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Public Document No. 25 REPORT -'--:< COMMISSIONERS Fisheries and Game Year ending December 31, 1911. BOSTON: WEIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 18 Post Office Square. 1912. \ Approved by The State Board of Publication. OOMMISSIONEES ON FISHERIES AND GAME, GEORGE W. FIELD, Sharon, Chairman. GEORGE H. GARFIELD, Brockton. GEORGE H. GRAHAM, Springfield. Chief Deputy Commissioner. WILLIAM W. NIXON, Cambridge. Clerk. W. RAYMOND COLLINS, Boston. DAVID L. BELDING, Wellfleet, Biologist. ARTHUR MERRILL, Superintendent, Sutton Hatchery. Office: Room 158, State House, Boston. Telephone: Hayniarket 2700. CONTENTS Repokt. General considerations, ..... Expenditures, ..... " Spring shooting, . Propagation of game, .... Heath hen, . National control of migratory birds and fishes Breeding places for fish, .... Development of the shore fisheries, . Mollusk fisheries, ..... Activities outside the State, Pollution, ...... Moneys received from the various sources, Marine fisheries, ...... Report upon the utilization of the dogfish, Value as human food, .... Value as fertilizer and oil, Products obtainable from average dogfish, Skin, . Summary, Inland fisheries, New hatcheries, Report of the biologist, Investigation of public waters, Report of the superintendent of Sutton hatchery Propagation and protection of birds Report of the superintendent of Sutton hatchery Pheasants, Quail, Directions for raising quail and pheasants, Partridges, Enforcement of law, Report of chief deputy, Assaults on deputies Game, Bag limit, Game sealed in cold storage, Wild fowl from other States, Sea fowl, ..... Deer, ...... Damage by wild deer, Summary of deer statistics 1907 to 1911 Summary of deer reports for 1911, Open season for deer, Returns of deer killed in open season, Shellfish in contaminated waters. Distribution of fish, . Egg lobsters, . Forest fires, Laws, Recommendations for legislation Courtesies, .... CONTEXT: Appendices. Deputj- fish and game commissioners, with the number of their dis- tricts, residences and telephone; cities and towns alphabetically arranged, with the number of the district in which each is included, S3 List of cities and towns included in each district, So B. List of commissioners, ...... 92 C. Distribution of food fish, ..... 104 D. Distribution of pheasants, ..... 111 E. Arrests and convictions, ...... 113 F. Returns from the shore net and pound fisheries for 1911, 124 ~ Z\)t CommoiuosaUl} of ffla$&at\)usttt$. To His I id the Honorable Council The ssioners m Fisheries and .- respectfully sub- mit this the:: : --ixth annual rep:::. Gz-ZZl^I. Co^SLDERATIOSS, In such : lensely pc pulated State - M s shusetts great variation in quanti::-- >i game in various localities is v. :e expected. In general, where there has been an increase :: game, the following : rs have been at work Hie arrange- ment of the-: factors In n er of theii _:ribution to ~— e s aeral good results is a mane: :: .pinion and of locality. 1 . in the first rank are (1 the system :: licensing hunters , making possible _ a more definite system in the enforcement :: the game lav an increased area :: :^i: preseryeSj ;: State and private reservations places _: :_ are ially protected and where abundant natural food is pro- vided throughout the year; - Lnei a e 1 : pagation ; : game [ : birds. The other contributing factors, in a varying 3egree 3 are the increased number of farms where grain is raised; the - growth of covers after des ::::"::": ieforestation; better son- trol of foresl fires; the awakening of the public to the number — of useful birds Lesti ved by safes, skunks and yfchei vei rn : increasing restraint by intelligent people of dogs runniiu at large during the nesting season of game birds: more reason- le seKHPestraint in shooting (though there are still many who kill every bird possible); prohibition of the sale :: ::-.:::: :-::-;-::: species : completely slose seasons ::: spe?ies :: cir-i= ; notably the wood duck, piping plover, terns. gnll . etc The prohibition of shootini: after Tannary 1 has. —::_:::- question, resulted in an increase in the number of black and wood lucks stopping to breed in this S~::t. There is levelop- - :":^ ing in this > :-. better understanding between the gunners ; re- and the owners of the soil The educational element h:-. : ~: ~ ~ tributed much to the prote : m of the ins e : i : : : as and song 8 FISH AND GAME. [Dec. birds. We are endeavoring to collect data for the purpose of determining the normal present and possible bird populations in definite areas, for the purpose of determining the number of birds which may be produced annually per acre; also to determine the average bag in Massachusetts per hunter per day, and especially to secure data upon the relative proportion of posted specially protected land required to maintain a reason- able supply of game. There are at present ninety-eight per- sons propagating pheasants and ducks in this State. This feature contributes in no small measure, both from the birds which escape and the wild birds which are tempted to stop in migration on account of the numbers of propagated birds. The market for the sale of wild game in Boston is very much demoralized. Apparently the best sentiment, both among the dealers and others most competent to form a valuable opinion, seems to agree that a law absolutely preventing the sale of any species of wild birds would contribute enormously to the con- servation and intelligent utilization of our natural supply of birds, and would rid the dealers of a vast amount of uncer- tainty and unfortunate conditions. Increased propagation, the bag limit and prohibition of the sale of wild game seem to be the features which will attract most attention at the coming session of the Legislature. Considerable apprehension is felt lest the pheasant kill or drive away the native bobwhite and ruffed grouse. While it is certainly true that the cock pheasant is an exceedingly pug- nacious bird during the mating season, this impulse is chiefly directed against his own species. This pugnacity is equally characteristic of the ruifed grouse. In the other aspect of competition, viz., for food, the pheas- ant does not occupy the same covers with the grouse. Like the quail, the pheasant affects the open. Most of the un- favorable observations upon pheasants have been made upon specimens in confinement, obviously not a fair criterion. Here perverted conditions, e.g., feather eating interpreted as proving habitual cannibalism, etc., is the result of confinement and unfavorable food. Competent observations and testimony as to conditions in the Willamette valley, Ore., where the pheasant has been long- est naturalized in this country, indicate that the pheasant has ; 1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 25. 9 in nowise diminished the normal population of ruffed grouse, bobwhite and other species of quail. Although the pheasant has, for nearly two thousand years been in competition with the native birds of Great Britain, there appears no evidence that its presence is prejudicial to the native birds, but rather that it is, above all other species, of paramount importance for food and sport. While we still believe, as we have stated in previous annual reports, that our native birds should receive primary con- sideration, as a practical matter it is at present impossible to secure breeding stock which can be handled at reasonable cost and with certain results. The ring-necked pheasant combines all the desirable features in greater degree than any species at present available, — omnivorous, resistant to climate, valu- able as human food. While doubtless injurious to crops, it is certainly less so than is domestic poultry at large, while the desirable qualities appear to more than offset the undesirable. We have reared and distributed pheasants because of the ready availability of breeding stock, the facility with which the depleted sections can be populated, their great ability as insect destroyers and their importance as a table and game bird, as well as their aesthetic attraction to every nature lover. Expenditures. — The details of all expenditures are pub- lished in the annual report of the Auditor of the Common- wealth. In general, $2,815.30 was expended for the benefit of the sea and shore fisheries; $12,124.10 for maintenance of inland resources, by the purchase and propagation of trout, quail, grouse and pheasants; $40,747.05 for the enforcement of the fish, game and bird laws on land and sea; $1,726.99 for the protection of adult female lobsters, by purchase of those caught when carrying eggs; $6,390.17 for the salaries of the commissioners, printing, postage, traveling expenses of the commissioners, and for clerical and office expenses; $875.19 for biological investigation of the ponds of the Commonwealth and $135.30 for investigation and report on the lobster indus- try. The total amount of fines imposed was $3,829, of which $3,554 was paid during the fiscal year. In addition, the money received and turned into the treasury of the Commonwealth, directly through this department, was $46,691.07. Spring Shooting. — Testimony as to the efficacy of the law 10 FISH AND GAME. [Dec. preventing shooting wild fowl after J anuary 1 is accumulating, and there can be no question that this law is in largest measure responsible for the notable increase of wild fowl during the season from September 15 to December 31. Propagation of Game. — Real progress has been made in the matter of game propagation and the marketing of game thus produced. Massachusetts has taken an advanced position in developing conditions which will make it possible for people controlling suitable territory to propagate game birds and quadrupeds in such a manner as to add to the family income and to increase the available supply. We believe the time is not far distant when every farm may propagate game birds with as much certainty and success as poultry is now propa- gated. In addition to the propagation of game birds and animals, the question of breeding fur-bearing animals is of prime importance ; foxes, skunks, mink, beaver and otter are now being propagated in various parts of the United States, with a large degree of financial success.