AMERICA'S GREATEST PLAYGROUND 



23 



Lake McDonald, Glacier Park 



The Law 



There should be a law to forbid the catching of fish through the 

 ice; a closed season covering the time of spawning; more power given 

 to the State Game Warden with respect to protecting the spawning 

 grounds or egg-taking stations where eggs are taken to supply the 

 state hatcheries with eggs; and the State Biological Station should be 

 charged with the duty of investigating and reporting to the State Game 

 and Fish Commission what varieties of fish are most desirable for 

 stocking any lake or stream where there is a doubt. 



The last above suggestion is made because many attempts have 

 been made to stock Flathead Lake with the Lake Superior whitefish 

 (Coregonus Culpeifformis) and all have apparently failed. This large 

 a,nd beautiful body of water, rivalling in beauty the lakes of Switzer- 

 land, should be made a source of both food and better sport. There 

 must be some variety of fish which would grow and flourish there. 

 The native whitefish (Coregonus Williamsoni) are rather plentiful in 

 this lake, go to the inflowing streams to spawn, but they are not essen- 

 tially game fish although excellent food. Some other variety would 

 possibly do well, but before attempting to stock the lake definite knowl- 

 edge should be obtained as to the food found there and the variety of 

 fish that would consume it. 



The laws with reference to fish and game should be made more 

 definite, more uniform, more easily understood. As the matter now 

 stands the laws with reference to the open season for elk are so un- 

 certain that in parts of the state the question as to whether a man is 

 a law-breaker or not depends upon whether he is on one side or an- 

 other of an imaginary line. Section 31 of House Bill No. 89 says in 

 part: 



"All Missoula County (shall remain closed) except that 

 portion * * * * bounded on the east by a north and south line 

 running through Nimrod, a station on the C. M. & St. P. R. R., 

 and bounded on the north by a line parallel to the Hell Gate 

 river and distant therefrom ten miles north." 



What hunter knows where a north and south line running through 

 Nimrod may be, or when he is ten miles north or south of the Hell Gate 

 river? It is all nonsense to expect a game warden to know whether 



