GAME PROTECTION. 



A. C. Collins. 



President Connecticut Association of Farmers and Sportsmen for the Protection of Game and Fish, etc. 



Nov. 14, 1894. 



This is a suggestive subject, and 

 should be dear to every sports- 

 man's heart. But in many cases we 

 find those who talk about "protecting the 

 game from illegal capture," without even 

 lifting a finger to carry out their prat- 

 ing, are like the miserly man who said, 

 " 1 love to hear the rain patter on 

 the roof." " Well you may," replied his 

 wife ; "it's a cheap amusement." 



There is altogether too much exuber- 

 ant linguistic display, and too little 

 genuine earnest work for the actual 

 preservation of game in the "close" 

 season. There are too many who grap- 

 ple the game protection problem as 

 gingerly as if they were seizing the hot 

 end of a poker. 



Their theoretic assertions, " We can't 

 do anything," are empty, unmeaning, 

 impracticable and dreamy. There is a 

 wretched lack of work, but plenty of talk. 



Of course, there is comparatively a 

 small proportion of the community that 

 recognizes the real importance of game 

 protection in its true sense, but if only 

 one true hearted working sportsman in 

 a community will make up his mind and 

 work, " poaching " will stop, for he will 

 revolutionize the feeling of indifference 

 and awaken a sympathetic thrill among 

 the weak-kneed sportsmen. It is just 

 as easy to enforce the game laws of a 

 state as it is to enforce any other law, 

 provided that the prosecutors are really 

 in earnest. 



The trouble arises in the dilly-dallying, 

 half-hearted way the officers and others 

 take hold of these cases, simply because 

 the sportsmen generally hold aloof, and 

 will not lend their aid and influence as 

 they should. Every sportsman should 

 be ready at all times to testify and aid, 

 in every possible way, the prosecution 

 of law breakers. Persons who advocate 

 the protection of game, while they do 

 not try to help the officers by their pres- 

 ence in the court room, aid and abet the 

 violators in many ways. When a man 

 talks game protection, and will not be 



seen in the court room where the vio- 

 lator is being tried, look out for him. 



I am writing this from a personal 

 knowledge of the situation. I would not 

 give a cent for a car load of such men 

 for enforcing the game laws. Give me 

 the man who talks little, but works and 

 acts for suppressing violations, and we 

 get something that means something. 



No work means no game protection. 

 Let every person who violates the game 

 law be; punished, be he rich or poor, 

 high or low, and in a short time the vio- 

 lators will understand that it is not safe 

 to kill game illegally. Three-fourths of 

 the violations of the game law are aided 

 and encouraged by wealthy people. 

 It is rare — very rare, indeed — that a man 

 shooting for the, market eats any of 

 his game, but the "nabob" wants a 

 " bird " in the close season, and is ready 

 to pay a good price. He gets the bird. 

 Now, the law ought to stretch out its 

 strong arm, and reach the class who en- 

 courage the destruction of game in the 

 close season. 



Although local officers are often neg- 

 ligent in administering the game laws, 

 they may be stimulated to activity if in- 

 terested sportsmen join their forces 

 against the common enemy and take a 

 little trouble. 



Public feeling will at once be enlisted, 

 and the local papers will gladly lend 

 their aid in upholding the law. No law 

 is effectual unless public sentiment is 

 back of it. Let the sportsmen create 

 this. It is entirely within their power. 



It consequently becomes necessary 

 that the law abiding sportsman should 

 start out with the determination that no 

 friend or foe shall violate the game law, 

 without comprehending that something 

 is liable to explode under him. The 

 plan outlined is feasible. It has been 

 tried in some sections and has worked 

 well. Men who take game illegally must 

 not be allowed to think they will not be 

 caught. Indifference forms the greatest 

 obstacle that the law abiding sportsman 

 has to encounter. 



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