souris, or at the government fish reduction works at
various Atlantic points; he would place them in the Government
refrigerator, unless the market required the fish at once, and would
thus fill the orders as they reached him from the various markets in
Canada and the United States. The fish agency would act as middleman
betw^een the fisherman and the market buyers, and would leave out of
4 P.O.
40 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
consideiation the lai'i»e luouopoiies, who seem to crush oiu all smaller
enterprises and fair competition. These imsci-upnlous combines, who
try, and with some success, owing to the lethargy of the public and its
indifference to its best interests, to monopolize the whole fish business
on both sides of the line; keep the fishermen in their clutches; dictate
the price of fish in the wholesale and retail markets, and, from a
Canadian point of view, work ruin to the fishing population and the
fishing industries.
At least five advautages would follow from a fish agency scheme: —
(1) The control of the United States combines and monopolies
Avould cease.
(2) The fisherman would have a central point to which he could
with confidence send his catch of fish.
(3) The fisherman could rely on receiving full value for his fish,
based on the current market prices.
(4) No waste of fish would occur, as the surplus of such fish as
were not at the time in demand would be stored in the
refrigerator until the demand came at a later date.
(5) The Canadian demand for fish would be met, and the large
surplus would reach the United States markets. The present
high price would allow of the payment of the duty imposed
by the United States. Pickerel, it may be stated, have
recently brought the surprising price in Chicago of forty
cents per pound. Of course, the Canadian demand for our
own fish would first be met before any foreign buyers were
supplied."
It will be spen from the above extract what a powerful means
would be afforded by such an agency, both for developing an adequate
fish market in Ontario and for regaining commercial control of the
fisheries by breaking the power of the fish trust, for not only would
Ontario demands naturally be met before those of outside or foreign
markets, but that demand could at the same time be carefully fostered
and cultivated, and also, Avith sufficient storage appliances at its dis-
posal, the Government would be entirely independent of the trust for
securing its markets, and thus the domination and dictation of the trust
would at one blow be anuihilatefl. Moreover, from the existence in other
markets of several prosperous commission houses in this line of business,
it is obvious that, within reasonable bounds, the enterprise could not
but be as profitable as it was deemed advisable to make it.
The effect of such a scheme in conjunction with that of partial? pro-
hibition of export is ably recited by the Georgian Bay Fisheries Com-
1912 AND FISHEEIES COMMISSION. 41
mission, Avitli especial refereuce to the whitefisli, and a further quotation
from that report i^, therefore, made: —
" As we have pointed out, tlie whitefish in the Georgian Bay, and in
fact all over Canada, so far as our knowledge and observation teaches
us, is becoming almost depleted, and there is no one but who will saj
that the adoption of any measure, however radical it may be, which will
preserve and increase the whitefish of Canada, is justifiable. The only
class who can at all complain of such a measure would be United States
citizens, and a handful of fishermen in Canada. As to the first class, we
need not concern ourselves, and as to the fishermen, we firmly believe
they will get in any event as high a price for the whitefish sold in Canada
as they are now paid b}' tlie monopolistic companies who control their
catch. That this measure would redound to the benefit of the Canadian
citizen goes without question. We have met with innumerable com-
plaints from all quarters of the Province that Canadians cannot get
Canadian fish to eat, and the extraordinary fact has been brought out
beyond dispute that a large percentage of the Canadian fish which is
used by the Canadian consumer is caught in Canadian waters, goes to
the United States markets, and is then brought back to Canada and sold.
The great objection which the fishermen will have to the measure is that
there is no fish market in Canada to consume all the whitefish which
is caught, but we believe that such is not the case, and that, owing to the
fast diminishing catch of wliitefish which is occurring from year to year,
and the vastly increasing population which is pouring into Canada, the
Canadian consumer, if afforded opportunities of purclias,ing, will totally
consume all the whitefish catch of the Dominion of Canada, and will
pay as good a price as can be had for the fish to-day. More particularly,
if the government fish agencies which we have recommended are estab-
lished, will it assist the fisherm^in in disposing of his catch. There is
no doubt that after the measure should become law, a great number of
fishermen will build their own ice-houses and their own fishing stations,
and not be dependent on the American companies for the necessities of
their calling. But, for those who do not, if the government agencies are
established, to which thfe fisherman knows that he can at once, and w^ith-
out extra trouble, dispose of his whitefish, it will, we believe, detract
very materially, and in fact do away altogether with, any objection he
might raise to the prohibition of the export of whitefisli.
If this recommendation be carried out, it must also be remembered
that the American market is still open for the vast quantities of fish,
forming two-thirds of the total catcli of the Canadian fishermen, of
trout and pickerel and other fish of coarser varieties, which find a ready
sale in their markets; and Ave believe also that, as the Americans are
dependent on our fish, the cutting off of one-third of their imports from
Canada will necessarily raise the price to the Canadian catcher of those
fish which can be taken into the TJnited States."
42 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
It would seem, therefore, that through the operation of the two
schemes together, the establishment of Provincial Fish Agencies and the
prohibition of the export of certain varieties, a maximum of beneficial
results could be obtained at a minimum of disorganization and friction,
but that in any case the organization and establishment of Provincial
Fish Agencies could not fail to be extremely advantageous, alike to the
growth of the Provincial fish trade and to the citizens of the Province
of Ontario.
The Imposition of an Export Duty on Fish.
The chief advantage to be derived from the imposition of an export
duty on fish would appear to be the revenue that would thus be obtained.
It has been pointed out that at the present time the citizens of the United
States are profiting to a far greater extent than the Canadians, both in
revenue and in fish, from the Canadian fisheries of the great lakes, so
that, although the markets of the United States are so firmly established
and insistent in their demands for supply that in all probability they
would still require all the Canadian fish that they could secure in spite
of an export duty, the tax in itself would at least serve as a means of
securing for the Canadians a reasonable compensation for the loss of
the bulk of their fish.
It is improbable that the duty would in any serious way disturb the
power of the fish trust, for that corporation could confidently be relied
on to extract the amount of the tax from the consumer in the United
States, who, to judge by the price of forty cents per pound, previously
noted as having been paid in Chicago for pickerel, apparently is pre-
pared to stand the cost, no matter almost what it may be, provided only
that he gets the fish.
Similarly the production of the fisheries would not be seriously
affected, as the demand would apparently continue to be as great as
ever in the foreign markets, and this cause also would tend to prevent
an}^ general improvement in the condition of the Ontario fish market.
It is evident, however, that the above remarks are only applicable
to a comparatively moderate tax, for there must exist a limit in cost
which would break even the demands of the established American fish
markets, and there is obviously no limit to the amount to which the
export duty could be raised if desired. If such a measure, however,
were contemplated, it would probably be on a broad general basis com-
prising all classes of fish, with an additional charge for the export of
certain of the fine varieties of fish. In such a case the finer varieties
would derive an advantage if the charge were raised sufficiently to effect
a decrease in the demands of the American markets, and it would seem
reasonable also to suppose that, in this event, the decrease in the quan-
tities sliii)ped to the American markets might well result in the creation
of new and better markets in Ontario. The duty a\ ould have to be
placed very high indeed, however, to achieve such desirable results.
l»i:5 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 41^
111 conjiiiu-tioii with the establisliment of Proviii'cial fish agencies,
the imposition of an export duty on a siliding scale might prove advan-
tageous in dealing with the demands from across the border, although
it could never be quite so efficacious a measure as the total prohibition
of export of the varieties it was desired to protect. It must, moreover,
be remembered that, although it is most highly desirable to break the
American commercial control of Ontario's fisheries, it would not be the
part of wisdom to destroy the American markets for Ontario fish
altogether, for during many years to come there should be, under a
proper system, profit to be made by citizens of the Province in selling
a considerable surplus catch of at least coarse fish to the Americans,
which it is quite proper should be removed from the waters each year,
but which otherwise would either be a drug on the Ontario market or
else, perhaps, completely wasted.
It must also be noted that the remarks made in a previous section
as to the inspection of fish would apply with great force should an export
duty on fish ever be imposed, for fish piracy could be counted on to
increase, and smuggling and juggling in varieties to be undertaken on
a large scale, so that, without very strict and efficient inspection carried
out by honest and capable officials, neither would the Government profit
to the fullest extent in the matter of revenue, nor would the Provincial
fish market or the fisheries themselves derive the fullest benefits to l)e
anticipated from such a measure.
THE POWERS OF THE DOMINION AND PROVINCIAL GOVERN-
MENTS IN RELATION TO THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
OF THE GREAT LAKES.
Under existing conditions, through the operation of the British
North America Act, the Dominion of Canada is governed and adminis-
tered as a ^^•h(»le by the Federal Government at Ottawa, and separately
and individually in Provinces by the respective governments of the vari-
ous Provinces. Naturally enough the British North America Act did
not iirovide for all the contingencies which should eventually arise
through the development of so vast a country in its allocation of power
betwei^n the Dominiou and Provincial Governments, but, broadly speak-
ing, the lands, forests and waters within the boundaries of the respective
Provinces wcmc handed over to their governments to administer and
govern, while to the Dominion Government was reserved the power of
intervening in such administration in respect of measures affecting
Canada as a whole.
In so far as the fisheries were concerned, w^hether nuiritime or
inland, the attitude was taken by the Dominion Government that these
were national, and consequently to be administered by federal authority.
This view was ultimately accepted both by British Columbia and the^
44 EEPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Maritime rroviuees. The Canadian Fisheries of tlie great lakes, how-
ever, are conterniinoiTS with the southern boundaries of Ontario, and as-
these fisheries developed in value, and more citizens of the Province
became engaged in their exploitation, it followed that Ontario's interest
in these fisheries considerably augmented. Lying exclusively on the
borders of her territory, it seemed to her government that Ontario Avas
entitled to considerable voice in the administration of these fisheries.
As time went on various matters of dispute in regard to them arose
between the Government of Ontario and the Dominion Government,
such an impasse being finally reached that the whole question was re-
ferred to the Privy Council for decision. On the basis of that decision
was enacted the present system of what may be termed dual control.
Under this system the Dominion Government may, generally speak-
ing, be said to regulate the conditions under which the fisheries are con-
ducted, while the proprietory rights in relation to the fishes are vested
in the Provincial Government, which issues licenses to those desirous
of engaging in fishing operations.
It is not within the scope of this report to discuss the merits of this
system, or to attempt to interpret in detail those points which, through
decision of the Privy Council, still remain open to doubt and contention,
but in view of the fact that glaring evils do exist in connection with the
fisheries, which onl}^ very drastic measures can adequately remedy, it
is necessary in this report to investigate carefully the extent to which
Provincial legislation couhl alone institute such measures, without
encroaching on the prerogative of the Dominion Government, and to
what extent it would be necessary to invoke the aid of the Dominion
Government in order to carry them into effect.
AN EFFICIENT PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT FOR A FISH-
ERIES PROTECTIVE SERVICE.
In the Interim Report of this Commission attention was strongly
called to the fact that both the peisonnel and equipment of the existing
Provincial Fisheries Protective Service were in a lamentable state of
inefficiency, and certain general recommendations Avere made on these
heads with a view to remedying tliis sfate of affairs.
It is phiin that in so far as the officials are concerned there can bo
no question either as to the right of the Provincial Government
to appoint to tliese positions wliomsoever it may select, nor as to
the advisability of selecting for these posts only such men as are physi-
cally and morally suitable for them; but in regard to the equipment,
the division of control of tlu^ fisluMvies somewhat complicates the question
and appears to render a further examination into it necessary.
At the present time the Dominion Government maintains one large
cruiser and empjoys a limited number of fishery inspectors to see tliat
Herring Fishing, Lake Huron.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 4.j
tlio Dominion rulings in regard to the fisheries are observed, but tlie
actual enforcement of the laws rests chiefly with the Provincial Gov-
ernment, which maintains a large staff of W'ardens, fishery overseers and
inspectors, and incurs considerable expenditure in regard to the equip-
ment for these officials, for this purpose. The large cruiser of the
Dominion Government is eminently suitable for patrol work on the high
seas of the great lakes, and for the supervision of the fish tugs engaged
in operations over deep waters. With tlie exception of the '' Edna
Ivan," an ancient fish tug with indifferent cabin accommodation built
upon it, which the Provincial Government again leased this year, the
Province is posse>^sed of no equipment in the very least degree suitable
for this class of work, and, indeed, it would seem that such work, which
is practically a policing of the fisheries against international fishing-^
piracy, is distinctly the province of the Dominion Government. But in
regard to all the vast extent of less exposed waters in which fishing-^
operations are conducted, the Provincial Government, as has been
pointed out, has assumed the burden of enforcing the general Dominion
regulations in addition to those governing its own domestic arrange-
ments, and by doing so has furnished conclusive proof not only of the
very great importance it attaches to the protection of the fisheries, but
also of a strong desire to retain as much control as possible over an
interest which can affect to such a great degree the welfare of its
citizens.
As previously recorded in this report, however, there has recently
been drawn up a series of international regulations between Great
Britain and the United States in regard to the fisheries of the great
lakes, which, when promulgated, are to apply equally on both sides of
the boundary, and there seems to be little doubt but that promulgation
of these regulations will not long be delaj^ed. The Commissioner who
represented the United States in these negotiations has recommended
to the United States Government that a suitable staff and equipment
be provided and maintained by the Federal Government to enforce these
regulations in so far as the American waters are concerned, and it would
seem, therefore, reasonable to suppose that the Dominion Government
should contemplate some such step also, unless very well assure<l that
the Government of Ontario is prepared and willing adequately to under-
take this work.
That the present equipment at the disposal of the Provincial Gov-
ernment is almost entirely unsuitable to the purposes on which it is
employed has been set forth in no uncertain terms in the Interim Report
of this Commission. In the face of a modern and efficient equipment,
such as recommended to the Federal Government of the United States,
it is evident that its lamentable deficiencies would become only the more
apparent.
The whole question then would seem to resolve itself into a matter
of policy on the part of the Provincial Government, to decide in fact
46 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
wlietlier it is expedient to spend the money necessary for the acquisition
of an ample, suitable and efficient equipment, in order to retain control
of the enforcement of the laws over what are practically its own fisheries,
or whether to let this control pass altogether into the hands of the
Dominion Government.
Duplication of the fisheries protective service would appear to be
unnecessary and wasteful, and 3'et, seeing that the Dominion Govern-
ment has entered upon an engagement with the Government of the
United States to enforce certain regulations over the fisheries, it W'Ould
seem unavoidable that it should take the matter into its own hands in
the event of the Provincial Government being unwilling to adopt a pro-
gressive and suitable policy, both in regard to the selection of a staff and
the provision of a proper equipment. Even should the Dominion Gov-
ernment decide to increase its staff and equipment, after promulgation
of the international regulations, there can be little doubt but that the
announcement by the Provincial Government, of its intention materially
to improve its fishery protective service on modern lines, would be taken
into consideration in determining the extent of such increase. In any
case it is apparent that the more efficient and adequate the Provincial
service, the more will the actual control of the fisheries continue to be
exercised by the Province.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FISH HATCHERIES AND FISH
AGENCIES.
In the United States practically all the individual States now main-
tain very extensive hatchery plants of their own, in addition to those
supported by the Federal Government. It is plainly a purely domestic
matter for each Province or State to decide for itself, and there can be
no question as to the power of the Government of Ontario to do pre-
cisely as it chooses in this regard.
Similarly, the establishment of a Provincial Fish Agency would be
a purely domestic arrangement, and as such within the absolute jurisdic-
tion of the Provincial Government.
The Prohibition of Export of Fish.
The decision of the Privy Council in regard to tlie division of control
in the matter of the great lake fisheries was a direct interpretation of the
provisions of the British North America Act, and it was definitely estab-
lished by this decision that the product of the great lake fislieries was
the property of the Province, irrespective of whether or not the Domin-
ion Government should see fit to levy a tax on the fisheries. The licenses
issued to the commercial net fishermen by the Province are (Midorscd witli
the dates and areas for -which the licenses are valid and other matters
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 47
such as may from time to time be necessary, altlioiigli, of course, such
licenses are issued only Avith the undei standing that fishing shall be
carried on under the general rules and regulations enacted by the
Dominion Government. The possession of a license, therefore, presum-
ably entitles the licensee to the absolute poissession of such fish as he
may legally catch while fishing under the Dominion regulations and
further restrictions of the Province, so that he is entitled to market his
catch where and how he pleases. There is, however, no apparent reason
why the license should not be endorsed with a provision to the effect
that the fish, or certain specific classes of fish, must only be sold for
home consumption, which, plainly, would be tantamount to a prohibi-
tion of expor-t of the varieties of fish referred to. An analogous endorse-
ment of a license occurs in the case of timber limits on Crown lands, the
provision being to the effect that raw timber shall not be exported but
must first be milled in the Province, and it is difficult to conceive that
there should be any legal differentiation between the products of the
forests and the fisheries, in so far as Provincial legislative powers are
concerned, seeing that both, under the British North America Act, are
the property of the Province, and consequently within Provincial juris-
diction.
In the case of the timber an Act was passed forbidding the export
of raw timber cut on Crown lands, so that in the matter of restricting
the sale of certain fishes to the home market a similar course might pos-
sibly be adopted by the Provincial Legislature, that is, indirect pro-
hibition of export legislation might be introduced, the particular pro-
visions of the Act in respect to the non-export of certain varieties of
fish being, as in the case of timber, endorsed on each license issued.
A difficulty might arise through the actions of middlemen who, hav-
ing purchased the fish from the fishermen on the understanding that it
was for home consumption, might none the less decide to ship it abroad.
In fact, under present conditions some such action on the part of the
monopolies could reasonably be anticipated. Hence, to make the
measure effective under Provincial Law, it would appear necessary to
license the middlemen and retail fish dealers, and to endorse their
licenses with a provision similar to that on the license of the commercial
net fishermen. The Provincial Government can, of course, put under
license any business or occupation it may select, and the endorsation of
the license in the second and third channels of trade with a non-export
or home consumption provision would clearly be valid if it were so in
the case of the first, namely the commercial net fishermen.
Under the British North America Act are defined the jurisdictions
of the Dominion and Provinces, but it occurs occasionally that, while
one section apparently places a matter Avithin the jurisdiction of the
Province, another section can be interpreted as placing the same matter
under Dominion authority. In such cases, if the question were con-
tested, the Dominion ruling would apparently be held to prevail.
48 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME >o. 52
111 regard to the question under review, although as has been shown
the Proyince can possibly enact indirect legislation for the prohibition
of the export of fishes, and certainly can virtuall}' etfect such prohibition
of export by the endorsation of the licenses issued to the fishermen, there
seems nevertheless to be little doubt that under the British North
America Act the Dominion Government has authority to enact the pro-
hibition of any or all classes of fish. Already Dominion legislation for-
bids the export of black bass, mascalonge and speckled trout. The
Dominion authority to enact the measures prohibiting the export of
these fishes has never been challenged in the courts, so that the action
of the Dominion Government in these cases cannot be held to have
established a conclusive precedent, but the acquiescence of the Provin-
cial Government in the measures would at least tend to show tacit
acknowledgement on its part of their validity, and it is obvious that
there can be no legal distinction between sporting and commercial fishes
in so far as jurisdiction is concerned.
A Dominion enactment would naturally affect all classes of the
community, and this would put a stop to all legal exportation without
recourse to the endorsation of the licenses issued to fishermen and fish
dealers. It is evident also that whether enacted under Dominion or Pro-
vincial legislation, the greater the percentage of the total Ontario catch
that was handled by a. Provincial Fish Agency, the easier would become
the enforcement of such a measure.
Close Seasons, a Close Period^ and Close Areas.
There is no question that the power of enacting close seasons falls
exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Dominion Government. Atten-
tion has been called to the fact that, owing to the difference in lati-
tude and climatic conditions, the present dates of the close seasons do
not tally in many localities with the actual dates of spawning. The
general distribution of the fisheries of the great lakes renders it, indeed,
practically impossible to fix a short period for each variety of fish wliich
will cover the widely divergent da.tes of spawning in all the different
lakes, although no such difficulty would present itself if the duration
of the close seasons were materially increased, as has been deemed
advisable by many authorities, and as was recommended to the Domin-
ion Government by the Georgian Bay Fislieries Commission in regard
to the whitefish.
While, however, the power of the Dominion Governmont to fix such
close seasons as its wisdom may direct is incontestable, and such sea-
sons could not in any way be abbreviated by the Provincial Government,
it is apparently witliin the powers of the Provincial Government to add
to the Dominion close seas(ms, if it should so desire, by endorsing the
commercial net licenses with dates which would make them valid for a
shorter period than that allowed under Dominion regulation. Such at
least is the opinion of the present Deputy Attorney-General of the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 49
Province, Mr. J. IJ. Cartwright. If this be so, the Province evidently
has it within its power to right the present unsatisfactory state of
affairs, for it cannot be claimed that the Dominion dates are not suit-
able to some, at least, of the fishing areas of the great lakes, or that
in a single instance they err either in commencing too soon or in being
unduly prolonged.
A study of local conditions would appear then to be all that is neces-
sarj' to enable the Province to institute close seasons which would tally
with the actual dates of spawning in each individual locality.
It is further evident that by endorsing the licenses to cover the
earliest possible dates at which spawning might commence, it would be
possible for the Provincial Government to place the actual date on which
fishing should cease within the discretion of its local fishery overseers,
subject, of course, to the dates of the general Dominion close season.
A system such as this would seem to afford the most logical solution to
the problem of dealing adequately with the climatic influence on the com-
mencement of the spawning run, but obviously, to be eft'ective, it would
be necessary for the Government fishery overseers to be considerably
more conscientious and more thoroughly acquainted with fishing condi-
tions than is usual to-day, for even a few days delay would mean con-
siderable additional profit to the fishermen at the expense of the quan-
tity of spawn which should have been deposited.
If the Provincial Government, as it would appear, has it within
its authority to thus increase the close seasons enacted by the Dominiou
Government, it must evidently also have the power to stop fishing
altogether by the refusal to issue licenses; in fact, of producing a hmger
or shorter close period and similarly of closing to commercial fishing
any areas it may deem advisable.
A Provincial Fisheries Policy.
In the Interim Report of this Commission and in the preceding
pages of this report an outline has been given of the general condition
of the great lake fisheries and of the fish trade in the Provincie of
Ontario, aud sufficient has been said to show that stringent measures are
essential to eradicate the glaring evils at the root of the present situa-
tion. The past history of the fisheries has furnished ample proof of the
inefficacy of attempting to bolster up an avowedly unsound system
with the flaccid pills of mildly remedial legislation, so that if it is desired
to save, conserve and develop the fisheries to the maximum of their
worth, and to obtain the greatest possible value from them for the bene-
fit of the citizens of Ontario, a broad general policy in regard to them
must be evolved and carried through systematically, despite the protests
of the monopolies and their myrmidons, and despite the denunciations
and vaporings of those more interested in retaining in their hands petty
political patronage than in advancing the general welfare of the com-
munity. The rapidly increasing population of the Province renders the
50 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
adoption of some sueli policy only the more urgent, for it is impossible
to deny that year by year in the larger cities amongst a great many
classes of the community the question of obtaining an abundance of
wholesome and at the same time cheap food is growing ever harder of
solution. Fish, which is admittedly the peer of any animal food, has
never yet played its true economic role in the dietary of Ontario's popu-
lation, and unless something is accomplished very soon in tlie direc-
tion of effecting a change in present conditions, it would appear that it
would never have a chance to do so.
There can be no question that the Canadian fisheries of the great
lakes are amply sufficient to-day to supply all the demands of the
Canadian population adjacent to them, and, in spite of an increasing
population, would be so for many years to come if the bulk of the supply
was not diverted to other channels, but they cannot withstand the tre-
mendous drain imposed on them to fill the insatiable demands of the
great cities of the United States. The longer the present unsatisfactory
condition is allowed to continue, the harder will it become to take the
necessary measures to redress it.
In discussing the dual control in force over the Canadian fisheries
but slight reference has as yet been made in regard to their international
political aspect. It is plain, however, that this side of the question needs
as careful consideration as any in the formulation of a broad fisheries
policy. The situation which has arisen through the organization of an
American monopoly to control the Canadian great lake fisheries ren-
ders it as impossible to argue that any of the more drastic corrective
measures referred to in the previous sections of this report could be
introduced without raising a howl of protest from the interests directly
concerned, as without incurring considerable political opposition from
the United States, for the deprivation of many of the larger fish markets
in the United States of even a proportion of their accustomed supply of
Canadian fish would be quite sufficient to ensure this latter, even though
it is obvious that owing to the purely domestic nature of the measures
international interference would be an uuwarrautable intrusion into
Provincial domestic affairs. Attention has been called to the fact that
an international code of regulations has been framed for the general
conduct of the great lake fisheries, and that the advantages to be derived
by both nations from a fundamentally identical system of administra-
tion of the fisheries are very considerable. It has also been noted that
the international code has not as yet been pronnilgated. How far the
determination of the Provincial Government to break the power of the
monopolies and to develop and exploit the Canadian fisheries of the
great lakes for the benefit of the citizens of the Province would tend to
further delay the promulgation of this code, or to produce modifications
in it, it is impossible to determine, but at least it is evident that, as both
parties to the code are greatly interested in its enactment, it would form
to a certain extent a political lever in the hands of the United States
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 51
Government with which to approach the Dominion Government in any
attempts to arrest the Provincial policy. The delay in promulg'ation
has np to the present apparently been due to the efforts of representa-
tives of certain of the fishing interests in the United States Senate, who
claim tliat their particular localities will suffer through the restrictions
imposed by the code, and in view of the fact that total or even partial
prohibition of export of Ontario fish would adversely affect a very much
greater number of American citizens than could the code, it is only
reasonable to suppose that the hand's of the present opponents of the
code would be strengthened by many additional recruits, anxious to
weild the sword of a prospective international code against the buckler
of Ontario's domestic necessities. The Dominion Government, however,
on which the brunt of international pressure must fall, has in the crea-
tion of its Commission of Conservation and in many other ways given
evidence of the lively interest taken by it in all matters affecting the con-
servation of natural resources, and it is impossible to conceive that it
could view otherwise than favourably the determination of the Provin-
cial Government to con'serve and exploit the fisheries of the great lakes
on a fundamentally economic basis. Indeed, the whole question of the
commercial fisheries of the great lakes is growing yearly in national and
international importance to such an extent that it is doubtful whether
any other course would be open to the Dominion Government than to
endorse, assist, and forward a progressive Provincial fisheries policy by
every means in its power, for obstruction on its part could not but be
adjudged a retrogressive action by the great bulk of the Canadian people
affected. The vital necessity for Ontario to secure for her present and
future population the economic benefits from a magnificent commercial
fishery must be apparent to every thinking citizen of Canada, and
especially to its administrations, as likewise that tinkering with this
great economic problem will never bring about its satisfactory elucida-
tion. Hence it may at least safely be deemed improbable that the
Dominion Government will either throw obstacles in the way, or chal-
lenge Ontario's authority to seek its solution by drastic measures, but
will tender the Province its cordial co-operation to the extent of itself
enacting such measures as the Provincial policy may require, and to the
extent also of withstanding any international pressure that may be
brought to bear to frustrate it.
In regard to the purely domestic political situation, it has already
been pointed out that outside of the monopolies the only class that could
be even temporarily adversely affected by the adoption of a forward and
forceful fisheries policy would be the commercial net fishermen, who
were either operating in certain restricted areas which it might be
deemed expedient to close against commercial net fishing, or else under
a prohibition of export measure were compelled to abandon their calling
owing to a temporary lessening in the demand for fish. The numbers of
these men are very small in comparison with the total population of the
52 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Province, and althongli their distribntion is such that in certain locali-
ties their iutluence is undoubtedly considerable, nevertheless it mus^t
be conceded that tlie advantages to the Province, which would accrue
from the adoption of such a policy, could not fail to render it gen-
erally popular with the bulk of the population. Moreover, neither the
Provincial nor Dominion Grovernment could be materially embarrassed
where both were conjointly involved in the adoption and carrying out
of a scheme to rehabilitate and perpetuate the fisheries.
It would seem, then, that the field is open and the occasion on the
whole projiitious for the introduction b}' the Province of a fisheries
policy adequate to the necessities of the case, and it is impossible to deny
that such a step would be in the best interests of the Province. There
remains, then, l»ut to recapitulate briefly what the salient features of
that policy should be.
The two outstanding evils at the root of the present situation are
the absolute inadequacy of the equipment and inefficiency of the Staff
of the Provincial Fisheries Service, and the commercial control of an
alien corporation. It is, therefore, to these that first and most careful
attention should be paid. To correct them the reorganization of the
Fisheries Service and the provision of a modei-n and adequate equip-
ment should be undertaken without delay on the lines indicated in the
Interim Report of this Commission, and simultaneously there should be
established in Toronto a central fish agency on the lines indicated in this
report. Immediate action should also be taken to prevent the further
export of at least the two most valuable food fislies of the great lakes,
the whitefish and the great lake trout. In regard to checking the present
annual decrease in the catch and subsequently to effecting an increase
in it, the establishment of Provincial fish liatchery plants should be com-
menced forthwith, and side by side with this measure provision should
be made for adequate scientific superintendence of the hatcheries and
for scientific research work and statistical ol)servations. The spawning
seasons of the various fislies in each and every localitj^ should be closely
studied and provision made for the protection of the fish during those
periods in the manner indicated in this report. Such areas, also, as are
only inhabited by the commercial fishes when about to spawn, or by the
young and immature of the commercial fishes, should be carefully ascer-
lained and set aside against commercial fishing for at least a consider-
able period of years.
It is evident that the policy outlined could not be carried out in a
moment, or without careful preparation and arrangement, and that not
only would the expenditures involved have to be spread over a period
of years,, but that the whole question would require strong, consistent
and yet tactful treatment throughout the ])eriod of development, such
direction and impetus, in fact, as would be necessary in any walk of life
for the establishment of a great and prosperous industry. As was pointed
out in the Interim Report of tliis rommission, the method of adminis-
1912 AND FISIIEEIES COMMISSION. 53
tratiou uow iu force is not adapted to the attainment of sncli an end.
The abnormal expansion in all directions necessitates the undertaking
of many other great public enterprises, and problems both difficult and
intricate, but none the less requiring immediate solution, are constantly
developing, so that it is impossible to conceive that a Minister, already
so overloaded with vast re'sponsibilities as must be a Minister in charge
of so great and growing a Department as that of Public Works, should
be able himself to devote either the requisite time or energ}^ to the intri-
cate and complex details surrounding the evolution of a fisheries policy
calculated to produce a machinery equal to the task and likewise to
foster and develop a demand for fish food among the citizens of the Pro-
vince, who are as yet to a great extent unappreciative of its inherent
economic value. Further, the delegation of such a duty to a subordinate
official, even though that official were mentally and physically capable
of discharging, it would inevitably result in the matter being treated as
one of secondary importance, a fact which the present condition of the
commercial fisheries situation would appear clearly to demonstrate, in
so far at least as that where successive incumbents of a Ministerial office
have had neither time nor opportunity to master even the basic prin-
ciples of a problem, matters will be allowed to drift, or patchwork
legislative remedies be deemed amply sufficient. Consequently it would
seem apparent that the first step in the evolution of a new Provincial
Fisheries Policy must be the establishment of an efficient authority to
carry it out; the creation, in fact, of an executive controlling power,
sufficiently stable to ensure the ultimate execution of plans laid over
several years, and with sufficient time at its disposal to attend to all the
intricate details on which the ultimate success of the policy must so
largely depend.
The advantages to be derived through the elimination of party poli-
tics in the matter of petty appointments to the fisheries protective ser-
vice were discussed in the Interim Eeport of this Commission, and it is
evident that in the institution of such important measures as the estab-
lishment of a cliain of fish hatchery plants, the provision of adequate and
suitable equipment, the creation and development of a Provincial Fish
Agency and the fixing of close periods and areas, the less political in-
fluence could be brought to bear on the executive chief, the greater would
be the certainty of really permanent and satisfactory results being
attained. The most obvious method of removing the fisheries from the
sphere of party politics would be the creation of a small Commission to
control them in conjunction witli other matters of a somewhat kindred
nature, as previously recommended by this Commission in its Interim
Eeport, but, if such a course should be deemed inexpedient, at least
some attempt should be made to place the control of Ontario's great com-
mercial fisheries where they could receive the individual attention of the
executive head which they both need and merit. The people of the Pro-
vince cannot forever remain indifferent to the spoliation that is taking
5 F.C.
54 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
place, so that it would seem to be but the part of wisdom for the Govern-
ment in some measure at least to anticipate their awakening.
General Recommendations in Regard to the Great Lakes Com-
mercial Fisheries.
In making- the following recommendations 3'our Commissioner de-
sires explicitly to state that in his opinion tlie expenditure of money
involyed in various of the proposed measures would not be justified
under the present 'system of administration of the fisheries, for without
efficient direction and control adequate results could never be obtained.
With this proviso your Commissioner would most strongly recom-
mend :
(1) That an executive power be created to deal with the great lake
commercial fisheries and other kindred matters; if possible, b}' the crea-
tion of a small independent Commission after the model of the Temis-
kaming and Northern Ontario Railway Commission ; or, failing this, by
removing the control of the fisheries from the Department of Public
Works and confiding it to some member of the Cabinet who is possessed
of sufficient leisure to devote personal attention to the solution of its
many great problems.
(2) That the reorganization of the outside service of the Depart-
ment of Game and Fisheries be forthwith commenced; that only such of
the fishery overseers as are capable of adequately discharging their
duties shall be retained in the service; and that in future no man shall
be engaged for such service whose qualifications for the position have not
been definitely ascertained to be entirely satisfactory,
(3) That some form of Board be created to examine applicants for
positions in the outside service of the Department of Game and Fish-
eries, and issue certificates of proficiency to such of them as are found
to be suitable, both pliysically and morally, to undertake the duties they
will be called upon to perform, and that without such certificate of pro-
ficiency no man shall be considered eligible for a position in the outside
service of tlie Department of Game and Fisheries.
(4) That no official be employed in the outside service of the De-
p.'irtment of Game and Fisheries who has any other business or occupa-
tion during such employment.
(5) That no official in the outside service of the Department of
Game and I^islierics be i)aid less than |r)00 per annum, or a pro rata
amount for limited periods.
(G) That steps be taken to acquire an adequate ('(|nipment for the
Provincial Fisheries Protective Service on the lines indicated in the In-
terim Report of this Commission.
(7) That a central Provincial fish agency be established in
Toronto with as little delay as possil)le, and branch agencies at sucli suit-
able ])orts as may be deemed desirable.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 55
(8) That steps be taken to have the export of whitefish and lake
trout prohibited for a term of at least five years by Dominion regula-
tion, and that meanwhile the further export of these fishes be prevented
by the endorsation of the lieenBes issued to fishermen and fish buyers
with a provision to that effect.
(9) That the commercial net fisherman, as one condition of his
license, shall be required to furnish monthly to the Department of Game
and Fisheries, on a form provided by the Department for the purpose,
a sworn return, showing the classes of fish and the weight of each
variety caught, the number of shipments or sales made and the weight
of same, and the names of the parties to whom the fish was shipped or
sold, and that the signature of the local fishery overseer be required to be
affixed to the return in sworn testimony of its accuracy.
(10) That fish buyers or wholesale fish merchants be put under
license of |50 and retail fish merchants of |10 throughout the Province,
and that, if necessary, these licenses be endorsed with the prohibition of
export of whitefish and lake trout.
(11) That as a condition of license to the fish buyers and wholesale
fish merchants they be required to render monthly to the Department of
Game and Fisheries, on a form provided by that Department for the pur-
pose, a sworn return of all purchases made and shipments of fish re-
ceived, showing in each case the classes of fish, the weights of each
variety, and the name of the consignor or vendor, together with a similar
return of all bulk exports and Canadian shipments and a summary of
local sales.
(12) That steps be taken to at once initiate a system of Provincial
fish hatcheries, on a system which shall provide ultimately for a suf-
ficiency of hatcheries to meet the needs of the Province in this direc-
tion.
(13) That the services of a duly qualified icth^ologist be secured to
report as to the suitability of sites for Provincial fish hatcheries, to
superintend the construction of same and the installation of the neces-
sary plants, and subsequently to exercise general supervision over the
scientific work of the hatcheries and organize and develop a department
of scientific research and statistical investigation.
(14) That a close study be made throughout the area of the com-
mercial fisheries as to the usual dates of spawning of various fishes in
the different areas.
(15) That the licenses of the commercial net fishermen in each
locality be endorsed with dates which will render them invalid during
the spawning of the more valuable fishes in that locality.
(16) That such areas as are only invaded by the iliore valuable com-
mercial fishes during the spawning season or during other short periods
in the summer months be closed altogether to commercial fishing for a
term of at least five years.
(17) That such areas as are inhabited for the most part only by the
56 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
young or immature of the more valuable commercial fishes be carefully
ascertained, and closed to all commercial gill or pound net fishing for
a term of at least five years.
(18) That the whole fisheries be divided into a number of fishing
areas for the purpose of carefully studying and determining the lengths
of gill nets and the number of pound nets which can safely and advan-
tageously be used in the same,
(19) That the value of each license be based on the value of the
catch of the preceding year, the charge being fixed at the rate of |2.00
per 1,000 pounds of whitefish, herring, lake trout and pickerel, and fl.OO
per 1,000 pounds of other fishes, and that the estimated value of each
license be paid in advance, the balance in favor of or against the Gov-
ernment being adjusted at the end of the year from the sworn returns
of the net fishermen attested to by the local fishery overseer.
(20) That, subsequent to the establishment of Provincial fish agen-
cies and the introduction of a more effective system of administration
of the fisheries, the experiment be made of placing the licenses in certain
selected areas up to tender, power as usual being reserved to select such
tenders as may be deemed the most advantageous.
Commercial Fishing in the Lesser Lakes of the Province.
The Province of Ontario is most liberally furuished with lakes of
every size and description, most of them abounding, or at least once
abounding, with fish of many varieties. In many of these lesser stretches
of water there occur varieties of the commercial Avhitefish and trout, as
well as the pickerel, ciscoes and other fish in more or less demand at the
different fish markets of the States and Provinces, and as the decrease
in the product of the great lake fisheries became marked, while tlie de-
mand continued to increase, thus materially raising the market value of
all classes of fish, it was but natural that the idea should be conceived
of making use of the fish to be caught in the smaller bodies of water
wliere such waters were reasonably accessible to adequate transporta-
tion facilities.
Experience in a short while proved that which was only to be ex-
pected, nnmely, that the smaller a body of water the less resisting power
has it to the drain of vigorous commercial fisliing, and, consequently,
many of the inland lakes in which commercial fishing was carried on
were soon absolutely depleted of all the finer forms of fish life, to the
great detriment of the dwellers in the surrounding country.
There can be no doubt but that the logical economic function of the
lesser lakes scattered throughout the Province is to supply wholesome
fish food in the first instance to the poor settlers who open up the coun-
try and have at best a precarious existence, and subsequently as the
country becomes more settled to the increasing population of the sur-
rounding territory at cheap rates. In view of this fact it would seem
19ia AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 57
moKt unwise to allow even one of the many lakes to be depleted of its
finer fishes, especially when it is remembered that the depletion is tak-
ing place, not for the benefit of citizens of Ontario, but chiefly for that
of a neighboring nation, for, as pointed out in previous sections of this
report, the great bulk of the commercial fish catch is being, and has been,
shii)ped abroad. Moreover, in such cases where sporting fish exist in
these waters, they also have suffered to a like degree as the finer commer-
cial fish, in spite of a ban having been, in certain cases, placed on their
commercial use, for it is a well known fact that all is fish which comes
into tlie commercial fisherman's net, and a price is paid by the foreign
buyer for the interior contents of barrels and boxes laden with fish as
well as for the fish which adorn the tops and bottoms of such shipments.
The destruction of the sporting fish in these waters is greatly to be de-
plored, for it deprives the region of one of its chief attractions to the
sportsman tourist, whose ready cash is such a valuable asset to the
country at large.
It is usually argued by those engaged, or v/ishing to engage, in this
business that the normal, increase in these lakes is, as a rule, in excess of
the sustaining or feeding power of the lakes and that, consequently, the
majority of fish remain undersized and thin owing to a lack of sufficient
food. It is also, of course, invariably and stoutly maintained that the
sporting fish can by no possible means suffer any harm through commer-
cial fishing operations. As to the latter of these contentions, experience
as noted above, has proved the exact reverse. As to the former, it cannot
be denied that there ma^^ in many instances be a substratum of truth
in it, and yet it must also be acknowledged that if the fish now to be
found inhabiting the waters after countless years of unimpeded natural
reproduction are of such small size and poor quality as alleged, it is
difficult to understand how it can be worth anybody's while to under-
take commercial fishing for them as a means of profit making or liveli-
hood. Tlie probabilities would seem to be that a limited amount of
commercial fishing might indeed result in the production of larger fish,
owing to the greater amount of food available for a lesser number of fish,
but that, on the other hand, the extent of reduction in quantities that
can safely be accomplished in the first instance is strictly limited, and
that thereafter to take more than the normal increase will result in the
speedy depletion of the waters of the classes of fish removed from them.
It would, of course, be impossible to lay down rigidly the exact amount
of fish that might be removed from any of the lesser lakes for which it
might be deemed advisable to issue commercial net licenses, but, on the
other hand, it is evident that if the licensees were required to make
sworn returns of the catch to the Government, the accuracy of the said
returns being vouched for and attested by the responsible government
inspector, it would very soon become apparent when the annual catch
was markedly decreasing. Having once determined that the catch had
seriously diminished, it would be a simple matter to give the particular
58 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
lake a rest from commercial fisliiug for a period of years in order to per-
mit of it restocking itself by natural means, as it would inevitably do if
given the chance in sufficient time. That such a procedure would be the
most economic method of handling these fisheries is evident, as it would
eliminate all possibility of tlie Lakes being depleted, and, at the same time,
would avoid the expense of ultimately having to stock these waters by
artificial means, a demand for which, in the case of those lakes whicii
have already unfortunately been depleted, is certain eventually to arise.
Owing to the natural tendency of a licensee to derive the greatest
possible benefit from the possession of his license, it is plain that the
great majority of the licensees, if licenses were, on application, renewed
to them yearly without question, could not be depended on to exercise
impartial judgment in deciding when a rest from commercial fishing had
become necessary and, consequently, the matter would have to be con-
trolled and managed by the Government in order to attain the desired
results, but it is interesting to note that in the western portion of the
Province there is one inland lake fishery which has been conducted on
these principles for many years by its regular licensees, with the result
that in the years in which fishing is conducted the catch is good both in
quantit}^ and quality.
To ensure accuracy in returns from the licensees of inland lake
fisheries, the inspection of their fisheries and shipments would have to
be effective and efficient and it is, consequently, apparent that in those
localities where adequate inspection cannot economically be provided at
present, it would be advisable not to issue licenses for commercial
fishing.
In all cases where commercial net licenses are issued for the in-
land lakes, the greatest care should also be taken to see that the licensees
do not exceed the quantity or lengths of net called for on their license,
and a study should be made of each individual case to determine wliat
amount of net should be fixed by the Government, for especially in the
case of the smaller bodies of Avater so much liarm could be effected by
excessive fishing in the short space of even one season that the fishing
miglit remain hopelessly depleted for many seasons thereafter.
As a general rule it would seem inadvisable to issue Jiny commer-
cial net licenses whatsoever where there is not a clear water area of at
least ten miles square, for tlie normal production of h^siser areas must
be too small to permit of profitable commercial fishing operations, ex-
cept at the expense of the future supply of fish. It would seem also that
in waters of even greater area than ten mih»s square, where sporting fish,
such as the black bass, the mascalonge and trout, are to be found, it
would be far better to issue no commercial licenses at all, for the value
of the traffic attracted by the sporting fishes will ultimately, if it does
not actually at present, far exceed the small profits to be made out of
the commercial fishing of such waters, and it must, therefore, be the part
of wisdom to safeguard the perpetuation of these sporting fishes. The
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 59
only condition under which licenses for commercial fishing might pos-
sibly be issued in such cases with advantage would be where a local mar-
ket was sufficiently great to take the total catch of the number of licenses
issued. In such instances the waters would be but fulfilling their proper
functions, but the licenses issued for the purpose of supplying this local
demand should be endorsed to that effect, and the inspection should be
sufficiently potent to ensure this provision being enforced.
As with the great lake fisheries, so it would seem to be the case with
the fisheries of the minor lakes, namely, that the value of the licenses to
the licensees must vary considerably in the different bodies of water.
Consequently it would appear that the system of licensing should not
be as at present a fixed sum applicable equally to any lake or part of a
lake, but should be an indeterminate sum to be fixed on the basis of the
previous or last year's catch, and adjustable subsequently on the results
of the returns of their catch sent in by the licensees; in fact, that the
system of licensing should be similar to that suggested for the great
lakes. It is also to be noted that the risks and difficulties attendant on
commercial fishing are, as a rule, very much lightened in the case of
smaller bodies of water, and that, consequently, a greater catch can be
secured for a considerably less effort than in the deep waters of the great
lakes. It would appear, therefore, reasonable to suppose that in many
instances there should arise competition for the privilege of fishing these
easy and profitable waters, and, consequently, that were the licenses put
up to public tender, a considerable profit would accrue to the public.
In regard to these waters, however, it must be confessed that, especially
in the less settled districts, it is more advantageous to the Province to
have the profits accruing from the commercial fishing of these waters go
into the pockets of some needy local settler or resident than merely swell
the banking account of some individual or company engaged in other
matters, who undertake the enterprise purely as a speculation, have no in-
terest in the matter other than the quick returns to be derived therefrom,
and who are neither acquainted with the process of commercial fishing
or with the areas over which they are allowed to fish by virtue of the
license they have obtained. In all cases in this class of water trafficing
in licenses should be most rigidly suppressed and the applicant or ten-
derer for a license should be required explicitly to state whether or not
he purposes himself to undertake the actual fishing, and whether or not
he is a local resident.
The same objections noted in regard to the introduction of this
system to the great lake fisheries undoubtedly exist, although in a some-
what modified form. The comparative ease, for instance, with which
fishing can be conducted largely discounts the necessity for the develop-
ment of a distinct class of fishermen for these waters, and in the majority
of cases the equipment to carry on fishing operations would neither be
large nor expensive. The fact, also, that it might be necessary to close
down the fisheries in the event of a material diminution in catch being
60 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
disclosed would nxise a new difficulty should the tender be, as recom-
mended in regard to the great lakes, for a term of years. Under reason-
able fishing and good supervision this, however, should not frequently
occur, and in the event of it doing so there would be no difficulty in
arranging a proj^ortionate rebate to the licensee, or even, perhaps, of
changing the location of his license to suitable adjacent waters for the
balance of the term. Moreover, where a licensee in restricted waters had
conducted his business on lines best calculated to ensure a continued
product from the waters and had, in all probability, some considerable
capital, in proportion at least to his means, invested in nets, boats, store-
house and other equipment, not only would a distinct hardship occur
should he fail to secure a renewal of his license at the expiration of its
term, but it is doubtful whether it would be to the advantage of the Pro-
vince to risk obtaining a less satisfactory licensee for the sake of a few
dollars. This, however, might be adjusted by providing tliat where a
licensee conscientiously fulfilled all the requirements of the law through-
out the term of his license, he should be entitled to a renewal of it on
the same terms on which he originally acquired it, or on payment of such
additional fee as might be deemed just by the Government.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, most strongly recommend :
(1) That no licenses be issued for commercial fishing in inland
lakes which have not a clear water area of at least ten miles square.
(2) That no licenses whatsoever be issued for commercial fishing
in inland lakes over which rigid inspection cannot be provided.
(3) That no licenses be issued for commercial fishing in inland
lakes other than the very large ones, which are the habitat of the black
bass, speckled trout or maskinonge, except where a local market needs
to be supplied, and then only and exclusively for the requirements of
that market.
(4) That the value of a license be determined in the same way as
recommended for the licenses of the great lake fisheries.
(5) That subsequent to tlie establishment of Provincial fish agencies
and the introduction of a more effective system of administration of tlie
fisheries, the experiment be made of placing the license issued for cer-
tain inland waters of the Province up to public tender, care, however,
being taken to prevent the licenses from falling into the hands of specu-
lators and to place them as far as possible with local residents or set-
tlers.
(6) That all licensees be required to render monthly sworn returns
of their catch on forms provided them for the purpose, and that such
returns must be countersigned on oath by the responsible fishery over-
seer.
(7) That careful study be made of each lake in which commercial
fishing Is to be allowed in order to determine the extent or amount of
nets w^hich it is expedient to allow to be operated, and the periods and
localities in which spawning of the commercial fishes takes place in
order that these may be rigidly protected.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 61
(8) That careful rotiirns be compiled of the annual jdeld of each
lake in order that as soon a,s a marked decrease becomes apparent in
any one lake, no further licenses may be issued for it during a term of
years, so as to allow of restocking by natural processes.
Lake of the Woods.
The location and peculiar configuration of the area known as Lake
of the Woods have given rise to problems in connection with its fisheries
which require individual investigation.
A glance at the map will show that, broadly speaking, the area is
divided into two portions by the great neck of land called the Big Penin-
sula, the body of water to the south of it being for the most part open,
while that to the north of it is merely a network of channels between
innumerable islands of all sizes and descriptions. The international
boundary, which I'uns almost north for some thirty odd miles from the
point where the Rainy River enters the lake, places more than half of
the open a\ ater area of the southern portion under the control of the
United States, but turning then to the west leaves the northern portion
entirely in Canada, while the Manitoba boundary line touches both the
northern and southern portions on their western extremities. For the
most part the lake, which lies, of course, in the Hudson Bay watershed,
is comparatively shallow, and with the exception of a small passenger
steamer plying between the towns of Rainy River and Kenora is not
used foi' commercial transportation purposes at present, nor would it
appear likely that its waters will ever serve to any great extent as a high-
way of commerce. _
The waters themselves, however, were originally teeming ^^'itll fish,
of wliich the most valuable commercial species were the sturgeon, the
whitefisli, the pickerel and the lake trout, and as the country opened up
great quantities of fish were removed from them on both sides of the
boundary line, with the result that to-day the sturgeon has practically
ceased to exist all o^er the lake, and the quantities of whitefish and trout
have very considerably diminished, especially in the American waters,
which have been fished far more strenuously than the Canadian waters
of recent years. The International Fisheries Commission, indeed, have
given weight}^ consideration to the state of the fisheries in these waters,
and in the proposed international code most excellent regulations have
been devised to be applicable to Lake of the Woods and Rainy River,
dealing with such questions as the mesh, class and disposition of nets,
classes of fish that may be fished for, methods of fishing and size limits.
These regulations, hoAvever, do not altogether dispose of all the difficul-
ties peculiar to the Ontario fishery situation.
The bulk of the commercial fishing in Canadian waters is carried on
in the northern of the two zones already referred to, the headquarters of
the industry being located at Kenora at the northern extremity of the
lake, and the industry itself being vested in the hands of one company.
62 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
known as the Armstrong Trading Company. It is evident that in the
narrow channels and waterways of this area, once the general movements
of the fish have been ascertained, the operation of any commercial nets
is liable to prove peculiarly deadly. On the other hand the number of
licenses issued for pound nets in these waters lis limited by the Depart-
ment of Game and Fisheries to 14, and this fact, together with the in-
numerable diverse routes open to the fish as they move about on their
feeding grounds, has. undoubtedly tended towards the maintenance of
the supply in Canadian waters. Indeed, in regard to whitefish, which
are to-day the most valuable commercial fish of the lake, it must be noted
that under tlie direction of the Armstrong Trading Company the fisher-
men use a mesh of net for the gill net fishing considerably greater than
the minimum at present allowed by law, thus confining their catch
voluntarily to the larger fish, so that, although tliere has, in all proba-
bility, been a marked decrease in the weight of fish caught as compared
with the initial years of fishing, when the waters were practically virgin,
the Northern Zone at least cannot be held to be in any danger of imme-
diate exhaustion under the existing measure of fishing.
The town of Kenora and surrounding country do not as yet afford
a market sufficiently great to consume the present commercial catch of
the Canadian waters of Lake of the Woods, so that if commercial fishing
is prosecuted on its present scale the fish obviously have to be shipped
to other markets. To the East the markets of Port Arthur and Fort
William sliould not, apparently, be in need of any outside shipments,
seeing tliat they should be able to avail themselves of the fisheries of
Lake Superior, so that the natural and logical market for the product of
these waters would appear to be Winnipeg, and it is, in fact, to ATinni-
peg that tlie bulk of the fish is at present despatched. Whether or not
Winnipeg is the ultimate market of these fish is more than questionable,
the probabilities appearing to be that the major portion finds its way to
the soutli of the international boundary line.
In view, then, of the general measures for the conservation of the
commercial fisheries, and of whitefish and lake trout in particular, dis-
cussed in previous sections of this report, and especially in regard to the
recommendation in favor of the prohil)ition of export of these two varie-
ties, it remains to be examined what effect these measures would have
on the waters under discussion.
Under the proposed international regulations the capture of stur-
geon is strictly forbidden for a term of four years, so that in expectation
of tlieir speedy promulgation tliis fish need not further be considered.
Tlie species of lake trout inhabiting these watei-s would appear
from tlie testimony of the manager of the Armstrong Trading Company
not to be of great value for export commercial purposes, as the fish, ap-
parently, softens rapidly on ice and loses its color, thus considerably
depreciating its market value. The variety of whitefish, on the other
hand, is commercially second to none, and, consequently, the whitefish
fisheries must be considered a valuable Provincial asset.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 63
In dealing with the question of the prohibition of export of white-
fish and lake trout, the matter was discussed from its purely interna-
tional aspect, and it is evident that if such prohibition were eifected by
Dominion regulation and made applicable to all Canadian waters in
which whitefish at least are found, there would be no need for any
special precautions in regard to the whitefish of Lake of the Woods, for
it would be only to the advantage of Ontario to have a market for its
superfluous fish in the Provinces bounding it on either side. If, on the
contrary, the measure had to be effected by the Province through the
endorsation of licenses and other means already indicated, it is plain
that an avenue would still be open to the foreign monopolies at the East-
ern and Western extremities of the Province, for obtaining the bulk of
the Ontario fish whose international export the Province was attempt-
ing to prohibit, by causing the fish to be shipped to the nearest suitable
points in Canada outside the Provincial boundaries and thence trans-
shipping them across the border, thus defeating the objects of the Pro-
vincial measure, for no Provincial legislation could be framed to em-
brace the destination of the fish after it had legitimately left the Pro-
vincial boundaries. It would seem, therefore, that under these circum-
stances special steps would have to be taken to guard against this
eventuality. The establishment of Provincial fish agencies would, in all
probability, tend to achieve this object satisfactorily, but as far as Lake
of the Woods is concerned, tlie fisheries of which are so distant from the
more densely populated areas of the Province and where there is only
one company in operation and that a Canadian company, chiefly owned
by Winnipeg interests, it would at first sight appear that the establish-
ment of a branch agency might entail a hardship on a legitimate Cana-
dian enterprise, for, although one of the chief purchasers of the Arm-
strong Trading Company is, in all probability, the American fish trust,
it would seem that the concern itself is operated on Canadian capital by
Canadians. Undoubtedly tlie surrounding territory will eventually
maintain a very much greater population than at present, for both the
agricultural and mineral possibilities appear to be considerable, and it
is, in consequence, essential to conserve these valuable fisheries. It is
also beyond dispute that the possible fish markets along both the Cana-
dian Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways are at present entirely
unexploited, so that there is a considerable field for commercial enter-
prise in this direction. Possibly some arrangement might be entered
into with the Company in regard to the disposal of its fish with a view to
securing its co-operation in fostering the market in Kenora and in the
lesser towns on both railways, and also in regard to the non-export of
the fish from Winnipeg. The existence of a Provincial fish agency might,
indeed, render this all the easier to bring about, for the company would
be able to ship to the agency, for ultimate disposal in the Province, all
fish in excess of the requirements of its own markets and be assured of
obtaining a fair average return. In the event, however, of the company
64 KEPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
being unwilling to enter into any such arrangenient, the most obvious
means of achieving the desired end would appear to lie in the limitation
of the licenseB issued, so that the total catch from these waters could not
be in excess of the actual present requirements of the surrounding ter-
ritory, and in endorsing such licenses as were issued with a provision to
the effect that the catch was to be disposed of for local consumption
only, or to the nearest branch Provincial fish agency, leaving it to the
superintendent of this latter institution to develop the fish markets in
the Kenora and Rainy River districts.
In regard to the fact that the majority of the Canadian licenses
issued for commercial fishing in Lake of the Woods are under the con-
trol of one company, it is to be noted that in view of the location of the
waters the present development of the surrounding territory and the
fact that it is a Canadian company, presumably catering to Canadian
people, so long as the fisheries are conducted on their present scale this
is probably the best method of operating these fisheries, in spite of the
fact that it might be held to constitute a monopoly, for it concentrates
under one Canadian control the disposal of the fish when caught and
thus should simplify the enterprise of creating and developing a good
local market throughout the surrounding territory, and, where neces-
sary, the problem of bulk shipments. It would seem, however, that the
Government might reasonably expect a somewhat higher revenue from
these fisheries than that at present derived from the sale of licenses at
fixed prices, as also that the introduction of a certain amount of com-
petition might result in placing those who engage in the actual business
of fishing in an independent, instead of practically a subordinate, posi-
tion without materially affecting the position of the Armstrong Trading
Company. Consequently it might be advantageous to place at least the
pound nets up to public tender, the district for which the license was
issued being specifically stated on the same. Should a branch Provin-
cial fish agency be established at Port Arthur or Fort William it is
plain that the competition thus created Avould at ouc(» become effective,
although without such an institution it would, in all probability, remain
nominal. As the surrounding country becomes populated, howcA^er, and
the local fish markets develop, the value of these licenses should increase
considerably, so that by the adoption of such a measure the Government
would be placing itself in a position to take a proper advantage of such
increase as it occurred.
In connection with the commercial fislicrics of Lake of tlie Woods
a problem has developed which has given rise to considerable local argu-
ment and discussion. Formerly there existed in these waters coiiside!'-
able (jnantities of pickerel and mascalonge, both of whicli fish are
acknowledged to afford good sport to the rod angler and consequetitly to
constitute a material attraction to visitors and sportsmen. The prose-
cution of commercial fisliing on a considcM-able scale has had, however,
the result already noted in the section on the lesser lakes of tlie Province,
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 65
namely, the rapid disappearance of both these varieties. The peculiar
beauty of the northern portion of Lake of the Woods, with its innumer-
able woody islets, enchanting scenery and practical immunity from very
high seas, renders it eminently suitable for a great summer playground,
and its accessibility has already resulted in attracting to it numbers of
persons from Winnipeg and vicinity, as well as a goodly proportion of
Americans, to pass the summer months in this neighborhood. The citi-
zens of Kenora have become alive to the great importance of this annual
influx of visitors, many of whom have built for themselves beautiful
homes on the mainland or on the islands, and, as must always be the
case, leave behind them each year tribute in the shape of cash for all the
necessaries and luxuries of life, and, by their very coming, create
enhanced values of real estate both in the town and surrounding coun-
try. Although this traffic has already attained very considerable pro-
portions they are bent on further exploiting its possibilities by every
means within their power. Municipal enterprise is being directed to-
wards this end in the erection of a fine modern hotel and other measures
for the comfort and convenience of the visitors, and there can be little
doubt that under their energetic direction each succeeding year should
disclose a material increase in the numbers of persons attracted to the
locality. The value of the tourist traffic is held already to have greatly
surpassed the total possible value to be derived from the commercial
fisheries, and it is, therefore, with considerable indignation that the
rapid disappearance of the pickerel and masicalonge and the diminution
in the numbers of lake trout have been observed.
It is claimed that in the vicinity of Kenora it is now practically
impossible to catch a pickerel or a trout, where both used to be plentiful,
and that an angler can now fisli for a week over mascalonge grounds
without once getting a strike where formerly a good catch was assured
any and every day of the week, and that as a result of this the male sec-
tion of those visitors who have built their summer homes in the locality
spend yearly less time in them, and that others will not come for more
than a day or two at a time. This diminution is naturally attributed to
the baneful effect of commercial netting now carried on by legal and
illegal means, and, as a consequence, a strong movement is on foot to
abolish all commercial fishing practically throughout the northern
zone — that is, over the whole of that area which affords such picturesque
and attractive cruising and camping grounds to the summer visitors,
and farther, to secure the erection of Provincial hatchery plants for the
purpose of restocking these waters with mascalonge, pickerel and trout
and introducing into them the black bass.
Undoubtedly the matter is worthy of the most serious consideration.
The value of the tourist and annual summer visitor traffic has been
strongly called to attention in the Interim Report of this Commission,
as also the potentialities existing in sporting fish as an attraction to the
same, and perhaps no better instance of this could have arisen than tha
case under review.
66 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
The trout in these waters is, as before mentioned, not particularly
valuable as a commercial fish, but it is, nevertheless, held in local esteem
as a sporting fish, especially in the spring and fall when the waters are
cool. The mascalonge is not a commercial fish under present regula-
tions, and its disappearance is to be deplored alike from its attractive
qualities to the angler as from the evidence thus adduced of inefficient
supervision of the fisheries. The pickerel, which is a commercial fish of
considerable value, is also highly attractive to many anglers, and its
presence throughout the waters of this region is, therefore, much to be
desired. These fish are all indigenous to these waters and formerly
abounded in them, and if the ambition of the citizens of Kenora to make
Lake of the Woods the great summer gathering place for the middle west
of America is to be achieved, something will have to be done to replenish
and maintain the suj^ply of all these varieties, not only in the immediate
vicinity of Kenora, but also over a goodly portion, at least, of the North-
ern zone. To prohibit commercial fishing, however, throughout the
Northern zone, as desired b}^ many of the citizens of Kenora, would be a
serious blow to the Canadian commercial fishing industry of this lake,
for it would remove more than half the available area from the opera-
tions of the net fishermen, and, moreover, that area which is probably
the most prolific at the present time, the most easily fished, and the near-
est to the logical and actual headquarters of the commercial fishing in-
dustry of these waters at Kenora. Such a result would not appear to be
at all desirable or in the best interests of the surrounding district, for
the commercial fisheries, properly conducted, are an obvious and tangi-
ble asset of no small value, and with the local and adjacent fish markets
fostered and developed should prove of economic and material benefit
alike to the citizens of the region and to the summer visitors who might
be attracted thereto.
Compromises are proverbially unsatisfactory to all parties, but in
this case it would seem that some middle course is unavoidable if the
greatest value to the Province is to be extracted from the possession of
this uniquely beautiful, attractive and, at the same time, commercially
productive area of water and countless islands.
The key to the situation would appear to lie in control. At the
present time there is an overseer at Kenora burdened with a vast dis-
trict extending from the Manitoba boundary to Port Arthur, and in-
cluding the commercial and angling fislieries of Lake of the Woods, who,
be it noted, is not even provided with a boat of his own wherewith to in-
spect the fishermen at work or supervise the collection of non-resident
angler's tiax, but has to depend on what craft he may be abh^ to hire for
the purpose of the occasional tours of inspection which the care of so
great a district alone enables him to undertake. Obviously during the
fishing season there is ample work for at least one man patrolling the
lake to see that the licensed nets are proiicrly set, that no illegal nets
are being used, and that poachers from across the line are not fishing in
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. C7
Ontario waters through the southern portion of the hike; and to ensure
also that campers and canoeing parties are conforming generally to the
regulations and laws of the Province and of the Dominion. To enable
this work to be properly performed adequate equipment would plainly
have to be provided. In addition to this no commercial shipment of fish
should leave Kenora or vicinity without rigid inspection, which would
entail the presence of an inspector practically continuously in Kenora,
and it would appear that this official should also be charged with the
collection of the non-resident anglers tax and the enforcement of the
angling laws in the vicinity of Kenora, for which duties he would have
to be furnished with a suitable launch. Having once provided for the
adequate patrolment and protection of the fisheries generally, other
measures could be then introduced for the protection of the sporting
fishes as deemed necessary, with the certainty of their being carried into
actual effect.
It would appear advisable, as already stated earlier in this section,
to indicate clearly on each commercial license issued the exact area for
which it was valid. By this means an effective protection could be
aff'orded to the mascalonge grounds and localities particularly adapted
for pickerel or lake trout trolling, as such could be excluded from com-
mercial fishing by the provisions of the license. An area within a given
radius of Kenora could be closed altogether to commercial fishing, and
an adequate hatchery plant could be installed within the closed district
to ensure the maintenance of the supply of the sporting fish therein, and
further, if it were deemed necessary, commercial fishing for the pickerel,
trout or any other variety of fish might be stopped for a term of years.
If such measures were put into active effect there can be little doubt
but that they would meet the needs of the situation as felt by those in-
terested in the development and exploitation of a great tourist traffic,
while at the same time they would not bear too hardly on the established
commercial fishery interests. It is evident, however, that as the value of
the tourist traffic will be eventually, if it is not actually at present, im-
measurably greater to the Province and to the vicinity than the direct
and indirect revenue to be derived from the commercial fisheries, if an
adequate staff, properly equipped to enforce these measures, is not pro-
vided, by which means alone such measures could be rendered effective,
it would be better to sacrific the commercial fisheries to the extent of
excluding them altogether from the northern zone, for although illegal
netting would, in all probability, still flourish under inadequate super-
vision, at least the legitimate nets would be eliminated, and with an in-
spector even occasionally at Kenora open shipments should become im-
possible.
In regard to tlie question of the introduction of black bass into these
waters, if it were possible to achieve it, it would undoubtedly add greatly
to the attractiveness of the district from the point of view of the visit-
ing sportsmen tourists. An experiment in this direction was made some
68 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
years ago, tlirougli the enterprise of local citizens, who caused a ^mall
and isolated lake in the vicinity of Kenora to be stocked with some small-
mouthed black bass. The results of the plantation have been most satis-
factory, and the waters of this little lake are to-day said to be teeming
with bass. This, however, unfortunately constitutes no proof that the
waters of the Lake of the Woods are suitable for bass life, and, indeed, it
is questionable if such will prove to be the case. Except in a few cases.
near the height of land the black bass does not seem to be indigenous to
the waters of the Hudson Bay watershed, although its occurrence in
some of the main waterways near the height of land has obviously
afforded it opportunity to spread over the whole of this water system.
Consequently before undertaking plantations of fry or parent fish, or the
institution of bass breeding ponds, it would be advisable to have a care-
ful scientific investigation made of the waters and food supply in them,
to ascertain if the introduction of this sporting fish into these waters is
feasible. Even were it deemed impossible in regard to the waters of
Lake of the Woods, the successful experiment above noted would seem
to point to the fact that many of the numerous smaller lakes of the dis-
trict could be advantageously made use of for this purpose, but even in
regard to these it w^ould be wiser to conduct scientific investigations be-
fore incurring the expense of further experimental plantations.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend :
(1) That the warden staff of the Lake of the Woods district be in-
creased by at least two men during the fishing season, and that two
launches of the class C type, as recommended in the Interim Report of
this Commission, be provided for these waters.
(2) That the provisions recommended in regard to commercial net
and other licenses in connection with the great lake fisheries be applied
also to those issued for Lake of the Woods.
(3) That the co-operation of the Armstrong Trading Company be
invited in the matter of developing an active fish market in Kenoi-a and
throughout tlie Rainy River District, and tliat if possible some arrange-
ment be come to with that company in regard to the export of whitefish
and lake trout.
(4) That commercial fishing for pickerel in this district be pro-
hibited for a term of three years.
(5) That within a radius of fifteen miles of the town of Kenora no
commercial fishing whatever be permitted.
(6) That areas of water which are or have been the favorite habitat
of the mascalonge be carefully ascertained, and closed altogether to net
fishing of every description.
(7) That in connection with the system of fish hatcheries, ali-eady
recommended in this report, a fish hatchery plant be installed in this
region to handle wiiitefish, trout, pickerel and mascalonge.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 61)
(8) That steps be taken to ascertain scientifically whether or not
the waters of Lake of the Woods and surrounding lakes are adapted to
the maintenance of black bass life, and in the event of this being found
to be the case, for the establishment of a series of bass breeding ponds in
the district.
(9) That the commercial net licenses issued for Lake of the Woods
be endorsed with a clear statement of the district for which they are
valid, and that subsequent to the establishment of Provincial fish agen-
cies and the introduction of a more effective system of administration of
the fisheries, as recommended in the above and other sections of this
Report, the experiment be made of placing at least the pound net licenses
up to public tender.
LAKE NIPIGON.
At the present time very little is known as to the possibilities of the
commercial fisheries in this beautiful sheet of water. Some years ago a
company was formed for the purpose of exploiting these fisheries, but,
although the necessary licenses were obtained, no great efforts were
made to take advantage of them, owing chiefly to the difficulties of trans-
portation which at tliat time precluded the possibility of getting the fish
to the markets excepting during the winter months, and, in consequence,
after a short season of apathetic operation and indifferent financial suc-
cess, the company relinquished its undertaking. Since then no further
experiments have been made in the direction of testing these fisheries.
From these restricted operations, however, taken in conjunction with
the experience and observations of local inhabitants and Indians, there
is sufficient evidence to warrant the assumption that the lake contains
goodly quantities of the better classes of the commercial fishes, such as
the lake trout, whitefish, sturgeon and pickerel.
At the present time a light steam railway, running in connection
with a steamboat service on the lower reaches of the Nipigon River, con-
nects South Bay on the lake with Nipigon Station on the Canadian
Pacific Railway on Lake Superior. A mile or so to the north of the lake
the roadbed of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway is already in process
of construction, and a deviation has been built to Ombabika Bay on the
lake, while the proposed route of the Canadian Northern Railway will
bring it within touch of the lake's eastern shores. It would seem, there-
fore, that the time is fast approaching, if, indeed, it has not actually
arrived, when serious efforts will be made to exploit the commercial fish-
eries of Lake Nipigon, and it remains, then, to be examined how far it
would be advisable to encourage such an enterprise.
The lake itself lies within the boundaries of the Nipigon Forest Re-
serve and drains into Lake Superior through the channels of one of the
most beautiful and extraordinary rivers in the world, the River Nipigon.
This river, with its cold, clear-green waters, with its wonderful pan-
6 P.c.
70 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
orama of exquisite forest seeuery, its splendid Avaterfalls aud series of
unuavigable, white-crested rapids, lias long been celebrated as one of
the outstanding- beauty -spots of the continent, and has been the Mecca of
many a tourist from all parts of America and Europe, not the least of
its attractions being, however, the fact that amidst all the charm of its
unique and entrancing scenery sport is to be enjoyed in the shape of
angling for speckled trout of such size and gameness as are to be found
in but few districts of the world. Naturally the ditticulties of trans-
portation and navigation in the past, combined with the excellence of
the sport on the river itself, have tended to keep the great majority of
the visitors on the river, and to prevent all but the most venturesome,
with considerable time at their disposal, from ascending northwards into
the lake, exploring its archipelagoes and shores, and testing the angling
possibilities of its waters and those of the numerous rivers and streams
flowing into it. It is known, however, that speckled trout of great size
abound in certain parts of the lake, aud in most of the rivers which feed
the lake, and it is indisputable, also, that the beauty of the scenery over
a great portion of the lake and throughout the bulk of the surrounding
territory is such that the construction of easy transportation thereto
cannot but result in the advent of many visitors, anxious to see it for
themselves and to enjoy the magnificent sport of almost virgin waters.
It would seem, therefore, of the greatest importance to safeguard the per-
petuation of the speckled trout in Lake Nipigon in the event of commer-
cial fishing operations ever being permitted in its waters.
There can be no doubt but that the coming of the Grank Trunk
Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways into this region will be fol-
lowed by a considerable opening up of the country in the vicinity of Lake
Nipigon, owing to the latent mineral, timber and agricultural potentiali-
ties of the area. To the south, the fisheries of Lake Superior should well
be able to supply all the needs of an increasing population along its
shores and it would appear, therefore, that the ultimate destiny of the
commercial fisheries of Lake Nipigon should be to supply wholesome and
cheap fish to the future population of the country to the north, east and
west of it. There can be no great material benefit to the Province at
large from the speedy exploitation of these fisheries, for the revenue to
be derived therefrom would be but trifling and, under the existing sys-
tem of administration and condition of the commercial fisheries situa-
tion, as disclosed in previous sections of this report, there would be
considerable danger of these comparatively shallow waters being rapidly
depleted should they be given over to the greedy operations of the
monopolies or t*aeir mymirdons. On the other hand, there should be a
material benefit to the Province to be derived from these fisheries in tlie
future in supplying a cheap fish food to a growing population in the sur-
rounding region.
It has been claimed that the lake is at present overstocked with fish
and that as a result there is n paucity of food which is reflected in the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 71
size and quality of the fish, and iu consequeuce that commercial fishing
would be advantageous to the fisheries. It would seem, however, that it
will be ample time to test the correctness of this theory when there shall
have been established in the region a Canadian population sufficiently
large to consume the fish produced by these waters. At the present time
it would appear that all the fish that is required by residents along the
shores of the lake can easily be obtained by trolling and angling. No im-
pediment, however, should be placed in the way of local residents taking
advantage of the fish products of the lake, so that if the uuml)ers of per-
sons locating in any of the existing settlements or surrounding territory
should warrant it, some form of license might well be issued as occasion
demanded to supply their wants. Licenses have, indeed, already been
issued for the benefit of the construction gangs along the line of the
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and the extension of this SA^stem of prac-
tically domestic licenses would seem admirably adapted to the gradual
exploitation of these fisheries as, in due course, settlement occurs. It
would appear, however, inadvisable to issue very many such licenses
without making provision for tlie inspection of the fish, as on no account
should the netting of speckled trout be tolerated.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend:
(1) That no commercial not fishing be allowed in Lake Nipigon for
the present.
(2) That as occasion arises a modified license be issued to meet
purely local needs, but that in general the domestic license, strictly for
family purposes, be the only license issued for these waters.
(3) That steps be taken to ascertain scientifically what classes of
fish inhabit these waters, as also their main feeding grounds and spawn-
ing beds, in order that accurate knowledge ma}^ be available to guide
the subsequent development of these fisheries.
(4) That special care be taken to issue no domestic or other license
for areas which are the habitual feeding or spawning grounds of the
speckled trout.
THE DOMESTIC LICENSE.
This license, for a very limited amount of net, is issued for the pur-
pose of enabling residents along the banks of rivers or on the shores of
lakes to catch sufficient fish for the needs of their families, the under-
standing being that the catch is solely for home consumption and not for
trade purposes at all. Undoubtedly local inhabitants should be enabled
to take advantage of the products of the waters in their vicinity. The
ordinary methods of angling are, of course, open to them, but there are
classes of fish, most excellent for food purposes, which cannot be caught
by hook and line, as also certain seasons of the year when all the male
members, at least, of a family are busily employed throughout the day
on the farm or in other directions. It was to meet these conditions that
72 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
the domestic license was devised. It is to be noted, however, that local
residents have no more right to the lish in waters near to their liomes
than has any other citizen of the Province, for the fish belong to the com-
munity, so that the dispensation accorded them in the form of a domestic
license is a privilege which should not be abused to the detriment of the
general population. Unfortunately, however, it would seem that this
fact is often unappreciated by the holders of these licenses, and that the
license is abused in certain localities, both in the capture of sporting
fishes and in trading, or peddling the catch in the surrounding district.
The value of the sporting fish in the rivers and lakes is so great to
the Province that to kill them otf by persistent netting is nothing short
of an economic crime. If the residents of any locality desire to catch
these particular classes of fish, the legal means are open to them as to
other citizens of the Province under the limitations imposed by law. It
is evident, however, that the placing of nets in localities which are
largely inhabited by sporting fishes cannot but result in the capture of
some of them, even though the intent of the owner of the net might be
only to catch other varieties. Where domestic licenses are deemed to be
necessary in such localities, it is difficult to determine a means of
remedying this evil, but one solution, at least, is to be found in the edu-
cation of tlie residents in tliese country districts to the value of the
sporting fishes to themselves as a means of attracting to their vicinity
the sportsman-tourist who must inevitably enricli them to the extent of
the money he is bound to spend in the district. Once the residents fully
appreciated the economic benefits of a regular summer tourist traffic,
care would assuredly be taken by them to place their nets in such places
where the least possible harm would be done to the sporting fish. In any
case, if deliberate netting of sporting fish can be proved against the
holders of a domestic license, tlie punishment should plainly be severe.
In regard to the trading of fish caught under this license, even
though they are not sporting fisli, it may be argued that citizens living
at some little distance from the ^^ aters sliould be equally entitled to share
in their products as those who live on the shores or banks. This, how-
ever, while correct in theory, does not affect the scope of the license
under discussion, which is issued for domestic purposes only, but does
not debar the licensees from giving away any surplus fish to their neigh-
bors in the vicinity, but, on the contrary, the fact that in certain locali-
ties there may be a demand for fish, which as a matter of fact is already
the case in several country districts, is merely an indication that there
will arise a market for fish throughout the whole Province, if the matter
is properly taken in hand, which should and could be satisfied by legiti-
nuite means.
The main evil of the domestic license lies in the impossibility of
supervision, for however energetic an overseer may be, he could not per-
sonally view the catch at each lifting of the domestic nets, nor even keep
close tabs on what is being caught, and thus, not only might sporting:
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 73
fish be steadily destroyed, but the small and immature of other varieties
might be taken in quantities and the mature fish in considerable num-
bers at seasons of spawning when they run into the shoals, thus tending
to the rapid depletion of the >yaters, for the sake of a comparatively
trifling gain to one or two individuals, or owing to the negligence or
wilful disregard of the laws on the part of certain licensees.
The cases where there is an actual need for fish food to maintain
existence are, fortunately, comparatively rare, and though, as before
noted, there are seasons of the year when it may be impossible for the
average farmer or his famil}- to devote sufficient time to catch enough
fish to live upon, such seasons are not, as a rule, prolonged, and there
is, therefore, in the average case no apparent reason why any dispensa-
tion whatever should be granted the farmer over the average citizen, but
most especially so where even the limited amount of net aecorded by the
domestic licenses can result in serious injury to the sporting fish. It
must be remembered, also, that even in the case of those fish, such as the
herring, which can only be caught by means of nets, such fish constitute
no small portion of the food of such sporting fish as, for instance, the
lake trout, and consequently the sporting fisheries may easily be injure<l
by ruthlessly destroying them. It would seem, therefore, that the great-
est care should be taken in the issuance of domestic licenses; that as far
as possible they should be restricted to localities where the necessity for
them as a means of procuring sustenance actually exists, and that it
would be advisable not to issue such licenses at all for small bodies of
water in w'^hich sporting fish exist.
Where there is a demand for fish inland from waters for wliicli
domestic licenses are issued, and the waters themselves are of sufficient
size to warrant commercial fishing, plainly this demand should be satis-
fied by a modified commercial license, issued for local needs only, but
where the waters are too restricted to allow of commercial fishing by tlie
importation of fish from other sources, but under no circumstance should
the domestic license, even in a small way, be allowed to usurp tlie func-
tions of a commercial license. To the fact that in some districts it has
done so may be largely attributed the rapid decrease of all classes of fish
in these waters, so that it is evident that measures should at once be
taken, where this has occurred, to prevent any further damage being
Avrought. The local overseers are, of course, the officials in whose hands
the enforcement of the laws in this regard rest, and the necessity for
loj^al, active and energetic officers, unbiassed by considerations of per-
isonal friendship or party politics, is all too obvious. Each net should
be visited by them as frequently as possible, and lifted in order to ascer-
tain the nature and extent of the catch, and whether the licensee is him-
self lifting the net sufficiently often to ensure there being no waste, and
under no circumstances should the nets ever be allowed to be placed on
or near the spawning beds during the periods of spawning of any class
of fish fit for food. Reports, also, of illegalities in regard to trading
74 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
shaiild be promptly investigated, and wlien the charge is found to be cor-
rect, the penalty should not alone be confined to the cancellation of the
license of the offending party, but should be supported by a fine suf-
ficiently large to impress on the minds of all holders of these licenses the
inadvisability of infringing their provisions even in the least degree.
Yo'ur Commissioner would, therefore, recommend:
(1) That a pamphlet be drawn up setting forth the economic value
of the sporting fishes to the community, and that the same be issued with
each domestic license, together with a separate printed extract from the
fishing laws and regulations in regard to the capture of sporting fishes,
and a clearly worded notice as to the prohibition of trading from the
licenses.
(2) That an}' infringement of the trading provision be punished
unconditionally by the cancellation of the license of the offender, and the
imposition of a fine of not less than |50 or more than |100, and that the
offender or any member of his family resident with him be ineligible for
such a license for a period of five years.
(3) That the setting of greater lengths of net than provided for by
the license be taken as evidence of trading, and that no further proof be
necessary for the infliction of the full penalities for trading as above
recommended.
(4) That the penalty for the deliberate netting of sporting fish be
|20 for the first offence, |50 for the second, and for the third offence can-
cellation of the license together with a fine of |100, and that in this latter
case neither the offender, nor any member of his family resident with
him, be entitled to a license for a period of five years.
(5) That no nets under this license be allowed to be placed on or
near the spawning beds of any class of fish fit for food during the season
when such fish are engaged in spawning.
(6) That the issuance of domestic licenses be as far as possible
restricted to localities in which fish food nmy be considered a necessity
of existence, and that, except in such instances, no domestic license be
issued for rivers, or for lakes with a clear water area of less than five
miles s(piare.
(7) That where a local demand for fish is sufiiciently large and
the extent of water warrants it, a modified commercial license for 100
to 500 yards of net be issued for such waters, but that no sucli license be
issued where adequate supervision cannot be exercised, and that no
trading in the fish caught under the license be permitted outside of the
immediate localitv.
WINTER FISHING.
Under the provisions of tlu^ proposed international fishery regula-
tions netting under the ice in international waters is prohibited, together
with the use of spears, grappling hooks or naked hooks, torches, flam-
Winter Fishing Shack, Sarnia Bay.
Some of the Winter Fishing Shacks on Hamilton Bay.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 75
beaux or other artificial lii>lits, and it would appear most desirable that
these restrictions should be extended to the inland waters of the Pro-
vince. When a hole is broken in the ice fish are readily attracted to the
light thus let into the water, and in consequence fishing carried on under
these conditions is liable to prove particularly deadly, for ais the effect
is apparently the same on all classes of fish, it is impossible for the
fishermen to regulate the varieties of fish that his net or hooks will •secure
for him, or to distinguish the species should he be using the spear. More-
over, when the spear is being used, a considerable number of fish will
inevitably escape with a more or less serious wound, and it is safe to
assume that there must ensue a considerable waste wherever this method
of fishing is adopted. As has been pointed out in a previous section of
this report, the more restricted the area of a body of water the more
easy is it to accomplish Its depletion of fish, and since it is evident that
fish are particularly defenceless against these methods of winter fishing
almost as much, indeed, as against nets when they are congregating on
their spawning beds, it follows that it must be even more dangerous to
countenance them in the lesser lakes or rivers of the Province than in
the waters of the great lakes, especially so when these lakes or rivers are
the habitat of any of the sporting fishes, for these will not fail to suffer
in like proportion to the other varieties. Evidence has been secured
sufficiently convincing to show that in the case of Hamilton Bay the
rapid disappearance of the bass was in no small measure due to winter
spearing, for which many licenses have been issued in the past, and tliis
in spite of the fact that tihe bass probably does not commence to move
until a few weeks prior to the breaking up of the ice. Hamilton Bay,
moreover, is by no means an isolated instance. There can, of course, be
no objection to any citizen of the Province breaking a small hole in the
ice and angling with hook and line in order to secure for himself and
family what fish may be required. In fact, such would appear to be the
rational means of winter fishing throughout the bulk of the Province,
and the only method that sliould, in general, be encouraged, or even
allowed, by the Government. It might, however, occur that in certain
of the remoter and unsettled portions of the Province it was essential
for some settler to secure a quantity of fish. In the winter the fish are
easily kept frozen, and by the use of a net it Avould be possible to lay in a
store sufficient for the winter months with comparatively little effort
and within a short space of time, thus freeing the settler from the
necessity of giving further thought to this source of food supply, and
enabling him, perhaps, to busy himself in profitable trapping and lum-
bering operations at some distance from his home. In such cases; no
doubt, the issuance of a domestic license for a limited amount of net
would seem desirable, but on no account should trading under the license
be tolerated. Again, it might possibly occur that to some community in
the wilder regions of the Province fish food in the winter months was
a necessity of existence. In such cases it might be found advisable to
76 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
issue to one individual a oonnueroial license for a sulitifient amount of
net to meet this local reciuirement, but trading from such a license out-
side of the immediate locality should not be permitted. In all instances,
however, where either a domestic or commercial license was applied for,
each case should be considered on its merits and individually investi-
gated by a competent official, for it could under no circumstances be
expedient or desirable to issue such privileges except and only where
actual necessity was established.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend: —
(1) That the jirovisions contained in the proposed international
fishery regulations in regard to netting under the ice, and the use of
spears, grappling hooks, naked hooks, torches, flambeaux, or other arti-
ficial lights, be made generally applicable to all the Avaters of the
Province.
(2) That in the wilder and remoter portions of the Province an
exception be made to the above recommendation in so far that where the
necessity for a supply- of fish as a food, either for a small communit}' or
for an individual settler, is found to exist after due investigation by a
competent official of the Government, a commercial license for an
amount of net sufficient to supply the purely local need may be issued in
the case of the small community, and in the case of the settler, a domestic
license for a limited amount of net, but that under no circumstances
should trading under such domestic license be tolerated, or trading
under such commercial license outside of the immediate locality for
which the license was issued.
The Sturgeon.
Of all fislies to be found in the Provincial waters the sturgeon is
individually l)y far the most valuable at the present time, chiefly owing
to the extraoidinary commercial value of caviar, which is made from
the roe of this fish. The sturgeon formerly abounded throughout the
great lakes, running frequently to an enormous size, and was found also
in great quantities in Lake of the Woods and many of the lesser lakes
and rivers of the Province, but the rapidly increasing denmnd led to such
a vigorous pursuit of it that in those accessible waters of the Province
which have been fished connnercially its numbers have dwindled almost
to vanishing point. In the proposed code of regulations for the inter-
national fisheries of the great lakes and Lake of the Woods attention is
strikingly called to tliis fact by a provision to the effect that no sturgeon
shall be fislied for in any of the international waters for a period of four
years fi'oni the date of promulgation of tlie regulations, and it would
seem more tlian pro])al)l(' that once these provisions are in force it will
be found desirable to extend tliis term in order to give the fish a reason-
able chance of extensive reproduction.
The sturgeon was not always held in high esteem on this continent,
Winter Fishing for Pickerel with Bob Lines.
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION.
i i
but on the contrary for a long time was viewed as a nuisance by the
fishermen on account of the damage it would do their nets and because,
also, white people were prejudiced against its use for food. More often
than not the fish, when taken, were knocked on the head and thrown
back into the water, or left in heaps on the beach to rot or to be carried
off by the farmers and used as fertilizer, while during this period, if the
fish could be sold at all, they would not bring the fiisihermeu more than
ten cents apiece. In striking contrast to this figure is the record of a
sale of 96 sturgeon in 1899 for |3,923, or a little over |40 apiece. About
1860 the first efforts were made in the great lake region in the direction
of smoking the flesh of the sturgeon, and between that date and 1880
the trade in the fish developed in a marvellous fashion, owing to the
demand for the smoked flesh and for the bladders, W'hich were manufac-
tured into isinglass, but chiefly on account of the great European
demand for caviar, reaching in 1880 for the continent a total of nearly
12,000,000 pounds of sturgeon products. The following figures show
the approximate condition of the trade in sturgeon products of the great
lakes from that year onwards : —
Sturgeon Products of the Great Lake Fisheries.
Year. Pounds. Value.
1880 7,557,383 unknown
1890 4,289,759 .$148,360
1899 1,176,818 111,389
1903 638,898 53,017
It may be noted also that Lake St. Clair, which in 1880 produced
in the neighborhood of 500,000 pounds, of recent years has furnished
never more than 10,000 pounds, while the catch of Lake Erie has fallen
to about one sixtieth of its former proportions. That the demand for
caviar was mainly responsible for the increased value of the sturgeon
is clearly established by an examination of the comparative price of that
material at the various periods. In 1885 caviar brought from |9 to |12
per keg of 135 pounds; in 1890 the value had increased to |20; in 1894
to |40, and by the end of that decade to |100, while since that year the
price has soared considerably over |1 per pound. So great, indeed, has
been the demand that in certain instances the eggs of whitefish have been
made use of in an attempt to meet it.
These figures will be sufficient to show^ both the present-day com-
mercial potentialities of sturgeon fisheries and the lamentable diminu-
tion that has occurred in the output in this respect of the great lakes,
and to prove also that under economic management these fisheries
could have been made a permanent asset of enormous value to their
owners. In this connection it is interesting to note that in Russia the
sturgeon fisheries are most rigourously protected and afforded a source
of considerable revenue to the G-overnment. The leases of the different
locations in the Caspian Sea fisheries, which are the greatest sturgeon
fisheries of that country, are auctioned off every three years, being let
78 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
to the highest bidder, who is compelled to pay in cash the exact value of
the fishing plant to the former lessee vacating it. The value of the
caviar production of the Caspian Sea alone is worth from ten to fifteen
million dollars per annum.
According to Mr. C. W. Nash, the well-known icthyologist, there is
but one species of sturgeon in the Avaters of the Province, although this
scientific view is disregarded by the bulk of the commercial net fisher-
men, who have named the smaller specimens of the fish w^hich are caught
in their nets the rock sturgeon, and claim that it is a distinct variety.
"While, as before noted, the great lakes. Lake of the AYoods and the more
accessible water's of the Province generally have been largely depleted
of sturgeon, there are nevertheless many localities in Ontario into which
the commercial net fishermen have not yet penetrated, where the stur-
geon still exists in comparative abundance, more particularly in the
northern and western portions of the Province. In these areas the chief
enemy of the fish would >>eem to be the Indian, who appears to be par-
ticularly partial to its flesh, and places his nets across the channels it
must pass in its spawning movements, drying and smoking the flesh for
future consumption and making use of the tough skin for diverse pur-
poses. The value of the sturgeon is by no mean® likely to decrease in
the future, more especially in view of the fact that the demand for
caviar continues to increase and altogether to outstrip the supply, and it
would seem, therefore, that some measures should be taken to safeguard
such sturgeon fisheries in the Province as are still unimpaired. The
difficulty of perpetuating a fish which is pursued chiefly for its roe must
in any event be great, but in the case of the sturgeon this difficulty is
enhanced by the facts that the fish is a bottom feeder and peculiarly easy
to catch in confined water areas, and also that experience has demon-
strated tlie great difficulty of securing ripe spawn and ripe milt at the
sanu^ time, where hatcliery operations are contemplated or attempted.
The value of the sturgeon fisheries, however, is so great that their
presence in the Province constitutes an asset which should not remain
unexploited, so that it would appear that no efforts should be spared to
restock waters already depleted of tliis fish, and that in the case of
unimpaired fisheries and subsequently in that of waters in which restock-
ing is successfully accomplished, some means should be sought whereby
exiiloitation of the fisheries may be effected to tlie greatest advantage of
the public without endangering the ])er])etuation of the fish in the
Province.
Past experience has clearly demonstrated that in the hands of the
ordinary commercial n(^t fishermen, no matter in what class of water,
the pui'suit of the fish results in its ra])i(l disappearance, and it Avould,
therefore, seem advisable to debar the net fishermen, totally or in part,
from profiting l)y the capture of this fish, for where there was little or
no profit to liiemselves to be derived from its capture, they could at least
be counted on not delibei*ately to pursue it. Then, in order to obtain for
A Sturgeon in the Rainy River District.
Hauling in a Six-foot Sturgeon, Lalve Huron.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 79
the public the greatest benefit from the occurrence of these fislieries in
the Province, two means suggest themselves as ^available, namely to
adopt the Ilussian system of subdividing the available fishery areas into
locations and auction the sturgeon fishing privileges in the same at
fairly frequent intervals of time, making provision for a limited open
season, restrictions as to size, and for the very strict supervision of the
fisheries, or else, after the Provincial Fish Agencies should have been
established, to enact that all sturgeon captured under the ordinary com-
mercial fishing licenses issued by the Province, which could not be
returned uninjured to the waters, should be shipped to the nearest gov-
ernment fish agency at the expense of the Government, the fisherman
being paid a snuill fixed sum for each fish thus shipped, and to operate
the sturgeon fisheries by or under the immediate direction of an efficient
staff of overseers, tlie expenses being born by the government and the
products disposed of for the benefit of the public treasury. Under either
system the sturgeon fisheries would thus be made to produce a consider-
able yearl}- revenue to the Province, increasing as new waters in which
the fish exists are opened up under the development of transportation
facilities, but the latter would have the great additional advantage that
under it a sufficiency of eggs should always be obtainable for hatchery
purposes, which in view of the depleted condition of the bulk of the
Provincial waters is no slight consideration. Under this system, the
sturgeon would become for all practical purposes a perquisite of the
Cro^^■n, but it would be necessary to make allowance for the necessities
of the Indians who in certain localities are largely dependent on the
flesh of this fish for their sup])ly of food. In doing so, howcn-er, it should
be made a specific and punishable offence for an Indian to trade or
barter with this fish outside the limits of an Indian reservation.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend :
(1) That the sturgeon be declared a perquisite of the Crown, and
that commercial fishing for the sturgeon be prosecut(Ml, in such waters
as may be deemed desirable, by or under the immediate direction of (lov-
ernment officials, the expenses being born by the Government, and the
fish sold for the benefit of the public Treasury.
(2) That where under the ordinary commercial fishing license a
sturgeon is inadvertently captured, and cannot be returned uninjured
to the watere, it be required of the licensee to ship forth witli to the
nearest government fish agency at the expense of the government.
(3) That illegal trading in sturgeon be punished by a fine of |100
for the first offence on each of the parties concerned, and for the second
offence by a fine of |200 on each of the parties concerned, together with
the cancellation of the licenses, if any, under which either or both parties
are conducting their business.
(4) That in certain localities where the sturgeon is one of the prin-
cipal foods of the Indians, the above provisions be relaxed so as to allow
of the Indian taking this fish for their own use in the vicinity of their
7 F.c.
80 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
reservation's or habitations, but that under no circumstances sliall
Indians so privileged be alloAved to trade or barter the fish outside of
their reservations.
(5) That special attention be paid to restocking the Canadian
waters of the great lakes and of Lake of the Woods with sturgeon.
(6) That all trading, trafficking in, or shipping of the roes of the
sturgeon or wliitefish, or of black caviar composed of or secured from the
roes of the sturgeon or any other fishes of the Province whatsoever,
be prohibited throughout the Province, excepting when such roes or
caviar Sihall have first been secured from a dul}^ authorized Government
official and a certificate for the same issued; and that any infringement
of this regulation be punishable by a fine of not less than |100 on each
of the parties concerned, together with a cancellation of the license, if
any, under which either or each of the parties concerned are conducting
their business.
The Carp.
I
Some thirty years ago the German carp was imported to this conti-
nent, mainly for the purpose of stocking small ponds and lakes, its
vaunted edible qualities being lauded by the press generally, and its
peculiar tameness and adaptability to life in show ponds and other
restricted waters arousing a veritable storm of enthusiasm for the experi-
ment. The fish, however, fell far short of what had been expected of it
in almost every respect, for not only did it fail to find favour as a food
in conii>arison with the more delicately flavoured local varieties of fish,
but also chiefly owing to ignorance of the proper methods of handling
it on the part of tlie majority of those into whose ponds it was intro-
duced, it appeared at first even to flourish none too well. As a result
the enth'uisiasm for the carp veiw soon subsided, but little attention was
paid to it even where it had been introduced, and its introduction into
public waters, either by deliberate plantation or through its escape into
them from the ponds in which it was confined at times of flood or freshet,
created but little S'tir or comment. To-day there is, in the fresh waters
of tins continent at least, no fish against which more scathing or widely
divergent indictments have been hurled.
In the thirty years which have elapsed since its importation the carp
has thriven and spread in a most remarkable manner, equally astonish-
ing, in fact, as the extraordinary inci-ease and dispersion of the imported
English sparrow, until, as in the case of the sparrow, it has become per-
fectly apparent that the day has passed when it could be exterminated,
and that for better or worse it has come to stay.
The carp lias been dubbed I lie hog of tlie waters and the simile
would not appear to be inapt, for, living as it does in comparatively
shallow waters and feeding chiefly on the bottom, almost anyfhiiig in
the shape of veg(^table or animal life that will pass into its small mouth
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 81
appears good to it as food, and it will gr-ub and burrow in the mud,
digging up the vegetation in search of roots or, perhaps, various forms
of animal life. It is a hardy fish, as evidenced by the var^dng conditions
and temperatures to which it will adapt itself. Indeed, instances have
been known where the fish has been frozen stiff for considerable periods
and resuscitated when thawed out, while in Germany, where the fish is
much appreciated and its consumption is general, it is frequently packed
for the market in wet moss and under these conditions remains alive
for no little time. It is recorded also that the top layers of these fish,
when packed on ice and shipped hj freight fromi Ohio to New York, are
frequently found to be alive on reaching the market.
It is held b,y some that the carp will live to an extraordinary age,
100 to 150 years, and attain a weig'ht of from 80 to 90 lbs., and although
there appears to be little reliable evidence as to the correctness of these
statements, at least it is certain that under favourable conditions the fish
will live a great many years and attain a very considerable weight,
specimens well over 20 lbs. having already been caught on this conti-
nent.
The carp, which commences to breed, apparently, in its third year,
is remarkably prolific, as evidenced by the fact that one reliable
authority has placed the average number of eggs of a 4 to 5 lb. fish at
400,000 to 500,000, while other instances are recorded of larger fish con-
taining eggs to a number exceeding two millions. It is a school breeder,
however, and particularly careless in the matter of its eggs, which are
scattered over the vegetation in the shallow waters and left to take care
of themselves without any further precaution on the part of the fish.
To this fact may, perhaps, be attributed in part the abnormal increase
in the carp in the waters of this continent, for the habitual enemies of
spawn would not have been seeking for it in the open places in which
it is left by this imported fish, and thus an abnormal percentage of eggs
would have been successfully hatched. This, however, would in the
course of time adjust itself, as sooner or later the spawn eaters will
become aware of the new location of desirable food, and doubtless this
will act as a check to a further proportionate increase as compared with
that of the past thirty years.
In regard to Provincial waters it may, generally speaking, be said
that the carp prefers the warmer waters to the colder, and, as it is a
fish that habitually lives in shallow water, the great lakes, with the
exception of Lake Erie, are not particularly adapted to its life. Conse-
quently it is unlikely that it will appear in other waters of the great lakes
in such quantities as in Lake Erie, although it may be expected to work
its way up many of the rivers, in fact it has already done so, and, finding
lakes or localities favourable to its existence, rapidly multiplj^ therein,
A well-known instance of this is furnished by Lake Simcoe, where the
carp have firmly established themselves and appear to be very rapidly
increasing.
82 KEPOllT OF ONTAlilO GAME No. 52
' Tlie carp bas been accused of inanj villauies, chief amongsit which
are tliat it drives the black bass from its nest, tliat it is a spawn eater,
that it devours the young of other fishes, that by rooting in the mud it
renders the water so roily that the breeding grounds of other fishes are
spoiled and the fishes themselves forced to abandon the locality, and
lastly, but by no means least, that it destroys the beds of wild rice and
celei-}' which in the past have been the favorite feeding grounds of the
wild ducks. To this latter charge, at least, it would appear that the
carp must be held guilt}', although, perhaps, not quite to the extent to
which it is accused, for there are well-known instances, such as certain
portions of the St. Clair Flats and Lake Simcoe, where since the appear-
ance of this fish in numbers the wild rice and celery beds have rapidly
disappeared. The rooting habits of the fish, ])reviously referred to,
would account for this, especially as it is particularly fond of weedy and
marshy places such as are afforded by beds of these descriptions. The
other charges, however, are not so easily established. The male black
bass on its nest is no despicable warrior, and it is more than doubtful
whether the sluggish and cowardly cai'p would not prefer to retreat than
to give battle to such an antagonist. Possibly schools of this fish passing
over the district in which the black bass were nesting miglit dislodge
the guardians of the nests, but there is no authentic proof of this as xi't,
while specific iuistanc-es have, on the other hand, been adduced of an
improvement in the bass fishing coincident with the arrival of the carp.
Doubtless if the male bass were absent for any reason from the nest,
the carp would eat the spawn if it chanced that way, as it would other
spawn that it might come across in tihe course of its ])ainstaking searcli
for food, for, as before stated, to the car]) all food is desinable which will
pass into its mouth, but the carp has yet to be ])r()ved guilty of being a
regular and persistent spawn seeker and eater, investigations of the
stomachs of many of them having failed to establish any such proclivi-
ties. The feeding methods of the car]) cannot fail to render the water
roily, and it is, therefore, well jvossible that when the carp takes possess-
ion of more or less restricted areas of water, such a clean water loving
fisih as the black bass will depart, but other deep water S]>orting fishes,
such as the |)ickerel and lake trout, would not be affected, nor does it
seem probable that the spawning beds of those fislhes which seek the
sandy or rocky reefs could be materially injured by the carp. As to the
charge of voraciousness in regard to the young of other fishes, the small,
sucker-like mouth and general sluggish disposition of the carp are
against the supj>osition that it can be a ])ers/istent liuntei- of swimming
fishes, although undoubtedly it wouhl gladly devour any small fishes
that it could easily secure, so that its <le])rediations under this head are
assuredly insignificant. On the other liand it has been established that
young carj) are very acceptable food to (he black bass and other s])orting
and predaceous fishes.
The main objections to jlu' carp would iluis n])|>eai' lo be that it
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 83
renders waters roil}' aud destroys miicli aquatic vegetation suitable as
food for ducks, aud that iu so doing it may be disturbing aquatic condi-
tions generally to a degree sufficient to materiall}- affect the existence of
other forms of fish and animal life.
lu faAour of the carp the most salient feature is undoubtedly its
commercial value. Already a considerable market for it has been
developed in the larger American cities, the average price to the fisher-
men being from li/o to 2i/2 cents per pound, and the chief consumeris,
Germans aud Jews. Trade in this fish from the waters of Lake Erie
has alread}^ reached no small proportions. Special seine licenses are
issued for its capture, the carp being such an active and w-ary fish that
it can but rarely be caught in gill or pound nets, and by means of tlies(>
seines many tons are now annually removed averaging from 5 to 8 lbs.
in weight. It is plain, therefore, that the carp will afford a cheap food,
not only to the Germans and to the Jews, whose fore-parents better
understood bow to prepare the fish for the table, but also to the poorer
classes of the community in this Province as the population increases.
Moreover, a red caviar, much esteemed by the Jews, can be manufactured
from the roe of carp, and since no means as yet has been discovered of
rendering this caviar the blue-black colour of sturgeon caviar, it is always
easily recognisable, so that there could be no objection to the develop-
ment of this enterprise. The palate, sometimes called tongue, is in some
portions of the world considered also a great delicacy. Further, if no
other use could be found for carp, at least a profitable industry could
be founded by turning them into valuable fish fertilizer.
Two other points in favour of the carp have been claimed by its
champions, namely that it is a powerful factoT in the destruction of the
fluke worm, so injurious to cattle and sheep, supposedly consuming the
parasite which causes the disease while in its systic state, attached to
the leaves of grass, or while in its intermediate Ivoist, the common fresh
water snail Limnaea, and also that it will consume the larvre of noxious
insects, notably those of the mosquito. Moreover, the carp may, to
some degree, in rivers below cities do important service as a scavenger,
destroying the germs of certain human diseases.
It will be seen, therefore, that there is something to be said for the
carp as well as against it, and as it has come to stay, it will obviously
be best to seek the greatest possible profit from it. The majority of tlie
citizens of the Province claim that the carp is not palatable, owing to its
muddy flavour, but this would appear to be due largely to faulty metliods
of preparation. The Germans have many various ways of preparing the
fish into most excellent dishes. Dr. S. P. Bartlett, a champion of the
carp, makes the following suggestions on this score: —
^* Kill as soon as caught by bleeding, taking out all the blood. Skin,
soak in salt water for several hours, then parboil and bake, basting fre-
quently."
Some dressing is also suggested. In any case it would appear that
popular dislike of carp as a food is in part, at least, due to prejudice,
84 REPOKT OF ONTAKIO (JAME No. 52
for there are instances on record of tliis fish having been ■served in hotels
and restaurants under other designations, snch as bluefish, without
apparently being detected by the majority of the guests, while on one
occasion, under the title of Red Snapper, it was served at a dinner of a
well-known American Fish and Game Club and was acknowledged to
be a moist palatable dish. Moreover, Germans will frequently select this
fish by choice in preference to the finer American varieties, while, as
already noted, the Jews are particularly partial to it. Experiments have
been made in smoking the flesh of the larger fish and preparing them after
the manner of sturgeon meat, and in this form it is claimed that they
are ahio exceedingly palatable.
Finally, as sport for anglers, the carp can, it would seem, lay some
claims to distinction, althoaigh it is doubtful wiiether such ^^'ill be
admitted in tliis Province to any large extent so long as the black bass,
the speckled and lake fronts and other sporting fiishes are to be found in
abundance. In Germany carp fishing is a popular sport and the Father
of Fishing, the redoubtable Isaac Waltom, devotes a whole chapter to
this fish. That in certain localities of this continent its merits in this
respect are already winning recognition, the following extracts from
remarks by Dr. S. P. Bartlett, of Illinois, will sufficiently prove: —
" The carp when hooked is a vigorous fighter and care must be taken
that he does not break the hook, or break out the hook from his mouth.
I would advise the use of a landing net. I have found the best bait to
be a dough ball, made by boiling cornmeal to a good stiff mush and then
working the ordinary cotten batten into it until it becomes hard and
stiff, rolling it into little round pellets about the size of a marble. Fried
potatoes, sliced raw and fried until they become stiff, not brittle, is also
a good bait. I have seen as many as 200 people fishing along the shores
and nearly all of them get fair strings. One day, within a distance of three
miles on the Illinois River, I counted 1,103 people fishing with hook and
line, and on investigation it developed that a large per cent, of them were
taking carp. The majority of those caught Aveighed a pound, and as
heavy as five pounds, all of them probably used as food."
Dr. Bartlett also quoted from the letter of a prominent sportsman
of the State, Mr. D. M. Hurley, of Peoria, 111.
" Carp fishing with hook and line has now taken its place with bass
and other kinds of fishing. All along the river in this locality carp are
being caught freely with hook and line this year, and to say that they
are gamey is not half expressing it, I have talked with no less than 25
persons who were busy catching carp and in every instance I was told
that it was rare sport to hook a. carp, as it was quite as much a trick to
land one as it was to land a bass. Dip nets were used generally to land
the carp, as the activity of the fish when jerked out of the water would
tear the gills and free the fish quite often. The bait used when fishing
for carp is dough balls and partly boiled potatoes, the latter being the
best in the opinion of the majority. The carp will bite on worms also
1912 AND FISHEKIEkS COMMISSION. 85
quite freely. An old German, wlio lives here, goes daily to the rivers
with a regular tly-casting pole and reel to fish for carp. Of course he
exchanges the fly for the regulation hook, but he uses his reel in landing
the carp and says that there is no finer 'sport than fishing for carp. As
for the sport of catching carp with hoiok and line I consider it equal to
anything in the way of pleasure fishing, as the fish is gainey and will
fight as hard against being landed as bass or other game fish, and is to
be handled with precaution on account of the tender gills, which will
often tear when hooked by an inexperienced angler. In the past two
years carp have become popular where they were unpopular, because of
the wearing away of the prejudice that they were of no benefit to the
angler on account of the belief that the}' would not take the hook. Now
it is different, as the very ones who were so loud in their protest against
the carp have found great sport in taking them with the hook and line,
and it is wonderful to hear the change of sentiment as to the carp for
food purjioses. They are a good fish now and fit for a king in comparison
to what was said of them while the prejudice still existed. To my mind
the carp is a good fish for food purposes and is fast finding favour in
the T\^est in ever}- way, now that the angler has found that it is the
coming fish for sport.''
Thus it will be seen that even on this continent the carp has its
champioms as a sporting fish, and that already many are profiting
through the pleasure ot its pursuit. It must also be remembered that the
class of angling which alone will satisfy the fastidious and expert angler
is not demanded in general by the masses, who as a rule are entirely
content so be their efforts are rewarded by a little sport and the capture
of some edible fish.
In conclusion, then, it would seem that where the carp is found
to be working damage, steps could advantageously be taken to reduce its
numbers to a minimum, althougli in allowing seining for this fish the
greatest possible precautions should be taken to prevent the destruction
of other, and es'pecially the sporting, varieties of fish, but that, in view
of the fact that it is impossible now to exclude the fish from much of the
Provincial waters, it would be the part of wisdom to educate the people
in some measure to its edible, sporting and other qualities. Your Com-
missioner would, therefore, recommend : —
(1) That the present policy of issuing seining licenses for the cap-
ture of carp only, in districts where this fish is found to be abundant
and working harm, be continued provided that proper government super-
vision can be and is arranged for, but that if possible this woi-k be under-
taken in inland waters by officers of the government.
(2) That a pamphlet be drawn up for circulation among the citi-
zens of the Province with a view to educating them to such advantages
as are possessed by tlie carp, especially as a food and sporting fish.
8G REPOIIT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
THE PROPOSED INTEKNATIONAL FISHERY REGULATIONS.
The proposed code of iuteriiational regulations for the protection
and preservation of the food fishes in international boundary waters of
the United States and Canada deals comprehensively with many ques-
tions in connection with the commercial fisheries of the Province, and
the presumption that the day cannot now be far distant when this code
will be promulgated has deterred your Commissioner from entering
uijon a discussion of them in this report. There has, however, already
been a considerable delay in the promulgation of these regulations and
it cannot be denied that the same causes which have operated to this end
in the past may conceivably continue to do so in the immediate future.
There is an urgent necessity at the present time for a revision of the
regulations in regard to such matters as the construction and location
of pound nets, the mesh of nets, the amount of netting, the prohibition
of netting in certain localities, the closing of the sturgeon fisheries in
the great lakes and the prohibition in these waters of netting under the
ice and the use of naked hooks and spears, flambeaux, torches and other
artificial lights, besides various other matters disposed of by the pro-
posed regulations. It would, therefore, seem advisable to take steps to
ascertain from the Dominion Government the probability of the near
promulgation of the international regulations and in the event of no
satisfactory assurances being received that promulgation will shortly
take place, to attempt to introduce or to have introduced measures
affecting these questions on the lines indicated in the proposed inter-
national regulations. By so doing the situation would in no way be
complicated, but on the contrary prepared and simplified for the intro-
duction at a subsequent date of international regulations wihich have
seemed wisest to the joint Commissioners of the United States and
Canada.
It is proverbially unwise to attempt to cross bridges before they are
reached, and in consequence criticism of the proposed international
regulaitions as a wliole is not attempted in this report, but attention is
called to the following point as it Avould appear to open the way to
various misunderstandings and difficulties.
At the commencement of the regulations are set forth various defi-
nitions of terms subsequently made use of in the code, and therein the
expression " Coarse Fish " is defined as " suckers and other fish of little
value as food for man." In the body of the regulations as affecting the
fisheries of the great lakes are various clauses prodiibiting tHie placing of
nets in certain localities such as St. Mary's River, St. Clair River,
Detroit River, Niagara River, St. Lawrence River, where such constitute
the internal ional boundary, or in Lake Erie within one-half mile of the
internal ioiial boundary, and prohibiting also the use of trap nets, but
a succeeding clause dealing with the fishing foi- coarse fish would appear
to nullify much of the valne of tlicse wise ])r(»visioTis. The clause in
question reads as follows: —
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 87
" Nets for Coarse Fish.
" Nothing in these regulations shall prohibit the use of the seines,
fyke nets or other nets exclusively for the capture of the carp, eels and
coarse fish. When fyke nets are used for such a purpose the wings and
leaders shall not extend more than 10 feet from the entrance.''
Consequently, in all the waters of the great lakes there would
appear to be no obstruction to the use of the trap or any other class of
net, so be that the intention was avowed of catching only coarse fish.
Some such clause had plainly to be inserted to meet the eventuality of
either country finding it necessary to remove quantities of certain
classes of fisli, such as the carp or pike, but the omission of the stipula-
tion that such nets should be employed by government officials only,
obviously throws this privilege open to the public. Unfortunately, the very
waters in which fishing, except for coarse fish, is prohibited distinctly
by the regulations, as well as much of the shallower water throughout
the great lake system, in addition to supporting such varieties of fish as
the pike, perch, bullhead, carp, mullet and sucker, contain also in many
instances such valuable sporting fishes as the black bass, the pickerel
and mascalonge, and, as has already been shown in previous sections of
this report, where netting occurs in such waters, but especially trap,
hoop, or pound netting, it has up to the present at least been found
impossible to check the rapid decrease, in many cases, indeed, the total
extinction, of these sporting varieties of fish.
The definition of coarse fish as above quoted may, of course, not be
intended to include the catfish, mullet, perch, or pike, as it would plainly
be a valid contention that such fish have an appreciable value as food for
man, both from the point of view of physical and material economy, but on
the other hand, those interested in securing such licenses would have
apparently an almost equallj^ powerful argument in comparing either
the food or economic value of tliese fishes to that of the whitefish, the
herring, the lake trout, or the pickerel. That sportsmen in nmny locali-
ties would most assuredly protest against any such netting being
allowed, is certain, and seeing that the definition of coaree fish, as enun-
ciated in the proposed international regulations, is so vague, the Avhole
matter might easily give rise to intricate and prolonged legal proceed-
ings to determine its exact interpretation according to law. The issu-
ance of the licenses, however, would of course rest with the Province, so
that, although under the provisions and definitions of the proposed inter-
national regulations, should these come into force, there would appear
to be the possibility of considerable divergence of opinion and friction,
tlie means of avoiding it would still remain in the hands of those in
charge of the administration of the Provincial fisheries.
How far in such large water areas as those of the great lakes, or in
the narrow channels of the international rivers, it is to the benefit of
the commercial and sporting fisheries to remove such fish as the pike,
88 IIEPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
the carp, suckers, eels, buUlieadis, is a most difficult matter to determiue,
for each undoubtedly has its functiooi to perform in the general scheme
of nature. Occasionally a situation will arise, such as tho^e of the abun-
dance of carp in Lake Erie and of suckers in the Georgian Bay region,
where it would plainly be advisable to take measures to decrease the
quantities of these fish, and doubtless, also, where other more valuable
fishes are being removed from the waters, it is expedient also to remove
a proportionate amount of les's valuable varieties. In all cases,
however, but especially in rivers, channels, bays and restricted
or shallow water areas generally, the granting of ordinary com-
mercial licenses for this purpose cannot but be accompanied by grave
danger to other classes of fish, and particularly so when very strict and
efficient supervision cannot be guaranteed. Indeed, it would appear to
be more than probable that the harm done by such means very frequently
would be immeasurably in excess of any benefits derived from the
removal of predaceous or coarse fishes.
Thus, unless the strictest supervision could be ensured, it would
appear on the whole to be inexpedient to issue ordinary commercial
licenses for the taking of coarse fish only in rivers, channels, bays,
restricted and shallow waters generally, especially so in those known to
be the haunts of valuable sporting fishes, but rather, where the removal
of such fishes has become desirable, to undertake the work with Provin-
cial officials, as has already been done in regard to the ling and other
too abundant predaceous and coarse fishes in the waters of the Rideau
Lake system.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend: —
(1) That steps be taken to ascertain, if possible, from the Dominion
Government the probable date of promulgation of the international
fishery regulations.
(2) That in the event of the promulgation of tliese regulations
being indefinitely postponed, efforts be made to secure the introduction
of measures in regard to the construction and location of pound nets,
the mesh of nets, the amount of netting, the prohibition of netting in
certain localities, the closing of the sturgeon fisheries in the great lakes
and Lake of the Woods, and the prohibition in these waters of netting
under the ice and the use of naked hooks, grappling hooks and spears,
torches, flambeaux or other artificial lights, on the lines indicated in the
proposed intc^rnational fishery regulations.
(3) That in the event of licenses being issued for the capture of
coarse fish only, the specific fish that may be caught be mentioned clearly
on the license.
(4) That in rivers, bays, channels, sliallow and restricted waters,
the g(Mieral policy be adopted of undertaking the removal of undesirable
fisli wlu^n necessary, as a Provincial enterprise, but where this is not
feasible, that licenses for this purpose ho only issued where absolutely
stiict snpei'vision can be assured, and tliat in such cases any iiifi-inge-
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1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 89
ment of the licenBe in the matter of the deliberate destruction or sale
of sporting fishes be punished by a fine of not less than flOO on each of
the parties concerned, together with the cancellation of the licenses, if
any, under which the business of either is being conducted, and that the
offenders be debarred from securing any commercial fish licen'se what-
soever for a period of five years.
THE SPORTING FISHERIES.
Till': Economic Function of the Sporting Fisheries.
The truth of the old saying, " All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy," has long been recognized by those connected with or inter-
ested in the moral, physical and educational development of the child
and youth, and under the advance of modern civilization greater efforts
are continually being put forth to ensure for all young people through-
out the early years of their business careers an abundance of wholesome
diversions. Moreover, in view of tlie fact that fresh air is one of the
prime necessities of a healthy body, especial attention is paid to sports,
games and other means of inducing them to spend a considerable portion
of their leisure hours out in the open. The importance, however, of
drawing the older citizens, most of whose time is spent in tlie office or
factory, out into the country or on to the waters of the lakes and rivers,
where they also may breathe for a space pure and invigorating air, is
more generally overlooked, and yet it is more than doubtful whether
from the point of view of the well-being and prosperity of the nation this
is not an equalh' important problem. Much of the physical deteriora-
tion prevailing in the more congested areas of great cities, and the vices
and evils existing in cities and towns alike, are to be attributed in great
part to lack of sufficient indncement to the people to seek health and
wholesome exercise elsewhere than on the streets, and it must, therefore,
be apparent that where an attraction does exist whicli is capable of draw-
ing thousands daily, or at least we(4cly, out into the open air and pro-
viding them with both exercise and amusement, it must be morally and
economically advantageons to foster and develop that attraction by
every possible means. The potentialities of angling rank high in this
regard. The sport is suitable to both sexes and to all ages, from the
young child to the old man and woman. It is within the means of the
pooT as of the wealthy, for the most expensive equipment is but little
guarantee of greater success than that whicli will be attained with the
humblest tools, as is well evidenced by the fact that in 1909 the largest
recorded small-mouthed black bass of the year caught in Provincial
waters was captured by an eleven-year-old child by means of an ordin-
ary pole with a hook and line attached thereto, while also it must be
90 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
remembered that with the masses, at least, the exteut of the catch wW]
always remain the most important factor.
The Province of Ontario is particularly fortunate in the possession
of innumerable rivers, streams and lakes, many of which in the present,
and practically all of which in the past, abounded in fish of many varie-
ties, a goodly proportion of which were amenable to the allurements of
the baited hook. Consequently if properly appreciated and administered
the sporting fisheries of Ontario should play a role in the creation of
moral and physical prosperity, growing in importance yearly as cities
and towns continue to develop and the population to increase.
That the ordinary working man will only too gladl}^ avail himself of
the opportunity of angling is evidenced by the numbers who either
singly or with their families engage in this pastime in those localities
where even moderately good fishing is to be had, but, as the majority of
human beings are prone to be •somewhat impatient of negative results to
their efforts, that number very rapidly decreases in proportion as the
fishing deteriorates. It would seem, then, of particular importance to
maintain the sporting fisheries in the neighborhood of cities and towns
to the highest possible level of abundance, and the larger the city the
greater will be the importance of so doing, owing to the proportionate
difficulty that is coincident with the growth of cities of providing suit-
able open-air distractions and amusements for the masses. Hook aud
line fishing within reasonable limits, and especially in the case of large
water ai-ens, will never impair the fisheries to the degree that is effected
h\ means of even a limited amount of nets in the waters, and it would
seem, therefore, that no matter where situated, it is extremely inadvis-
able to permit any commercial net fishing whatsoever in the immediate
vicinity of cities and to\\ns where any fishes to be caught by hook and
line are at present to be found, or have previously been known to exist.
Tlie total commercial fishing aica of the Province is so great that those
engaged in the commercial fisliiug industry could not claim tliat any in-
justice was being done tlicm by ])r(>hibiting the use of nets in such waters,
and if the policy were adopted of bai-riug all commercial fishing whatso-
ever within at least a five mile radius of cities and towns, even to the
extent of j)rohibiting commercial hook and line angling, not only would
the fishing interests on the whole be unalTected, but a wise and proper
provision would be therel)y made for the wholesome and healthy recrea-
tion of their inhabitants to-day, and f'oi- Ihe needs in this direction of an
infinitely grealei- jiopulalion in the future. It is plain also that such a
measure would greatly simplify the maintenance of the supply of sport-
ing fishes in these areas by artificinl means, where such was found to be
necessary.
In addition to sui»])lying an incentive for healthy outdoor amuse-
ment to the citizens of the Province, the sporting fisheries fill another
role of probably equal ecommiic importance, refei-red to at length in the
Interim Report of this ('(Hiiniission, in that (liey alT(»i-d a most jtotent
F. C. Armstrong's Home Camp, for Tourists Visiting the Steel River, on Clear Water
Lal\e, Near Jackfish.
1912 AND FISHEIIIES COMMISSION. 91
attraction to the Bpoi'tsman'-toairist from other Provinces and countries
to visit and pass some time in the Province. An annual influx of visitors
is bound to bring immediate pecuniary benefit, for they must pay for the
necessities of life, and in addition can confidently be expected to spend
money in other directions than those of plain living expenses. Perhaps
no better illustration of this could be adduced than the importance
attached locally to the annual exhibition held in this city. It is impos-
sible, in fact, to conceive of the outcry there would be amongst the mer-
chants of Toronto were it proposed to abandon this feature, and yet,
while equally great or even greater benefit to the Province at large is
to be derived from the angler tourist who passes a week or more in some
remote village, or even in the wilds, in pursuit of his favorite paistime as
from the visitor to Toronto's Exhibition, this fact has not at yet come to
be generally, or in many instances even locally-, recognized. Consequently
lakes, rivers and other waters in which sporting fish formerly existed in
abundance and whither there journeyed yearly a proportion of ardent
anglers both from Provincial town's and also from abroad, have in many
instances not only been depleted of their sj^orting fish, but the local resi-
dents have themselves been the chief means of effecting this depletion
through illegal or excessive netting, or disregard of the fishery regula-
tions, renmining the while oblivious to the material harm they were
working to their district and to the Province through the reckless de-
struction of the valuable sporting fishes. Naturally enough the visiting
angler-tourist requires good sport for the money he expends to secure it,
and if he cannot obtain it in one locality he will inevitably move to an-
other. In most of the States and Provinces of the central and northern
portions of this continent angling of some description is to be had, so
that it is evident that unless the sporting attractions of Ontario's fish-
eries are maintained to a higher level than the average, the Province
cannot hope to attract an increasing number of annual visitors bent on
angling, but rather that the number will steadily decrease. The accessi-
bility of Ontario and the excellence of her sporting fisheries in the past
have already built up for her no in coins icier able angler-tourist traffic, but
so many of her water areas have already become more or less depleted
that the complaints of visitors are to be heard on all sides, and had she
not possessed such a vast number of waters to draw on doubtless a
diminution in the yearly traffic would already have occurred. In any
case every dissatisfied visitor is a misfortune to the Province, and if the
percentage of waters, depleted or comparatively depleted of sporting fishes,
continues to increase as it has in the past few years the effect on the ang-
ler-tourist traffic cannot but be uiost serious. It is to be noted also that
the waters which have suffered the most in this respect are, in many in-
stances, those most accessible; the very waters, in fact, which, if well
stocked with game fish, should be drawing to them yearly the greater
number of visitors from outside, and the fact that this is the case must
militate against the popularity of the Province as a general tourist re-
8 P.O.
92 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
sort, for many who would be willing to undertake a short journey either
alone or with their families for the sake of securing good sport during
the •summer vacation would be deterred from coming in ijroportion as the
distance to be traversed and the difficulties of access become increased.
Plainly, thereforcs it is of the utmost importance from the viewpoint of
encouraging the angler-tourist traffic that the sporting fisheries in the
more accessil)le waters of the Province should be rendered as prolific as
it is possible to make them, and especially so in cases such as the Mus-
koka district, where the natural beauty of the scenery and formation of
the region generally render it eminently ■suitable for the purposes of a
great summer playground, while, were it not for this factor, the locality
w'ould be comparatively useless and unprofitable to the Province.
From the returns of the |2,00 non-resident angler's tax it is certain
that at least 20,000 anglers visited the Province from outside during the
past season, but it is acknowledged that as yet the collection of this tax
has by no means been perfected, and consequentl.y the actual numbers of
tourists who angled in Provincial waters was assuredly very much
greater than this figure. Unfortunatelj^ no means other than the non-
resident angler's tax of ascertaining the number of summer visitors from
outside the Province are available, but it is obvious that a great propor-
tion of those who purchased the licenses would have been accompanied
by their families or friends, some of whom did not care to do so, which
again Avould very materially swell the total count. That each of these
persons was directly responsible for some cash being left in the Province
is evident, for board and lodging, for transportation, recreation of all
descriptions, and perhaps for luxuries, as likewise that the total amount
thus accruing to the Province must have been a veiy considerable sum.
Its exact propor-tions could, of course, never accurately be determined,
but if some method of approximating the number of annual visitors
attracted by the angling and scenery could be devised, it would at least
form a basis on which an estimate could be formed, and thus constitute
a direct education to the citizens of the Province at large as to the im-
mense^ value to themselves of the sporting fisheries which, in all proba-
bility, are directly or indirectly responsible for at least 50 per cent, of
the summer tourist traffic. A rough approxinuition of tlie number could
at least be arrived at by requesting the keei)ers of hotels and boar-ding
houses to furnish returns of all visitors from inside and outside the Pi-o-
vince, other than those whose stay was in connection witli business only,
and in the country districts, at least, the overseers might well be utilized
to check such returns or even themselves to compile them.
The number of points along the great extent of the boundaries of the
Pi'ovince wliich afford easy ingress to visitoi-s from the east and west and
south naturally result in a considerable dispersion of the visiting tour-
ists, and as the country opens up and trans])ortation facilities increase
the range of the snmiiier visitors will inevitably expand, especially so if,
as is to be hoped, llicir numbers considerably augment. The importance.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 93
therefore, of iiiaiutaining the sporting fisheries generally throughout the
Province to a high level of excellence is apparent, as likewise of safe-
guarding even those waters which are at present practically beyond the
reach of even the most adventurous tourist. The greater the dispersion
of the visitors the greater will be the benefit to the Province at large, for
it is precisely in the more sparsely-settled regions that their cash will be
productive of the most immediate good, seeing that it is the poor settler
or farmer, with whom read}' money is almost invariabl}^ scarce, who will
first secure it and benefit by it as it passes on its way into the ordiiiary
channels of trade in the Province.
The summer visitor, however, is not merely advantageous to the Pro-
vince from the ready cash which he leaves behind him. In Ontario there
are abundant opportunities for the investment of capital, and there is
no better method of attracting capital to a locality than giving ocular
proof of its potentialities to those who possess or control it. Men may
read at a distance of great chances and great developments, and remain
apathetic or unimpressed, but if those great chances or developments
come under their own immediate notice they will, as a rule, commence
to take a lively interest in them. In addition to the capital launched into
the Province for the purchase of real estate or timber limits, many an
instance could be adduced to-day of a thriving industr}^ or concern in
this Province Avhich owed its initiation to the fortuitous chance of a
summer visit, and in the majority of cases the prime cause of the visit
would be found and acknowledged to be the quest of some variety of
sport. Each successful investment, as also each satisfactory enlighten-
ment of a responsible business man from abroad as to the favorable con-
ditions for the investment of capital in the Province cannot but act as
an advertisement for Ontario and result, in some measure at least, in
turning the eyes of those with capital to invest towards her. It is evi-
dent, therefore, that nothing tliat Avill in any Avay assist in bringing into
the Province the more wealtliy class of visitors and sportsmen-tourists
should be ignored, especially not such a pr-inie factor in this regard as
the sporting fishes.
There are, of course, in the Province certain localities, sucli as the
Rideau Lake System, the Kiawartha Lakes and Muskoka district, where
the value of the tourist traific is recognized, and where also the sporting
fishes are accorded at least a measure of their true worth as a factor in
the attraction of tourists, but it is, perhaps, in the extreme west of tlie
Province tiiat the beneficial attributes of the sportsman-tourist and the
attractive power of the sporting fishes are most appreciated and under-
stood. At Kenora, with all the advantages of its location on the shores
of beautiful Lake of the Woods, already a great summer tourist traffic
lias been develo])(Ml by the energy of its citizens. At Port Arthur and
Fort AA'illiam, the rivers flowing into Lake Superior, notably tlie noble
Xipigon River, have played no small part in attracting tourists to the
district, eager to land the sporting speckled trout. Rut at Kenora, as at
94 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Port Arthur aud Fort William, the citizens believe in the future of their
cities; they believe, also, in the timber, mineral, agricultural and other
potentialities of their districts ; and they realize not only that to expand
their cities and exploit these inherent advantages it is necessary to
attract capital, but that one of the surest means of inducing the more
wealthy classes to visit the districts is to offer them prospects of really
good angling. At Kenora, as before noted in this report, a strong move-
ment is on foot to bar all commercial fishing in Lake of the Woods and
other waters within a radius of 50 miles of the town, and to stock these
wiaters with black bass and other sporting fishes, while at Fort AA'illiam
and Port Arthur the keenest interest is evinced in the question of re-
stocking the rivers and lakes of the surrounding country which have
unfortunately become depleted.
It would seem, therefore, that in the Province to-day a realization
of the economic role of the sporting fishes in regard to the development
of a tourist traffic has not only taken root, but commenced to spread its
shoots, and that it would require but steady effort in the direction of
popular education over a comparatively short period of years to effect a
general recognition of its vast importance. For the Government to
undertake such education would plainly be advantageous to the whole
Province.
The Sporting Fishes.
Angling as a sport or pastime has for many generations claimed
thousands as its devotees throughout the world, and many and various
are the classes of fish which are enshrined in the beautiful literature to
which this subject has given birth, in almost every tongue of the civilized
world. The pleasure of being out in the open air; the natural beauty
and fascination of the scenery or the peacefulness and solitude of the
surroiundings, and, in some cases, the hardships and difficulties to be
encountered, together with the skill required for success, the excitement
of tlie struggle and the joy of victory, have all contributed their quota
to the popularity of this sport, and it is not too much to say that there
is no land in the world where it is more generally appreciated than on
this continent.
There are those who, armed with delicate and expensive equipment,
have brought their skill to the point of a veritable art, and will only
pursue sucli fishes as will give them a prolonged and vigorous struggle
under conditions which will afford their art full play. Tliose there are,
again, wlio prefer to have their angling under the easiest possible con-
difions, and still others who, whether their tackle be inexpensive or
co.stly, care rather for the amount of the catch tlian for the skill reipiired
to effect it, setting more store on some measure, at least, of success tlian
on either the gameness or variety of the fishes captured. Strictly speak-
ing, in so far at least as this continent is concerned, it is doubtful
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 95
wliether the title of " sporting " would be accorded to any fish by the
majority of expert anglers which was not alike possessed of good fight-
ing and edible qualities, but the expert anglers are in a great niiuoritj
as compared with the masses who often or occasionally indulge in
angling, and it must, therefore, be conceded that under the term sport-
ing fisihes there might Avell be included all such fish as att'ord sport to a
fair proportion of the population, the more so as even amongst the ex-
pert rod anglere themselves there are to be found cases of considerable
divergence of opinion. The yellow pike or pickerel, for instance, has
only recently come to be looked upon as a sporting fish in this Province,
and even so only in certain localities, whereas in the United States it
has long been accorded high rank; while, again, trolling the deeper
waters for lake trout with powerful rod and heavy copper line, is by
some despised, but by many regarded as a most delightful and exhilarat-
ing sport.
The sporting fisheries of the Province should, therefore, not be con-
sidered as confined only to thO'Se classes of fish whose game and edible
qualities have resulted in their universal classification as " sporting,"
but should be viewed as embracing other classes of fish whose pursuit
affords recreation and sport to thousands. Thus under this heading there
must be included, besides the bass, the speckled trout, the mascalouge,
lake trout and pickerel, such coarser varieties as the pike, perch and
rock bass, and perhaps even the more despised bullheads, carp and
mullet, for while the term " sporting fish " in regard to tliem may, in its
strictest sense, be a misnomer, their pursuit and capture, while despised
and neglected by the expert rod angler, is none the less esteemed a most
excellent sport either by the young or by the masses.
For many of the coarser fish there is, of course, a steady demand on
the fish markets of the greater cities as a cheap food, and' again both
lake trout and pickerel, while undoubtedly in a sense sporting fishes of
considerable importance, are none the less commercial fishes of the high-
est rank, and as such of great economic worth to the Province both as
a food and as a commercial commodity. The commercial use of the black
bass, mascalouge and speckled trout is forbidden by law, but it would
plainly be inexpedient and impossible to prohibit the commercial ex-
ploitation of all those fishes embraced by the widest definition of the
term " sporting " throughout the waters of the great lake system. There
are, however, localities, both in the great lakes and in other portions of
the Province, where the economic value of such fishes as a means of pro-
viding sport is already far in excess of the actual commercial value, such,
for instance, as the vicinity of cities and towns, and those regions most
particularly adapted for the entertainment of a large number of sum-
mer visitors. This latter fact was well emphasized by the Dominion
Royal rommissiou of the Georgian Bay Fisheries, which included among
its recommendations the setting aside of a very considerable area in that
region to be treated as an exclusive sporting fish preserve. There can
m KEPOET OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
he no doubt but that it would be to the advautage of the Province were
all such waters to be similarl}- treated.
In previous sections of this report dealing with the coniinercial fish-
eries various recommendations have been made which have al^^o a direct
bearing on the sporting fisheries, notably as to the prevention of com-
mercial fishing in rivers and lakes with less than a clear water area of
ten miles square, tlie limitation of domestic licenses, the prohibition of
spearing or netting in the winter, and the removal of predaceous or
coarse fishes from those areas in which commercial fishing is deemed in-
advisable by Government oificials, or at least under direct governmental
supervision, so that it is needless again to diiscu'ss these matters under
the present heading. There is, however, one other question closely
allied with these problems which remains to be examined, namely, the
fishing for lake trout and pickerel in those inland waters for which com-
mercial licenBes are, or will be in the future, issued. Both varieties of
fish are, as a rule, to l)e found in sucli waters and naturally constitute
no inconsiderable portion of the catch of the comnnM-cial net fishermen,
while, in addition, the commercial value of their flesh is high. Conse-
quently, were tlie net fishermen to be debarred from fishing for or selling
these fish it would appear that it might materially affect the possibility
of their making a •success' of the enterprise. On the other hand, as
already pointed out, the great lake commercial fisheries should be amply
sufficient to supply the general market of the Province and the function
of these lesser water areas, stocked with commercial fishes and of suf-
ficient size to render commercial fishing permissible, iis undoubtedly to
fill the needs of a purely local market, and should be confined to this
purpose. If this latter fact should come to be recognized and adopted
as a general policy, as recommended in this report, it is evident that
only a local resident would engage in the businesK of commercially fish-
ing sfuch waters, or, in fact, that the business would, as a rule, be under-
taken by some individual as a means of augmenting an income derived
from other sources. The hardship to tlie fishermen, therefore, in pro-
hibiting the commercial fishing of lake trout or pickerel in confined
water areax A\ould be very appreciably diminished under such conditions.
Tlie value of both these fishes is undoubtedly great as an attraction to
tourists, and in addition to this, if the fishing for either or both varieties
was good, even though there might be a possible local market sufficient
to consume all that, might reasonably be caught under a commercial
license, the residents of the surrounding district could be counted on to
take full advanlage of the excellence of the fishing in their vicinity, and
thus the disiribulion of the fisli as food ihrough the lU'ighborhood would
be almost (Mjually well eff'ected as could be accomplished through com-
mercial trading. It would appear, then, tliat in the lesser inland waters
thioughout the Province it would, on the whole, be advantageous to pre-
vent, as far as possible, the commercial exploitation of eitluM' the lake
trout or jtickerel. The supervision of fish shipments, which are the pro-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 97
ducts of small lake coininereial fisheries, should be easily ettected so that
even though general trading in the fishes could not be prohibited in the
Province so long as they remain legal commercial fishes when caught in
the great lakes, at least what lake trout and pickerel where netted in
such instances would have to be disposed of locally, and it should be com-
paratively easy, therefore, to bring home the offence to the offender.
The endorsation of the commercial licenses issued for the lesser lakes in
which it was desired to stop commercial lake trout and pickerel fishing,
with the prohibition of netting or selling either fish under the license,
would appear to meet the requirements of the case, provided a reason-
able penalty was imposed for any infraction of the provision. Such a
step would, of coui'se, be within the jurisdiction of the Provincial Gov-
ernment. It is apparent tlmt the value of the commercial license would
by this means be somewhat diminished, for the trout and pickerel com-
mand an especially high price, but, on the other hand, there can be no-
urgent reason advanced for the commercial exploitation of the fisheries
of the lesser lakes under the ordinary commercial license, at least not at
the present time, so that, even if the measure did result in the sale of a
less number of such licenses, there would be no occasion for great regret
on that score.
THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
RECOGNIZED GAME FISHES OF THE PROVINCE.
The Small-Mouthed Black Bass.
It is generally acknowledged that at the present time the black bass
is the most important of all the sporting fishes to be found in the Pro-
vince. Its fighting qualities are second to none; as a table fish it is the
peer of any, and consequently it is not only most highly esteemed by the-
anglers of the Province, but affords also an immense attraction to those
who live without the Provincial borders. The range of the black bass is
considerable, and it is found in more or less abundance throughout most
of the waters of the eastern and central portions of the Province, as well
as in certain portions of all the great lakes, with the exception of Lake
Superior. To the north it does not appear to any great extent in the
waters of the Hudson Bay watershed, excepting, perhaps, near the height
of land, while to the west it does not occur much beyond the eastern
limits of the Algoma district with the exception of a few rivers and lakes
in the Rainy River district, which, although themselves a part of ^he
Hudson Bay watershed, are close to the height of land in Wisconsin ter-
ritory, south of which this fish again appears in abundance. Although
the range of the black bass is thus seen to be very extensive, it does not
occur naturally in all the waters of the area indicated. The Algonquin
National Park, for instance, in which lie a network of lakes, and where
98 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
also are the headwaters of several important rivers in the loAver reaches
of which the black bass does occur, possessed no fish of this description
until the experiment was made of introducing them. It is to be noted
also that, generally speaking, to the north of the latitude of Georgian
Bay, even where the fish does occur, it is, as a rule, not in isuch great
abundance as in the more southern waters, and it is evident, therefore,
that those waters, such as the Bay of Quinte, the Ducks near Kingston,
the Rideau Lakes and Kiawartha Lakes, which have become famous
in angling circles as particularly prolific in black bass, even though of
recent years their reputation may have waned owing to the depletion
which has occurred, should be most highly esteemed, cared for and pre-
served by the Province, for it is a practical certainty that no such mag-
nificent fishing grounds for black bass in Ontario remain to be discov-
ered in the future.
In general the black bass seems to prefer cool, clear waters, having
a rocky or gravelly bottom. It is a voracious and cannibalistic fish, its
food consisting chiefiy of insects, crustaceans and small fish, but when it
is hungry it will, apparently, consume almost anything which it can
overpower. At the approach of winter it ceases to feed and lies dormant
under logs, weeds or rocks, until shortly before the ice commences to
move, when, as the warmth of the water increases, it rapidly regains
both its energy and appetite. The spawning season commences in May
and is over early in July, the actual date of commencement appearing
largely to depend on the temperature of the water. The male fish pre-
pares a nest by scooping out a shallow hole in sand or gravel, and when
this has been accomplished to his satisfaction he proceeds in search of a
mate. At this period the males are most pugnacious and desperate
encounters frequently take place between them. Having found a mate
and successfully conducted her to his nest, the male fish has to court the
female in order to induce her to void her eggs, which he does by rubbing
himself gently against her sides. ^'N'hen the spaw^ning process is com-
plete, the female fish departs and the male mounts guard over the nest.
Incubation lasts approximately from seven to fifteen days, but the male
fisli does not leave his charge until the small fishes are able to swim and
thus more or less look after themselves, and while engaged in this duty
he will attack and drive away anything which approacihes the nest.
Consequently it is of the utmost importance that the fish should be pro-
tected at this period, for he will rusli at almost any lure for tlie purpose
of chasing it away, deeming it a dangerous intruder, and thus lends him-
self to easy capture. In such cases the destruction is not limited to the
pai-ent fish alone, but will almost inevitably result in that of the progeny
also, for in the neighl)orhood of the nests there are invariably a host of
enemies of spawn and very young fry, such as chub, minnows and other
creatures, which alone are kept at a distance by the presence of the
guardian over the nest.
The bass will on occasions take the fly, more frequently so in some
Black Bass.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 90
localities than iu others. It can also be captured still fishing or trolling
with a variety of baits, such as the angle-worm, trolling spoon, frog and
natural or artificial minnow. It is, however, not always an eavsy matter
to induce it to bite, especially so where food is plentiful. Frequently it
will approach the bait, sometimes taking it into its mouth and playing
with, without swallowing, it. On the other hand, there are times when
the fish bite greedily and ^\'ithout hesitation at almost any bait that may
be offered, and on such occasion® it is possible on good'bass grounds to
land considerable numbers of the fish. In any case, once the bass is
hooked, it rushes away at great speed and commences to fight most
vigorously. In the course of the struggle it will, as a rule, break water
two or three times, and the battle can never be couKidered as won until
the fish has actually been landed, for up to the very last moment it will
resist capture with all the strength and energy it possesses. In fact it
is not too much to claim for the small-mouthed black bass that there is
no fiKh in the world which weight for weight will fight with more per-
sistent determination, and it is incontestable that it must be accorded
premier rank among the game fishes of the Province, alike for the sport
which it provides throughout the wide area of its distribution to the
citizens, and for the attractive power which it possesses, to draw enthusi-
astic anglers to Ontario from all parts. In weight the small-mouthed
black bass ranges up to 614 to 7 lbs., though fish of this size are but in-
frequently caught. A 2 to 4-lb. specimen, however, can be counted on to
give the angler all that he requires in the way of magnificent sport.
The Large-Mouthed Black Bass.
The large-mouthed black bass, sometimes known as the yellow or
green bass, is not infrequently confounded with the small-mouthed
variety. Its distribution is almost coincident with that of the latter,
namely, the eastern, southern and central waters of the Province, but it
does not range quite so far to the north. As a rule tliis fish prefers those
waters which have a mud bottom and in whicli, consequently, there is
an abundance of aquatic vegetation, so that it occurs in greatest abun-
dance in quiet lakes and bays, but it appears to be capable also of adapt-
ing itself to running waters and even to thrive therein. As in the case
of its small-mouthed relative, the spawning season commences in May
and is completed early in July, being determined largely by the tempera-
ture of the water, and it also ccmstructs a nest which it scoops out of the
sand or mud for the reception of the eggs. Inculiation lasts from one to
two weeks, varying with the temperature of the water, tlie young bass
remaining in the nest for about a week after emerging from the eggs, and
until these latter are ready to move away the parent fish renmins on
guard. The principal foods are fish, frogs and crustaceans, and in the
summer montlis it is most usually to be found under overhanging banks,
in the shelter of sunken stumps or logs, or in holes among the weeds. As
100 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
the weather becomes cold, the fish, as a rule, seeks deep waters and
hibernates either in the mud or under sunken logs or rocks.
As a sporting fish the large-mouthed black bass ranks high, even
though it is not, as a rule, quite so vigorous a fighter as the small-
mouthed bass. The introduction of bait-casting as a means of angling
has greatly enhanced its value in this regard, for the very places in which
it is most usually to be found are those which it would be most difficult,
or even impossible, to fish by ordinary still fishing or trolling methods.
It cannot be denied that this class of angling is most fascinating, the
skill required to cast the bait from 30 to 100 feet exactly into the desired
spot over a hole in the weeds or alongside some sunken tree-stump or log
being equally high as that exacted in the art of fly fishing, while the
nature of the surroundings very frequently adds greatly to the difficulties
of landing the fish after it has been hooked. Perhaps the best fishing
grounds for this purpose in the Province occur in the drowned lands to
be found along the Rideau Lake system, and it would be hard, indeed,
to discover waters more admirably adapted to the requirements alike of
the fish and the bait-caster.
The large-mouthed bass is, of conrse, to be caught by other means
than bait-casting. It will at times rise freely to a fly, and in many
localities, where the surroundings permit of it, still fishing with the
angle-worm, frog or minnow is productive of good results, while it is
also to be captured on occasions by trolling, either in those running
waters in which it occurs or in the vicinity of its habitual retreat among
the tree-stumps or weeds. It is a powerful fish and when hooked fights
much in the same way as the small-mouthed bass, making a series of
desperate rushes and occasionally, but not so frequently, breaking water,
but, as before noted, it is apt to be a trifle faint-hearted and to give up
the struggle more readily than wonld ever its small-mouthed relative.
It is an excellent table fish and in this Province runs in weight up to 6
or 7 lbs., thongh such large fish are not often to be secured.
The Brook Trout.
In the days prior to the advent of civilization the brook, or as it is
frequently styled the speckled, trout, abounded in most of the streams
and rivers of the Province flowing into the great lakes and St. Lawrence
River, and occurred also in the waters of many of the lesser lakes. The
fish, liowever, wliich is not, strictly six'aking, a brook trout, but a close
relative of, if not identical with, the celebrated char of North Britain
and the European continent, requires both cool, clear waters and an
abundance of s]ia<h^ in order to tlirive, and the opening up of the coun-
try lias, in consequence, very considerably affected its distribution. It
is a well-known fact that the removal of the forest Avill inevitably effect
material clianges in the nature of the waters of a district, and this fact is
well illiisli-alcd by the streams of southern Ontario, for many of those
1912 AND FlSHEltlEvS (;0MM1ISS10N. 101
Avhieli formerly might have aspired to be styled rivers have fallen to the
level of brooks, swept by freshets in the spring and with but a trickle of
water in the suinnier months where formerly there was an abundant and
steady flow. It is to be noted also that the temperature of the rivers and
streams is raised by the removal of the forest, and especially so in such
cases where no shade trees are left to line the banks. The brook trout
Avill not thrive in warm waters, nor in waters absolutely destitute of
shade, and consequently has disappeared from many waters which it
formerly inhabited. Naturally enough this has occurred most notice-
al)ly in the more settled portions of the Province, for it is these which
have been the most thoroughly shorn of their timber. Pollution of the
Avaters, through the dumping of poisonous or deleterious nmtter therein
by towns and factories, has also in certain localities played no incon-
siderable part in the extinction of the fish, and a like charge, it is to be
feared, must be levelled against the ruthless overfishing, both angling and
netting, which has but all too frequently taken place and which, although
due in part, no doubt, to the excellence of the sport afforded by the fish,
cannot but chiefly be attributed to the high estimation in which it is
held for table purposes and the consequent good price that can be ob-
tained for it. The sale of the fish is prohibited by law, but unfortunately
this has as yet far from checked illegal trafficing in it. In many of the
Provincial cities and towns, including even Toronto, it continues to be
peddled, and some even of the regular fish dealers are not entirely inno-
cent on the score of handling it surreptitiouslj^
While, then, the natural range of the brook trout may be considered
as including niuch of the eastern and southern portions of the Province,
it is unfortunately the case that it has largely disappeared from this area
through the causes above enumerated, although in a few of the wilder
regions, where timber is still standing and civilization, generally speak-
ing, has not as yet intruded to any great extent, it may still be found in
comparative abundance. In the Algonquin National Park, for instance,
many of the little lakes and streams of that wild and beautiful district
are well stocked with the fish, and the same may be said of other portions
of the Ottawa River basin and of more or less isolated localities to be
found in FTaliburton, Hastings and other counties. Those waters, also,
which drain into Lake Huron and Georgian Bay may, for practical pur-
poses, be said not to be brook trout grounds at the present time, although
in the Parry Sound district and other localities there are places where
good fishing is still to be secured, for it is not until the streams of the
Algoma District are reached, which flow into the North Channel, that
the fish commences to appear in appreciable quantities. Thence, how-
ever, westward it is to be found in most of the rivers and lakes flowing
into Lake Superior, reaching its zenith of abundance and size in the
Thunder Bay District. In this region are situated the Nipigon River,
already world-famous for its magnificent trout fishing, and many other
fine streams, such as the Steel, and it is to be noted also that the fish
102 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
is abundant in portions of Lake Nipigon and in most of the rivers and
stream's which tiow into it. To the west of this, again, in the Eainy
Eiver District, the fish does not appear to exist at all in the waters of
the Qnetieo Forest IJeserve, the Rainy River, Lake of tlie Woods or sur-
rounding territory, and in the northern and western portions of this
district it is doubtful whether it occurs anywhere in very great abun-
dance. Its diistribution, in fact, in those waters of the Province which
drain into James or Hudson Bay. would seem to be more or less con-
fined to the regions north of Lake Superior, and it is, apparently, most
abundant in the neighborhood of the height of land. There is, indeed,
no doubt that many of the rivers and lakes of this watershed in both the
Thunder Bay and Algoma districts are as well ■stocked with brook trout
as almost any of the waters flowing into Lake Superior. It is an un-
fortunate fact that already man}' of these latter waters are beginning to
show the effects of illegal netting, and if the brook trout is to be per-
petuated in them steps should be taken at once to check this nefarious
trafflc. It is certain also that the building of the Grand Trunk Pacific
and the Canadian Northern Railways will throw open a great new ter-
ritory north of Lake Superior in which excellent brook trout fishing will
be readily secured. In view of the importance, therefore, of this fish as
an attraction to anglers, both from at home and abroad, it would seem
tliat the greatest precautions should be taken both in the Superior basin
and in the virgin territory to the north of the height of land not to re-
peat tlie mistakes made in the older portions of the Province, but to
ensure that a sufficiency of forest shall be left standing to maintain the
steady flow and normal temperature of the waters, and tlmt the shade
along the banks of the rivers and lakes shall be jealously preserved.
The brook trout is a voracious feeder, living chiefly on small fishes,
insects and crustaceans. The size whicli it attains depends largely on
the nature of tlie waters in which it lives and the food to be obtained
therein. In small streams it may mature at a lengtli of six or eight
inches and a weight of only a few ounces, while in larger bodies of water,
with an al)undiant supply of food, it will reacli a lengtli of eighteen
inclies or moi-e and a weight of from G to 8 pounds. Large fisli such as
this are still to be taken in the Nipigon River and Lake Nipigon, and in
that region fish of from three to five pounds are by no means uncommon.
The spawning season of the fish extends from August in the north
to Decend)er in the south, the trout running up towards the headwaters
of streams and depositing their ova on the gravelly shallows, '{"'he num-
ber of eggs produced by the female dei)ends largely on the size and age
of the fish, those in tluMr second year voiding from 50 to 2~)0 eggs, while
larger fisih may lay as many as 1,500. The i)(^riod of hatching depends
in great measure on the tem])erature of the ^^ater, varying from thirty-
two days in warm weather to one hundred and sixty-five in cold. In the
early part of the summer the trout prefers the ripples and shoaler parts
of the stream, but, as the temperatur<' rises with tlie apiuoach of hot
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 103
weather, it returns to the deeper pools or the vicinity of cold springs,
where it remains until the return of autumn urges it once more up
stream to spawn. The close season for brook trout commences at
present on September 15 and extends to April 30 of the following year,
so that over the best brook trout fishing grounds of the Province, namely,
in the North land, some of the fish are already ripe, or even coinmencing
to spawn, some weeks prior to protection being afforded them. In this
region, however, the latter part of August and the two first weeks of
September are undoubtedly, with the possible exception of early May,
the most pleasant period for angling, as the fly and inosquito, so pre-
valent through the summer, have by that time practically disappeared,
and, moreover, this is also the time of year most convenient for vacation
purposes to a great number of sportsmen. It would seem, therefore, on
the whole, to be inexpedient to shorten the close season, but the fact that
spawning commences so early in this region renders it all the more im-
portant to lose no time in the institution of hatchery plant's in order to
ensure the continued abundance of the fish.
The fame of the speckled or brook trout as a sporting fish is so uni-
versally known that there is no need to insist on its merits in that
respect, excepting, perhaps, to note that the brook trout of the Province
is the equal in this respect of any to be found throughout the w^orld.
In the northern waters the fish will, as a rule, rise readily to the fly in
the early morning, in the evening and for some hours after nightfall,
but often decline to do so during the heat of the day. This, however,
w(mld not appear to apply to the almost virgin waters entering Lake
Nipigon from the north, east and west, nor to those waters to the north
of the height of land, where the fish appear to be so numerous and greedy
that catches have been made with the fly when the day was already warm
and the sun high in the heavens, doubtless owing to the fact that the
very abundance of the fish entails a comparative scarcity of food. In
general, however, the trout can be induced to strike at a worm, a frog
or minnow at almost any period of the day, and although the historic
traditions of speckled trout angling condemn such methods and place
those employing them without the pale in the opinion of exclusive fly
fishermen, there can be no doubt but that both the very early morning
and after dark in the evening are not times of the day wihich appeal to
the vaist majority of those who indulge in this sport either in Canada
or in the States, and that by far the greater number prefer to start their
angling after breakfast and put up their rods at sundown. Moreover,
it is only comparatively few w^ho have the opportunity of becoming ex-
pert fly-casters, so that it would seem that much of the brook trout
angling of this Province is destined to continue to be effected in total
disregard of the ethics of the present day fly fisherman and of the ancient
traditions woven around the pursuit of this splendid sporting fish.
While this to a certain extent may seem a pity, and must inevitably
act in the direction of accelerating the diminution of the supply unless
104 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
special iiieasiires for artificially iiiaiutaiiiini»' it are introduced, it can-
not be denied tlnat the prime benefit to^ be derived from the possession of
fisheries, in a land where those fisheries belong- to the public, lies in
affording the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to the greatest number,
botii of residents and visitors, so tliat, although it might be advisable
in certain instances to set aside brook trout rivers for fly fishing only,
in general it would be inadvisable to introduce^ any such restrictions.
The paraimount necessities are to prevent netting, to stamp out com-
mercial trading in the fis'h and to safeguard the waterflow and shade.
If these matters are attended to the fame of the brook trout fisheries of
the Province, in the north land at least, will continue to grow, to the
material benefit not only of the residents in the localities which furnish
the sport, l)ut of the citizens of the Province at large.
The Mascalonge.
The mascalonge, sometimes called the maskinonge, or muskellunge,
longe or lunge, is the largest and most formidable member of the pike
family to be found in the waters of the Province. The markings of this
fish are so nmuy and various, even in the same locality, that it is not
always easily distinguished from the pike by thoise not well acquainted
with its general appearance and general characteristics. In the young
the upper half of the body is, as a rule, covered with small, round black
spots, but these usually change their shape or disappear as the fish
increases in size. In mature fish the spots are more diffuse, sometimes
enlarging to an inch and more in diameter, or else, by coales'cing, form
broad vertical bands, while in others again there are no distinct dork
markings at all. The majority of mascalonge in provincial waters
appear either to be unmarked or to show only faint bars, the spotted
form being the most uncommon.
The distribution of the longe is somewhat irregular. It occurs in
the St. Lawrence River, chiefly about the Thousand Islands, in the
waters of the Trent Valley, Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and many of the
lesser inland lakes. Again in Lake Erie and the Georgian Bay it is
comparatively common, the most famous district for it, perlnaps, in the
whole Province occurring in these latter waters, in and in the vicinity
of French River. Further west it is still to be met with in certain por-
tions of Lake of the Woods, in spite of the fact that netting would appear
greatly to have reduced its numbers in those waters, and there would
seem to be little doubt but that as the range of the angler extends over
the country in the Lake of the Woods region, it will be found to exist in
various of the waters of its lesser lakes. How far the range of the fish
extends to the north has not yet been accurately determined, but it
does not ai)])ear to occur north of the height of land. It is evident,
however, that the very localized distribution of this fish must endanger
its perpetuation unless the most stringent measures are taken to sup-
press illegal ncdting and to ensure that the bag limit is enforced.
Mascalonge.
9 F.C.
I
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 105
Like all pike, the mascalonge is a voracious and cannibalistic fish,
and is possessed of a very large mouth armed with teeth of considerable
size which give the fish extraordinary power in holding its prey. In
habits it is a solitary fish, lying concealed among aquatic plants at the
sides of the channels or beneath shelving rocks in open waters, and
from its place of hiding will dart forth upon any living thing which is
unfortunate enough to come within its reach and small enough to
become its prey. At 'spawning, which occurs soon after the ice goes
out in the spring in the shallow waters about the reed beds, the fisih
pairs, the female depositing a large number of eggs which hatch out in
from fifteen to thirty days according to the temperature of the water.
The mascalonge has been known to attain a gigantic size, running up
to 80 or 100 lbs., but it is rare to-day to hear of specimens over 50 lbs.
being caught. Fish up to 40 lbs. are, however, still caught each year.
As a fighter the longe is justly celebrated and the great weight some-
times attained by the fish renders the pursuit of it all the more exciting.
As a rule, the moment it is struck, it will break water and tear away in
a tremendous rush, subsequently during the struggle repeating these
manoeuvres time and again until it becomes exhausted. Fishing with a
stout trolling rod it is rarely that specimens of greater weight than 10
lbs. can be brought to the gaff in less than 20 minutes and as the size
of the fish increases so in proportion does the time required to land it,
until in the case of very large fish, to weary one out taxes the strength
and endurance of a strong and practised angler. So powerful are the
jaws of the longe and so wicked its disposition that even in the case of
the smaller fish it is usually found advisable to stun it before taking
it into the boat, Avhile in the case of larger fish, which are so strong tliat
they will frequently tow a boat considerable distances, it is as a rule
not attempted to take them into the boat, but a landing is effected at
some shallow or convenient spot and the fish brought in to shore.
Tlie method of angling for mascalonge is trolling from a boat with
a spoon or other artificial bait, but the very largest fish would appear to
be most readily lured with a live fish carefully attached to the hook so
that it will not drown, but swim in natural fashion after the boat as it
slowly moves along. Trolling is, of course, equally effective when either
the rod and line or the hand line are employed. The latter, however,
can hardly be considered a sporting method for so noble a game, and in
view of the fact that the distribution of the mascalonge is comparatively
limited, that to those sportsmen who desire a prolonged and desperate
struggle it is above all fish to be found in Provincial waters the most
attractive, and that consequently not only many anglers of the Province
but also an equally great or greater number from abroad can be counted
on to spend some time yearly in its pursuit, it would seem that angling
for this fish might well be restricted to the rod and line. The masca-
longe grounds are as a rule so well defined that this would be by no
means difficult to arrange. Other sporting fishes are of course to be
106 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
found in the waters inhabited by the longe, and it might obviously oitiu-
that in hand trolling- for snch fish a longe might be hooked, but the
nature of the bait used would in geueral preclude the hooking under such
circumstances of all but the smaller specimens and so hardy is the fish
that some, at least, of the fish thus hooked could be returned to the
water with a fair prospect of remaining alive. If, therefore, a regulation
to this effect were included in the regulation prohibiting hand trolling
for mascalonge, it should result in the saving of a proportion of the fish
thus caught. It might, perhaps, be argued that to prohibit hand trolling
for the longe would debar a number of people from this class of fishing
who would otherwise enjoy it, especially tho'se of the weaker sex, but it
must be conceded that it is essentially a man's and a sportsiuum's fish,
and it would appear, therefore, that it might well be cousidercHl and
treated as such.
The best season of the year for longe fishing is the autumn, for then
the fish is hard and in prime condition and its fighting qualities at their
very best. At this period of the year also its flesh is firm, flaky aud of
excellent flavour, whereas in the summer months it is apt to taste rather
weedy.
The Lake Trout.
The lake trout, which is variously known also as the salmon trout,
grey trout, togue or tuladi, is the largest representative of the coarse
charrs existing in fresh waters, attaining a length of several feet and a
weight up to GO lbs. and more, though it is infrequently at the present
time that fish over thirty pounds in weight are secured in this Province.
The coloration is extremely variable, being sometimes grayish, some-
times pale, and sonu^times almost black, but in all cases with rounded
pale spots which are often tinged with red, while on the back and the
top of the head there are fine vermiculations resembling those of the
brook trout. This variety in colouring has given rise to the belief that
tliere are several distinct species of this fish, l)ut it would appear to be
doubtful whether there are more than at most t^^•o Hcientifically dis-
tinguishable species. The local peculiarities in the markings, therefore,
which are to be observed in the fish of certain lakes may perhaps be
attributed to the characteristics of the particular waters.
The lake trout is to be found throughout the great lakes and in
most of the larger and many of the smaller inland lakes of the Province.
It is a highly predaceous and voracious fish, and will devour almost any-
thing, its principal food consisting of herrings, young whitefish and
other soft-finned fishes. In the general it frequents the deeper Avaters,
but is to be captured in waters of almost any depth, being taken usually
near the bottom. The spawning season varies greatly according to the
locality, commencing in the northern waters early in October and in
more southerly regions not until November. The close season for this
A Fine Spot for Pickerel near Lake La Croix, Rainy River District.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 107
fish, however, has been fixed from November 1-30, so that iu many
localities the fish Ik afforded no protection whatsoever during the period
of reproduction. Whatever may be the merits of the contention, as
applied to the commercial fisheries of the great lakes, that the fish is of
such a hardy and rapacious nature that it is well able to look after
itself even under such conditions, this would obviously not apply in the
case of smaller bodies of water where the numbers of the fish are com-
paratively few, and in consequence, in those lesser lakes in which the
lake trout affords sport to residents or visitors some measures should
at once be taken to protect the fish at the local time of spawning against
both netting and angling. The fish spawns in water from 10 to 100 feet
deep, the eggs being deposited on the reefs of honeycombed and similar
rocks. The flesh of the lake trout is highly esteemed for food purposes,
and it ranks very high amongst the table fishes of the Province.
As a sporting fish the lake trout is esteemed by many, and it is to be
noted that in certain of the lakes of the eastern portions of the Province,
such, for instance, as some of those in the Rideau Lake system, Hali-
burton and adjacent counties, it is claimed that the local variety
excels in fighting qualities. Should this be established beyond dispute,
it would plainly be possible, under a system of adequate hatcheries, to
pay especial attention to these particular breeds and experiment in the
direction of introducing them into other waters. The depth at which
the fish is most commonly to be found during the angling season neces-
sitates the use of a heavy copper line or else very heavy sinkers, while
the bait used is some form of spinner or spoon. As a general rule the
slower the trolling the better will be the results, provided only that
the bait continues spinning, but even in the 'best waters success is a
matter of considerable hazard. The early morning, late afternoon and
evening would appear in general to afford the best opportunities. The
fish when hooked offers considerable resistance, making several rushes
and using its weight to the fullest advantage, so tliat, in the case of large
trout, the struggle is often prolonged. The weight of the sinkers or of
the copper line, as the case may be, naturally militates against the
liveliness of its resistance, and by many anglers the fish is, in conse-
quence, dubbed sluggish. Where, however, in fairly shallow waters an
ordinar^^ line and heavy trolling spoon will attain a sufficient depth
once hooked it will display such vigour and persistence as will satisfy
the most exacting angler. In any case there are always to be found a
great many people who are intensely desirous of capturing a large fish,
and to these, in spite of the uncertainty of the fishing, and in spite of
a possible deadness in the struggle, the lake trout will always remain a
most attractive game fish.
Yellow Pickerel.
The yellow pickerel or pickerel possesses the distinction of laying
claim to three other names which are in common use, namely wall-eyed
108 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
pike, |)ike-pei-cli and dore, and in addition to these, the vonn};-, when paie
in color, are sometimes, but esi)ecially in the Lake Erie district, styled
blue pickerel, although an allied species of less commercial value and
smaller size, the sand j)ickcrel or sauger, is also commonly knoAvn under
this designation. The range of the pickerel appears to extend practi-
cally all over the Province, but it occurs, perhaps, most abundantly in
the great lakes and rivers falling into them. In the warm weather the
fish seeks the deeper waters and is to be met with at those times by
anglers in places where the cliffs descend abruptly into the depths. In
the spawning season, however, which occurs early in the s])ring, it runs^
on to the gravelh' or sandy bars in shoaler water, or u\) the rivers, for
the purpose of depositing its eggs. The fish liaK been known to attain
a great size, specimens of 25 lbs. weight having been recorded, but at
the present time 10 lbs. is considered an exceptional fish and it is but
rarely that an angler will be fortunate enougli to secure one of such
weight. The pickerel is voracious, feeding chiefiy on such other fishes
as it can overpower, and on those insects, frogs ;ind crusctaceans which
occur in its iiarticular locality. As a food fish it ranks particularly
liigh, its fiesh being exceptionally well fiavoured, firm, white and fiaky,
and consequently it is not only in great demand, but most energi'ticallv
pursued by the commercial net fishermen on account of its high market
value, for at the present time it is rated as a commercial fish.
As a Importing fish the yelloAv pickerel is by no means to be despised,
for not only will it offer a vigorous even though somewhat brief resis-
tance after it is hooked, but its distribution is wide and it occurs in
many waters which would otherwise l)e destitute of sporting fish, except
perhaps a few lake trout. The ])ickere] w ill ;is a rule strike greedily at
almost any trolling spoon or imitatimi minnow, and the most usual
method, therefore, of angling foi- this fish is trolling from a boat,
although in certain localities where the sliore line is favoi.yabh^ it can
frequently be cai)i»ured from land. At the pres(Mit time th(^ ganu^ (]uali-
ties of the pickerel are not generally appreciated by the citizens of the
Province, chiefly owing to the superior merits in this res])ect of the
black bass and speckled trout, but visitors from across the border .accord
it high rank among the sporting fishes, and would often as lief fish for
pickerel as for any other class of fisih. Conseciuently it would a])]>ear
that the yellow pickerel should be accorded its due, and that in the
lesser waters, but esi)ecially in those not inhabited by black bass or
speckled trout, steps should be taken to protect it botli against the c(Hn-
mercial and domestic net fishermen, in, some localities, indeed, it will
undoubtedly become necessary to> increase and maintain the supply of
this fish by artificial means. Already a small hatchery for this purpose
has been established by some enteri)rising citizens at Sparrow Lake.
Under a xystem of Provincial fish hatclKM-ies. however, to deal with the
commercial fisheries, as recommended in this report, great attention
would naturally be ])aid to (he valiiablc jMckci-cl, and conse(|uently there
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 109
should be nO' difficulty at all under such circumstances in obtaining
sufficient fry to stock any waters for sporting purposes that might be
deemed desirable.
The Rainbow Trout.
The Rainbow Trout, although not indigenous to Provincial waters,
must be accorded a place among the game fishes at present to be found
in the Province. The fish, ( salmo Irrideus), is a native of the waters of
some of the western states of the Union and was first introduced experi-
mentally into the St. Mary's River by the Michigan authorities some
tliirt}' years ago, as well as into various other rivers and streams of
that State. In the intervening time it has thriven exceedingly and in
the St. Mary's River has been known to attain a very great size, a speci-
men of 14 lbs. weight having been caught by angling in the Canadian
waters of the Soo Rapids in 1909, while in the press of 1910 the capture
in a net of a monster weighing 35 lbs. was recorded as a fact. A few
of the Provincial streams in the neighborhood of Sault Ste Marie were
planted w^itli the fry of this fish, obtained by,citizeus of that town from
the Michigan hatchery, but it is impossible to determine exactly the
area in Ontario over wliich it is now distributed. Doubtless in the
course of time it may be expected to spread west into all the streams
entering Lake Superior and indeed a small specimen of about V2 lb.
weight was caught as far west as the Steel River in 1910. Possibly, also,
it may eventually occur in tlie rivers and streams flowing into the
Georgian Bay or North Channel.
The Rainbow Trout feeds chiefly on shrimp, insects and larvie of
insects, while the larger specimens in the St. Mary's River are known to
be fond of the cockedoosh, (a species of minnow), and of small herring.
In general, however, the fish, unlike the speckled trout, is not cannibal-
istic, and this fact greatly facilitates the raising of young fry to the
fingerling stage in hatcheries. It prefers waters as a rule of somewhat
higher temperature than those most favorable to brook trout, and can
be expected to spawm in Canada from about the middle of May to the
middle of .Tun(\ while the period of incubation should be approximately
50 days. The rainbow prefers a gravel or mixed gravel and stony bottom
for spawning purposes, though if these are not available they will spawn
on clean sand.
In game qualities the rainbow trout ranks very high, being held by
many to excel even the brook trout in this respect. It is to be captured
with a live minnow or cockedoosh, or by means of various artificial
baits, such as a small trolling spoon or artificial minnow. Strips of
fat pork are said also to be effective with the larger specimens, while
the trout will also rise to a fly, the best for the purpose being light or
bright ones, saich as the Parmachine Belle and Junglecock. No more
exciting sport could be desired than to tackle a large rainbow in the
110 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
turbulent waters of the Soo Rapids, where the fish is now to be found in
considerable quantities and already the fame of the fish in this particu-
lar locality is becoming- widely known. It is to be noted also that as a
table food the rainbow trout ranks second to none among the sporting
fishes.
DISTRIBUTION AND CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF OTHER
FISHES WHICH PROVIDE SPORT AND AMUSEMENT
TO MANY ANGLERS.
The Pike.
The common or northern pike, sometimes known as the Jackfish,
is distributed throughout the Province wherever there are sufficient
weeds to afford it shelter, from the extreme north in the Hudson Bay
watershed to the great lakes in the south, and froan eastern portions of
the Province to the Rainy River District. It Ik a most voracious fish,
feeding upon any form of animal life which it is able to overpower. It
has been known to attain a very great size under favourable circum-
stances, but in those waters wliich are the more generally fished to-day
it has been pursued to such an extent that specimens much in excess of
10 IbK. are now comparatively rare. The fish spawns in the early spring,
as soon as the ice moves out, running up on to the rush beds or 'shallow,
grassy places for that purpose. The females are most prolific. In gen-
eral the pike is to be found in amongst the weeds, or in close vicinity
thereto, lying as a rule concealed in them and dartimg out from its hid-
ing place on any smaller form of animal life that passes within, its range.
The voracity of the pike renders its presence somewhat undesirable in
those waters in which the finer classes of sporting fishes are to be found,
but even in these instances, its size in particular renders it attractive
to many anglers, while in other localities, more especially in some of
the waters of the Hudson Bay watershed, it is frequently the only fish
capable of affording sport to would-be anglers.
The pike is not as a rule accorded the rank of a sporting fish, but
this is to be attributed largely to the fact that most of the angling for
it occurs in the summer months when it is lying inactive amongst the
weeds and, in consequence, is comparatively weak and flabby. In the
aiutumn when the w^eeds have died down and this wolf of the waters is
compelled to hunt for its prey in the open, it becomes a dift'erent fish,
lean, active and muscular, and it is no exaggeration to say that at such
times a large specimen will tax the skill and endurance of an expert
angler to their uttermost and provide him with most excellent sport.
Even, however, in the summer nnraths, when it becomes quickly
exhausted, the first rusih and savage tugging of the fish at the line will
Btir the pulses of those wlio enjoy the s])()rt of angling. It is most
Male and Female Rainbow Trout Caught on a Cockadoosh in the Canadian Soo
Rapids, 1910.
14 lbs. Female Rainbow Trout Caught in the Canadian Soo Rapids, 1910.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. Ill
usually caught by trolling with live bait, or with some form of spoon or
imitation minnow.
The flesh of the pike in the spring and summer is as a rule not much
esteemed, being soft and weedy in flavour, but in the autumn, when the
fish has become muscular, the flesh is firm and pleasant to the taste.
It i's to be noted also that the Indians are at all times particularly par-
tial to this fish and would, in many localities, eat it in preference to
other, more generally deemed finer, classes of fi^h. In the greater fish
markets there is a steady demand for pike and the fish, in consequence,
is dealt with in large quantities commercially, but so prolific is it and
so general its distribution that, even though it is capable of and does
afford amusement and sport to thousands every year, there would
appear to be no necessity for its protection excepting in the vicinity of
cities and towns, and in those other localities, perhaps, where no other
good angling is to be secured.
The White Bass.
The white bass should, perhaps, together with the pike, be accorded
a place amongst the recognized sporting fishes. It occurs in all the
great lakes, rarely, however, ascending the streams, although at times
it is abundant in the mouths of the larger rivers. It rarely attains a
weight in excess of ly^ lbs., and is a gregarious fish, usually swimming
in shoals in considerable numbers. Its spawning season occurs in May
or June. It will take the minnow bait readily and in addition in the
summer months rises well to the fly, while its fighting powers are by no
means to be despised. The flesh is most excellent Avlien freshly caught.
The Speckled Bass.
The speckled bass is to be found in most of the Provincial waters
from Quebec to Lake Huron, its most general habitat being ponds,
lagoons, and sluggish streams where there is an abundance of aquatic
vegetation, under which it will lie in wait for the insects, crustaceans
and small fish which constitute the bulk of its food. It spawns in the
early summer and is said to scoop out a nest in the sand much after the
fashion of the black bass. The weight which it attains is not frequently
much in excess of 1 lb. The fighting powers of the speckled bass, when
hooked with light tackle, are by no means inconsiderable, and even
though its efforts may not be very persistent, the fact that it is gregari-
ous and that, in consequence, considerable numbers are often to be
caught when a favourite haunt is discovered, renders it attractive to
many anglers. As a table fish it is excellent when taken from clean
waters.
The Rock Bass.
From east to west the rock bass occurs generally throughout the
waters of the Province, although its northern range has not as yet been
112 KErOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
acciiraitely determined. It is most usually to be found in dark holes in
streams and lakes, where aequatic vegeiiuion tiourishes, or in the neigh-
borhood of docks and timber \\liicli ati'ord shade, and it emerges towards
nightfall from its retreat and roams the waters in search of the insects,
crustaceans and small fish which constitute its food. tSpinvning in May
or June, it scoops out a nest for the eggs on some gravelly or sandy bar
and over this nest the parent fish mount guard until in due course the
eggs are hatched and the young fry able lo hjok after themselves.
The rock bass will afford fair sport to the angler when taken on
light tackle, its chief value, however, lying in the fact that it will take
almost any bait, even on the coarsest tackle, and in consequence is
eagerly sought by the younger members of the population who can
easily secure a good string of the fish when they are fortunate enough
to discover a good place. When taken from clear, cold water, its flesh
is distinctly pleasant to the taste and it is generally adjudged a very
fair eating fish throughout the Province.
Perch.
The yellow perch is to be fouud in most of the streams and lakes
throughout the Province, and is, perhaps, one of the most abundant
fishes. In size it will run from ten to twelve inches, rarely, however,
attaining a weight of more than 1 lb. It is a spring spawner and its
flesh is so delicate in flavour that it is held in high esteem as a table fish.
There are in fact few fish whicli excel it in this respect. The perch is
not possessed of very considerable fighting qualities or determination,
its chief attractiveness in regard to sport being that it is to be caught
by anyone at almost any Keason of the year with almost any description
of tackle. There can be no doubt that in the matter of drawing the resi-
dents of cities and towns out into the fresh air the perch plays no incon-
sidera.ble role, and should, therefore, be esteemed accordingly.
The Sunflsh.
The yellow or conimon sunfish occurs in most of tlie waters of
central and southern Ontario up to Lake Huron, beyond which it has
not as yet been recorded. In size it will grow to 8 inches in length and
the weight of half a pound. Spawning in ]May and June, the fish seeks
shallow water, scooping out a nest in the sand or mud, the males guard-
ing the ncKts with the gr(\atest jealousy until the young have been
hatched. This little fish affords excellent sport to many a youngster
throughout the districts in which it is found, and is not to be despised
as a table food.
Anotlier variety, the blue sunfish, is lo be found in certain locali-
ties, notably in some of the Rideau Lakes and in Lake Erie and its
tributaries, which in liabits closely reseud)les th(^ yellow sunfisli, but
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 113
which will reach a greater size, running sometimes in weight up to a
pound. In proportion to its size it will afford the angler most excellent
sport, being possessed of fighting qualities little, if any, inferior to
those of any fish to be found in the Province, while as a table fish it is
held in high esteem.
The Common Mullet.
The common mullet, which is the handsome'st and best representa-
tive of the sucker family in Provincial waters, abounded in the great
lakes from the St. Lawrence River to Lake Superior, but owing to per-
sistent netting in the spawning season it has now become comparatively
scarce. The fish passes most of its time in deep waters, but in the early
spring, as soon as the ice breaks up, it runs up the rivers and streams
to spawn, forcing its way through the •swiftest torrents in order to
reach the gravelly beds upon which it deposits its eggs. While in the
streams the mullet will readily take a worm bait, and though it is by
no means a vigorous fighter, owing to its weight, which frequently runs
as high as 1 or 5 lbs., it will afford fair sport to the angler, especially if
it be taken in the swifter waters.
The Common Catfish.
The common catfish, sometimes kno\>n as the bullhead, occurs prac-
tically throughout the Province in quiet streams, ponds or bays,
especially in those having a muddy bottom. It is an omnivorous feeder,
not despising anything in the shape of animal food, and will feed in all
depths of water from the top to the bottom, although its most usual
method is to grub about in the mud seeking for what it may devour.
The catfish spawns in June, in quiet shallow waters in the vicinity of
aquatic weeds, clearing out a slight depression in the sand or mud to
act as a nest, over wliich the parent fish, but especially the male, watches
with jealous care. The eggs hatch in about a week and subsequently
the young, which at this stage much resemble small black tadpoles, fol-
low the parent fish along the shores until about the middle of July, after
which they scatter and shift for themselves in deep, weedy water.
As a food the catfish does not rank high in popular estimation, but
this may to a large extent be attributed to its appearance, which is far
from prepossessing. There are, however, many persons who prefer it
to any of the coarser fishes. It can lay no claims to fighting powers, but
to the small boy, and even to many older persons in the Province, the
catching of a catfish with a hook and line affords a constant and healthy
amusement, and in a modest form, at least a measure of true sport in
its widest sense, for amongst all classes of the population there are
always to be found a fair percentage of those who, like a certain squire,
would rather hunt rats in a barn with a pug or fish for sticklebacks in
the village stream with a piece of cotton and a bent pin than take part
in the finest game yet devised by man.
10 F.C.
114 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
THE RESTOCKING OF DEPLETED WATERS AND THE INTRO-
DUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES OP SPORTING FISHES.
When waters have become depleted of any given variety of fish and
it is desired to restock them with the same, two main considerations at
once present themselves; firstly, the secnring of a snfficiency of eggs,
fry, fingerlings or parent fish to effect the pnrpose, and, secondly, that
of ascertaining whether for any reason since the depletion occnrred tlie
waters have become nnsnited to tlie life of the particnlar fish. It is
apparent, moreover, that even in those waters which have not become
depleted, bnt which are annnally the fishing grounds of many anglers,
there is liable to occnr a dinunntion in tlie quantities of the spurting
varieties of fish, especially so in the more restricted areas, so that if it
be desired to maintain a goodly snpply in them, restocking operations
in these cases also become a necessity.
In order to undertake restocking operations, it is necessary to make
provision for obtaininjg a snpply of the varieties of fish which it is
desired to ntilize. To this end transferring mature fish from one
locality to another might be effective under favourable circumstances,
but as a general rule it is a matter of considerable difficulty to find
localities in which the better class of sporting fishes are so abundant
tluit a number of any one variety could be advantageously or even safely
removed from them. The modern scientific hatchery, however, affords
a means of attaining the desired end without materially robbing one
area in order to stock or restock another. In another section of this
report it has been pointed out that in order to maintain the commercial
fisheries to their present yield it is practically indispensable that the
Province should embark on considerable hatchery operations. Should
this be done, it would obviously very much simplify the maintenance
of the sporting fisheries also, for in the commercial hatcheries there
would in any case be dealt witli such valuable sporting fishes as the
lake trout and pickerel, besides many of the coarser fishes which pro-
vide sport, and it would plainly be a sim])le nmtter to arrange for the
distribution of such of these as might be required for sporting purposes.
It would, moreover, entail but little additional expense or trouble to
handle the eggs of the mascalonge in these commei-cial hatcheries. It
would seem, then, that in so far as the uee<ls of the sporting fisheries
are concerned there are but two varieties of fish, indigenous to the
Province, for which hatcheries, separate from the general commercial
hatcheries, would have to be ])i'ovided, namely tlu> speckled trout and
the black bass.
There are in existence on this continent no small uuuil)er of hatch-
eries conducted as private enterprises from which the fry, eggs, finger-
lings or mature fish of certain sporting varieties, but chiefly of the
speckled trout, can be obtained. The main reason for the appearance
of the private commercial hatcheries in the States has apparently been.
:^
Long Island, N.Y.
Fish Hatchery.
Long Island, N.Y.,
Pish Hatchery,
showing system of
separated tanks for
Pingerling and
Young Trout.
Long Island, N.Y.,
Pish Hatchery,
showing Young
Brook Trout in
Tank.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 115
not the demand for fry by anglers, but the steady demand and great
price to be obtained for speckled trout on the markets of New York and
other great American cities. In this Province, however, the majority
of citizens would be unwilling to pay the fancy prices for this fish which
prevail in the markets across the border, more especially so a^ it entails
purchasing little more than a name, the liver-fed brook trout being
devoid of nearly all the delicacy and flavour which have rendered the
Avild fish famous as a table dish. The great quantities of fish whicJi
have to be raised for market purposes in order to make the enterprise
financially successful have resulted in the hatcheries in certain ins-
tances being able to dispose of large quantities of eggs or fry at a less
cost than it would have taken the State hatcheries to produce them.
In spite of this fact, however, both the uncertainty of this source of
supply in the present and in the future end the constant and steadily
increasing demand for brook trout eggs wherewith to restock public
or private waters have led the Federal Government of the United
States, as well as many of the individual States also, to interest them-
selves on an increasing scale in the enterprise of raising trout as a
measure of profitable and sound economy. In this Province, where the
sale of brook trout is forbidden, and the only market for fish artificially
raised would, apparently, in any case be Toronto, and at that a most
limited one, it would appear impossible that for many years to come
the private commercial brook trout hatchery should be a profitable
enterprise, or that eggs or fry could be obtained in sufficient quantities
from private Canadian sources to meet the needs of the Province at
lower prices than those at which they could be produced by Provincial
hatcheries, while to rely on the private firms of a foreign nation for a
future supply would seem far from desirable or wise. It would appear,
therefore, that in regard to brook trout where restocking measures have
to be instituted as a permanent undertaking, as should undoubtedly
be the case in this Province, the Grovernment might well embark on the
undertaking, and insure through the institution of special provincial
brook trout hatcheries an adequate supply of fry or fingerlings being
always obtainable.
One of the main factors, if not the main factor, in a successful
brook trout hatchery is an abundant supply of cold, clear
water, such as is not to be found in every locality, but in
the region of the north shore of Lake Superior conditions in this
respect are peculiarly favorable. The speckled trout in these
waters, moreover, are of the first quality, and this fact together
with the actual and potential value of the whole region, but of the
Nipigon district in particular, as a resort for speckled trout anglers,
not only most undoubtedly singles it out as the logical site for an exten-
sive provincial brook trout hatchery, but renders certain also that the
initial outlay and running expenses would be more than counterbal-
anced by the benefits to be derived from it. There can be no question,
116 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
in fact, that the tirst brook tront hatchery of the rroviiice should be
established on or in tlie vicinity of the Nipii^'on River. Subsequently,
additional brook trout hatcheries could be established with advantage
in such localities as, for instance, the Ali>()U(iuiu National Park, and
cases might also occur in the interior portions of the Province where
this fish might be advantageously handled by small branch commercial
fish hatcheries in conjunction with lake trout, i)ickerel or other local
fishes; when it was found, in fact, more economical to do so than to
transport the ova or fry considerable distances to and from the larger
hatcheries, but when the system of hatcheries had once been established
in the Province, the cost of the institution and running of these small
branch hatcheries ^^'ould be so inconsiderable that it would impose no
appreciable burden on the Piovincial Treasury.
In the caise of the black bass, which will not allow itself to be
stripped of its spawn or milt and consequently cannot be handled by the
ordinary nutans employed in the ordinary commercial fish hatcheries,
it would be necessary to establisli bass breeding ponds at various points
throughout the bass region, for as compared with many other fishes
the bass produces but a small number of eggs and the difficulty of
obtaining a sufficient supply of fry or fingerlings is, therefore, pro-
portionately increased. Of all the sporting fishes of the Province, how-
ever, the black bass is undoulttedh' at the present time the most im-
portant, not only for the magnificent sport which it affords alike to
citizens and visitors, but from the fact that it is unaffected by the on-
ward nmrch of civilization and will continue to thrive in waters sur-
rounded by cleared and cultivated lands in conse(iuence of which, as
the more cleared areas are likewise the most densely populated and
the most easily accessible, it fills the angling needs of a greater percent-
age of the provincial population and the visitors from abroad than does
any other sporting fish. It is evident, therefore, that the comparatively
small expense involved in the establisli men t and maintenance of a few
series of bass breeding ponds through the bass regions of the Province
would be more than justified by the importance of the results to be ob-
tained from them. Already in the neighlxirliood of Rrantford one such
series of breeding ponds has been established by tlu^ I'rovince and the
extension of this undertaking to other localities would appear to be
most desirable. It is to be noted, however, tliat as in the case of the
commercial fish hatcheries it would in all cases be expedient to deter-
mine scientifically the suitability of the site for the hatchery before
attempting its establishment.
In regard to. the question as (o whether th(> conditions prevailing
in waters which have once become depleted will allow of effective re-
stocking, this is plainly a matter for scientific determination. ^NFeasures
may have to be undertaken, such as the removal of coarse or predaceous
fishes, before the plantation of fry or fingerlings would be productive
of results, while, again, as in the case of the brook trout, provision
I
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 117
might have to be made for shade and a steady flow of the waters before
the fish could be expected to thrive, ami, further, such matters as the
present condition of the aquatic vegetation and the continued preval-
ence of a sufficient sujiply of food would have to be taken into con-
sideration, for it is always possible that the local conditions may have
altered in these respects, or that gradual changes occurring in regard
to them may have played no inconsiderable part in the disappearance
of the fish from the waters. It may, perhaps, be interesting to note
that in the Adirondacks, since the cultivation of the forest has been
seriously undertaken,, resulting not only in the provision of shade but
also in a more steady flow of the waters in that region, it has been found
possible successfully to reintroduce speckled trout into the headwaters
of streams from which this fish had long since disappeared, so that it
might, apparently, still be feasible to restock some of the streams and
rivers of the less settled portions of central Ontario with this popular
sporting fish under careful and adequate direction. Where it is desired
to introduce fish, indigenous to the Province, into provincial waters in
which they have not previously occurred, the same necessity would
exist for a careful scientific investigation, for it is plainly but waste of
time, effort and money to plant fish in waters Avhich do not contain suit-
able food or in which the general environment is unadapted to their
life.
The introduction into a country of any new form of wild animal
life is fraught with considerable risk and uncertainty, not only in re-
gard to whether the creature will itself thrive under the new condi-
tions, but also in respect of the effect its appearance will have on in-
digenous species. There are, however, to be found in almost every
community those who, in the course of their travels abroad, become
enthused with the sporting or edible qualities of some beast, bird or
fish, wliicli is not indigenous to tlieir native soil or to the locality in
whic)i tliey live, and without consideration of the results that may
ensue or of the feasibility of the experiment, clamor for its introduc-
tion into their own district. Undoubtedly even in Ontario, with all its
advantages in magnificent fisheries and extensive liunting grounds for
wild fowl and larger game, there are localities into which new varieties
of sporting creatures could with advantage be introduced, but it would
appear safe to say that in general expert opinion should first be ob-
tained as to the advisability of such a measure, particularly so in the
case of fish, where the existence of suitable food for all stages of its
life can only be ascertained by scientific research.
Two new varieties of fish, at least, have been introduced into pro-
vincial waters within the last thirty, years, the carp and the rainbow
trout, chiefly through the agency of American enterprise. To the for-
mer of these a separate section of this report has been devoted, so that
it will suffice here to note that not only have such sporting qualifica-
tions as it possesses so far been ignored by tlie citizens of Ontario, but
118 EEPOET OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 53
that its excessive and totally uiiexpecteil increase in certain localities
is held by the majority of sportsmen to have worked considerable havoc
both in regard to the sporting fisheries and the wild dnck shooting.
However this may be, it must at least be acknowledged that there is a
substratum of truth to their accusations, and that, consequently, the
instance of the carp well emphasizes the dangers which attend the in-
troduction of new varieties of fish into waters already well stocked
with fine species and from which no human agency as yet devised can
ever entirely remove them. The rainbow trout is a native of the Pacific
coast region, and as noted in a previous section is already comparatively
abundant in the Canadian waters of the 800 and vicinity, and further,
is apparently spreading into other waters which are the habitat of the
speckled trout. The comparative sporting (jualities of this fish with
those of the ■speckled trout afford material for a divergence of opinion
amongst sportsmen, but it would appear in general that the two varie-
ties do not, as a rule, harmonize well, and that, therefore, as the rain-
bow will usually attain the greater size, it is the speckled trout which is
the most likely to suffer. The region of the north shore of Lake
Superior is so well furnished with and adapted to ispeckled trout that
no improvement from the point of sport could have been desired other
than that these fisheries should have been jealously conserved and main-
tained to the highest point of abundance. The advent of the rainbow
trout, however, will almost certainly have some effect on the speckled
trout in this area in the future, particularly in the lower reaches of the
rivers which are, as a rule, the warmest and, therefore, the most favor-
able to its growth, and this fact is to be deplored, for not only is there
doubt as to the sporting merits of the rainbow as compared with the
speckled trout, l)ut unquestionably the historic Kporting qualities of the
latter fish render its attractive power in regard to angler visitors vastly
greater than those of the less famous rainbow. While plainly nothing
can now be don<^ to check its natural encroachment on this region, at
least it would appear the part of wisdom not to assist it by permitting
any further plantations in Canadian waters throughout this district.
There are cases in the Province of nu)re or less isolated waters
destitute of sporting fishes, and other cases, such as the Rainy River
District, where the pickerel and lake trout, in none too great abundance,
are practically the only high class sp(U'ting fishes to be found through-
out a considerable area, where the introduction of some sporting variety
of fish would be of material advantage to the neighborhood. Undoubt-
edly in many of such instances scientific r(^searcll would disclose the
possibility of successfully introducing one or other species of game fish
to be found either in the Province or without its borders. Tlie ouin-
aniche of the eastern Provinces, the goldeye of INIanitoba, and the cut-
throat trout of Alberta are, for instance, game fishes of the highest class
and might be used for this purpose where favorable conditions were
found to exist in addition to or in preference to provincial varieties.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 119
Indeed, it would appear that a system of interprovincial co-operation
might easily be developed whereby supplies of such fish or their spawn,
occurring in one Province and desired by anotlier, might be obtained in
exchange for other fishes or their spawn produced in that Province.
Such a system would plainly be to the benefit of the Dominion and, at
the same time, in the best interests not only of economy, but also of
sport in the various Provinces. In all cases, however, the material bene-
fits to be derived from the introduction of a foreign species should be
clearly establislied, and its relation to other sporting fishes nu)st fully
weighed in the balance before such experiments are attempted.
The Pollution of Waters,
Many varieties of fish, but more especially th(^ finer forms, sucli as
the speckled trout and the black bass, will only thrive in such waters
as are clean and clear. All varieties of fish are affected in compara-
tively restricted waters by the introduction into them of noxious chemi-
cal matter. The progress of civilization is attended by the appearance
of towns and villages on the shores of lakes and on the banks of rivers,
from which there will find its way into the waters a greater or less
amount of sewage. Fortunately, however, the baneful effects of the
dumping of sewage into such restricted waters has become generally
recognized, and various methods have been devised for treating it, so
that in the case of the larger towns, at least, the waters of tlie Province
should cease to be materially polluted from this source. It is to be
noted, however, that in certain localities the presence of (juautities of
sewage in the water has undoubtedly in the past contributed materially
to the disappearance of botii the brook trout and black bass, and that
even if the Aveightier considerations of the health of the residents who
live below the spot at which the sewage enters did not exist, it would
still be of the utmost importance from the point of view alone of the
maintenance of the sporting fisheries to check thiK evil to the uttermost
possible extent.
In so far as the fisheries are concerned the most destructive pollu-
tion is not, however, as a rule, effected by deposits of sewage, but by
waKte products of certain factories, highly charged with chemicals and
deadly alike to animal and vegetable life, or else, as in the case of saw-
dust, particularly dangerous to fishes, especially those of the finer and
more delicate varieties. There are on the statute book regulations
which prohibit the depositing of such matter in the waters of the Pro-
vince, but unfortunately it ha^ to be recorded that in general these ex-
cellent regulations are mot strictly enforced; in some cases, even, not
enforced at all; with the consequence that material damage continues
to be wrought by this means to the sporting fisheries. It would seem,
therefore, of the greatest importance ithat steps should at once be taken
to secure the rigid enforcement of the laws in regard to water pollution
120 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
tliroui»liont the ProviiK-e, and that, as the fault in general lies with com-
panies or individnals in a more or less prosperous eondition fiuaneially,
the penalties for any infringements of these laws should be made pro-
portionately high.
The great resources of Ontario in timber would appear to indicate
that in the by no means distant future there will become established in
the various sections of the ProAince large and important paper mills.
The localities in which this is the most likely to occur are, as a rule,
those in which the rivers that would be largely utilized for driving the
logs to the mills contain in abundance some of the finest classes of sport-
ing fishes, and it is to be noted that the waste products of sulphide mills
are particularly injurious to fish life. There has, however, been dis-
covered a process of utilizing these waste products, and already in the
Adirondacks it has been put into operation in connection with sulphide
mills there established. By this process a material is manufactured to
which the trade name of giutrin has been given, and which is used for
briquetting, moulding and various other purposes. It has, moreover,
been successfully demonstrated that, run in connection with a sulphide
mill as a by-product, the operating expenses of producing giutrin will
be more than covered by the profits, so that it would seem advantageous
to give this fact the widest possible publicity amongst those who are at
present, or will be in the future, interested in the establisliment and
operation of paper mills. There can under no circumstances ever be
the slightest excuse for permitting the pollution of waters and the con-
sequent destruction of fish by factories which make use of chemicals,
for there are in every instance well known methods of destroying and
rendering innocuous the waste products which it is a matter of but
slight expense to provide for, but especially so is this the case when
means are available for converting the waste products into even a slight
profit. The harm wrought to the sporting fisheries by the chemical pol-
lution of rivers and streams in the past has been so great and so ap-
parent that it plainly behooves the authorities to see to it that no fur-
ther damage is effected in tliis direction, especially in those regions
which have hitherto escaped this great evil.
Limitation of Catch.
In tlie case of five of tlie most im])()rlaut sporting fishes of the Pro-
vince regulations have been enacted by the Dominion Government
limiting the numbers of such fishes which may be killed and carried
away by any one angler in any one day, and forbidding the killing of
fish of iess than stated dimensions, llie actual measurements varying in
each particular case. The fish in question are: The small-monthed
black bass, large-moutlied black bass, mascalonge, speckled trout and
pickerel.
It cannot be gainsaid that tlie limitation of catcli is a most wise
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 121
and necessary precaution to provide against an excessive drain being
placed on tlie sporting fisheries of the Province, for not only are the
numbers of the sporting fishes strictly limited in the localities in which
angling for them can be enjoyed, but also, although credit must be
given to the average sportsman of voluntarily limiting his catch to what
he knows can be used, for the sale of these fishes, with the exception of
the pickerel, is forbidden, there are always to be found a minority ol
anglers whose chief aim and ambition is to secure a bag of inordinate
size, to the extent, if possible, of establishing a record, quite regardless
of whether the fish killed can be used for food or whether they will have
to be wasted. In the past, before the enactment of restrictions, great
string's of fish of all these varieties were secured by individual anglers
within the space of a few hours in various sections of the Province, and
the publication of photograi^hs of these hauls and accounts of these ex-
ploits in the daily and sporting press undoubtedly fired the imagination
and desire of many a would-be record breaker to go and do better if he
could. In all probability the Province thus secured a considerable ad-
vertisement in the angling circles of the continent, but the price in cer-
tain instances was high, for as the population grew and the stream of
visitors from outside increased, the finest fisheries gradually showed
signs of becoming exhausted, and even the introduction of the limita-
tion of catch has not yet succeeded in effecting their rehabilitation.
The practical impossibility of supervising the catch of each individual
angler where thousands throughout the Province are out on the Avaters
at the same time is apparent, and it would seem, therefore, that the
time has arrived when some steps should be taken oflficially to put a stop
to the publication or display of pictures which represent individual
catches of game fishes in excess of the numbers fixed by law, for as be-
fore noted some persons will inevitably be incited thereby to seek to
emulate or surpass the feat recorded. This cannot but result in material
harm to the sporting fisheries Avhicli, tlirougli tlu^ Province at large, are
not in such a flourisliing condition as to warrant any unnecessary strain
being placed upon tliem. rndoubtedly both the pictorial press and the
railways, who have been the chief offenders in this respect, would be
only too willing to co-operate Avitli the Government if the matter were
properly placed before tluMii, and it would, therefore, seem that steps
should at once be taken to this end.
A point has arisen in connection witli the clauses dealing with the
limitation of catch which has already given rise to considerable discus-
sion and some ill-feeling, and Avhicli, although the matter has been re-
ferred to the authorities at Ottawa, has not as yet been officially ruled
upon. Inasmucli as this question is likely to have a considerable effect
on the annual influx of visiting anglers, it is without doubt of great im-
portance to the Province.
The clauses dealing with the limitation of catch of black bass read
as follows:
122 REPOIIT OF ONTAIIIO GAME No. 52
Bass.
(c) No one shall fi'sli for, catch or kill in any of the waters of the
Province in one da}' by anglin<>-, or shall carry away a greater nnniber
than eight small or large mouthed black bass.
{(1) No small or large mouthed black bass less than ten inches in
length shall be retained or kept out of the water, sold, otfered or ex-
posed for sale or had in possession, but anyone who takes or catches such
fish of less than the minimum measurement named, which measurement
shall be from the point of the nose to the centre of the tail, shall
immediately return such fish to the water from which it was taken,
alive and uninjured.
The point at issue is whether the angler must of necessity cease
angling when he shall have successfully landed eight tish of legal size,
or Avhether it is legal and within the spirit of the law for him to return
such uninjured tish of legal size as he chooses alive to the waters and
continue fishing so long as he desires, or until he has actually killed
eight fish.
In nearly all good bass waters there are times and occasions when
the angler will be fortunate enough not only to find the fish striking
greedily at his bait, but also some particular spot in which the fish are
congregated thickly. In those waters in which the fish are the most
abundant this will occur the more frequently, and these localities are, as
a rule, the principal resorts of visiting anglers. To the majority of
sportsmen much of the pleasure of angling for black bass lies in the
struggle with the fish after it has been hooked. Frequently it will occur
that the bass cannot be induced to take the lure through long hours of
monotonous angling, so that when patience and persistence are re-
warded by the discovery of some spot in which the fish are both abun-
dant and eager to bite, the angler for the nonce is in an earthly para-
dise and naturally desirous of making the uttermost of his opportuni-
ties. On such occasions, however, it is plain that to those who wished
to abide by the spirit of the law the period of enjoyment would be most
brief if the law is to be interpreted in its apparently literal sense,
namely, that it is illegal to " fish for " more than eight fish of the legal
size, regardless of whether or not those landed in an uninjured condi-
tion have been returned to the waters. When it is considered that the
visiting angler, and, in many cases, also the resident of the Province, is
put to considerable expense to secure his sport, and, moreover, that the
non-resident is charged a fee of |2.00 for angling in provincial waters,
it is apparent that visitors and citizens alike will be apt to protest at
having their sport for the day curtailed, perhaps, to the short space of
one-half hour, more especially when they have not even killed their
limit of fish as allowed by law in order to avoid waste. This fact has
been well illustratcHl, indeed, by letters, from non-residents especially,
which have appeared in the public press, asking for an interpretation of
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 123
the law, and declaring that if no more than eight bass of legal size could
be angled for, even though the uninjured fish were carefully returned
to the waters to furnish sport for themselves or brother anglers on some
future occasion, not only would they and their immediate friends, who
desired to abide by the spirit of the angling regulations, refrain from
angling in the future, or discontinue their annual visits to the Province,
as the case might be, but that thousands of others would be similarly
affected, thus clearly indicating the great economic factor at stake in
the decision of this problem.
The black bass can be captured on a variety of baits, those in most
ordinary use being the common trolling spoon with a three hook gang
at the rear end, the 'single hook or, possibly, two small hooks with an
angle-worm, minnoAv or frog attached thereto, and the fly, which is, of
course, a single hook. In a great many cases, but more especially when
the single hook is being used, the fish will be hooked in the tougli mem-
brane of the lip or mouth, and in such instances the hook can be re-
moved without in any way injuring the fish if care is taken first to wet
the hand before handling it, the rubbing of a dry hand being liable to
cause fungus to appear on the fish if it is subsequently returned to the
water. The bass, indeed, is such a hardy fisih generally that unless it is
hooked in the gills or swallows the bait so that the hook or hooks cannot
be removed without injuring the gills, it will suffer no evil effects either
from its struggles or from the slight handling that is necessary to re-
lease it, and, in fact, has been known beyond dispute to take the bait
again within a short period of its return to the water. Hence it will be
seen that there would be reasonable grounds for complaint in a regula-
tion which f()rbad(^ the " fishing for " more than eight fish of legal size
where the uninjured fish were carefully returned to the water by the
angler.
Undoubtedly it may be argued that there is i) danger, if it is deemed
lav\ful for an angler to catch as many bass as he chooses, provided that
he does not kill or injure more than the legal limit, thus leaving it to
his discretion to decide as to which fish are uninjured, tlnat instances
might occur where seriously wounded fish would be thrown l)ac]c into the
water, but it is to be noted that the same danger exists if the angler is
restricted to " fishing for " eight fish of legal size, so that it does not
materially affect the question. Moreover, in most localities where it
would be possible comparatively often to exceed the limit if so desired,
which ever way it might be construed, a great proportion of the angling,
especially that done by visitors, is carried on under the eyes of licensed
guides, who not only by virtue of their licenses are bound to see that
the angling laws are obeyed, but have also, as a rule, the additional in-
centive or personal profit to urge them to do so-, seeing that if the fish-
eries wane, so in proportion will the number of tourists who provide
them with such profitable employment. These men, therefore, could in
the majority of cases, at least, be counted on to see that injured fish
124 KEPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
were killed, even if by so doiuy,' sport had to be abandoned for the day.
It cannot be denied, however, that when angling- is carried on with
gangs of hooks, the probability of seriously injuring the fish is very
much greater than when single hooks are used, and it would seem, tnere-
fore, that while in general there is no likelihood of nuiterial injury to
the black bass fisheries occurring through the capture of numbers of
fish by individual anglers, so he that the uninjurcl fish are carefully
returned to the water and the total kill is not in excess of the legal
number, it might be advisable to continue the present presumptive re-
striction against " fishing for '' more than the legal limit that may be
killed when this class of bait is used.
An interesting feature of the present regulations is that while
" fishing for " more than eight bass of legal size can be construed as
illegal, this provision cannot apparently apply to fish of less than legal
size, for, as shown by the clauses previously quoted, special provision
is made in regard to these, not only that they are to be returned to the
water alive and uninjured, but also that it is illegal to keep or retain
them out of the water or to have them in possession. Consequently, it
would seem that no matter how many undersized fish an angler might
take, nor how many of them he might seriously or mortally injure, he
could not under the law retain them out of the water, much less count
them as part of his legal kill. This, it must be allowed, is somewhat of
an anomaly, for the young fish are, potentially at least, as valuable as
the older, and, moreover, the young fish are also likely to be the most
delicate and, therefore, the most easily injured. So voracious is the
bass that the size of the bait in general use for the larger fish will not
deter the smaller fish from taking it, provided that it can get it into its
mouth, or in many cases of striking at it even if it cannot, so that espe-
cially in trolling with a spoon in localities where bass abound, it is
evident what destruction of young bass may easily occur. It is, of
course, a wise precaution to limit the size at which fish may be legally
taken, but it is obviously of little avail to return fishes of less than legal
dimensions to the water only to suffer and die. Kather would it appear
that where little bass are injured the law should compel their retention
as part of the legal count. Objection might be taken to such a regula-
tion as opening the way to the destruction of uninjured, undersizcMl fish
by anglei-s who were unable to secure larger ones, and unquestionably
the present regulations were devised to meet this contingency. Doubt-
less under the present regulations some undersized fish are illegally
killed and retained, and doubtless, also, this would be the case if the
regulations were amended as suggested, l)ut the majority of anglers are
sportsmen, anxious to abide by the law, and this fact, together with the
prevalence of the licensed guide in the districts in which the best fish-
ing is to be secured, would seem to afford a guarantee against any such
eventuality on a large scale. It might again be argued that it would be
a hardship to the angler to compel him to count in his day's limit such
1912 AND P^ISHERIES COMMISSION. 125
small fish as he was unfortunate enough to injure, but the majority of
such cases would occur when trolling with a spoon and gang of hooks,
and, if it were ruled legal to ''fish for'' more than the legal number
provided the uninjured fish were returned to the water, plainly it would
be within the discretion of the angler to change his bait to a single hook
and thus greatly minimize the chances of having his sport brought to a
premature conclusion owing to the capture and injury of small fishes.
In this regard, also, it may be noted that there is on the market to-day
a barbless hook which, while possibly not quite so effective as the
barbed variety, is none the less highly efficacious. Most of the in-
juries that fish receive can be directly attributed to the agency of the
barb, so that the possession of a few barbless hooks should still further
tend to prolong the period of sport open to the angler whose catch is
Hearing its legal limit.
In regard to brook trout, the restrictions imposed vary from those
affecting the black bass in that a weight of fish that may be caught,
namely, 10 lbs., is mentioned, while the number of fish thiat may be
killed is placed at thirty and the legal limit of size at six inches, the
double restriction as to weight and size havimg been devised to meet
the great difference in dimensions at which the trout will mature under
varying conditions. With these exceptions the wording of the regula-
tion is in general precisely similar, and much of what has been written
in regard to the black bass applies equally in this case.
The trout can be caught on the fiy by trolling with a spoon or other
artificial bait, or with the angle-worm or live minnow, and it is plain
that some fish will be injured and some uninjured when landed. More-
over, there is the same question as to the interpretation of the law in
regard to what number of fish may be fished for and whether it is within
the spirit of the law to return uninjured fish to the water and to con-
tinue angling, although the actual weight or number of fish landed may
be in excess of that allowed by law.
The brook trout, however, is in the majority of cases less rugged a
fish than the black bass and, in consequence, is more likely to be in-
jured in the process of handling, even though the hand be carefully
wetted and every precaution taken. It is not intended in the least to
imply that the fish cannot be returned to the waters to live and thrive,
for undoubtedly many instances could be adduced to the contrary, but
the comparative delicacy of the fish would at all events appear to be an
argument in favor of restricting the number of trout which may be
'' fished for " to the number which may be caught. Another point, also,
to be noted in this regard is that in the more populated and accessible
portions of the Province where the brook trout does occur, it doeis not,
as a rule, run to a very great size, so that neither from the point of view
of the weight or of the numbers which he might legally catch could the
angler claim that any undue hardship was being inflicted on him. In
fact, only in one section of the Province, the region to the north of Lake
126 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Superior, where the trout sonietiiiies rim to a weight of several poimdis
and where, consequently, ten pounds of trout might under favorable
conditions be quickly secured, would there appear to be any possible
argument in favor of interpreting the present law other than in its ap-
parently literal sense, or of amendimg it, and even there the bulk of
the country is so wild tliat the numbers of anglers who penetrate into
it are comparatively limited, so that there is but a limited capacity for
the consumption of the fish, while, on the other hand, where trout is
required for food purposes, it would be, and actually is, taken without
consideration of the restrictions imposed by law. In certain portions
of this region, where there was adiMjuate supervision, it might perhaps
be advantageous to amend the law as suggested for black bass, but
where adequate supervision in this region cannot be provided and
throughout the remaining portions of the Province it would appear best
in regard to brook trout fishing that the present regulations as to the
weight and numbers of fi><h that may be caught should remain in force
and be construed in their most literal sense.
In the matter of returning all brook trout of less than six inches
in length to the water, much the same arguments could obviously be
advanced as in the case of the black bass. The problem is not, however,
entirely analogous. While undoubtedly in some little streams where
brook trout exist the fish will mature at six inches, in the bulk of the
brook trout waters of the Province it will attain a considerably larger
size. In those streams where it runs smallest the very size of the fish
will preclude offering it bait other than on a very small hook, while in
other waters where larger trout exist, altliough it may fall a victim to
the fly in ordinary local use, a trout of less thau six inches will, as a
rule, i-efrain from attempting to swallow such bait as spoons and imi-
tation minnows, the coarse hooks of which frequently cause such serious
injury to the fish, for the very appearance and size of the lure, re-
sembling, in fact, that of some swimming fish, would be calculated to
drive the young trout into shelter, seeing that the larger speciuu^ns of
even its own tribe would most gladly devour it, with Avhich fact it is
instinctively well acquainted. Consequently, the bulk of the fish below
legal limit that would be caught would be landed by a small hook lodged
in the tough membrane of the mouth in all probability, and not, as in
the case of the young bass, by impaling themselves more or less severely
on the barbs of larger hooks, for the bass of between eight and ten
inches can plainly, and will, tackle a very much larger bait than ever
could a little trout of between four to six inches. It would "seem, there-
fore, that a higher percentage of the young trout caught than of young
bass should be landed uninjured, and taking all things into considera-
tion, in the case where all the undersized of both varieties had to be
returned to the water regardless of whether they were injured or not, a
higher percentage should, also, live. In addition to this the very nature
of the waters in which young trout are usually most abundant render
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 127
them peculiarly easy to fisli, iimcli more so than iu the case of young
basis, so that it is unadvisable to give the slightest loophole for the tak-
ing of young fish in quantities, more especially so when it is remembered
that even the very little trout are highly prized for the table, and,
although the trafiic is illegal, command a high ijrice in many localities,
a thing which cannot be said of the very small bass. It would, then, on
the whole, iu the case of brook trout appear to be inexpedient to effect
any change in the present law which requires all fish of a less length
than six inches to be returned to the water.
But four mascalonge may be killed by an angler in one day, but in
regard to this fish it is to be noted that the size of the hook in common
use for its capture, as Avell as the method of taking the bait which is
typical of the fish, practically exclude the possibility of returning the
larger specimens, at least, uninjured to the water. In view of these
facts, as also that longe grounds are none too plentiful, that in them
longe of 10 lbs. are quite frequently to be caught, and that the fish will
run to such a size as 10 or 50 lbs., it must be admitted that four fish is
an ample bag for one angler in one day. The angler, therefore, should
be satisfied to rest content with tlie fortune of war in the matter of
what sized fish he may succeed in lauding, and should not be allowed
to " fisli for '' more than the number of legal sized fish that he is allowed
by law to kill.
Mascalonge of less than 21 indues may not be retained, but must
be returned alive and uninjured to the water. A fish of even twenty
inches is already of a good size, with a large enough moaith to SAvallow
any ordinary bait, so that it is apparent that so far as injuring the
undersized fish is concerned, it is practically without the power of the
angler to ])revent it. In fact, in the great majority of cases the small
longe will be more or less seriously injured before it can be released
from the hook. Moreover, so vigorous and vicious are even compara-
tively small specimens of this fish, and so sharp their teeth, that but few
anglers would care to attempt to remove the bait from the mouths of
any of them without taking the wise precaution of stunning it. The
effect of the Idow necessary to accomplish this, added to the almost in-
evitable wounds accompanying the removal of the bait, render it doubt-
ful whether in the majority of cases the young fish will recover, even
though returned to the Avater, more especially seeing that, while helpless
and wounded, it is an easy prey for its enemies, the larger specimens of
its owin kind and the common pike. To fulfil the requirements of the law
in this respect would appear, then, in general to be impossible.
Trolling for longe over the grounds which it inhabits it is impos-
sible to foretell what sized fish will take the bait. It would plainly be
a hardship to the angler to require him to give over angling when he
had secured four small longe under the legal limit, but, on the other
hand, it might be urged that some effort should be made to check the
waste of young fish and that, after an angler had landed six or eight
11 r.c.
128 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
undersized lisli, he should be reipiired to cease augliug'. The uiajority of
longe anglers are, however, out after the large tisli, and regard the small
fish as a nuisance which they would gladly avoid, and seeing that
angling for longe is airt to be a strenuous pleasure if a large fish is
hooked and that the spirit of the sport itself is a hard tussle with a
strong and vigorous fish, only those who enjoy the exercise of a pro-
longed and exhausting fight will in general indulge in it to any extent.
To obtain this sport many of them will have come from afar and will
have but a limited time at their disposal to enjoy it, so that in as much
as the majority of them can be counted on not to cause any undue waste
bj deliberately angling for undersized fish, it would appear inexpedient
to x^enalize them to the extent of forcing them to abandon angling for
the day ishould they be unfortunate enough to hook and land a few
undersized fishes which, after all, would atford them but poor sport for
the money they were expending. It would seem, therefore, best in the
case of the undersized mascahmge to allow the present law to stand
unaltered in its literal sense.
Finally in regard to pickerel, the catch of which is limiled to
twelve, and the legal size placed at fifteen inches, it is to be noted that
in the majority of waters in which pickerel are to be found it will not
often occur that more than tA\elve of the fish of legal size will be taken
in a reasonable day's angling, for it lives, as a rule, in the deeper waters
and trolling for it over a considerable area is the only and somewhat
uncertain means of securing it. There are, of course, exceptional in-
stances of localities in which it is particularly abundant, where angling
for it can be carried on successfully from the shore, or catches in ex-
cess of the legal nundier made within a short space of time, but even in
such cases the bait most frequently in use would be the trolling spoon
or imitation minnow, with its gangs of hooks, and consequently,
although a very hardy and rol)iist fisli, it would be liable very often to
suffer material injury when the bait was being removed, even had it
escaped serious damage while in Ihe \\aler. In view of these facts, and
seeing that the ca])ture of tAvelve of as s])()rting a fish as the ])ickei-el, of
a greater length than fifteen inches, should under any circumstances be
considered a good day's sport by anyone, it would seem advisable that
angling operations should be l)rought to a close when the legal limit
has been landed, even though, perchance, some specimens nuiy have been
returned uninjured to the water.
Tn regard to the question of returning the undersized fish to the
water, it is plain that where they swallow a bait intended for a larger
fish they will be all the more likely to be serionsly injured. On the
other hand, the danger of catching great (luantities of such undersized
fishes would not ap])ear to be great, except, i)erhaps, in isolated in-
stances, so that as the loss to the fisheries wonid not \h\ very serions
even in the event of a large percenlage of those i-etnrned to the water
subsequently dying, it wonld, i)erhaps, b(^ more advantageous to allow
tlie present law to stand than to attemi)t to amend it.
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 129
A feature peculiar to the pickerel fiislieries is that the pickerel is
the only fish in the Province, recognized alike as a commercial and
si)orting variety, on which a limitation of catch is imposed in regard to
anglers. It is evident that in those localities where commercial netting
and angling are carried on side by side, the angler has just cause to com-
plain of any restriction being imposed on hi's catch when no such re-
striction afCects the commercial net fisherman, whose operations are, as
a rule, by far the most deadly. As pointed out previously, however, the
pickerel has only of recent years come to be recognized as a sporting":
fish of high cla^s in this Province, and doubtless the limitation of catch
imposed by law was introduced to meet the needs of certain restricted
waters where tlu^ i)ickerel was the leading sporting fish, and where, as
a rule, no commercial netting was being contluctcd. In such cases it
is plainly necessary to limit the number of fish which ma}' daily be
removed by any one angler. The pickerel is, of course, a fish of the high-
est commercial value, and in vicAV of this fact, as also that it is largely
a deep water fish, it would evidently be inexpedient generally to bar its
commercial exploitation in the waters of the great lakes, but having
regard to the rapid advance in popularity of the fisli amongst citizen
anglers and the indisputable attraction it possesses for American
visitors, it would seem that, as pointed out in a previous section, the
time has perhaps arrived when commercial netting for it should not be
permitted outside of the waters of the great lakes, or at least in those
localities where it affords sport to a large number of either citizens or
visitors.
Minnow Seines.
One of the best baits for small or larg(^ moutlied black bass, pickerel
and speckled trout is the minnow, which is one of the imtural foods of
the fishes. There is, in consequence, a great demand for minnows in
most parts of the Province in which anglers from within and without
congregate during the summer months. At the present time the law
forbids the seining of minnows other than under license, and the
angler who desires to make use of the little fishes as bait must either
secure them from some person who possesses a seining license, or else
capture them himself by some other means, sirch as a small dip iret.
The minnow seine license costs |5.00, entitling the licensee to 30 feet
of seine net and, as for bait purposes the live minnow is greatly superior
to the dead, it is usual for those holding these licenses to possess some
form of minnow pail in which they store the minnows* pending a demand
for them, eventually retailing them to the angler at prices varying
from one to three cents per fish.
There are in this Province a great variety of small fishes which
never attain a length of more than two or three inches and which are
commonly styled minnows, but, broadly speaking, it may be said that
the minnow when free in the water is lively, active and wary, only
130 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
abounding in such shallow places wliere food is plentiful, so thai for
practical purposes it is impossible for the majority of anglers to secure
a sufficiency of them without having recourse to some holder of a min-
now seine license, for not only are their favorite haunts frequently at
some distance from the town or village, but even when these have been
reached, the dip net will prove too cumbersome a weapon to effect the
capture of more than a stray specimen or two sufficiently large to be
suitable for angling purposes.
Thus it will be seen that the possession of a minnow seine license
is of considerable pecuniary value to the holder, for a species of local
monopoly is created and, as the demand increases, so can the cliarge in
proportion if the licensee so desires, for there is no restriction })laced
on the price at which the little fishes may be retailed. Moreover, the
supply available will depend largely on the energy of the licensee. In
various instances it has occurred that the local supply of minnows was
greatly below the demand, which appeared to be due either to the
laziness of the licensee or to his unwillingness to pay for adequate help,
and in such cases not only are tlie complaints of the anglers most vigor-
ous, but also those of hotel keepers and merchants generally who are
interested in the summer tourist traffic, for it is apparent to tliem that
such conditions are not favorable even to a maintenance of the trade,
but, on the contrary, are calculated to damage it materially. The price,
also, in such cases will almost invariably soar, for there will, as a rule,
be found one or two individuals prepared to pay without after-thought
any sum, provided only they get what they require, and this ent^iils a
hardship on the generality of anglers whose funds are not unlimited,
and cannot but be prejudicial in its effect on the tourist traffic in the
district. It is plain that where during three or four months of the year
there are a number of anglers anxious to purchase one or two dozen
minnows six days in the week, the possession of a license sliould net the
licensee from |2.00 to |4.00 or more per diem, and, moreover, unlike the
guide whose license costs |2.00 and whose wages average from |2.00 to
13.00 per diem, so long as there are anglers, so long will Ids trade be
steady and continuous, for it is independent of the personal caprice of
the individual angler or of po])ular repntalion. If, therefore, the licensee
discovers that by raising the price of his minnows he can continue to
make an undiminished income witli considerably less effort to liimself,
or at less expense if he engages help, it is quite likely tliat he will be
tempted to do so without regard to those whom he is injuring by so
doing. It would, of course, be possible by issuing more than one license
to a locality to create competition, and tlius not only keep prices down
but at the same time ensure a sufficient supply to meet the local demand.
The main objections to such a course are, however, that iu by far the
greater number of cases there is only enough work in this line
adequately to compensate one man wlio makes a genuine business of it,
taking into consideration the lieli. that he uiight have to hire aud the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 131
time thait he would liave to devote to it, and, secomdly, thajt it would tend
to an undue destruction of small fishes, which are one of the main foods
of many of the best sporting fishes, for each licensee would be careful
always to have an abundant supply in order not to lose his proportion
of the trade, and the minnows cannot be retained alive in captivity for
very long periods.
It would seem, therefore, that so long as the seining of minnows
can only be legally conducted under license special care should be taken
to ascertain that the licensees are supplying the needs of the public to
the best of their ability, and not to re-issue a license to any man who
through lack of energy or for other reasons within his control fails to
produce a supply equal to the demand or abuses his privilege by the
imposition of exorbitant charges.
Already the expenses of the angler visitors are by no means incon-
siderable, including as the^^ often do not only board, but the hire of one
or more guides, oarsmen, canoes, boats, launches, etc., and it becomes,
therefore, a question whether it is really advisable to place the addi-
tional burden upon them of forcing them to purchase their minnows.
In any event there would always be those who preferred to do so rather
than take the trouble themselves, so that there would alw^ays be likely
to be some trade in this direction. It would, as a rule, seem impracti-
cable for the guides, the major part of whose day is spent on the waters
with the anglers, to undertake to provide minnows, and, consequently,
an independent individual would apparently be enabled to carry on the
business at a profit. There are, however, many anglers to whom ex-
pense is a great consideration, who would much prefer to take the
trouble of securing their own bait, seeing that by so doing they would
save several dollars a week, and as these constitute as high a percent-
age as, perhaps, a half of the total number of anglers, their interests
should plainly be considered.
The main reason for the introduction of the minnow seine license
was to prevent, in so far as possible, the destruction of fish of immature
varieties, it being held that the average angler was not sufficiently ex*-
pert to distinguish between such and the true minnows. Undoubtedly
this is the case, but, on the other hand, it is questionable whether the
average licensee under the present system is any more competent. The
centralizing of the capture of minnows, however, renders supervision by
government officials comparatively easy, or at least is calculated to do so,
so that the present system is plainly advantageous in that respect, but
it is to be noted that no real effort has ever as yet been made to deter-
mine what proportion of young fishes of valuable species are likely to
be caught among minnows where small lengths of seine net are em-
ployed. It cannot be denied that the present system entails hardship
on many anglers, and, moreover, it is to be remembered that in many
of the wilder districts, Avhere it will not pay an individual to purchase
a minnow seine license, there are none the lesis often a proportion of
132 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME InO. 52
anglers who, if they desire minnows, will practically be forced to break
the law. It would appear, therefore, expedient to make some ett'oi t to
ajscertain what the extent of the daiii'er to the young' of ^laluable sport-
ing and other fishes may be from the use of limited lengths of seine net
for the purpose of catching bait; whether, in fact, that danger \\hicli
was mainly responsible for the introduction of the present law is not
more imaginary than real. To establish this beyond dispute it would
be necessary to make extensive investigations throughout the Province.
The fact that the majority of licensees maintain minnow pails would
afford a means of determining the extent of the damage now being
wrought, if the pails were to be examined by an expert icthyologist, and,
as the nund)er of licenses is comparativelj' limited, it would plainly
be possible for an expert not only to inspect a high proportion of them
in the course of a few months, but at the sanu^ tinu^ to attend the actual
seining operations and form a reliable opinion on the number of young
and valuable fishes that are on the average liable to be thus •secured.
The Province is fortunate in numbering among its citizens an icthyolo-
gist of the liighest rank, Mr. C. W. Nash, and it wcmld seem that the
importance of the issue at stake would more than warrant the expense
that would be incurred by securing his services to make a report on this
question, whicli only an expert could ever properly decide. Should
such an investigation be carried out and the danger to the immature
of valuable si)e('ies was found to l)e but slight, it is beyond dispute that
it would be most advisable to amend the present law to the extent of
permitting the individual angler tlu^ use of some feet of minnow seine
net for the purpose of securing his own bait, and under such circum-
stances it would probably be found necessary to reduce the. cost of the
minnow seine license, used for commercial puri)oses, very considerably.
The Non-Resiw<]nt Angler's License.
The non-resident angler's tax lias proved of value from two points
of view, firstly in producing a considerable direct revenue to the
Province, and secondly as affording some index of the nund)ers of visi-
tors to the Province from without who engage in angling and who may,
therefore, be deemed to have been inilnenced in their decision to visit
the Province on account of the sport to be obtained tliere. There would
seem to be almost unanimity of opinion among the angler tourists that
the tax is both just and reasonable i)rovided only that the money thus
collected is devoted to the purpose of conserving the sporting fisheries
and thus providing them with good sport. The collection of the tax,
however, still leaves much to be desired, for as noted in the Interim
Report of this Commission there is no (jnestion that a number of non-
residents do not at ])i'esent pay, either because they aie not approached
by the official empowered to collect it, or because tliey remain in ignor-
ance of the existence of the tax. The gi-eat majoi-ily of the visiting
1912 AND FISHERIES (COMMISSION. 133
anglers enter the Province by rail, and board at some hotel or lodging-
house for at least a portion of their time. A percentage of the |2.00
tax is at present paid to the official who collects it and in some districts
forms no inconsiderable part of his income. If, liowever, the govern-
ment official's received adequate remuneration, there could be no hard-
ship in enlarging the numbers of those entitled to issue the licenses and
collect the percentage, and, as the railways, hotels and boarding houses
handle the bulk of the traffic, there would seem to be no possible objec-
tion to throwing open the issuance of the non-resident anglers licenses
to them. In fact, it would appear highly advantageous to do so, for
by this means undoubtedly a far higher percentage of visitors would
pay the fee than at present, seeing that a far greater number of persons
would be directl}'^ interested in its collection. Moreover, the railways,
and the majority of hotel and boarding house proprietors, are finan-
cially trustworthy, and could be relied on to carry on the work under
wliatever system was adopted.
Gangs of Hooks.
In tlie proposed regulations affecting the international fisheries of
the great lakes provision is made against the use of artificial baits with
more than three hooks, or more than one burr of three hooks, attached
thereto. At the present time the variety of artificial bait's on the market
is very great, and unfortunately there has developed a tendency in cer-
tain instances to furnish the lure Avith a great quantity of hooks or
gangs of hooks. Lures thus ecjuipped are plainly most destructive, for
if the fish but approaches it is liable to be hooked in some portion of the
body and in its struggles other hooks Avill almost certainly gain a hold.
Such methods of angling cannot be deemed sporting, for not only do
they almost annihilate the chances of the fish to escape once it has been
hooked, but also tend to minimize the play which the fish can afford the
angler. More especially is this the case Avitli the smaller sporting fishes,
such as the black bass and speckled trout, and even in angling for larger
fishes such as the lake trout and mascalonge there can be no necessity
for the employment of such deadly engines, for one large hook firmly
end)edded is, a's a general rule, sufficient to land a fish, and in any event
one gang of three hooks should be ample to accomplish this end even
with fishes of the greatest weight and activity. It would seem, therefore,
that throughout the waters of the Province no artificial bait should be
permitted to be used which has more than three hooks, or to which is
attached more than one gang of three hooks.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend : —
(1) That no commercial net fishing, or net fishing of any descrip-
tion other than minnow seining for bait purposes, be permitted in the
134 EEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
waters of the Province within live miles of any city or town, this pro-
vision, however, not to apply to the nse of dip nets by anglers or to the
removal of undesirable fishes by government officials.
(2) That the following areas be considered sporting fish reserves
and that no commercial net fishing or net fishing other than minnow
seining for bait purposes be permitted in them, this provision not to
apply to the use of dip nets by anglers or to the removal of carp, suckers
or other too prevalent coarse or predaceous fishes by Government offi-
cials or under direct governmental supervision:
The Rideau Lake System, the Bay of Quinte west of the bridge at
Belleville and including Wellers Bay and Hay Bay; an area at the
entrance to the St. Lawrence River bounded on the west by a line drawn
from the south westerly extremity of Wolfe Island to the easterly
extremity of Amherst Island and thence northerly to the western end
of Collins Bay, and on the east by a line drawn from the eastern
extremity of Amherst Island to the town of Gananoque; the Kawartha
Lakes; Rondeau Bay and Long Point Bay in Lake Erie; Lake Simcoe;
Muskoka Lakes; Lake Nipissing and French River; River Thames;
Lake of the Woods within fifteen miles radius of Kenora; and the dis-
trict in the Georgian Bay defined by the Dominion Government Geor-
gian Bay Fisheries Commission and recommended by it for the purpose
of a sporting fish reserve.
(3) That the artificial propa,gation of all classes of sporting fishes
be undertaken by the Government; that of lake trout, pickerel, masca-
longe and coarser fishes in conjunction with the commercial hatcheries
already recommended; that of brook trout by the erection of a special
hatchery on or in the vicinity of the Nipigon River and subsequently,
if necessary, in other districts ; and that of black bass by the institution
of a system of bass breeding ponds at various points throughout the
bass regi(m.
(4) That the exact location for a brook trout hatchery or for a
system of bass breeding ponds be determined by a duly qualified scien-
tific icthyologist.
(5) Tliat special attention be paid to the waters of the sporting
fish reserves, above rcn-ommended, and of provincial forest reserves, in
regard to assuring and maintaining an abundance of the best class of
sporting fishes in them.
(6) That where a demand arises for the introduction into any of
the Provincial waters of a fish, eillKM- indigenous to other portions of
the Province or from without the Provincial borders, which has not
hitherto inhabited the sani(\ scientific examination of such waters be
made to ascertain their snilability bef()r(' any experimental planta-
tions of the particular variety of fish is made; and that it be part of
the duties of tlie Scientific Research Department, i)reviously recom-
nicTHlcd to be establislie<l, to condnct such examinations, to supervise,
wliei-e necessary, the e.\i»ei'iniental plantations, and to endeavour to
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 135
stock with suitable varieties of sporting fislies such waters in the access-
ible portions of the Province as are at present devoid of them.
(7) That steps be taken to secure the co-operation of the public
press and of the raihvays in regard to the suppression of illustrations,
photographs or narratives depicting the capture by individuals of more
than the legal limit of any variety of fish.
(8) That steps be taken to secure an amendment to the present
laws in relation to the numbers of black bass that may be caught in
one day by one angler, and as to the disposal of black bass of less than
legal size, to the end that it be declared legal when fishing with a fly or
single hook to return uninjured fish to the water and to continue finh-
ing until the legal limit has been killed; that bass less than legal size
which have been injured in the process of catching or landing or subse-
quently by handling be retained by the angler and counted as fish in
the total of his legal catch; and that the legal limit of catch for black
bass be raised to ten fish.
(9) Tliat especial care be taken in the speckled trout region to
the north of Lake Superior, when timber limits are being leased, to
maintain at least a fringe of trees along the banks of trout streams and
rivers, sufficient to afford the shade necessary to the fish's existence and
to prevent any undue raising of the temperature of the waters in sum-
mer montlis; and tliat, if poissible, the regular waterflow of such streams
and rivers be conserved by maintaining around their headwaters an
adequate belt of forest.
(10) That a special patrol officer be appointed in the spring of
1911 whose sole duty shall consist of watching and inspecting the
mouths and lower reaches of the rivers and streams entering the
northern borders of Lake Superior with a view to checking the illegal
netting at present being conducted in these waters, and that the said
officer \w provided with sufficient funds to enable him to hire what trans-
portation lie requires wheresoever he needs it in order efficiently to dis-
charge liis duties.
(11) That for the present no further plantations of rainbow trout
or other imported trout be allowed to be made in the Canadian waters
of Lake Superior or Georgian Bay or in the rivers and streams draining
into them.
(12) That steps be taken to secure an amendment to the present
regulations in regard to mascalonge fishing to the effect that hand
trolling for this fish be prohibited and rod and line angling be enacted
the only legal method of capture.
(13) That in all lakes of less area than 20 miles square tlie com-
mercial exploitation of pickerel and lake trout be prevented in the
future.
(14) Tliat tliroughout the waters of the Province the use of any
bait furnislied with more than three hooks or one gang of three hooks
be declared illegal.
13G REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
(15) That the services of a competent scientific icthj'ologisl: be
secured to make an investigation during the angling season of 1911 as
to the extent of damage, if any, wrought to the fisiheries of tlie Pro\ince
under the present system of minnow seine licenses by the capture of
the immature of sporting or other valuable fishes, and as to the probable
effect in this direction of permitting individual anglers the use of a few
feet of minnow seine, and to render a report to the Government on these
subjects.
(16) That the law in relation to the pollution of waters by fac-
tories and mills be most rigidly enforced throughout the Province and
that steps be taken to have the penalty for deliberate violation of this
provision raised to a sum of not less than |500.
(17) That the issuance of non-resident anglers' licenses be placed
in the hands of transportation companies and reputable hotel and
boardinig house proprietors, in addition to the government overseers,
and that the present percentage as paid to the government overseer be
paid for each license to the issuer of the same.
(18) That steps be taken to secure from hotel and boarding house
proprietors lists of non-resident and resident tourists visiting their
houses each year, in order that reasonably accurate statistics of the
extent of the tourist traffic may be secured.
THE PROVINCIAL FOREST RESERVES, GAME AND FUR-
BEARING ANIMALS.
The Forests.
In discussing the problems connected Avith the Provincial Forest
Reserves, th(» game and fur-bearing animals it is clearly impossibh^ to
avoid touching generally on th(^ forests of the Province, for not only
do these afford shelter to the bulk of the big game and much of the
small game and fur-bearing animals, but also, as they are conterminous
in many instances with the Provincial I*arks, matters affecting them as
a whole must exercise an equal influence over the adjoining Parks.
The great value of the forests is gaining yearly in recognition.
The marked rise in the price of tind)er, the enormous and increasing
demand for pulpwood to be manufactured into paper, and the tlireat-
ened shortage of supplies in this direction in the United States, have
all coml)in(Ml to call attention to the wonderful resources of Ontario,
and to their actual intrinsic worth. The diminution in the waterflow
of rivers and streams in those sections of the Province denuded of their
forests has but helped to accentuate the lessons lo be learned from the
unfortunate experiences of S])ain, France and China, that the even
flow of rivers and streams is (lependent to a xcvy large extent on the
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 137
existence of I'oiesls about tlieir headwaters; that tlie raiufall and
climate are both materially affected by the removal of the forests; and
that, as agriculture depends on the Avater supply, and agricultural
exploitation of the land is the backbone of national prosperity, the con-
servation of the forests is of the most vital importance to the popula-
tion at large. The rapid developments also in the utilization of water-
powers and the certainty that as fuel becomes scarcer waterpower will
have to take its place for many purposes have undoubtedly very
materially added to the importance of the forests which are, as it Avere,
the custodians of the springs from which these waterpoweis draw tlieir
sources.
While the wise general policy of the present administration of the
Province in regard to the forests indicates clearly that these matters
have received and are still receiving the careful and weighty considera-
tion they deserve, it is none the less doubtful whether the general public
has as yet become alive to their vast significance, both in the present
and in regard to the near and distant future. It would seem, in<leed,
that the efforts of the Canadian Commission of Conservation and
Canadian ForestrA^ Association to this end might well be augmented
by the pubdication and distribution of literature and general dissemi-
nation of knowledge on this subject broadcast throughout the Province
at provincial exi)ense, for so long as the general i)ublic remains ignorant
of the vast A^alues at stake, so long will it remain doubtful whether a
sufiticienc}' of funds will ever be provided to safeguard and ensure the
perpetuation of the forests, whereas, when once the public ha<l become
fully seized of the economic functions of the forests in addition to their
actual intrinsic value, it cannot be doubted that public demand would
ensure the provision of amjde funds for th(4r proper conservation,
exploitation and g(uu^ral nmnagement.
Forestry is an art of the highest order, and in view of the causes
l)efore mentioned, an art that is becoming yearlA' of greater importance.
The fuirdamental basis of its teaching is that the forests, if properly
administered, are not a fleeting but a permanent asset to the nation,
and that to regard or treat them as anything else than permanent is the
Jiinkest of folly. Naturally, on a continent so abuirdantly furnished
with magnificent forests as America, it took a considerable number of
years for these basic truths to be preceived and acknowledged even by
the administrations, but the laAvs of nature operate the same the world
over, and that which Avanton and extravagant wastefulness had taught
the older nations of Europe years before came at last to be impressed on
thinking people in America also. Fortunately the haA^oc wrought by
improper methods of cutting and of administration of the timber
resources has not as yet affected tlie A^ast l)ulk of the provincial timber
areas. Of the 140,000,000 of acres comprising the total area of the
Province there is still unsurveyed approximately 91,000,000 acres, and
while 24,000,000 acres have been alienated by sales, locations, etc., there
138 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 515
still remains vested in the Cro\Yn 11(),000,000 acres, much of AYliich is
covered with valuable timber. Under the wise policy of the present
administration no township is thrOAvn open to settlement without care-
ful inspection by a competent official, and if such township is found to
contain less than 40 per cent, of good land, it is withheld from settle-
ment for the growing of timber, thus largely clu^cking the evil, so preva-
lent at one time, of allowing people to take up rough land, oBtensibly for
farming purposes but actually for the value of the timber on it, the
land being thus withdrawn from the operation of the timber license for
all timber excepting pine, and consequently depreciating the value of a
timber license in the district without compensatory benefit to tlie public,
for, when the supposititious settler had removed the timber, lie departed,
leaving the land shorn of its trees and unimproved in other respects.
At the present time it is estimated that the timber resources of the
Province attain a value of three or four hundred million dollars. This,
of course, is merely a rough approximation, based on the material value
of the woods on the market, and takes no account of the indirect value
of the standing forests. Were these to be taken into consideration also,
including the natural or economic irrigation of opened lands or of lands
unopened, the actual or potential value of all waterpowers in the Pro-
vince, the rainfall and the climate, it will be seen that the intrinsic
worth of the forests to the Province would be a sum so gigantic as to be
almost incalculable. So vital, indeed, is this asset that almost any
expenditure would be warranted in order to perpetuate and preserve it.
Unfortunately the forests are not immune from dangers. Fires,
disease and other scourges are liable to attack them. In addition to
this, the growth to maturity of a tree is always a lengthy process; in the
case, indeed, of many of the more valuable species occupying a period of
time in excess of the average human span of life; so that if fire or disease
is allowed to run unchecked, or if the cutting is carried to such excess
that natural reseeding becomes impracticable, it is apparent not
only how greatly the forest asset may be quickly impaired, but also
that many years will be required to make good the damage effected
even under the most favourable circumstances. It is apparent, there-
fore, that it cannot but be the part of wisdom to take sufficient precau-
tions to reduce the risks of fire or other scourges to a minimum and to
adopt such measures as will prevent excessive cutting.
Tlie temptation to a licensee or owner of ;\ limber limit to take the
utmost profit in the shortest possible time without regard to the future
is plainly great, and, indeed, in some countries such as (iermany and
Sweden it has in consequence been held better in tlie ])ublic interests
that the State should administer and exploit the forests rather than
risk their destruction or depletion through individual greed or inca-
pacity. In a forest there Avill be found trees of all ages, and it is obvi-
ous that, no matter how long it may take trees to mature, if the per-
centage of cut is adjusted to the normal growth, an area of forest will
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 139
continue to yield at least an even production of timber, the value only
varying as the market price rises or falls. Under scientific manage-
ment, however, it has actually been proved feasible very materially to
increase the annual production of a forest. In 1865 the average yield
of 7,000,000 acres of Prussian forests was approximately 21 cubic feet,
affording an average revenue of 72 cents per acre; in 1904 the average
yield had been increased to 65 cubic feet, affording an average revenue
of |2.50 per acre. Indeed, not only does the rate of production in Prus-
sian forests appear to have been almost trebled in 75 years, but the
quality, also, to have been improved, seeing that the proportion of saw
lumber has increaised from 19 per cent, to 54 per cent., while the yearly
revenue from this source is now upwards of |17,000,000. Whether
under any system by which timber limits are thrown open to public
tender it will ever be possible to regulate the cut to achieve the rcisult
of taking only the normal increase, is doubtful, for naturally the
licensee looks only to the profits to be derived from his venture and has
no further personal interest in the forests after the expiration of his
license. Indeed, so systematic and methodical must the cutting be to
ensure only the proper amount being taken that it cannot be doubted
but that, except in exceptional instances, the State, unaffected and
unbiassed by considerations of personal gain, is alone capable of carry-
ing such policy into effect. Moreover, it must be remembered that the
adequate protection of the forests from fire and other scourges, and
the proper regulation of the amounts to be cut, will under any system
entail a considerable expenditure. The necessity for these precautions
is now widely acknowledged, the only obstacle, in fact, being in most
cases the wherewithal to put them into eft'ect on a sufficiently great
scale. Such expenditures are obviously but a reasonable insurance
premium on a vast biit destructible asset, and yet so long as the public
is not fully seized of the national significance of the forests, so long
will there be hesitation and diffidence in embarking on increased
investments in this direction. At present the actual amount spent
annually in the Province on this form of insurance is but a fraction of
a mill of the material worth of the forests as wood, but a small fraction,
indeed, of the yearly revenue derived from the forests, and it cannot be
doubted that a far greater sum could with reason be allocated yearly
for the study, care, management and protection of the provincial forests
if they are to continue to exist and to afford a steady, indeed a con-
stantly increasing, revenue to the Province.
Perhaps the solution of the difficulty is to be found in the princi-
ple of state exploitation of these resources on an increasing scale. The
timber area of the Province is so vast that at present, at least, there
would be no necessity to put an end to the existing policy of placing
some of the timber limits under license to private individuals, but were
the Government itself to undertake the exploitation of a proportion of
its limits and gradually expand its enterprise in this direction, it can-
140 IIEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 53
not be questioned that an annually materially increasing revenue would
result, more than sufficient amply to provide for a fore?5try service
adequate to the needs and worthy of the Province. That such a service
is needed is beyond dispute. A vast field is open to scientific research
and management throughout the forests, to the reforestration of burnt
areas and to seeding or planting in sections bjirren of trees, and an
equally vast field to the organization of a staff, not only cai)able of
enforcing such laws and regulations as may be in force, but able, also,
to cope Kuccessfully with disease and fire wheresoever they may occur.
Forest Fires.
Almost every year there has, unfortunately, to be recorded some
material damage to the forests of the Province through the destructive
agency of fires, and all too frequently there is chronicled in accompani-
ment the loss of other valuable property, occasionally, even, of human
lives. The terrible forest fires which occurred in several of the western
StateK of the Union during tlie summer of 1910 would alone have been
sufficient to mark the jenr as disastrous in this respect and to have
called widespread attention to the danger of allowing conflagrations of
this nature to outstrip) the possibilities of human control, but, as though
this WITS not sufficient, the fires which had raged in the western por-
tions of the Province and across the border in that vicinity intermit-
tently throughout the sunimei' months, suddenly sprang into renewed
life in Minnesota in the early fall and, swept forward by a powerful
wind, carried death and destruction before them right to the provincial
borders, where in spite of the protection of the broad Rainy River men
had to labour both day and night to save provincial habitations and
enterprises from utter annihilation. The appalling suddenness of this
holocaust and its proximity to the Province brought the disastrous
nature of it closely home to the citizens of Ontario, and it cannot be
doubted afforded an excellent object lesson of the inexpediency of
penurious provision for the protection of tlie forests against fire.
To the average man, no doubt, tlie reading of the destruction of
milcK of standing forests conveys l>ut little of its true significance. FTe
can hardly appreciate tlu' gigantic figures arrayed before liim as to the
square feet of tind)er T)uriit oi' the estimated value of the same in mil-
lions of dollars. Tie may, perluips, be aghast at the loss of life or suffer-
ing and hardsliips endured by those wlio were fortunate enough to
escape the flames. He may even dimly realize tliat these people have
lost their homes, tlieir possessions, tlieir all. Rut the effects on nature
are as a closed book to him. He has not seen; he cannot understand.
Tlie stately forest, stretching unbroken for miles, harbours count-
less wild animals, birds and insects. Life, indeed, is seething in it. The
soil on which it stands is nursed and enriched by its fallen foliage and
trees, which in many instances cover even the bare rocks sufficiently
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 141
to allow of tlie seeds taking root right over them aud which form always
a natural basin where the rain drops may fall aud accumulate, to per-
colate subsequently into the crevices of the rocks, from which again they
will appear in the form of a gushing spring. Just as on the even out-
pouring of the spring will depend the tiow of the brook, the stream
and the river, so does the spring itself depend on the existence of its
damp and mossy forest reservoir for its waters. The forest fire is cap-
able of destroying all; animals, birds, insects, vegetation and soil. The
voice of the forest is hushed, and the death of the trees is not only
accompanied by the annihilation of one of nature's great water storages,
so vital to the prosperity of some, perhaps far-distant, agricultural com-
munity, but by the disappearance of an important factor in the regula-
tion of both climate and rainfall over a considerable region.
The picture of a. forest destroyed by fire almost baffles description
in its appalling horror. Unrelieved by the accustomed sounds, the
cheerful note of songbirds, the chirruping of squirrels or chipmunks,
the calls of animals or the humming of iu'sects, deathly silem-e reigns
oppressive and supreme. Great trees and small trees alike, black, bare
and gaunt, stand shivering as the breeze soughs a mournful dirge
through their ranks, ghastly skeletons of nature's once beautiful handi-
work, or else lie pro'strate on the ground, charred, burnt and shrivelled,
grim spectres of a useful past, proclaiming the passage of ruthless death,
the advent of desolation and decay. No butterfiy or moth fiutters over
the withered and blackened leaves; no little creature or insect crawls
from among them, startled by the approaching footfalls. Far down
into the accumulation of twigs and decaying V(\getation wliich has
formed the forest bed, into the mossy and spongy soil which in the past
has held water to furnish life to the trees growing on it, the relentless
fire has eaten its way and left in its train a mass of useless cinder from
which all nutriment has been utterly scorched. The human visitor to
this tragic scene will have himself alone for company; will hear his
own breathing; will be conscious of his own heartbeats; will be almost
terrified at the sounds of his own footsteps; for life has been extinguished,
the silence of the grave will surround him, and it will seem almost
sacrilege to break the all-pervading quiet of the dead. In due course
the action of the winds Avill blow away the cinders, and the bare rocks,
over which once grew the forest, will be exposed to view in all their
unbeautiful and grim nakedness, and the region will remain barren
and in all probability useless to man's welfare until, perhaps, after the
la])se of centuries nature once again shall have succeeded with indomi-
table patience in recovering the rocks with a fresh soil.
The extent of the havoc wrought by a forest fire depends in great
measure, of course, on the conditions prevailing at the time of its
occurrence, but generally speaking the greatest harm is effected during
periods of prolonged drought, for then, not only are the trees and shrubs
parched and their foliage likely to be withered and dry, but the debris
142 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
of the forest on the !i,'round, the grass, the moiss and the very soil are like
so much tinder to the tlames. So long as the soil is damp and full of
moisture the damage done by fire will be confined to the standing trees
and a certain amount of animal and insect life. Indeed, it is possible
under such conditions for an area to be burnt over more than once and
yet not suffer irreparable injury, for unless a high wind prevails at the
time some trees will almost always escape with little or no damage, and
if the withered trees are removed, which can be done to commercial
advantage if undertaken promptly before decay sets in, reseediug will
be accomplished naturally, for the soil will not have been vseriously
affected. Where, however, the soil is once destroyed, human agencies
are powerless to replace it and the harm is in consequence irreparable.
It is impossible to foretell the extent of the damage that a fire in any
particular region will cause, for it depends so greatly on the condition
of the forest at the time when the fire occurs, and similarly it is impos-
sible to foresee the extent of a forest contiagration which has once got
well under way, for it will depend chiefly on such matters as wind
and rain which are altogether beyond human control.
The causes of fire are many and various, natural and human
agencies both playing their parts in initiating them, but it is at least
evident that, since the smallest beginning may result in untold damage
over enormous areas if not promptly checked, the time has come when
provision should be made to stamp out the fires wheresoever they occur
in accessible portions of the Province before they shall have had time
to gain leeway and spread, for once the fire has succeeded in covering
a wide stretch of country and is being fanned by a wind, or has a hold
of the soil, even with abundant help and ample appliances it is a matter
of practical impossibility for man to check it. The sparks from the
tree tops will fly throiigii the air to the front and to the sides, igniting
whatever they may chance to light upon ; the flame in the soil will eat
its way unperceived and underground for considerable distances, smol-
dering slowly so that perchance men may imagine that it has been
extinguished, only to break out again at some fresh spot where a dry
or withered root affords it an opportunity of bursting into flame. The
only way, indeed, to deal satisfactorily with forest fires is to extinguish
them at their birth, but to make arrangements to do so over so vast an
area as that covered by the provincial forests cannot but be a great and
expensive undertaking. There can, however, be no doubt that the value
of the forests will warrant every effort that may be made in this direc-
tion.
As before noted the forest fires may be originated by liumau or
natural agencies. The latter, how^ever, is in all probability a compara-
tively rare occurrence. In the majority of cases man is directly respon-
sible. Right through the heart of the forests he has cari-ied roads, along
which speed great engines of steel and iron, driven by steam, belching
out sparks as^'they flv along. Other railroads are in course of construe-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. U3
tion and. great gangs of men, a large percentage of whom are foreigners
barely able to speak the language of the country and with little or no
personal stake in it, are employed throughout the summer months,
building them. All around them is forest. Fires are built for
this purpose or that; tobacco in all its various forms is
smoked; matches are continually being struck and carelessly thrown
away; while the incipient fire resulting from an^- of these causes may
easily pass unobserved or unchecked by those in authority who cannot
be everywhere at once and have other important matters to attend to.
On these construction lines, however, perhaps the most dangerous of
all agents in the matter of fire is the " jumper," the man who not being
over fond of work joins a camp for a few days and then betakes himself
leisurely to the next along the right of way. These individuals are as
a rule not only shiftless but careless. Walking along the right of way
they smoke their cigarettes in enjoyment of the beautiful surroundings,
tossing the ends aside into bracken with the utmost unconcern of pos-
sible eventualities, or else, wearying, perhaps, of the monotony of soli-
tude, they build themselves a little smudge to keep off the flies while
they sleep or to boil a pan of tea, and after thus refreshing themselves
move on again, not thinking to stamp out the smudge, but leaving it to
take care of itself. Then again prospectors are here, there and every-
where throughout the forests, lighting their camp fires and smudges,
smoking their pipes, practically beyond supervision of government offi-
cials; the Indian is on the trail for one purpose or another, unconcerned
and somewhat fatalistic as to consequences from fires left burning; the
tourist and pleasure seeker, both citizen and visitor, all too frequently
thoughtless in action, are in the woods in considerable numbers pre-
cisely at those periods of the year when conditions are most favourable
for a forest conflagration; and finally, the dwellers in the forest, the
settlers who have built their little homes therein, are not altogether
beyond reproach in the matter of maintaining precautions against fire
either when clearing land or when burning waste material. In addi-
tion it must also be recorded that, if dame rumor is not altogether at
sea, there are certain individuals so debased and shameless that they
will deliberately set fire to certain forest areas in order to force the
hands of the government in the matter of throwing the limits open to
the lumberman. Small wonder, then, when all these things are consid-
ered, that forest fires should occur yearly. Indeed, the only marvel
would appear to be that they are not more frequent or more serious.
So great is the potential harm that may arise out of an inadvertent
act or temporary carelessness in the woods that it would seem only just
that wherever the origin of a forest fire can be traced to an individual,
that individual should be made to suffer punishments and penalties
commensurate at least with the damage wrought. There can seldom
be any excuse for allowing a fire to start. If a man were to set fire to
a government building or even to a building owned by some private
12 F.C.
144 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
individual or corporation and his gnilt were broni>lit lionie to liiiu, tlie
otl'ender ^^•ould meet with, but little leniency in the courts or sympathy
fi'om the public, and there is no apparent reason why any individual
should be held guiltless or escape punishment who either maliciously
or through wilful carelessness is the direct cause of the loss of thou-
sands, perhaps millions, of dollars' worth of property to the public of
the Province through setting fire to the forests. Indeed, it can hardly
be doubted that a few instances of rigorous investigation and prompt,
drastic punishment would tend to awaken those who go into the forests
for one reason or another to the importance of and necessity for exer-
cising the most unremitting vigilance and caution.
If the above conclusions are just in regard to individuals, plaiuly
(hey must apply equally, if not with added force, to corporations such
as the railways, to whom the public has granted most valuable privi-
leges from which they derive very considerable profits. Unfortunately,
it is only too certainly the case that by far the greater number of forest
fires which have occurred in the Province of recent years must be attrib-
uted to the direct agency of the steam engine, and yet no efifort is or
has been made to obtain from the corporations adequate compensation
for the damage effected through their operations. Along certain sections
of the Canadian Pacific Railway between Sudbury and the provincial
boundary the stumps of trees, black or grey as the fire was recent or re-
mote, bear mute witness to the fiery devastation of the steam locomotive,
and from Port iVrthur to Rainy River, along the line of the Canadian
Northern Railway, it is the same story repeated, great stretches of black
and desolate burn. How^ far this destruction has been carried on either
side of the rights of way will depend on the conditions prevailing at
the times of the various and constantly occurring fires. In some locali-
ties it will be deeper; in some not penetrate so far into the interior; but
in all cases the most casual observer cannot fail to note that consider-
able tracts of country on either side of the lines have been laid waste
and rendered desert, unhabitable and unproductive. Through the heart
of the forest country lying between Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay
the Grand Trunk Pacific is now penetrating, while the Canadian
Northern Railway is preparing to do so, and it is to be feared that unless
most stringent and special precautions are taken a similar fate awaits
these regions, and that the Province will suffer losses at the hands of
these railways which could hardly be estimated in currency.
It has been estimated that in the region traversed by the Grand
Trunk Pacific Railway alone there are 300,000,000 cords of wood suit-
able for making pulp and paper. The rivers of the region are numer-
ous and large and the wood can be easily floated down to the vicinity of
the railway, where, doubtless, under the wise ])rovincial provision
which enacts that all pine saw logs, spruce pulpwood and hemlock must
be manufactured into lumber, pulp or paper in the Province, il will be
!?o treated, thus opening u]) an enormous new area to settlement and
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 145
profitable commercial enterprise. It can be appreciated, then, what a
calamity it will be to the Province if this magnificently wooded area is
bnrnt and destroyed as have been other territories throngh which rail-
wa3-s pass, by the very agency, in fact, employed to throw open their
resources. Even though the cost be high, measures Should plainly be
taken to prevent unj such eventuality, and it would seem but reason-
able that in all cases the railways themselves should bear the main share
of the burden, no matter A\hat measures it may be deemed necessary to
enact.
It is impossible to determine the value of the game inhabiting the
forests of the Province, and it is impracticable, also, to determine accu-
rately the loss in game sustained through any particular forest fire.
Such evidence as there is to be had on the subject, however, would
seem to point to the fact that it is considerable, doubtless, indeed,
increasing in proportion to the extent of the fire and the velocity of its
spread. All living creatures become alarmed at the approach of fire,
and although the natural tendency is to escape from it by running or
flying away in the opposite direction to which it is approaching, fear
and smoke would appear to combine to confuse the wild creatures very
much as they frecjuently do mankind under similar conditions, with
the result that sooner or later, still fresh and untired, or else exhausted
in their efforts to flee, fhey turn and rush into the very peril they are
seeking to avoid and are destroyed. Birds and small animals, which
have more or less fixed locations, probably suffer to greater extent than
the larger animals such as the moose, caribou and deer, whose ranges
are usuall}- more considerable, but there would seem to be little doubt
but that even these perish in nuud)ers when the fire covers a consider-
able extent of territory and sweeps forward with inconceivable rapidity
under the fanning of a high wind.
Great areas of forest land have been set aside by the administra-
tions of the Province as public reserves or parks, to act amongst other
considerations as a haven for wild creatures where they ma^^ breed and
multipl}' in security, but the forest fire disregards imaginary boundaries
in its advance and will as greedily devour a provincial forest or game
reserve as any other section of tlie forest area, whether it starts from
outside the reserve or within its borders. Small avail is it to afford
the wild creatures security against man's depredations if they are to
be driven from their haven by a forest fire or to perish in its flames.
Indeed, all the main objectives sought to be obtained through the setting
aside of these forest areas as reserves must fail to materialize where
the forest fire has passed or raged unchecked. It is evident, therefore,
that if it be wise to maintain these parks, and on this score there can
be no two opinions, it must not only be the part of wisdom, but actually,
indeed, imperative, to furnish them with a staff sufficiently well equip-
ped to be able successfully to cope with any fires that may approach
from outside or originate within them.
146 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Methods of Checking Forest FntES.
The difficulty of checking a forest fire once it has obtained a good
start and other conditions are favourable to its spread were well illus-
trated in the Rainy River District during the past year. The heat
generated by a blaze of this nature is stupendous; the sparks, blown
from the crowns of trees, will fly great distances on the wings of the
wind and thus carry the fire forward with astonisliing rapidity, and
when the soil is sufficiently dry, the flames will eat their way into it
and travel underground, to break out in some fresh spot and thus baffle
the efforts of those attempting to extinguish them. In fact, the fire
will sometimes smoulder for da^^s in the ground, only very occasionally,
if at all, bursting into flame, and though under these conditions it is not
so alarming or so difficult to tackle, perhaps, as when the trees are blaz-
ing from trunks to crowns, it is none the less necessary to take measures
to check its spread, for it will need but the rising of the wind to restore
it to life and renewed activity. Indeed, as has been pointed out in a
previous section, the desideratum on all occasions is to extinguish the
fire as soon as it is discovered, no matter how insignificant or compara-
tively dormant it may appear, for the little incipient fire started by a
cigarette end, a match, a smudge or a spark may easily develop into a
conflagration entailing thousands of dollars' worth of damage. It is
evident, therefore, that wherever a great number of catches of fire are
to be expected in a forest area, the greatest efforts should be put forth
to ensure these catches being extinguished before they have time or
opportunity to- spread.
There can be no question that the most fruitful of all sources of
fire catches is the steam engine, for sparks and cinders are continually
being emitted from the funnel to fall on either side of the right of way,
and it is only too obvious how easily, when the vegetation and ground
are dry, a blaze may result. There are in force certain regulations
enjoining the railways to keep their rights of way clear of inflammable
material and enforcing also the use of spark-arrestors, but even were
these regulations carried out to the letter, which unfortunately would
appear far from being the case in many instances, it is doubtful
whether, as long as coal supplies the motive force of the engine,
immunity from fire catches can either be expected or attained. This
question has, indeed, come markedly to the fore of recent years in
various of the States of the Union, and it would seem more than prob-
able that the day is not far distant when many of the railways on this
continent will be required to make use of some other material than coal
when traversing forest belts. It would, in fact, appear that any addi-
tional expense incurred in fitting or building engines to consume some
form of oil, and in the cost of the oil itself as fuel, could never even
approach the sum total of the damage which is almost inevitably caused
by the coal cinders and sparks, and for which wmpensation might
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 147
reasonably be claimed from the railways. Most especially \yould this
apply where lle^y lines are being cut through a yirgin or almost untouched
forest area, for tliere, witli the forests still standing and unburnt, the
conditions about the rights of way will be most fayourable for the des-
tructiye agency of fire. The great bulk of the present forest resources
of the Proyince are only now being pierced by railways and doubtless
in the near future still other roads will be planned and constructed
in these regions, so that it would appear that this question of fuel con-
sumption by the railways might well receiye the most earnest consider-
ation of the proyincial administration.
Even, however, where the engines consume coal a great deal can
be done to lessen the risks of fire. There can plainly be no excuse for
the railways failing to keep their rights of way clear of inflammable
material or debris, or not complying with the regulations in regard to
the use of spark-arrestors, and in view of the fact that these are wealthy
corporations the penalty for any laxity or remissness in these directions
should be punished with a fine sufficiently severe as to render any repe-
tition of the offence unlikely. Government inspectors should be along
and about the roads continually, and when any clearing is obviously
needed and it is not promptly executed by the railway officials, it should
be carried out under the direction of the government inspector and the
expense charged to the railway company in addition to a commensurate
fine. The question, indeed, of efficient patrolment of railways in opera-
tion is of no less, if not actually of greater, importance than that of
railways under construction, for although undoubtedly the construc-
tion gangs on the latter require constant watching, the chances of fires
being started by them and not extinguished promptly are not to be com-
pared with those of a series of engines passing to and fro, by day and
by night, vomiting forth a stream of cinders and sparks. The construc-
tion gangs in the forest areas receive close attention from the provincial
authorities, but unfortunately the arrangements for the protection of
the forests along rights of way of railways already in operation are far
from effective, which fact is only too well evidenced by the scenes of
desolation extending far and wide on either side of the Canadian
Pacific and Canadian Northern railways in western Ontario.
All railways maintain section gangs at fixed intervals along their
lines whose duty it is to patrol and inspect the line daily to insure its
being in good repair. These parties as a rule travel on handcars of
some description which can be halted and removed from the tracks
wherever necessary. If some such system of patrolment for the pur-
pose of extinguishing incipient fires could be inaugurated throughout
the forest regions of the Province, there can.be no doubt but that there
would immediately ensue a great diminution in the number of forest
fires. Nor would such a scheme appear to be impracticable. The lines
through these forest areas are in the majority of instances single track
and there is not an enormous press of traffic upon them. It would, of
14S REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
course, be advisable that every train should be followed at a reasonable
distance, but with gangs stationed at suitable dista.nccs and properly
organized and instructed, this should not present an insuperable diffi-
culty. The men would have to be furnished with a suitable equipment
of spades, axes and buckets and these could be conveniently carried
on the handcars, for no great amount of e(iuipment is needed success-
fully to cope with fire catches in their initial stages.
An excellent illustration of the effectiveness of this plan is att'oided
by the De Lotbiuiere limit's in the Province of Quebec. Tlirough many
years the owners have caused every train during the dangerous
season to be followed at an interval of about half an hour
by a gang of men on a handcar provided with suitable equip-
ment, and the result has been that while innumerable catches have
been extinguished, the limit is Ktill unburnt and under the careful
and scientific direction of its proprietors is yielding as great a cut of
timber to-day, with the exception of pine, as it was fifty years ago. It
was recorded, indeed, by Mv. de Lotbiniere himself on one occasion as
an illustration of the advantages of the system that in following one
train through the comparatively short width of the limit, some 12 miles,
one gang extinguished no less than 9 catches and incipient fires caused
by its locomotive. AVhen it is realized that each and every catch might
have developed into a conflagration which would have destroyed the
limit, it becomes ai)i)arent how intense is the danger to the forests from
railway cinders and sparks and how vital and urgent i>^ the necessity
for devising some means of coping with this evil.
The expense of instituting fire patrols of this description along
the railways throughout the forest area of the Province would undoubt-
edlj be great, but it cannot be questioned that if even (me great forest
fire were thereby averted, it would not only be justified, but have i)aid
for itself many times over. It is plainly wrong that tlie railways should
be suffered to wreck and destroy millions of dollars' worth of i)ublic
property. The forests belong, indeed, to the Crown and are, therefore,
administered and cared for at the ex])ense of the Province, but it would
be without the bounds of reason to ex])ect the Province to undertake
expenditures to guard against the special risks to its property ensuant
on railway o])erati(ms, seeing that these corporations, no nwre than
private individuals, have no right to cause injury to ])ro])erty Avhich
does not beloiii;' lo iluMn. An Act of the Ouiario Legislature authorizes
the i)laciiig of fii-c rangers along the railway lines and charging the ex-
pense of their maintenance to the companies concerned, and in 1909
the railways ]»aid 10(5,712 on this account, chielly, however, in connec-
tion with railways undei' constrncl ion, bnt il would seem thai in so far
as the railways in o])eratinn ai-e concci'ned a more effective system, on
the lines above indicated, is much to be desii-ed, and although the o])era-
lion of snch a system Avould inevitably entail increased expenditures
when tlie gigantic sums involved in railway construction and 0])eration
ISiS AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 149
are eoneerned, it is not to be credited that such comparative!}' trifling
additional expenditure would materially affect the enterprises or act
in any way as a deterrent to their initiation. As, ho^^ever, these ex-
l)enditures have not been demanded in the past, there would naturally
enough be 'some protest from the lines at present in operation, but it
must be remembered that the railroad development through the great
bulk of the jirovincial forest area is only now commencing to emerge
from its infancy, and that the issues at stake are truly vast. If some
opposition will have to be encountered now to effect the introduction
of such a. measure, in twenty years time that opposition will have im-
measurably increased, and if the opposition of to-day is allowed to pre-
vail, the probabilities are that, meanwhile, great stretclies of Ontario's
fair and valuable forests will have been withered, shrivelled and de-
stroyed, owing to the very largely preventible incendiarism of the steam
engine.
It has been pointed out in another section that one of the chief
causes of forest fires is the carelessness of prospectors, trappers, hunt-
ers, Indians and other individuals in the woods. Notices and warnings
as to the regulations mny be and are posted up in the forests; efforts
may be and are made to hand personally to each individual entering or
in the woods copies of the regulations, and to administer to each a
verbal warning; but even the most careful man may make a slip, and
it may safely be said that the bulk of those whose occupations lead them
into the woods at some time or anotlier will be careless in the nmtter of
a match, lighted tobacco, or even, perhaps, the cooking fire. Evidently
it is not possible closely to patrol the whole of the great forest areas of
the Province, or even those sections into which souu^ numbers of men
penetrate, and consequently the individual himself has to be relied upon,
but, nevertheless, there remains the great necessity of getting organized
and intelligent elfort to work on a fire before it has time to make much
headway, if the forests are to be saved from burning.
In almost every region there are points from Avhich a considerable
view of the surrounding country can be obtained. In New York and
other States it has been found highly effective to take advantage of
sucli sites for the erection of fire lookouts. Where, perhaps, tree-tops
impede the view, a rough tower of timber is constructed, and in any
case a detail of men is kept on watch, furnished with a large scale and
reliable map and with a good pair of field-glasses, and the station itself
is connected by telephone with other stations and with the fire superin-
tendent of the district, the men thus employed, from the saiperinten dents
down to the rangers, having no otlier duties or occupations than those
of protecting the forests against fire. The advantages of such a system
are apparent. Great tracts of territory can be observed, and after but
little practice, with the aid of a good map and field-glasses, the look-
out men can fairly accurately determine the location of any fire which
breaks out. The whole system being in direct speaking connection with
150 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
the siipei-inteiuk'iit.s, he can iBsiie liis orders, make his dispositions and
arrangements, receive reports and, where necessary, enroll additional
assistance and despatch it to the scene of the fire. Two of the greatest
difficulties encountered in dealing with forest areas are thus largely
eliminated, observation and communication, and it goes without saying
that an organization, numerically inferior, but equipped with means of
observation and in constant communication with its chief, will be vastly
more effective than one which, although greater in numbers, lacks
cohesion, and convenient direction. While some additional expense
would be entailed in the adoption of such a >scheme throughout the for-
est area of the Province, especially in the initial installation of the
field telephones, it Avould not appear likely to be very considerable, for
undoubtedly under such conditions a. staff numerically less in propor-
tion to the area patrolled than at present employed would be found suf-
ficient efficiently to discharge the duties. It must be remembered that
while already the Province is expending great sums annually on ranging
the forests, these sums will be bound to increase very rapidly as fur-
ther tracts of forest area are rendered accessible through the advent
of new^ railroads, and, consequently, that an additional present expendi-
ture which will tend to reduce the charges under this head in the future
cannot but be fully justified. There can be no doubt but that in the
Province the difficulties of observation and communication have played
a large part in enhancing the destruction wrought by fire in the past.
Rangers, by long days' journeys out of touch with their chief, have re-
mained unconscious of fires starting and gathering leeway at, perhaps,
no great distance from their camps, because, surrounded by forests and
with no facilities for observation provided for them, they were unable
to see, and then, when they became aware of the conflagration, it was
already long ])ast the power of two men to cope with, while the very
distance to be travelled precluded the possibility of oibtaining sufficient
help in time. Although a pair of energetic men reaching a fire before it
has attained great j)roportions can often extinguish it, or, at least, con-
fine the extent of its spread, it would seem that, in many cases, where
facilities for observation are not provided, and where the men are
separated by long distances from their chief, as also from assistanc(\
their presence in the woods as fire rangers, pure and simple, is almost,
if not quite, useless. Means of observation and rapid communication
are and ever will remain prime factors in the protection of tlie forests
from fire, and it would indeed appear that the time has come when at
whatever expense Ontario's fire ranging service should be equipped and
organized in such a way as to facilitate the efficient discharge of its
duties at all times and in all i)lac('S under adequate direction and con-
trol.
Having regard to security of tlu^ forests from fires various States
of the Union have enacted a measure requiring tlie lopping of branches
from all timbei- felled. Except in seasons of prolonged drouglit the bed
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 151
of the forest will contain a considerable amount of moisture, which will
tend to impede the progress of fire. Trees, branches and shrubs falling
on to the moist bed soon become sodden and rapidly decay, whereas such
timber as for one reason or another perishes but cannot reach the
ground becomes hard, dry and brittle, in fact an easily inflammable
material and excellent fuel to add strength to the flames. The less of
this dried-up timber there is in a forest, the less will be the danger of
fire gaining a firm hold, and there can be no question that the lopping of
tops and branches not only accelerates the decay of the waste brush and
timber, but inasmuch as this debris is laid out on the ground instead of
being propped up, intertwined and entangled in an inextricable jumble,
the fire, if it comes before decay has set in, will be less likely to flare up
high, shoot sparks into the air and thus start crown fire, so that not
only will it be easier to approach it but also to extinguish it, and in
addition to this, the course of the rangers through the forests is not im-
peded by the continual encountering of great obstructionis formed of the
brush and debris remaining from timber which has been felled by the
lumbermen. Most particularly would tlie lopping of tops and branches
appear desirable in the lumbering of soft woods, for the waste of these
decays more slowly than that of hardwoods, and, as a rule, more of it
in proportion is left behind. The objection to the enactment of such a
measure for general application throughout the forests of the Province
would be the cost involved, but it would appear that in some forests ex-
perience has proved it to be actually inconsiderable, three cents per
standard and ten cents per cord of pulpwood having been found in New
York State, for instance, to be representative figures under normal
circumstances. Against this increased cost it is claimed that a saving
of wood is effected, and a saving, also, in guttering and skidding, and in
illustration of these claims the following passage from the 15th Annual
Report of the New York State Forest, Fish and Game Commission is
quoted : —
" One operator, estimating the cost of lopping at 2i/2 cents, remarks
that to offset this he was able to run a skidding crew^ about one man less
to each team, and also occasionally got a log that otherwise would be
left. The actual additional cost he did not think would be over 5 cents
per thousand feet board measure. He believed that when four fooc
pulpwood was taken the cost of lopping would be entirely made up in
the extra amount of wood he would get. In addition his forest was left
in better condition than under the old plan, and he believes it decreases
materially the danger of forest fires. A renmrkable saving in connection
with loppijig was made by anotlier operator who has been getting spruce
for sawlogs, taking the timber out with what was considered good
economy. He left the lopping until after the timber was removed and
then went through, lopping tlie branches and taking the timber out of
the tops for pulpwood. In this operation, with a force of eight men and
a horse employed six days, ninety-seven cords of pulpwood were ob-
152 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME IVo. 53
tallied tliat would biiiii>' liiiii |T.()0 jx'i- coid (Udiveivd at the mill. This
is an average of two cords per man, makiiiii' a verv ])i()fital)le opera-
tion."
Finallv, in favor of this measure it is fin titer held that as the tim-
ber cut has to be lopped, greater care is taken not to fell trees which
cannot be used, thus effecting a saving of small trees, and also that the
brush spread out on the ground tends to retain the moisture during the
process of decay and thus facilitate the germination of seeds which may
fall upon it. It is to be noted, also, that in ])articularly dry or danger-
ous localities it Avoiild be feasible under such a regulation to require the
lumbermen to pile and burn the brush without imposing on tliein any
undue hardship, for in any case w^here heavy cutting is dime it is neces-
sary to clear the roadwavK of debris to draw the logs to the skidway,
and where the lopping has been properly done, the material will be in
good shape for handling and can be as easily piled as spread. The
density of the undergrowth, however, and in fact the general nature of
the forests, must materially affect the practicability of introducing such
a measure, and ^^■hile, therefore, the principle is undoubtedly well
worthy of most earnest consideration, it must remain with the forestry
experts to decide whether it is feaisible to enact such a regulation to
affect, at least, all future timber licenses in Ontario. There can be little
doubt that if such a measure coubl be enforced, it would prove no small
factor in checking the ravages of forest fires in the Province.
80 rapid can be the development and so disastrous the effect of a
forest fire on the public timber resources of the Province that some
system should plainly be devised whereby not only should enny male
citizen, resident or visitor of mature years in the forest ai'ea, no matter
what his occupation so be he is physically capable, be available at a
moment's notice to proceed to the scene of a fire to assist in fighting it,
but also responsible officials should be stationed at convenient and
strategic points, able and fully empowered to call out such assistance
as they may deem necessary. Where a settlement, village or even town
is threatened, all its male inhabitants will naturally be perfectly willing
to use their best endeavors to save it, but where the danger affects a com-
munity or locality at some little distance, their services are not so easily
secured. To call for volunteers is almost iiivai iably to court delay, and
almost equally invariably to insure shortage of hely), and the results of
both these evils cannot but be a considerabh' augmentation of the dam-
age effected. Where it was understood that each male citizen or resi-
dent was liable to this service, there could be no (piestion of equivoca-
tion, and there can be little doubt but that tlie ])lacing of the power to
call on them to fulfil this obligation with resixmsibility and trustworthy
citizens or officials throughout the forest regions would tend to the
rapid extinguishment of many a fire that would otherwise be left to run
its own course, provided only that it did not endanger a town or village.
A small sum in the nature of a retaining fee might, perhaps, be paid to
1912 AND FLSHEPvIES COMMISSION. 153
private citizens undertaking this duty, and it would, of course, be under-
stood that they themselves would accompau}^ any parties which they
deemed it necessity to send out. AMuni, however, the occasion arose for
action, each man of the party should receive a reasonable wage from
the Province for each day of absence from his home, which expenditure
would plainly be more than compensated by the saving of the public
timber that would be effected by this means. It would obviously be
necessary to select thoroughly reliable persons to exercise this author-
ity, but it is not to be doubted that throughout the forest regions plenty
of such are to be found. In addition to this, moreover, it would seem
advisable that some equipment should be nuiintained at strategic points,
ready for use in an emergency, for numbers of men are of little avail if
the wherewithal with which to fight the fire is not in their possession.
Such equipment, comprising spades, buckets, axes and, perhaps, dyna-
mite, would entail but little cost to provide, but its presimce at the
required time and at the right place might easily be the means of avert-
ing a terrible disaster.
The Fire Ranging Service.
It has already been pointed out that there renmins vested in the
Crown an enormous acreage of forest lands in this Province, and tliat
to protect this grcnit asset the Province annually expends considerable
sums of money. Some 20,000 odd miles are at present subject to license,
and the custom arose of placing rangers on the land licensed, half the
cost of whose maintenance was borne l)y tlie Crown and half by the
licensee. In 1910, however, it was decided by tlie administration that
in view of the increased value of stumpage and tlie small proportion
that accrued to the Crown, the licensees might properly be assessed for
the full cost of the nuiintenance of tiie fire rangers placed on their land,
and a measure to this effect Avas introduced, and is still in force. In
general the licensee is accorded the ])rivilege of selecting his own ranger,
it being deemed that, as a rule, he will l)e in position and sufficiently
interested to select «'i ]U"operly qualified nuin for the puri)ose, but the
right is maintained by the Crown of removing such appointees for in-
competency or im])roi)er conduct and replacing them with others
nominated directly by the Crown. Where the licensees do not apply to
have rangers placed on tJieir limits, a suitable man is selected by the
Departnu'ut for that purpose, placed on the limit, and the expense is
duly cliarged to the licensee. In each district there is a supervising
ranger whose duty it is to see that the rangers are on their proper beats
and that the work is l)eing jnoperly carried out. Some 450 rangers are
thus employed. In addition to this rangers to the numl)er of some 200
are maintained to take care of the forest reserves, at a cost to the Crown
of approximately |76,000, and further, along lines of railways in the
forest areas, along rivers that are used as highways and in other ex-
154 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
posed regions some 200 rangers are placed on duty at a cost of approxi-
mately 180,000, The men are in general emploj^ed for five months, from
the commencement of May until the end of September, only a very
small number indeed being kept permanently on the staff, and these
chiefly in connection with the public parks. Undoubtedly during the
winter months the forests are immune from fire and the moisture in the
early spring eliminates, as a rule, any very serious danger in this direc-
tion, but it is to be observed that under the present arrangements the
forests are left practically Avithout protection during October, during
which month in many years the danger of forest fires on a considerable
scale will have by no means disappeared, 'so that it would seem that at
least a fair percentage of the men should be employed for some weeks
longer than at present, so long, at least, as the present system continues
in force, for the money spent during the five preceding months in for-
est protection will have practically been spent in vain if large areas
of valuable timber are destroyed after the rangers have left their beats.
It cannot be doubted that with so vast an acreage of public forests
it would be economically sound to maintain a considerable permanent
staff of foresters, sufficiently well educated and seized of forest lore to
be able under scientific direction to look after the well-being of the for-
ests throughout the year, in addition to undertaking fire raniging duties
during the summer months. Such a corps could be augmented to the
required extent during the dangerous •seasons, but by this means there
would, at least, always be on the ground a fair percentage of rangers
not only thoroughly acquainted with their beats, the most dangerous
localities and the quickest and easiest routes to any given point, but
versed and efficient in their duties of proved energy and discretion and
with a more or less personal interest in the particular tract of forest
over which they ranged. The presence, also, of such a corps in the event
of fire could not but be most advantageous, for the measures necessary
to extinguish it require to be co-ordinate and discharged under dis-
ciplined direction. Under the present system co-ordination is sadly
lacking; co-operation, as has been pointed out before, frequently impos-
sible; and discipline and direction, in the past at least, but all too fre-
quently non-existent. There would undoubtedly be no difficulty in fill-
ing the ranks of a permanent provincial forestry corps with suitable
men, for not only is the life attractive and interesting to many, but un-
questionably the creation of such a service would result in the broaden-
ing of the present educational facilities in the Province to fit men for
these posts, and in view of the experience of other and older countries
in the economic administration and exploitation of forests, the sooner
snch a service is inaugurated in Ontario, the better it will be in regard
to the permanent interests of the public demesne.
Perhaps the chief failing of the provincial fire ranging service in the
past has been its inability to place trustworthy physically and mentally
capable men on the various beats. Unfortunately the duties in many
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 155
cases were not regarded seriously by either the incumbents of the office
or their immediate superiors, and this position of moral responsibility
degenerated into a holiday vacation or pleasant and comparatively
profitable period of leisure at the expense of the public treasury. Appli-
cations for the posts were numerous by various classes of men desirous
of passing some months in the woods with the incidental opportunity
of making a little money, and personal or party influence was all too fre-
quently paramount in securing the nominations, with the results that
attendance on the beats was often irregular, appointees entered on or
abandoned their duties late or early by several weeks as the case might
be, and men were styled and drew pay as fire rangers who were both
mentally incapable of appreciating their responsibilities and physically
of discharging them, or else, by fault of their youth or inexperience in
woodcraft, canoe handling and fire fighting, absolutely inefficient and
useless. Days and weeks were passed in angling, canoeing, bathing and
other pleasant pursuits; firearms were carried and discharged indis-
criminately to the destruction of small birds, animals and, it is to be
feared, of game generally; and, like Nero in his palace, the ranger would
sit making music in his tent while some portion of his charge blazed
merrily and was consumed and destroyed by fire. Fortunately these
matters have come to be fully appreciated by the present Minister in
charge of the Department, and under his wise direction most stringent
measures have been and are still being devised and enacted to remedy
this unsatisfactory state of affairs, (-)nly recently fresh endeavors in
this direction were announced in the public press, and it is satisfactory
to note that in the approaching fire ranging season the carrying of fire-
arms by rangers will be absolutely forbidden, and the men not only com-
pelled to be on their beats for the periods for which they are engaged,
but have work allotted to them sufficient to keep them l)usily employed.
That the ranger drawing good pay from the Government should be
allowed to rest at ease so long as there is no fire is plainly an absurdity,
for in the forest there will always be more work than can be done in
clearing pathways and portages, lopping and burning debris, improving
the portage landings, making channels for canoes in shallow rapids and
an infinity of other occupations tending not only to facilitate easy and
rapid progress through the woods, but inasmuch as they do this and also
remove a considerable amount of inflammable material, to the lessen-
ing of fire risks also. In fact such duties are the obvious routine work
of an efficient ranger, for unless they have been conscientiously dis-
charged, his most energetic efforts in the case of fire breaking out will,
in all probability, be of but little avail. There will, however, under the
present system always remain the difficulty of ascertaining how far a
man applying for the post of ranger possesses the necessary qualifica-
tions.
A good proportion of the posts have in the past been filled by stu-
dents and other young men from the towns, and while this no doubt will
156 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
continue to be the case, it is not to be expected that a high percentage
of them will have much knowledge of fire fighting, woodcraft or canoe
handling, so that, although if the regulations are stringent, the system
of supervision improved and better organized and their duties thor-
oughly explained to tlieni, doubtless the majority of these men could be
counted on to use their best endeavors faithfully to discharge their re-
sponsibilities, there would still remain great areas of forest under tlie
care of men so inexperienced as to render their work of but small value.
The fires, as a rule, are not to be expected during the early weeks of the
fire ranging season, •so that these inexperienced men have some oppor-
tunity of becoming used to their surroundings, but it is noue the less an
indisputable fact that it takes more than a fcAV weeks, even than a few
months, to initiate a novice into the mysteries of woodcraft and canoe
handling and to transform him into an efficient ranger. If a permanent
forestry corps was established, as previously suggested, the breaking in
of novices to the work would be greatly facilitated and mucli of the dan-
gers from incompetency and inexperience largely eliminated, but even
under the present system it should be possible to take some measures to
bring about these results.
The rangers, as a rule, work in pairs and there are, in all probabil-
ity, always available a sufficiency of applicants for the posts to furnish
fifty per cent, of the required number who not only have had consider-
able experience in the woods, but have actually discharged the duties of
fire ranger on some previous occasion. If a register were kept of the
names of men wlio have filled these positions, with a record of their
qualifications and of the way their duties had been discharged, it would
seem that in all cases it should be possible to have one, at least, of a ])air
of rangers experienced and efficient, and if it were so ordered that this
man was given authority to arrange for the discharge of the duties of
the post by the ])air and made responsible for it, there can be little doubt
that material benefit would accrue. It might, ])erliaps, be necessary to
distinguish between experienced and inexperienced men in the matter of
pay, and, in fact, some such steps Avould apjx'ar not only reasonable but
fair, but at all events the inaiigiirati(ui of sucli a system would at least
have the merits of i)reventing two yonng and inexperienced students
being placed together on a Ixal to wliih' away Ihe time in unprofitable
idleness, and of more or less preventing tlie chnmining of two experi-
enced but lazy lumber-jacks un some l)(>al as a means of i)assing the
summer months. The resi»(insil)ililies of Ihe ])osts are serious, and,
although undonbtedly Ihe pleasure of th(> ouling would be spoiled to
many if tliev wer<' uiiable to select their jnirtner (.r be assured that he
wouid, at least, be of (he same sialion in life as themselves, the matter
is altogether too grave to allow of such trilling considerations carrying
any wel'dit. Indeed, fire ranging is and should be regarded as a business
undertaking, and the fact that this is the view of the Department on the
subject should be most clearly inii)ressed not only on the snperinten-
1
The Mosquito Bar, in Common Use by Rangers and Others in the Woods.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 157
dents and chief rangers, but also on all applicants for and appointees to
the position of ranger.
Practically all the big game and no small proportion of the small
game of the Province is to be found in the forest regions, and in add-
tion to this the angling in these districts is often first class. There can
be no question that at the present time neither the game nor the fishery
laws of the Province are very well observed in the wilder regions, and
the difficulties attendant on their proper enforcement in tiiese districts
are too obvious to need recapitulation. The inland fisheries, both sport-
ing and commercial, the game of all descriptions, and the fur-bearing
animals to be found in the forest areas unquestionably constitute a very
great asset which it is of the utmost importance to conserve, and it is
plainly expedient that to this end every government ofScial, whose duties
lie in the woods, should be an active agent in their protection. At the
present time the fire rangers are, indeed, supposed to enforce the game
laws and fishery regulations, but it is to be noted that these laws and
regulations are numerous and complex, that it is not to be expected
that a novice in the woods shall have leisure and time to master them
thoroughly, and that in all too many instances, even though the ranger
detects an infraction of the law, he has little or no facility for bringing
home the offence to the offender. Trapping and shooting through the
close seasons and the netting or dynamiting of streams are all calcu-
lated materially to impair the resources of the Province in fish, game
and fur-bearing animals, and yet all these operations occur and recur
throughout the forests, if, perhaps, not quite so much during the fire
ranging season, at least with considerable frequency both prior to it
and after its close. Such a state of affairs is plainly to be deplored, for in
addition to the obvious evil of allowing the laws to be set at naught and
treated with contempt, these resources are far from being inexhaustible,
and it is lamentable that the greed or slaughter lust of a few individuals
should be allowed to perhaps ruin them irretrievably. In the interests,
therefore, of economy in the protection of game it must be apparent how
great a factor would be a permanent forestry corps, thoroughly
acquainted with the forests, equipped with the means of observation
and communication, and versed not only in the forestry regulations, but
in those appertaining to the fisheries and game also. In fact, the insti-
tution of such a corps, when inter-departmental co-operation had been
thoroughly attained, would in large measure obviate the necessity of
maintaining great numbers of game and fishery overseers in these dis-
tricts, and seeing that if the game, fisheries and fur-bearing animals of
these regions are to be conserved greater expenditures on the service
to protect them are quite inevitable, it is plain that a saving would be
effected if this additional expenditure could, in part at least, be merged
in that necessary to secure the adequate protection of the forests. Under
the present system a copy of the game laws should be in the possession
of every ranger, and it should be explained to him that the enforcement
13 P.c.
158 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
of these law>5 is one of his duties, and that it behooves him, therefore, to
become intimately acquainted with them. Parsimony in the matter of
literature of this nature is obviously ridiculous, for it is evidently absurd
to inform a man that he is supposed to enforce regulations when, as at
present all too frequentl}', he has no means of ascertaining what those
regulations are. It would, indeed, seem preferable that every ranger
should be supplied with a number of copies of the game laws and fish-
ery regulations on the chance of being able to distribute them to pros-
pecting and other parties in the woods, together with the fire and forestry
regulations with wliich he is now supplied for that purpose, rather than
that he should find himself in the position of not even possessing one
copy for his own education and guidance.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend:
(1) That for the purpose of scientific regulation and care, and for
the better protection of the forests, a provincial forestry corps be estab-
lished without delay.
(2) That steps be taken to ascertain whether it is practicable for
railways operating through forest regions to burn some other material
than coal which will be less dangerous in the direction of causing for-
est fires, and, if feasible, to compel the railway companies operating
through the forest regions of the Province to do so.
(3) That stricter attention be paid to the enforcement of the regu-
lations in regard to the use of spark-arrestors and to the keeping clear
of the rights of way by railways, and that the penalties for non-compli-
ance with these regulations in the Province be raised sufficiently to
render them of material importance to these corporations.
(4) That where the origin of a fire can be traced to the operations
of a railway company, the company responsible be assessed for the full
estimated value of the damage to public timber lands eteected.
(5) That during the dangerous seasons for fire the railways be re-
quired to maintain fire patrols throughout such sections of forest belts
as they traverse, furnished with handcars and adequate equipment, to
follow up the various trains passing over their lines for the purpose of
extinguishing catches and incipient fires.
(6) That steps be taken to secure the better patrolment of tlie
rights of way of railways in operation in forest areas by government
officers.
(7) That wilful carelessness in regard to the starting of forest fires
in the public forests of the Province by any individual whatsoever be
made an indictable offence, punishable with severe penalties, and that
where the origin of a fire can be traced to the wilful carelessness or
neglect of any individunl, such person be ])unished by fine and imprison-
ment commensurate with the extent of the danuige done to public
property through his instrumentality.
An Alligator in the Rainy River District.
A Log Boom, Rainy River.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 159
(8) That a system of lookout stations be gradually introduced
throughout the public forests of the Province ; that each such station be
supplied with a large scale map of the surrounding region, a pair of
field-glasses and, if necessary, an instrument for determining distances;
that use be made of field telephones for inter-communication between
such stations^ and between such stations and the chief fire or forest
officer of the district, in order to facilitate rapid concentration and con-
trol; and that a system of lookout stations and field telephones be insti-
tuted in the Provincial Forest Reserves without delay.
(9) That Crown timber agents, magistrates and other responsible
officials or private citizens throughout the forest areas of the Province
in towns, villages or settlements, be made Fire Officers; and that power
be vested in them to call on each and every male citizen of tlie Province,
or resident or visitor in their locality of mature years to proceed to any
point designated by them for the purpose of fighting forest fire, and
that such officers be paid a small annual retaining fee.
( 10 ) That where a fire officer calls on citizens or others to perform
this duty he be required to accompany and control the force, and that
reasonable compensation for each day of absence from home, or while
such services are being rendered be paid at the public expense to each
and every individual so employed, including the fire officer.
(11) Tliat in each town, village or settlement, or locality where a
fire officer is appointed, a reasonable amount of equipment, suitable for
fighting fire, be maintained by the government under the care of the fire
officer.
(12) That a system be introduced whereby not only shall a record
of the services of each fire ranger employed by the government be kept,
but in so far as possible the placing of two inexperienced or untried
men together on one beat shall be prevented, and whereby the ex-
perienced man of satisfactory previous service shall be placed in charge
of the party of two, where the rangers work in pairs, and receive some
slight additional remuneration.
(13) That each fire ranger employed by the government be in-
structed that part of his duties is to keep portages and channels clear,
improve access to portages, lop branches, remove inflammable wood, and
such other matters as will tend to improve communications and fire
fighting facilities throughout his beat, and that steps be taken to see that
such duties are adequately performed.
(14) That each fire ranger employed by the government be sup-
plied with copies of the game laws and fishery regulations for distribu-
tion to those whom he may encounter on his beat; be required to make
himself acquainted with these laws and regulations and be instructed
as to his duties in regard to their enforcement.
The Provincial Forest Reserves.
So well has the advisability of conserving the valuable pine re-
sources of the Province been appreciated in Ontario that at the present
160
KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME
No. 52
time some 20,000 square miles ou which coiisidcirable belts of piue, esti-
mated at about nine billion feet and valued at some |90,000,000, exist,
have been removed from settlement and declared forest reserves, and by
this means, also, not only has it been in certain instances possible to pro-
vide a haven for wild creatures and birds from the hunter, but also to
safeguard the headwaters of many important rivers and streams. The
areas of the principal reserves and the headwaters of the chief rivers
occurring in them are approximately as follows:
Reserve.
Area.
Rivers.
Temagami Forest Reserve
5,900
Montreal, Malabitchuan, Sturgeon, Ver-
milion, Wanapitei, Onaping, Frederick
House and Mattagami.
Mississagi Forest Reserve
3,000
Mississagi, Wenebegon, White, Sauble,
and branches of the Spanish.
Nipigon Forest Reserve
7,300
Nipigon, Black Sturgeon, Gull, Poshkoka-
gan, Pikitigushi, Onaman, Mamewami-
nikan. Sturgeon and Wabinosh.
Quetico Forest Reserve
1,560
Rainy River and tributaries, Maligne,
Sturgeon and Quetico.
\lgonquin National Park
1,930
Petawawa, Madawaska, Muskoka, Amable
du Fond, South, and Maganetav^^an.
In tlie Interim Report of this Commission attention was called to
the great potential value of these reserves in regard to the game re-
sources of the Province, and it is not to be doubted that as the years roll
on and the wilder and remoter portions of the Province are opened up
this fact wnll become more widely recognized and appreciated. At the
present time the Algonquin National Park is the only actual game re-
serve of the Province, being, in fact, a game reserve and not a forest
reserve, but in the past at least a measure of protection would seem to
have been afforded the game in most of the reserves owing to the fact
that the carrying of firearms therein has been discouraged, and it would
appear to require but the passing of an Order-in-Council to render the
carrying of firearms in all reserves illegal. It is sincerely to be hoped
not only that such action wdll be taken without delay, but also that all
the provincial forest reserves will be declared game reserves in the strict-
est sense, to include all varieties of game and fur-bearing animals, and,
further, that this feature will be introduced at the time of the creation
of any new forest reserves in the future. The importance to the Pro-
vince, indeed, of the policy of forest reserves is so vast and far-reaching
in its effects from so many points of view besides that of game that it is
to be hoped that further additions to the ])rovincial reserves will be nmde
in the north country into which the railway's are now penetrating.
In a previous section it has been noted that the placing of a forest
area under reserve does not remove from ii the danger of fire, and tliat
where fire succeedK in penetrating into a reserve much of (lie material
and potential value of it is destroyed. Valuable (iinber will be consumed
^^
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 161
and the headwaters of rivers and streams deprived of their protection;
the beauty of the scenery will be ruined and the attraction to citizens
and visitors to take advantage of the reserve will by so much be dimin-
ished; game, both big and small, birds, fur-bearing animals and other
creatures will be driven from the locality even if not actually perishing
in large numbers; and the damage done in these directions is in large
measure irreparable for many and many generations. It is plain, there-
fore, that too great precautions can hardly be taken to prevent such a
calamity. The safety of the reserves against fire, however, cannot be
secured without considerable expenditure and enterprise. At present
permanent staffs are maintained in some of the reserves, while in others
rangers are only sent in during tbe dangerous seasons for fire, but in
no case has any provision been made for rapid communication or con-
centration, and in almost every case, even were these indispensable
adjuncts of efficient fire ranging present, the staffs would still be under-
manned. In addition, also, to the problem of fire protection it must be
observed that where no rangers are in a reserve for seven months of the
year, it is not to be disputed that advantage will be taken of the circum-
stance to the detriment of the game and fur-bearing animals in it. There
can be no question but that it is most desirable that all provincial forest
reserves should be game reserves also, and, if it is worth while setting
aside reserves for the purpose of fulfilling certain definite functions, it
must be equally worth while to insure in so far as possible that neither
fire nor man shall interfere with their so doing. If, then, the solution
of the problem of adequate protection and ranging of all the provincial
forest reserves and game reserves, and equipping them generally to meet
all probable contingencies, is dependent on the provision of funds, which
in all probability it is, seeing that the present chief of the Department is
so well seized of the importance of this question, the matter would ap-
pear to resolve itself into determining some method or means whereby
the work performed by the rangers can be made to produce an income
sufficient to cover at least a considerable proportion of their wages, or,
in other words, to render the reserves a producing asset in regard to
revenue, in addition to being an efficacious but silent and non-producing
factor in the general policy of conservation.
One method of so doing was suggested in the Interim Report of this
Commission, and has already been adopted in the Algonquin National
Park, namely, the taking of beaver by the ranging staff under the direc-
tion of the superintendent and selling the pelts for the benefit of the
public treasury. It would seem that the basic idea contained in this
scheme might well be extended. The forest reserves are maintained for
the benefit of the community of the Province and at public expense, so
that the fullest value of any ])ossible products of these reserves should
plainly be secured to the public. It cannot be doubted that in all the
large forest reserves of the Province there are a great number of valu-
able fur-bearing animals of various descriptions, and under an efficient
102 1{P]1M)KT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
SYsteiH oi' protoL-tiun all the year round it would appear morally certain
that these creatures would increase and multiply very rapidly, to the
extent, even, of becoming too numerous. In the natural course of events
they would spread over the surrounding countr}' to add grist to the mill
of the individual trappers in those localities, and it would seem that the
additional profit which would thus accrue to private individuals through
the existence of the reserves might Avell, in part at least, be diverted into
the public treasury which is bearing the burden of the protection of the
reserves. The price of fur of almost every description continues to rise,
and if competent men were placed in the reserves to supervise the work
and determine the numbers of each variety of animal that could be caught
and removed without detriment to, if riot actually to the advantage of,
the reserves, there can be little question that with so great an area as
20,000 square miles at its disposal, which area, be it noted, may reason-
ably be expected to become augmented in the future, the government
would experience little difficulty in securing a sufficiency of pelts an-
nually to provide through their sale funds sufficient at least to cover a
high percentage of the cost of adequately ranging and equipping the
reserves, if not actually to produce a surplus income.
At the present time it would seem to be the case that considerable
quantities of fur are secured by Indians and other individuals in some
of the reserves, particularly so in the case of the Quetico Forest Reserve
where the fur-bearing animals are comparatively abundant in certain
localities and no rangers are provided during Keven months of the year,
while the reserve itself has not been declared a game reserve, and it is
apparent that the sums of money now acquired by the individuals who
now engage in this occupation not only could be far more profitably and
serviceably utilized in perfecting the arrangements for the protection of
the reserves, and in the maintenance of adequate staffs in them, but
would go a long way in rendering these matters feasible of accomplish-
ment without adding to the burden of the public treasury.
Attention has been called to the fact that there is ample work for
the fire rangers in the forests at all times, irrespective of whether there
is immediate danger of fire. Particularly so is this the case in the forest
reserves, for as these can reasonably be expected to be visited by at least
some citizens and visitors from outside, an additional cause is provided
for keeping the portages clear, rendering access to them easy, and gen-
erally making conditions as pleasant as possible. There can be little
doubt but that as the country opens up the reserves will attract increas-
ing numbers of visitors to them, for forest scenery is always fascinating
to the townsman and a vacation to the wilds an attractive proposition to
many. In the Interim Report of this rommission the question of estab-
lishing a registration fee for visitors to the resei-ve was discussed, and it
would seem that such a measure would be useful both in providing an
increasing revenue and in affording stalistics of the extent of the tourist
traffic in the reserves, but in any case it is plain that as the reserves are-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 163
the property of the public, citizens of the Province visiting them may
justly expect to find conditions in them reasonably comfortable for tra-
velling. The work already indicated, if properly carried out, would go
a long way towards effecting this, and at the same time would be acting
in the direction of preventing the risks of fire and facilitating the means
of coping with it should it occur. In addition to such work it would
seem that the rangers in a provincial forest reserve might also be re-
quired to clear and prepare a number of camping places at suitable
points and maintain the same in good order, ready for use by whomso-
ever chances to pass, for there is nothing that the casual visitor to the
forest, tired and weary after the unaccustomed exercise of a long day's
canoeing and portaging, will appreciate more than to find a well-chosen
and clean camping ground awaiting his occupation, with the tent poles
all ready to hand and other facilities and conveniences perhaps also pro-
vided. Springs occurring along the portages and other paths likely to
be frequented should be cleaned, built around with some form of rough
guard, and furnished witli a drinking vessel, and notices niiglit well, also,
be put in conspicuous places, as is done in some of the reserves in the
United States, indicating the direction and distances of prepared camp-
ing grounds. In carrying out all these various tasks, not only would
the ranger be kept busily employed and in hard enough condition to cope
with any emergency that might arise, but in so doing he would, also, in-
evitably become more intimately acquainted with his beat, all of which
could not but tend to his increased efficiency.
In all reserves it would seem that, whatever the dimensions of the
permanent staff, there should always at least be a superintendent living
on it all the year round, so that he may become well acquainted with
the whole of the district and the conditions prevailing in it and in the
surrounding country, and thus be in a position intelligently to direct the
work of his rangers, to take advantage of the natural features of the
locality in preventing the incursion of fire from outside or in dealing
with it should it occur inside, and to take measures to prevent trespasses
of every nature at all times of the year. All these matters plainly re-
quire study, preparation and knowledge of the district, and it is not to
be expected that men appointed for a few months of, perhaps, one year
only, should either have the inclination or the interest to delve deeply
into them.
It would seem, also, that in those reserves where the tourist or other
traffic has already reached goodly proportions and where, in conse-
quence, the presence of the superintendent at headquarters is necessary
for prolonged periods, a chief ranger should be provided to act under the
orders of the superintendent, and to be continuously on the move to see
that the rangers are on their beats and conscientiously discharging their
duties. The need for supervision of the rangers is quite apparent, and it
is equally plain that over the great stretches of forest country which con-
stitute the reserves the time of one man \vould be fully occupied in each
164 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
reserve visiting the various beats and inspecting the work done. A super-
intendent chained to his headquarters for days at a time could never
satisfactorily discharge this most important duty.
Further, it would appear that in the interests of systematic admin-
istration and co-ordination of the arrangements in the different reserves
the time is approaching, if indeed it has not come, when an official should
be appointed exclusively to supervise the provincial forest reserves. A
great many improvements will most certainly have to be carried out in
these reserves; a great deal of work will always be on hand in them;
and just as there will alwaj^s be the necessity of supervising the rangers
on their respective beats, so also would it appear indispensable that each
reserve should be more or less frequently visited by a responsible official
to insure that the instructions and wishes of the Department are being
carried into actual effect. It is impossible to reduce to writing in a few
brief orders the perfection of organization and arrangement in all its
detail which it may be desired to produce, and the interpretation of such
orders on the subject as are issued will almost invariably be construed
in different ways by different persons. It is plainly impossible for the
Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines to devote sufficient of his time to
attend personally to the carrying out of the full detail of his plans in
regard to all the provincial reserves, and it must appear, therefore, that
he should have to his hand an instrument for insuring that his instruc-
tions in this regard are being carried out in the manner he intends. That
there is ample work to keep such an oflflcial busy throughout the year is
evident, and it can hardly be doubted that the provincial reserves would
benefit greatly were such an appointment made, for not only would it
tend to prevent the lack of interest or control on the part of the super-
intendents and their staffs, but it would mean, also, that sound and
effective organization would be introduced into one and all of them, and
such improvements and devices as were found to be eff'ective in one re-
serve could promptly bo introduced into the others also. If the sugges-
tion, previously made in this section, of utilizing the fur resources of the
reserves as a means of obtaining revenue were carried into efl'ect, it
would afford an additional reason for the creation of such a post and
enhance its importance, for undoubtedly the sums involved would soon
attain considerable proportions and the necessity for close supervision
of the catch and the collection and disposal of the pelts would become
imperative. It is, moreover, beyond doubt that at the present time not
only are the public, to a great extent, ignorant of the attractions of the
various provincial reserves and the facilities aff'orded in them, but that
in several of them there yet remains much to be learned by the authori-
ties. A permanent official, occupied exclusively with the care of the
reserves, could be expected to collect and collate all useful infor-
mation on the subject, so that the same might be i)ul)lis]ied by the
government in handy form for public information. There can be little
question that if the scenic, canoeing, angling and camping facilities of
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 165
the reserves were better known, a considerably greater number of citi-
zens and visitors would visit them annually, and as these reser-ves are
in one sense public parks, retained for that purpose, it would seem ad-
visable that full information concerning them should be available to the
public. The work, therefore, in this direction of such an official as sug-
gested would be most useful.
As the number of visitors to the reserves increases there will almost
inevitably arise a demand for guides to conduct parties through them,
and, as in the case of the Algonquin National Park, a supply of guides
will appear to meet the demand. The fire rangers in a reserve and for
the matter of that tlie fire rangers throughout the forests can be expected
to be particularly careful in the matter of starting forest fires, and, in-
deed, the penalties for tlie slightest carelessness on their part in this
direction should be most severe, but in the reserves, at least, it should
be enacted not only that the licensed guide is responsible for every pre-
caution being taken by his party, but also that any carelessness on his
part in this respect, which is detected, will be visited by the immediate
cancellation of his license, no matter where he may be or how incon-
venient the same may prove to his party, and that the cancellation of a
license on these grounds will bar the licensee from ever obtaining an-
other one. Camp fires left unextinguished are a most fruitful source of
danger, and yet, although this is a well-known fact and the offence is
altogether inexcusable, it all too frequently happens that fires are not
properly put out before a camping ground is abandoned. The tourist,
also, is prone to be light-hearted in the woods and inconsiderate of the
dangers of fire, and this spirit of levity is apt on occasions to communi-
cate itself to the guides. It should, therefore, in all cases be most clearly
impressed on the guides that any remissness on their part will not be
tolerated, but will be punished by the full penalties, and that it is a
chief feature of their duties to warn the persons by whom they are
engaged against recklessness in this matter and rigidly to check any
tendency to, or display of, carelessness in this respect.
The general carrying of firearms in the reserves may, it appears,
shortly be forbidden, and from the reports recently published in the pub-
lic press it would appear that in the future this same wise provision will
be made applicable to rangers also. An idea would seem to be prevalent
amongst the public that a firearm is an indispensable part of the equip-
ment necessary for a stay in the wilds as a protection against the wolf.
In most of the provincial reserves no doubt wolves do exist, and this is
naturally to be expected, for all wild creatures, such as the deer, will
quickly discover regions where they are afforded even comparative im-
munity against the hunter, and where the deer congregate, there
also, will appear the wolf. The presence of wolves in the reserves is to
be regretted on account of the numbers of deer which they destroy, but,
although their voracity and destructiveness in regard to deer is stupen-
dous, it cannot be claimed for the Ontario w^olves either that they are
166 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
partial to liuinaii tlesli or that they are prone to attack huiuaii beings.
In fact, the most careful investig:ation tends only to accentuate what an
arrant coward is the Avolf of the Province in the neighborhood of a
human being. The howling of wolves, or a glimpse of one or two of
them, is apt occasionally to frighten the nervous, with the result that
wild stories have been circulated of men having been treed for hours by
wolves, and having only escaped after prolonged periods of suspense and
terror, but as a matter of fact no single instance has as yet, it would
appear, been authenticated of a grown man or woman being attacked,
much less killed, by wolves in the woods of Ontario. Thousands of in-
stances on the contrary can readily be adduced proving the absolute
security of human beings in this regard, and it would seem, therefore,
that this erroneous plea for the carrying of firearms in the reserves has
been rightly disregarded.
There are, however, timber prospecting and other concessions issued
in certain of the reserves which involve the presence in the reserves of
parties or gangs of men, and there are, also, in certain instances indi--
viduals desirous of crossing the reserves for the purpose of reaching the
country beyond them, while outside of the reserves the carrying of fire-
arms is not, of course, illegal at the present time. The possession of
firearms in lumber and other camps is always to be deplored, for the
illegitimate destruction of game that is effected by lumber-jacks and
others from such camps is, in many cases, great and yet at all times
most difficult to prove. In the case of the reserves, at least, some
measures should plainly be taken to prevent the possibility of this evil
occurring from this source, as well as from prospectors and other par-
ties. In many instances, how^ever, the lumber jack and prospector
carries most of his worldly possessions about with him, and should he
chance to be the owner of a gun, it might be hard on him to compel him
to dispose of it or leave it behind when entering a reserve, for these per-
sons are frequently of a more or less nomadic disposition and conse-
quently unlikely to come out of the reserves at the point at which they
enter them. Again, in the case of the traveller who might find it neces-
sary to cross the reserves on his roa<l elsewhere, it would be an obvious
injustice to force him to abandon his firearms or to penalize him for
carrying them across the reserves. It would seem, therefore, that some
system might well be devised and enacted to meet special contingencies
of the nature indicated. In some reserves, outside of the Province, it has
been found both simple and effective for the superintendent or rangers,
as the case might be, to seal all firearms which for one reason or another
have to be taken into the reserves, the breaking of the seal by the owner
of the weapon while in the resen^e being deemed proof of an infringement
of the game laws. There might, of course, be some little difficulty experi-
enced by those entering the reserves by unfrequented routes in getting
their firearms sealed, but if due discretion were used in this regard, it
would seem that the introduction of such a system into tlu^ reserves of
1912 AND FISHEIIIES COMMISSION. 167
this Province would be beiietieial, for it would eliminate to a great
degree the trespasses perpetrated by means of the firearms which on one
excuse or another are now taken into the reserves, and would, moreover,
greatly facilitate the detection of such offences. It is not, of course,
intended to imply that firearms, even though sealed, should be allowed
generally to be carried in the reserves, for unquestionably the prohibition
of the carrying of firearms altogether is the surest means of affording
protection to the game, but that in those cases where the law cannot be
enforced without undue hardship the system indicated should be avail-
able to guard against the weapons being made use of while the owner
was staying in or traversing the reserves.
As before noted, the forest reserves of the Province contain a great
quantity of valuable pine, and there is, of course, to be found in them
also an abundance of timber suitiible for pulpwood and other purposes.
In some of the reserves lumbering concessions, granted many years ago,
are still in force, but it is to be noted with satisfaction tliat the Govern-
ment has had this matter under its consideration with the result that
arrangements have recently been made to buy out tlie lessees in the
Algonquin National Park. There can, indeed, be little question that
ordinary lumbering for commercial purposes is neither calculated to
improve the scenery nor to add to the pleasure of tourists visiting the
reserves, and is, moreover, a source of considerable danger to wild life,
so that it would appear that the efforts of the present administration
to abolish lumbering in the reserves cannot be too highly commended.
There are, indeed, such vast areas of forest lands available for pulpwood
and other timber in the Province that there would appear to be no excuse
for throwing open any further concessions in any of the reserves in the
future, more especially so as the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway will render
accessible a new area capable of meeting the demands for pulpwood,
at least, for many years to come. The pine on the reserves is undoubt-
edly very valuable and in regard to the belts of these trees, as of other
varieties of timber, it is to be noted that in the best interests of the
forests it is often advisable to remove yearly a percentage of trees, which
having attained old age will otherwise fall and decay, or for other
reasons connected with the attainment of full growth by the bulk of the
timber, as also, of course, in the event of an area having been burnt
over. It has been proved in other countries that under scientific direc-
tion and management forests can be made to produce an annual crop, as
do other products of the soil, without impairing the available quantity
of timber and without in any way injuring the scenic effects. It would
seem, therefore, that if a permanent forestry corps were established,
one of its duties might well be to care for the reserves after this fashion,
but in any case it may be observed that, were it deemed advisable for
one reason or another to remove timber from the reserves, it would
appear that the operation might with advantage be undertaken by the
Government for the benefit of the public treasury, for after all, under
the license system, the bulk of the profits is diverted into private pockets.
168 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
The Nipigon Forest Reserve.
The Nipigon Forest Reserve stands unique among the provincial
parks in that it contains one of the finest and most beautiful sheets of
water in the Province, Lake Nipigon, and a river, the River Nipigon,
already world-famous for the grandeur of its waters, the magnificence
of its scenery, and the splendid trout angling that it affords. It is hardly
open to doubt that the advent of the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian
Northern railways into this region will result in an ever increasing
number of tourists visiting this reserve and taking advantage of its splen-
did angling. So important, indeed, from the point of view of the tourist
trafiflc are, and will continue to be, the trout fisheries of the River Nipi-
gon, and also, in fact, those of the rivers and streams flowing into Lake
Nipigon, that too great attentiou cannot well be paid to conserving and
maintaining them.
There has unfortunately in the past been a considerable traffic in
the skins of large speckled trout taken from these waters. Both in certain
portions of Lake Nipigon and in the shoaler waters of the River Nipigon
the fish congregate thickly during the spawning season, and advantage
has been taken of this fact by Indians and others unlawfully to secure
quantities of large fish by placing nets on the spawning beds or by spear-
ing. The skin of a six to eight pound trout has commanded a compara-
tively high figure and the firms trading in the district have apparently
all of them been only too willing to purchase as many as they could get,
retailing them subsequently to the railways and others interested, or
even using them themselves, for advertising purposes, and also, it must
be confessed, selling them to certain of the visiting anglers whose prow-
ess or good fortune has been insufficient to gain for them the anticipated
trophy in the shape of a large trout, and who purchase the skin they
had hoped but failed themselves to secure. The number of fish which
attain the maximum size must obviously be limited and it is apparent,
therefore, what an enormous number of trout of lesser size will be
slaughtered in the process of securing several hundred skins of speci-
mens of the largest dimensions, and it cannot be doubted that this traffic
has in some considerable measure been responsible for the diminishing
numbers of trout in these waters. In any case it is illegal to take the
fish by netting, and it is hardly to be doubted that the traffic in skins
is illegal also under the Order-in-Council forbidding the sale of speckled
trout in the Province of Ontario. However this may be, the traffic should
plainly be suppressed at once, for unfortunately it still continued to
some extent during the past season.
A special license has to be obtained in order to angle in Lake Nipi-
gon, Nipigon River and adjacent waters, the charge for permanent
residents of Canada being fS.OO for two weeks and flO.OO for four
weeks, and for non-residents of Canada, |15.00 for two weeks or less,
120.00 for three weeks and |25.00 for four weeks. Seeing that the
Nipigon River from
Centre Camp, Pine
Portage.
Many fine speckled
trout have been
caught between the
two islands.
Ranger's Hut on
the Nipigon, and the
Mosquito Proof and
Fly Proof Tent of
the Commission.
View from the North
End of Pine Port-
age, Nipigon River.
14 F.C.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 101)
angling to be secured in these waters is altogether exceptional, there can
be no doubt as to the wisdom of imposing a special charge for the privi-
lege of enjoying it on vi'sitors and citizens alike, both with a view to
conserving the fisheries and of obtaining the maximum benefit from their
existence to the general public. It is, however, to be noted that near the
mouth of the Eiver Nipigon is situated the village of Nipigon, and that
the river itself is only two hours by rail from Port Arthur and Fort
William, so that there are, in consequence, quite a number of anglers
resident in the district generally anxious to enjoy the sport during the
weekends, or for two or three days when opportunity otfers, and there
is a distinct feeling in these quarters that a hardship is being inflicted
by compelling residents in the vicinity to pay |5.00 for their angling for
each period of a day or two only when a fortnight or more intervenes
between the visits. Indeed, it would appear that, during the last year or
two at least, the collection of the license from residents in the vicinity
has been very lax on this account, and that quite a number of such per-
sons have more or less frequently fished some of the lower pools of the
river, particularly in the neighborhood of Camp Alexander, without
paying any license at all. It is evident that whatever a law may be,
it should be enforced, for failure to do so is morally evil in its effect.
Moreover, in a matter such as this, where exceptional expenditures are
being borne by the public to conserve and maintain exceptional fisheries,
there is no apparent reason why the resident in the vicinity should be
allowed special privileges over other residents of the Province. On the
contrary it would seem but just that the law applying to one should
apply equally to all, and this undoubtedly is the intention of the authori-
ties. There may, however, be reasonable grounds for the contention that
an undue hardship is inflicted on residents in the vicinity through the
minimum cost to fish these waters being fixed as high as |5.00. Undoubt-
edly those who reside in the neighborhood will be in a position more
frequently to visit the reserve than those who live at a distance, and,
also, these visits, while more frequent, will be less likely to be prolonged
for even fourteen days. Moreover, there are and will be cases when resi-
dents of other portions of the Dominion, travelling by, would avail them-
selves of the opportunity of a day or two's fishing, but are deterred by
the present cost of the license taken in conjunction with other unavoid-
able expenditures. Consequently it would seem that some steps might
be taken to meet these conditions. A charge of |1.00 per diem should be
quite satisfactory to those who in passing wish to fish for a day or two
only, or to those who from neighboring towns or villages visit the reserve
for the purpose on one or two occasions only during the year for periods
of a very limited number of days, and at the same time would be a fair
recompense to the public. To accommodate those whose opportunities
of indulging in the sport afforded by these waters are frequent, but of
brief duration, a season pass might be instituted, to cost $10.00 and to
cover thirty days in the reserve no matter when taken during the open
170 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
season for speckled trout, it beiiij? required of such pass holder to have
his license endorsed with the periods of his stay on the occasion of each
visit. The cost of the license to cover four successive weeks of angling
in the reserve is at present flO.OO, so that by instituting a season pass as
suggested the percentage of charge to the number of days of presump-
tive angling as at present existing would not be materially affected.
It would seem certain, in fact, that if the suggested amendments in
regard to the scale of licenses for residents of Canada are carried into
effect, not only will they prove a great convenience to many, but also
should act in the direction of increasing the revenue from this source,
seeing that there would no longer be any possible excuse for laxity in
the collection of the monies due to the Government. It is to be noted in
this regard that there is vested in the proper quarters authority to grant
a limited number of complimentary licenses, and doubtless this power
is wisely administered, so that if Buch licenses are not obtainable by
certain gentlemen of local or political prominence, they should be
required to take out the regular license like any ordinary citizen, and
not be allowed, as has too frequently been the case of late, to angle in
these waters without a license of any description whatsoever. In regard
to the non-resident licenses as at present existing, it w^ould appear that
it is deemed both reasonable and just by the majority of visitors that
additional fees should be charged them and that the present scale is
equitable.
There can be little doubt but that one of the main causes which led
to the introduction of a special angling license for the Nipigon Reserve
WHS the desire to conserve the brook trout fisheries of this region. There
are naturally many other varieties of fish in these waters which are cap-
able of affording sport to anglers, such as the lake trout, pickerel and
pike in Lake Nipigon and River Nipigon, and the latter two in all prob-
ability in most of the other streams of the district also, while there is
at least one instance in the reserve of a comparatively isolated lake well
stocked with black bass. As the regulation reads at present the license
fee is chargt^d for " fishing in Nipigon River, Nipigon Lake and adjacent
waters," so that it is apparent under the law as it stands there is no dis-
tinction in regard to the class of fish angled for. There can be little
doubt that this is a reasonable precaution, for over a great deal of these
waters, most particularly in the River Nipigon and other streams, it is
without the power of the angler when trolling or bait casting to decide
on what fish he will catch, and though his intention might be to secure
a pike or pickerel, a speckled trout might become attached to the hook.
In general, also, it is to be noted that visitors would hardly go to the
expense of visiting the reserve for the purpose of angling for pike, pick-
erel or lake trout, which they could find in equal or greater abundance
at far less expense to themselves in more accessible portions of the
Province, and in the case of the lake containing bass, already referred to,
it would seem altogether improbable that visitors would journey so far
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 171
to angle in this lake when excellent bass fishing can be secured over so
wide an area on this continent. The occurrence, moreover, of a bass
lake in the midst of this trout region undoubtedly enhances its value in
the variety of sport which it affords to the visiting anglers. On Lake
Nipigon there are a number of small settlements and undoubtedly the
number of persons living permanently in this vicinity will rapidly
increase when the Grand Trunk and Canadian Northern railways are
completed. At the present time unquestionably a considerable propor-
tion of the persons resident on the shores of the lake indulge in angling,
chiefly for lake trout and pickerel, without paying the license fee which
would appear to be called for under the law. It would be impossible
to begrudge persons living in so wild a region the privilege of taking a
few fish from the waters of so great a lake as Lake Nipigon without pay-
ing a license, and, indeed, the matter is only called to attention for the
reason that there are undoubtedly great numbers of magnificent speckled
trout in the lake, as well as of other sporting fishes such as the pickerel
and lake trout, and when the opening of the railways brings not only an
increased number of permanent residents to the neighborhood but some
visitors, at least, from outside, all anxious to fish these waters, it will
have to be decided in how far the special license is to be enforced on the
lake, for it would plainly be inexpedient to apply the license to some
and not to others. Probably when the fisheries of the lake become better
known, it will be possible to locate the areas inhabited chiefly by the
speckled trout, and it would seem that if all such areas, together with
all streams and rivers in the reserve, were declared subject to license,
both to residents and visitors, it would sufficiently well meet the case, for
undoubtedly great stretches of water would remain available to those
who did not wish to angle for speckled trout in particular, but were con-
tent to confine their efforts to other varieties.
The expense of fishing the Nipigon River is at present very consid-
erable to the average individual. The waters of the river are rapid
and dangerous in many places; in others altogether unnavigable; so that
the angler visitor is practically compelled to take with him one or more
guides. The exploitation of the tourist traffic has fallen into the hands
of three firms trading at Nipigon Village, each of whom undertakes the
complete outfitting of parties, including the furnishing of tents, canoes,
guides and provisions, and it is not overstating the case to say that both
arrangements and charges are in general excessive. This is naturally to
be deplored, for it must obviously tend to keep would-be visitors away,
but on the other hand there is no apparent remedy other than that the
authorities controlling the reserve should institute and operate a gov-
ernment outfitting agency, and thus reduce expenses to visitors to a
minimum. Such a step, however, will probably be adjudg(Hl impracticable,
although it would have one great advantage, in addition to saving the
visitor considerable sums, which is worthy of consideration, namely that
by employing only trustworthy guides, if necessary, indeed, importing
171^ REPORT OF ONTARIO GA.AIE No. 52
Frencli-C'aiiadians or others from other portions of the Province for the
purpose, the tourist would not be left to run the risk of being paddled
through dangerous v.aters by Indians ov lialf-breeds under the influence
of liquor for a period of time after leaving the starting point, or else
unversed in the locality and unskilled in the management of a canoe;
unpleasant and dangerous experiences, in fact, snch as were actually
encountered by this Commission when visiting this reserve. Possibly
the opening up of the country through the advent of new railways into
the region will tend of itself to improve this state of affairs, for it can-
not be doubted that many of the rivers flowing into Lake Nipigon will
in due course furnish sport to many anglers and thus not only should
fresh competition arise in the matter of outfitting visitors, but the
expense, also, to the visitors should diminish, seeing that many other
of the rivers of the district will in all probability afford sport equal, or
nearly so, to that obtainable on the Nipigon River itself, and will be more
accessible and more easily fished, so that visiting anglers will select these
to go to rather than the Nipigon River unless the outfitting charges for
the latter materially decrease.
The comparatively high license charged for tlie privilege of fishing
the River Nipigon would appear to warrant the expectation on the part
of visitors that everything will have been arranged for their comfort.
The conditions on the river, however, fall far short of what could reason-
ably be anticipated in this direction, although it is to be noted that the
visit of the ^Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, who appreciated this
fact to the full, resulted in the immediate institution of measures which
will to a great extent remedy this state of alfairs, if properly carried
into effect. There can be no question that in so valuable a tourist centre
as this portages should be kept clear and in good order, landing places
provided and made easy and convenient for ladies as for men, numerous
camping sites prepared in convenient localities and kept clean, and in
general everything made as pleasant to the visitor as possible. A con-
siderable staff" of rangers is maintained on the river and would be more
suitably employed in attending to these matters under the direction of
the superintendent than in lounging in the log huts provided for their
use more than half the day, and spending the balance in angling, gos-
siping with the Indian guides, and other similarly useless occupations,
as appears to have been the custom prior, at least, to the visit of the
Minister, last summer. In addition to these improvements undoubtedly
a great deal could be accomplished in the matter of improving angling
facilities along the banks. Too frequently it is the case that only one
side of the river for long stretches is fished at all for the reason that
only on one side is there a convenient pathway, and further, even where
paths are available, for long distances it is impossible to fish in any
manner whatsoever owing to the density of the overhanging vegetation,
although in numerous instances pools, channels, rapids and other invit-
ing and likely spots for sport have to be missed on this account. T'^^nder
Rapids on the Nipigon River.
View of Nipigon River ii-(jin Pine Poitagf
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 173
present conditions a very small fraction of the available water area can
be fished at all, and this, no doubt, may in some measure account for
the diminishing success of anglers in recent years, for where certain
localities are thrashed day after day throughout the season by a variety
of anglers, and no other places are open to the trout, it is but natural
that the fish should avoid these spots and seek quieter retreats. It would
seem, therefore, most advantageous that some effort should be made to
clear places here and there along both banks of the river at reasonable
distances apart in order to open up the extent of river which can be
fished.
A limit of catch of 30 speckled trout of 10 lbs. weight of this fish to
one angler in one day is in force in the reserve as throughout the
Province. It would seem that the guides, some of whom are indisposed
to work to such a degree that they willingly take advantage of any excuse
to avoid it, in certain instances impose on the visitors to the extent of
forcing them to abandon sport for the day when 10 lbs. weight of fish of
any variety has been caught. No regulation to this effect is in force, or
in the least necessary, so that it would appear that steps should be taken
to apprise each visitor of the true facts of the case. In regard to the
limitation as to speckled trout it may be observed that the fish landed at
the present time in the Nipigon River run probably on an average about
two pounds, while much larger fish are to be taken and are still caught
comparatively frequently each year. It is apparent, therefore, that if
the angler is fortunate the period of his sport is likely to be very brief,
and in view of the charge made to the angler for the privilege of angling,
this would appear, perhaps, to constitute a hardship. In another sec-
tion of this report the question of returning uninjured fish to the water
has been discussed, and it has been shown that it is feasible to do so in
the case of fish lightly hooked in the membrane of the mouth, provided
due precautions are taken in the matter of handling. No angler could
desire, or should be allowed to kill, more than ten pounds weight of
trout in one day, but it would seem that in view of the exceptional size
of the trout in the Nipigon River the angler might be allowed some
measure of privilege in the matter of returning uninjured speckled trout
to the water and so prolonging his legal period of sport. Fly fishing
is the method of angling least likely to injure the trout which are hooked,
and if the privilege were granted to those employing this method, doubt-
less it would prove generally satisfactory to the visitors and at the
same time would be calculated not to materially injure the fisheries.
An interesting point arises in the question as to whether rangers in
this reserve are entitled to angle for speckled trout. The public is
charged a comparatively high fee for the privilege and the rangers them-
selves are paid an excellent wage at the expense of the public. Under
the circumstances previously noted, where the ranger had, apparently,
nothing much else to do than angle in order to pass away the time, it is
plain that, if he were any sort of a fisherman, he would soon become
174 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
aware of the most likelj- spots on his; beat and thus be likely to secure
quite a number of fish during the course of the season. Further, it
could hardly be but galling to the visitor, under license and other expen-
ditures, to find the rangers fishing the same waters as himself and if not
actually securing the gTeater share of the sport, at least by their opera-
tions tending to lessen his chances of success. Indeed, more than one
complaint on this score was to be heard during the past season. It
would seem, however, that care will be taken in the future to keep the
rangers fairly busily employed so that their leisure hours for angling
will in any case be materially dimiui'shed and there will be,, in conse-
quence, considerably less likelihood of their interfering with the sport
of visiting anglers, but there appears none the less to be little, if any,
reason for exempting the rangers from the normal fee should they desire
to angle, other than that they may be able to secure fresh fish for their
consumption. There are practically throughout the length of the river
localities where the coarser fish, such as the pike, abound, and it is to be
noted that in these cold waters the fiesh of the pike is firm, flaky and not
at all unpleasant to the taste. In such localities, also, the pickerel is
often to be found, and is, of course, a splendid table fish. Eight or more
rangers removing speckled trout from the river almost every day for five
months would obviously be a considerable drain on the resources of the
river, and as one of the principal objects of this reserve is to secure the
perpetuation of the River Nipigon's magnificent speckled trout fisheries
to the public, it would seem that if the rangers require fish for food,
they might reasonably be required to angle for and take only the coarser
varieties, and that in the event of their being desirous of angling for
speckled trout they should be treated in the same manner as the general
public and compelled to take out the ordinary license.
Although no small portion of the duties of the rangers on the RiA'er
Nipigon must plainly occur in the vicinity of the river itself, it should
also be made clear to them that the forests of the reserve on either side
of the river are under their chai-ge and some system should be devised
whereby these tracts umy be fre(iuently ])atrolled. At tlie ])resent time
a light railway is in o])eration a short distance to the west of the river
from Tamp Alexander to Soutli l>ay, and already the a])parently inevi-
table results of a steam engine ai-e in evidence on botli sides of portions
of its right of way in the griiesoine spectacle of burnt and ruined tind^er,
Api)areiitly but litth' attention lias in the i)ast been devoted either to this
railway or to the forests on either side of the river in general in the mat-
ter of fire ranging, and it would seem most exix'dieiit that greater efforts
should be made in this direction in the future.
The extent of the reserve is very great and the su]>erintendence of
its rangei's is (•om])licated by the necessity of su])er\isiiig the tourist
traffic and the collection of the license fees from anglei's on the river
itself and by the construction of the Oran«l Truidc Pacific Railway,
Lake Nipigon, moreover, is a l)ody of water easily distui-bed by wind
Rapids in the
Quetico Forest
Reserve.
A Favourite Method
of Travelling Over
the Larger Lakes in
the Quetico Forest
Reserve and Rainy
River District.
View on the
Namakan River,
Approaching the
Quetico Forest
Reserve.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 175
and very frequently unsafe, in consequence, to all but comparatively
large boats. At the present time the superintendent has his headquar-
ters at Nipigon village at the extreme southerly end of the reserve, and
is provided with no boat with which to move about the lake or cross it,
but is forced to depend on the steamer plying between certain points on
it in the interests of the firm of Revillon Brother. His charge includes
the river and lake with the forests on either side of them, although at
the present time the right of way of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
is under a separate fire ranging service. The construction of the Canadian
Northern Railway as projected would appear likely to still further
enhance the difficulties of ranging and of supervision of the isame. Even
though the same policy were pursued for the protection of the forests
during the construction of this railway as has been followed in the case
of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, namely of allocating a separate
body of rangers under separate control to the work, it is plain that
when the railways are in operation there w^ill remain at least an equally
great necessity for strict precautions against fire, and, therefore, it is
only reasonable to presume that ultimately those sections of railway
which pass through the reserve will be included in the charge of the
superintendent of the reserve. It would seem, then, that some little
reorganization of the present system might be advisable in the near
future, in order that it may be capable of expansion as necessity arises
without impairing or upsetting its arrangements.
The superintendent must in any case be a very busy man, with so
vast a district under his charge, and he should obviously be provided
with a boat of sufficient size to enable him to move about the lake in all
weathers and in all directions. A boat of the Class B type, as recom-
mended in the Interim Report of this Commission, would appear most
suitable for the purpose. The logical headquarters of the superintendent
should apparently be at some point on the south shore of the lake,
whence he can readily move to any point of the reserve, and as the
terminus of the light railway, previously referred to, is located at South
Bay, where there is convenient shelter for a boat, doubtless this would
be found to be the best location. It would obviously be impossible for
the superintendent to devote very much of his time to the protection of
the forests against fire if his presence is required more or less continu-
ously on the river for the issuance of angling licenses and the collection
of the fees, so that it would be indispensable that he should be furnished
with some form of deputy to attend principally to this duty. The con-
figuration of the territory breaks the reserve into two distinct portions,
the northern including Lake Nipigon and the forests bounding it to the
north, east and west; the southern, the River Nipigon with the forests
on either side of it. The Canadian Pacific Railway is at present the
chief means of access to the River Nipigon for visitors and must con-
tinue to be so until the other railways are in operation, but eventually
this monopoly will disappear and stations or getting-off places on the
ITG REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
other railways become available to the tourist. Perhaps, therefore, the
best arrangement for the supervision of the ranging in the reserve would
be to furnish the superintendent with two permanent chief rangers; one
to be located in the northern section, with headquarters at Ombabika
Bay or some other suitable point; the other in the southern section,
with headquarters at Nipigon station. By this arrangement the super-
intendent would no longer be more or less tied to the vicinity of the
Canadian Pacific Railway station at Nipigon village during the danger-
ous months for fire, but would be enabled to move freely about the
reserve at all times and see that the work of every description was being
properly carried out. Moreover, provision would thus be made for treat-
ing the reserve as a whole under the conditions which at no very distant
date will prevail in it.
It is to be noted that at the present time very little is known of the
angling potentialities of Lake Nipigon and the rivers and streams enter-
ing it, beyond the general fact that speckled trout are abundant in
some parts of the lake and in most, at least, of the rivers and streams
flowing into it. It would seem that under an active siuperintendent,
relieved of duties which keep him practically continuously in the vicinity
of the river, investigations might well be instituted in the direction of
ascertaining the extent of these sporting resources, for undoubtedly a
good many anglers will avail themselves in due course of the new rail-
wsLjs to visit this region and it cannot but be the part of wisdom to have
acquired some information as to them prior to their arrival. In fact,
even outside of the reserve in this region it would seem highly advan-
tageous that some authentic information should be gathered as to the
available fisheries and game, and as to the best methods of protecting
the same, for at the present time information on this subject is practi-
cally non-existent, and yet both the fisheries and game should prove a
considerable asset to the Province if properly viewed and treated. The
appointment of a special officer for this purpose would appear to be the
most suitable method of acquiring accurate information.
Various rumors were afloat during the past year as to the intentions
of the Government in regard to pulpwood concessions in the reserve.
Whatever the truth of these may have been, or whatever the future
intentions of the Government may be in this regard, it is to be hoped
that under all circumstances the beauty of the scenery around the river
and lake will be most rigidly safeguarded by the maintenance in its wild
form of a wide belt of trees, and further, that under no circumstances
will the noble River Nipigon ever again be subjected to the log driving
operations of some lumber concessionaire, for it is not to be doubted
that the scenery of both river and lake constitute one of their principal
attractions, or that log driving down the river wouhl immeasurably
depreciate, even irretrievably ruin, the trout fisheries.
A Portage in the
Quetico Forest
Reserve.
A Rough Portage
in the Quetico
Forest Reserve.
^m- '
Tracking in the
Quetico Forest
Reserve.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 177
The Quetico Forest Reserve.
The most recent addition to the provincial parks of Ontario is Mio
great Quetico Forest Reserve, situated in the extreme west of the Province
in the Rainy River District. One of the most interesting features of
the reserve is the fact that its creation has afforded an opportunity for
international co-operation in the matter of the conservation of wild life,
for its southern borders touch for some distance the International bound-
ary and are conterminous with an extensive reserve on the southern
side. At the present time the reserve is well out of the path of civiliza-
tion and is, in fact, somewhat difficult of access, but the citizen or
foreign tourist, who takes occasion to visit it, is well repaid for his
trouble in the general beauty of the scenery that meets his eye and in
the abundance of wild life that is to be seen almost everywhere, and
there can be little question that as the attractions of the reserve in these
directions become better known, greater numbers of both citizens of the
Province and visitors from outside will yearly take advantage of them.
The peculiar appellation of the region in which it is situated, the Rainy
River District, is perhaps somewhat calculated to keep visitors away,
but as a matter of fact this name, which was derived from that bestowed
on the great river flowing through it by the old-time French-Canadian
pioneers, is but a mistranslation of the French word " Reine," and the
district itself enjoys a climate as pleasant, bracing and dry as that of
any other portion of the Province.
But little accurate information of the geography of the reserve is
available. Ten rangers, working in pairs, are placed in it for five months
of the year which constitute the fire ranging season. This force is col-
lected at and despatched from Fort Frances and gains access to the
reserve either by the Namakan River or through Lake La Croix, and is
under the superintendence of a chief ranger, but as under favourable
circumstances it will take three days for the men to reach the nearest
and most accessible beat and as also there is not one permanent member
of the corps, it is only too evident that not only will there be a tempta-
tion in so wild and distant a region for the men to neglect their duties,
but also there will be but little probability of accurate information as
to the geography, or timber, game, mineral and other resources of the
reserve being obtained l)y this means. Indeed, a trip through the heart
of the reserve disclosed the fact that in the majority of cases the rangers
keep to the larger rivers and lakes, remain in blissful ignorance of the
geography of their beats, and undertake or attempt but very little work.
Consequently, not only is the great bulk of the reserve left practically
unbared for, but routes of access to the inner portions remain unexplored
and throughout the reserve portages have become overgrown or con-
cealed and their landings, in this wild country in almost every instance
difficult, have remained unimproved, so that the difficulties of successful
ranging have in no way been removed for the ranging service of future
15 F.C.
178 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
years. There cau be no doubt that in this region, so far distant from
civilization and from assistance, if ranging with a small staff of men
is to be of any avail, no means of facilitating it can safely be neglected.
In fact, the very inaccessibility of the reserve at present would seem to
render it all the more imperative that not only should it be thoroughly
explored and trails to every part of it be opened up and kept clear, but
that steps should be taken to insure that the rangers become intimately
acquainted with their beats and that a system be devised and introduced
whereby the utmost advantage may be taken of the small staff available
in the event of fire breaking out in any section of it, by rapid concentra-
tion of the whole force, if need be, at the point of danger. It has unfor-
tunately to be recorded that a brief visit to the reserve disclosed the
fact that considerable areas of it have already been burnt over, and in
fact it would appear that perhaps the finest pine belt of the reserve,
that occurring on Eden Island in Lake Quetico, estimated at 20,000,000
feet, was only with the greatest difficulty, and at that only owing to a
change of wind, saved from destruction by fire, so that it is apparent
that if the reserve is to fulfil its functions and to be conserved to pos-
terity, greater expenditures will have to be devoted to the maintenance
of a more adequate staff to protect it.
Moose, deer, fur-bearing animals and wild life in general abound
in the reserve. On one occasion, within the short space of an hour or
two, no less than 14 moose were counted, and so fearless are these crea-
tures in this locality that it was almost invariably possible to approach
to within a few yards of them in canoes. So inquisitive, indeed, was one
specimen that while the party was lunching on one bank of a stream,
it entered the water from the other bank and swam across towards it,
and when canoes were launched and started to meet it, it was not until
the prow of one canoe actually touched its head that it could be diverted
from its purpose. Tracks of moose and deer were everywhere to be seen
in abundance, and those of bear and wolves were not infrequently
observed, while it was of rare occurrence that the morning would not
reveal the inquisitiveness of the smaller creatures by the tracks or
marks of numerous varieties around the vicinity of the camp. At the
present time no protection is afforded the reserve from October to May,
and the very abundance of the big game and fur-bearing animals un-
doubtedly offers very great temptation to the hunter and trapper who is
aAvare of this fact. Indeed, investigation of such evidence as was obtain-
able and the examination of nunun'ous witnesses all tended to indicate
that advantage is taken of the unguarded condition of the reserve and
that considerable depredations in tlu'se directions are annually effected.
In the winter, when the lakes are frozen over and the forests bare, travel-
ling is very considerably facilitated, and it would appear that hunters
and trappers alike enter the reserve, chiefly, perhaps, from the States,
and shoot the moose and other game and capture the fur-bearing animals
to their heart's content, removing their trophies across the border
Bear Lake Portage,
on the way to the
Quetico Forest
Reserve.
Camp Eden Island,
Lake Quetico.
It is estimated that
there is 20,000,000
It. of pine on this
island.
A Corner of Lake
Seiggilagan.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 179
before the snow melts and before the appearance of the provincial
rangers. In addition to this it would seem that various families of
Indians, located in the vicinity, establish their winter hunting and trap-
ping grounds within the confines of the reserve. It is, of course, not to
be expected that over so great an area, which has been placed in reserve
only comparatively recently and which is so difficult of access, the
ranging service and general arrangements should have been sufficiently
perfected, within the short space of time available, to prevent all illegal
depredations on the wild life in the reserve, but it would appear from
the evidence obtained in the locality that the extent of these depreda-
tions is in all probability very considerable and consequently that,
unless something is done to check them in the near future, the game and
fur-bearing resources of the reserve will be materially impaired. In fact,
the reserve should be declared a game reserve without delay, and there
is little question but that some proportion of permanent staff is much
to be desired, and it would hardly appear to be erring on the side of
extravagance to suggest that four permanent posts of two rangers each
should be established in this great reserve under the direction of a per-
manent superintendent. If even so small a staff as this were maintained
and the posts placed at strategic points, although in the winter it would
be impossible to watch every means of ingress into the park, at least the
principal and most frequented winter routes could be watched and
patrolled, and undoubtedly a great deal of good would be eft'ected.
Perhaps the best location for such posts would be : — -
(1) Lake La Croix, near the mouth of the Namakan River, thus
controlling three main routes into the reserve, Namakan River, Maligne
River and Crooked Lake.
(2) Quetico Lake on Eden Island, thus controlling the district
about and routes over Quetico Lake, Quetico River, Jean Lake and Long
Lake.
(3) Pickerel Lake in the vicinity of Pine portage, thus controlling
routes by Pickerel Lake, French River and Batchewang Lake.
(4) Bass wood Lake at its eastern end, thus controlling the water-
ways of Agnes Lake, Birch Lake and Basswood River.
By this means the international boundary would be watched at two
points and provision would be made for the interior portions of the
reserve.
In regard to the angling facilities afforded by the reserve it is to be
observed that in Basswood Lake and Basswood River black bass of good
size are alleged to have been caught, but that in so far as is known this
fish does not occur in other portions of this region in Canadian territory.
There is in general no difficulty for the angler to secure all the fish he
requires for food. In most of the lakes there would appear to be an
excellent variety of lake trout which can be secured by trolling. Quetico
and Jean Lakes, two of the most beautiful lakes of the district and pos-
sessing waters of a wonderful clearness and light green colour, are par-
180 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
ticularly noteworthy in this respect. In almost all the lakes pickerel
are to be caught and there is, also, throughout the region an abundance
of pike which in these waters appear to be somewhat more vigorous and
gamey than the average of their kind, and fairly pleasant to the taste.
The existence of the mascalonge in the reserve has not as yet been
determined, although rumours of its capture in certain of the lakes are
occasionally to be heard, but the occurrence of this fish in the waters of
Lake of the Woods would appear to indicate that there is a reasonable
possibility of such being the case. The question of whether it is feasible
to introduce other varieties of sporting fishes into these waters and
whether it would not be expedient to make some attempts in this direc-
tion is wortliy of consideration, for the general scenery of the park is so
beautiful, its facilities for pleasant camping, bathing and canoeing so
peculiarly attractive, and its opportunities for the observation of wild
life so great, that there can be but little question that in the natural
course of events it will ultimately become one of the most popular
tourist resorts of that region, and the additional feature of really first-
class angling would but tend to hasten the march of events in that direc-
tion. The Quetico Forest Reserve is indeed a most valuable acquisition
to the public parks of the Province and the Government is to be warmly
congratulated on its creation. It remains only to be hoped that in the
course of a few years means of access to it will become improved, its
numerous attractions and advantages more widely known, and that in
the meantime it will be found possible to perfect the arrangements for
safeguarding its many valuable resources throughout the year.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend : —
(1) That all existing provincial forest reserves be declared game
reserves without delay; that in the creation of any new reserves in the
future this provision always be included ; and that the general carrying
of firearms in the reserves be forbidden.
(2) That a sufficient staff be maintained in each of the provincial
forest reserves tlirougliout the year to insure the protection of the game
and fur-bearing animals in them.
(3) That a. permanent superintendent be appointed for each pro-
vincial forest reserve.
(4) That an inspector of provincial forest reserves be appointed.
(5) That the exploitation of the fur resources of the provincial
forest reserves be undertaken by the Government for the benefit of the
public treasury; that the necessary trapping be conducted by the per-
manent staff under tlie direction of the superintendent; and that the
pelts thus obtained be branded with a govcrnnuMit mark and sold by
public tender.
(0) That visitors to provincial forest reserves be re(|uired to pay a
registration fee of 50 cents for residents of Canada and |1.00 for non-
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1912 AND FISHERIES COMjMISSION. 181
residents, provided only that residents and non-residents taking out any
special game or angling license as required in any of the provincial
parks or reserves be not required to pay this fee in addition to that of
such license.
(7) That special attention be paid in the provincial forest reserves
to the comfort of visitors in the matters of keeping portages clear, pre-
paring camps and landing places and posting up suitable information
as to these and other matters at convenient points.
(8) That the license of any guide employed in any of the provincial
forest reserves be forthwith cancelled on the detection of any careless-
ness on his part in regard to due precautions against fire, no matter
where or when such detection may take place, and that this regulation
be explained to tourists employing guides in the reserves.
(.9) That a system be instituted whereby all such firearms as for one
reason or another have to be carried through provincial forest reserves
may be sealed with a government seal.
(10) That where for any reason it may be deemed expedient to cut
timber in a reserve the work be undertaken by the Government and the
timber sold for the benefit of the public treasury.
(11) That trafficking in the skins of speckled trout be rigidly sup-
pressed, particularly in and in the vicinity of the Nipigon Forest Eeserve,
and that special measures be taken to prevent Indians spearing or net-
ting speckled trout in Nipigon River, Lake Nipigon and adjacent waters
during the spawning season of that fish.
(12) That steps be taken to provide better angling facilities along
both banks of the Nipigon River by making small clearings at suitable
distances apart in the neighborhood of pools, channels and rapids.
(13) That the scale of angling licenses for permanent residents of
Canada to fish in the waters of the Nipigon Reserve be arranged as
follows : —
f 1) A charge of |1.00 per diem, or
(2) A charge of |5.00 for 14 consecutive days, or
(3) A charge of |10.00 for 30 consecutive days, or
(4) A charge of flO.OO for 30 days angling in the reserve during
the angling season,
it being provided that in the latter case on each successive visit the
holder of such a license be required to have the periods of his stay
endorsed thereon by the competent authority, failing which the license
to be deemed cancelled.
(14) That the collection of the special license for angling in the
Nipigon Forest Reserve be rigidly enforced in the future.
(15) That it be declared legal when fly-fishing in the Nipigon Forest
Reserve to return uninjured speckled trout to the water and to continue
angling for this fish even though the weight or number of fish actually
landed is in excess of the legal number imposed by law, provided only
that in no case shall more than the legal number or weight of speckled
182 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
trout be killed and that all such fish as are in any way injured must be
retained or counted as retained.
(16) That rangers on the Nipigon River be debarred from angling
for speckled trout unless purchasing a license to do so.
(17) That special precautions again'st fire be taken in regard to
the light railway operating through the Nipigon Forest Reserve between
Camp Alexander and South Bay.
(18) That the permanent staff of the Nipigon Forest Reserve be
increased by two chief rangers; one to be stationed in the lake section
and one in the river section ; that the headquarters of the superinten-
dent be situated in the centre of the reserve; and that a boat of the Class
B type, as recommended in the Interim Report of this Commission, be
placed on Lake Nipigon; and that greater attention be paid to the
patrolment of the forests in this reserve.
(19) That under no circumstances timber be allowed to be cut in
the Nipigon Forest Reserve in such a way as to impair the beauty of
the river bank or lake •shore scenery.
(20) That an official be appointed to examine into and report
upon the fishery and game resources of the territory surrounding Lake
Nipigon and to the northward of the Grand Trunk Pacific right of way.
(21) That a permanent staff of at least one superintendent and
eight men be maintained in the Quetico Forest Reserve and that per-
manent posts be established on Lake La Croix, near the mouth of the
Nanmkan River; on Eden Island in Quetico Lake; on Pickerel Lake
in the vicinity of Pine portage; and at the eastern end of Basswood
Lake, for the use of rangers in the winter months.
(22) That steps be taken to insure the patrolment of the interior
portions of the Quetico Forest Reserve; to open and improve communi-
cations throughout it; and to secure accurate information as to its geo-
graphical features and other resources.
The Game Resources of Ontario.
In lite variety of its game the Province of Ontario is peculiarly'
fortuitate, but it is unfortunately the case that of recent years there has
in almost every species been a marked decrease in numbers. To a certain
extent this was, of course, to be expected, for as tlie natural habitat of
the greater ])()rtion of the game of any country is tlie forest or wild
lands, tlie advance of civilization and the increase of ])0])ulntion inevi-
tably tend to limit tlie areas availaltlr to tlie game. In Ontario, however,
the general decrease has not only been noticeable in the more settled
districts but almost equally in those more wild and remote but into
which the hunter can and does succeed in pciieli-ating.
The diminution in the quantities of game is almost invariably
accompanie<l by an increase in the number and severity of the restric-
tions placed upon its pursuit, but it iinrst If ajipareiit to every thinking
A Log Slide, Grassy Lake.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 188
person that no matter how wise or necessary the enactment of such
restrictions may be, the regulations themselves are worse than useless
and bound altogether to fail in providing the desired remedy, if the
means of enforcing them are not available There is little doubt, indeed,
but that at the present time far less rigorous laws and regulations in
regard to the open seasons for the taking of game of many varieties
would be found to be amply sufficient to insure the maintenance of an
abundant supply if only they were obeyed to the letter by all and sundry^
but in this Province, at least, it would appear to be all too often the case
that otherwise law-abiding citizens disregard the game laws and break
them with impunity, or else deem it no dishonesty or shame to abet or
connive at their infraction by taking advantage of the misdeeds of
others to satisfy the greed of their own appetites. That this state of
affairs is in large measure due to the inefficiency of the officers appointed
to act as game wardens and overseers cannot be doubted, for where the
officer charged with enforcement of the law is careless or lax in the dis-
charge of his duties, willing to shut his eyes to flagrant offences or even
himself to commit them, the public plainly will not be impressed with
the necessity for obeying the laws, but rather will be educated to treat
them with contempt.
Ideal legislation in this line is that which will allow the greatest
amount of sport for the longest possible time, but in Ontario long open
seasons cannot as yet safely be attempted in the majority of cases,
especially in regard to the larger forms of game, for game is fast dimin-
ishing, and until the system for enforcing the observance of the game
laws is vastly improved, the standard of its officers raised and the public
itself taught to respect and obey the laws, the prime necessity must
remain to endeavour to save the game at all costs while these matters
are being contemplated and effected. Doubtless some hardship will be
wrought on hunters in the process; some dissatisfaction be voiced among
them and by those who appreciate game for table purposes and conse-
quently protest at being deprived of their sources of supply or having
the same very much curtailed; but these are trifling considerations
when weighed in the balance against the importance of perpetuating
the game, and the selfish interests of the few must be sacrificed for the
present and ultimate benefit of the majority. Even under an adequate
system of control some offences will be detected and punished, some
persons will be deterred from breaking the law; so that it is apparent
that while the outstanding necessity of the case in this Province is to
remedy the system of administration and improve the staff, the imposi-
tion of additional difficulties in the way of the hunter or additional
restrictions upon him can be counted on to achieve some measure of
good in connection with the number of creatures slaughtered.
Some complaints have been made against the reduction to one deer
only of the number of deer that may legally be killed under one license
and to the suggestions, also made in the Interim Report of this Commis-
184 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
sion but not as yet adopted, that the open season for deer be made a
fortnight hiter than at present and that the killing of bucks only be per-
mitted, but these and kindred measures and recommendations are
enacted and made to meet the necessities of the case as they exist; as
a temporary but indispensable means of saving the game resources of
the Province from extravagant depletion, if not absolute annihilation.
Once some method of increasing or maintaining the supply of game had
been discovered or devised, or once some means were available for rigidly
enforcing such laws and regulations as might be in force, it would at
once become possible in a great many instances to relax the restrictions
in regard to numbers, and also, in all probability, to greatly extend the
open seasons for many varieties so as to meet practically all the
various opinions and wishes on the subject. This is, indeed, the objec-
tive which it should be sought to attain, and its achievement rests
equally in the hands of the administration and the general public.
One of the principal causes of the destruction of game and wild
life generally is the indiscriminate carrying of firearms in the wilder
portions of the country. Indeed, in some regions it is quite the excep-
tion to meet a man not armed with at least one weapon, and for the con-
venience of those who chance not to be so supplied, as a rule the young
boys and youths of the district only, there is in such cases but small
difficulty in renting a firearm for a small sum. All the hardware
stores and most of the general stores also in these regions carry
a large stock of weapons of many varieties in addition to making
a practice of renting second-hand weapons as occasion offei's, and it
would seem inevitable that so long as this condition prevails the greatest
difficulty will be experienced in safeguarding, even perhaps perpetuat-
ing, the game in these localities. In no case is the necessity for the
habitual carrying of firearms apparent, and in fact it is a menace to
peaceful citizens traversing these regions, but while the promiscuous
exposing for sale and selling of firearms is permitted doubtless the prac-
tice will remain in force. In so far as the protection of game and wild
life is concerned there can be little question that it would be most
highly advantageous were a gun tax put into force and some control over
the exposure for sale and the sale of firearms exercised, more particu-
larly in the direction of preventing the sale or renting of any variety
of them to any but bona fide citizens or to those who had not as yet
attained the legal age of maturity, but to recomnu^nd such a measure,
affecting so great a diversity of interests and occupations, would, per-
haps, be trespassing beyond the limitations of this Commission's range.
At least, the resident liunting license, recomiuendcd in tlie Interim
Report of this Commission, could be expected to effect some good in
this direction, more especially so if it were enacted that to be in the
public forests or on the public wild lands in the possession of firearms
without such license during the open season for any species of game
whatsoever was an indictable and punishable offence.
Logging.
Lumber Camp near Furt Frances.
1912 A2sD FISHEKIES COMMISSION. \67>
As before noted, it is quite beyond dispute that at the present time
there are innumerable illegalities continually being committed, and it is
equally certain that a great deal of the game of many species is unlaw-
fully used for commercial purposes. ^lost especially so Avould this
appear to be the case in regard to moose meat, venison and partridge
in the smaller towns and villages of certain sections of the Province.
In general it should not prove a very diificult undertaking to ascertain
that sucli conditions are prevalent, for the matter is usually one of com-
mon local knowledge and there are in almost every community to be
found persons law-abiding themselves and willing to supply the neces-
sary information provided that they ■shall not be required to become
involved in any prosecution that may ensue. Naturally in small com-
munities it is an unpleasant task to bear open testimony against a
neighbour for an infraction of some minor law, and in some sections of
the Province, moreover, action of this nature would be far from tacitly
resented by the person who committed the offence. Similarly, where
local overseers are paid such trilling sums for their services that they
are forced to busy themselves in other occupations in order to earn a
living and consequently have but little incentive to respect the dignity
of their position or to discharge their duties energetically, the temptatiou
is plainly great to overlook the shortcomings of neighbors or friends,
with whom, may be, they are associated in business or other occupations
every daj' of the week, in the matter of transgressions of the game laws,
or, again, to fear reprisals in the event of indicting the offender. No
excuse can be advanced for this attitude of mind on the part of those
who take monies to perform certain services in the interests of the public
which they will not or cannot discharge, but it is evident that so long as
the present system remains in force, so long will a percentage, at least,
of the overseers continue deliberately, even though, perhaps, against
their wills, to be inefficient. From this fact it would seem that two de-
ductions may safely be made; firstly, that it would be infinitely better
to have fewer officials engaged exclusively all the year around in the
discharge of their duties, paid sufficiently to raise the dignity of their
office at least to that of an average constable and with sufficiently wide
territories to remove from them the fear of reprisals in carrying out
their duties; and secondly, that until, at least, such a system has been
established, information obtained from no matter what source should
be followed up and investigated. If, indeed, it once became generally
known that tlie Department was not only willing, but had some means
at its disposal for the investigation of complaints and reports of illegali-
ties, it cannot be doubted that information would pour in from all sides
and that this would act directly to the checking of, at least open, viola-
tions of the law in regard to the exposure and sale of game, for when
every member of a small community would be aw^are of it, and anyone
of it miglit decide to send in a report, which report it was known would
be investigated and not pigeon-holed, he would have, perforce, to be a
hardened and reckless malefactor who would care to run the risks.
IT) F.C.
186 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
It would seem, therefore, tliat in the reorganization of the service
for the protection of game the objective to be attained is a force, numeri-
cally less than at present supported, but carefully selected for energy,
discretion and capability, well disciplined and organized, and with each
and every member independent of other avocations or business affilia-
tions for a livelihood, and that, also, pending such reorganization and
during the process of its institution •some special officers should be main-
tained at the disposal of the Department to act in the capacity of secret
investigators of information that may be received, no matter from what
locality, and, if necessity arises, as competent representatives of the
Government to arrest and indict violators of the law.
Big Game.
The largest existing species of the deer family is the moose which is
still to be found in the wilder portions of the Province. The head of a
moose forms a magnificent trophy, and for this reason, if for no other,
the moose would be eagerly sought after by the big game hunter, but in
addition to this the flesh of the moose is most palatable and tlie carcass
has, in consequence, a very considerable value. While it has been found
that in captivity the moose is the most sensible of all deer, the least .
timid and the least easily upset, it is none the less, when running wild,
of a shy and retiring disjDOsition in so far as man is concerned. It would
seem, indeed, that for its perpetuation in a wild state, at least, it re-
quires a considerable range of wild and wooded territory where it will
not be affected to any appreciable extent by the presence of man during
the greater portion of the year, and that it will rapidly disappear from
a district before the encroachments of civilization. Consequently, it is
only to be expected that as the Province opens up the available moose
areas will gradually diminisli. There are, however, many sections of the
Province which never will be suitable for agriculture or in all probabil-
ity adapted to the requirements of any considerable population, so that
with due care and management it should be possible to perpetuate the
moose in Ontario for a very long time to come.
At the present time there are undoubtedly considerable areas in-
habited by moose, and undoubtedly, also, considerable quantities of
moose still remaining in certain of them, but every year the retreats of
the creature are diligiMitly searched by an increasing number of liunters
during the open season, and as transportation and other facilities render
their retreats more and more accessible, it is only too apparent that the
drain on the supply is lilcely to be very much in excess of the normal in-
crease. More particularly so will this be acknowledged to be the case
when it is remembered that the settlers in these regions, as well as the
Indians rely in large measure on the moose for at least their winter
supply of meat, and that in the villages and settlements of the remoter |j
regions moose meat is still, unfortunately, a fairly common commercial
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 187
commodity. The size of the animal, also, militates against its chances
of escape if once it is preceived by the hunter, and the largeness of its
tracks renders it comparatively easy to follow up.
The bull moose is polygamous and a vicious fighter during the rut-
ting season, which commences, as a rule, in November, though apparently
not so disposed at other periods of the year, for in the summer months
in localities where moose are abundant, grown bulls are to be seen graz-
ing and drinking together in complete amity. The cows herd shortly
before the rutting season commences and remain with the bulls during
the winter months, but separate before the calf is born and remain alone
with the calf until the following rutting season approaches. It would
appear that in the majority of cases but one calf is born to a cow. A
curious feature is the apparent nomadic propensity of the moose. Some
areas, which once contained moose in abundance, and where there is no
apparent reason for their disappearance, are now almost destitute of
them, while others, which some few years ago the moose was not known
to inhabit, harbor at the present time considerable numbers. How far
the presence of the caribou and deer aif ect the moose it has been impos-
sible to determine, but it would seem that in certain instances, at least,
the appearance of the moose in numbers has been coincident witli the
disappearance of the caribou from the locality, and that the appearance
of deer in numbers has been followed by a marked diminution in the
numbers of moose, although, of course, there are instances of localities
in which two, or even all three, varieties are to be found.
As pointed out in the Interim Eeport of this Commission, one of the
principal difficulties in connection with the perpetuation of big game is
removed by the prohibition of the slaughter of the female. Most par-
ticularly so is this the case when the males are polygamous. The de-
struction of a cow or doe entails a loss of reproductive capacity far in
excess of that caused through the death of a bull, for the duties of the
bull will be performed by another of his sex, even though such other be
required to attend to several cows or does, whereas the function of the
cow or doe can be replaced by no other of its sex. As an illustration of
the effectiveness of saving tlie females from the hunter, where this law
is rigidly enforced in common with other laws and restrictions in re-
gard to seasons and numbers, it is interesting to note that in New Bruns-
wick it is an established fact that there are actually more moose to-day
in spite of the increased population and in spite of the inevitable
encroachments of civilization than there were two centuries ago. The
restriction against the killing of cows or does is objected to by some per-
sons on the grounds that it interferes with nature's arrangements for the
maintenance of good stock. It is claimed that the majority of hunters
go after the head; that the proportion of the finest bulls — that is, those
presumably best for breeding purposes — killed is therefore high ; and
that the percentage of bulls slaughtered is in any event greater than that
of cows. This argument would not appear to be valid in so far, at least.
188 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
as tlii>^ Province is concerned, for the meat of the cow moose is usually
more tender than that of the bull, and consequently more highly
esteemed for food purposes by those who are more concerned with the
meat than with the head, such as the settlers and Indians, and it is an
indisputable fact that a very large proportion of the total numbers of
this animal killed during the year meet death at the hands of settlers and
Indians, while in the case of the deer, even though the distinction be-
tween the flesh of the male and female is, perhaps, not quite so clearly
marked, the doe is, nevertheless, as a rule, found to be more tender than
the average buck. It is further claimed that by forbidding the killing
of females the percentage of bulls to cowk will be so dangerously de-
creased that the young, weak or decrepit bulls, which are the least likely
to attract the hunter, and consequently the least likely to be shot, will
play a far greater part in the perpetuation of their species than they
would under nature's ordering, for where the spoils are to the victor in
a fight, the young, weak or decrepit bulls are likely to go lacking. Ex-
perience, however, would not appear to substantiate this contention, for
no one could accuse the moose of New Brunswick of having deteriorated
to any marked degree. It would seem, therefore, that this wise pro-
vision has been rightly applied to Ontario, for the decrease in the num-
bers of moose in recent years is indisputable, its securest retreats are
gradually but incessantly being rendered accessible, and there can be
little question that unless the measure is maintained and strictly en-
forced the day would soon arrive when the diminution of the moose
would become so plainly marked and generally recognized that far more
drastic measures would have to be enacted if it was to be perpetuated
in the Province. If the measure is vital to the perpetuation of the moose
and caribou, it would appear in no less degree to l)e equally so in the
case of deer, and it is, therefore, to be earnestly hoped tliat the provision
will be extended to cover this animal also.
Tlie restriction of one moose to a hunter is reasonable, and no com-
plaints have been recorded on that score, althougli through many por-
tions of the moose area rumors are afloat of head hunters and others tak-
ing far greater numbers when opportunity offered. Particularly so was
this the case in the Rainy River District, in the neigiiborhood of the in-
ternational boundary, but seeing that, if, as seems probable, some
offences of this nature were committed, the offender, in all probability,
had no license at all, it does not affect the question of a reasonable bag
limit, but serves only to enhance the necessity for better protection.
In regard to the open season, as at present existing, it ir ^r> be hoped
that a distinction is made between the country to the north and south
of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, from Mattawa to the
Manitoba boundary; the open season for the northern area extending
from October IGth to November 15th, inclusive, and that for the south-
ern area from November 1st to November 15tli, inclusive. The great
bulk of tlie territorv in whicli moose is now to be found naturally lies in
Moose Leaving the Water.
Moose in the Water.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 189
the northern section, the only very considerable exception being that por-
tion of the Rainy River District lying to the south of the Canadian
Pacific Railway. The growing scarcity of moose in the southerly regions
generally and the earlier advent of snow in the northern doubtless both
played their parts in the selection of these dates. It is to be observed,
however, that the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway has
already pushed up into the northerly regions, while the right of way of
the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway has already been cut, all of which is
tending to render this area more accessible, and will continue to do so in
increasing measure in the future. It becomes, then, a question whether
it would not be advisable to reduce the open season for moose in the
north lands to the period of time now prevailing in the southerly regions.
The provincial resources in mooKe are mainly located in it; the more
southerly regions have been largely depleted ; the total numbers of moose
throughout the Province are known generally to be decreasing; and
supervision in these regions of the settlers and Indians is at all times
difficult in regard to game. For these reasons it would appear that such
a step would be in the best interests of the perp^etuation of this noble
animal in the Province. It is to be noted, also, that in those sections
of the Rainy River District where the moose is now hunted, there is
practically no difference in climate between the northern and southern
sections as now differentiated between in the matter of open seasons for
moose, while moose are apparently as proportionately numerous to the
south of the Canadian Pacific Railway as they are to the north of it in
this region, so that tlie differentiation now in force is a manifest absurd-
ity when applied to this district.
The question of the best dates for a general open season of two
weeks throughout the Province is somewhat difficult to decide upon.
There can be but little doubt but that the open season for all species
of deer found in Ontario should be the same, where all are liable to be
found in approximately the same areas, and that the presence of the
hunter in the woods in legitimate pursuit of one variety cannot but
endanger the others. In the Interim Report of this Commission a recom-
mendation was made that the open season for deer be declared from
November 15th to 30th, and the reasons for the making of this recom-
mendation were fully set forth therein. Objection to it has been taken
by some hunters on the grounds that snow is to be expected by that time
throughout the bulk of the deer countrj^ and tracking will thus be ren-
dered easier. Granting that this is the case, it would seem that the
objection is fully compensated by the advantage, also incidentally
deemed an objection by some, that the general conditions will be less
pleasant for the hunter, and that consequently less persons can be ex-
pected to go into the woods after the deer. Pending the introduction
of an effective game warden service it is, as before observed, necessary
to make hunting a little difficult. A more forcible objection has been
advanced, namely, tliat the rutting season is in full swing and that the
190 KEPOKT OF ONTAltiO GAME No. 52
flesh of bucks m iiiisavoiu-v duiiug this period. Uiidonbtedly both these
C'onteutioiis are facts. The presence of hunters in the woods will tend
to sea^tter the deer, which is to be regi'etted in the rutting season, but it is
to be noted that the same effect is produced more or less under the dates
of the open season as at present existing, while none the less the bulk of
the deer appear to succeed in performing the functions necessary for
reproduction. Tlie meat of the males is certainly strong in flavour dur-
ing this period, but, although some meat in consequence might be wasted,
it would appear fhnt the obvious results can only be a diminished demand
for it and in consequence a diminished slaughter, which after all are
the principal objectives now to be sought. Were these dates applied to
the moose, the above remarks would be applicable to its case also, in
the main, but it must be acknowledged that as the bull moose
is so strong and so vicious during the rutting season, this might be held
to constitute a sufficient reason for not sending hunters into the woods
when the rutting season is in full swing, and also that a hardship
may be wrought on the settlers, who depend on the moose in many
instances for their winter's supply of meat, if they were compelled
to take bulls whose flesh was more or less rank. The rutting season of
moose, however, would appear to extend over the latter portion of Octo-
ber, the whole of November, and on into the early portions of December,
so that if the open season is to be declared during this general period
of the year at all, wliich from most points of view is undoubtedly the
proper one, it would not appear that the considerations above referred
to would be more applicable or carr}- more force in regard to the latter
two weeks of Novend^er than in regard to the earlier portions of that
month. There would be, moreover, one great advantage in having the
open season duriiig the latter two weeks of November, namely, that the
weather by that time throughout the moose and deer country will almost
invariably be sufficiently cold to allow of the preservation of the meat
by freezing, whereas earlier in November or in October this might not
always be the case. Most particularly is this point of importance to the
settler and others who shoot to obtain food for themselves and families,
for it is of small avail to grant them privileges in regard to the taking
of big game if the weather conditions during the periods of privilege
will prevent their being able to preserve the meat.
The woodland caribou, or American reindeer, is, in all probability,
still more or less abundant in the extreme northerly portions of Ontario,
but it would seem to have diminished considerably in numbers in the
more accessible localities. The caribou, like the moose, appears to avoid
the proxinnty of civilization, to require considerable areas of wild laud
over which to roam, and to move from one district to another without
any very apparent reason. Large tracts of forest and wild land in this
l*iovince are undoubtedly adapted to sustaining the caribou, and con-
taiu plenty of suitable food, but from many of them it seems to liavc de-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. IlM
parted. As a rule the caribou can be more easily approached thau the
moose, being- neither so alert nor so cunning, but it is unquestionably a
magnificent animal and a valuable asset to the provincial game re-
sources. Its comparative scarcity in the accessible portions of the Pro-
vince, therefore, renders it most imperative that every precaution should
be taken to preserve it. The same remarks, therefore, in regard to the
length and period of the open season for moose would apply equally to
the caribou. In fact, the principal necessities in regard to the moose,
caribou and deer are to have one open season for all three of them,
applying equally to all parts of the Province; to restrict the killing to
the males of the various species ; and for the present, at least, to reduce
the period of the open season for all three varieties to a maximum of
fourteen days.
A matter of no little interest to the public would be the publication
from time to time of statistics •showing the numbers of big game taken in
the course of an open season. The possession, in fact, of information on
this subject by the Department would appear to be most desirable, for
it would seem to afford the only reliable basis on which to found restric-
tive legislation dealing with this subject. Licenses to hunt big game
have to be taken out by both residents and non-residents, the charge for
the latter being considerably in excess of the former, and it would seem
that no undue hardship would be placed on any licensee by requiring
him to furnish the Department from which the license emanates with
full detail of his kill. If a coupon for the purpose were attached to the
license, no doubt the great majority of hunters would willingly comply
with the condition, and there can be little question that the approximate
statistics obtained by this means would be both useful and interesting.
Unfortunately it must be recorded that in certain portions of the
Province the weight of evidence obtainable points unmistakably to the
fact that considerable destruction of big game must still be attributed ta
the presence in the woods of lumber camps and other enterprises in-
volving the feeding of gangs of men by private companies and indi-
viduals. As a rule it would seem that the larger concerns are not guilty
in this respect, but in addition to making ample provision for food sup-
plies for their men, issue also strict instructions to their foremen against
Ihe illegal taking of game, and that it is, in fact, the smaller concern.*^
who are the most persistent offenders. It is perfectly apparent that in
a district Avhere big game is comparatively abundant a great saving will
be effected to the timber licensee or contractor if the butcher bill can be
reduced by some thousands of pounds of meat secured at little or no ex-
pense in the forest, and, indeed, there is little doubt that in some cases
men are employed solely for the purpose of hunting for certain of the
camps, regulations on the subject notwithstanding. The difficulty of
obtaining accurate information as to such infractions of the law is con-
siderable, for, as a rule, the camp is situated at some considerable dis-
tance from a railway, and even if the visits of the overseer could occur
192 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
with reasonable frequency, which in general they do not, and come in
the nature of a surprise, the object of the visits would be known to one
and all, steps would be taken to conceal all traces of malefactions, and
only food of an unimpeachable character would appear on the tables dur-
ing the overseer's stay. In fact it would seem that where such infrac-
tions of the law occur some steps are, as a rule, taken to guard against
surprise or detection, such as keeping a supply of beef on hand and" con-
cealing the deer or moose meat at some little distance from the camp.
There can be no question that it is imperative to put a stop to these
practices, and the most feasible means would appear to be to employ a
certain number of specially selected men, who would habitually seek em-
ployment in the woods, to engage in suspected camps; work there and
acquire the necessary information ; leave, having done so, on some such
pretext as would actuate the ordinary lumber-jack; and, returning to
civilization, place the information in the hands of the nearest overseer
or magistrate, so that it could be acted upon and the offenders indicted
without, as a rule, connecting the informant with the detection of the
crime. It would seem, also, that where these practices could be brought
home to the offending parties a very heavy fine should be inflicted on
them, in addition to the ordinary fine for the illegal destruction of each
separate animal. Undoubtedly if such measures were put into force a
great saving of game would be effected annually to the advantage of the
Province.
The Settler in Relation to Game.
A most difficult and vexed question is that of the rights and privi-
leges of the settler in regard to game. There can be no question that the
primary function of game in all wild countries is to supply food to the
natives inhabiting it or to the pioneers opening it up. As a rule during
the latter process there is a tendency to reckless waste, and it cannot
be said that the experiences of Ontario have furnished any exception to
the general rule. In consequence the inevitable result has ensued, even
in those districts which are as yet still but very sparsely populated,
namely, that the quantity of game of all descrii^tions has materially
diminished. It would, however, be impossible to blame the early settlers
in a new land for their prodigality, for theirs is an unusual and, in many
instances, a hard life, game a necessity of existence and hunting the
habitual form of recreation, while the very abundance of the game tends
to obliterate their faculty for perceiving that the day of reckoning in
depleted quantities of game must eventually arrive, or even of themselves
acknowledging that the diminution is taking place after it has already
become only too apparent.
In a country developing in civilization and increasing in popula-
tion the pioneer settler still performs a service to the public which it
is hard to estimate at its intrinsic value. New country is broken up.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 193
prepared and improved, to the increase of the public wealth and to the
ultimate benefit of posterity, at the cost to the settler and his family of
an existence below the general standard of comfort and prosperity of the
community. It would seem unreasonable, therefore, to begrudge some
little advantage to these pioneers over the rest of the community in the
matter of game privileges. On the other hand game is undoubtedly a
public asset, which, after its primary function has in large measure dis-
appeared, none the less continues to be of equal, if not increasing, value
in its general effect on the moral and material welfare of the population,
and it is evident that as the game areas and game diminish before the
advance of civilization, those living on the land under conditions of aver-
age comfort, or with reasonable facilities to do so if they choose at their
disposal, can no longer expect to be privileged above the general com-
munity in the matter of game, but must rest content to submit to the
regulations and restrictions which are imposed on the public in the in-
terests of the common weal. The game constitutes a public asset, and
the fact that a man lives in the country instead of in a town cannot
alone be held sufficient cause to warrant any exceptional claim or privi-
lege on his behalf on the game in the vicinity. If, therefore, it may be
deemed advisable to privilege a few under exceptional circumstances and
for exceptional services rendered, this can in no sense be held to justify
the extension of the privilege to those not so circumstanced. These
matters have long been wfthin the knowledge and consideration of the
administrations of this Province, and serious efforts have been made to
solve the problem in a manner which would be both equitable and ad-
vantageous. Unfortunately, however, the solution appears not as yet to
have been found.
At the present time a resident of the Province is required to take
out a license to hunt deer, moose or caribou, the cost of a deer license
being |2.00, and that for moose or caribou |5.00. Under the former
license but one deer may be killed, and under the latter but one bull
moose or one bull caribou. In proportion, therefore, to the amount of
flesh on these animals and the value of their hides and heads, it will be
seen that the charges are by no means excessive. In the case, however,
of the settler living in unorganized districts, the license fee in regard to
deer is relaxed, and he is given the privilege of taking one deer for home
consumption free of all charge. In 1907 this privilege was extended to
settlers in certain of the organized but wild regions, but was cancelled
during the course of the year 1910. The right of the settler in the unor-
ganized districts to take one deer is not held to cover either moose or
caribou, nor is it legal for him to take the deer except in the legal open
season.
In regard to the system of distinguishing between organized and un-
organized districts, it may be observed that in very many instances con-
ditions of life in the former are equally, if not more, severe than in the
latter and, consequently, that residents in such areas have some grounds
194 KEroRT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
for coiuijlaiiit that tlicy are unjustly penalized for the slii'lit privilege of
organization. The organized districts, however, even though the con-
ditions under which the settlers live may be equally hard as those pre-
vailing in adjacent unorganized districts, are in the main the most acces-
sible, and naturally, therefore, the more liable to be visited by hunters
during the open season. It was proved that the privilege accorded the
settlers was in no small measure being abused to the undue destruction
of the game and to the evasion of the bag limits imposed on hunters by
law, and it would seem, in consequence, to have been deemed wi«e to re-
strict the privilege to the greatest possible extent. Unfortunately it is
the case that in the wild portions of the Province it is so easy and coni-
parativel}' safe for persons resident in them to break the game laws that
the temptation to do so is great, and there can be little question that in
these regions, whether they be organized or unorganized, if the settler
makes up his mind that he requires a moose, a caribou or a deer, he will
take it, whether or no he is privileged to do so by law. No means, ap-
parentl}', are available to alter this condition, and it would, therefore,
seem wise to face the facts as they exist and to seek some means whereby
the settler in all truly wild regions may be enabled to take a sufficiency
of game to meet his actual necessities, as he does at present all too often
illegally, under the provisions and protection of the law. In considering
a scheme whereby this may be effected the most obvious difficulties are
to determine to what areas the privilege should be applied; whether or
no some compensation should be exacted for the privilege; the amount of
game that should be allowed to be taken ; and the extent of territory the
privilege should be held to embrace in each individual case.
It has already been noted that discrimination between organized and
unorganized districts has been found unsatisfactory in regard to game
privileges in that organization does not of necessity imply immediate or
rapid amelioration of circumstances. In both cases there are to be found
settlers performing the service of opening up the land and having a hard
struggle for existence; while in both cases, also, there will be found a
percentage who have settled in the area as a means of exploiting its tim-
ber resources and make no effort to open up or improve the laTid. The
true pioneer class are obviously earning some special privileges in regard
to game, but it would seem that the latter class can in no sense be deemed
worthy of especial consideration. Similarly, under tlie provisions of the
law, holdings in wild regions may be acquired by persons engaged dur-
ing a gTeat portion of the year in other localities and in other occupa-
tions, provided only that certain clearings and improvements sliall be
effected over a stated period. In tlie bulk of such cases the holding is
acquired as a speculation, and although some small improvements have
to be carried out, there is no intention on the ])art of the owner to reside
permanently upon it. In the jnajority of such cases, also, the quasi set-
tler will be in a financial position equally favorable to that of the aver-
age citizen, so that from no point of view can he riglitly claim exemption
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 195
from licenses of general application. It would seem, therefore, that a
sine qua non for privilege in the matter of game licenses should be per-
manent residence on a holding in a wild region, together with cultiva-
tion of the soil or the effecting of considerable improvements.
Another point in this regard that has to be considered is the ques-
tion of the location of the holding. There are many instances in the Pro-
vince of truly wild regions within close proximity to thriving towns or
villages, and where in general, if the settler's lot is a hard one, it is more
due to himself than to circumstances connected with his surroundings.
One, if not the only, object in granting exemption is to allow of the set-
tler and his family obtaining the food necessary for existence, which
could be obtained practically in no other way owing to the location of
the holding, or else, which the settler could not afford to purchase owing
to his straightened circumstances. In the case of settlers in wild regions
living in the vicinity of towns and villages, food supplies can often be
obtained with comparative ease, and the wherewithal to purchase them
should usually be forthcoming if the settler exploits his land to advan-
tage and avails himself of local facilities to work and earn money like
the average individual. There can be no advantage in allowing the
privilege in any sense to degenerate into an incentive to laziness, and it
would seem, therefore, that in instances of this nature these matters
should be taken into consideration in determining whether or no the set-
tlers in the locality should be granted the privilege.
Beyond the general principles as above enunciated there would seem
to be no means of devising any cast-iron rule for general application by
which it could be determined to what areas the privilege should apply.
In fact, arbitrary delimitation has, as already noted, proved highly un-
satisfactory. Consequently, the case of each district should receive in-
dividual attention, and decision in the matter must plainly rest with the
Department concerned. It is to be observed, however, that various De-
partments maintain officers at different points throughout the Province
in addition to that of Fish and Game, and under a proper system of inter-
departmental co-operation no difficulty should be encountered by the
Department of Fish and Game in securing fairly accurate information
as to the conditions prevailing in any particular district by this means,
and further, there are in almost every case to be found responsible citi-
zens living in the general district both able and willing to furnish reli-
able information as to the conditions existing in the remoter and wilder
sections of the locality.
In regard to the question as to what compensation might justly be
expected from the settler in return for the privileges granted him in the
matter of game, it is to be noted that under the present system nothing
at all is required of him. It cannot be claimed, however, that the system
has worked well or that the settler has been educated to esteem the
privilege at its true worth. One of the chief difficulties in the perpetua-
tion of big game over a wide extent of territorv is to form an accurate
196 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
idea of the numbers which annually are being slaughtered, and yet with-
out such information suitable legislation can only by hazard be enacted.
When a license is in force, it is plainly feasible and advantageous that
the licensee should be required to furnish information as to his kill to
the Department concerned, so that the authorities may be advised as to
the numbers of any particular variety of animal killed during any one
open season. It can scarcely be denied that such information should be
in the hands of the authorities, and seeing, therefore, that no small per-
centage of the big game annually slaughtered in this Province meets
death at the hands of some settler, provision should be made to obtain
figures of the kill effected by settlers as well as of that effected by the
ordinary hunter. It is, moreover, to be observed that the possession of
a permit, even though that permit costs little or nothing, is calculated
in some degree to impress the holder with the extenr of the privilege
accorded him, and the trouble to the settler in obtaining such a permit
is more than oft"set by this advantage. Pecuniary considerations, how-
ever, will often largely influence the value attached to any particular
article. It would seem, therefore, that where the settler is to be granted
a privilege, not only should lie be required to have in his possession a
permit granting him the privilege, but that he should be required to fur-
nish statistics of his kill to the Department before such permit is re-
newed each succeeding year, and further, that to enhance the value of
the privilege in his eyes and to educate him to its responsibilities, as w^ell
as to cover the cost of the issuance of the permit, some small registration
fee might also well be required of him. The actual amount of such fee
would not appear to be of material importance, provided only that it was
small, and 25 to 50 cents should be amply sufficient for the purpose. In
addition to these things it might, perhaps, also be required of the settler
that he check, as far as possible, all illegalities and report all infractions
of the law that come under his notice to the proper authorities at the
first opportunity, but in any case he should be given to understand that
any infraction of the game law on his part, or should he connive at or
abet such infraction on the part of others, not only will disqualify him
or any member of his family resident with him from obtaining the re-
newal of such permit, but will be likely to influence the authorities in
the matter of renewing the permits of his neighbors in the district, or, in
other words, that the exemption accorded liim is a privilege and in no
sense a right appertaining to liis mode of life or to the locality in which
he happens to live. Where, indeed, in any district offences against the
game laws or abuse of the settlers' privilege wc^re found to be at all com-
mon or numerous, it would seem that all settlers' permits should at once
be cancelled, regardless of the hardship entailed on, perhaps, one or two
law-abiding citizens therein.
In the matter of the issuance of permits to settlers, the authority
should plainly be made as broad as possible consistent with due caution,
and be vested in such officials as magistrates, overseers, provincial con-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 197
stables and the clerks of the organized districts nearest to the areas
which have been selected for privileged treatment by the Department,
but it should be clearly impressed on each such official that not more
than one such permit was to be issued to a family residing together, and
that no permit was to be renewed until such conditions as might be
required of the settler had been discharged.
The question next arises as to what amount of game the settler
should be entitled to kill under his permit. Attention has been called to
the fact that while undoubtedly moose, caribou and deer may occur to-
gether or in adjacent localities, this is not the rule, but rather that where
one is abundant the others wdll be comparatively scarce. In regard to
moose and caribou, to the taking of which the settlers' permit does not
at present extend, it is plain that if either of these is the animal chiefly
to be found in the district, the privilege extended to the bona fide settler
should include these animals. The great size of the creatures should pre-
clude any necessity of the settler requiring more than one in the course
of a winter, if care is taken not to waste the meat, for it may here be ob-
served that whatever the privilege extended to the settler he must in no
way be allowed to take game other than in the legal open season. The
moose or caribou will produce an enormous amount of meat, and if shot
in the open season, when the weather is cold, the meat can easily be
maintained in good condition throughout the winter. To shoot these
large animals in the summer is bound almost to entail the waste of an
enormous amount of meat, so that for this reason, if for no other, the
taking of deer in the summer months must be most rigidly suppressed.
Moreover, it is in the winter especially that the settler can be expected
to feel the pinch of necessity, and it is to meet this condition that the
privilege is accorded him. In the summer months the fruits of his own
labor should produce him sufficient upon which to live, and in any case
the practically free gift of so great and valuable a creature as either a
moose or caribou cannot but be considered an ample discharge of its
duties in this direction in regard to the settler on the part of the general
public. While, therefore, the privilege extended to the settler might well
include moose and caribou, one specimen of either one or the other
variety, but not of both, must be deemed ample for his needs.
In regard to deer the recent reduction of the legal limit to one, in-
stead of as formerly two, will undoubtedly have effected a hardship in
the case of some settlers should they have abided by the law. Two deer
will afford a reasonable amount of meat for a settler's family during the
winter months, but one deer, in the case of fair-sized families, at least, is
bound to reduce the daily ration to very small proportions. Undoubtedly
even this meagre allowance will be considered a great help, but it would
seem that if there is a real necessity for granting a privilege to the set-
tler at all, that privilege might well be enlarged to meet the necessities
of his case to the full. Where, therefore, the settler kills only deer under
his permit, it would appear that he should be allowed to take two, and
198 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
fui'tlior, also, that lie might well be allowed to take one deer in addition
to either one moose or one caribou.
There can be no necessity to legalize the taldn<» of small game by the
settlers, for the settlers, who live in the Avild regions, know more or less
the location of such small game as there is in their vicinity and are in a
position to take the utmost advantage of the legal open seasons. Conse-
quently, those restrictions which are placed from time to time on certain
species of small game should be observed by the settler, and he should
be made to realize that offences in regard to small game will disqualify
})im from any privileges in regard to big game.
Finally as to the extent of territory over which the settler should
be entitled to shoot the game allowed him by privilege, it is evident that
some limitation should be imposed in the interests of the public, for
inasmuch as there will only be certain localities in which it is deemed
desirable to grant settlers' permits, if no limitations were made the set-
tler would on occasions be found hunting in areas for which no such
permits were granted, and the residents therein would have just cause to
complain. In almost every case where it is at all desirable to grant the
settler special privileges in regard to game one variety or another will
occur in comparatively close proximity to his holdings. It remains,
then, but to determine an area wide enough to suit all cases, and there
can be little question that a radius of ten miles from the habitation of
the settler should be amply sufficient. It is not to be expected, of course,
that this restriction could be very rigidly enforced, but it would serve to
call the attention of the settler to the importance attached by the authori-
ties to the privilege accorded him, and at the same time would facilitate
the work of the game wardens in dealing with patent infractions of the
privilege, such as where the settler shoots for other persons and for their
benefit in regard to meat at some considerable distance from his home.
In this connection, also, it may be observed that the settler when hunt-
ing sluould be required to carry his permit on his person.
The Indian in Relation to Game.
One of the principal factors in the destruction of game is the Indian
living in the wilder regions. Considerable reservations have been set
aside for the Indians in various portions of the Province, and there is
no doubt that within the limits of such reservations the Indians are
entitled to liunt game of all descriptions when and bow they please.
These reservations, however, in some cases are not sufficiently wide to
provide for all the requirements of the Indians in the matter of game,
or else have been more or less depleted of the game in them by the In-
dians themselves, and the result has been that in various portions of the
Province the Indians have hunted, fished and trapped at all seasons of
the year on Crown lands or water without the limits of their reserva-
tions. The rights of the Indians in this coimection would appear as yet
Indian Encampment, Showing Wigwams, Rainy River District.
Indian Graves, Rainy River District.
17 F.C.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 199
not to have been deflnitely settled by the authorities. It is not the pur-
pose of this Commission to enter upon a discussion as to the treaty rights
and privileges of Indians, but merely to call attention to certain features
of this problem which are of no little importance to the Province.
In the wilder regions of Ontario the Indians are not, as a rule,
addicted to agricultural pursuits and depend for their food very largely
on what they can succeed in securing in the way of fish and game. In
the main, also, it may be said that the Indian is not an energetic person,
excepting when actually engaged in the pursuit of some wild creature,
nor as a rule one possessed of great perspicacity in financial matters.
Consequently, although man^^ indians in these regions will at times
undertake some form of labour, such as guiding or the moving of mer-
chandise, for which they receive good pay, and will, also, sell the results
of their trapping operations which not infrequently net them consider-
able sums, in general they are loath to undertake prolonged or steady
work, and what money they make disappears with astonishing rapidity,
so that during a great portion of the year food is with them a question
of no little moment. Although doubtless there could be adduced many
instances to the contrar}^, as a rule the Indian would not appear to be
of a wasteful disposition in the matter of food, especially in regard to
that secured by hunting, so that on the whole it may be assumed that
what game the Indian does take for his own purposes is at least made
use of. If, therefore, the depredations of Indians were confined to their
own requirements, there would, perhaps, not be much cause for com-
plaint. Unfortunately, however, this is far from being the case. In the
wilder portions of the country there are in many localities to be found
individuals only too willing to purchase from Indians such game as the
law forbids their taking themselves, and so long as the Indian can take
game with impunity during the close seasons on public lands, so long
would it seem inevitable that there should be a market open to him; in
fact, a direct incentive to him to break the laws which apply to the white
man.
Fish, game and fur-bearing animals are obviously an exhaustible
asset, and restrictions in regard to their taking have been necessitated
owing to their diminishing numbers. If the Indian is enabled to enter
any area and take what game he chooses to any extent he desires, not
only is it apparent that the effect of the restrictions will be largely dis-
counted in that area, but that the white inhabitants of the area will have
reasonable cause for complaint and indignation. Various instances of
this unsatisfactory state of affairs are readily to be found in the Province.
The beaver, which had become very scarce throughout Ontario, was
placed under protection for a period of years, which protection is still
in force. The Indian, who can take the beaver if such exists on his reser-
vation and, moreover, is somewhat partial to its flesih, will not and has
not been deterred in many instances from so doing on public lands,
mainly for the reason that he seldom encounters any difficulty in dis-
200 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
posing of the skins at a remunerative figure. In fact, the value of the
pelt is a direct incentive to him to take all that he can secure, with the
consequence that where under normal conditioins he would have taken
but one or two of a family, his greed now leads him to exterminate it,
for he is naturally improvident in regard to the future. Speckled trout
may not be netted and are jealously preserved for sporting purposes.
The Indian appears on some of the finesit waters and proceeds to place
his nets in the channels or on the spawning beds, removing as many fish
as he deems necessary and undoing in a very short time all the good
which has bei^ effected by protection and a close season. The moose
and deer may be fairly scarce in a locality, and the local resident may
be eagerly awaiting the approach of the open season in anticipation of
hunting some specimen which has taken up its quarters in the vicinity
of his habitation. An Indian passing by while the creature's horns are
still in velvet or it itself is fat and unsuspicious, shoots it with supreme
uncoinicern of laws and regulations before the eyes, perhaps, of the resi-
dent, and proceeds to regale himself upon it and remove such portions of
the carcass as he requires. The partridge, owing to its growing scarcity,
was until the last season on the protected list throughout the year, and
even now is in no such abundance that anywhere there can be said to be
too great a supply in comparison with the local demands or needs of
sportsmen. The appearance of a family or more of Indians in a neigh-
borhood will as a rule be coincident with the disappearance of the
coveys. Wild duck and other birds are afforded protection during the
season of the year when they are nesting or caring for their young. The
Indian is no ultra-sentimentalist, and should he feel so disposed will as
lief shoot a mother bird on the nest or with chicks as any other. The
list could be indefinitely prolonged, but enough has been said to show
that the present situation is, to say the least of it, unsatisfactory, and
that some effort should be made without delay to come to an agreement
or arrangement on the matter which will be both equitable to the
Indians, fair to the public of the Province, and as far as possible in har-
mony with the general principles of conservation. In any case it must
be apparent that the present situation demands that tlie whole (luestion
of the rights of Indians should be cleared up once and for all in regard
to game on public lands, for the matter will plainly have to be faced
some time, and it would certainly seem that the sooner this is done the
better will it be in the interests of law, order and administration.
Whatever the decision may be in regard to the rights of Indians in
the matter of game on public lands, it must be evident that it should
be made a most seiious ollVnce, ])unisliable with severe penalties, for any
white man to pay or incite an Indian to violate the wliite man's game
law in any respect, or to take advantage of such violation in the slightest
degree. In fact, imprisonment togc^ther with a heavy fine would appear
none too severe a punishment for the offence. It is evident, also, that
no injustice Avould be done to the Indian by making him liable to
An Indian Dog.
A Group of Indians, Rainy River District.
1912 AND FISHEEIES COMMISSION. 201
imprisonment or fine where be barters or attempts to barter any form of
game proscribed by the white man's law or during the period w'hen such
game is out of the legal season, except, and only within the limits of
his reservation and there only among his own kind. The principle of
allowing Indians to do so in respect to game, fur or fish would not only
be a manifest injustice to the general public and an incentive to gen-
eral disregard of the laws, but a palpable absurdity into the bargain.
At the present time the Indian's chief depredations are undoubtedly
due to cupidity born of the knowledge that he can dispose of his spoils
to the white man. A few instanceK of really rigorous punishment
applied to both white man and Indian concerned in such a deal Avould
undoubtedly go a long way to check the present extent of this evil. A
method of dealing with the question of trapping will be discussed in a
succeeding section, but in regard to game and fisih it may be observed
tliat the most satisfactory manner of disponing of this problem, from the
point of view, at least, of economy in natural resources, would be to
have one law applicable to white man and Indian alike in regard to open
seasons and bag limits on public lauds, with tlie privilege to the Indian
of securing a permit to take all such game as the law allowed free of
charge. There can be little doubt that the special privileges in regard
to big game mentioned in a i)revious section of this report in regard to
the poor settler in wild regions should be amply sufficient to provide for
the wants of any Indian family also during the winter months, and in
the summer the Indian family, like the family of the settler, should be
able to subsist comfortably on the proceeds of the winter's trapping or
other work, on such products of the soil as their energy causes to be
produced or which are to be found growing wild in the neighborhood,
and on the fish which they are so adept in catching.
Another point to wliich attention has to be called in regard to
Indians in relation to i;ame is that within or in the immediate vicinity
of certain of the provincial forest reserves there are Indian reservations
and in one instance, at least, that of the Quetico Forest Reserve, it would
appear that the Indians habitually hunt and trap therein. It is to be
observed that if the game in a reserve is to be hunted, one of the principal
values of such reserve will disappear, and further, that if trapping is to
be conducted in a reserve, it would appear that, as previously noted in
this report, the profits should accrue to the public to offset the charges
for the protection of the reserve. Whether or no it is any more feasible
to prevent Indians hunting and trapping in a provincial forest reserve
than on any other public lands is a question which will have to be
decided upon by the proper authorities, but at least it must be apparent
that if the provincial reserves are to fulfil their proper functions
in regard to game of all descriptions, the greatest efforts sihould be made
to keep the hunting Indian out of them, or at least to limit his operations
to the removal of such fur-bearing animals as may be deemed advisable
by the authorities under the supervision of government officials and for
202 REPOKT OP ONTARIO GAME No. 53
the benefit of the public treasury. It would seem, therefore, that were
it possible to do so, it would be most advisable to make fresh treaties
with tlie ludiaus in these localities and transfer them to other reserva-
tions at a distiance from the reserves.
One, point, however, strongl}^ in favour of the Indian and half-breed
must be mentioned, namely that wihen out of reach of the illicit purveyor
of strong liquors he is not only in most instances simple and trustworthy,
but from his very methods of existence a most proficient woodsman, in
the sense that patlis and tracks of the forest stretch out before him like
an open map sliould he only once h'ave traversed them, and that tJie ways
and secrets of wild life are known to him from his early childhood.
Perhaps, therefore, it might be povsisible to take advantage of these traits
in the Indian character, alike to the benefit of the Indian and of the
general public. In the less accessible reserves, and, in fact, in the
remoter sections of the forest area which are now or will be shortly
patrolled by government rangers, there would seem to be an opportunity
of turning the Indian to good account. Under adequate supervision
there is no apparent reason why he should not become an efficient
ranger. Starting with a great initial advantage over the average white
man in the matter of woodcraft, he is equally, if not more, expert than
the average wliite man as a canoeist also. He is not afraid of being
alone in the woods and can travel from point to point rapidly, dispen-
sing with much of the impedimenta wihich would be considered indis-
pensable by the ordinary white nanger. It would, indeed, but be neces-
sary to explain to him the nature of the duties he was expected to per-
form and to make arrangements for insuring the •supervision that in
any case would l)e indispensable. Well supplied with food the necessity
or temptation to liunt would disappear, for as before observed the
Indian is not as a rule wasteful in regard to provision's. Perhaps the
main objection to employing the Indian in this fasliion would be held
to rest in confiding into his hands the authority of ranger and warden
in regard to white men working in the woods. In as much, however, as
he is no great linguist, and uneducated to disitingui-sh between the vari-
ous classes of white men, it would seem tliat he could be counted on to
discharge his duties without fear, favour or affection. Two instances,
at least, in this Province of tlie employment of Indians for tliis purpose
have proved thorouglily successful, and it would appear tlnat in the more
general application of the princi])le miglit be found a solution to the
many difficulties and problems connected with tlie Indians in the wilder
regions.
Recommendations.
Your ('oiiiiiiissioiicr \\onld, therefore, recommend: —
(1) Tliat a resident hunting license of |1.10, as recommend<Hl in
tlie Interim Report of this ronimissicm, be imposed wilhont dehiy for the
privik'ge of hunting any species of game in tlie I'rovince for which no
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 203
license is at present in force; that those persons recommended to be
exempt from the operation of such license be required to obtain a permit
in lieu of the license; and that it be declared illeg^al to be in the posses-
sion of firearms in the forests or on the wild lands belonging to the
Crown during tlie open seasons for any game whatsoever without such
license or permit, unless such firearms shall have been sealed witli a
government seal.
(2) That all holders of hunting licenses or permits whatsoever be
required as a condition of obtaining the same to furnish the Department,
on a form provided with tlie license or permit for that purpose, with
statistics as to the game sliot or killed under such license or permit, and
that information based on these returns be given to the public yearly
as to tlie amount of game of each species killed in the Province.
(3) That tlie open season for moose and caribou throaigliout the
Province be limited to two weeks and be made coimcident with the open
season for deer.
(4) That the shooting of does be prohibited in the future.
(5) That 1)0)1(1 fide settlers in the more newly settled regions of the
Province, whether in organized or unorganized districts, domiciled on
their holdings generally throughout the year and effecting actual
improvements in the same or subsisting chiefly on the agricultural
products of such holding produced through their own efforts, be, at the
discretion of the responsible Department, granted permits to tlie extent
of one only to each family resident together authorizing them to take,
during the open season for such game, one moose or one caribou and
one deer, or else two deer, for the use of themselves and family, provided
only that the said permit be valid only over a radius of ten miles from
the habitation of the settler ; that no trading in the game secured under
the permit be tolerated; and that in consideration of receiving a per-
mit the settler be required to pay a registration fee of 25 cents, and to
furnish the Department, on a form provided him with his permit for
that purpose, with statistics of the game taken by him under such per-
mit.
(6) Tliat a settler's permit as above recommended be renewed only
after the required conditions shall have been properly executed; that
any infraction of the game laws on the part of the settler or connivance
by liim at the same on the part of others be deemed sufficient cause for
the immediate cancellation of his permit and for his disqualification
from obtaining such a permit for a period oif five years; that siucli dis-
qualification shall be held to apply to all meml)ers of his family or other
persons resident with him; aind that where infractions of the game laws
become at all numerous in any district for which such permits are issued,
all such permits issued for the district be cancelled and not renewed for
a period of five years.
(7) That the •settler be required to have his permit on his person
when ensraged in hunting.
204 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
(8) That special siteps be taken to prevent the use of deer or moose
meat, illegally taken, in lumber or other camps located in the Avoods, b^^
engaging the services of reliable men to work in suspeoted camps and
repoa-t infra cti'OiLS of the law to the proper authorities, and that a tine
of 1250.00, in addition to the present legal fine for each animal illegally
taken, be imposed on the licensee or contractor responsible wherever it
can be proved that moose, caribou or deer meat or other game has been
illegally supplied to the gangs or working parties employed by him.
(9) That any white man inciting, abetting, paying or cauising an
Indian to violate the game laws in any respect or taking advantage of
any such (presumptive) violation on the part of the Indian be made
liable to a fine of not less than $100 in addition to such other fines or
penalties as would be imposed by law on account of the game or pelts
thus secured.
(10) Thiat, if possible, it be declared a crime, punishable by
imprisonment or fine, for an Indian to barter or attempt to barter any
game whatsoever, including the pelts of fur-bearing animals, taken dur-
ing the legal close season for such game as m)ay be in force in the
Proviince, except and only among his own kind within the limits of an
Indian Reservation.
(11) That, if possible, steps be taken to have the game laws made
applicable to Indians in so far as all public lands and waters are con-
cerned; that under such conditions tJie Indians be accorded tilie same
privileges as recommended for the bona fide settler; free of all charge
and comditions other than that they be required to secure a permit to
hunt on public lands, to have such permits on their persons while hunt-
ing and report to the Indian Agent \\^at game is taken under such per-
mits; and tlrat steps be taken to seicure from the Indian Agents statis-
tics of the game slaughtered by the Indians under such permits.
(12) That steps be taken to prevent the Indians hunting in any
of the Provincial Forest Reserves.
(13) That where Indian reservatioms are loicated in or in the
vicinity of provincial forest reserve steps be taken, if possible, to come
to some arrangement with the Indians inhabiting them whereby they
sihall surrender such reservations in return for lands at a distance
from such reserves.
(14) That the experiment be niade of still further rleveloping tlie
existing policy of employing a few Indians as fire rangers in the provin-
cial forest reserves.
Fur-Bearing Animals.
In its fur-bearing amimals the Province of Ontario poss(^sses an
asset of enormous value, but the ever rising mark (4 worth of tlie pelts
of practically every species, the growth of jiopulation and the increasing
accessibility of nuany of its wilder regions have tended to and resulted
in a great diminution in the numlx'rs of nearly all varieties. So much
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 205
so was this the case in regard to the beaver and the otter that it was
found necessary to proliibit altogether the taking of these animals for
a period of years in order to siave them from extinction, which restric-
tion is still in force, and it can hardly be doubted that some method of
exploiting these resources generally on more economic principles than
those at present prevailing isihould be sought and put into effect if simi-
lar drastic measures are not to become necessary to ensure the perpetu-
ation of most of the other species. The variety of valuable fur-bearing
animals in the Province is great, including beaver, otter, mink, skunk,
racoon, ermine, marten, fisher, lynx, fox, and muskrat, and if due pre-
cautioms are taken it slioiuld be possible to perpetuate all these valuable
animals, in spite of the opening up of the country, for a gTeat many gen-
erations to come. Most species are comparatively prolific and this fact
is alone sufficient to prove that only most extravagant methods of exploi-
tation will result in their depletion. The effects of protection are almost
invariably rapid aind wonderful in regard to them as is well instanced
by the case of the beaver, which a few years ago was almost extinct in
the accessible portions of the Province, but which since the prohibition
of taking has reappeared in considerable numbers in certain localities;
to such an extent, indeed, that from some quarters complaints have been
received that they are becoming too numerous and effecting damage
owing to their propensity for damming creeks and other waterways.
Instances of such complaints are, however, rare and there can be little
question that it will be the part of wisdom to afford protection to the
beaver against the operations of the ordinary trapper for many years to
come, for the houses constructed by these creatures render them
peculiarly easy to locate, and once located it is a simple matter to exter-
minate a whole family. Indeed, it would not seem unreasonable to sug-
gest that where in an}^ localit}^ the beaver are found to be too numerous,
the work of thinning out their numbers should be undertaken by the
Provincial authorities for the benefit of the public treasury, and that,
in fact, the beaver should be regarded throughout the future as a per-
quisite of the Crown, and protected and exploited accordingly. The
beauty of the beaver's fur, its durable qualities and the difficulty of secur-
ing a supply at all proportionate to the demand ensure that, at least,
little if any diminution will occur in the value of its pelt for many
years, and if the government undertook its exploitation, stamped all
pelts with a government mark and took only pelts of mature beaver that
were in prime condition, it is not to be doubted that Ontario beaver skins
would become famous throiughout the world, or that a very great revenue
would accrue to the Province through this means. The danger of the
extermination of the beaver, where they may be taken by one and all,
has been clearly demonstrated and established by disaistrous experience.
The varieties of fur-bearing animals in the Province are numerous. It
would seem, therefore, that not only would no hardship be done to the
average trapper should the Government undertake such an enterprise,
206 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
but that it would be the best means of ensuring the perpetuation of the
beaver and of deriving the greatest poissible benefit from its existence for
the public.
The value of fur rests not only oin the beauty and durability of the
pelt, but in a large measure, also, on its comparative abundance. Some
pelts, indeed, which are very scarce, fetch almost incredible sunns on the
open market. Nevertheless there can be little question that the sum
total of the trade occurring in the pelt of the least individual value, that
of the muskrat, is going, or has come, to outstrip in value that of any
other fur-bearing creature found in the Province. The muskrat therefore
is worthy of especial couKideration. Like numy other fur-bearing ani-
mals it is afforded some measure of protection, the taking of it between
May 1 and December 1 being prohibited, as likewise the shooting of it
during the month of April and the spearing of it at any time, while it is
also enacted that the muskrat house may not be cut, speared, broken, or
destroyed at any time. The creature itself is about four times the size
of an ordinary brown rat, with a tail, compressed, thickest about the
middle line and tapering to a rather acute point, about two-thii'ds as
long as the head and body. Except the beaver no other fur-bearing
animal of the Province leads a more aquatic life. Its feet are specialized
for swimming; its fur waterproof; and its tail serves as an effieient
rudder. The muiskrat derives its name from the peculiar musky odour
given off chiefly by its large perineal glands, which odour bo some extent
per-vades the whole skin, particularly in the summertime. While
ichiefly nocturnal in habits the little creature, where iseldom disturbed,
may be seen at work in briglit sunlight, especially when constructing
winter houses. These houses are for tlie movst part constructed, of rushes,
grasses, roots and stems of aquatic plants, heaped up without orderly
arrangement until the dome-like top rises from 18 inches to 2 or 3 feet
above the water. The mud often seen on the outside of the hoiuses seems
to be collected aecidentally with the roots. In the portion of the house
above water an interior chamber is constructed from which two or three
passages lead do^^■nwards to points below the frost line in the water.
These houses are mainly for winter shelter and the storage of food, and
as a rule are inhabited by one family only, though sometimes, when ice
or frozen ground prevents the use of burrows, a larger number will tem-
porarily find accommodation in them. In banks of streams and ponds
the muskrats will construct burrows, the entrance usually being under
water at a sufficient depth to prevent their being closed by ice, the bur-
rows extending from 10 to 50 feet into the bank, and terminating in a
rough chamber in which sometimes is to be found a nest composed of
dried vegetatiou. When bui-rows are available the muskrat occupies
them in winter and summer, but wihere water is shallow in jionds and
marshes the entrances will often be closed by ice and the creatures
forced to make use of the houses. As cold Aveather approaches tlu^v
become verv active, building, adding to their houses, deepening the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 207
chanuels leading to the burrows, and they do not hibernate during the
winter.
There would appear to be considerable diversity of opinion in regard
to the breeding habits of the muskrat, but the bulk of evidence would
tend to show that normally there are three or more litters in the course
of a year of an average of from three to eight, and that the young of the
first litter of the year, which arrive early in the spring, themselves breed
in the fall of the same year, for the creature must be uniusually prolific
to account for the wonderful replenishment of marshes during the close
season which have been depleted by vigorous trapping.
The muskrat is principally herbivorous, devouring the roots, stems,
leaves and fruit of aquatic plants and being partial to nearly all garden
vegetables. It will, however, on occasions take animal food, and in some
localities during the winter months feeds largely on mussels and such
slow-mo\dng fish as the carp, which bury themselves in the mud at this
season of the year. Cases, also, have occurred where they have been
known to attack trapped or wounded members of their own kind and
are said, when hard pressed for food, to devour the weaker members of
their own community.
In the raw state the fur of the muskrat is demse and soft, not unlike
that of the beaver though the pelage is shorter and less close and somewhat
inferior in durability. The colour varies with tlie season and locality
and the fur is in primest condition in the early spring. The earlie'st
demand for muskrat skins was for the manufacture of so-called beaver
liats, and when replaced by silk in the manufacture of hats, they next
became popular as imitation of sealskin. Tlie modern fur dresser and
dyer hias, however, found meanis of imitating nearly all the most costly
furs with that of this animal and a continuous aud great demand for
these pelts on this account alone has been created. The London market
affords a good idea of the growth of this demand. From 1763 to 1800
the total number of skins imported and sold in that market was 2,831,-
453, an average of less than 75,000 yearly. From 1851 to 1890 inclusive
the importations were approximately 99,893,591, or a yearly average of
about 2,500,000, ^-^hile the average sales of recent years have been over
4,000,000 per annum. Prices are largely based on returns from the Lon-
don auctions, although the number of pelts retained for home use is in-
creasing rapidly, and it is unquestionable that the prices show a ten-
dency to rise steadily. In Baltimore, for instance, the buyers paid 35
cents apiece in 1909 for brown skins ungraded, whereas in 1910 they
wTre paying 65 cents for the same class skin, iwhile in Toronto in the
spring of 1909 a i)rominent firm of furriers was paying 45 cents a skin
and in the the spring of 1910, 75 to 80 cents a skin.
The muskrat is peculiarly defenceless in the wintertime when it is
congregated in its burrows and houses, and although the law explicitly
forbids the breaking into houses, it is unfortunately the case that this
regulation is all too frequently disregarded in a great many portions
208 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
of the Province with the result that not only are quantities of the little
animals left without food and shelter to perish without profit to mankind,
but in many instances whole families are wiped out to the detriment
of natural reproduction. It would seem, indeed, that the present open
season is altogether too long, and occurring as it doeis just when the
greatest harm can be done, is productive of an undue and economically
wasteful slaughter. It has been noted that the skin is primest towards
spring and. that the value of the trade in this fur is steadily increasing.
The creature itself will thrive in ponds, marshes, canals and streams,
surrounded more or less by civilization and from which other fur-bear-
ing creatures will have largely disiappeared. It is apparent, therefore,
that with an eye alike to the present as to the future the utmost precau-
tions sihould be taken to insure the perpetuation of an abundant supply
of this valuable animal. There can be little doubt but that vigorous
and systematic trapping over a far shorter period than that now allowed
by law would be sufficient to produce all the rats that should be taken,
having regard to the maintenance of the supply, and it would seem,
therefore, not only that the season should, in the interests of the trappers
themselves, be considerably curtailed, but that it should occur at that
season of the year when skins are primest and the least irreparable
damage is likely to occur. So long, indeed, as trapping muskrats is
permitted throughout the winter months, so long will it be exceedingly
difficult to enforce the regulations in regard to the breaking open of the
houses, while if trapping is prohibited during the major portion of the
winter there will be no excuse, or at least very little, for the hunter to
be visiting the grounds with his traps. Consequently it would appear
that the open season for muskraits could, without undue hardship to the
trappers, withoait materially diminishing the anmual catch, and at the
same time in the best interests of economical conservation, be fixed
from March 16 to April 30, both days inclusive.
One objection thiat would in all probability be made to the suggested
alteration in the dates of the open season for muskrats is that the mink is
often to be caught in approximately the same localities. Undoubtedly this
is the case. Tlie mink, whose beautiful fur causes it to be mucli more
highly esteemed than the muskrat, is widely distributed througliout
Ontario, but it is to be observed that in the more densely populated sec-
tions of tlie Province, in tliose areas, in fact, where the muskrat will be
the most vigorously and i)eisist(Mitly hunted, and Avhere in consequence
tlie greatest danger of ext«n-mination will occur, the mink has become
com])aratively scarce. Tra])i)ing ()]ierations, therefore, for mink in such
localities would not in all ])r()bability be very extensive even Avere the
present open season for mink, Decend)ei- 1 to jNIay 1, left unaltered, for
to trap for this creature alone wonld not be a very profital)le undertak-
ing and it is more than probable that a few instances of rigorous punish-
ment in regard to the illegal taking of muskrats under such circum-
stances would result more or less in tlie abandoumenit of sucli o])erations
19ia AND FISHEEIES COMMISSION. 209
where muskrats were plentiful. Tliat this should tend to an iuicrease
of the mink in these areas cannot be doubted, and the fur of this creature
is so valuable that this could not but be considered a disitinict advantage.
The muskrat and the mink are at the present time classed together in
the matter of an open season and it might appear that the curtailment
of the season sugested for muskrat could with advantage be applied to
mink also, but the cases are not analogous. Undoubtedly the numbers
of the mink are decreasing and shortening of the season might be advan-
tageous, but the fur of the mink is primest during the early winter and
the question in regard to mink is rather whether it would not be more
advantageous to advance the season for mink to include the two latter
weeks of Novendier than to proliibit its taking during the early winter
months. In any case, however, it is apparent that even if some objec-
tions to the suggested dates for the muskrat season were made on
account of the trapping of mink, they should not be allowed to carry
weight for the reasons that the change would be of the very greatest
benefit in regard to the maintenance of the supply of muskrats; that in
proportion to the amount of damage now effected in the ranks of the
muskrats by the prolonged open season the value of the mink fur secured
in such localities is but a trifling consideration ; and finally that the pro-
posed change should tend to increase the niumbers of mink, at least in
the more populated sections of the Province.
Trapping.
In the previous section attention has been called to the general
diminution in the numbers of fur-bearing animals, and it would seem
that this diminutioin cannot but in large measure be attributed to the
system of trapping prevailing in the Province. Many years ago, when
the Hudson Bay Trading Company was practically the only firm trading
in furs on a large scale, the maintenance of the supply of animals was
more or less assured owing to the fact that the individual agent or fac-
tor in dharge of a station or district viewed with concern anything that
would tend to a lessening of his reeeii)ts, and consequently, if the fur of
any particular variety of animal showed signs of becoming scarce in any
district, measures were as a rule taken to discourage its capture and thus
afford the species an opportunity to recuperate. The opening up of the
country, however, brought in its train the inevitable competition, and
numerous firms started in to exploit the fur in opposition to the Hudson
Bay Trading Company with the result that a ready market was at all
times open for almost any variety of fur, individual interest in the main-
tenance of the supply gave way to rapacity and greed, and precautionary
or conservation measures passed from the thoughts of one and all
engaged in the business, becoming, in fact, only feasible of application
through the agency of the crown. Far and wide has the competition
forced its way until even in the most northerly extremes of provincial
18 F.C.
210 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
territory it is now iu full SAving, and in consequence, tilirouglioiit the
length and breadth of the Province fur-bearing creatures are relentlessly
pursued without much regard to age and without consideration of
dwindling numbers or the laws of reproduction, except and only in such
cases as those of the beaver and otter, where the state has intervened
to save the animal from extermination. In regard even to these pro-
tected aninmls the rights of the Indians, who in the north lands at least
are in the majority among trappers, to take these animals at their
pleasure and even to dispose of their pelts to the white man, have not as
yet been definitely disposed of. In view of such a situation it is small
wonder that the number of fur-bearing animals is steadily diminishing.
Another noteworthy feature is that this great natural resource, this
vast and valuable public asset, has been allowed to be exploited to the
huge benefit of private individuals and firms without contributing more
than an insignificant pittance to the public revenue. At the present time
a fee of |10 is charged to non-residents for the privilege of trapping,
but no charge whatsoever is made in the case of trappers, buyers or
dealers, resident in the Province. It would, indeed, seem that in this
state of affairs there lies a distinct injustice to the public, for the great
profits that are made in the taking and disposing of furs are only accum-
ulated at the expense of the property of the public.
In seeking for a remedy to the general situation the first considera-
tion must plainly be the conditions under wliicli the actual trapping is
carried out. In this regard it is to be observed that trapping atfords a
means of securing an income sufficient for the year in a comparatively
short space of time and with comparatively little effort. On the other
hand the extent of territory that must as a rule be covered to secure
numbers of the animals living in the forests precludes the probability
of one man earning in average years very great sums by this nunius,
while the uncertainty of the measure of success and the conditions of
life under Avhich tlie operations are proisecuted tend to lessen its attrac-
tion to the majority. Oonsequently, it has come about that the white
men engaged in the ordinary trapping business in the forest areas are
either the settlers in those localities, who avail themselves of this oppor-
tunity for obtaining cash either in preference to engaging in lumbering
operations or because no opportunities to do so are open to tliem, or else
those from the villages, settlements and towns who by preference select
the life rather than engage in otluT mor(^ steady occupations. Of this
latter class it may safely be said tliat in general their moral calibre is
not high or their value to the community of mucli account, and that, as a
class, they are by no means deserving of the privilege of exploiting pub-
lic property free, gratis and for nothing. It is to be noted, also, that the
average moral standard of these men is not sufficiently high to encourage
the belief that the majority could ever be relied on to obey the laws in
regard to the taking of animals so long as any possible channels for the
disposal of illegally taken pelts remained open to them. In such cases,
1912 AND FISHERIES (COMMISSION. 211
therefore, at any rate a liceuse fee *^hoiikl be exacted for the privilege of
trapping.
In regard to the settler, it may be observed that it requires but
small labour and but little good fortune for such of them as engage in
trapping throughout the winter to catch fur sutticient to net them sums
considerably in excess of |300, and, therefore, it could not be accounted
a hardship if a small percentage of this sum had to be paid to the gov-
ernment for the privilege of undertaking trapping operations.
In the case also of the trapper, operating from towns or villages and
chiefly interested in the capture of muskrats, plainly it would only be
reasonable to expect from him some compensation for the profits accru-
ing to him through the destruction of wild animals. No little trapping
of muskrats is, of course, carried on by Lads from farms and villages, but
the value of the skins, as quoted in a previous section, is sufficient proof
that those who wished to trap muskrats could well afford to pay a
reasonable fee for the privilege of doing so on public lands.
There remains, then, but the Indian to be considered. The nature
and habits of the Indian throughout the great bulk of the Province tend
to prevent his entering upon the generality of those occupations which
afford a livelihood to the white man. His domain is pre-eminently the
woods ; his craft, that of hunter, trapper, and woodsman. In general
but small advantage accrues to the community through the existeuice of
an Indian, other than through those functions which he can discharge
in his native element, the woods, wliile, as before observed, the pursuit
of trapping is not in general calculated to attract the better class of
white nmn in the wilder regions to undertake it, but on the contrary
rather to serve as a means of gaining a competency for the shiftless and
lazy. It would, therefore, appear that while there can be no great
advantage in encouraging the white man to undertake trapping as a
sole or chief means of livelihood, such advantage would exist in the case
of the Indian, for not only would he thus be made to contribute materi-
ally to the public welfare, but his energies would be applied in the direc-
tion most suited to them. Consequently, even though a license fee nught
with advantage be imposed on all other residents of the Province for the
privilege of trapping, the Indian should remain exempt from such license
fee, and be given a permit to trap free of charge,
A great many of the illegalities perpetrated in connection with the
fur-bearing animals are directly to be attributed to the presence through-
Oiut the country of numbers of pedlars and small traders only too wil-
ling to purchase all that they can secure in the way of fur no matter
where, when or how it may have been secured. It cannot be claimed
that the presence of these men in the wild lands is of material advantage
to the community, for by their methods of trading not only do they
encourage lawlessness, but add, also, materially to the difficulties of the
reputable dealers in obtaining furs. It is plain, moreover, that but slight
control can ever be exercised over them, for they have no stationary place
212 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
of business and can readily slip unobserved across the provincial borders,
should they so desire, with an accumulation of illegally taken pelts. If,
therefore, a license fee Avere placed on fur buyers sufficiently high to
deter the majority of these persons from purchasing a license, it would
apparently not onl^^ be in the best interests of the public, but of the
legitimate fur trade also. There can be no question ithat if the trapper is
licensed, so also sliould be the buyer of raw or undressed furs, for the
latter, in the main dealing with furs on a much larger scale than can
ever the individual trapper, will make correspondingly greater profits.
In the case of the buyer, also, it is to be remend)ered that dealing in raw
and undressed furs he takes his profit for no other service than that of
passing them on to those Avho will improve them, a,nd that the profits
thus accruing to him are at the expense of a natural resource which is
the property of the public. It would seem, therefore, that not only
should the buyer of raw or undressed furs be licensed, but that the
license fee charged him should be sufficiently liigh to prevent the great
majority of the lower class pedlars from purchasing sucli a license. It
could not, of course, be expected that noin-possession of such a licemse
would either altogether or at once put a stop to ithe practices of these
gentry in dealing with furs, but at least the imposition of such a license
should materially facilitafte the detection of offences.
In the case of fur-bearing animals, as in the case of game and fish,
it is a matter of no little importance to have comparatively accurate
statistics of the annual yield, for by this means alone can either an
increase or decrease be definitely ascertained, and the proper measures
taken accordingly to impose or remove restrictions. If trappers and
buyers were licensed as suggested there would be no great difficulties
in the way of obtaining such statistics, for the licensee in either case
could reasonably be required to furnish figures on a form provided him
for that purpose with his license. Moreover, the furnishing of returns
of this nature would go a long Avay towards checking illegalities. If
the trapper was required to send in a return of the numbers of the vari-
our species of animals caught and of the persons to whom the pelts were
sold together with the license numbers of such persons and the dates of
the sales, and the buyer to make out a return in duplicate, one to be sent
in to the Department and one to be retained by himself, showing all
purchases of raw or undressed furs and the persons from Avhom such
jKdts were obtained, together with the license numbers of such persons
and the dates of the purchases, it would plainly be a simple matter to
exercise close supervision on the buyers and exceedingly difficult for
them to have furs in possession unaccounted for, whih% where any ille-
galities were suspected, it would materially facilitate their investigation.
In addition to this, as it is possible for an expert to determine more or
less accurately the season in which a skin has been taken, not only
would it be inexpedient for a dealer to have a pelt taken out of the
proper season in his possession, but it would inuiKMliaiely be possible to
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 213
trace the offence home to the person who had actually taken the aniinial,
so that all parties to the offence could be punished.
The economic value of the fur trade is so great that infractionis of
the law in regard to it should be treated with the utmost severity and
the penalties made correspondingly high. In fact, in addition to a
heavy fine on account of each animal taken or each pelt bought or
traded, any irregularity should be punished by cancellation of the
license of the oft'endiuig persons, and the disqualification of such persons
from obtaining another such license for a period of at least five years.
In the case of Indians it is plainly to be desired that they should
conform to the laws and regulations in force in regard to the fur-bear-
ing animals, and it is not to be doubted that in the main they would do
so were it once made apparent to them that not only would it be almost
impossible for them to dispose of skins illegally taken, but thiat infrac-
tions of the law would be visited by a cancellation of their permits to
trap and trade in furs with white men. In regard to the returns as
suggested to be furnished by the trapper, the buyer from an Indian
should be required to fill them in and forward them to the Department
where the Indian was insufiiciently educated to attend to this work
himself.
As before noted the lack of any incentive to the trappers to conserve
the supply of animals has been one of the main factors in their depletion.
At the present time on jjublic lands it is open to any resident to trap
wheresoever he chooses, and the trapper is, in consequence, urged on to
catch all that he can, regardless of the ultimate conisequences, by the
knowledge that if he spares, someone else will likely happen along and
destroy. To remedj^ this evil and to encourage conservation it would
seem that a license or permit to trap sliould be endorsed with the approx-
imate area for which it is valid, and that it should be made an indictable
and punishable offence to trap on Crown lands outside the limitations
designated on the license or permit, or at least on any area which may
have allocated to another trapper. The licensee, also, so long as he
obeyed the laws, should be entitled to a renewal of liiis license on demand.
By these means an individual interest in his territory should be
developed in the trapper, for not only would he have the sense of proprie-
torsihip and the security afforded by the knowledge that others could not
legally impair his grounds, but also, there would be the incentive of
personal profit in future years to urge him to take only a proper propor-
tion of animals of each species and to encourage their increase, for as in
many cases tlie land about him for milesi would have been allocated to
otliers, the depletion of his teiTitory below the point where it Avas profit-
able to trap over it would necessitate a move to some considerable dis-
tance, should lie desire to continue in the business, a thing which in many
cases, particularly tlrat of the settler, would be most inconvenient, if
not well nigh impossible.
It is to be observed that if a license of |5.00 on trappers and a
214 KEPOHT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
lieoiise of 150 ou hnvers of raw or imdresisiHl fuiK were imposed, a consid-
erable revenue would aeerne to the government. In previous sections
of tlie report attention lias been called to the necessity for improvements
both in the service of protection against fire and that of fish and game
wardensliip, which would involve considerable expenditures of money.
It Mould seem, then, that as the fur-bearing animals are the creatures
of the forests and a natural resource of a kindred nature to game, the
revenue derived friom this source miglit well be devoted to the improve-
ment of these two services. It is to be noted, also, that it might well be
questioned whether, even with the imposition of the suggested licenses,
the public would be receiving adequate compenisation for the exploita-
tio'u of the fur-bearing animals. By the introduction of the license
system, however, the way would at least be prepared for raising a greater
revenue from this source should such be desired in the future, for sta-
ristics would be available on which to form an estimate of the average
profit to the trapper's and dealers, and the system of recording catches
and sales would be in force wliich Avould greatly simplify the collection
of a. tax on pelts should such ever come to be imposed.
In connection Avith the law as it stands at present one point
merits consideration. A permit, for Avhicli no charge is made, has to
be obtained, not later than within ten days of the close of an open
season, to entitle the trapper to be in legal possessiion of furs. In the
case of mink and muskrat the open season extends from December 1 to
April 30, inclusive, and men are engaged in the capture of these animals
until the last day of the legal open season. In some portions of the
Province trapping is carried on at a distance from civilization and it is
a. practicial impossibility for the trapper to get out from liis grounds
with his furs within the specified time for securing a ])ermit owing to
the fact that while the ice at this period is dangerous for travelling, it
frequently does not disappear from inland waters until nearly June
sufficiently to allow of canoeing. Consequently, either the trapper must
abandon his occupation some weeks prior to the close of the open season
in order to get his permit in sufficient time, or else he becomes liable to
fine and the confiscation of his pelts. While no general relaxation of the
law is in the least desirable, it would seem that in certain regions magis-
trates might be empowered to uise their discretion in the matter, pro-
vided the trapper could sliow that he had left his grounds at the earliest
possible date after the close of the open season. In this connection it
may be f>bserved that under the license system previously isuggested the
returns from the buyers sliould be required to be posted to the Depart-
ment witliin ten days of the close of the open seasons, and that it should
only be possible for them to purchase the furs of trappers wlio could
not get in from their grounds within this period by obtaining a permit
to do so from the proper authority, and that the trapper, so situated,
should be required to make affidavit that his furs had been taken within
the legal open season and to secure a permit to authorize him to kec^p liis
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 215
furs in possession silioukl he for any reason be desirous of so doin.^'. It
would seem that the local magistrates might well be constituted the
authority to deal with such cases at their discretion under the general
instructions of the Department of Fish and Game.
Wolves.
Attention has been called in previous sections of the report to the
diminution of game in the Province and to various causes therefor, but
it must be acknowledged that as a destructive agency in so far as four-
footed creatures are concerned the wolf must be accorded no Kmall dis-
tinction. Unfortunately, almost throughout the forest areas the timber
wolf is to be found in greater or less abundance and the depredations
of this animal on the ranks of the deer are annually enormous. It is a
natural and inveterate hunter, and not satisfied with killing that which
it requires for food, will hunt and slay for the mere pleasure of so
doing. In general it operates in pairs or small bands, following up its
quarry at a leisurely trot by the sense of smell with a persistency that
but seldom is thwarted, but the greatest of its opportunities to work
damage and destruction occur in the winter months when the snow drifts
are deep and the deer yarded. Then, with its prey helpless and at its
mercy the wolf approaches and kills to its heart's content. Wherever
the deer are to be found in the Province, there will the wolf also be
found, and if for one reason or another the deer migrates from any area
into another, the wolf will follow suit, as was well instanced in the
Rainy River district, where the deer were practically unknown until
recent years and the wolf comparatively scarce, but where no sooner
did the deer commence to appear in numbers, driven northward in all
probability from Minnesota by the forest fires raging in that State, than
the wolf arrived also, and its numbers are now, apparently, steadily
increasing. When each adult wolf will kill in all probability one or two
deer each week of the year, it becomes at once apparent what an enor-
mous drain on the deer supply there must be from this cause where
wolves become at all numerous. The extent of the damage wrought to
moose and caribou is less certain, but at least it would appear more than
probable that some destruction of these animals is effected by wolves,
more particularly in regard to the calves. In the western portions of
the Province there is also to be found the brush-wolf, which prey largely
on the smaller fur-bearing animals, such as the fisher and marten, in
addition to other game, and is consequently the cause of no small loss
to the Province.
The wolf is by nature one of the most cunning of animals, and it
is but rarely that he will afford the hunter an opportunity
of shooting him or will suifer himself to be caught in an
ordinary form of trap. The most usual and effective method for
the destruction of this harmful creature would appear to be poisoning.
216 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
The necessity for reducing the number of wolves to a minimum cannot
be gainsaid, but none the less many objections have been advanced
against the lavish use of poison for the purpose, and in fact in this Pro-
vince at the present time it is illegal to place poison for wolves where
any other game is liable to find and take it. It is claimed that where
poisoned meat is placed on the ground, other smaller creatures, such as
the mink and fisher and various birds, will almost invariably be the first
to discover it, and tliat in consequence not only ^^ill there be a consider-
able destructioin of wild life for the sake of a problematical chance of
destroying a, wolf, but that there will be likely to occur, also, a loss of
valuable fur, inasmuch as the smaller fur-bearing animals will more
frequently than not suceed in crawling to some little distance before
they die and thus escape the notice of the trapper or hunter laying the
poison. Even more extravagant assertions in regard to the extent of
damage done by poison have been advanced in the case where poisoned
meat is placed on the ice towards spring and left there to fall into the
water, together with such creatures or their carcasses as may be
poisoned thereby, but it would seem that where due precautions are
taken in the matter of placing the poison in the meat and in the loca-
tion of the bait itself, not only sliould the destruction of other forms
of wild life be comparatively trifling, but waste of fur also should be
rendered most unlikely, for the poison can be placed in sufficiently large
pieces or quantities as to ensure the almost immediate death of any
creature devouring it.
There can be no question as to the necessity for destroying a greater
number of wolves annually than is at present effected, for it would ap-
pear that in several sections of the Province, at least, wolves are in-
creasing. Poisoning is acknowledged to be the only effective method of
destroying wolves, but in this Province poisoning must be held to be
practically illegal, although the wolf is not protected against it, for
under the Act all such fur-bearing animals as are afforded any form of
protection are deemed to be game; tlie poisoning of all fur-bearing and
other animals classed as game is forbidden; and it is plainly impossible
to place poison for wolves where it can by no possible means endanger
any of these creatures, and at the same time be effective. At the present
time the law is more or less winked at. If it is necessary to encourage
the killing of wolves, the placing of poison should plainly be rendered
legally feasible for this purpose, within reasonable bounds. The licens-
ing of trappers would appear to alTord a means of doing so Aviihout
encouiagiiig the too general use of poison, which cannot but be more or
less dangerous to other forms of wild life. If (mly licensed trappers or
Indians holding a permit to ti-ap were entitled to use poison for the pur-
pose of killing wolves, and then only in localities where but small harm
to other creatures was to be anticipated, tluM-e would not only a])])ear to
be but little risk of much damage to wild life being effected, but if in
addition the claiiiiant to government l)Ounty were refpiired to send in
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 217
with his claim the niiiiiber of his license, the possibility of fraud in this
connection wonld be very greatly diminished, for it would be practically
impoissible for anyone mot so licensed to kill any number of wolves, for
poisoning, the only effective method, would be illegal for such person,
while, again, the license number would indicate the exact area in which
a wolf or wolves had been taken by poison by the trapper and any ex-
cessive number of claims under such circumstances would be easily de-
tected. It might, however, be advisable to require of all trappers mak-
ing use of poison to burn the carcasses of all creatures destroyed there-
b3% in order to reduce the chances of death to other animals through
devouring them to a minimum.
At the present time a bounty of |15 is offered by the government
for the destruction of a wolf; the claimant to the bounty being required
to furnish the ears of the animal in proof of its destruction. Unfortu-
nately, cases have occurred of late where extensive frauds have been
perpetrated on the government in this connection, large quantities of
wolf ears having been imported from without the Province and bounties
claimed and paid for animals which had never been within miles of the
provincial borders. The detection and severe punishment of offences of
this nature in the western portions of the Province will undoubtedly
have had a beneficial effect in the direction of preventing their recur-
rence, but it is to be observed that so long as the ears only are required
by the Government in substantiation of a claim, so long will it be com-
paratively easy to perpetrate the fraud. The time, patience and good
fortune necessary to secure a Avolf militate largely against very active
prosecution of its pursuit by those engaged in ordinary trapping opera-
tions. The skin of the wolf, undamaged, is worth in the neighborhood
of 15.00. It would seem, therefore, in the best interests of tbe Province
that a more substantial bounty should be offered the trapper for the
destruction of wolves, and that if the bounty were raised to, say, |25 and
the whole ^kin rccpiired by the Government in support of a claim, no;:
only would a considerably greater number of wolves annually be taken,
but that the chances of fraud in this connection would be materially
diminished. IMoreover, the skins would retain their full value, instead
of being mutilated and thus depreciated, and consequently not only
would less of these pelts be wasted, but by selling them the Government
would in some measure, at least, be recouped for the additional bounty.
Undoubtedly special steps should be taken to reduce the numbers of
wolves in the Provincial Forest Eeserves to a minimum, and where a
permanent staff of rangers is maintained, it would appear that there
should be no difficulty in so doing, if the matter is taken energetically
in hand.
ReCOMMI<]N!)ATIONS.
Yo'ur Commissioner would, therefore, recommend : —
(1) That the beaver be declared a perquisite of the Crown tlirough-
218 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
out the Province; that where or when in any district beaver are suf-
ficiently numerous that trapping- can be advantageously conducted with-
out endangering the perpetuation of the creature in such district, trap-
ping operations be undertaken by officers of the Government; the pelts
thus secured branded with a government mark and sold by public tender
for the benefit of the public treasury; and that it be declared illegal for
any private person Avhatsoever to luive in possession, barter or trade in
raw or undressed beaver pelts in the Province of Ontario which are not
so branded, no matter where such pelts may have been obtained, other
than when a permit for this purpose shall have been obtained from the
Government.
(2) That the dates for the open season for muskrat be amended to
March IG to April 30, both days inclusive.
(3) That a license fee of |5.00 be charged to citizens and bona fide
residents of the Province for the privilege of trapping on public lands;
that Indians only be exempt from this charge, but be required to obtain
a permit in lieu of such license; and that each person while engaged in
trapping be required to carry his license or permit on hds person.
(4) That the approximate area which may be trapped over be
■designated on the license or permit issued to each trapper; that it be
declared an indictable and punishable offence to trap on Crown lands
outside the limits designated on the license or permit; and that a trap-
per be entitled to a renewal of his license or permit over the same area
provided only tliat he shall have in no way disobeyed the game laws, and
shall have complied with the provisions of his license or permit.
(5) That all fur-buyers and dealers in raw or undressed furs,
engaged in this business in Ontario, be required to take out a license;
that the charge for such license be |50; and that in the ease where more
than six collecting stations are maintained by one firm, or more than
six buyers or agents employed by one firm at various points throughout
the Province for the purpose of collecting furs, an additional license fee
of |10 for every such station or agent be charged.
(6) That all trappers or fur-buyers as a condition of license or
permit be required to furnish the Dei>artment, on a form provided with
the license or permit for that purpose, with statistics of the nund)ers
and species of each animal killed, sold, bought or otherwise disposed of;
that in the case of Indians or other trappers being unal)le to write, it be
required of the buyers purchasing from them to fill in their forms for
them and forward the same to the Department ; and that such returns
be required to be posted to the Department within ten days of the close
of the legal open season.
(7) That provision be made on such forms for distinction between
each sale, gift, trade or purchase effected, of the various dates thereof,
and the license numbers of the persons with whom each transaction was
effected; and that it be made an indictable offence, punishal)le by fine
and cancellation f)f the license, to render false or incomplete returns
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 219
on these matters, provided only that where the figures for Indians or
other trappers shall have been filled in by the buyer, such buyer shall be
held responsible for the figures.
(8) That any illegalities in connection with the trapping of fur-
bearing animals or the bartering, purchasing, holding or trading in the
pelts of the same, be made punishable by a fine of not less than |5.00
for every such creature trapped or pelt bartered, purchased, held or
traded, together with the cancellation of the license of the trapper, buyer
or dealer so offending and disqualification of such person from obtain-
ing a license for a period of fi^■e years; provided only that in the case
of firms maintaining a number of agents for the purpose of trapping, or
purchasing pelts of fur-bearing animals, if it could be proved that a firm
had taken reasonable precautions to guard against such infractions of
the law and ha<l no knowledge of the same, the license of such firm be
not cancelled, except when two offences in its behalf occur in one year,
but in such cases the trapper or buyer of the firm be treated as a private
individual.
(9) That, if possible, siteps be taken to have the close seasons for
fur-bearing animals observed by Indians on public lands under pain of
equal penalties as applicable to white men, and that in any case it be
made an indictable offence, punishable by fine and imprisonment for any
Indian to barter, trade or attempt to barter or trade the pelts of fur-
bearing animals i)rotected by law or taken during the legal close seasons
for such animals, except and only among his own kind within the limits
of an Indian Reservation.
(10) That, as at present, a trapi)er or buyer be required to obtain
a permit witliin 10 days of the close ot the open season for any fur-bear-
ing animal to have the pelts of the same in possession ; but that where,
owing to natural cases, it is impracticable for the trapper to obtain such
permit within the legak period, steps be taken to constitute an authority
in eaich such district to grant such permits at its discretion after due
investigation ; and that in such cases any subsequent sale or trade of the
pelts thuis held be only effected under permit granted by the same
authority, and provided that a record of such transaction is forwarded
to the Department.
(fl) That the bounty on wolves be raised to |25.00; that it be re-
quired of each applicant for such bounty to forward the entire skin of
each wolf, unmutilated, together with each claim made; and that where
such applicant is trapping under license or permit, the number of such
license or permit be clearly marked on each claim.
(12) That the present regulation in regard to the use of poison be
amended in so far as to legalize and render feasible the use of such
material for the taking of wolves only by trappers operating under
license or permit of the Province, provided only that due precautions be
taken to select such localities for the purpose where the minimum
amount of harm is likely to be done to other wild creatures or domestic
220 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
animals, aud that the trapper be required to burn the carcasses of all
such creatures whatsoever that may be killed by such poiBon.
Feathered Game.
It has, unfortunately, to be recorded that the quantities of the
various species of feathered game to be found in Ontario have in almost
every case and in almost every district considerably diminished, and
there can be little question that the main cause of this regrettable state
of affairs is oversJiooting. One of the chief difficulties coincident with
the enactment of restrictive legislation in regard to the shooting of
several species of feathered game in such a country as this is that, while
the most logical dates for the open seasons for the various species are
not always identical, the birds themselves are to be encountered largely
over the same areas. It has, indeed, been demonstratd to be almost
impossible to protect one variety by a close season during a period when
other varieties might be legally shot. Another obvious difficulty is the
matter of meeting the local conditions prevailing over such a wide area
by general legislation. It may, in fact, be confessed that to do so would
appear a practical impossibility; at least, to the extent of completely
satisfying the wishes of all the sportsmen living in the various districts.
Further, the fact that certain varieties of game birds are migratory en-
hances the difficulty of affoirding them adequate protection, for there
will inevitably be some considerable protest at depriving citizens of
game for the benefit of a neighboring nation. To further complicate the
situation, feathered game is so small and so comparatively quickly and
easily disposed of, that the detection of offences against such restric-
tions as may be imposed is exceedingly difficult over such a wide region
as the area of Ontario, and consequently the laws in all too many in-
stances are broken with impunity. In addition to this, also, feathered
game is so highly esteemed for table purposes that reputable citizens,
who themselves ^^•ould not break the law, in certain cases abet its in-
fraction by others through the repeated purchase of illegally taken game.
In view, then, of the general situation as it exists in regard to feathered
game, it is necessary briefly to examine into the laws and conditions
affecting the various species.
At the present time a close season is afforded to the woodcock, the
partridge and tlie quail, the dates for each bird being: —
Woodcock October 15— November 15
Partridge (grouse) ' ' 15 — ' ' 15
Quail November 15 — ' ' BO
The womlcofk is a uiigratory bird, aud tliere can be but little ques-
lioTi lli;it in certain of the southern portions of tlie Province it arrives
frcciiicntly before the open season commences and is flighting after the
season lias closed, although the main flight s(MMns usually to occur dur-
ing the course of tlie open season. Natin-nlly enough sportsmen, with
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 221
whom the bird is a favorite, feel it a hardship not to be able to shoulder
a gun during the periods of the woodcock's stay in their vicinity on its
way to southern climes and demands are made that the open season be
extended to include the whole of October and November. The partridge,
or ruft'ed grouse, which had become so scarce that a close period of two
years had to be afforded it to recuperate its numbers, is in mam^ sections
of the Province in condition to be shot by the middle of September, while
in other localities the opening of the season so early, when the young
may perhaps not have matured, or in any case the birds are packed and
disinclined to break coveys, would result in inordinate destruction.
Again, in certain areas the partridge would atTord good sport well into
December, whereas in the northerly regions, the snow drives it into the
trees and it becomes a simple matter to slaughter it, although shooting
under such conditions cannot be deemed a sport. The quail breeds some-
what later than the partridge, and occasionally raises a second clutch,
so that it would not be safe or advisable, as a general rule, to open the
season early in the fall for this bird. Under the present arrangement
whereby the opening of the season for quail coincides with the closing
Oif the season for partridge and woodcock, none of the birds, as before
observed, derive the full benefit from the protection afforded them, and
It is to be noted, also, that there is reasonable force in the contention
that so short a season as a fortnight tends in the direction of excessive
slaughter, for where the sportsman has but so brief a period for his
sport open to him, he will be encouraged to make the most of his oppor-
tunities. In this regard it should be remembered that a great number
of sportsmen have businesses or other occupations which necessitate
their close attention, and in consequence cannot spare more than a day
or two at most each week to hunt or shoot, and that, therefore, a very
short season is a distinct hardship to them.
There can be no question that in the general interests of the com-
munity it is better in so far as possible to make the open seasons for
birds or creatures inhabiting more or less the same regions or locali-
ties similar throughout the Province, for differentiation between ad-
jacent localities tends not only to difficulties in administration and in
the enforcement of the laws, in addition to excessive legislation, but also
to considerable local friction. Consequently, even though admittedly it
is impossible to satisfy every one or to meet each and every local con-
dition or requirement, this broad principle sliould, in so far as possible,
govern the fixing of the dates for open seasons. Undoubtedly the
desideratum would be an open season of considerable duration, to in-
clude both large and small game, so that for the greatest possible time
sport should be available to the sportsman and game food to the general
public, but to arrive at such a situation it is necessary, first, to have
produced an abundance of game, a sentiment among the public at large
which will put an end to widespread malpractices or connivance at the
same, and a staff of wardens capable of and able to enforce sucli restric-
222 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
tions as have to be made. No one, imfortunatelv, eoiild claim that such
a situation exists in Ontario to-daj, and consequently the best that can
be done is to have comparatively short open seasons, in so far as po's-
sible, coincident with each other. Too short a season is, as already been
noted, objectionable on certain grounds, while a very protracted season
has already proven itself too dangerous for certain birds under exist-
ing conditions. A six weeks' season for partridge and woodcock, from
October 15th to November 30th, and a four weeks' season for quail, from
November 1st to 30th, would, therefore, appear to be the nearest ap-
proach to the ideal which can at present safely be ventured.
In regard to wild ducks, the open season for which extends from
September 15th to December 15th, it is to be noted that all of these
birds are more or less migratory, and that almost throughout the Pro-
vince their numbers have greatly diminished of recent years. Various
causes have been assigned for this; various remedies tried and sug-
gested; but no effort has as yet been made to strike at what is appar-
ently the root of the evil, namely, excessive destruction. The popularity
of the duck as a table dish and its former exceeding abundance resulted
in the development of an enormous market for the bird, and the demands
of this market show no signs of diminishing in proportion to the
dwindling numbers of ducks, but on the contrary to be steadily increas-
ing. In fact, it would not be too much to say that in general it is the
market hunter who is chiefly to blame for the diminishing quantities of
ducks in the Province and not the sportsmen of the Province, the carp
or other extraneous circumstances. It is apparent that no matter what
size a marsh may be, the continued and energetic operations of the mar-
ket ihunter, resulting in the slaughter of great quantities of ducks prac-
tically every day, not only must effect a terrible drain on the ranks of
the ducks, but must also tend to drive them away, for like other
creatures ducks require a modicum of rest and peace in order to remain
in a given locality. There can be little doubt but that tlie prohibition
of the sale of ducks would result in a very rapid augmentation of their
numbers, but it is unquestionable that such a meaismre would encounter
a storm of protest and abuse. Moreover, the object of conservation is
not to deprive the public of game, but rather to insure that the public
shall be able to take advantage of it. In certain cases where a variety
of game becomes very scarce it becomes imperative to place restrictions
on its sale in order to eliminate the market hunter, but such a measure
is, in a sense, but a final recourse, for though under it the public are still
afforded opportunities to obtain game, if they will, by shooting, or if
they can, as a gift from friends Avho have done so, tlie majority of the
public is, in all probability, not in a position to secure the game, and in
consequence is deprived of it altogether. This situation has, indeed,
given rise to a more or less widespread feeling that sport is the rich
man's pastime, and game the rich man's perquisite, and that the game
laws are devised in the interests of the wealthier classes of the commun-
1912 AND FISHEIIIES COMMISSION. 223
ity. Such a belief is plainly erroneous and much to be deplored, but it
serves at least to exemplify the necesBity for not lessening, unless abso-
lutely imperative to do so, the varieties of game purchaseable by the
public, but rather, where feasible, to augment them. On the other hand
the sportsmen of the Province undoubtedly merit some consideration,
for they are a very numerous body, comprising all classes and occupa-
tions, and if for no other reason than that it is an injustice to them, the
depletion of the numbers of ducks through the operations of market
hunters cannot but be deemed liighly regrettable. Moreover, it is per-
fectly apparent that if the diminution of recent years continues in like
proportion in the future, not only will the sport of the Kportsmen have
been ruined, but there will be but few ducks remaining for the public
market.
Practically all varieties of ducks are migratory and objection will
inevitably be made to any further restrictions on their slaughter on the
grounds already mentioned in regard to the woodcock, but although
there is some foundation for this argument, it is most sincerely to be
hoped that the day is not far distant when the open seasons for all
migratory birds throughout the continent will be fixed by an interna-
tional commission, for in the creation of such a body would appear to lie
the chief hope, not only of satisfactorily disposing of this problem, but
even of perpetuating in any numbers the migratory game birds. Indeed,
every effort should be made by each administration, by each sporting
association or club, and by each individual sportsman or lover of wild
life to hasten the day when such an international body shall be ap-
pointed to regulate such matters. Meanwhile, it may be observed that,
after all, the perpetuation of the birds is the chiefest consideration, and
that it cannot be the part of wisdom in any way to assist or connive at
their extermination. It is better, indeed, to fight a good fight for a los-
ing cause which is just, than ignobly to abet an evil, mainly because it
is being perpetrated by others.
In view, then, of these considerations it would seem that at the
present time the most reasonable course to pursue is to limit the indi-
vidual daily bag of ducks, taken on public lands, marshes or waters, to
some reasonable number. Plainly this will not result in the disappear-
ance of the market hunter, but at least it will serve as a check on his
depredations. It may be argued that it will be difficult to enforce such
a law, or, again, that it will entail a hardship on sportsmen, but it is to
be observed that a bag limit is imposed in regard to certain of the sport-
ing fishes, and the law is fairly well enforced and obeyed, to the advan-
tage of the fisheries, and that, also, say thirty ducks is a reasonable bag
for any individual sportsman in one day.
At the present time the ducks get but one day's rest a week from
the hunter, namely, Sunday, and it is widely held that if a greater period
of immunity were granted the birds in which they could rest and feed
in peace, not only would it, by shortening the period of time available
224 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
to the hunter, result in a decreased slaug-hter, but would tend, also, to
keep the ducks for longer periods on the feeding grounds on which they
settle. There would appear to be much force in the contention, and it
is not to be doubted that a considerable effect would be produced on the
numbers of ducks by limiting the number of days on which they might
legally be shot. It is by no meanis easy, however, to determine what
would constitute a reasonable period of time for this purpose or which
days would best suit tlie convenience of the majority of sportsmen. It
would seem, perhaps, best on the whole that the close period should be
integral, for alternating close and open days would be apt to lead to
confusion and, in any case, ^^■ould enhance the difficulties of enforce-
ment of the law over so wide an area as the Province. Sunday is a close
day already, and Saturday, in many parts of the Province, affords numer-
ous hunters their only chance in the week of enjoying this sport, while
Wednesday is also in some localities and in some businesses made use
of for the purpose of a weekly half-holiday. It would seem, therefore,
thiat Monday of each week might in any case reasonably be added to the
list of close days for ducks on public lands, w^aters or mai'shes, nor is
it to be doubted that it would be of material advantage if Tuesday of
each week were included also.
The shortening of the open season for wild duck by the elimination
of the first two weeks in September was undoiditedly a wise and bene-
ficial measure in regard to the great bulk of the Province. It has, how-
ever, given rise to a situation somewhat akin to that already referred
to in the case of the woodcock, partridge and quail in that, as it remains
legal for the liunter to shoot plover, rail and snipe from September 1st,
many of them will be found in the marshes during the first fortnight of
September and, consequently, not only is it most difficult for the war-
dens to enforce the close season for ducks during this period, but un-
doubtedly also the ducks will not derive the full benefit of the additional
protection afforded them through the postponement of the opening of
the duck season to September ITyth. There is no apparent advantage
in or necessity for making the open season for the waders different
from that for ducks sufficient to compensate for this great disadvantage,
and it would, therefore, seem most desirable that the open season for
ducks, plover, rail and snipe should be made coincident.
Another migratory bird, the numbers of which annually visiting the
Province have materially decreased, is the Canada goose. Probably no
bird is more wild or more wary than the goose, and yet it is not to be
doubted that the main cause of the decreasing numbers of the bird in
the Province has been the reckless overshooting and slaughter that has
taken place whenever opportunity offered. As remarkable an illustra-
tion, as perhaps could be found anywhere, of how wild fowl appreciate
a measure of security and of the instinct that will guide them in increas-
ing numbers to localities where it is accorded to them, is furnished by
the experience of that genuine spoi-tsman, Mr. Jack Miner, of Kingsville,
19 F.C.
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 225
Ontario. Mr. Miner is no game-liog, and when in the spring of 1908
eleven wild geese settled on a little pond in the vicinity of his house and
joined the flock of 16 tame birds that lived on it and on another little
pond immediately in front of his house, he refrained from disturbing
them and prevented others from doing so also. The birds soon became
accustomed to their surroundings, and even though Mr. Miner subse-
quently shot five of the eleven wild birds, the remainder came back and
joined the tame flock on the pond in front of the house, where they
stayed until May 15th, when they migrated north. On March 20th,
1909, 32 wild geese arrived and settled on these little exposed ponds,
where they were accorded the same treatment as in the previous year, and
though on this occasion Mr. Miner shot 12 of them on April 10th, the
remaining 20 stayed on until they took to wing on their way to the north
lands on May 1st. On March 4tli, 1910, 30 wild geese arrived, and from
that date on the flock continued increasing until some 250 or 300 wild
geese were assembled on the two ponds. Mr. Miner allowed 36 to be
shot, but the balance as before did not abandon the ponds on that
account, but remained on until the time arrived for the northward
migration. The accompanying illustrations well indicate the exposed
nature of the pond immediately in front of the house, and it is exceed-
ingly doubtful whether such photographs of this exceedingly wild bird
have ever before been taken. The facts, however, that the birds were will-
ing to live in such a public and exposed place for several weeks on end and
to become so used to the presence of human beings, as the photographs
prove them to have been, clearly indicate what the result would be, not
only to the numbers of wild geese, but to those of other waterfowl and
game birds, if the great bulk of the shootists were as good sportsmen as
Mr. Jack INIiner, of Kingsville, and confined their annual slaughter to
the bounds of reason.
The open season for pheasants, which was declared during the past
year, resulted apparently in the satisfactory discovery that the birds
were more plentiful than had been supposed, and most excellent sport
would appear to have been enjoyed. Sufficient time, however, has not
yet elapsed to enable a determination to be arrived at in regard to the
advisability of repeating the experiment of an open season during 1911.
Careful investigations should be made on this point by the proper
authorities, for the pheasants in some localities have become so well
acclimatized and are thriving to such an extent that it would be a
grievous mistake to allow their numbers to become unduly diminisihed.
The question, also, as to the shooting of hen birds merits consideration.
The past season was very properly only open to cock birds, and this
restriction would, on the whole, seem to have been fairly well observed.
Moreover, it would appear to have won the approbation of many sports-
men, as the hens were apparently so easy to find that it would have been
a simple matter to have killed great numbers of them. It is to be noted,
however, that to maintain good stock, the percentage of cocks to hens
226 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
should not in general be alloiwed to fall beloAv one to four or five, and
also that it is at all times expedient to kill off old hens, as these will
frequently interfere with the breeding of younger hens. Consequently
the percentage of cock birds available for breeding in the spring Bhould
be roughly ascertained, and, if it is found to be unduly small, provision
might be made for this contingency when next an open season is de-
clared, either by throwing open one or two weeks of the season to the
shooting of both cocks and hens, reserving the remainder of the season
for the shooting of cocks only, or else by allowing the shooting of hen
birds, in addition to cocks, on certain days of the week throughout the
season. The pheasant is such a handsome bird and provides such fine
sport, in addition to being so highly esteemed a table delicacy, that it is
a matter for congratulation that it is catching on so well in certain por-
tions of the Province, and it is well worth while taking some little pains
to insure its perpetuation.
The prairie chicken, which formerly was comparatively plentiful
throughout a great portion of the Rainy River District, has now pi-ac-
tically become extinct in that region. Various causes have been assigned
for this, but it would seem as usual to have been mainly the fault of in-
discriminate and excessive slaughter. The prairie chicken is a magnifi-
cent game bird, and equally popular for table purposes, and in addition
to the areas in the Rainy River District there are other portions of the
Province where it would, in all probability, thrive. It is not so nervous
a bird as the ruffed grouse, and far more easily domesticated. Moreover,
as it prefers the open to the woods it would be unlikely to materially
affect the grouse or partridge, and in addition is a most valuable bird to
the agriculturist. It would seem, therefore, that it might well be worth
while to try and reintroduce this bird into Ontario.
The question of private game preserves is one that merits some little
attention. In this Province the principle has been adopted of keeping
the shooting on Crown lands open to the public, and of not alienating
the sporting rights over them to private individuals or clubs. There
can be no question that this policy is both the wisest and the fairest in
the interests of the general public. As, hoAvever, sections of the coun-
try become populated and taken u]) by the agriculturist, the areas of
Crown lands in them inevitably become diminished or disappear, and
the question of gnuic in sncli areas is on an altogether different footing
to that prevailing over the great bulk of the Crown wild lands. The
farmer has the right to post his lands, and if he is fond of shooting will
probably do so if there is any game to shoot,' more especially so should
he have taken any measures to produce or maintain that game. More-
over, such stretches of public lands as there are in these districts are
peculiarly accessible to the hunter, and the difficulty, therefore, of main-
taining a supply of game in them is materially enhanced. In fact, in
the settled portions of the Province it would seem that the only practical
means of perpetuating the game lies in a measure of individual, in addi-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 227
tioii to governmental, conservation. The shooting of the farmer has a
distinct value; that of his neighbors also. By posting their lands and
thus conserving the game on it, and by combining to any desired extent,
they have in their possession a shooting which can be annually leased
for a fair sum at least. Where the farmer does not post his land or take
interest in game, all and sundry will shoot the game over it until all
game has disappeared, and with it a legitimate source of income to the
farmer. Plainly it is better to have the game on the farm, and that the
farmer should profit from it, than that there should be no game, and
consequently no profit from it to the farmer or anyone else. Indeed,
there can be little doubt that as the population increases and shooting
becomes more difficult to obtain, there will be an ever-increa'sing field for
profit in game of which the farmer ishould take advantage, and that
when this fact becomes more generally recognized by the farmers, game
will increase through the efforts of the farmers in raising and protect-
ing it.
A very similar situation arises in connection with duck preserves
over duck marshes in populous neighborhoods. The indiscriminate
shooting that will occur throughout the length and breadth of public
marshes in such localities day after day during the open season, is cal-
culated to insure that the ducks will be slaughtered and, to a great ex-
tent, driven away. Moreover, should ducks breed in these marshes, frog
hunters and others will be here, there and everywhere disturbing them
and working considerable damage. On the other hand, the existence of
a private preserve in such a locality tends to remedy many of these evils.
In the majority of cases the preserve is well looked after and the breed-
ing ducks are not disturbed, while, also, precautions are, as a rule, taken
to prevent shooting on warm or still days when ten shots fired will be
likely to drive away more birds than 1,000 shots on a windy day, and to
limit the extent of the shooting, as likewise the hours between which it
may take place. As a result of these precautions the ducks are enabled
to feed and secure a measure of rest, and, in most cases, not only do they
become plentiful on the preserve itself, but the shooting over adjacent
territory is also considerably improved. The general sentiment of the
population of this Province is undoubtedly against the private duck pre-
serve, especially when it is instituted over marshes which long have been
open to the public, but it is a question whether in the more densely
populated and most accessible areas a greater measure of preserves will
not become actually necessary in the future, if the shooting is to be
maintained to any degree of excellence. In the wilder and remoter re-
gions there can be no advantage in or necessity for such preserves. In
fact, in such regions the public rights to the shooting should be most
jealously safeguarded; and, indeed, in the older portions of the Pro-
vince, even though a preserve is apparently in many ways advantageous,
especially when situated in some portion of an extensive marsh, every
effort should be made to insure that in all cases the bulk of the marsh
228 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
remains open to the public, and that small isolated nmiKlies, which
afford even limited sport to the many, shall not be alienated from the
public for the benefit and the privilege of the few.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner Avould, therefore, recommend :—
(1) That the dates of the open seasons for partridge (ruffed
grouse) and woodcock throughout the Province be made: October 16th
to November 30th, inclusive; for quail, November 1st to 30th, inclu-
sive; and for plover, rail and snipe, September 15th to December 15th.
(2) That on all public land's, marshes or waters it be declared
illegal for any person to shoot, kill or take more than 30 wild ducks, all
species and varieties of wild ducks and teal included, in any one day,
provided only that such restriction shall not be held to appl}- to such
areas as are posted and maintained as duck preserve's.
(3) That Monday of each week during the open season for ducks
be declared closed to duck shooting on public lands, marshes or waters.
(4) That adequate steps be taken to ascertain the desirability of
declaring an open season for cock pheasants during the year 1011, and
in the event of an open season being decided upon, of legalizing the tak-
ing of a proportion of hen birds.
(5) That all possible efforts be made by the administration in the
direction of encouraging the introduction of international regulations
in regard to the killing or taking of migratory game and other birds.
(6) That the principle be maintained of not alienating the shoot-
ing privilege's over Crown lands, marshes or waters in the wilder por-
tions of the Province to private individuals, clubs or corporations; that
in the more populous and opened sections of the Province, should it be
deemed desirable to grant such privileges in the interests of propaga-
tion and conservation, the extent of public land, marsh or water over
which shooting rights are thus alienated from the public be strictly
limited ; and that in no case an entire marsh or water area suitable for
wild ducks be thus alienated.
The Collection of Non-Resident Licenses and Cold Storage.
In some sections of the Province tlierc^ is little doubt but that a
considerable numbei' of non-residents hunt, shoot and fish without pay-
ing the legal license f(H»s. Most particularly so would this appear to be
the case in the vicinity of border towns. The great majority of sports-
men who visit Ontario from outside undoubtedly enter the Province
through the border toAvns, and it has been suggested that, as a means
of counteracting as far as possible the eva'sion of the shooting and
angling licenses by such persons, wlicic Ihey have in their possession on
entering the Province hnnting dogs, gnus or angling eqniy)nient, they
A Misty Day on the Steel River, Thunder Bay District.
A Corner of Rainy Lake.
1912 AND FISHERIES (COMMISSION. 229
should be c-onipelled to take out the corresponding- license ais a condition
of their property being- passed through the Customs, irrespective of any
declared intention to hunt, angle or otherwise. There is bat little ques-
tion that considerable amounts of money would be collected by this
means which otherwise would l)e lost to the treasur}-, but it is to be ob-
served that this would be a somewhat arbitrary measure and likel}', in
many cases, to be resented by the visitor as an imputation of dishonest
purpose. Further, the Customs' ofticials are not under Provincial con-
trol, and consequently the measure would thereby be somewlmt compli-
cated, and in addition to this, the Province maintains a warden force to
enforce the regulations, and if that warden force is inefficient, it is the
Province and not the visitor wliich is to blame. Undoubtedly there will
always be some strangerB anxious to escape the payment of the non-
resident hunting, shooting or angling- license fees, and sufficiently
ignoble to resort to such means as false registering to accomplish tlieir
purpose, but under an efficient ■system of administration the chances of
detection should be so great as to reduce the numbers of such would-be
evaders of the license fees to a minimum.
Some objection has been raised to the regulations whereby game
may not be kept in cold storage by firms engaged in tbat luisinesx longer
than the IGth day of January following after the close of the open sea-
sons. A license fee of |25 is charged for the privilege ^of storing game.
It is clainuMl tliat tlie fee is so high that in many cases the amount of
game dealt in by the firm does not cover the cost, and that a longer
period should be open to the firms in wliich to dispose of the game.
The main reason for the enactment of the regulation was plainly to
afford a safeguard against the illegal slaughter of game during the
close season, and it is not to be doubted that as a means of protection
the law, as it stands, is generally effective. To prolong the period in
wliich indigenous game niiight legally be dealt in from cold storage
would, therefore, not appear advisable, and if an injustice is being done
the cold storage firms, the best means of remedying- it would evidently
be to reduce the license charge. The cold storage firms, however, can be
relied on to take this matter up themselves when the majority feel the
necessity of so doing, and it may be observed that a high license is bene-
ficial in that it tends to centralize the storage of game and thus renders
supervision comparatively easy. In regard to game that is not in-
digenous, or, in other words, which is imported from outside the Pro-
vince, seeing that such game could be shipped in bond to the importer
and the shipment only released under authority of a. government in-
spector, it would seem reasonable that cold storage of such game could
safely be permitted for longer periods than at present allowed by law.
The laws in relation to public carriers afford considerable protection to
indigenous game, so that even though in such a case as that of the Eng-
lish pheasant which is now to be found in certain restricted portions of
the Province, the imported bird could not be distinguished from the
230 KEPOPvT OF OXTAKIO GAME No. 52
local variety, no great harm would be likely to accrue ; iu fact, not more
so than under the ]nesent system ; for the majority of purchasers would
buy from a reputable dealer whose importations would have been
franked by a government inspector, and there should be little, if any, ad-
ditional difficulty to that experienced at the present time in detecting
illegal trafficking in local or indigenous game. It would seem, therefore,
that under tlie present graduated license for the privilege of importing
and storing game the cold storage firms miglit be allowed to import
game from abroad and deal in the same until March 31st, provided that
due arrangements were made to inspect and check the shipments, in ad-
dition to the cold storage houses during the extended period. There is
little doubt but that in the future various enterprises will develop in
tlie Province in the direction of game farming chiefly for market pur-
poses, which will necessitate some modifications of the present laws in
regard to the sale and cold storage of game, for it is plainly in the in-
terests of the public that such enterpriser should be afforded reasonable
opportunities of marketing their products, seeing that an increase in the
diversity of wholesome foods available to the public cannot but be of
general advantage. It will, however, be time enough to deal with such
a situation when the enterprises have been or are in the process of being
established.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend: —
That under the present scale of license cold storage firms be
allowed to import, hold in cold storage and deal in game tlius imported
up to and including March 31st of each year, provided only that all such
importations shall only be released from bond on a certificate being ob-
tained from the proper authority; that such certificates must be held
on the premises so long as any proportion of the game is held in cold
storage; that no game whatsoever be held in cold storage without such
certificate after January ICth of each year; and that adequate steps be
taken to arrange for the inspection of cold storage premises throughout
the period indicated.
Game Farms.
In a ])revious section it has been pointe-d out that in the raising of
game foi- market purposes there exists an o]>portuiiity for profitable com-
mercial enterprise, and that any addition to tlie periimnent food re-
sources of the community cannot but be advantageous. It has been
noted, also, that in tlie more cullivat(Ml sections of the Province a great
deal can be accomplished in the direction of increasing the supply, or
even the varieties, of game through the efforts of those cultivating the
soil, and that not only is such an eventualiiy much to be desired, but
worth,y, also, of every encouragement in Ihe interests of the farmers,
the sportsmen and the public at large. In tlic United States these ques-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 231
tions are receiving ever increasing attention, many individual states as
well as private individuals or firms having- become interested in the pro-
duction of game on a large Kcale, and it may here be noted that a move-
ment of no little dimensions has arisen in the direction of still further
augmenting state and individual efforts in regard to the production of
game, it being claimed that the principle involved affords the soundest,
if not actually the only satisfactory, solution to the problem of per-
petuating the game of the country, placing game food within the reach
of the bulk of the population, and at the same time of securing such an
abundance of wild creature's that there will be an abundance of sport
for everyone without the necessity for irksome restrictions. It cannot
be denied that there is very considerable truth in this contention as a
whole, but it is apparent that until the game farm shall have made its
appearance in this Province and be producing considerable quantities of
game, there must remain the most urgent necessity for safeguarding the
wild creatures, and that under any conceivable conditions some measure,
at least, of protection to them will be found not only advisable but in-
dispensable. There is, moreover, an under-current of thought connected
with the widespread cultivation of game in which may ultimately be
found a menace to public rights and privileges in regard to hunting and
gihooting. Some varieties of game can be more advantageously or easily
raised under semi-wild conditions, while under completely natural con-
ditions most indigenous game will thrive and multipl}^ to an astonish-
ing extent if afforded more or less complete protection. Hence, under
the cloak of the production of game there will almost inevitably appear
the lean head of purely selfish interests, clamouring to be apportioned
the shooting rights over large areas of public lands and claiming to be
a public benefactor in the direction of game protection and propagation,
while the public are excluded from participating in the sport to be found
over the territory allotted or leased to it. The legitimate game farm,
even though it be of some consideral)le size, and the small preserve in a
country thoroughly opened up and under cultivation are one matter;
the alienation of public shooting rights over large areas of public lands
is altogether another. Consequently, while encouraging the game farm
and bowing to necessity in the case of the small preserve in populous
sections of the Province, no consideration or argument should be allowed
to affect the principle, fortunately so firmly rooted in Ontario, that
sport on public lands is the heritage of the people at large, or to coun-
tenance any departure therefrom in regard to the vast areas of Cro\\n
lands in the wilder sections of the Province.
There are in various portions of Ontario areas of wild and rough
land from which the timber has been largely removed, but whicli will
never prove of much service to the community in the matter of agricul-
ture. Such areas will in many cases be found to be suitable to the pur-
poses of deer farming. Deer are comparatively prolific. The rutting
season occurs in the fall or early winter and the period of gestation is
232 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
about seven mouths, the faAvus beiug usually born about May or Juue.
The young does breed when about seventeen months old and have usually
but one fawn the first time, but subsecjuently two fawns are produced
in the majority of cases. As instancing the rapid increase of deer may
be noted the case of the Otzmachon Rod and Gun Club, Clinton County,
Pa., which placed about 90 deer in its 4,000 acre park and in six years
had 2,000 head and were expecting an additional 1,000 fawns in the
early summer. Deer are easily and cheaply raised, and comparatively
hardy, living approximately twent}- to twenty-seven years. They will
eat wild rye and other soft grasses, buds and leaves of trees, growing
wheat, clover, peas, barley, oats, vegetables, corn, bran, chops or fruits,
in fact, almost anything except dry hay. The cost of feeding them in
suitable localities has been estimated at one-half a cent each per day.
They are easily confined by a woven wire or barbed wire fence 61/0 feet
in height. In addition to the fact that ^^'ere deer more readily obtain-
able doubtless quite a number would be purchased for small parks and
enclosures; the creature is commercially valuable in that its liesli is an
excellent meat for human consumption, and the horns, hides and even
hair are articles of commerce. The dietetic value of venison is enhanced
by the fact that it is especially adapted to invalids wlio require a nour-
ishing yet easily digestible food. In a recently published table show-
ing the time required to digest foods, grilled vension is given front rank
with boiled tripe and boiled rice, as requiring but one hour for complete
digestion, wliipped raw eggs, boiled barley and boiled trout, as well as
asparagus and a few other vegetables are shown to require an hour and
a half; while grilled beefsteak and mutton require three hours for diges-
tion and grilled or roasted veal or pork five hours or more.
Deer horns, although deciduous, are solid processes, produced from
the frontal bone, and have the physical as well as' the chemical proper-
ties of true bone. The material produces much gelatin by decoction and
the waste pieces of the horns used in the manufacture of knife handles
are either made into gelatin or boiled down into size used in cloth
manufacture. At one time deer horn Avas a prominent source of am-
monia. Some thirty years ago in Sheffield, England, some 500 tons of
deer horn, representing the antlers of fully 350,000 deer, were used an-
nually in the manufacture of handles of knives and other iustruuu^nts.
Deer skins, as tanned and dressed by the Indians, are manufactured into
moccasins, racquets, toboggans and other articles for sale, TVhile deer hide
also makes an excellent leather. Deer hair has a p<'culiar cellular struc-
ture and is used in some parts of the world for stuffing saddles, to which
purpose it is especially adapted.
It will be conceded, therefore, that under suitable conditions deer
farming should indeed prove a profitable industi-y. In tliis connection
it may be observed that it will, in all probability, be found feasible to
exploit both moose and caribou by similar methods, and doubtless also
to introduce other varieties of deer, should such be deemed desirable.
1912 AXD FISHERIES COMMISSION. 233
The moose, wliicli is closely allied to the European elk, is held to
be naturally adapted to domestication. Instances have occurred where
the animals have been trained to draw a sleigh, and at one time it would
appear that the elk was fully domesticated in northern Scandinavia, and
in general use to carry couriers from one place to another. The elk, it
is stated, was swifter than the reindeer, and in certain instances covered
over 230 miles in a single day, and it is further alleged that the use of
the elk was finally forbidden in this region owing to the facilities it
afforded to prisoners and criminals to escape, and its domestication con-
f^equently abandoned. Moose-hide is bo thick and hard that the leather
is said to have been known to have resisted musket balls.
No attempts have as yet been made to domesticate the caribou or
Canadian reindeer, although these animals differ but little from the Old
AYorld species. Some authorities are of the opinion that both the wood-
land and barren ground caribou are capable of domestication, and it is
evident that such a step would be of material benefit in the extreme
northerly sections of the Province. In any case, even where reindeer are
imported, as has occurred in some instances on this continent, crossing
the European species with the imdigenous and wild variety would doubt-
less be found to produce animals of greater strength and size, and the
native caribou could be constantly drawn on for new blood as has often
been done in the case of wild reindeer in northern Europe and Siberia.
The game farm aff"ords a means of producing annually and com-
paratively cheaply a quantity of birds and eggs of indigenous or im-
ported varieties. Undoubtedly the indigenous varieties, as a rule, will
be found to be the best adapted to the purposes of farming, for already
they will be acclimatized and the food most suited to them will be found
existing naturally to some extent on the farm, while in addition to these
advantages there will be a readier market for the sale of the eggs and
birds for sporting purposes, for there will be less risk attending their
plantation. In the United States considerable attention has been paid
of late to the farming of game birds, the gTeatest efforts having
apparently been put forth in the direction of imported varieties, such as
the pheasant and the Hungarian partridge. While these experiments
have not in many instances been an unqualified success, the fact that
many states and individuals are still conducting them on an increasing
scale would serve to indicate that the enterprise has taken firm root and
can be expected materially to develop in the future. In New^ York State,
for instance, a sum of |12,000 was recently devoted to the purchase of a
game farm, the erection of a suitable plant and the acquisition of a suit-
able number of birds for stock purposes. Seventy-five acres of this farm
have been fenced with woven wire eight feet high and pens built therein.
The birds principally dealt with are the pheasant and Hungarian part-
ridge, and it is estimated that the state should be able to supply six
thousand or more birds and a thousand eggs each year for propagating
and stocking purposes.
234 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
The actual cu.st of running a g'ame farm will depend very largely on
the variety of birds raised and the initial expense, of course, of acquir-
ing land suitable to the jnirpose, as Avell as the cost of stock birds, but
in this Province, at least, it is evident that the value placed on game
birds, both alive and dead, is such that there cannot but be a great margin
of profit to the farmer. The ringneck pheasant is not, in all probability,
adapted to the bleaker portions of the Province, but it has already been
demonstrated a success in certain of the southern districts, and there
can be little doubt that not only would a game farm dealing in this bird
be a profitable investment, but that its cultivation affords a means to the
ordinary farmer in those areas of considerably augmenting his income
at but little trouble or expense.
A pheasantry may be started with mature birds or eggs, although,
as a rule, it has been found more economical in the long run to acquire
the parent birds. The price of pheasants varies considerably according
to the season, being cheapest at the close of the breeding season, an aver-
age cost for ringnecked or English pheasants being, perhaps, |5.00 a
pair. Any well drained ground is suitalde for pens, but a gentle slope
of sandy loam, comparatively cool in midsummer, furnishes ideal con-
ditions. Clay is the poorest soil for the purpose, as it is likely to foster
disease. The pens should be provided with plenty of both sunshine and
shade and constructed like ordinary poultr}- runs. Each pen should
cover at least 100 square feet, for contracted quarters are apt to induce
disease. A small open shed or enclosure at one end of the pen is advan-
tageous in that it i^rovides shelter and a dry dusting place. The floor of
this shed should be natural earth, to furnish dust baths for the birds, for
dust batlis are as essential to pheasants as to poultry, freeing them from
lice and keeping their plumage in good condition. Mortar, cinders and
plenty of grit should be kept in the shed. Extra communicating pens,
alongside those in use, have been found advantage'ous as, in many in-
stances, a hen, stopping laying in the one, will be induced to resume
laying by removal to another, and opportunity is afforded, also, of fresh-
ening the ground. Tlie pens and sIhhIs should be kept scrupulously
clean. The pheasant is polygamous and the nmle pugnacious during the
breeding season, so that each pen should contain one cock to three to
five hens. Eggs sliould be hatched under barnyard hens or turkeys, for
though broody, the pheasant hens are wild, and it has proved difficult
to obtain good results by leaving them to Itatcli the eggs. In selecting
a hen for the ])urpose it is essential that she be free from scaly leg, roup
or lic(^ The young should go without food for the first twenty-four
hour-s after hatching, and at the end of that period, or at least within
a day or two of hatching, the hatching box shouhl ])e removed to the
rearing field which may be meadowland, a (dovei* field or an orchard, in
which coops are provided. These coops should be at least 30 yards apart
so as to allow plenty of territory to the various broods. Suitable food
is held to be of the utmost importance, and Ihere are a variety of
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 235
opinions on the subject, but in general it may be noted that not only does
variety tempt the appetite, but with the chicks the transition from soft
to hard food must be gradual. Ant eggs are a most suitable food, but
if a sufficient supply cannot be obtained throughout the season, it is
better to avoid their use altogether, as chicks are liable to reject other
food after being fed on them. Maggots, mealworms, finely ground meat
and almost any soft bodied insects are excellent substitutes for ant eggs.
For the first three or four days the chicks are usually fed on a stiff cus-
tard of eiggs and milk, but subsequently more substantial food is added.
A good general rule appears to be to vary the food as much as possible
and to be liberal in the matter of green foods. After two or three weeks
coarser ground food may be supplied safely, and grain gradually in-
creased until the fifth Aveek when whole wdieat, barley, cracked corn, oats
and buckwheat may be added. Sunflower seeds, boiled potatoes, chop-
ped onion and baked bread crumbs are also useful to vary the diet as the
chicks approach maturity.
With other game birds generally similar requirements will be found
necessary, varying only in regard to the temperament of the bird and
somewhat, also, in regard to the most suitable foods. Both the ruffed
grouse and quail have been successfully raised on farms, in some in-
stances on the same land, and other varieties of grouse, Kuch as the
prairie chicken, have also been successfully cultivated. It should, in-
deed, be both feasible and profitable to raise both indigenous and im-
ported varieties of these birds almost throughout Ontario, and it cannot
be doubted that more enterprise on the part of the farmers in this direc-
tion is much to be desired.
A further field is open to the game farmer and owner of suitable
land in the raising of fur-bearing animals. The beaver, otter, marten,
mink and silver and blue fox are amongst the animals wliose partial
domestication would be profitable and doubtless will be undertaken on
a considerable scale in the future, but of all fur-bearing animals occur-
ring in this Province the muskrat affords the easiest opportunity for
successful exploitation in this direction. The celerity with whicli the
creature multiplies has been indicated in another section of this report,
and the rapidly increasing price of its fur renders it almost a certainty
that advantage will be taken of suitable localities by individuals and
firms to augment the income derivable from sucli property through its
cultivation, as has already been done in certain instances in the United
States. The Cedar Point Hunting Club, of Toledo, Ohio, controls 5.000
acres of marsh at the mouth of the Maumee River near Lake Erie. In
the winter 1903-4, after the muskrats had been left undisturbed for two
years, they were trapped for tlie benefit of the club. In a single month
5,000 were taken, the skins being sold at 25 cents a piece and the car-
casses at. f 1.00 per dozen. The extensive marshes of Dorchester County,
Maryland, are a centre of miiskrat production. Formerly the owners
of marshes in this vicinity paid little attention to them. Trappers were
20 F.c.
236 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
allowed to take luuskrats wherever they eho>^e and the marsh laud eould
have been bought for less than 50 cents an acre. At the present time
siome of the marshes are worth uu)re, on a basis of the income derived
from them, than cultivated farms of like acreag'e in the same vicinity,
owing to the muskrat. As a rule trapping- privileges are leaded, and
both trapper and owner protect the marshes from poaching. As instanc-
ing the values thus attained the following quotation is made from a
Bulletin issued on the subject by the United States Department of
Agriculture :
" The owner of one tract of marsh informed the writer that he
bought it three or four years ago for |2,700. It is leaised for half the fur
and yielded him in 1909, |890, or about 33 per cent, on the investment.
The owner of a small piece of marsh — about 40 acres — bought it in 1905
for |150. Leased for haM the fur it has yielded the owner |30, fOO, |T0
and |100 for each of the four years 1906-1909. . . . The owner of a
1,300 acre tract of marsh trapped it this season with the aid of his
sons and secured over 5,000 muskrats, which were sold for |2,300."
It is interesting to note, also, that as a food the muskrat has a place
in certain markets, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wilmington,
w^here it is sold as " marsh-rabbit," although no effort m made to con-
ceal its identity, and not only do well-to-do people buy and eat it, but
that since the animal is caught princii)ally for its fur and the additional
labor of preparing the meat for market is but trifling, it can be sold
very cheaply. In Baltimore in 1908 the retail price was about 10 cents
each, and the wholesale price about 7 cents each, and the demand at
these prices appeared to be considerably in excess of the supply. The
flesh of the muskrat was generally esteemed by the aborigines of North
America and the early colonists soon learned to eat the animal also. At
the present time opinions appear to differ as to its edible qualities, some
maintaining that its musky flavor is so strong as to prevent all but the
starving from eating it, while others aver that it is game worthy of an
epicure with a flavor somewhat akin to wild duck that has been shot in
the same marsihes where it has fed, or have even compared its' flavor to
that of the famous terrapin. Indeed, annual muskrat banquets are by
no means uncommon with gun clubs in certain of the western states of
the Union. The flesh of the muskrat is dark red in color, but fine
grained and tender. Care should be taken in skinning it that the fur
does not touch the flesh, to avoid cutting into the musk glands and to
trim off any subcutaneous glands that may adhere to the meat. Various
recipes for either stewing, frying or iH>asting muskrat can be readily
obtained. It is doubtful whether many of these creatures are consumed
by white people in Ontario at the present time, but there would appear
to be no reason why the carcass of the muskrat should not become an
article of considerable commercial value in the Province, and thus tend
to increase the profits of those wiio become interested in its cultivation.
An attempt has been made in this section to indicate the feasibility
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 237
of raising and propagating game of many species and varieties, and the
great economic possibilities that exist in such enterprises, and it re-
mains, therefore, bnt to note that the wliole matter is of snch importance
from the points of view of sport, of the perpetnation of game, of the
available food supply of the population and of the creation of new and
prosperous industries, that it is well deserving of the special considera-
tion of any administration. It would seem, then, that the government
might well give the citizens of the Province a lead in the intro<luction
of the system into Ontario, for in no matter which direction applied the
undertaking would almost certainly j)rove highly profitable financially,
if due economy were exercised and due precautions taken, and it cannot
be doubted that the success of the governmental experiments woubl be
followed by the institution of many similar enterprises throughout the
Province.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend:
(1) That a Provincial Game Farm be established in a suitable
locality for the purpose of raising deer; demonstrating the practicability
of such an enterprise as a profitable commercial undertaking; and en-
couraging the establishment of such enterprises by private firms or indi-
viduals throughout the Province.
(2) That a Provincial Game Farm be established in a suitable
locality to raise, propagate and distribute the indigenous game birds of
the Province, and to obtain and distribute the eggs of the same ; to deal
in a similar manner with such varieties of non-indigenous game birds
or game birds Avhich have become extinct in the Province as may be
deemed desirable; to demonstrate the practicability of such an enter-
prise as a profitable commercial undertaking; and to encourage the
establishment of such enterprises by farmers, private firms and indi-
viduals throughout the Province.
(3) That a suitable area of marsh or other territory, the property
of the Crown, be set aside by the government for the purpose of muskrat
cultivation, in order to demonstrate the practicability of such an enter-
prise as a profitable commercial undertaking and to encourage the ex-
ploitation of lands for this purpose which otherwise are or would be
more or less unprofitable.
Frogs.
A creature of no small economic value is the bull frog wliich, in
various sections of the Province, was once exceedingly abundant. It
constitutes one of the favorite foods of certain of the wild ducks and,
moreover, is a valuable contribution to the available fare of such highly
esteemed sporting fishes as the black bass and mascalonge, while frog
legs are generally considered a delicacy on account of their tender flesh
and pleasant flavor, and, in consequence, command a good price in the
238 EEPOET OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
markets of the Pioviuce. Too little attention, however, has been paid
to the frog in the past and very rapid depletion of its numbers has been
and continues to be effected. In two counties only at the present time is
the frog afforded any protection at all.
The main habitat of the frog-s is, of course, the marsh. In the
breeding season, which commences as a rule as soon as the weather
begins to turn warm, and continues apparently until July, the frogs,
band, and it is during this period that they are most usually pursued, it
being claimed by the frog hunters that hunting at other periods of the
year would not be a profitable enterprise. The usual time of hunting is
the night when the frogs, busily engaged in reproductive functions, are
peculiarly insensible to danger, and when, in consequence, considerable
numbei's of them can easily be secured with the aid of a lantern. The
tadpole takes, apparently, two years to mature, and this fact alone
would seem to indicate the necessity for affording the frogs at least
some measure of protection during the breeding season, for the longer
the period of time required by any creature to mature, the more easily
will it become exterminated.
The hunting of frogs during the breeding season is harmful in other
direction's, however, of no little importance. Precisely at this period of
the year the wild ducks are breeding in the marshes, and whether on the
nest or with the young require seclusion and peace. The advent of the
frog hunters in numbers into the marshes can onh^ be calculated to scare
and frighten the ducks at this important season, with the result that
nests will be abandoned, eggs trodden on and crushed, an<l some per-
centage, at least, of young ducks perish or be destroyed, all of Avhicli in
view of tlie general diminution in the quantities of ducks throughout
the Province is much to be deplored.
It would seem, then, that not only should protection be afforded
to the bull frog on account of its extensive economic value and for the
reason that it takes so long to mature, but that for the better conserva-
tion of the ducks and to permit of their breeding operations being as
successful as possible, it is imperative tliat the frog hunters should be
kept out of the marshes for a portion, at least, of the banding season.
The exact period of the banding season depends in all probability on the
weather conditions to a considerable extent. In many instances it will
undoubtedly be in i)rogress throughout the month of April and in many
instances, also, continue ou into (he month of July. It in plain, liowever,
that the market interests and many citizens could be expected to com-
plain if the whole of this period were declarcnl closed to frog hunting,
more especially if it be ti-ue, as asserted, that the frogs can only be
hunted profitably while banding. It becomes, then, a matter of deter-
mining reasonable dates for a close season. In view of the fact that the
greatest harm will be done to the ducks by the frog hunters during the
months of May and June it Avould seem, perhaps, advisable to select this
period for tlie pni-i)ose, and it cannot be doubted that even such partial
1913 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 239
protection during the important season of reproductive activity would
tend materially to increase the numbers; of frogs to the advantage of the
frog hunters themselves and of those sections of the community who like
to eat them, to the better propagation of the ducks breeding in the
marshes, and to the improvement of the food -supply of ducks, black bass
and mascalonge.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend: —
That a close season for frogs be declared throughout the Province
extending from May 1 to June 30, both days inclusive.
Publicity.
In the Interim Report of this Commission and in various 'sections of
this report attention has been called to the value of the tourist traffic.
It has been established that the benefit derived from this traffic affects
all classes of the community in that the greater portion of the monies
expended by the tourists will remain to circulate in the Province, and
it has been shown that the presence of the tourist is calculated to lead
to the investment of capital and to the initiation of new and prosperous
enterprises in the Province. Undoubtedly the Province of Ontario is
exceptionally fortunate in the variety of attraction's wdiich it possesses
for tourists. In addition to splendid cities and towns, there is an almost
unrivalled variety of beautiful scenery. In the winter ice-boating,
sleighing, skating, snowshoeing and other outdoor sports and amuse-
ments are well calculated to allure the inhabitantis of warmer climes ; in
summer, facilities for canoeing, bathing, camping and a sojourn in the
woods in a bracing and healthy climate should afford a sufficient induce-
ment to the dwellers in cities and towns without the Provincial borders
to take advantage of them ; while in addition to all these things there is
still to be secured angling for a number of popular fi'shes and Imnting
of many species of feathered and larger game. Moreover, the location
of Ontario renders the Province peculiarly accessible to the most popu-
lous area of the entire continent. With all these natural advantages for
the development of a great tourist traffic it would indeed seem most
improvident for Ontario to refrain from attempting their adequate
exploitation.
Other provinces and states have grasped the importance of this
matter. Maine, for instance, derives an enormous annual income from
the tourist, more particularly from the sporting tourist, traffic which has
been carefully sought and cultivated for a considerable period of yeai's.
British Columbia, proud of her magnificent trout streams and salmon
waters, conscious of the attractions afforded by her mountains, her
lakes and her forests, by her big aiid feathered game, has spared no effort
to attract visitors from outside, realizing that the monies expended by the
240 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
state in coiiipilino- useful information and circulatino- it in illustrated
book form by the thousand on this continent and abroad, alike in Eng-
lish and foreign languages, is not a waste of money, but an investment
which most assuredly will repay itself many times over not only in the
sums actually paid out by the tourists who have been attracted thereby,
in the incidental costs of their visits, but in the widespread advertise-
ment it will give to the wonderful opportunities awaiting the si)oitsnmn,
the settler and the capitalist.
In the yearly report of one of the principal banks operating in
Canada, Ontario was stigmatized as the Province of neglected oppor-
tunities, in that there la}^ to hand agricultural and other possibilities,
equally, if not more, attractive than those existing in other Provinces,
but that this fact Avas so little appreciated that young people generally
left their homes and went west in searcli of that fortune which was more
surely awaiting their energies in their native Province. If the criticism
is well founded, as there can be little doubt that it is, the necessity is
plainly great that the community sliould receive enlightenment as to
the resources of its own possessions, for so long as the general public
remains ignorant of or apathetic in regard to them, so long will their due
exploitation remain unaccomplished, their potentialities lie hidden from
the world, and knowledge of them abroad be difficult if not impossible
to obtain.
From every point of view, then, it would appear that a great need
exists at the present time for greater publicity in regard to the resources,
possibilities and attractions afforded by the Province. In no one direc-
tion, however, would this seem to be more desirable than in the matter
of a wider diKscMuination of knowledge in regard to the climatic, scenic,
sporting and other facilities calculated to draw visitors to Ontario.
At the present time little or no effort is made by the Province in
this direction, and such information as is to be had on this subject is
collected and supplied by railways and other transportation companies
directly interested in the tourist traffic. Consequently, in many instan-
ces the scenic attractions are unduly magnified, accommodation and
comforts somewhat misrepresented and the sporting facilities over-
stated beyond all reason, with tlie result tliat encountering the real,
where he had anticipated the imaginary, the tourist is all too often dis-
satisfied merely because his expectations are not realized. Wardens,
rangers, overseers, constables and, in fact, innumerable governmental
officials are scattered all over the Province, and it should be a simple
matter for the Government to collect and collate all such information
as will be desired by, or would be useful to, the tourist. It cannot be
doubted, moreover, that the issuance of accurate information on these
points in attractive form would very materially swellthe numbers of
annual visitors from all parts, if adequate ■|)rovision were made for free
distribution both at home in the Province and abroad.
Of all natural resources, for it should be esteemed as such, scenery
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 241
is in all probability the most economically profitable, for no material
portion of it is lost to the community in return for the cash which it
tends to attract. Fish and game, also, constitute a natural resource
which should be permanent if properly conserved, and should, therefore,
be more highly esteemed than those resources whose exploitation is
synonj'mous for their disappearance. jMineral, once taken from the
ground, ceases to be an asset. Much of its worth finds its way abroad
in the shape of dividends. Fish and game, however, have recuperative
powers, sufficient within certain limits to meet an annual drain without
impairing their value. Their greatest economic worth lies undoubtedly
in the attraction they possess for the tourist, for the intrinsic value of
a few fish, a few birds or some larger animal, as well as the proportion-
ate expense of protecting, or even producing, them, caught or killed by
the visitor, is offset many times over by the cash paid by the visitor to
secure the sport. No effort, therefore, should be spared to obtain the
greatest possible income from these natural resources of scenery, fish
and game, which they can be made to produce, and it would seem beyond
doubt that the first step towards their adequate exploitation must and
should be the collection, publication and free distribution of all possible
information concerning them by the Government of the Province.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend : —
That steps be taken l)y the Government to secure and collate
accurate information concerning the scenic, touring, sporting and other
attractions of the Province likely to prove of use to those visiting
Ontario and to the citizens of the Province, or to draw visitors to
Ontario, and to publish such information in such form and cause its
free distribution to be effected in such a manner that the facilities
afforded by the Province in these directions will become more widely
advertised and known.
A Scheme for the I improvement of the Fisheries and Game Protec-
tive Services.
It has been the unpleasant duty of this Commission to report most
adversely on the system, the equipment and the efficiency of the Fisheries
and Game Protective Services. Attention has been called to the fact
that both commercial and sporting fisheries, as well as four-legged and
feathered game of the Province are becoming rapidly depleted. The
necessity for complete reorganization has been insisted upon. While it
has been recognized that undoubtedly the reorganization of the present
system will take time to complete and that efficiency can only be attained
in all departments of the services through greater expenditures of
money, the urgency of initiating reforms while there is yet something
242 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
to conserve lias been clearly demonstrated. It remains, then, bnt to ont-
line a general scheme by which the reorganization and improvement of
the protective services can be effected.
The main consideration is nudonbtedly the creation of an anthority
with sufficient leisure to master the intricacies of the many problems
involved and with sufficient power to initiate and carry through a
scheuie of reorganization. This matter has, however, already been dealt
with and recommendations on the subject made.
In regard to the personnel of the outside service, the baneful effects
of political patronage and underpayment have been brought to atten-
tion and certain recommendations made in regard to them. It has been
pointed out that men who are not fitted for their positions or who have
to engage in other pursuits to earn a living cannot be expected to make
really efficient officers, and that one of the main evils of the present
system is that the underpaid overseer or warden is liable to be influenced
in the discharge of his duties by business affiliations or personal friend-
ship, or again overawed by considerations of possible harm to himself
or property. It has been shown, in fact, that a permanent force of well
paid officials is an imperative necessity at the present time.
The Province covers such a wdde area that the situation both in
regard to the fisheries and game differs widely in the various regions.
Two inspectors are at present maintained by the Department of Game
and Fisheries, but it can hardly be expected of even such capable and
efficient officers as those now occupying these positions that they should
be able to fully comprehend the peculiar difficulties occurring in each
locality or its individual requirements in complete detail, or that they
should be able to see to it that their duties are being properly performed
by the various wardens and overseers. In fact, this would be an impossi-
bility for any two men to accomplish. Having such immense areas to
cover they can become intimately acquainted with none in the course
of their professional duties, and if they succeed in doing so, it cannot
but be by hazard of birth or previous dwelling in them, or else at the
expense of other districts. It is nevertheless essential to efficient and
economic administration that the organization in each area should be
perfected and the supervision continuous. To attain this objective,
therefore, it would seem indispensable that the Province should be subdi-
vided into convenient areas, and that in each of them there sliould be
stationed an official who should become intimately conversant with the
conditions prevailing in it, and under directions from the controlling
executive, both organize and supervise the protective services appor-
tioned to it.
The creation of such officials would iuii)ly tliai in each region iliere
would be an officer of superior intelligence nnd rank, devoting his ener-
gies to its particular necessities and directly interested in solving its
individual problems. Not only, indeed, would organization be more
easily perfected by this nutans and supei*visiou afforded, but the con-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 243
trolling execiitiye would be kept reasonably well advised of the actual
conditions prevailing throughout the Province, which at the present
time would appear to be far from being the case, judging from the almost
unanimously favourable reports as to conditions furnished by the vari-
ous wardens and overseers and published yearly by the Department of
Game and Fisheries. It would, of course, be essential to select only
men of high attainments and adequate qualifications for these respon-
sible positions, and to secure the services of such men good salaries
would have to be paid.
Coincident with the appointment of such an of&cer to a district it would
be necessary to furnish him with some measure of reliable, permanent
staff, most carefully selected and comprising only men physically, men-
tally and morally suited to the posts, and with sufficient qualifications
of the special nature required to enable them adequately to discharge
their duties. Even a numerically small staff of this nature would insure
an immediate improvement in the local situation during the period in
which the chief officer of the district was studying its problems and plan-
ning reorganization. Doubtless the ranks of such staff could be filled
to some extent from the men at present emplowed in this class of work,
for that there are many good and efficient officers in the service at
present goes without saying, and it is to be noted, also, that not only
should these officers be paid a sufficient salary as to ensure the right class
O'f men being obtained, but also that, as their exclusive services would
be required and paid for, they could be expected to cover considerable
areas of territory which would at once remove them from those local
influences which under the present system militate so strongly against
the proper discharge of their duties.
A scheme of reorganization as above indicated would have several
advantages in addition to those already enumerated. The presence in
each area of an officer of superior rank and mentality should materially
facilitate inter-departmental co-operation, for such officer would
naturally be expected to study the numbers and distribution of provin-
cial constables and fire rangers in his district and to take such matters
into consideration when planning local organization. In other words, it
should lead to economy in administration. Again, reorganization could
be effected without any undue upheaval or disturbance, and over a
period of time, for, if it were deemed advisable, the provision of a staff
and adequate equipment could be undertaken by districts as funds be-
came available. Moreover, the process of replacing the present officials,
where it was decided to dispense with their services, would in any case
be but gradually effected. Further, fewer positions with adequate
salaries attached thereto would be calculated to attract the right class
of men ; the wider districts to be covered by each officer would render
incompetency more noticeable; and at the same time both the increased
area to be covered by the individual officers and the direct personal
interest of a chief district officer in the efficiency of his staff would tend
24i EEPOirr OF OXTAKIO GAME No. 52
materially to diminish the risks of petty or local favouritism in appoint-
ment, or the retention of incompetent or lazy officials. Moreover, once
a district had been staffed, organized and equipped, it should be possible
to more or less satisfactorily meet the difficulty of fixing open seasons
for game to accord with the climatic and other conditions prevailing
therein. , |
If it were possible to separate the protective service of the commer-
cial fisheries from that of the sporting fisheries, and that of the sport-
ing fisheries from that of game, doubtless many of the obstacles to
efficient administration would materially diminish, but plainly the main-
tenance of three separate services would be impracticable on the score
of expense, and in addition to this, the areas in which the various pur-
suits are conducted and the characteristics of the operations them-
selves are so intimately connected in many instances that it would be
almost impossible to apportion the duties to the various officers of each
service. Consequently, the three services have to be more or less com-
bined in one. It is apparent, therefore, not only that the district offi-
cers or inspectors should be as at home on water as on land and that a
proportion of their permanent staffs should be especially qualified in
either one or the other direction, but also that it would be necessary in
determining the districts to apportion a reasonable and fair proportion
of the vast fishing areas of the Province to each. In this regard both the
great lake and inland fisheries would have to be considered. It would,
of course, be possible to subdivide the provincial fishing and land areas
in a multitude of different ways for each of which some advantages could
be claimed, but in view of the fact that although some measure of decen-
tralization in regard to the protective services appears to be necessary,
this should not be carried to an extreme for reasons, amongst others, of
economy. Tlie following allocation of districts is suggested in the belief
that it fulfills the main requirements of the present situation : —
(1) Tlie eastern counties of the Province up to and including the
counties of Kenfrew, Hastings and Prince Edward.
Main Fisheries: St. Lawrence River, Bay of Quinte, and eastern
portions of Lake Ontario from Prince Edward Oounty east to the St.
Lawrence Kiver, the Kideau Lake system and the Ottawa River.
(2) The counties of Haliburton, ]\rusk()ka District, Simcoe, York,
Ontario, Durham, Victoria, Peterborough and Nortlnunberland.
Main Fislieries: Lake Ontario westwai'd from Prince Edward
County, Kawartlia Lakes, Lake Scugog, Muskoka Lakes and Lake
Simcoe.
(3) The western peninsula soutli of and im-luding the counties of
Halton, Wentworth, Brant, Oxford, Middlesex and Lambton.
Main Fisheries: Niagara River, Lake Erie, Detroit River, Lake
St. Clair, St. Clair River and Thames River.
(4) Counties of Peel, Waterloo, Pcrtli, Huron, Ilrucc, Wellington
and Dufferin.
Main Fisheries: Lake Huron.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 245
(5) Districts of Parry Sound, Nipissing and Algoma and Mani-
toulin Island.
Main Fisheries : Georgian Bay, North Channel, Lake Nipissing,
French River and St. Mary's River.
(6) Districts of Thunder Bay and Rainy River.
Main Fisheries : Lake Sujierior, Lake of the Woods and Rainy
River.
It would of course be necessary for the controlling executive to have
at its disposal one or two inspectors of superior rank to the di'strict
inspectors and in addition, as pointed out in another section, to have
available the means of investigating promptly complaints as to irregu-
larities occurring in any portion of the Province. For this latter pur-
pose a fcAv specially qualified men would have to be selected as secret
service agents, for there is unquestionably plenty of work to keep such
men busy throughout the year and it would be more economical to main-
tain them on salary and more satisfactory, than to engage detectives
from private firms for the pur])ose and run the risks of careless, incom-
petent or unreliable persons undertaking the work.
In regard to the equipment, types of the most suitable craft for
provincial purposes were furnished in the Interim Report of this Com-
mission, the approximate cost of the same indicated and the necessity
demonstrated for the Province to build and acquire a fleet especially
adapted to the work to be performed instead of continuing to lease more
or less unsuitable boats or purchasing second-hand craft of inferior
qualifications. The expense of so doing would obviously be consider-
able, but if the expenditure was spread over a period of years this
should prove no insuperable obstacle. The system of districts, as above
recommended, should, moreover, facilitate the process of determining the
actual requirements in this direction, for to insure economy and at the
same time efficiency, very intimate knowledge of the waters and condi-
tions prevailing in each locality and district are obviously necessary,
while in addition the system itself would afford a simple means of
gradually and effectively instituting the improvements necessary in this
direction.
Summarizing, then, the scheme as above outlined, there would be a
controlling executive with two inspectors and a small number of secret
service agents at its disposal, six district inspectors and a permanent
staff of indeterminate numbers in each district. If the scheme were
adopted simultaneously throughout the Province and reasonably good
salaries paid, the additional cost of the personnel over that at present
borne would at the outset be approximately as follows :
Two Chief Inspectors, increase in pay from $1,600 and $1,500 per annum, as at
present paid, to $1,800 per annum each $ 500
Four Secret Service Agents, at $1,200 p. a. each 4,800
Six District Inspectors, at $1,500 p" a. each 9 ,000
A staff of six permanent men in each district, or 36 men in all, at $900
p. a. each 32,400
Total $46 , 700
246 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
As pointed out already some portion at least of the permanent
staff would in all probability be selected from those already holding
office, so that a saving would be effected in this direction, and ais an
increase in the permanent staffs was gradually effected, the salaries of
those officers whose services were dispensed with would off'net to no little
extent this expense, for the higher paid officer would be required to
cover considerably- greater extents of territory than those now assigned
to the numerous and underpaid officials.
The American representative of the International Fisheries Com-
mission submitted to his Government a schedule of the equipment in
his opinion necessary for the purpose of adequately enforcing the inter-
national fishery regulations in American waters of the great lakes,
involving an expenditure of |46,000. An examination of the detail
would tend to the conviction that the cost of the boats recommended
has been •somewhat underestimated by the Commissioner, but assuming
that Ontario, which is concerned with practically^ the whole of these
fisheries, should decide to acquire an equipment of equal proportions,
thus materially lessening the necessity for the Dominion Government
to do so, and assuming, also, that an effective equipment was to be sup-
plied to each overseer where required on the inland fisheries, it would
not seem that the total expenditure of building new boats for the pur-
pose could by any possibility exceed |150,000.
In regard to provincial fish hatcheries |G0,000 would prove in all
probability more than amply sufficient to meet the immediate require-
ments of the Province in this direction, while, when once the full equip-
ment of the hatcheries on this appropriation had been established, the
annual salary bill in connection with such hatcheries could not appar-
ently exceed 115,000, if, indeed, it would even approach that figui-e.
It would seem that an extensive and entirely adequate plant for a
provincial fish agency could be constructed at the various points deemed
necessary at an expenditure not exceeding |1 5,000, and that |5,000
should be fully sufficient to pay the salaries of the necessary officials,
while in connection with game farms |30,000 should be ample to cover
enterprises in this direction in connection with deer, game birds and fur-
bearing animals, and |5,000 amply sufficient to meet the salary bill in
connection with them once they should have been fully established; no
account being taken of the almost certain pi'ofits to be dorivcMl fi-om these
two enterprises.
Assuming, then, that the reorganization of the personnel was effected
as suggested, and, moreover, siiiuiltaueoiisly throngliout the Province;
assuming that the expenditures on equipment, hatcheries, fish agencies
and game farms were spread over six years ; and including the full run-
ning expenses of hatcheries, fish agencies and game farms fi'om the start
as though such had already been fully established, the additional cost
to the Province during the installation period of six years would be:
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 247
Personnel $ 46,700
Construction of hatcheries (60,000) 10,000
Operating expenses of hatcheries 15 , 000
Construction of plant for fish agencies (15,000) 2,500
Operating expenses of fish agencies 5 , 000
Establishment of game farms (30,000) 5,000
Operating expenses of game farms 5 ,000
Equipment of fisheries protective service (150,000) 25,000
Total $114,200
At the end of this x>€riod, the capital outlay being completed, the
approximate increased expenditure over that at present born would,
therefore, be:
Personnel $46,700
Operating expenses of hatcheries 15 , 000
Operating expenses of fish agencies 5 , 000
Operating ex oenses of game farms 5 , 000
Total $71 , 700
To meet this additional cliarge, if the recommendations contained
in this report were adopted, there would be the income derived from a
resident hunting license of |1.10, alone estimated at |100,000; increased
income from the fisheries owing to the cost of the license being deter-
mined by the amount of fish caught, the bonus derived from tenders for
fishing licenses, and the licensing of fish buyers; the value of the stur-
geon and beaver, recommended to be treated and exploited as perqui-
sites of the Crown ; the revenue derived from the licensing of trappers and
fur buyers; increased fees from non-residents for angling and hunting
privileges owing to a wider system of collection under more efficient
supervision ; registration fees from visitors to provincial forest and game
reserves; and finally that portion of the income derivable from the exploi-
tation of timber or fur-bearing animals in the provincial parks not
required for the improvement of their staffs or equipment, for as tliese
parks are maintained in the interests of conservation generally, some
portion, at least, of any income derived from them might legitimately
be applied to general conservation measures throughout the Province.
It cannot be doubted that from all these sources an income would be
derived, not only ample to meet all the requirements in the directions
indicated, but capable, also, at least when the necessary improvements
should have been carried into effect, of furnishing a very substantial
surplus revenue to the Province.
Recommendations.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend:
(1) That the general reorganization of the fisheries and game pro-
tective services be undertaken without delay.
(2) That an executive, as already recommended by this Commis-
sion, be created to have charge of these matters, and that such executive
have at its disposal :
248 IIEPORT OF ONTAEIO GAME No. 52
Two Chief Inspectors at a salarj^ of |1,800 per aanum each,
and
Four Secret Service Agents at a salary of |1,200 per annum
each.
(3) That for the purposes of the organization and administration
of the fisheries and game protective services the Province be subdivided
into six districts, approximately as designated in this report; and that
an Inspector be placed in each such district, at a "salary of |1,500 per
annum, Avhose duty it shall be to study the requirements of the district^
plan the organization of the protective services therein on the most
economical lines, carry the same into effect under the direction of the
chief executive, and be responsible for the adequate Kupervision of the
wardens and overseers in such district and that their duties are properly
performed.
(4) That as each of the above administrative districts is created, a
staff of not less than six men, at a salary of |900 per annum each, be
assigned to the District Inspector placed in control of it, and that an
increase of the permanent staff of each district to the numerical strength
deemed necessary be carried subsequently into effect by the gradual
elimination of the underpaid or inefficient officers and the substitution
in their place of others, specially selected and duly qualified to discharge
the duties they Avill be expected to perform ; and that such officers re-
ceive remuneration at the rate of |900 per annum, be assigned consid-
erably greater territories than those now generally covered by overseers,
and be required to devote their whole time and energies to the govern-
ment service.
Acknowledgments.
Your Commissioner is indebted to all those gentlemen and corpora-
tions mentioned in his Interim Report for continued favors and
courtesies :
To Mr. Paul Reighard, of the University of Michigan, for valuable
information and the privilege of making use of his maps in tliis report;
To Hon. W. E. Meehan, Magistrate W. W. O'Brien, Messrs. J. J.
Carrick, M.L.A., W. A. Preston, M.L.A., Dr. Smeddie, M.L.A., H. H.
Collier, K.C., George Drewry, John Miner and many other gentlemen for
encouragement and advice;
To Superintendent Joseph Rogers and many of the provincial con
stables for courtesies, valuable information and assistance;
To Crown Timber Agents L. E. Bliss and A. O. Watts for assistance
and useful information ;
To ]\rr. IT. J. Bury for services in the Quetico Forest Reserve, for
much valuable information and for courteous permission to make use of
various photographs in this report;
To Captain R. Manley Sims, D.S.O., for consistent and conspicuous
ability in the discharge of the arduous duties of secretary to this Com-
mission.
1912 AND FISHEKIEH (COMMISSION. 249
Conclusion.
An attempt lias been made to delineate in the pages of this report
the situation as it has been found to exist in regard to the commercial
and sporting fisheries, the game, the fur-bearing animals and the provin-
cial forest reserves. No claim is made that the recommendations sub-
mitted would, even if adopted, finally dispose of the many difficulties
inherent to the problems connected with these matters, or even that the
range of subjects embraced by the report is in any way complete or com-
prehensive. Undoubtedly, there remains a very extensive field for care-
ful investigation in many directions atfecting these questions; undoubt-
edly, also, many of the matters investigated and reported upon are of so
complex and difficult a character that a variety of opinions as to the
best methods of treating them satisfactorily must inevitably exist.
Within the limits of the available time, however, an effort has been made
to deal with as many of the important problems as possible, while in
approaching each individual problem and considering its best solution
the main objective has been kept steadily in view of ascertaining the
fundamental causes of the difficulties or of the conditions and of apply-
ing to them the fundamental principles of economy and conservation.
An increased expenditure is inevitable if the conservation, even the per-
petuation, of the fisheries, fur-bearing animals and game is to be
achieved, but the economic importance of these resources is so infinitely
great that to permit of their annihilation for the sake of effecting a
paltry saving in the annual disbursements for their protection cannot
but be adjudged the height of economic improvidence. The situation is
bad to-day; in a few years, if matters are not, meanwhile, improved, it
must inevitably be worse, if not altogether irreparable. Surely, then,
it must be the part of wisdom to take time by the forelock and introduce
the reforms which are so vital to the conservation of these resources be-
fore it shall have become already too late, more especially so when the
means are available for raising the revenue necessary to meet the in-
creased expenditure out of income without unduly or unfairly burden-
ing any one class or profession of the community.
Kelly Evans,
Commissioner.
March 7th, 1911.
INTERIM REPORT
OF THE
Ontario Game and Fisheries Commission
1909-10.
To the Honourable John Morison Gibson,
Lieutenant-Governor of tJie Province of Ontario.
May it Please Your Honour, — ^The undersigned, appointed by
commission under the Great Seal of the Province, bearing date the seven-
teenth day of July, A.D. 1909, to makes enquiries, take evidence, and
report generally upon all matters appertaining to the game fish, the
fisheries and the game of the Province of Ontario, which may injuri-
ously affect the same, and any methods possible to increase their
economic and other value to the masses of the people, begs leave here-
with to submit an interim report.
The instructions accompanying the Commission direct that the
investigation shall include the following particulars :
1. The condition of the fisheries and game within the Province of
Ontario and the adjacent waters, including:
2. The advisability of establishing provincial fish hatcheries, includ-
ing the estimated cost of maintenance and construction, the best
methods of operation, and other matters relating thereto;
3. The alleged existence of contracts between fishermen within the
Province of Ontario and foreign fish companies and individuals,
together with the effect of such contracts (if any) upon the fisheries of
Ontario;
4. The matter of foreign fish companies and individuals encourag-
ing breaches of tlu^ law on the part of fishermen and others resident in
Ontario ;
5. The qualifications, conditions of service, skill, efficiency (physi-
cal and otherwise), desirable for fisheries and game officials;
6. The condition of the present equipment of the Department,
together with the additional requirements (if any) in this regard in the
matter of launches, boats, etc. ;
7. The advisability of the co-operation by the officers of other
departments of the Government, and of other corporations, with the
officers of the Department of Game and Fisheries, in assisting in the
practical enforcement of the game laws and fishery regulations;
8. Questions relating to the management of the public parks and
forest reserves^ especially in so far as the tourist sportsman traffic is
concerned ;
31 F.G. [251]
252 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
9. All matters and things relating to fish and game which may
assist in the efficient management of the Game and Fisheries Branch of
the public service in Ontario, or be of economic advantage to the Pro-
vince.
In entering upon the duties assigned to him, your Commissioner
confidently anticipated bringing his labours to a conclusion within the
space of a few months, counting upon the proposed International Fish-
eries Treaty (dealing with the international waters of the Great Lakes,
and promulgation of which was promised originally for about Decem-
ber 1st) to remove many of the most difficult and vexed problems con-
nected with the fisheries, and, also, be it admitted, not fully realizing
the immensity of the work entrusted to him. Owing mainly to the
unexpected delay in the promulgation of the International Fisheries
Treaty, and also in a measure to the great range and intricacy of the
questions to be dealt with, the necessity of collating evidence and data
only obtainable by personal inveistigation and enquiry in widely-scat-
tered localities, and the desirability of studying various aspects of
certain of the questions involved during the different seasons of the
year to which they are peculiarly pertinent, your Commissioner has
been unable to complete a report on all the questions called for by the
Commission. In view, however, of the fact that a close study of the
main factors in the present-day situation has decided your Commis-
sioner to urge strongly upon Your Honour the adoption of certain
broad principles, involving changes in the Government administrative
service and expenditure of public mone^-^, your Commissioner has
embodied the same in this interim report, in order that the principles
may receive Your Honour's consideration while the details are being
prepared for inclusion in his final report; and, in addition, he deals with
such other questions as he considers it expedient to bring promptly to
Your Honour'^; attention.
Wardens and Overseers.
Under the stress of modern civilization the jack-of-all-trades is
rapidly being n^placed by the specialist in every branch of business and
commercial life. It is not sufficient for a man to be a reispectable citi-
zen, with just enongh knowledge of his profession to enable him to
disguise his own incapacity beneath a veneer of self-assurance. To get
on in the world, to make good, a man must know his gun — lock, stock,
and barrel ; his business from top to bottom and inside out. The pro-
fessional man grasps this, and attunes hinis(df to the situation; the
business man realizes it, and, as employer, demands it of his employees.
Unfortunately, however, in the machinery for the enforcement of the
regulations, designed to conserve for the people some of the natural food
resources of the Province, this most important fact seems to have been
neo-lected, oi% at least, overlooked.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 253
The organization of tlie outside service of the Department of Game
and Fisheries is not the creation of one man or of one political party.
It is, on the contrary, the child of circumstance, nurtured by the parti-
zan spirit of political patronage, and handed doAvn from one Adminis-
tration to another. Though of late years a very distinct improvement
has taken place, the briefest study of the system Avill disclo'se the neces-
sity for radical reform.
That the men entrusted by the Government with the enforcement of
the law on the waters of the Province or in its woods should be expert
sailors or woodsmen, as the case may be, and physically capable of dis-
charging their duties, none will be found to deny; as likewise the fact
that to employ those who are not, is, in the efficacy of its pecuniary
investment, closely akin to casting gold into a bottomless pit. And
yet, owing to the exigencies of political life in this Province, these ele-
mentary considerations have been in the past all too frequently disre-
garded in the selection of officers for the warden services.
That a subordinate officer, entrusted with the enforcement of the
game and fishery regulations over a district comprising many miles of
lake and woodland, should be 90 years of age; that an officer of the out-
side service, occupying a position of some importance, should generally
have the reputation among persons in his district of being unused to the
handling of a boat, and timid of venturing his person on the water; that
another fishery officer should be very intimate with the agent of a
foreign company, trading as a Shylock among the simple fisherfolk of
his district; tliat a game warden should have no woodcraft, and be
afraid to venture alone into the woods; that another should attach him-
self to a shooting party and indulge with them in the illegal destruction
of game during the closed season — ^these are, to say the least of it,
absurdities; and yet they are but a few of the instances brought to the
attention of your Commissioner, and are the inevitable and direct out-
come of a system in which the most obvious and indispensable qualifica-
tions have been brushed aside in favor of a party rosette.
That any man will work, or even devote much time or energ.y, o^
that for which he is not paid at least a living wage, is open to the gravest
doubt; but where sometliing is offered for nothing, even though that
something be the most paltry pittance, the applicants will undoubtedly
be numerous, and but rarely of a truly desirable class. The paying of
stipends, ranging from |25.00 to |200.00 (stipends such as those with
which tlie pay sheet of the Game and Fisheries Department abounds),
appears so closely akin to paying something for nothing that the differ-
ence is almost indistinguishable.
In the selection of officers for the outside service of the Department
of Game and Fisheries it would seem that the principal general require-
ments to be looked for are good character and sobriety, health, energy,
strength, fearlessness, tact, tliorough knowledge of the game laws and
fishery regulations, and education sufficient to read and write; and
254 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
that, ill particular, for the Fishery I'roteetive J^iervice, kiiowkMl^e of
the different fishes, experience in the handling of boats, knowledge of
the waters to be patrolled; and, in particular, for the Inland Service,
knowledge of the denizens of the woods, their characteristics and habits,
thorough expertness in the handling of a canoe, and experience in life
in the woods and woodcraft, should be considered indispensable attain-
ments.
Your Commissioner is of the opinion that most of the harm done to
the fish, game, and fur-bearing animals of the Province is the work of a
comparatively small number of utterly unscrupulous and lawless indi-
viduals, for the most part well known in the districts in which they
operate, and especially so in the more sparsely settled regions. These
persons often terrorize the community to Kuch an extent that informa-
tion as to their depredations is difficult to obtain ; and to expect officers,
paid the paltry sums at present given as wages to a large number of
the officials of the outside service, to run the risk of bodily injury at
the hands of these persons, is ridiculous. That open threats have been
made, and are being made, by individuals in regard to what they will
do if any attempt is made to interfere with their actions is well known ;
and your Commissioner would recall tlie fact that, even within the
sound of the bells of the City Hall of Toroiuto, and but three or four
years ago, shots were fired at an officer who was attempting to carry
out his duty in stopping illegal fishing in Toronto Bay.
Mr. Oliver Adams, Vice-President of the Headquarters of the
Ontario Forest, Fish and Game Protective Association, who has done
so much in awakening public interest in fish and game protection
throughout the Province, and who took an active part in arousing the
citizens of Gananoque and vicinity to the importance of the protection
of game fish in the St. Lawrence River, became a martyr to the cause
he espoused. When he commenced building operations on a fine resi-
dence on an island near Gananoque he was warned by many citizens
that he would probably have his house burned by the lawless element.
This warning proved to be no vain one, as shortly after he vacatcnl his
summer home last year it was buriUMl to the ground, clearly by incen-
diaries; and, so far, the perpetrators of this outrage have not been
brought to justice. The late Colonel Cautley, who exjiended a large
sum of money in erecting buildings, etc., for a summer resort on Minni-
coganashene Island, in Georgian Bay, in conversation with your Com-
missioner, stated that he had often seen illegal nets placed right across
the channel near his island as soon as the Government patrol boat had
passed, but that he dared not give any information, as he felt tliat, if
lie did so, his property would be burned down in the winter.
Many other instances, bearing out the same contenti(m, have been
brought to your Commissioner's attention during the tenure of his Com-
mission; but in each instance the information so given was on the con-
dition that the informant's name sliould not be ]uil)lished, for fenr of
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 255
what would happen to himself or property at the hands of certain law-
less persons in his district.
Your Commissioner believes that the number of persons capable of
such outrages is very small, and that the general mass of the public is
in no way in sympathy with them and would support the authorities
acting with energy and determination in enforcing the law and estab-
lishing security of life and property.
The present fishery regulations provide that a licensed net fisher-
man who is convicted of a violation of the law shall have his license
cancelled, and that he cannot receive another for two years. The exten-
sion of this principle in cases of glaring offences against the fishery
regulations or game laws would seem most excellent and advisable.
In regard to the present system, whereby wardens are paid a per-
centage of the angling licenses which they collect, the inducement of
personal gain, in certain cases, would appear to influence the officer to
devote most of his time to this work, to the detriment of other, at least
equally, important duties. At the same time, without some such induce-
ment, the collection of the angling tax would, in all probability, not be
effectively carried out. As it is, chiefly owing to the fact that the
license system is of comparative recent institution, and the machinery
of collection, therefore, not yet in thorough working order, many persons
escape the payment of the fee. The advantages and disadvantages of
the present system are so nearly equal that the only solution would
appear to lie in the broadening of the authority entitled to issue licenses
and collect the percentage.
In his full report your Commissioner will submit a comprehensive
scheme, dealing with the numbers of the wardens that he will recom-
mend, the districts they should cover, and the duties they should per-
form in the summer and in the winter.
Meanwhile he would most strongly urge upon Your Honour that:
1. No officer of the outside service of the Department of Game and
Fisheries be employed on a salary less than sufficient to maintain him-
self upon it.
2. No officer, employed by the Department of Game and Fisheries
on its outside service, be allowed to carry on other work, or engage in
any other commercial or business enterprise while so employed, except
in cases where such officer is in the employ of, and paid by, some cor-
poration or association, and only commissioned by the Government.
3. The commissions of all officers of the outside service of the
Department of Game and Fisheries who are receiving less than fSOO.OO
per annum, or a pro rata amount for temporary services, be cancelled
as rapidly as it is possible to reorganize the Outside Survey, in accor-
dance with the principle of fewer and better paid officials.
4. No officer be in future engaged or employed by the Department
of Game and Fisheries on its outside service who cannot furnish satis-
factory proof of such knowledge and experience, and be of such
256 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
physique aud good character, as to render liiiu likely to prove of value
to the particular branch of the service into which he is placed.
5. The number of persons authorized to sell non-resident anglers
licenses or hunting permits be increased sufficiently to ensure these
licenses and permits being very easily procurable.
ADMINISTRATION.
While it is possible to improve in detail the present game laws and
fishery regulations, they are in the main fairly satisfactory, but it is
in the machinery of enforcement that the principal fault lies. The
general system of the organization of the Department has been passed
down by the previous to the present administration. Improvements
have been made, and very much greater energy shown by the officers,
within the last few years, but the existing method of appointment of
officers of the outside service, as has already been set forth, is radically
wrong. Until this system is swept away the Department, in the opin-
ion of your Commissioner, will never reach the point of efficiency desir-
able for the general welfare of the Province.
The necessity for the protection of fish and game was, of course,
felt in the much more thickly populated Republic to the south of us
long before it was felt here. In seeking for a solution to the problem
of efficient administration your Commissioner has given close study to
the evolution of fish and game protection in the United States, and to
the results that have followed upon the various experiments which
have been made in this direction by the different states. It would be
out of place to attempt anything approaching a history of this evolu-
tion in a report of this nature, but, seeing that the majority of the states
starting on different lines, and working under different conditions,
both climatic and temperamental, have converged to and arrived at a
fundamentally identical system of administration for the conservation
and developuient of their resources in fish and game, a short account of
the Commission and Warden system is lierewith submitted.
The offices of game commissioner aud slate game warden of the
present day are not the outcome of spoiUaiieous growth, but tlie out-
come of numerous experiments and modi Heat ions necessitated l)y the
growing importance of tlie subject of ])reserviug game. Originally
game protection was left to sheriffs and othei- local officers. an<l later,
after the ap])ointmeut of fish wardens, was included incidentally among
the duties of that office. The development of llie office of state game
warden from that of fish waiden occu])ied nearly half a century, and
was marked by various experimental steps. INlaine was the fiist state
to appoint an officer to protect fish, doing so in 1S43, and in 1852 Maine
again led the way by appointing special officers to act as moose war-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 257
dens in a number of the counties of the state. In 1858 the example of
Maine was followed by New Hampshire, and in 1865 the firBt fish com-
mission came into existence in that state, Massachusetts foUo'wing its
example the same year, and Connecticut and Vermont two years later.
In Maine the game laws were gradually extended to include game
birds as well as big game, and in 1878 the duties of the warden were
extended under the neA^• title of County Moose and Game Warden. In
this same year the Fish Commission of New Hampshire was reorgan-
ized as a Board of Fish and Game Commissioners.
In 1887 Minnesota established the office of State Game Warden, and
in 1888 New York that of Chief Game and Fish Protector.
It is not proposed to trace in detail the evolution of the powers or
duties of fish and gauu^ commissions and wardens, but it is evidence
of the superiority of this plan that to-day no less than forty 'states have
adopted it.
There has been, and still is, much diversity of opinion as to the
advantage of a single ofticer over a board. Minnesota at one time
entrusted the work to a siugle officer, the State Game Warden, under
tlie Act of 1887, but four years later established the present system of
a Board of Game and Fish Commissioners. Montana, on the other
hand, in 1895 esta])lished a Board of Game and Fish CommiKsioners,
but three years later replaced it by a State Game and Fish Warden.
New York has tried both ])lans, but has now placed the work in the
hands of a single commissioner. This gentleman, Commissioner James
S. Whipple, discussing this question at the convention of the New York
State Forest, Fish and Game League, made use of the following words :
" In my opinion no commission of five could succeed. No member
of it is vitally concerned with success. Each anxiously tries to shift
the burden of difficult or intricate questions to the other, and so each
seeks to escape responsibility. What we need is one man, one commis-
sioner, as is now the case. That man cannot escape responsibility. He
must face each and every question. He knows that he must make good
or go under."
At the present time one territory and fourteen states commit the
administration of their game laws to commissions, whose membership
ranges from three to six. As evidence of the desire to keep tliese com-
missions non-political it may be mentioned that in Ohio not more than
three of the five members, and in New Jersey not more than
two of the four members may belong to the same political party, and
Pennsylvania prohibits the appointment of any two of the six commis-
sioners from the same senatorial district. As a precaution against the
retirement of all tlie members at the same time, Ohio, in the Act ci'eat-
ing the commission, provided that one should be appointed for one
year, another for two years, another for three, and so on, and that at
the expiration of their respective terms the successor should be appoint-
ed for five years. By this means there is always a quorum familiar
with tlie duties of the Board, and the greatest efficiency is assured.
258 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
Pennsylvauia has adopted a similar plan. Tlie terms of service of the
commissioners vary from two years in Arizona and Connecticut to five
years in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Ohio.
Twenty-three states and territories provide for a single official
to direct the affairs of their game department, the title of the office
varying somewhat with each state. In Tennessee the office of State
Warden is a cabinet position, the Department of Game, Fish and
Forestry having been made one of the departments of state government;
and the same applies to the office of Fish Commissioner in Pennsyl-
vania. In every state, with the exception of Alabama, where the war-
den is elected by the people, the officer is appointed by the Governor,
and with few exceptions confirmed by the Senate. The term of office
varies from two to eight years.
It will be seen, therefore, that the result of experience in the United
States is in the direction of creating an office for the control of the
fisheries and game removed as far as possible from the influence of
party political considerations.
It may be argued that the creation of some such independent
authority in connection with this branch of the public service has
already been tried in Ontario, as, following the recommendations of
the Royal Commission of 1892, a permanent Game Commission was
appointed, and remained in force until it was disbanded by the new
Game Act. This permanent commission Avas designed to act princi-
pally in an advisory capacity. Its membership was large, its mem-
bers scattered throughout the Province, and its chairman deeply
immersed in other occupations, so that its usefulness was much im-
paired, and it did not constitute a fair test of the commission system.
The several principal recommendations to follow in this interim
report contain in themselves powerful and additional reasons for the
adoption of such a course, and your Commissioner would, therefore,
strongly urge upon Your Honour the advisability of placing the
Department of Game and Fisheries under the control of a small, work-
ing commission, somewhat after the model of the Temiskaming and
Northern Ontario Railway Commission, but with its membersliip
reduced to the smallest possible number, and, while this interim report
will be found to contain recommendations for an increased expendi-
ture of public moneys by the Department of Game and Fisheries,
especially in the establishment of provincial fish hatcheries, an ade-
quate equipment for the patrol service, and higher salaries for war-
dens, your Commissioner would not recommend these expenditures or
improvements unless his recommendation of placing the Department
of Game and Fisheries under a commission is acted upon by your Gov-
ernment, for the reason that the present system has not produced the
most efficient subordin;ate officers, nor is it calculated to do so in the
future, and, failing a supply of thoroughly efficient subordinate officers
being assured, he considers the moneys involvcnl in the projtostMl recom-
mendations would be, in all probability, spent in vain.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 25it
THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES.
Until the promulgation of the uniform Fishery Regulations,
under the treaty between Great Britain and the United States, for the
control of international water's, it would be futile for your Commis-
sioner to report on this section of the enquiry entrusted to him under
the instructions accompanying his commission, but in view of mislead-
ing statements Avhicli have appeared from time to time in the public
press as to the depletion of our Great Lake fisheries not being as serious
as alleged, he desires to draw to Your Honour's attention the following
facts in regard to the decrease in the numbers of our finest commercial
fish, namely, the Avhitefish. The documents consulted include:
The Federal Government Royal CommiKsion's Report on the Fish-
eries of Ontario of 1893-4; The Ontario Government Royal Commis-
sion's Report on Game and Fish of 1892 ; The Reports of the Depart-
ment of Marine and Fisheries of the Dominion Government; The Re-
ports of the Department of Game and Fisheries of the Ontario Govern-
ment.
In examining the tabulated returns of the fisheries of the Pro-
vince of Ontario it will be noted that the methods of compilation ob-
served have been •somewhat changed from time to time. The earlier
reports were so arranged as to render a comparison of the weight of
fishes, cauglit in different years, more easy than the present system,
which, wliile making a comparison of the values in money simple, ren-
ders it impoissible to get the difference in the weights of the ciitch of the
different fishes without some considerable labour.
Below is given a comparative table, calculated from the Blue Book
of the Department of Marine and Fisheries at Ottawa, of 1873, and
the report of the D(^partment of Game and Fisheries for Ontario, of
1907:
TOTAL CATCH OF WHLTEFISH IN THE GREAT LAKE^SYSTEM ALONE.
Year 187-h Year 1907. Decrease. Per cent oj
flerrease.
4.851.872 J bs. 2.499,870 lbs. 2.352,002 lbs. 48
The quantities of whitefish, however, in Lakes Erie and Ontario
especially, and also in the upper lakes, were vaistly greater some years
previous to 1873 than in that year, according to the sw^orn testimony
of many commercial fishermen, given before the Dominion Fisheries
Commission of 1893, as the following quotations prove beyond shadow
of doubt.
Mr. Albert Hutchins, commercial fisherman Bince 1850, under oath
stated :
" I have fished in Lake Ontario about thirty years for Avhitefish
and trout; the great majority were whitefish, and were caught at Wel-
lington Beach. They were caught very numerously with seines, as
260 EEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
many as 5,000 to 10,000 in one haul durin*;- the night; this was in the
snninier time, in Jnlj and June. These were salted or sold on the
ground to dealers. I have caught as many in a season as would allow
the owners of the seine for their share about |2,000, the other |2,000
would go to the fishermen. Even more than this number were caught
sometimes. Fishing was carried on in the fall of the year also. White-
fi'sh were thick also everywhere in Lake Ontario at that time. I have
known as many as 90,000 to be taken in one haul in one night. I was
present and saw them counted. I have often known from 5,000 to
10,000 being taken, and have taken 40,000 myself in a seine several
times. This was in July, at Wellington Beach. Those that were
saved of the 90,000 hauled were salted; many of these were lost
becau-se they could not be taken care of. There was another haul as
large as this taken at West Lake Beach. The net was a 175-rod seine.
The fish were wonderfully numerous. But when I left Lake Ontario
fourteen years ago tliere was no whitefisli to be had by the fishermen
where these great hauls had been made before; in fact, the whitefish
fiBhery had ceased to exist. There was no more of it. I left Lake
Ontario to fish here, and a number of other fishermen left there for the
same cause."
Mr. John Lang, fisherman and fishdealer, testifying as to the fish-
eries in Lake Huron about Kettle Point, stated:
" Whitefish were very plentiful in former years ; as many as forty
or fifty barrels in one haul, say five thousand fish, was an ordinary
catch. These fish have fallen oi¥ very greatly."
Noah Jolie, a fisherman of forty years' experience, stated that
about eighteen years before (1874) he had had two fishing grounds on
the Detroit Eiver, and that both grounds produced about 70,000 fish,
or an average of about 20,000 per net. At that time, as far as he could
remember, there were some fifteen or twenty grounds on the Canadian
side of the river, of which some were better and isome worse than his.
He gave up fishing about thirteen years^ before (1879) because fish be-
came so scarce that it no longer paid him to continue in the business.
James A. Smith, shipwright and boatbuilder, but formerly for
thirty-five years a fisherman and fishdealer, staled:
"Whitefish ^-ere so plentiful in Lake Ontario that with one seine —
I owned half of it and it was a fifty-rod seine, too — we put up in one
month 180 barrels for our net's share. The other men, eight in num-
ber, would get the equivalent to 180 barrels amongst them; this was
in the month of June, in 1869 or 1870, and was on Consecon Beach.
There were other seines fishing also, but ])robably not so large in
extent as ours. The same year, in November, tlie tisli were very num-
erous, and all larger fish than usual, weighing al)()ut two and three-
quarters pounds; as many as we could ban-el w(' caught a.nd salted, but
a great many besides were lost. Whitefish were so nnmevous that
they were hauled away for manui-e for use uiiou fanus. The whitefisli
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 261
were so plentiful that in hauling the seines they could not pull them in
on shore; they had simply to dip out what they wanted of the fish with
small nets, and let the rest go. The fish were miraculously numerous,
but when I left Lake Ontario some fifteen years ago (1878) whiteflsh
were almost exterminated. Four thousand whitefish were many times
taken in a haul in one night; salmon trout and whitefish in Lake Ontario
were vastly" more numerous than they ever have been in the Georgian
Bay."
The Royal Commission appointed by Your Honour's predecessor in
office in 1892, reported in no uncertain terms on the dei)letiou of the
fisheries, as the following quotation will siliow:
P. 191. " The extent to which netting is carried on is also incon-
ceivable, and the spawning grounds are stripped year after year, until
in many places where fish abounded formerly in large numbers there is
no yield now at all."
With these figures and evidence it is unnecessary to seek further
for proof that the whitefish in Lakes Erie and Ontario existed, within
the memory of men still living, in numbers so immense as to be hardly
credible to the younger generations of to-day, and that the present
deplorable condition, as compared with the past, of the fisheries of
the Great Lakes has not been brought about by the unpreventable causes.
What these causes were, h'ow it would be possible to change or ameli-
orate them, and what steps should be taken to make the fisheries of the
Great Lakes once again produce a splendid cheap food for the masses
of the people, will be taken up in your Commissioner's final report,
after the promulgation of the regulations governing international
waters, under the treaty between Great Britain and the United States.
Besides the quotation already mentioned, from the Roiyal Commis-
sion's Report of 1892 (Ontario), calling attention to the depletion of
the waters, your Commissioner would also draw to Your Honour's
attention a recommendation of that Commission as to restrictions in
the use of nets, which reads as follows:
^' Your Commissioners are of tlie opinion that pound nets should
be entirely abolished in the waters of the Province, and that no gill net-
ting sihould be allowed except by special permission from the Game and
Fisih Commissioners."
The quantities of fish can hardly be said to have increased since
1892, and your Commissioner is of the opinion that greater need of
restriction exists now than when the recommendations of the Royal
Commission referred to were made and ignored.
The action of your Government in not allowing netting in Lake
Nipissing and the Thames River has resulted in much good, and your
Commissioner would strongly urge the policy being continued, and that
netting in inland waters be still further restricted.
262 KEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
EQUIPMENT FOR THE FISHERY PROTECTIVE SERVICE.
Your Commissioner has had the opportunity of inspecting a num-
ber of the boats employed by the Department of Game and Fisheries?
on protective duties, and found that none of them met all the require-
ments of the work they were expected to perform. They are of widely
different speeds and builds. One of them, indeed, the Edna Ivan,
employed under charter by the Government, is so utterly unsuited to
protective service work that she should on no account be further char-
tered by the Government for this purpose. Among the 'smaller patrol
craft a very wide divergence exists in regard to size, speed and other
qualifications, some of them, in fact, having been constructed by ama-
teurs possessing little or no previous experience in boatbuilding. The
fishery regulations on the Statute Books bear witness to the recogni-
tion by the authorities of the importance of the fisheries, both on the
Great Lakes and the inland waters, to the general welfare of the com-
munity, and it is therefore manifestly the duty of the authorities to
provide an adequate equipment to ensure the proper enforcement of
the regulations governing the fisheries.
It is an accepted axiom, applicaible to all great enterprises, that the
truest economy lies in the perfection of machinery. Makeshifts, while
providing a convenient subterfuge for escaping present expense, but add
to the weight of the ultimate inevitable bill, while at the same time
sitriking dangerously close to the roots of present efficiency.
That which applies to the daily life of all commercial enterprises
is equally true of great governmental undertakings, and, as the fishery
regulations have been framed for the purpose of conserving a great
source of public wealth, the more perfect the machinery which has
to enforce those regulations, the more true will be the economy of the
government policy, aind the more profitable and stable its results. One
of the most important factors in the machinery of enft>rcement is equip-
ment, for without adequate equipment the most perfect officers find
themselves at a hopeless disadvantage, and their most strenuous efforts
are likely to be nullified.
In examining into the question of a suitable equipment for the
enforcement of the fishery regulations, it becomes at once apparent
that the natural conditions prevailing must exercise a predominamt
influence on the selection of the same, and a brief study of these will
reveal the fact that they can be classified under three main headings:
A. The outer and most exposed portions of the Great Lakes, and
places A\here large tugs and fishing boats operate.
I>. The inner, shallower and partially sheltered waters of the Great
Lakes and Georgian Ray.
C. The waters of the lesser inland lakes and livers.
Undoubtedly an adequate protection of our commercial fisheries
demands })rotective cruisers of some si/e on Lakes Hutou and Superior,
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 263
as well iis the Vig'ilaiiit on Lake Erie. This tacitly seems to be the
admitted duty of the Domiuion (Tovei-iiment, and should cause no dif-
ficulty if operated iu conjunction with the new naval policy as a train-
ing school for seamen, but, as this Class A type of boat would seem to
be outside the scope of the provincial equipment, your Commissioner
Avill not further refer to it.
As regards the classes of boats to meet the conditions of B and C,
it is plain that the type of boat that could live, if caught out in the
storms of Lake Superior or the Georgian Bay, would not be the most
suitable craft for the intricaite channels of the Rideau Lake system,
while the boat that could fearlessly navigate these same channels would
be unable to face the rough seas of the Great Lakes. To be efficient,
the Government officers must be able to be out in all weathers when
other craft are on the waters, and likewise able to penetrate the shal-
lowest bays and channels where illegal operations can be carried on.
Hence the main factor for the boats of Clas's B is seaworthiness (with
as light draught as consistent therewith), for those of Class C, draught.
The next main consideration in the selection of a suitable equip-
ment is the nature of the duties to be performed by the officers. To
one may be assigned as his principal duty the supervision of the licenses,
nets and operations of commercial tishermen scattered over a, great
extent of sparsely settled territory, and involving, more or less fre-
quently, the passage of rough or dangerous waters; to the next may fall
the task of collecting the license fee from foreign angler-tourists
throughout a popular lake and river district, supervising the anglers'
catch of fish, while keeping an eye on the narrow' channels and creeks
of his territory to see that no illegal netting is carried on therein. In
cases such as the first, owing to the siz(» of the craft necessary to carry
on the work, to secure his safety in storms a.nd rough weather, and to
more efficiently discharge his duties, the officer will have to be given assis-
tance. In cases such as the second the officer can, as a general rule,
handle the work alone. Hence it will be seen that the boats of Class B
would be required to carry a regular <-rew of two or more, and those of
Class C only one.
The third main consideration is speed. The officers should be able
not only to move freely about in the district, but also to cover a con-
siderable extent of territory daily. Where the appearance of an officer
in any particular locality occurs at regular and well-known inter-
vals, or where, on his appearance, those engaged in illegal operations
can upsail and make good their escape A\ithoiut trouble, the usefulness
of the officer cannot but be grievously impaired. At the same time it
would be impossible for the GovernnuMit to provide bo'ats for its general
service from which the speed freaks of an oecasional illegally engaged
tourist-angler could not escape if so desired. It would appear, therefore,
that the speed should be so adjusted as to enable the officers to cover
their territory with reasonable frequency, to give them sufficient free-
264 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
doiii of inoveineint to prevent their coinings and goings being anticipated
and disconnted bj malefactors, and to enable them to manceuvre, on at
least an equality of speed, with the average craft with which they have
to deal, wiiile at the ^ame time reducing the fuel consumption to an
economic minimum.
Great strides have been made of recent years in the construction
of all manner of craft, but in no t^^e haK the advance been more marked
than in that suitable for the waters of this Province. The introduction
of gasoline has revolutionized the relation of size to speed, while
decreasing the cost both of construction and maintenance. Some
prejudice exists in certain quarters against the use of gasoline as a
motive power for boats, but this prejudice is not well founded on fact.
There are now in existence thousands of gasoline boats of all classes aiud
descriptions, from the sea-going cruisers, ^^■'hich have voyaged to Ber-
muda and back, to the commercial fisherman's (smack with its auxiliary
gasoline engine. On the waters of the south, about Florida, there are a
multitude of houseboat cruisers and yachts driven by gasoline on the
inland waters of this continent, and in fact on inland waters thro'ugh-
out the civilized world their name is legion, so that, in spite of a few
serious accidents, it is correct and safe to declare that the ratio of
accidents occurring with gaisoline engines to-day is no higher than with
steam engines. Where the engines are handled by competent men
investigation proves them to be efficient, serviceable and economical, and
the prejudice against them, as likewise the troubles experienced by some
persons witli them, are directly attributabile to men without sufficient
training being placed in charge of the engine. To confide any engine
to an inexperienced man is to invite troidde, if not actual disaster, and
this is equally true of those whose motive power is steam or gasoline,
though not so often attempted with the former as with the latter. In
regard to cleanliness and comfort there can be no comparision between
the steam and gasoline engine for use on comparatively small boats, as
with the latter not only are coal dust and ashes avoid(Ml, but, piooerly
handled, there is little or no smell attached to them, while in tlic matter
of available space, the saving secured by tlu' iuslallation of the small
gasoline engine instead of the more cund)ersome steam engine must be
obvious to the veriest tyro.
After mature consideration of the whole situaiion, your Goinmis-
sioner has come to the conclusion that, in the intiu-ests of both ulti-
mate economy and present and permanent efficiency, the time has come
to discard the present haphazard and unsatisfactory system of charter-
ing or acquiring boats for the Fishery Protective Service, possessed of
only a few of the essential requirements, and for the establishment by
the Province of a fleet of boats designed especially for the work they are
required to perform. With this in view, and taking advantage of the
experience and knowledge of some of the officers of the outside service
of the Department, he has drawn up a schedule of requirements for the
C/a55"B" .
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION, 265
types of craft that appear to him to be indispensable for the eflicient
execution of the Government service, and has had the same submitted
to a leading marine architect, through a prominent Toronto boat-
building and engineering firm, Avith the result that, attached to this
report will be found designs of such craft. As the schedule of require-
ments submitted to the designer contains concisely your Commissioner's
views on this subject, he has embodied it in the report, and in so doing
would call attention to the fact that the greatest possible economy,
consistent with efficiency', was his chiefest consideration, that ventila-
tion and sanitation have been provided for, and that the comfort of the
crew, who in the larger boats ^^■ill be expected to live on board continu-
ously, and in the smaller boats may have to do so occasionally, as well
as that of the inspectors and other Government officials who have to
make use of these boats on their various duties, lias been most carefully
borne in mind.
Schedule of Requirements for Fleet of Small Crullers for the
Fishery Protective Service of the Provinxie of Ontario,
Prepared by Your Commissioner^ and on Which the
Designs Herewith Submitted are Based.
There are two classes of boats necessary for the patrol of certain
inland waters of the Province of Ontario, and of portions of the Great
Lakes.
Class B. Boats suitable for portions of the Great Lakes, and for
inspectional purposes elsewhere.
Class C. Boats suitable for the inland waters of the Province, such
an Lake Simcoe, the K-^wartha Lakes, the Rideau Lake System, Lake
Nipisising, etc., and possibly certain portions of the intricate inner chan-
nels and bays of the Georgian Bay.
In the construction of both types of boat the greatest economy must
be observed as far as the interior fittings and appearance are concerned.
Class B. Six of these boats at least may be required for the waters
of the Georgian Bay and portions of Lakes Superior and Huron with
the following requirements:
1. Speech Eleven miles an hour under ordinary service conditions.
2. Seaworthiness. The lines must be easy, and designed to produce
an unusually good sea boat, as, while it is not aimed that thoy will be
patrolling for the most part in the outer waters, but rather that they
will be cruising among the islands and in the inner waters, at the same
time going from place to place, crossing gaps, etc., the,y may be called
upon to encounter heavy seas.
3. CreiD and Accommodation. A permanent crew of three men, all
protective officers, but taking the dutieis of captain, gasoline engineer
and cook. It is desired to give the gasoline engineer and cook comfort-
able berths, and to have the captain, if possible, in a stateroom, either
266 KEPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
separated by curtaiuis or preferably by a li^bt i)artition. It is necensary
tbat tbere sbould also be a small stateroom, containing a bertb, to be
used occasionally by the inspections, the Deputy Head of the Depart-
ment or other Government officials, and this room to be used by the
captain for his charts, office, etc., and also as a mess room. As these
boats will be in commission from the opening of navigation until the
close of the same, and it is designed that they be kept away from their
home ports as much as possible, simple, j^lain comfort for the crew is
required. A gasoline stove should be large enough to have a small oven ;
locker room should be reasonable; w. c. and a good large wash baisin
provided; the cockpit accommodation cut down to the very smallest
poin/t, as the boat is in no senise a pleasure boat, and besides this, the
smaller the better in caise of shipping heavy seas, and should be, of
course, self-bailing ; the cabinhouse above the deck ishould be strong aiid
capable of standing heavy seas, the same applying to any deadlights or
glass windows, for which emergency storm coverings ishould be pro-
vided ; the icebox should be part of the refrigerator and should be filled
from outside, and it would be well to provide for some form of ice-water
filter near the refrigerator; good ventilation must be provided, especially
for the galley and washroom, and the designer should bear in mind
that in some of the inner channels the heat in summer may be excessive.
The bow should not be straight stem, but with an easy curve under the
forefoot. It must be borne in mind that these boats will occasionally
have their bows pulled up on flat rocks.
4. Draught. The draught should be as light as posisible consistent
with sea-going qualities, but should not exceed three feet.
5. Dinghij. The vessel should be planned to take on board a small
boat or dinghy, wIkmi necessary on account of heavy Aveather, but as a
rule the same would be towed. Davits not desirable, and it would be
better, if possible, to provide some form of cradle on top of the cabin-
bouse. The dinghy should be light, but capable of holding three persons,
and will be used to lift illegally placed nets, etc. The designer should
therefore furnish lines for these dinghies, taking especial care to pro-
vide a good towing boat, which at the same time will fill the other
requirements mentioned.
6. Measurements. The designer sbould bear in mind that these
small pi^otective vessels aire in no sense pleasure craft, and that, while
he is not bound down to length or beam, it is desirable that the vessel
should be a;s small as possible commemsurate with the requirements out-
lined, with no eye to show or display, but with the principal considera-
tions, plain comfort for the class of men indicated, seaworthiness and
efficiency. From the inspection of other designs it appears to me thait
45 feet should be amply sufficient, and T hope the designier may get under
this length.
Class C. The type of boat required for this class is more of the
hunting launch variety. It is not intended that the men running these
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 2(JT
boats slionkl be out over nig'lit, but at the same time occaisionally it may
l)e uecessarj for them to be so.
1. ^peed. The speed of these boats under ordinary service condi-
tions should be ten miles an hour,
2. Creic. The crew would consist of one, or possibly two on occas-
ions. The steering- gear, tlierefore, and engine control should be beside
each other.
3. Acconunodatioii. As these boats will be in commission from the
early spring to the late fall, and as occasionally the officers must sleep
on board, enough covering should be provided to give two bunks, a very
small gasoline stove, a very small refrigerator, and some form of hatch
or doorway.
4. Draught. The lighter the draught the better for this class of
boat.
As in Class B, these boats are in no sense pleasure craft. They
should be strong and serviceable, and built with an eye to the greatest
economy. They will not tow a dinghy, and must be small enough to
manoeuvre for the picking up of nets, etc. The forefoot should be cut
away and well shod, as they will be pulled up on the shore from time
to time.
The views of your Commissioner have been most successfully
grasped by the designer and are cleverly set forth in the accompanying
blue printis.
The estimated cost of the Class A type of boat is about |4,300.00,
and that of the Class C type, |1,850.00, which includes furnishings of all
descriptions, sanitary mattresses, ventilators, engines and installation
of same, cooking utensils, bedding, cutlery, etc. As regards the type
of engine for the Class B boat the folloAving is an extract from the letter
of the expert who made the designs for the boats:
"As to the engine power necessary for the Class B boat, it would
take about a 4-cylinder, 4-cycle engine of at least 30-horsepower to get
the speed, and a 40-horsepower would be preferred. I would hesitate
to guarantee eleven miles with any lesser power than the above with
so heavy a boat, as, by my figures, a boat of this size and displacement,
about 16,000 pounds, would go at the most 11.05 miles statute -with a
24-horsepower engine, but this is too small a margin to give any guaran-
tee on, I TN-ould prefer to place a 30-lioi'sepower, which wonld give
ample power and would last longer, because it could be run slower.
Using this engine, a speed of 12.20 miles would be realized."
With regard to Class C boats, a Toronto firm of boat and engine
builders writes:
" With regard to the 25-foot boat, we believe a 2-cylinder, 15-horse-
power of our own make would give the full ten miles an hour, and we
will guarantee this engine to stand up under the most exacting strain
and under all conditions. Perhaps it would be well to mention the fact
22 r.G.
268 EEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
tliait with our muffler, and under water exhauist, this outfit will be abso-
lutely noiseless, and, if used at night, the protective officers can
approach to within a very few yards of poiachers, etc., without being
heard. It appears to us that this ought to be quite a feature for this
parti cula r service. "
In recommending these types of boats for the Fisheries Protective
Service your Commissioner only does so with the proviso that the engi-
neers of the larger class, and the officers in charge of the smaller craft,
shall hold certificates of proficiency from a reliable firm of gasoline
engine manufacturers, and that no inexperienced or untrained man
shall be allowed to handle them. This would, of course, entail some of
the men having to pass some weeks in the shops, but the advantages
accruing in immunity from breakdowns and general care of the engines,
would more than compenisate in the long run for any slight expense or
inconvenience incurred, and the adoption of such regulation would be
in the interests of true economy.
In this interim report your Commissioner does not deal with wliat,
in his opinion, should be the full equipment for the Province of boats
of the types indicated. He haSj however, selected an area, Georgian Bay
and portions of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, ais one which he con-
siders to be urgently in need of an improved Fishery Protective Service.
He would recommend to Your Honour that six (6) boats of the
Class B type be acquired by the Province and be stationed on the area
above mentioned, with the following apportionment of patrol districts:
1. The easterly poi'tions of Lake Superior to St. Joseph's Island.
2. From St. Joseph's Island to the west end of Georgian Bay about
Killarney, taking both sides of Manitouliu and the Ducks.
3. Killarney to Point au Baril.
4. Point au Baiil, taking in the rest of Georgian Bay, down to
Penetanguishene.
5. Penetanguishene to Tobermory, including Cove Island and sur-
rounding islands.
6. Tobcrmoi-y d()\\n to Goderich.
For these boats he recommends a crew of thice, all of wliom sliould
be appointed deputy ovcn-seers, to consist of:
A captain, who should have a thorough knowlcd'ic of the waters in
which lu^ is to ci-uis<^, previous experience as a professional mariner and,
if possible, in the handling of small boats, and be used to taking com-
mand.
An engineer, wlio shall have a certificate of proficiency from a reli-
able firm of gasoline engine manufacturers.
A cook who shall have bad reasoiDable experience as such, be pre-
pared to act as general utility man, and at the same time be experienced
in the, handling of oars, and of sufficient intelligence to undertake, when
necessary, the duties of his office as deputy overseer.
All three men must possess the attribute of personal fc^nrlessiiess,
Z7/ass C
^:5ff:x6ft.x£ ft launch /Sr
Gafne and ^fsher/fs Pro^^rc T^afro/.
1912 AND FISHEIIIES COMMISSION. 269
and be prepared to diseliarge their duties conscientiously in the face of
inclement weather or other personal risk, besides isuch qualifications' as
the dignity and exigencies of their office demands, such as physical fit-
ness, tact, and a certain amount of education.
In regard to salaries, your (^Commissioner would recommend that the
captain be paid $60.00, the engineer $55.00, and the cook 145.00 per
mensem, in addition to receiving board Avhilst the boat is on actual ser-
vice and away from the home port, and at these figures he is confident
that no difficulty would be experienced in obtaining the services of
really competent and suitable men.
The initial cost, therefore, to the Government of this recommenda-
tion will be approximately |27,000.00.
The cost of maintenance, assuming that the captain is a permanent
official, and employed during the close of navigation on other protective
duties inland, and that the engineer and cook are employed only during
the seven months that the boats are in commission, will be approxi-
mately :
Salary of Captain $720 00 $4,320 00
Salaries, Engineer and Cooli (7 mouths) 700 00 4,200 00
Board. 3 men for 30 weelis $10.50 per week 315 00 1,890 00
Gasoline, oil and accessories, allowing 5 hours' run
per diem, 6 days per week, for 30 weeks 500 00 3,000 00
Minor repairs, say 100 00 600 00
Totals $2,335 00 .$14,010 00
It must be understood, however, that thiis sum is not an increase
over and above existing expenditures, for the salaries of all the fishery
overseers for this district, i]\e wages of the help assigned to them in
certain instances, their board while absent on patrol, tlieir mileage
allowance, the hire and repairs to their craft, etc., must all be set against
it. Disbursements of this mature for the districts in question, accord-
ing to returns already presented to the House, would appear to amount
approximately to |13,000.00.
As regards the clas.s C type of boat, your Commissioner's full report
will contain a recommendation as to the numbers of these boats required
by the Province and the districts that shoiuld be assigned to tliem. Pend-
ing the submission of this report, he would recommend that no other
type of boat should be acquired by the Government for use on the inland
waters of the Province, and that a few of them should be at once ordered
and put in commission as soon as possible for service on the waters of
the Rideau Lake System, the Kawartha Lakes, Lake Nipissing, Lake
Simcoe, etc. Fie would, however reiterate that no boat of this type
should be handed over to a warden or overseer until such warden or
overseer has procured a certificate of proficiency in the working of the
engine, preferably from the firm installing and guananteeing same.
270 KEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
Fish Hatcheries.
In dealing- with this question it is taken as an axiom that it is the
duty of the state to conserve for the people, and if possible improve,
sources of food supply, and that the importance of an abundant su})ply
of fish food ranks second to none.
Ontario has been endowed with exceptional advantages for obtain-
ing a liberal supply of fish food, owing to its position on the Great Lakes,
the magnificent lakes scattered throughou't its interior, and its numer-
ous rivers and streams; but, owing to many causes, chief of which may
be said to be forest de'sitruction, pollution, and over-fishing, and the fact
that the commercial fishing is practically controlled by a foreign cor-
poration, not only are the people of Ontario deprived to-day of an abun-
dant supply of cheap fish food, but what is far more serious, the fish
food supply of the future is seriously threatened, unles-s immediate steps
are taken to counteract existing conditions. When the rapidly-increas-
ing population is taken into consideration, and the fact that most of
these people come from countries where they have been accustomed to
rely on cheap fish as one of their principal foods, the importance of the
question to the future welfare of the community can be realized.
In this regard it will not be out of place to quote a passage from
the repont of the Gommissioners of Fisheries and Game of IMassachu setts,
which very clearly sets forth the reasons for the artificial hatching and
rearing of fish :
" The practice of maintaining and protecting the fisheries of public
waters at public expense is of long standing, and is firmly established
in well nigh all densely-populated states and countries as both expedient
and profitable Two definite methods are in vogue :
"1. The regulation of fishing for the purpose of protecting the
adults, either (a) during the breeding season, or (h) in cases where the
demand exceeds the natural supply; either by reducing the number of
fish taken during the year, by limiting the catch, or by limiting the
number of da;\'s upon which fish may be legally taken — /. e., a close
season — or, again, by prescribing how and by what apparatus fish may
or may not be taken.
"2. The artificial hatching and rearing of young fish, and subse-
quent stocking of the water by the liberation of fry just hatched or of
one- or two-year-old fish.
" The purpose for which such laws are instituted is absolutely cor-
rect. If the adults of both sexes are not protected, the number of fertile
eggs laid is immediately reduced. Then necessarily follows a decrease
in the number of the young hatched and a proportionately smaller num-
ber of immature fish. Observations indicate that in a natural trout
brook, undisturbed by man, an optimum population of all classes of life
is established; enough insect larvas adult insects, worms, Crustacea, and
small fish of \arious species are present to furnish food for a rather con-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 271
stant number of voimg trout. Further, practically enough large adult
trout are present to eat at least 90 per cent, of tlie trout fry before these
young reach the breeding stage, and to furnish a number of offspring
practically just suflficient to furnish food for themselves and similar
large fish. Thus a surplus of not more than a pair or two comes to
maturity out of the hundreds of annual progeny of each pair of breed-
ing fish, to replace the old trout which pass on through accident or
senile decay.
" When, however, man appears, and a considerable number of the
breeding fish are removed by him, the most important consequence is a
sudden diminution in the number of eggs laid and a corresponding dimi-
nution in the number of fry hatched; consequently, a relatively larger
proportion of young fish, which are destined to go as food for the ' big
fellows.' A two-pound trout, for example, requires a certain weight of
aninml food per day. He will persistently hunt until this amount is
secured and his voracious appetite is satisfied. If, then, only a relatively
snmll number of small trout are present, it i's possible that every one of
these may thus fall victims; and not alone an actually smaller number,
but even no surplus fry, may remain to grow to become breeding adults.
When this occurs the trout fishery in that brook declines, and the waters
soon become occupied by less valuable fish, or else the stream remains
unproductive, yielding either nothing to man, or, at least, less than its
normal productive capacity. * * * The necessity of meeting these con-
ditions has led to biological studies which prove the following facts of
economic importance :
" 1. More trout fry can be secured by artificial impregnation of the
egg than are ordinarily hatched under natural conditions.
"2. The trout fry can be reared artificially in iuimense numbers,
with less mortality, than in nature.
'' 3. By an increased quantity of food the rapidity of growth may be
accelerated, and by subsititution of an artificial food in place of young
fish a greater weight of trout may be secured at less expense."
In the United States, not only the Federal Government, but almost
all the individual states, are increasing the yearly production of fish by
means of enlarg(-d or additional hatcheries. An idea of what is being
done in this direction may be gained from the following figures, taken
from the thirteenth annual report of the Forest, Fish and Game Com-
mission of the State of New York :
Summary of Fish Distribution for the Year Ending December 31st. 1907.
IN the State of New York.
Brook Trout 1.815.9.50 Frostfish 3.100.500
Brown Trout 1.051.750 MaskalouRe 5.00.1.000
Lake Trout 8.758.900 Pike Perch 36,855.000
Rainbow Trout 822.100 Shad 566 100
Smal 1 Mouth B]ack Bass 11,000 Smelt 100,000.000
Tomcod 65,600,000
Whitefish 15.510,300
Total Game Fisli 12,459.700 Tola] other fish 226,631,900
272 REPOKT OF ONTAIIIO GAME No. 52
In regard to fish, protectiou means both preservation and propaga-
tion. The remarkable fecundity of the fisli is an ever-growing amaze-
ment to tlie student of ichthj'ology. The ova are smaller than in any
other class of animal, yet the ovaries in many fish are larger than the
rest of the body. Taking advantage of this fecundity, with the aid of
modern science and appliances, it should be possible to maintain in our
Great Lakes and other waters the approximate balance of fish that
nature intended, which, as before pointed out, is in all probability the
optimum — that is, always provided that the system of artificial propa-
gation works hand in hand with reasonable protection of the adults of
the various species during the periods that they are engaged in the repro-
duotion of their species, for to rely on artificial means alone to accom-
l)lish the work of nature is to court disaster.
In this Province a close study should be given to the selection of
the most suitable varieties of fish for the different inland waters. As an
illusitration of this may be quoted the salmon trout of the Great Lakes.
This most excellent food fish, when planted in the confined areas of our
lesser lakes, never seems to attain the same game qualities as the species
indigenous to the particular lake; neither is their fiesh, as a rule, so
palatable. Many of our inland lakes have salmon tront peculiar to
themselves, and it would seem well, under any sj^stem of provincial
hiatcheries, to make provision for maintaining these varieties and testing
their suitability for surrounding waters.
It has been imposisible, in view of the many questions that have pre-
sented themselves to be dealt with by this Commission, to accumulate
sufficient detailed information on the establishment and working of
hatcheries on the most modern, practical, and economical basis, to
draw up a scheme for proviDcial hatcheries to be presented with this
interim report, but such a scheme will be prepared and presented with
the full report at a later date.
Meanwliile, your Commissioner would most strongly urge upon
Your Honour the adoption of the principle of provincial hatcheries, to
be scattered throughout the Province, in locations selected with a view
to the easy gathering of the spawn, and general facilities for distribu-
tion over the area to be fed by each, the whole system being so devised
as to deal with all classes of food and game fisih, and fish known +o be
the natural food of same, as it is only by maintaining the balance of
nature that the best results can be obtained.
Possibly no entei-prise in the world is so dependent upon the skill,
faitlifuliiess, and enthusiasm of those in charge as that of fisli hatch-
eries. The work of a wliole season may be ruined and the expenditure
of consid<'ral)le sums of money wasted, by a few lioui's' negligence.
Ontario is jjhiced in the happy position of being able to take advantage
of the experience of, and expensive investigations undertaken by, not
only practical hatchery men and state fish culturists, but also by scien-
tific university ])rofess(U'S and experts, in tlie United States and otlier
countries.
1912 AND FISHEPvIES COMMISSION. L'T3
It must, however, be realized that in starting hatcheries of her own,
the Province has not at present the necessary personnel, and sliould
most certainly not commence experimenting Avith amateurs; but, rather,
should take up the art at the point it has now reached. In due time
Ontario citizens will be trained, and will acquire the necessary skill;
but for the first hatcheries it is obviously essential to obtain the services
of non-residents who have had long, practical experience in the erection,
maintenance, and general operation of the different forms of hatcheries.
Bass Brooderies,
That Ontario already has a large tourist traffic, coming in from out-
side and attracted by the angling, it is only necessary to look at the
returns of the non-resident angleiK' tax to realize; and that this touri'st
traffic can be developed into one of the largest economic factors in the
prosperity of the Province, provided good angling facilities are forth-
coming, few who liave knowledge of the geograpihy of the Province, Avitli
its vast areas of forest lands and streams, unsuited to agriculture; its
magnificent lakes and waters, ottering alike beautiful scenery and a
splendid climate, and its ever-growing transportation facilities, or who
have studied the development of the State of Maine, where it is esti-
mated that the tourist traffic brings into the state yearly a revenue of
twenty-five million dollars, would be prepared to deny. A study of this
question will reveal the fact that in this Province, as an lattraction to
anglers of all classes, our own citizens, as well as those from other
provinces and states, the black bass stands in a class by itself. Its
imjjoitance, therefore, from the point of view of developing the tourist
traffic of the Province, as well as of aft'ording a healthful recreation to
our own people, cannot be overestimiated.
The black bass, however, differs from the majority of fish, in tluit it
cannot be forced to yield its eggs, or fertilize the same; and hence ordi-
nary methods of artificial propagation, as used in hatcheries for other
varieties of fish, are unavailing. Moreover, compared with other fishes,
the black bass produces a small number of eggs, the number varying
from about 2,000 to 9,000. A system has been devised by which use is
made of small ponds, cleared of other fisihes and injurious matter, for
the purpose of inducing the bass to breed under normal conditions; and
the .young, resulting, are then carefully nurtured and reared, until in a
suitable condition for transplantation.
In view of the vast numbers of bass that are taken out of the waters
of tliis Province yearly, the comparatively small number of eggs pro-
duced by the female and tlu^ improbability, to say the least of it, tliat,
in the small lakes and rivers at least, the present supply will be main-
tained unless special measures are taken to increase the propagation,
your Commissioner would strongly recommend the adoption of the prin-
ciple of bass control ponds, to be scattered throughout the I*rovince in
suitable locations; and though time and opportunity have been insuffi-
274 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
cieut to enable liim to diiaw up a scheme for presentation A\ith this
interim report, such a scheme will be drawn up and be pro^ented with
the full report of this Commission at a later date.
Co-operation.
In the enforcement of laws the good-will and support of the people
is a most important factor, for no government can afford to maintain
indefinitely a sufficient force of ofiftcials to ensure the obeying of laws
of which the general public does not approve. Most particularly doeis
this apply to the enforcement of the game laws and fishery regulations
of this Province on the public waters and wild lands. To patrol these
vast areas closely would entail an army corps of officials and an expense
far in excess of the funds at the disposal of the treasurj^ ; while to patrol
them with a limited number of officers implies wide districts for the
oflficei"S to cover, and consequently a greater dependency on the people
themselves, not only to obey the laws, but to demand their observance
by others, resident in or visiting the localities in which they live.
There is no more misguided policy for a government than to have
laws on the statute book which it cannot, or does not, enforce, for con-
nivance ;it infractions of the law is synonymous with connivance at
public moral deterioration.
Hence, in rcA'iewing the question of possible co-operation by officers
of other departments of the Government, and other corporations, as
called for in the instructions of his commission, your Commissioner
deems it his first duty to call the attention of Your Honour to the
urgency of enlisting the co-operation of that greatest of all provincial
coi'porations, the public of Ontario.
That the laws and regulations in regard to fish and game of the
Province are sound in principle your Commissioner is convinced ; as
likewise that tlie great mass of the people are law-abiding, and prepared
to support the enforcement of the laws once tihey understand what they
are and the purposes for which they have been made. Unfortunately,
however, investigation has disclosed to him the fact that not only is
there considerable vagueness in the public mind as to the provisions of
the laws and regulations, both in their requirements and in their admin-
istration, but also a ver}^ widespread niisa])j)rehension of the purposes
for which these laws and regulations have been framed. Unconscious
violations of the law are of common occurrence; magistrates all to fre-
quently display their ignorance of its ])rovisious in unauthorized total
or partial remissions of its penalties, and the commercial fisherman,
the settler, and the pothunter appear more often than not to view those
resources of natui-e in whicli tliey are interestc-d as their own peculiar
hirtliright and possession, to be s(iuandered at tlieir pleasure, without
regard to vested public rights or to their future economic value, holding,
indeed, in many instances that all restrictive laws and regulations are
but the device of an uiii-iiihtcous and selfish baiul of individuals, known
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMlStSlOX.
to them as sportsmen, to steal their birthrigiit for themselves. The
general public, meanwhile, remains dull and apathetic, merely because
it does not appreciaite the greatness of the issues at stake.
The awakening of the public to the importance of these issues not
only would ensure public co-operation, but would carry with it compre-
hension of the value of the natural resources of the Province on the part
of its greater corporations, and a desire to assist in developing and
exploiting their almost boundless possibilities. Specific education is an
important means of awakening ithe public sentiment, and such educa-
tion must comprise a lucid exposition of the economics of the questions
involved. The public must be taught to understand that the fishery
regulations and game laws have been devised in their own interest, and
must be encouraged to take pleasure in conforming to the same; magis-
trates must be instructed to learn and enforce the provisions of the laws ;
but, above all, it is important that the general public, together with the
settler, should realize that the living deer is many times more valuable
to them than the same deer dead ; together with the agrLculturisit, that
the birds of the air are the farmer's best friends; together with the com-
mercial fishernmn, that the capture of fish in the season devoted by
nature to reproduction but spells ultimate and utter depletion.
The blue books of tlie country contain carefully-prepared statistics,
giving full information as to the amount of coal and other minerals
mined, of cereals raised, of butter and cheese manufactured for export,
etc., but one source of wealth possessed by the Province of Ontario — as
well, in fact, as by most of the other provinces of the Dominion — is not
included in these returns. The tourist traffic is the source of wealth
referred to.
In several countries the value of this traffic is recognized and under-
stood, not only, by the authorities, but by the general public also. Pos-
sibly the best example of this is the Republic of Switzerland, where
attractions of mountain scenery, an invigorating climate, and winter
and summer sports draw thousands of tourists annually, who leave vast""
sums of money behind them, to enrich not only the hotels, which may be
numbered by the thousand, but to circulate freely among all classes of
the population.
The tourist traffic of Italy, attracted by its wonderful climate and
by tlie historic associations and art collections of its many beautiful
cities, is enormous, and its importance is realized by the authorities and
people alike.
As an example of the value of fish and game as an attraction to tlie
tourist no better case can be quoted than that of the State of Maine.
In 1867 a commission, appointed by the State Legislature, made an
exhaustive enquiry into the conditions prevailing then, and the report
submitted stated that the inland fisheries were practically valueless,
there was no moose in the state, and deer in only one small district.
This condition had been brought about, not by the visiting sportsmen,.
;76 KEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
but by the residents tliemselves, the game having been shipped for com-
mercial purposes to tlie larger Eastern cities. After this report was
received, the Legislature pastsed very strict law®, which were at first
enforced with great difficulty, but which in the end won public support.
In the year 1902, in order that the Legislature might be well advised as
to what the tourist traffic amounted to, the state authorities carried out
a summer census of all the visitors in the interior portions of the state.
These figures showed that 133,885 persons came into the interior por-
tions of the state, the principal attraction being the excellent fishing
and shooting provided.
Two years ago your Commissioner enquired from Hon. L. T. Carle-
ton, State Commissioner of Fisheries and Game, whether this traffic had
increased, and Mr. Carleton was good enough to take the question up
with Colonel Bootliby, General Passenger Agent of the Maine Central
Railway, and this official stated that, from statistics in his possession
and from other sources of information, he was of the opinion that quite
250,000 people came into the interior portions of the state during 1907,
attracted principally by the fishing and shooting.
Senator Frye, a well-known statesman, has stated that in all times
of financial depression the Stale of Maine feels the conditions less than
any other state in the Union, owing to the fact of this sportsman-tourist
traffic, whicli at these periods does not seem to shrink as might have been
expected.
Officially, the authorities of the State of Maine estimate the amount
of money left behind by each individual who comes into the interior por-
tion of the state at an average of flOO.OO. Those who have studied the
question are of the opinion that this is a very conservative estimate;
and, if it be accepted as a basis, it will be found that, taking the Govern-
ment statistics for 1902, there would have been left in the state that
year over thirteen million dollars; and, if the figures of the railroad
official are accepted for 1907, the gigantic sum of twenty-five million
dollars would be the result of the tourist traffic for one year.
The Province of Ontario is very happily situated, geographically, to
take the fullest advantage of the possibilities inherent in its game fish
and game as an attraction to the tourist. It lies within easy distance of
the populous and ever-growing cities of the State of New York, and is
as easy of access to the residents of the Mississippi Valley as is the State
of Maine.
Some little prejudice exists among a portion of the population of
the Province in regard to the influx of visiting sportsmen, the idea being
that, sliould great numbers come in, the sport will be ruined. On reflec-
tion, however, it will be seen from the history of the evolution of this
class of traffic in the State of Maine that this belief is not founded on
fact, for, as has already been i)ointed out, in 1867 the game iind fish of
the state had practicnlly disappenred, not through the action of visiting
sportsmen, but through the slaughter carried on by the residents them-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 277
selves ; but, once the public became advised of the value of this attraction
in the development of the tourist business, such splendid protection
was furnished that to-day not only is twenty-five million dollars attracted
annually to the state, but the residents themselves obtain much better
fishing and shooting than ever existed in the state before.
The returns of the Department of Game and Fisheries of the Pro-
vince of Ontario show that from the non-resident anglers' tax of |2.00
per head approximately |17,000 has been collected during the year. It
must be borne in mind, however, that this license fee has only been col-
lected for three years, and that the machinery for its collection is not
yet perfected ; and, indeed, at the present time it may fairly be assumed
that only about one-half of the possible amount is actually collected.
Then, also, it should be realized that this |17,000 direct revenue means
an indirect revenue to the Province of something approaching |850,-
000.00, taking the average used by the Maine officials as a basis of calcu-
lation, namely, |1 00.00 per capita. It must also be borne in mind that
for one person ^^ilo pays this fee there are, on an average, one or two
members of the family who do not care to angle, and who, therefore do
not take out any license to do so, but who will none the less be spending
their pro rata amount in the Province.
From information in the possession of your Commissioner, obtained
from railroad officials, hotel proprietors, etc., he estimates that quite
three million dollars comes into the Province annually, which would not
be brought in if there were no angling or shooting; and, further, your
Commissioner is of the opinion that were the fish and game of the
Province to be seriously considered from their economic aspect by your
Government, the public, and the great financial institutions, such an
improvement would take place in the sport, through the establishment
of hatcheries and adequate general protection that the sum referred to
would be immensely increased. The State of Maine is only about one-
eighth the size of the Province of Ontario, and there is no reason why
tlie immense sums derived from its tourist traffic and now enjoyed by
that state should not in the course of time, and by intelligent effort, be
equalled, or even surpassed, in the Province of Ontario, the free circula-
tion of which would mean the building of numerous hotels, improved
railway and steamboat transportation, increased value of real estate,
employment for thousands of registered guides, and the development
generally of the machinery to handle a quar-ter to half a million annual
summer visitors.
The scarcity of ready money among tlie poorer settlers in the back
townships is admitted, and no manual labour is better paid that that of
guide or oarsman, employed by visiting sportsmen; and, were the
settlers more alive to the opportunities of obtaining considerable sums
of money by taking up this work, your Commissioner believes such set-
tlers would become interested in the protection of fish and game in their
neighbourhood, and realize that its greatest value to themselves is as
278 KEPORT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
an attraction to the visiting sportsmen. It may be of interest to note
tliat no less an authority than Hon. L. T. Carleton lias estimated that
the value of a moose i-unniug in tlie woods is quite |500.00, whereas the
same moose dead, and looked upon from its food value alone, i^ worth
only a fraction of this sum.
The value of fish and game from a sentimental point of view is of
doubtful importance in this commercial age, but your Commissioner
would point out that, in addition to the arguments above set forth, the
health of the citizens of the more crowded centres is admittedly much
improved by a holiday spent in the woods and on the water, and that
the attraction of fish and game to draw city folk countrywards is of
importance to the body politic from this point of view.
He believes that were the facts and figures above given more thor-
oughly understood by the masses of the people of the Province, a Ktrong
vigorous, and healthy sentiment would readily develop in all classes of
the community, as it has in the State of Maine, and especially among
the settlers in the regions where sport is chiefly found, or can best be
improved.
In the United States the importance of educating the people in this
direction is recognized. The Department of Agriculture at AVashington
has been, and is to-day, carrying on this work energetically. Bulletins
are issued by it on various subjects, such, for instance, as the value of
the quail to the farmer as an insect destroyer, and of the usefulness of
other birds in assisting the farmer in destroying noxious weed seeds,
insects, and harmful vermin, and are freely circulated. Commissioner
Whipple, of tlie New York State Forest, Fish and Game Commission,
stated recently, at a convention of the New York State Forest, Fish
and Game Leagues, that at least 100 nights of the year be devoted to
giving lectures throughout the state, with the view of advising the public
of the objects of his commission and as to the advisability of supporting
its efforts.
The following extract from the 1908 report of the Game and Fish
Commissioner of the State of Alabama exemplifies very clearly tlie
necessity of some such action on the part of the authorities :
"As a result of scientific research of the most extended nature it
has been ascertained that the cause of the prevalence of many maladies,
and the problem of weed control, is largely attributable to the slaughter
of our insectivorous birds, whicli in the past have been Avantonly mur-
dered by the million. Birds annually destroy thousands of tons of
noxious weed seeds, and billions of liarmful insects; they were designed
to hold in check certain forces tliat are antagonistic to tlie vegetable
kingdom. A noted French scientist has asserted tliat williout birds to
check the ravages of insects, liunian life would vanish from this ])lanet
in tlie short s])ace of nine years. lie insists that insects would first
destroy the growing cereals, next would fall upon jlic grass and foliage,
Avliich would leave nothing upon which cattle and stock could sul)sist.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 279
Tlie possibilities of agriculture /having been destroyed, domestic animals
having perished for want of provender, man, in his extremity, in a bar-
ren and desolate land, would be driven to the necessity of becoming
cannibalized, or subsisting exclusively on a diet of fish. Even granting
that only a portion of what the eminent Frenchman asserts is true, it is
easy to glean from his theory that birds are man's best allies, and should
be protected, not only on account of their innocence, bright plumage
and inspiring songs, but because they render to the farmer valuable
assistance every day."
It would seem, therefore, that not only is the education of tlie peo-
ple to an appreciation of the value of the fish, game and birds of the
Province a necessity, but that in its undertaking there is ample scope
for cordial co-operation between the Departments of Agriculture and
Game and Fisheries. Mr. C. W. Nash, the eminent ornithologist and
ichthyologist, by means of a series of lectures to farmers, has done ex-
cellent work in this direction, and your Commissioner believes that the
broadening and extending of ■such a system, together with the free dis-
tribution of educative bulletins on all matters appertaining to the sub-
ject, would produce most far-reaching and satisfactory results.
Your Commissioner would also point out that the duties of certain
of the officials of the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines, such
as tlie fire rangers, as well as those of the newdy organized provincial
constabulary, bring them into close touch with matters intimately con-
nected with fish and game protection, and that the loyal co-operation
of these officers in the enforcement of the game laws and fishery regu-
lations is most earnestly to be desired. The provincial constabulary
force, under its new chief, may well prove an invaluable aid to the offi-
cers of the Department of Game and Fisheries, for it is, to a certain
extent, a secret service; and will, therefore, at times have in its posses-
sion information not otherwise procurable by the Department of Game
and Fisheries.
As regards corporations, who are in a position to co-operate
with the Department of Game and Fisheries, and whose co-operation
it ANould seem most advisable to secure, your Commissioner would
draw Your Honour's attention to the fact that the great railways
have a definite and acknowledged financial interest in the main-
tenance of the fish and game in the Province, as an attraction to tour-
ists, and thereby as a means of swelling their passenger receipts, while
at the same time, owing to the nature of their organization, they are
most advantageously situated, especially in the more sparsely settled
regions tli rough which their lines run, to render this co-operation effec-
tive. Your Commissioner is happy to be able to report that he has had
tlie opportunity of pressing upon certain of the companies the desir-
ability of th(Mr assistance in the matter of fish and game protection,
and has met \\\ih a most courteous and sympathetic hearing. Your
^Minister of Public Works has been pleased to agree to commission as
280 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 53
deputy overseers any officials appointed and paid by the railroads to
take an active part in the protection of fish and game, and already the
Algonia and Hudson Bay Railway Company, after consultation with
your Commissioner, has taken advantage of this offer to appoint such
an officer. At the i)reseut time, also, the managements of some of the
greatest railroads, operating in this Province, have under consideration
plans for assisting the authorities in a parallel direction^ and your Com-
missioner hopes that before the presentation of his full report these
plans will have matured, and taken definite shape, so that he will be
enabled to present them therein.
Your Commissioner would reiterate once more that, to develop and
exploit the natural advantages of the Province in fish and game, cli-
mate and scenery, to make barren and wild lands productive of a great
income to the Province, and to build on solid foundations, which will
secure the fruits of these efforts to all future generations, it is necessary
that, not only shoiuld the officers of the various Government Depart-
ments, nearly or remotely interested, most cordially co-operate, but that
the interest of the public must be awakened, and its co-operation so-
licited and won, which can only be effected by educating the public to a
realization of the issues at stake.
The storehouse of nature, filled with treasures of incalculable
value, are none the less exhaustible. The history of this continent
has proved that the wanton destruction of to-day but spells the extinc-
tion of a whole species to-morrow. To l)ring the people to a realiza-
tion of these matters should be the ambition and care of a government,
and hand-in-hand with an aggressive educative policy for this purpose
there should be adopted a policy of conservation, framed on broad lines,
such as those j)ictured by President Roosevelt in his instructions to the
National Conservation Commission, on its creation in 1908, Avlien he
wrote :
" Our object is to conserve the foundations of our prosperity. We
intend to use these resources, but to use them so as to conserve them.
No eff'ort sliould be made to limit the wise and proper development and
application of these resources; every effort should be made to prevent
destruction, to reduce waste, and to distribute the enjoyment of our
natural wealth in such a way as to promote the greatest good to the
greatest number for the longest time."
Your Commissioner would, therefore, most strongly recommend
that :
1. Tlie officials of all Government departments, nearly or remotely
connected with matters appertaining to the protection of fish, game
and birds, be instructed to co-operate, cordially and loyally, witli the
officials of the Department of Game and Fisheries.
2. The Department of Agriculture, together with the Department of
Game and Fisheries, undertake the education of the ])eople to the eco-
nomic value of the birds, as the safeguards of agriculture, and of fish
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 281
and game, both as sources of food supply and as an attraction to the
tourist, by means of bulletins, such as published and circulated by the
Department of Agriculture at AVashington, and by an amplification of
the lecture system, such as already conducted by Mr. C. W. Nash.
3. Every encouragement be given to any corporation desirous of
assisting the Government in the enforcement of the game laws and fish-
ery regulations.
Provincial Park Preserves.
The Province of Ontario contains many thousands of acres of wild
and wooded lands, whose geological formation discloses no valuable
mineral resources, and forbids the possibilities of agriculture, but whose
natural beauty is a constant joy to those fortunate enough to visit
them, and whose peaceful sylvan recesses and rugged fastnesses
afford a luxurious home for the song, insectivorous, and game bird, as
well as for the moose, the deer, and the many smaller but valuable fur-
bearing animals. It has been said that nothing in nature exists without
a cause, and if a reason be sought for the existence of these wild and
beautiful lands, what nobler or grander one can be conceived than that
they are designed to be the perpetual and unspoiled playground of a
great and populous nation, wherein its sons and daughters may seek
both health and recreation, and where bird and beast alike may exist
under adequate protection?
The progress of modern civilization has entailed extravagant de-
mands on nature, and the blatant call of demand drowned the feeble
plaint of an ever-diminishing supply. Fortunately, however, a powerful
voice was raised in time, and the nations of the continent were made to
understand that it is easier to fell than to grow, easier to exterminate
than to create. It had long been realized that all wild life reproduces
itself more proliflcly and healthfully under natural conditions, and it
required but the launching of the idea of Government-owned park pre-
serves for the principle to be cordially welcomed and accepted by all
classes of the community. Throughout this continent the adoption of
the principle has been remarkable both for its rapidity and for the variety
of its application. Sea-girt islands have been selected as breeding places
for the gulls, where no man may venture to shoot; ranges of wild land
and hills have been assigned to the elk to make his home in, and others
to the moose or smaller forms of deer life and birds; hills and moun-
tains have been declared the sancutary of the mountain sheep and goat,
and vast tracts of devastated timber lands have been set aside, to be
sown with the seed that will produce the lumber for generations yet to
come.
Already the success that has attended the movement has been most
marked, and not only are certain species of birds and beasts, formerly
in danger of extinction, once again beginning to multiply in the pre-
282 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
served regions, but, in common with other fcmr-footed and winged
creatures, are spreading in increasing numbers over contiguous dis-
tricts. In fact, it may be said that in tlie national park preserve has
been discovered the secret of perpetuating our big and other game.
Ontario has not been behind in grasping the wisdom of this policy,
and in the Temagami, Algonquin, and other provincial parks the helms-
men of her destiny have set aside, alike for the people of to-day as of
to-morrow, great tracts of land, where nature may continue to hold
undisputed sway, where the birds and beasts may thrive and breed, to
spread in plentiful numbers over the surrounding territory, and where
men and women may seek simple and healthy repose from the cares a ad
worries of strenuous modern life.
The area of the Province, however, is so vast that there would still
seem to be scope for the extension of this nu^st excellent principle.
At the time the pine timber was being taken out from the territories
where very little land suitable for agriculture existed, men went in on
the wave of the lumber industry, and, picking out a spot where there
chanced to be a little arable soil, fit to produce oats, hay and potatoes,
etc., proceeded to erect a small home, finding employment during the
winter in the shanties, and in the spring on the drive, after which they
devoted themselves to raising the crops indicated, and for which they
obtained high prices among the lumbermen. After the pine was taken
out and the wave of lumber operations receded, these men were in many
cases left high and dry, with wives and families to support. The land
they owned not being really suitable for agriculture, they eked out a
very poor livelihood. Theiir homes are often far removed from schools,
and cons(^quently their cliildren do not have the same opportunities for
education as exist generally throughout the Province. These men have,
to a certain extent, become dependent on the game and fish of their
neighborhood to furnish no small proportion of their daily food. It
would seem that the welfare of the Province would be advanced were
their condition anudiorated. The purchase of holdings of tliis nature
would give cash to these poor settlers, with which, if homesteads were
allocated 1o them in more fertile regions, and free transportation to the
same provided for them, they would be enabled to start life afresh
under moi-e advantageous circumstances, whilst these same lands, so
l)arren and useless to the settler agriculturist, would be a suitable and
profitable addition to the park preserves of the Province and for reafor-
estation.
Since undertaking his present duties your Commissioner has had
the opportunity of visiting only one of the provincial park preserves —
the Algonquin National Park. The extent of this park is some 45 by 45
miles, comprising, approximately, 24 townships; and, though the objects
of the park are being in many respects fulfilled, and bird and animal
life increasing, after consnltation with the Park Superintendent, and
from other sources of information, your rommissioner has been forced
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 283
to the conclusion that the staff of rangers for the efficient wardenship of
the park is totally inadequate.
At the present time there are but fifteen rangers, and in a broken
and woody country of this description it is vain to expect such a small
staff to provide proper and sufficient protection. Mr, Shier, a lumber-
man of twenty-five years' experience in the woods of Northern Ontario,
in giving evidence to your Commissioner on this point, remarked :
" In my opinion, you ought to have two men to one township."
Although a staff of such a size as indicated by this gentleman would
be beyond the funds at present available, nevertheless some addition to
the permanent staff of the park is most urgently needed. The Superin-
tendent of the park is in the anomalous position of being responsible for
the efficient discharge of their duties by the wardens, while, at the same
time, being required to be practically continuously at his headquarters,
in order to deal immediately with any malefactors the rangers may
bring before him. That some supervision of the rangers is necessary
would seem to be obvious, as likewise that to supervise their work
effectively would entail an inspector being almost continuously in the
woods the year through ; but, on the other hand, it is equally plain that
someone is required at headquarters to discharge the magisterial func-
tions of superintendent and to attend to administrative details. It
would appear, therefore, that a chief ranger is a necessity, to work
directly under the Park Superintendent; and, though an experiment in
this direction proved unsuccessful, the falling of one into evil way does
not imply that another would, of necessity, do likewise. In fact, your
Commissioner believes that in the Province of Ontario many a suitable
man, both able and willing to discharge the duties of such a post, is to
be found, if only they be sought amongst the ranks of those whose life
records and experiences prove their suitability.
One of the main difficulties which seem to attend the efficient war-
denship of the park is that, at the present time, the rangers cannot
arrest or pursue further than one mile outside the park boundaries.
Such a state of affairs is subversive of good results, and weakens the
authority of the wardens, for to chase an offender out of the park and
then be obliged to let him escape, is but to encourage the offender in the
belief that he can return to his malefactions with impunity, and to
discourage the wardens in attempting to arrest. The laws and regula-
tions have been designed to check these classes of offences. Placing
obstacles in the way of the enforcement of the law is the surest way of
encouraging the commission of these offences.
Another difficulty encountered in the wardenship of the Algonquin
National Park is that the boundaries of the park admit of entrance
being gained thereto by numerous waterways from outside. Many a
man, therefore, can easily slip into the park unobserved, making use of
these waterways, and starting from the lakes outside. In fact, the pres-
ence of a chain of lakes immediately outside the boundaries of the park
23 F.G.
284 IIEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
would appear not only to be a source of strategical weakness from the
point of view of efficient ad<ministration, but, judging from the evidence
of the park superintendent, the actual cau^e of a very great portion of
the troubles experienced by himself and staff.
In dealing with the subject of provincial park preserves, your Com-
missioner desires to call to Your Honour s attention the great increase
of beaver within them. From the evidence collected by him on this point
he feelis assured that tliese animals have now attained to such numbers
that to remove the normal increase would be proper and advantageous
to the parks. Such a system, in the matter of game, is worked by the
authorities in Germaziy; and, were it adopted in Ontario, would provide
a ver}^ considerable revenue, sufficient, in all probability, to at least bear
all the expense of the maintenance of the parks. As accurate as possible
a census of the beaver should be taken annually, the numbers to be taken
decided upon, and the localities for the taking carefully selected by the
responsible authority, arrangementK nmde for the proper treating and
prepiaring of the pelts; on each pelt ■should be branded a Government
mark, and when the pelts are ready for the market they should be adver-
tised for tender or sold by auction. The killing of beaver should only be
ent^'usted to thoroughly competent and reliable officials, as it would, in
the opinion of your Commissioner, be dangerous and unprofitable to
undertake it with officials whose probity, at all events, was not abso-
lutely beyond question. In fact, it would seem that tlie supervision of
this work should be one of the duties of the Chief Ranger referred to in
a preceding paragraph.
As the population in Ontario grows and its tourist traffic develops,
the number of visitors to the public parks will inevitably be greater, and
the demand for guides will steadily increase. The science of forestry
has made rapid progress, and undoubtedly will play an important part
in the future economics of the Province. Already, indeed, much atten-
tion is being paid to the prevention and extinction of forest fires, and
the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines employs quite a consider-
able number of fire rangers at certain periods of the year. In tlie Uni-
versity of Toronto a special forestry class is held, under the supervision
of Professor B. E. Fernow, and it has been brought to the attention of
your Commissioner that anything that can be done to assist these young
men to a practical knowledge of the woods is a step in the direction of
the future prosperity of the Province. Praclical knowledge of the woods
can only be obtained by personally visiting and living in them. The
expenses of education bear pretty hardly on the pockets of many of the
ambitious young men of to-day. Employment as guide or forest fire
ranger would appear to offer these young men not only a practical road
to knowledge of tlie woods, but also an opportunity of making a little
money with which to carry on their education. Young men, attested by
Dr. Feriiiow to be proficient canoemen and swimmers, to have a reason-
able knowledge of cookerv and the theoretical side of woodcraft, and to
1912 AND FISHERIES CO^iOIISSION. 285
be of good character aud physique, should make ideal guides for the
average tourist, for they would be cleanly in habits and polite in man-
ners; and, in a very short space of time, would be equally at home as
the woodsman in the particular districts in which they were employed.
Other young men, without the particular qualifications nece'ssary for
guiding, would, at least as fire rangers, be obtaining practical knowledge
of the woods, of life in the same, and of the practical side of fire pro-
tection for the forests, as also, probably, of fire extinguishing.
The people of Ontario, as a whole, maintain the park preserveK, but
only a proportion of the people are able or desirous of making use of
them ; and, therefore, it would seem not to be unreasonable to attempt
to lighten the burden on tho'se who do not by imposing a snmll fee for
the privilege on those who do. A registration fee of 50 or 75 cents
would deter none from coming, but would furnish an additional Bource
of income to provide for the cost of maintenance and, equally important,
provide statistics as to the numbers making use of the parks.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend that:
1. Power be taken to expropriate gradually the holdings of settlers
in barren and unprofitable land^, adjudged unsuited to agriculture, the
said settlers being offered free lands in districts more suited to agricul-
ture, and, with their wives, families and belongings, free transportation
to same.
2. The following townships be added to the Algonquin National
Park: To the south — Livingstone, Laurence, and Nightingale. To the
east — White River, Clancy (east half), Guthrie, Barron, and Edgar.
3. A chief ranger be appointed for the Algonquin Park.
4. The number of rangers in the Algonquin National Park be in-
creased to 24.
5. A system of taking the normal increase of beaver be adopted for
the provincial park preserves, pelts to be taken by Government officials,
branded with the Government brand, and sold by tender or auction, the
proceeds of such Bales being devoted to the maintenance of the provin-
cial park preserves.
6. The students of Dr. Fernow's forestry class be encouraged to go
into the woods and act as guides in the provincial park preserves when
it is attested by Dr. Fernow that they have the proper qualifications,
and be employed, as far as possible, as forest fire rangers, or rangers'
assistants, by the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines, free trans-
portation to their destination and back being provided at the public
expense.
Deer.
One of the penalties of advancing civilization in all countries has
been the comparatively rapid disappearance of the larger forms of wild
animal life indigenous to them. The axe of the woodman, the opening
of a country to agriculture, the creation of trade and transportation
286 KEPORT OF ONTAEIO GAME No. 52
routes, with the consequent increase of population and the facilities
thereby att'orded for the exploitation of newly-opened lands to supply
the demands for game from established towns and cities, have all played
their part; but on this continent an additional factor must be credited
with a large share of the responsibility. Each man child born to the
country seems to have inherited in most pronounced form the hunting
instinct and, in the past at least, something of the lust of slaughter.
The truth of this, and its full meaning, was probably first realized when
the two nations of North America awoke to the fact that the buffalo
were no more. Certain it is, however, that efforts to counteract these
combined influences are of comparatively recent date.
In the United States, where civilization made the more rapid pro-
gress and population the more rapid increase, the effects of wanton
destruction were first noticed and felt, and consequently game protec-
tion advanced there by rapid strides, whilst in Canada it still remained
in its infancy. Now that Canada, in her turn, has entered upon her era
of increase and development, it would seem but wise for her provinces to
take advantage of the experience of those who, in these respects, have
already passed through the stages of evolution in which they to-day find
themselves.
That the economic value of deer can ever even approximate to that
of the fish is not to be contended, either as a source of food supply or as
an inducement to the tourist, for in the scheme of nature there is no
provision made for abnormal reproduction of game animals, such as
exists in the fishes, and also almost every man, and a great many women,
are expert anglers, and in the course of the year find some opportunity
of displaying their skill, while in these days only a proportion of the
male population have either the means or opportunity to venture into
the woods in search of deer. The economic value of deer, however,
though less than that of fish, is none the less very high, and should by
no means be overlooked or underestimated; for, outside of the money
brought into the Province thereby, there is still the consideration so
ably set forth in the 1908 report of the Game Commissioners of Pennsyl-
vania :
" Through the increase of game we feel that an incentive to out-
door exercise and recreation is supplied that cannot be secured through
any other process. An experience in camp life and in handling and
caring for firearms is secured that is of great worth to our citizens who
indulge in hunting, through which they, as individuals, secure better
health, and are, therefore, better fitted to fill the place allotted to each
in his respective community. These things together — better health
and, therefore, better citizenship — joined to experience in camp life
and in the handling of firearms, appear to us of great value to the
state and the nation, as they surely raise our standard of defence in
time of trouble, in the shape of war, either from within or from with-
out, far above that of any people who rlo not hunt. We feel that the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 287
presence of game is of great value to the state, and that hunting is a
necessary adjunct to our national success; and that, therefore, the
state owes it to itself to provide some method whereby game can be
increased." .
The Province of Ontario has been abundantly endowed by nature
with forests and wild lands well suited to the maintenance of large herds
of deer, and her ranges were originally stocked to their utmost capacity.
Owing, however, to the advance of civilization, with its train of conse-
quences before enumerated, as likewise to the fact that for many years
the •slaughter of deer was practically unchecked, great ravages have been
made on the numbers of the deer, with the result that to-day in many
localities their ranks are sadly thinned; and it would appear to be the
almost unanimous opinion of those who have studied the subject, or take
a personal interest in it, that some steps should be taken, and that
immediately, if the deer are to be conserved to the Province. In any
case, without taking a pessimistic view of the situation, it can be safely
said that further conservation measures on the part of the authorities
are a necessity, for the diminution in the numbers of deer almost
throughout the entire Province is well marked and admitted, and that
the time for these measures is now, when the material available is still
ample for the upbuilding of a great and permanent supply.
Fortunately the experience of our neighbours has proven that, as
expressed by the Game and Fish Commissioners of Minnesota in their
1908 report:
" Deer respond readily to protection, thrive and multiply in the
vicinity of settlements, when not molested in close seasons, domesticate
easily, and may be retained in abundance under ordinary restrictive
laws."
So that, by studying the laws of our neighbours, and selecting those
which have been most efficacious and beneficial, it should be possible
for the authorities to ensure the conservation of at least an equal
supply of deer to posterity as exists at present, without laying any
undue hardships on the sportsman-citizen of to-day.
Advocates of reforms in the deer laws are as numerous as the
remedies they suggest, but, in the opinion of your Commissioner, Dr.
Hornaday, the eminent naturalist and head of the Bronx Zoological
Society, placed his finger on the vital issue when, in an interview
accorded to your Commissioner, he stated :
" There is no surer method of exterminating any variety of big •
game than to allow the destruction of the females."
In enlarging upon this subject, he pointed out that the adoption by
liu liters of a motto,
'''' 'Never shoot until you see the horns,"
not only means the preservation of many does to produce one or two
fawns in the ensuing spring, but in itself is the most powerful safe-
288 KEPOET OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
guard that can be devised by the state for the protection of human
life in the woods, for almost all the hunting accidents, which on this
continent are so lamentably numerous as to be almost a public scandal,
occur through snapshooting at a moving object whose nature, even,
cannot be discerned.
That such a law would be viewed by many in this Province as a
disagreeable innovation is probable ; but it must be remembered that all
innovations, from the umbrella to the telegraph, have met with opposi-
tion at the hands of a prejudiced populace, and time and again has it
been proved that the popular prejudice will disappear with extraordi-
nary rapidity if the innovation or measure is intrinsically good and
worthy of popular approbation.
Considering this question to be of great importance, your Commis-
sioner feels no hesitation in quoting at some length from tlie reports of
the various fish and game commissions and wardens in the United
States, where conditions are, perhaps, even more critical in respect to
deer than they are in this Province, and where the men in touch with
the conditions can speak from experience of an actual application of
such a law.
The Chief Game Protector to tlie Game Commissioners of the State
of Pennsylvania writes in his report of 1908 :
"When the bill proposing to limit the killing of deer to a male deer
with horns, and which afterwards became law, was first introduced, I
was opposed to the measure. * * * j thought that if a measure of
this kind became law it would be very apt to result in trouble to many
men who otherwise intended to be honest; that because of the thick
underbrush found in the deer territory, the high bracken and rougli
country, it would be almost impossible to determine the sex of a deer
until the deer had been killed. I preferred the making of an absolutely
closed season for deer, if protection to that extent was found to be neces-
sary, and I at once began a canvass of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives relative to these matters. I also consulted sportsmen and
other men who were in the habit of going into the woods during the
deer season regarding their thought on the subject, and found that,
almost without exception, the bird hunters, the rabbit huniers, tlic;
lumbermen, the land-owners, and the people generally who desired to
go into th(? ■\voods during the last two weeks of November, including
many deer hunters, favoured the passage of this measure. They argued
that they, as citizens of this commonwealth, had just as much right to
be in the woods at that time as had the deer hunter, and that, under the
then existing laiw, there was not one moment of all that time that the
life of any one of them w^as safe. They claimed that they, as human
beings, were just as much entitled to protection as were the deer. I
found from statistics gathered by the Biological Survey at Wasliing-
ton, D.C., that forty-eight men had been killed and one hundred and
four wounded witliin the United Slates bv deer hunters during the
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 289
open season of 190G. I, therefore, refrained from opposing this bill
before the Legislature, and urged the Governor to sign it when it came
before him. I am now satisfied this is one of the best measures ever
placed upon the books of Pennsylvania. * * j am certain that no
more deer have lost their lives, in violation of law, since the passage of
this act than would have been killed illegally during the same period
had there been an absolutely closed season. * * * i am confident the
great majority of hunters respect this law. * * * It is, of course, a
new idea, and very trying to deer hunters in this state to hold their
fire when a fine doe or deer of any description stands in front of them.
Yet this was almost invariably done. * * * From data collected I am
satisfied that the number of bucks killed last year did not exceed one-
fourth of the number of deer killed during the fall of 1906, and would
not exceed two-thirds of the number of bucks killed during that season.
* * * The great majority of the deer hunters I have met last fall, both
during the season and since that time, although frequently disap-
pointed in not securing a deer, expressed themselves as satisfied with
the law. The feeling of personal security surrounding each one appar-
ently far outweighed any pleasure they might have derived through the
killing of deer. * * * j noticed that, almost without exception, the
opponents of this law were men who did not realize the value of this
act as a preserver of human life, or a man whose sole desiire was to kill,
no matter what the result might be to others. * * * The number of
deer killed in this Commonwealth during 1906 was in the neighbour-
hood of 800. Of this number, perhaps 350 were bucks and the remain-
ing 450 were does. From positive reports received from several coun-
ties not more than 200 bucks were killed last year, or at least dur-
ing the past season, throughout the entire state, and I believe I am
within bounds when I say that not more than thirty does will be
found to have lost their lives. * * * jf these figures are correct,
and the same ratio of killing was followed as last year, we have
spared to us about 150 bucks and about 420 does, or 570 deer in all.
The majority of does give birth to two fawns, so that I think an esti-
mate of one and one-half fawns to a doe for this year would be fair
and reasonable. Six hundred and thirty fawns, added to 420 does
and 150 bucks, will give us 1,200 deer to start with this fall that we
would not have had under the old law. This seems to be a good show^-
ing, and one that would justify a continuance of this law, were its
sole and only object to preserve and increase our deer; but as the
chief purpose of this act was the preservation of human life and
limb, this addition to deer life in the state is onlj incidental. Still it
means much."
The State Fish and Game Commissioner of Vermont, in his 1908
report, writes :
" The prime reason for the rapid increase undoubtedly has been
in the protection of does, aJ lowing deer with horns to be taken only.
290 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
It is also known to the Commissioner in several instances where the
hunter's life has been in jeopardy, but saved through the caution of
other hunters waiting to see if what they supposed to be a deer had
antlers, when, to their surprise, another hunter came into view. For
this one reason the law is a protection to human life. Eight out of
ten illegally shot, or killed by dogs, are does,"
The State Game and Fish Commissioner of Alabama, in his First
Biennial Report of 1907-8, writes:
'' The provision of the game law limiting the killing of deer to
bucks only has had a most salutary effect on the efforts of the state
to save these beautiful and valuable animals from extermination."
The State Game and Fish Commissioner of Colorado, in his Bien-
nial Report for 1907-8, whites :
" The law existing immediately prior to the passage of our pres-
ent law forbade the killing of any deer, except that each person could
kill one deer with horns. That excluded the killing of fawns of either
sex, and the killing of does. This afforded the deer an opportunity
to increase in their natural way, and during the years that law was in
existence a marked increase was noticed, practically all over the state,
where deer are found; but under our present law, taking into consid-
eration the loss of fawns, because of the killing and crippling of the
mother, and the separating of the fawns from the does, leaving the
former in the deep snows of the mountains, and the consequent
exposure to all the natural enemies of its kind, I believe I am safe in
saying that by far a larger per cent, of the does and fawns were lost
to the state than of bucks. This tends more than anything else to
the extermination of the deer. In order to increase the deer, the does
must be protected first, in order that they may bear increase, and the
increase must likewise be protected until it can be given a chance to
mature and produce more of its kind,"
The above quotations, in the opinion of your Commissioner, con-
stitute succinct and convincing testimony to the efficacy of such a mea-
sure, both from the point of view of conserving the deer, if not of
obtaining an actual increase in their numbers, and as a protection to
human life and limb, and render it unnecessary for him to make any
further remarks on this subject.
Attention has been called to the demand from cities and towns,
whose inhabitants often cannot spare the time to go into the woods
themselves to kill a deer, for game food, and in Ontario the demand
for deer meat is so great that in many of the smaller towns and vil-
lages the butchers handle very little other meait at all during the sea-
son in which deer meat can be legitimately sold. This demand obvi-
ously produces the market hunter and, in addition, also encourages
many a man to go into the woods after deer who would not do so
unless he were assured of recouping himself for his time and trouble.
It is plain, therefore, that the prohibition of the sale of venison consti-
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 291
tutes almoist as powerful a protective weapon in the bands of the Gov-
ernment as would the enforcement of a close season all the year round,
and at the same time bears less hardly, not only on the hunters, but
also on the general public who enjoy their venison steak and chop,
though, of course, even such a measure as this should not be enforced
longer than absolutely necessary, as the policy of the Government
should always be to give to the general mass of the public every oppor-
tunity of enjoying the natural food resources of the Province.
In regard to the period of the open season, there would seem to be
a pretty general opinion abroad that the dates have been fixed too
early, and that throughout a very considerable portion of the Province
the meat of the deer is in consequence often wasted, owing to putre-
faction before it can be removed. The climatic conditions of the acces-
sible portions of the Province are, broadly speaking, such that no con-
siderable quantity of snow need be anticipated in an average Novem-
ber or weather sufficiently and continuously cold as to prevent the
melting of the snow, should it fall, under the rays of the sun. The
temperature, however, is, as a rule, markedly lower at the end of the
month of November than at the beginning. Consequently it would
seem that if the season fell fifteen days later in the year there would
not be much risk of snow tracks assisting the hunter, whilst, not only
would the deer meat be less likely to spoil before being removed from
the woods, but also the later season will make, or at least threaten to
make, things harder for the sportsman, and, as Dr. Hornaday remarked
to your Commissioner when discussing this point :
" Anything which accomplishes this, tends towards the preserva-
tion of the species."
Your Commissioner would, therefore, most strongly recommend
that:
1. The open season for deer be fixed from November 15th to Novem-
ber 30th in each year, both days inclusive.
2. The bag limit for each hunter during each open season be fixed
at " one horned deer."
3. The penalty for exceeding the bag limit, or for killing a doe or
fawn, be not less than |25.00 or more than |100.00.
Small Game.
The object of protection is primarily to perpetuate existing and
indigenous species of game, for the extinction of any species is recog-
nized to be a direct economic loss to the community. In particular
cases, also, protection may occasionally be used to allow the firm estab-
lishment and acclimatization of a newly introduced species. In no
case is the object of protection to deprive the public of the advantages
of its natural resources in fish and game as a source of food supply.
Restrictions on the sale of game, though frequently necessary for
292 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
the preservation of a species, are almost invariably unpopular with
the uiajorit}' of the public, for game is a highly esteemed table deli-
cacy, for which no satisfactory substitute has ever been discovered,
pleasing, indeed, to the palate of rich and poor alike, and, while every-
one eats, it is the minority only who can be expected to appreciate and
view- the diminishing numbers of any particular variety with alarm,
and with sufficient unselfishness to be willing to sacrifice their epicurean
or sporting proclivities for the good of future generations.
Many varieties of game retain to a great extent their character-
istics of hide, fur, or plumage under varying climatic conditions, so
that in legislating for the protection of any individual species, it was
found neecssary to forbid trade in that species in any shape or form
during the closed season, in order to make that closed season really
effective, for there was usually no practical means of distinguishing
the imported from the native variety, and, if the former were on the
market, no amount of legislation could prevent the latter appearing
there also.
The principle is most undoubtedly sound, and not only for the
above reaison, but because, also, the onward march of conditions lead-
ing to the necessity for protection is very similar ahvays in contiguous
provinces and states, and the closing of the markets in all is a surer
guarantee of protection than any measure each, individually and alone,
could ever have devised, for it removes the possibility of trade on a large
scale at a profit.
Where, however, no inter-provincial or inter-state affiliation of in-
terests need be considered, and where the importation for sale of a
species from a foreign country, to which no harm will be done by
such importation, will mean the placing of a certain variety on the
market at such a price as not to tempt the local market hunter to
slaughter the indigenous species in competition, or where there is
convincing evidence that such importation will not affect the demand
for the indigenous animal, it would seem that the principle of the pro-
hibition of the sale of that particular species during the closed season
could be safely and advantageously do])arted from. Certain classes of
game lend themselves readily to domestic raising and in some of the
states of the Union the raising of game in captivity has already been
placed on a profitable commercial basis, thus creating a new industry,
and affording a variety in food to the people at a reasonable price,
both highly desirable objectives from an economic point of view. Legis-
lation to allow for the sale all the year round of game thus raised has
not as yet been perfected, and requires considerable elaboration of
machinery, in oi'der to be feasible under existing protective laws, so
that, outside of drawing to Your Honour's attention this new industry,
and its economic value, and the advisability of preparing for its intro-
duction into this Province, your Tommissioner will not in this interim
report deal with the question of game farms, but will confine himself
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 293
to a discussion as to the advisability of allowing the importation and
sale of two particular species, the pheasant and the rabbit.
The pheasant, which has been introduced into portions of Southern
Ontario, is undoubtedly a very fine game bird, and, in addition, though
perhaps not quite so toothsome a delicacy as the native partridge,
none the less much prized for its edible qualities. Under protection
it may be •said to have thrived in the districts in which it has been
introduced, but, owing to the severity of the winter, and its constitu-
tional and physical peculiarities, it can never be expected to adapt
itself to the greater portion of the Province, or to live and multiply
therein in a wild state.
In England thousands of these birds are raised under domestic
conditions, and on attaining maturity, are released in the woods to
furnish sport, and, subsequently, a market commodity, which, though
comparatively expensive, is, nevertheless, within the means of a great
portion of the public, largely, indeed, filling the general demands for
game above referred to.
To take advantage of the English market, during the English open
season, would seem to afford a means of satisfying the demand for
game at a reasonable price in this Province, without in the least hurt-
ing the interests of those residents of Ontario on whose properties
pheaisants are to be found, and without offence to the principle of inter-
state co-operation, for the price at which they could be placed on the
market would hardly allure the poacher to devote time and trouble
to securing the local bird at the risk of incurring the penalties of the
law, but, none the less, would, if an open season were allowed, permit
those on whose properties pheasants were to lease their shooting to
advantage, or if they preferred to shoot themselves, afford them a
ready market for their birds, sufficiently remunerative to arouse their
continued interest in the maintenance of the birds on their properties,
and yet not sufficiently profitable to incite avaricious cupidity to
slaughter every possible specimen for the sake of immediate gain.
The cotton-tail rabbit, indigenous to the Province, is, your Com-
missioner presannes, protected under that section of the Game Act deal-
ing with hares, and consequently the sale of rabbits is debarred in
Ontario during the greater portion of the year. In England the rabbit
is practically a staple food, exceedingly cheap and much relished by
the masses, affording, as it does, a tasty and wholesome dish, and it
is safe to assume that very many old country men, now residents in
Ontario, would gladly welcome and support a market of reasonably
priced rabbits all the year round, and that their example would 4te fol-
lowed by other sections of the community.
In Australia, as is well known, the rabbit is a pest, and conse-
quently cheap, and your Commissioner has learned that it is possible
to import these animals, frozen and in their skins, and place them on
the market here at a figure not greatly in excess of that of the indige-
294 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
nous cotton-tail. The Wm. Davies Company of Toronto have already
placed a shipment of these rabbits on the market with considerable
success, selling them at 75 cents per pair, dressed, as compared with
the average price of the cotton-tail, 50 cents per pair.
In this Province the indigenous cotton-tail is apparently not mucli
relished as a food, and, judging by its price on the New York and Chi-
cago markets, some 22 cents per pair, it is not very much esteemed by
our neighbours to the south. The chief reason for this would appear
to lie in the fact that its flesh is somewhat hard and bitter to the
taste. The English or Australian rabbit, however, possesses a flesh
more akin to that of veal in appearance, and is, in addition, sweet and
slightly gamey to the taste. While this rabbit is a grazer, the cotton-
tail is a browser, and, moreover, owing to its habits of retiring into the
swamps and rough lands in the summer months, comparatively safe
from the pot-hunter, during a great portion of the year. In appear-
ance the two varieties are comparatively easy of distinction, and it may
also be noted that, while the skin of the Australian rabbit is tough and
can easily be removed whole, this is not the case with the indigenous
cotton-tail, whose hide is much more brittle.
The rabbit is a prolific breeder, whose only known use in nature
is to serve as a food for certain carnivorous animals and birds. It is,
however, accepted by the best authorities to be unwise on general
grounds to run the risk of upsetting the balance of nature by the exter-
mination of any particular species, even though its uses to man may
not be apparent, for the reason that no one can foresee the result of
such extermination. The habits of the cotton-tail, however, as has been
pointed out, are such as to largely eliminate this risk, and so, although
the imported Australian rabbit would actually be fetching on the
market a higher price than the indigenous rabbit, it would seem that tlie
advantage of securing a reasonably cheap, wholesome and constant
game food for the people outweighs the consideration of any prob-
lematical risk to the existence of the local variety, especially in view
of the facts tliat the importation of the Australian rabbit would in
no way be violating the principle of inter nstate co-operation, and that
the marked difference in flavour womld in itself be a potent factor in the
prevention of the substitution of the local variety.
As a game food, the price of 75 cents per pair, dressed, averaging
5 to 6 lbs., is not excessive, but it nuay be noted that, if the trade in rab-
bits grew to large enough proportions to warrant the purchasing of
great quantities in Austi-alia, and their importation via British (Colum-
bia, instead of as at present purchasing from the wholesale market in
London, England, tlie price would, in all probability, be considei'a])ly
reduced.
Your Commissioner is pleased to report that on all sides
there is e\adence that the close season of two years has had its bene-
ficial effect, and that the finest native game bird of the Province, the
1912 AND FISHEKIES COMMISSION. 295
Canadian partridge (ruffed grouse), is distinctly on the increase, so
much so, indeed, as to justify the proclaiming of an open season in
the fall of the present year. This bird, prized alike for its sporting and
edible qualities, is fortunately distributed over almost every section of
the Province. Unlike the pheasant, it does not lend itself readily to
domestic rearing, and consequently its price remains high in all coun-
tries, so that there exists no reason or inducement to encourage its im-
portation for market purposes, or to sanction the sale of the imported
bird during the close season.
In the past the open season for this bird has been from September
15th to December 15th. It would appear that the opening of the sea-
son, however, fell too early, for the reason that, as a rule, the coveys
remain packed until the weather begins to turn cold, and are disinclined
to take to wing, and in consequence the destruction of an entire covey
is frequently an easy matter. That, if there be an open season for part-
ridge, the deer hunter should be entitled to profit by it, would seem to
be reasonable, for his bag of deer is limited, and the partridge would
provide him an alternative sport to compensate for his outlay, besides
being a most welcome addition to the camp menu. Many persons, how-
ever, who like to hunt the partridge, from motives of personal security,
prefer not to venture into the woods when the deer hunters are afoot,
and the convenience of these sportsmen also must be considered in decid-
ing on suitable dates for an open season, although in framing dates
for an open season on different classes of game the broad principle
of making them as far as possible coincident should never be lost sight
of, for, when the hunter is in the woods after one class of game within
the provisions of the law, the lives of other classes cannot but be in
jeopardy, for the temptation is obviously great, and frail human nature
is but all too likely to succumb to its allurements. Hence, in consider-
ing the question of a suitable open season for partridge, a reasonable
medium would apear to be attained by fixing the dates from October
15th to November 30th.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend that:
1. An experimental open season be declared for cock pheasants in
Ontario from October 15th to November 15tli for the current year, both
days inclusive, and that their sale be permitted during this open season,
and for one month thereafter.
2. The importation of English or European pheasants, in bond
through Atlantic seaports, be permitted during the open season in Eng-
land, and that the sale of same be declared legal during the English
open season, and for one month thereafter.
3. It be declared lawful to import Australian rabbits, frozen and
in their skins, in bond through Atlantic and Pacific ports, and to sell
them in the Province of Ontario throughout the year.
4. An open season for partridge be declared for the current year
from October 15th to November 30th, both davs inclusive.
296 liEPOKT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
Resident Hunting License.
Among- the many causes wliicli liave worked for the protection of
game and birds on this continent one of the most powerful has been
the gradual arousing of the people to the value of human life. The
opening up of its vast areas was onl^^ accomplished by the adoption of
a policy which courted immigration, and which resulted in the arri-
val of thousands upon thousands of aliens, of all nationalities and
classes, to spread over the land. Vast nund)ers of these immigrants
belonged to the fiery-tempered peoples of Southern and Eastern Europe,
accustomed in their own countries to the vendetta, the secret societies,
and the family feud, and consequently bred and reared in the belief that
each male, at least, should carry with him always the wherewithal to
slay. The settler inhabitants of the land, living in the more or lesB
secluded loneliness of the great wilds, dependent to a certain extent on
the game resources of tlie district for their food, and with the recollec-
tions and traditions of Indian forays still fresh in their minds, naturally
enough were practically all provided with firearms, and the wave of alien
immigration unfortunately but confirmed them in the advisability of
such precaution. Consequently at one time, outside of the big cities,
every man w^as armed. The possession of a firearm is a direct incentive
to shoot, if only for practice, so that, with the incoming of the immi-
gration wave, there swept over the continent also a tempest of ruthless
slaughter, not only of the big game and game birds, but of every living
creature that could run or fly.
Demand will always create supply, so that, naturally enough, a
great interest developed in the manufacture and sale of firearms, spread-
ing its ramifications over the whole country, gathering into its net every
hardware merchant on the continent, ready to resist tooth and nail
attempts at legislation detrimental in the slightest degree to its trade
interests.
The universal possession of firearms, however, led not only to the
indiscriminate slaughter of bird and beast, but, as was to be exi)ected,
to a terrible waste of human life, with the result that, as the ]>oi)ulation
gradually increased, and news facilities grew greater, the folly of the
sanctioning of the universal cai-rying of firearms dawned on a people
just awakening to the value of human life. In spite of the efforts of tlie
firearms interests, legislation was passed, restricting the carrying and
possession of firearms, and thus one great step towards the ])rotection
of game and birds was taken, for there is no great(^r menace to the game
and bird life of a district than the Italian or other Southern European,
wandering over it armed witli a gnu, and no legislation more difficult to
introduce than that which antagonizes an interest whose representatives
are to be found in every town and village.
The evolution of game protection has been traced in another sec-
tion of this rejiort, so that here it will suffice to note that accompany-
1912 AND Flb^'HEKIES COMMISSION. 297
ing- an apj^reciation of the value of fish, game and birds, and of the fact
of their rapid diiniuntion in numbers, they developed an understand-
ing by the people of the loss they themselves were sustaining through
the slaughtering and depredations carried on by aliens and foreigners,
and from this understanding grew the desire to protect the public
property, and to exact some monetary compensation, at least, for that
which was destroyed for the amusement or benefit of the alien or non-
resident. The desire bore fruit in the imposition of alien and non-resi-
dent hunting licenses. The advantages of such taxes, both as revenue
producers and indirect protectors of game and birds, were so obvious
that the principle spread rapidly over the Avhole continent. The collec-
tion, however, of these taxes was no easy matter, for no game warden
can be expected to know every resident of a state or province, and men
cannot be obliged to produce certificates of identification and residence,
except when called on by law to produce such identification in the form
of a license.
Consequently, the imposition of the alien and non-resident licenses
was directly responsible for the birth of the idea of a resident license,
and this idea matured rapidly and assumed concrete shape, not only for
the sake of assisting the administration of the non-resident and alien
laws, but because of a growing conviction in the public mind that those
who gain recreation and amusement from the protection of fish and
game cannot fairly claim that an injustice is being done in asking them
to pay for at least a portion of the protection afforded by the state to
tlieir favourite sport, an argument, indeed, which has been constantly
advanced by persons of all classes to your Commissioner in the pursuit
of his present inquiries.
In the United States the policy of a resident hunting license has
been adopted by one state after another, until to-day it is in force, in
some shape or form, in over thirty of the states of the Union, and it
may also be noted that in the recent session of the Legislature of the
Province of Saskatchewan the new schedule of licenses enacted includes
a fl.OO Bird License for residents of cities, towns and villages.
In Ontario there exists to-day a resident license of |2.00 for the
hunting of deer, but further than this the idea has not been carried.
The danger to human life through the promiscuous carrying of fire-
arms has already been referred to, and, although the enactment of a
resident hunting license would not be so great a preventative of this
evil as the imposition of a gun license, nevertheless it would undoubt-
edly prove a powerful factor in that direction, while at the same time
be less likely to arouse the active antagonism of the gun manufacturers
and hardware merchauts. The value of such measure in the protection
of game and birds, the economic worth of which, as an attraction to
tourists and as farmers' best friends, has already been pointed out in
a previous section of this report, would also plainly be enormous.
The third great advantage of a resident hunting license is its reve-
298 EEPOKT OF ONTAKIO GAME No. 52
nue-produciiig qualities, which would euable the administrative and
protective services of the Department of Game and Fisheries to be
placed on a splendid footing, provided with an adequate equipment and
with sufficiently paid and efficient subordinate officers^ and able finan-
cially to undertake all necessary measures of conservation and propa-
gation. An estimate of what such a license will produce can be formed
from the information, based on the United States statistics, given to
your Commissioner by Dr. T. S. Palmer, of the United States Biological
Survey at Washington, who deals particularly with returns of this
nature, and who stated that the numbers paying the resident hunting
license, in the different states in Avhich it is in foiTe, ranged from 4 to 10
per cent, of the population, running highest in those districts in which
population was most evenly distributed, and least in the territories
where the bulk of the population was confined in great cities.
This same authority, as an estimate of the possibilities in Ontario,
gave as his opinion that from 3 per cent, to 5 per cent, of the popula-
tion could be expected to pay the fee, if such a license were imposed.
This, on a basis of 2,000,000 souls in the Province, would mean a revenue
of from 160,000.00 to |100,000.00. Your Commissioner realizes that to
decide whether the bulk of the people is ready to favour such a tax,
even though its advantages are so apparent, is a most difficult matter,
but unhesitatingly states it as his opinion that any license, whether it
were a Nipigon fishing license, a non-resident angler's tax, or even a
hunting license, would be cheerfully paid by tlie majority of sportsmen,
if the Government adopted a policy of devoting all the moneys so
received entirely and directly to the protection of the fisheries, game and
birds.
Many of the states of the Union who have adopted such a license,
following the French system, exempt landowners from its operation,
and 3^our Commissioner is decidedly of the opinion that, in the enact-
ment of such a measure in this Province, it would be advisable to
exempt both the farmer and the settler on their own lands and adjacent
waters, for to afford them this privilege over the rest of the community
is to take the first step in their education as to the economic possibilities
of game and birds, and these are most essentially the classes whom it is
imperative to educate in this direction. Naturally, also, as such a license
would be a hunting and not a gun license, it would in no way be opera-
tive against those who engaged solely in trap or target shooting.
That the state has sovereign right over the game within its borders
has been established in law, and it would therefore seem not to be
unreasonable for the state to impose a charge on those of its community
who profit at the public expense, whether it be by big game or small,
by four-footed creatures or by those that fly, even though by reason of
their scarcity the charge for hunting certain species might have to be
placed at a higher figure than others, providing always that the pur-
chase of the more expensive license, even thougli for a limited period.
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 299
would carry with it all the privileges obtained by the purchase of the
less expensive license. That such a license is beneficial as a deterrent
to the promiscuous carrying of firearms, and as a protection to fish and
game, your Commissioner has tried to show; that it would be a great
revenue producer is undeniable, and, in conclusion, your Commissioner
would point out that, though considerable opposition should be expected
from the firearms interests, and from certain sections of the community,
who, humanlike, desire to continue getting for nothing that for which
they are not called to pay to-day, this revenue, if applied to conserva-
tion and propagation measures, would act directly in the best interests
of both classes, for the increased protection would mean more plentiful
game, to gladden the heart and provide sport for the genuine sportisnian,
and to attract in ever-increasing numbers the sportsman tourist, whose
purchase of guns, ammunition and other similar supplies would swell
the receipts of the hardware merchants.
Your Commissioner would, therefore, recommend that:
A resident hunting license of fl.lO (the 10 cents going to the offi-
cials or persons entrusted with the issuance of the licenses) be enacted
for the privilege of hunting game or game birds of all descriptions not
specifically provided for under the present Game Act, but that hona
fide farmers and settlers be exempt from the operation of such a license,
in so far as their own lands, or waters contiguous to same, are con-
cerned; and that the purchase of a hunting license for any special animal
or animals, if such license be of greater value than |1.10, carry with it
all the privileges extended through the fl.lO license.
\ i
Ling.
Attention has recently been called in the newspapers to the hign
cost of food, and without entering into a discussion of this most vexed
problem it can be stated broadly that in adopting measures that will
provide cheap food for the masses a Government is acting in the best
interests of the community.
Owing to the non-promulgation of the International Fisheries
Treaty your Commissioner has decided not to include in this interim
report the result of his enquiries under this head as regards fish in gen-
eral, for the reason that the terms of the treaty may fairly be expected
to materially alter existing conditions. He is pleased, however, to be
able to report that, through his instrumentality, an experiment is now
being made to provide a really cheap and palatable fish food in the
shape of ling. The burbot, or ling, is our only fresh -water representative
of the cod family. It is a highly predaceous fish, very destructive to
other fish life, and, as will be seen from the Report of the Department
of Game and Fisheries for 1908, increasing rapidly in the waters of the
Rideau Lake System.
On investigation your Commissioner discovered that the flesh of
34 F.G.
300 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
this fisli is eaten in many localities, and in some, indeed, is esteemed a
delicacy, and in view, therefore, of the fact that the catch of ling by the
Government officers on the Rideaii Lake System was being given to the
farmers to feed to their pigs, your Commissioner entered into negotia-
tions with the Department of Game and Fisheries, and the William
Davies Co., with the result that the Company undertook to purchase a
certain quantity of this fish from the Government at one and a half cents
per pound, and to place them on the market at a price not exceeding
six cents per pound. The first consignment is already on the market
at a price of five cents per pound, and the William Davies Company
reports that the experiment is succeeding as well as could be expected,
and that already some second orders for this fish have been received
. from those who have tried it. In this way your Commissioner hopes
that he has succeeded in opening a new channel of cheap food, but he
would point out that in the lakes where the ling abound there are also
to be found the bass, the pickerel and other sporting fish, whicli attract
the angler, and that the removal of the ling was undertaken b}^ the
Department of Game and Fisheries entirely on its own initiative, as a
measure calculated to increase the numbers of the sporting fish in these
waters.
To allow the Government officers to remove these harmful fish dur-
ing the winter months when their duties are light seems eminently
desirable, and even profitable, if a reasonable market can be established
for the ling, but to lease such fishing to commercial fishermen, or to
allow others to engage in it, would, in the opinion of your Commis-
sioner, be a very grave mistake, as it would be admitting to these con-
fined waters the thin end of the wedge of general commercial fishing.
Revenue and Expenditure.
The question of conservation of the natural resources of the Prov-
ince is vital to the present, but more especially to the future, prosperity
of the community, and in consequence legislation dealing wfth it .should
be framed on the broadest possible lines, comprehending alike the con-
ditions of to-day and the economic possibilities of years to come. If
the conception of a policy is correct, and its broad general lines be
adhered to, the details can be filled in, amplified and perfected as oppor-
tunity permits, and, even if a mistake in one of them should be made,
it will in no wise endanger the whole fabric. In pursuing his enquiry
and framing his recommendations, your Commissioner has had these
principles ever before him.
In this interim report he has enrleavoiired to show the magnitude
of the issues at stake in the conservation of game, game fish, and fish-
eries, alike as a source of wealth to the commiiiiily, through the upbuild-
ing of a great sportsman-tourist traffic, as for tlicir intrinsic vnlue as a
source of food supply, not only in support of the measures he recom-
1912 AND FISUEKIES COMMISSION. 301
mends, but because lie felt that iu the past compreheusiou of the vast
scope of this problem has been somewhat limited in perspective and
vague. In approaching each question, however, not only has he had in
mind the necessity for a wide range of view, but also the fact that the
public welfare demands expenditures in many directions, and that the
public purse is limited.
The base, therefore, on which his plan has been built is that in view
of the present and future economic possibilities inherent in the fish-
eries, the game fish and the game of the Province, the full income derived
from these sources to-day should be expended upon their conservation
and development for at least a few years to come.
All moneys accruing to the public must of course be paid into the
general treasury, but the Department of Game and Fisheries should be
entitled to frame its budget for the ensuing year on the basis, at least,
of its earnings for the current year, or better still, on a basis which will
embrace the automatic and anticipated increase to its revenues for the
ensuing year. A comparison of the revenue of the Department of Game
and Fisheries with its expenditures for the yeai's 1908-9 will disclose
the fact that each year there has been a surplus of between |30,000 and
$40,000. In these figures the cost of the inside service of the Depart-
ment, which is charged under another head, is not taken into account.
Assuming that this would amount to |15,000, there still remains a con-
siderable sum in surplus revenue. Your Commissioner, however, realizes
that this sum would not be suflicient to meet the additional maintenance
charges which would occur in the adoption of the various recommenda-
tions contained in this interim report, but on the other hand he is con-
vinced that an outside service, much more efficient in personnel and
equipment, would ensure a very material increase in the revenue derived
from the license fees, for at the present time it would seem probable
that, in the non-resident anglers' tax at least, not more than GO per cent,
of the sums due to the Government are being collected ; so that it would
not be unreasonable to anticipate that a considerable proportion of the
increased expenditure can be met out of the increased revenue.
Your Commissioner has further pointed out in this report that by
the adoption of a resident hunting license of |1.10, an additional reve-
nue of between 160,000 and |100,000 can be obtained. This, in con-
junction with the utilization of the present annual surplus, and the
anticipated gain in revenue from the more rigid collection of existing
license fees, would give a sum amply sufficient to meet out of income,
not only increased charges of maintenance, but also the initial cost of
added equipment.
Your Commissioner, in this interim report, has not elaborated in
detail to cover the Province his scheme for wardens, equipment or
hatcheries, but, inasmuch as he realizes that the present time may be
deemed inopportune by your Government to impose a hunting license,
he desires to point out that, failing the adoption of that source of reve-
302 REPOKT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52
nue, liis scheme, as herein presented, would still make no extravagant
demands on the public purse.
The increased pay to efficient wardens would be largely met out
of the salaries of the many underpaid men whose commissions would
be allowed to lapse, for a man wliose whole time is paid for can reason-
ably be expected to cover more ground than a number of men given a
salary insufficient to warrant them devoting their whole time to the
work.
The maintenance, also, of the boat equipment suggested would
largely be counterbalanced by relinquishing the leases on other craft.
In this regard it may be noted that for the region of the Georgian Bay
and portions of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, for which six Class B
boats, each with a crew of three men, have been recommended, the
Department of Game and Fisheries estimates the present expenditure
at roughly |13,000, as against the 114,000 estimated under the scheme
which, considering the greatly improved service and the considerable
area covered, does not appear to be a very serious increase.
That the equipment recommended, and the employment of compe-
tent men only, would give a better service, and consequently ensure a
higher revenue from licenses than that at present secured, has already
been pointed out, so that, in voting a special grant to cover the initial
purchase of the boats of Classes B and C, the Government would be
making an investment whose returns should be sufficient to cover the
outlay within the period of a few years. In the establishment of hatch-
eries, even if funds were available, your Commissioner would not recom-
mend for the first year the erection of more than two or three, and for
this purpose a sum of |10,000 would be amply sufficient. The mainte-
nance charges for each hatchery should not exceed |2,000. The estab-
lishment of a series of bass control ponds in a suitable district would
cost but a small sum, say |1,000 to |1,500 at the outside, whilst the
maintenance charge would be approximately the same.
The revenue for 1910 may fairly be assumed at |110,000, although
your Commissioner understands this is |10,000 in excess of the esti-
mate prepared by the Department of Game and Fisheries. Its officials
admit, however, that their figures are most conservative.
While not attempting to furnish an elaborate budget, your Com-
missioner sul)iiiits the following figures in support of his contention that
the gradual adoption of the recommendations contained in the report
are feasible, even within the bounds of an income unassisted by a hunt-
ing license.
Special Grant for 6 Class B Boats $25,800 00
/Special Grant for 6 Class C Boats 11 ,200 00
^ Special Grant for ;} Hatcheries and 1 series of Bass Control Ponds 10,000 00
Total $47,000 00
Your Commissioner does not assert that this sum conld l)e met our
of the present annual income of the Department, but he points out that
1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 303
p lacing the life of a boat at 15 years, that of the engine at 10 years, witli
probably a further life after scraping and refitting, and the life of the
hatcheries at 30 years, assuming the price of money at 5 per cent, and
looking at the equipment as capital expenditure the following would
give the amount fairly chargeable to income, including a sinking fund
to amply cover the capital expenditure:
Sinking Fund, annual charge $ B , 500 00
Interest charges, 5% over the whole, period on $50, 000 00 2,500 00
Maintenance of Hatcheries and Bass Control Ponds 7,000 00
Annual Charges. Total $13,000 00
Taking the 1908 expenditure at |T0,000, and the estimated revenue
for 1910 at |110,000, there remains a surplus of |10,000. Deducting
amount chargeable annually to the added equipment, from this surplus,
there remains a balance of |27,000 available to meet other recommended
increased expenditures.
Acknowledgments.
In pursuit of his investigations your Commissioner has been
accorded, on all hands, most courteous and invaluable assistance.
To the Commissioners and Game ^^'ardens of the states of the Union
he is indebted for the gift of their latest reports, game laws, and other
official documents.
To the first President of the Ontario Forest, Fish and Game Pro-
tective Association, Honourable Chief Justice Sir Glenholme Falcon-
bridge; to Mr. Oliver Adams, Vice-President of the same organization,
and to many members of the same, to Hon. L. T. Carleton, Hon. W. E.
Meehan, Dr. Wm. T. Hornaday, Dr. T. S. Palmer, Commissioner Whip-
ple, Professor E. E. Prince, Dr. B. E. Fernow, Mr. John Pease Babcock,
and many other distinguished gentlemen for kind advice and assistance;
to the officials of the Department of Game and Fisheries for cordial co-
operation ;
To the Grand Trunk Railway Company, the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way Company, the Canadian Northern Railway Company, and the
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company for their generous
assistance in furnishing him with free transportation over their lines.
He also wishes to bear testimony to the capable services rendered
by Captain R. Manley Sims, D.S.O., whom he was fortunate enough to
secure as secretary for the work of the Commission.
Conclusion.
In presenting this interim report on those matters which he deemed
it expedient to bring promptly to Your Honour's attention your Com-
missioner would crave leave to make the following remarks:
304 IJKPOKT OF ONTAKK) GAME No. 52
In the pnrsuance of his enquiries he has had constantly before him
that you were expecting and relying- on him to report to you truthfully,
honestl3^ and to the best of his ability, and according- to the knowledge
he acquired in the course of his investigations, upon those matters men-
tioned in the terms of his commission, and consequently he has spared
neither time nor energy in endeavouring to gather all such information
as he thought would be of assistance to you in coming to a just and true
conclusion upon the matters herein reported upon.
He realizes that his recommendations, if adopted, will entail some-
what drastic changes and innovations; he understands that the Gov-
ernment of the Province is conducted upon well established party lines,
and that in dealing with most matters of regulation and administration
political exigencies must, in the nature of things, be expected to influ-
ence the action of the Executive, but his enquiry has so convinced him
of the vast economic potentialities inherent in the fish and game resources
of the Province that he has felt impelled not to shirk the task, but with-
out fear, favour or affection to point out to Your Honour that, in his
opinion, the public welfare can only best be served by the elimination of
party interests in these matters, by placing of their conduct in the
hands of a non-political commission, and by devoting greater sums to
conservation and exploitation of these resources than the present policy
contemplates or allows.
Kelly Evans,
Commissioner.
Toronto, Feb. 5, 1910.
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