HOW TO PROTECT GAME. 



A. E. POND, CHIEF WARDEN L. A. S., STATE OF N. 



In late reports of the Game Commissioners 

 of different States I find much that is in- 

 teresting and instructive. Statistics are gen- 

 erally dry reading; but thinking some read- 

 ers of our official organ might like to know 

 what is being done for game protection, I 

 have selected from these reports the facts and 

 figures which I herewith submit. Most of 

 the game wardens inform the Commission- 

 ers of their States that game is increasing; 

 others (with few exceptions) in the Western 

 States wherein large game is yet to be found, 

 say it is decreasing, and attribute this la- 

 mentable condition of affairs to the pot 

 hunter and, in States afflicted with his socie- 

 ty, to the Indian, who it seems knows no 

 law or restraint. 



Every State has game laws to burn; every 

 year new laws are enacted, until the statute 

 books are overflowing. Why then is the 

 game being r apidly exterminated in some 

 sections? Alas! there is but one reason: 

 the laws are not enforced. To show what 

 can be done by having adequate laws and 

 good men to back them up, I quote from a 

 letter received from L. H. Reutinger, Chief 

 Warden of Ohio, who says: 



" During the past year $8,798.00 in fines 

 were collected; an increase of $1,899.28 over 

 amount collected in '96 and of $4,078.80 over 

 '95. This has been brought about by more 

 perfect organization and by the great energy 

 displayed by our wardens. The amount of 

 fines collected, as well as the number of ar- 

 rests and convictions in '97, have not been 

 exceeded in any other State. We made 586 

 arrests and secured 527 convictions." 



Mr. Reutinger and his Wardens may well 

 be proud of such a record; but let us see 

 which counties in the State are most worthy 

 of congratulation. Read this list and men- 

 tally digest it, for to those interested in game 

 protection it maketh the heart glad. Here 

 it is: 



County. 



Belmont . 

 Athens. . . 

 Butler . .. 

 Clermont 

 Crawford 

 Cuyahoga 



Erie 



Franklin . 

 Hamilton 

 Lucas .... 

 Stark .... 

 Summit . . 

 Ottawa . . 

 Van Wert 



Arrests. 



12 



14 

 18 



27, 

 18 

 30 

 38 

 2=i 

 3 1 



9 



Convictions. 



Fines. 



9 



$ 50 



6 



35o 

 150 



10 



375 



9 



155 



9 



225 



13 

 23 



275 

 625 



15 



450 



27 

 34 



470 

 810 



»5 



21 

 8 



275 

 460 



»3° 



The Ohio commission is propagating the 

 Mongolian pheasant for distribution 

 throughout the State. They liberated in '96, 

 2C0 birds and distributed 2,000 eggs, and in 

 '97 2,000 birds and 4,000 eggs. They ex- 

 pect this year to do still better. Well done, 

 Ohio! May your capable Chief W'arden and 

 his assistants have a steady job. 



Xow let us see what the commissioners of 

 the Province of Ontario, Canada, have to 

 say. G. A. McCallum, chairman of the 

 Commission, in his report to the Lieutenant 

 Governor, says: 



" Each year brings further evidence that 

 public opinion is being drawn to view the 

 laws as a public necessity, and a growing 

 sentiment in their favor is having more in- 

 fluence in preventing infractions of the law 

 than all the prosecutions which have taken 

 place. The protection of game birds, too, 

 has brought the public to view in a more in- 

 terested way the ' Insectivorous Bird Act,' 

 as a wise piece of legislation for the farmer, 

 gardener and fruit grower. Your commis- 

 sioners do not pretend to say that there have 

 not been infractions of the law during the 

 year; for there have been and always will 

 be, even if there were 20 wardens instead of 

 only 4. Still, with the better class of the 

 community, there is a growing feeling that 

 the money devoted to the enforcement of 

 game and fish laws is money well spent and 

 to the benefit of the Province. We admit 

 that some varieties of game birds and ani- 

 mals are gradually but surely growing scarce, 

 for instance: The woodcock which used to 

 be so plentiful is each year nearing its exter- 

 mination, as is also the woodduck. It is not 

 the Canadian shooting which causes this, 

 for they are protected until almost the time 

 when they migrate South, so our sportsmen 

 shoot but few of them: but in the Southern 

 States where they winter they are slaugh- 

 tered by night and day for the market during 

 the whole time of their sojourn there. As 

 regards deer the Commissioners report that 

 the plan adopted this year of issuing licenses 

 to our hunters, has proved eminently suc- 

 cessful, for not only was the slaughter cur- 

 tailed by nearly l / 2 as compared with last 

 year, but the plan furnished a handsome 

 revenue. We think the close season as it 

 exists, is positively the best which could be 

 adopted, considering the conditions; for it 

 is found that by it the does are preserved and 

 the bucks thinned out. Almost every bag 

 showed more bucks than does. 



" It is a question how long we can allow 

 dogs to be used in hunting deer. Many of 



