FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



283 



I understand that in Colorado the sheep 



are high up in snow and pines, but in 



Mexico they are never near the pines and 



do not always see snow even once a year. 



R,. J. Boyd, El Paso, Texas. 



I regret to hear that you should have 

 killed 8 mountain sheep on one trip, and 

 still more that you should have killed 10 in 

 one year. That is altogether too great a 

 slaughter for any one man to be guilty of. 

 The fact that you have since sold the skins 

 to museums does not justify you. The big 

 game of this entire continent is threatened 

 with extermination. The buffalo has gone 

 and the antelope nearly so; and at the 

 present rate the last mountain sheep will 

 be killed within a few years. I wish all 

 sportsmen who hunt sheep would limit 

 themselves to one or 2 each in a year. The 

 end will come soon enough at this rate; 

 but the evil day may be postponed for 

 some time if all will be moderate. — Editor. 



GOOD SUGGESTIONS. • 



The State Fish and Game Commissioners 

 of Montana have made the following rec- 

 ommendations of the Governor of that 

 State. 



Coal dust and other noxious materials 

 should not be dumped in streams which 

 bear fish. 



The State Board should have power to 

 take any birds or animals for parks and 

 scientific purposes, and power to introduce 

 game animals, birds and fishes. 



The exact dates when the open seasons 

 for game begin and end should be stated. 



Annual reports should be made to the 

 State Board of all animals under domesti- 

 cation in the State. 



Seines should not be allowed in taking 

 fish, except by authority from the State 

 Board, and then for a definite time and 

 place. 



The clause relating to the sale of game 

 fishes should be more specific.. If the law 

 contemplates that trout should not be sold, 

 it should say "all 'trout." Experts, so 

 called, are brought in to prove that certain 

 fish are not speckled mountain trout, as 

 protected by our laws. 



Shippers should be required to exhibit 

 bills of lading of game and fish, on de- 

 mand of those having authority. 



A definite time should be given, after the 

 end of the open season, for game dealers 

 to dispose of meat. After the expiration 

 of this time possession should be. prima 

 facie evidence of violation of the law. 



The present system of appointing war- 

 dens should be abolished, and in its place 

 the power of appointment should rest with 

 the State Board. 



To raise funds for the expense of the 

 system a small license fee should be placed 



on guns, except those regularly in stock 

 by dealers; a small license fee for regis- 

 tered guides; a small fee from taxider- 

 mists, to show where hides and heads go; 

 and a fee for a permit to hunt. This 

 should be larger for non-residents than for 

 residents. 



The disposition of the fines should be 

 changed. One-half should go to the game 

 and fish fund, the other to the school fund. 



Snipe, plover, and doves should be pro- 

 tected by law, and a limit placed on the 

 bag of ducks that may be made. A bounty 

 should be placed on mountain lions, lynx, 

 and wildcats. 



Screens should be placed in irrigating 

 ditches, and before the water wheels in 

 mills. 



A close season should be established for 

 fish, and no one should take, in one day, 

 more than a definite weight. None should 

 be taken below 6 inches in length. 



A State fish hatchery should be estab- 

 lished, and 3 to 5 million young placed in 

 streams annually. 



Congress should be asked to build a 

 fishway in Clarke's Fork, at Columbia 

 Falls, and to establish, by survey, the 

 Northern and Western boundaries of the 

 Yellowstone Park. 



WITH THE DUCKS IN OCTOBER. 



One day in October the wind suddenly 

 changed from a mild South breeze to a 

 Northern roar. By evening sleet was fall- 

 ing. Putting on my sleeter and heavy 

 boots, I hurried over to E's. 



"Ducks," I said. E. grasped the situa- 

 tion at once. 



"To-morrow morning at 3.30," he re- 

 plied. 



I hastened home, cleaned and packed 

 my hunting outfit, went to bed and it was 

 3 130. I fell over boots and chairs getting 

 awake, and was hardly into my heavy 

 woolen clothing when E.'s footstep sounded 

 on the walk. We had a breakfast of eggs, 

 bacon and coffee, such as only a mother 

 can prepare. As we started for the barn 

 we agreed that if we didn't get something 

 that day we never would. 



In a few minutes we were gliding over 

 the icy pavement bound for the lake. 



On arrival we aroused the man in charge 

 of the lake and he provided us with a 

 good, dry boat. 



Piling in our blankets, we each took an 

 oar and pulled against a heavy North- 

 wester. A point of land that extends 

 several hundred feet out into the lake was 

 chosen as the objective. Sleigh grass cov- 

 ers this point on the South side. When 

 we landed we pulled the boat up into the 

 grass, then waded out and placed our decoys 

 in the more open space. It was not yet day- 



