in THE GAME LAWS OF ALASKA 29 



by sportsmen, but these have been so few and far between 

 in the country up to the present date, that they have not 

 been to any extent a real menace to any kind of big game. 



The real danger at present lies in the indiscriminate 

 killing of bears, moose, caribou, and sheep by the natives for 

 the sale of the hides and horns, and also for the sake of the 

 meat of the last three species, which is sold by the natives 

 and others to ships, canneries, and miners throughout the 

 country. For the last-named purpose males, females, and 

 young of all kinds of game have hitherto been killed at all 

 seasons of the year. 



Naturally this practice has in many cases entailed much 

 wanton destruction, since the natives are so intensely lazy 

 by disposition that they will often kill a beast and only carry 

 away the haunches, leaving the remainder of the carcass to 

 rot. I have known an instance of a native killing three 

 moose in the evening, after he had already killed one in the 

 morning, and leaving the greater portion of the first killed 

 beast in the forest. On being asked why he did so he 

 calmly said, " Because he saw the last three beasts nearer to 

 the settlement than the first one, and it was not so far to 

 pack in the meat." The new Act endeavours to make the 

 selling of game animals for meat an offence, but according to 

 the wording of the clauses such sale is only unlawful during 

 the close season. Apparently any dealer can still buy or sell 

 any number of hides, etc., provided that they are taken from 

 animals which are killed in the open season ; and although it 

 appears that he should have permits in order to send them 

 out of the country, I know of several instances where large 

 consignments of brown bear skins have been shipped out of 

 Alaska since this Act was in force, without the owners 

 holding any such permits at all. It is one of the objects of 



