REPORT OF BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 25 



reason for violating the law that sometimes exists under our present 

 system. Not only can big game be domesticated, but quail, wild ducks 

 and other game birds can be profitably raised. It would be well for our 

 State to adopt a law something similar to that in force in New York, 

 which allows the raising of game and the sale of all wild game other than 

 that native to America. 



CROP DAMAGE BY GAME. 



There are parts of our State where deer and small game do consider- 

 able damage to growing crops. At present there is no provision in our 

 law that allows the killing of such animals, nor is there any provision 

 made for the payment of damages to the owner of the crops. It would 

 not be wise to allow the killing of game animals on account of the very 

 numerous parties who would take advantage of the opportunity to kill 

 game at all seasons of the year, so that some system of appraising the 

 damage done and the compensating of injured parties is the only 

 solution, 



PREDATORY ANIMALS. 



The worst game destroyers that we have are the mountain lions, 

 coyotes and bobcats. The lion works chiefly on deer ; the coyote and cat 

 on fawns and small game. It seems impossible to devise a bounty law 

 through which the State would not be robbed. Almost every state in 

 the Union has tried it at different times, and nothing but failures have 

 resulted. All these species of "varmints" do damage, not only to the 

 game of the State, but to the stock and poultry interests, so that it 

 would not be fair to pay a bounty out of the game protection funds 

 entirely. If any sort of a system is devised, the money should be taken 

 from the general fund of the State. 



A sum of money could be placed at the disposal of the Fish and 

 Game Commission, out of which a number of expert trappers could 

 be paid — these men put to work systematically in parts of the State 

 where "varmints" are most abundant. The w^ages of such trappers 

 need not be great, as the men could be allowed to retain the pelts taken. 

 By a strenuous campaign it would be possible to bring the ' ' varmints ' ' 

 to below the danger point, and enough game and stock would be saved 

 each year to more than pay for the money expended. 



