The Republican journal., 1896-12-24
Maine Fish and Game.
Report of the State Commissioners. More Strin-
gent Laws Needed. Hunting In Close Season
Increasing.

The amount of the appropriation, they
say, has been entirely inadequate. More
moose have been killed this year than for
long period and most stringent laws
from extinction.
There has been 25 per cent increase il
visiting sportsmen and many of them have
been given to hunting in close season
The rich poacher cares for nothing SO
long as he can secure head. Our forests
are so vast that no system of wardens hip
can protect moose, and SO the law should
step in and do it. The Marquand lesson
taught the rich poacher from other States
that he is not safe from arrest and trial.
The people are to be congratulated thai
the United States court decision gives the
State right to enact restrictive laws fol
fish and game.
TEN THOUSAND DEER
have been slaughtered this year, but there
is no evident decrease in numbers. Carl
bou are fast disappearing and should be
protected if they are to be preserved.
Guiding has become regular occupation
with many of the people. and 500 men
are thus employed at present. Fifty thou
sand people came to Maine in 1896 to hunt
and fish and for recreation, and they ex-
pended more than s., 000 600.
The work of protection and propaga-
ton takes all the time of two members of
the board. A clerk should be provided
for the board an office and most liberal ap-
preparations. There are As fish and game
,Df
ployed nearly constantly at - per day and
expenses. This number is entirely in
adequate. More prosecutions for viola
ton of the fish aud game laws have been
had the past year than ever before. In
order to get the best wardens more money
must be paid.
The commissioners report larger run
of trout and salmon this fall than ever
before. Notwithstanding the largely in
creased numbers of anglers, there seems
to be
PLENTY OF FISH.
This is due largely to artificial propaga-
ton ami protection. Landlocked salmon
have thrived wonderfully in many new
lakes and pools where introduced, and
the commissioners believe they are the
coming favoIite inland fish of Maine
There are hundreds of ponds in Maine
adapted to these fish, which they are
stocking as fast as their limited means
allow.
In many lakes there is lack of suitable
food, Smelt is the favorite food of the
salmon, and the ponds can be improved
for salmon by the Introduction of the
fresh water smelt. Every lake and pond
should be stocked with smelts
The run of salmon at Sebago this fall
was the largest ever knowp. The com
missioners took 500, 600 eggs from the
weir on Crooked river and 200, 900 trout
eggs. The salmon averaged seven or eight
pounds in weight. The run Of trout in
large lakes like Rangeley and Moosehead
has been behind the average
The commissioners believe the only way
TO KEEP FISHING
good in Maine is by artificial propagation
BY artificial propagation nearly all the
dangers attending eggs and fry are obviat-
ed.
A description is given of the Monmouth
hatchery. Its capacity is 400, 600 eggs.
The State has been presented with a deed
OF hatchery site in Penobscot county
Besides these there are eight hatcheries
owned by clubs. 1t would be poor policy
for the State not to furnish the means to
run and improve our hatcheries consider
ing the hundreds of thousands of dollars
brought into the State. We should have
plenty of room to hatch and feed our fish
if the Penobscot hatchery could be utiliz-
ed
The following waters are stocked with
five months
LAND LOCKED SALMON
in October: Androscoggin county =
Bear, Taylor and Trip ponds, Auburn
lake; k-Madaseunk; Cumber-
land-Duck, Peabody, Sebago lake, Long,
Pleasant, Painters and Thomas ponds;
Franklin-Dodge, Venus, Clear water,
King and Bartlett, Loon and
Weld lakes; Hancock Walkers and Pine
lakes; kennebec-Dyers Branch Mills,
Cobbosseecontee, Annabessa-
cook, Crotched and Flying ponds; Knox
lake; oxford - Pennesee-
vase, Bryants and Waterford lakes:
Piscataquis - Mooshead, Rum and Sebec
lakes; Waldo-Swan and Pitcher lakes;
\ ork = Long, Watchie, Bigger nut
Wilson, Little Ossipee, Banney Beg and
Square lakes.
In addition 10000 land locked salmon
eggs and 20, 600 trout were patched by the
Commodore club at Hartland, 10000
salmon and 81, 900 trout by the Megantic
club, 20, 200 salmon and 30, 600 trout at
Belgrade by the Kennebec association,
b, 600 trout at Monson by Mr. Crafts.
Steel Head trout received from the
Caribou hatchery were placed in Me-
luxnekeag stream, Aroostook river and
Cross lake.
Brook trout from this hatchery were
distributed in Square, Portage, Cross,
Mud, ST. Croix, Moosehead and eleven
)ther ponds and streams in northern
Maine. Besides these large numbers of
small fish were distributed in the waters
If Aroostook county in June.
The raising of salmon in this hatchery
vas nearly a failure for unavoidable rea-
IONS. What few were left were placed in
he Fish river lakes. A goodly number of
lea salmon were Matched here and lib
grated in Meduxnekeag stream.
From the Enfield hatchery so, 600 Pc
lobscot salmon were distributed in the St.
1roix river and 14O, 600 in Penobscot river
waters, while 80, 600 brook trout from En-
ield were distributed to Eagle Lake,
funk Pond, Cold Stream Pond and Ma
hias.
There are now 81, 900 landlocked
almon egg, in the hatcheries, 1,675, 900
brook trout and 20, 600 Brown trout.
The amounts expended at the several