DESTRUCTION OF GAME AND GAME BIRDS. 267 



Now, under these conditions it' was next to impossible to get 

 any one who knew anything about the transaction to make a 

 complaint, or even be a witness against those transgressors of the 

 deer or hounding law. But in time the law was made sufficiently 

 stringent as to virtually put a stop to this most cruel practice of 

 deer hunting. 



But now another bad thing came into vogue. Non-residents 

 vvere allowed to go into the woods where they would camp from 

 the first day of the open season for deer until the close and often 

 some days after. Now, "the horse has been stolen." The deer in 

 fhis state are virtually gone. 'The door has been strongly locked, 

 but it is now too late." This game rule applies to the game fish of 

 the state and unless there are laws enacted which will apply more 

 closely to the preservation of the game birds, than a closed season 

 and a bounty or scalp law, the game birds will soon go the way of 

 the deer and the game fish too. 



I wish to say a word to our friends on the Pacific Coast 

 as to the slaughter of game and especially that of deer. I saw a 

 slaughter of deer in nearly all of the states west of the Rocky 

 Mountains that was cruel. In California, in 1904, I saw men kill 

 deer seemingly for no other purpose than the desire to kill, or as I 

 put it, the desire to murder. I saw deer killed when the slayer 

 positively knew that there could not be any use made of the carcass. 

 I saw deer killed when only a fry would be taken from the ham, 

 the remainder of the carcass left to lay without even the pretense 

 of dressing. It was a common occurrence to kill deer for no other 

 purpose than to feed dogs. 



One day I was standing by a man on a sand bar on the bank 

 of a river when we noticed a doe a few rods away looking at us. 

 The man drew his gun to his shoulder in the act of shooting and 

 I exclaimed, "My God, man, you are not going to shoot that deer, 

 are you?" My words were not out of my mouth when the gun 

 cracked. The deer was mortally wounded and ran directly towards 

 us, making desperate efforts to keep its feet. It fell dead within 

 ten feet of where we were standing. I walked away. The slayer of 

 the innocent creature stood and gazed at it a moment and then 

 with his foot he pushed it off the bar into the river. I hope I may 



