THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN SPORTSMEN. 



389 



open season shortened, spring shooting 

 orohibited, we have, with the aid of the 

 Lacey law, got the thing pretty well 

 cinched. 



Recreation has done more to bring about 

 this result in our State than all other ele- 

 ments, because it has moulded public opin- 

 ion and made it possible for a few men to 

 accomplish much. Violations are decreas- 

 ing and the percentage of convictions to 

 arrests is increasing. 



J. Elmer Pratt, Chief Warden. 



The letter enclosed by Mr. Pratt is as 

 follows : 



Co-operation of your order with State 

 officers will certainly bring about better re- 

 sults than any other procedure, and since 

 we have started along these lines the re- 

 sults are apparent. In many localities 

 where 2 or 3 years ago it was impossible 

 to get a conviction we now have the senti- 

 ment right, and violators are promptly dealt 

 with. What is 'better, in these localities 

 few violations occur. 



I have pleasure in appending herewith 

 the results for the year just closed, and m 

 this connection I desire to say that I have 

 had much valuable information from you 

 and other members of L. A. S., which has 

 resulted in running down some of the worst 

 violators. I fully appreciate your efforts 

 and sacrifices for game protection, and 

 thoroughly concur with your ideas for 

 co-operation. 



Complaints investigated 1,774 



Prosecutions begun 848 



Convictions secured 634 



Acquittals 20 



Dismissals 50 



Fines and costs imposed $7,077.56 



Prosecutions for violations game 



laws 318 



Prosecutions for violations fish 



laws 529 



Prosecutions for resisting a warden 1 

 Number of seizures reported 216 



Seizures consisted of nets in illegal use, 

 immature and contraband fish, which were 

 disposed of as ordered by the court. 



Grarit M. Morse, State Warden. 



UTAH. 



Our State law for the protection of 

 game, fish and song birds is now in fairly 

 good shape, although not quite so good as 

 it could be. Some good amendments and 

 provisions were enacted by our State Legis- 

 lature of 1 901, chief of which is the abolish- 

 ment of spring duck shooting, t'he open 

 season now being October 1st to January 

 15th following, with a limit of 40 birds a 

 day. This is not quite as it should be, but 

 is much better than formerly, when one to 

 400 birds a day were killed by some so- 

 called sportsmen and the market shooters. 

 Elk, antelope and bighorn still have an 



unlimited close season, and the killing of 

 deer is limited to 2 head, with open season 

 October 15th to November 15th; but I am 

 sorry to say that marketing and sale are 

 still permitted, which should not be. 



The selling or offering for sale of brook, 

 rainbow, native mountain and grayling 

 trouts, and landlocked salmon taken from 

 any streams or waters of the State was 

 abolished, and power given to the wardens 

 and deputies to search, with or without 

 warrant, for contraband fish or game. This 

 gives these officers a chance to enforce the 

 law. 



The shipment of all kinds of game and 

 game fishes out of the State is prohibited. 

 Quails and all kinds of imported game 

 birds still have a continuous close season, 

 together with all kinds of song and insec- 

 tivorous birds. The most important thing 

 I could now wish in our fish and game law 

 is the non-sale and traffic in our game 

 birds and game animals. 



The last Legislature made an annual ap- 

 propriation of $2,000 for the enforcement 

 of the fish and game laws, and there has 

 been less transgression than formerly. 

 There have been some arrests and convic- 

 tions for violations of the game laws. 



League matters of the State are be- 

 ing pushed by Mr. George Pugsley, who 

 reports to me that the outlook is good, with 

 a fair prospect of a largely increased 'mem- 

 bership. He has sent out a large quantity 

 of League literature, and he thinks he will 

 be able to increase the membership to 200 

 or more within the next few months. He 

 is confident of securing as members and 

 subscribers to the League, the members of 

 all the gun clubs in the State, besides many 

 other sportsmen who do not belong to any 

 of the clubs. 



John Sharp, Chief Warden. 



WASHINGTON. 



Within the past year I have made 3 

 arrests and secured 3 convictions for vio- 

 lations of the game laws. I stopped saw- 

 mill owners from throwing sawdust in the 

 Yakima river, at Easton, Washington, and 

 compelled the owners of the mill to put a 

 fish ladder in their dam for the salmon to 

 pass up to spawn. I have investigated 

 many other reports, but could make nothing 

 of them. 



To-day the game warden and I worked 

 up a case which resulted in the arrest and 

 conviction of a market dealer. He was 

 fined $10 and costs for selling quails. 



I have the report of Mr. Frank A. Pon- 

 tius, secretary-treasurer, Seattle, who 

 states that King county has taken out 

 1,632 hunters' licenses, every refusal and 

 hunting without being followed by arrest 

 and conviction. Mr. Kelley, countv game 

 warden, also rear warden L. A. S.., has 

 31 deputy county game wardens. There is 



