American Big Game in its Haunts 



cither the wardens strictly enforce the laws with 

 strangers and wink at the breaking of them by- 

 residents, or they draw their salaries and do not 

 enforce the laws at all.* 



THE VARIOUS CAUSES OF ELIMINATION. 



The enemies of our wild animals are numerous 

 and constantly increasing. ( i ) There is first the 

 general advance of what we call civilization, the 

 fencing up of country which principally cuts off 

 the winter feeding grounds. This was especially 



♦Addendum. — There is no question as to the good intention 

 of State legislation. The chief difficulty in the enforcement 

 of the law is that officers appointed locally, and partly from 

 political reasons, shrink from applying the penalties of the law 

 to their own friends and neighbors, especially where the ani- 

 mals are apparently abundant and are sought for food. The 

 honest enforcement of the law renders the officer unpopular, 

 even if it does not expose him to personal danger. He is 

 regarded as interfering with long established rights and cus- 

 toms. The above applies to conscientious officers. Many local 

 game wardens, as in the Colorado White River Plateau, for 

 example, give absolutely no attention to their duties, and are 

 not even on the ground at the opening of the season. In the 

 Plateau in August, 1901, the laws were being openly and 

 flagrantly violated, not only by visitors, but by residents. At 

 the same time the National forest laws were being most 

 strictly and intelligently enforced. There is no question what- 

 ever that the people of various States can be brought to 

 understand that National aid or co-operation in the protection 

 of certain wild areas is as advantageous to a locality as 

 National irrigation and National forest protection. It is to 

 be sought as a boon and not as an infringement. 



368 



