NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 33 



PROTECTION. 



The mountain ^oat has ])n >bably a better chance of survival in a 

 wild state than any other American game animal, except possibly 

 the \'irginia deer. It is protected even from man by the extreme 

 niggedness of its mountain habitat and although it will prob- 

 ably be exterminated in certain localities, if given a moderate 

 amount of protection it can hold its own throughout most of its 

 range. Its history will probably be like that of the chamois in 

 Europe, as the country grows more populated. 



In some localities it is in great need of protection. In southern 

 British Columbia, the Indians, who are not amenable to the laws 

 governing the white man. but are protected by treaty rights 

 secured by the Dominion government, kill right and left with 

 impunity. In Canada, even more than in the United States, 

 solicitude for the noble red man works great injury to all our 

 game animals. In the early days, from motives of self-interest, 

 the Indian may have been moderate in his killing, but, having 

 abandoned his archaic weapons in favor of modern fire-arms, he 

 is now an unmitigated butcher. 



The Kootenays on the upper Columbia and the Stoneys on the 

 east face of the Rocky ^Mountains in Alberta, are game mur- 

 derers and it is the boast of the latter that no game can live 

 where thev hunt. In the interest of game protection in British 

 Columbia, it is greatly to be regretted that the enforcement of 

 stringent laws cannot be extended to the Indians. Curiously 

 enough, many persons, who would ordinarily be friendly to game 

 protection, have become so interested in the natives, that they 

 advocate hunting privileges for Indians which they deny to the 

 white man. under the mistaken impression that the Indian kills 

 only what he needs. The strange delusion has recently led to 

 an attempt l)y a benevolent United States Senator to repeal the 

 game laws for .Maska and leave that great game region to the 

 niercv of the native and meat hunter. 



S.\L1-: OI' G.\MK 1IE.\DS. 



The hunting of the Stoney Indians has been somewhat discour- 

 aged by a wise law recently enacted in the Northwest Provinces, 

 prohibiting the sale of game heads. This law is especially bene- 

 ficial to shee]), since the demand for heads of large rams has been 

 .steadily increasing. Orcdiiinos has not suft'ered greatly from 

 head liunting, as its Imrn^ dn n<>t offer much of a tropin- except 



