FORESTRY AND GAME CONSERVATION 409 



is a brief outline of a system of Federal hunting permits which would 

 supply the necessary limitation of kill on the National Forests. 



First, take our unit area (in the National Forests this will be a ranger 

 district) and find out what is left in the way of stock. On the basis of 

 game killed (figures, heretofore little used, happily on file for years 

 past), and with due allowance for gradually bringing the stock back to 

 normal, figure out for each species how many animals can be safely 

 removed for next year. Multiply by two for unsuccessful hunters, and 

 advertise the result as the maximum number Federal hunting permits 

 which will be sold for that district for that year, no permit to be sold 

 except on presentation of a proper State license. Sale will take place 

 at a specified time and place, first come first served. Each permit will 

 bear tags, which must be attached to carcasses during possession and 

 later mailed to the Forest officer for cancellation. Possession of car- 

 cass without tag, or failure to turn in tags, will be grounds for refusal 

 of permit during ensuing years. The canceled tags and a recensus 

 will form the basis for next year's limitation. The local game pro- 

 tective association (an adjunct to our administration just as necessary 

 as the stockmen's advisory board) should help determine the number 

 and allotment of permits. 



The foregoing paragraph is only a suggestive sketch of a system 

 which will be developed in detail in a separate article. The legal basis 

 for putting it into effect would consist of a simple Federal law author- 

 izing the issuance of hunting permits. (Authority to issue such per- 

 mits, by the way, is already vested in the United States, but it would 

 require an act of Congress instructing the Secretary of Agriculture to 

 exercise it.) It will be seen that no right, title, or interest of the State 

 is in any way interfered with. The whole process consists in "raising 

 the price" on big game, and thus creating a Federal fund to assist the 

 State in its protection. A revision of the co-operative agreement with 

 the State game department would complete the necessary machinery. 



It should be noted that the proposed system of Federal hunting per- 

 mits leaves the fixing of open and closed seasons to the State, as here- 

 tofore. The lack of Federal authority in the fixing of seasons has been 

 one of the stock arguments against the present co-operative plan of 

 administration. But with Federal volumetric control of kill, who cares 

 what the open season is, as long as it be within reason ? With the 

 annual kill under regulation, open seasons are no longer a vital factor. 

 The necessity for long closed seasons is done away with. The whole 

 question of seasons becomes a mere matter of expediency and con- 

 venience. 



