90 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 
WASHINGTON GAME LAWS 
By L. H. Darwin, State Game Warden and State Fish Commissioner for Washington. 
A large number of Oregon sportsmen are interested in the game 
and game fish laws of the State of Washington because of the fact 
that such a large percentage of Oregon’s population is situated along 
the northern boundary line of that state, which is the southern 
boundary line of Washington. 
Just a moment’s reflection shows that all the largest cities of 
Oregon are situated on the extreme northern boundary line—Portland, 
Astoria, The Dalles, Hood River, Rainier, St. Helens and a number of 
others may be mentioned. As a result, many of her residents take 
out hunting and fishing licenses in this state. Clarke County, for 
instance, opposite to which on the Oregon side is situated the city of 
Portland, issues more non-resident fishing licenses than all the rest 
of the Washington counties combined. 
The laws of the two states, as regards the work of protection and 
propagation, differ materially. In Oregon the work of protection and 
propagation of food fish and game fish is all entrusted to one com- 
mission, as I understand it, and the funds derived all go into the 
hands of this one commission. As regards the enforcement of the 
game and game fish laws, the state is divided into districts, and 
deputy state game wardens are assigned to these different districts. 
If I am correctly advised, the State Fish and Game Commission 
apportions the funds, allowing so much to the game department for 
the protection and propagation of game, and so much to the food 
fisheries department for the protection and propagation of food and 
game fish. 
Frankly, I feel that our Washington system is preferable. Both 
Oregon and Washington are practically divided into two separate 
communities—East and West. In both states people residing east of 
the Cascade Mountains are very little interested in the food fishing 
industry, and less so in Oregon than in Washington, through which 
the Columbia River flows before it reaches down to become the 
boundary between the two states. By reason of this our Eastern 
Washington people are in a position to secure more salmon than the 
Eastern Oregon people. 
As against this so-called state system, we have a dual state and 
county system. The work of propagating both food and game fish in 
our state, and of enforcing both the food and game fish laws, are 
centered in one person—the State Fish Commissioner, There is no 
divided responsibility, as is the case in the State of Oregon. 
The State Fish Commissioner of Washington is also State Game 
Warden. He has the right to appoint as many fishery inspectors as 
the legislature might appropriate money to pay for the enforcement 
of the food fish laws. 
For the enforcement of the game and game fish laws, he has a 
chief deputy state game warden who resides in Eastern Washington. 
The law gives the chief deputy in Eastern Washington the same rights 
in certain things as possessed by the State Game Warden, who exer- 
cises these same rights in Western Washington. The particular 
right referred to is the matter of appointing in Eastern Washington 
the county game commissioners and removing them, if he so desires. 
The chief deputy game warden’s action in this in Eastern Washington 
is final, and similarly the State Game Warden’s action in Western 
Washington in this is final. 
