FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



45 



INDIANS ARE AMENABLE TO 

 GAME LAWS. 



Some weeks ago the District Attorney 

 at St. Paul, Minn., riled an opinion with 

 the Game and Fish Commissioners of that 

 State, to the effect that under existing 

 treaties between the U. S. and the Chippe- 

 wa Indians the latter have the right to hunt 

 anywhere, and at any time, and that they 

 are therefore not amenable to State game 

 laws. 



I wrote Mr. S. F. Fullerton, Executive 

 Agent of the Game and Fish Commission, 

 referring to a case recently decided in the 

 U. S. District Court, for the District of 

 Wyoming, in which substantially this same 

 question was involved, and Mr. Fullerton 

 replies as follows: 



" I am very glad to be able to say to the 

 readers of Recreation that the attorney 

 general of our State, as also the chief jus- 

 tice of our Supreme Court, has given us an 

 opinion adverse to that of our district at- 

 torney, and they say the Indians have no 

 more rights than the white men have. 



" Of course we, as a commission, intend 

 to keep on arresting the Indians, whenever 

 we find them breaking the law, and we are 

 glad the matter has been finally decided in 

 the supreme court of Wyoming. I am also 

 glad Recreation is of the opinion that the 

 Wyoming case covers our case here in 

 Minnesota. If this point had been decided 

 otherwise than it has been, it would be one 

 of the most vital blows at game protection 

 that was ever dealt in Minnesota. If the 

 Indians could hunt when and where they 

 pleased then all our efforts at game preser- 

 vation would be in vain; and I am glad to 

 know such is not the case. 



" We have just passed our new game 

 bill and think we now have a good law; in 

 fact, one of the best in any State in the 

 Union. The legislature has been very kind 

 to us and has increased our appropriation 

 from $15,000 to $25,000 a year. 



" Sentiment is growing in Minnesota in 

 favor of game protection, as indicated by 

 the action of our legislature in increasing 

 our appropriation in these hard times. 

 Recreation is doing splendid work along 

 the same lines, and the Game and Fish 

 Commission wishes it every success." 



I have read one of your charming books 

 and buy your magazine, regularly, at the 

 book store. Recreation is the best of its 

 kind published. I am a lover of nature 

 and my hobby is canoeing. I wish you 

 would publish some articles about canoe 

 outfits and complements. 



C. F. W., Cleveland, O. 



I should be only too glad to print such 

 articles if some of my friends will write 

 them. Editor. 



THE WOLF QUESTION. 



In future numbers Recreation purposes 

 taking up the very serious question of 

 wolf-extermination in the ranching coun- 

 try. 



As nearly as can be ascertained, the 

 region chiefly concerned at present is Wy- 

 oming, Eastern Colorado, Eastern Mon- 

 tana and Western Dakota. 



The damage done in one year by a single 

 gray wolf has been variously estimated by 

 ranchmen at $50 to $500. 



If the lowest estimate is correct it would 

 pay the Government to offer a $25 or even 

 a $50 bounty for each wolf scalp. But it is 

 one matter to go wolfing and another to 

 kill wolves. 



Of the 3 usual methods of carrying on 

 the war, poisoning, hounding and trapping, 

 detailed accounts will be given in future 

 numbers. In the meantime it is very de- 

 sirable to. have careful answers to the fol- 

 lowing questions, with a view to getting the 

 evidence necessary to bring the whole mat- 

 ter forcibly and intelligently before the au- 

 thorities, as well as the public. 



Personal experiences are what are de- 

 sired and it is hoped that correspondents 

 will at least sharply distinguish between 

 what they themselves know, and mere hear- 

 say. 



1. Where are you located? 



2. Are gray wolves troublesome in your 

 region? 



3. What do they destroy? Horses? Cat- 

 tle? Sheep? 



4. About what amount of damage should 

 you estimate they do in a year, in your 

 county or range? 



5. Did you ever know of a gray wolf kill- 

 ing or harming a human being? 



6. Are wolves increasing in numbers? 



7. Have you any reason to believe that 

 wolves can signal across country, and so 

 tell each other what parts are dangerous 

 or where the hunting is good? 



8. What is the average and the greatest 

 weight and measure of a wolf, according to 

 your certain knowledge? 



9. Do you consider the coyote a nuis- 

 ance; or do you consider the harm done in 

 killing lambs, etc., more than balanced by 

 the good they do in keeping down gophers, 

 ground squirrels, etc.? 



10. What do you consider the best means 

 — legislative and practical — of dealing with 

 the wolf question? 



If sufficient interest is taken in the sub- 

 ject, by ranchmen and others immediately 

 concerned, Recreation will publish a series 

 of articles on the best methods of killing 

 wolves; and< the whole matter will be put 

 in such shape that the State and territorial 

 governments will be obliged to consider, 

 seriously, the advisability of offering a 

 maximum bounty for each gray wolf scalp 

 taken within their respective limits. 



