FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 
TO RESTRAIN UNCLE SAM’S WARDS. 
We have just had a fight on our hands 
to retain the garrison of regular United 
States troops at Fort Washakie; and am 
glad to say that our efforts were success- 
ful. In case-we had not been, and the gar- 
rison had been removed, the first thing 
that would have happened would have been 
the killing of game by the Indians. These 
Indians are called peaceable and partially 
civilized, by the highly cultured philan- 
thropists of Boston and other refined cen- 
ters; but the fact of the matter is, they are 
just naturally “ornery,” and are civilized 
just enough to make them meaner than 
ever, if all restraining influences were re- 
moved. The order of abandonment of 
Fort Washakie was issued by the secretary 
of war about May 2oth, and within a week 
all the Indians on the reservations here 
knew of it, and were preparing to have 
one of the biggest hunts of recent years. 
It is hard enough to keep the dirty cusses 
from slaughtering the game, even with 
the troops stationed here, but if they had 
been taken away, as was first ordered, we 
would have had one of the warmest times 
with them this summer that this section 
has ever experienced. This is not the 
opinion of any learned theorist; but the 
settled conviction of all who are best ac- 
dquainted with the Indians personally and 
individually. | 
The chief of the Shoshones, old Wash- 
akie, has ever been a steadfast friend of the 
whites, and is entitled to the gratitude ofall 
the white settlers in this sectiqgn for the 
marvelous control he has exertised over 
his people for the past 40 years; but now 
he is getting old, and is becoming feeble. 
His young people have always been rest- 
less, and now that they see the old chief 
is about to pass away, are looking for 
an opportunity to gain glory and fame. 
which has so long been relegated to their 
fathers and grandfathers. The game of 
this region is looked upon by these young 
bucks as rightfully belonging to them; 
and they let no opportunity escape to 
sneak away from their agency and kill it, 
out of season or in season. They don’t 
understand, or pretend they do not, that 
they shall hunt only during certain months, 
or limit their killing to certain kinds or 
numbers of animals. When they strike the 
trail of a band of elk or deer they always 
stay with it until every head, young and 
old, male and female, is hanging up in their 
camp. Any one will tell you this who is 
familiar with their ways. We hope, with 
the new game law we now have in Wyo- 
ming, to see game of all kinds protected 
better than ever before. 
H, E, Wadsworth, Lander, Wyo. 
os 
‘ilar 
278 
IT CANNOT BE ENFORCED. 
Chief Warden Elrod of the Montana 
Division sends a letter to the Anaconda 
Standard, commenting on the new game 
law of that state, in which he says: 
The law itself is not so bad, but frem the lack of 
means of enforcement it amounts to practically nil. 
‘The state board of game and fish commissioners, of 
which I have the honor of being chairman, has certain 
powers, privileges and duties defined by law, but there 
is not a dollar of appropriation to pay expense, nor 
any way of raising funds exceptthrough fines that may 
accumulate through the very slow process of con- 
victions by county wardens, A remedy for this was 
proposed at the last session of the legislature, which 
would have made the work of the commission self-sup- 
porting, The bill failed to pass. 
The power of appointing wardens lies with the 
county commissioners. The law says that when roo 
taxpayers petition for a warden the county commis- 
sioners must appointone. A further clause states that 
the salary must not exceed $1 o a month. Wardens 
have been appointed at $100 a month, and even without 
salary. Buta still further clause says that when, inthe 
judgment of the commissioners, a warden is not neces- 
sary they may vacate the office. There is no communi- 
cation between the county commissioners and the state 
commissioners. The wardens feel they are amenable - 
to the county commissioners rather than to the state 
commissioners, and will secure longer tenure of office 
by pleasing the former. Whatis the result? The po- 
sition of county game and fish warden is vacated in 
nearly every county in the state. The people raise the 
cry of taxes; the commissioners see the loophole; they 
all say it is the business of the state and not the county, 
and the enforcement of the law is then left to sheriffs, 
constables and peace officers. What is everybody’s 
business is nobody’s business, and the game tae be- 
comes and 1s in most places a dead letter.. Teton has 
a warden without pay, Missoula one at $75 a month 
and he pays his own expenses. Ravalli has a warden, 
and, so far as I know, that is all. Flathead refused to 
appoint one, though 2 convictions have been made and 
a big petition was presented. Deer Lodge had a sim- 
Bie petition and they refused to appoint. One of 
the large Eastern counties refused to appoint because 
one man could not cover the territory! I have dozens 
of letters, from every portion of the state, and they all 
tell the same sad story, the destruction of birds and 
animals. The great state of Montana, with its wealth 
of game and fish, has practically no game and fish 
protection, and under the present law cannot have it. 
Again, the laws are bad in the amount of game one 
may kill. One man may kill 6 deer, antelope or goats 
inaseason. Half this number is sufficient, and there 
is no way of determining how many one kills, for the 
services of wardens are entirely dispensed with in the 
open season, and no one looks after it. How about 
birds? A hunter may kill as many ducks, geese and 
brants as he pleases. Hemay kill a wagon load and 
throw them in the river, for he must not sellthem. He 
may shootfrom dawn to dawn, from Septemberto May. 
Of grouse, chickens, pheasants, fool hens and sage hens 
the hunter may kill 20 of each in a day, or a total of roo 
birds a day, if he can find them. How could it be 
worse? Moreover, he may begin to shoot chickens, 
grouse, etc,, on August1s5, when the young can scarcely 
fly, and to find a flock is to pot them all, 
One of 2 things should be done. Either the next 
legislature should give the state board of game and 
fish commissioners funds to work with or they should 
abolish the commission entirely. 
There is in this state a branch of the League of 
American Sportsmen, of which I haye the honor to be 
chief officer. Its motto is, ‘‘Enforce the laws, make 
better laws and educate’ public sentiment.’’ This 
league now has in the state 163 members. They have 
already accomplished a great deal. They stand out 
boldly and tell the violators to calla halt. They are 
pushing for wardens in every county where they have 
a number of members. They receive no compensa- 
tion, they get many hard names, but they deserve sup- 
port and should have a membership 5 times as large. 
