Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-12-11
FISH AND GAME PLENTIFUL.


Annual Report of State Commissioner.
The report of the fish and game COM
mission has been filed with Governor
Murphy. The document is lengthy one
and contains much matter of general in
terest to the public and those directly in
terested in fish and game.
The commission reports that the ex-
pertinent of bringing game fish from the
great lakes to the waters of New Jersey
has proved an unqualified success, for the
reason that most of the fish secured have
been adults and, therefore, the natural
progress of multiplication not retarded.
During the past year wall-eyed pike, channel
cat fish and calico bass have been introduc-
ed in these waters. The demand fol-
pickerel is very great and far beyond the
source of supply, which is the Delaware
and Raraitan canal
Following is a list of lakes and streams
stocked during the year and the number
of fish placed in each: Hopatcong lake,
$40 calico bass; Culver lake, 200 calico
bass; Pompton lake, 725 bass; Budd's lake,
500 bass; Hutcinson's lake, 100 bass; Spine
lake, 100 bass; Kirby lake, 100 bass; Mill
stone river, 460 bass. Milestone river, 15C
perch, 1872 pickerel; Freehold lake, 15C
bass, 200 perch; Ross lake, 100 bass, 10C
perch; Blackboard lake. 1000 perch; High
sly lake, 1000 perch; Almonesson lake,
1000 perch; McMurty lake, 500 cat fish
Hopler's lake, 500 cat fish; Mountain
streams, Sussex county, 1900 trout; Pot
ter's brook, Sussex county, 1000 trout;
Pond stream, Sussex county, 1000 trout;
Greenwood lake, 1000 wal-leyed pike, 400
white bass; Lake Hopatcong, /, $50 wall
eyed pike, 200 white bass, 200 calico bass,
so channel cat fish; Freehold lake, SO
calico bass, so wall-eyed pike, so white
bass; Moss lake, so white bass, 20 wall
eyed pike; Cranbury lake, 800 wall-eyed
pike, 300 calico bass, 300 white bass;
Benefits mills, 25 calico bass, 25 white
bass, % pike.
Under the head of HWoodcock," the
report says that "every year shows de-
crease in numbers of this noble bird, and
it has now become absolutely necessary
that some effective means be used to pre-
vent its total extinction. The open season
in July for woodcock is a serious error in
the law and should be promptly repealed
1t is also the opinion of your commission
that a closed season should be placed on
this bird for a period of three years and
that the number killed then should be
strictly limited to gun.
Of rabbits and pheasants, the report says
they are plentiful because of the strict
observance of the game laws governing
them.
After giving a geographical description
of Barnegat bay, the report says of it =
eff the angling and hunting furnished
by Barnegat bay should be taken away,
you would close many hotels as we'll as
utterly ruin hundreds of our worthy citi-
zens. Last year 10000 pounds of white
perch selling at from seven to ten cents a
pound were caught and marketed. Last
April four men in charge of seine above
Montolokin got in one haul 1000 pounds
of white perch, netting them seven and
seven and one-half cents pound Very
conservative estimates place the value of
white perch taken yearly from Barnegat
bay at not less than 5000, 600.
Under the head of ''Wild Water Fowl'
the commission recommends the continu-
ance of the present laws restricting the
time and methods of shooting wild water
fowl, and says that "a change would be /
grievous error and one that gunners them
selves would deeply regret"
The report gives history of Delaware
shad fisheries, covering a period of 2O0
years, and then goes on to say. ut is
worth over $500, 600 at this time annually.
During the past season the shad catch or
the Atlantic seaboard numbered IA, 24l, 36C
and was worth to the fishermen 81, $50, 500
The Delaware catch has not been as large
this year as usual but on account of the
high prices the fishermen have realized
about the same amount of money as il
former years. The present law prohibits
any net in the Delaware from sundowr
Saturday night until twelve o'clock Sun
day night This permits only limited
number of shad to reach their spawning
grounds, and it, therefore, seems only {
question of time when this closed season
must be extended or artificial propagation
resorted to. Unless either Of these RENE
dies are adopted, the supply cannot b.
maintained"
The financial report shows that the ap
preparation was $35, 683 SO and that SIS,
500 was expended. The total receipts TO
licenses to nonresident gunners wer
81, ITO. Licenses were issued as follows
Atlantic county, 1; Burlington, 1; Cam
den, 239; Gloucester, IL; Hunterdon, 3
Mercer, 2; Monmouth, 3; Salem, IA; Sus
sex, 2. The receipts for licenses to catcl
menhaden, to steamers, ETC., aggregated
81, 400.