CHAPTER XIX 



THE STATE'S INTEREST IN GAME PROPAGATION 



I am indebted to Mr. John B. Burnham, president of the American 

 Game Protective Association for this chapter. The highly suc- 

 cessful New York State Game Farm was established under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. Burnham, and it was due in large measure to him that it was 

 secured. No one is better qualified to speak on the subject of State Game 

 Farms than he: 



In this country we hold the wild game as a community asset. Our 

 courts have said that such game is the property of all the people. Prop- 

 agated game, while in private ownership, however, is private property. 

 Why should not the state which administers the wild game for all the people 

 also propagate game to supplement the increasing shortage in native spe- 

 cies? In other words, is there any good reason why the same funds which 

 are now used by the state for purposes connected with maintaining the 

 supply of wild game should not also be used for increasing the supply by 

 embarking in the business of game propagation? 



THE HUNTERS' LICENSE. The hunters' license law which, as 

 developed in this country, is a peculiarly American measure and which 

 has within the last few years become all but universal, has resulted in the 

 accumulation in the various states of the nation and provinces of Canada 

 of considerable funds which the authorities of the different sections are very 

 generally using for the benefit of sportsmen. While a certain portion of 

 these funds are being used for the purpose of enforcing game laws, there is a 

 notable tendency to use another portion of the funds for game propagation. 



The hunters' license is a special tax upon sportsmen who are in no 

 way relieved from the general taxes (county, town and state, etc.) levied 

 upon other citizens. It is logical therefore that the license tax should be 

 used for objects which directly benefit the sportsmen and that it should 

 not be devoted to highways, schools or similar purposes, as has been done 

 in some sections of the country. 



I am very firmly of the opinion that the growing tendency to use a 

 portion of the game fund for game propagation should be encouraged. I 

 also believe that no game should be put out for stocking lands which may 

 be posted against public shooting and that a proviso should be added to 

 the laws of the states which are propagating game that no land shall ever 

 be posted which has been stocked freely by the state. 



STATE AND PRIVATELY PROPAGATED GAME. It is already 

 very generally recognized that there is a clear distinction between game 



