HOW TO PROTECT GAME. 



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The successful introduction in a number of 

 States of pheasants, has induced the Game 

 Commissioners of New Jersey to try the 

 experiment in that State, and early in the 

 spring 243 of these birds were purchased 

 and distributed. Owing to the severe winter 

 of a few years ago and the continued shoot- 

 ing of quail this bird has greatly diminished 

 in number, so much so that 1,032 Western 

 quail were recently bought for propagating 

 purposes. The Commissioners are alive to 

 the necessity of increasing and protecting 

 the fauna. Last year there were over 300 

 prosecutions of persons violating the laws, 

 and about 95 per cent, were convicted. 

 Here is a sample of Jersey justice: 



Name of Offender. 



Offense. 



Result of case. 



Samuel Adams. . . 



A. Fishel . 

 Henry Moebus. . . . 

 Geo. Van Pelt . . . 



Thos. Everitt 



J. H. Rhome 



Chas. Conklin 



Killing woodpecker. . . 

 Possession of rabbit . . . 



Killing rabbit 



Possession of squirrels. 

 Hunting with ferret. . . 

 Possession of robin. . . . 

 Killing woodcock 



$20 and costs 



60 days in jail 



§20 and costs 



20 and costs 



30 days in jail 



$20 and costs 



50 and costs 



80 and costs 



90 days in jail 



Minnesota's Game Commissioners are at 

 present gunning for Indians, and as pointed 

 out in the report, some legislation is badly 

 needed. The Indians kill much more game 

 than is killed by the white man, and do it in 

 the interests of unscrupulous traders. Trad- 

 ing posts are established all along the bor- 

 ders of the reservations and the Indians are 

 encouraged to kill game whenever they can 



get it. The destruction of ruffed grouse 

 alone by Indians in the Northern and East- 

 ern portions of the State is enormous. 

 Seventy thousand of these birds, it is esti- 

 mated, have been shipped over the Iron 

 Range R. R.- this year. One trader claims 

 to have shipped 18,000. The position taken 

 by many of the transportation companies has 

 been the cause of much annoyance and ex- 

 pense to the Commissioners. Many ship- 

 ments have been seized in the possession of 

 railroad companies, billed beyond the bor- 

 ders of the State contrary to law. In their 

 desire for business the railroads accept all 

 the chances of discovery and prosecution. 

 Cars are left out in their yards for the sole 

 purpose of shipping game out of the State. 

 These cars have been loaded at night in out 

 of the way places where the wardens find it 

 difficult to locate them. When the railroad 

 companies and the game dealers combine to 

 break the laws, it is pretty hard to watch 

 them with the amount of money appropri- 

 ated. 



This year Massachusetts gave us the best 

 Sportsmen's Show ever held, and a few ex- 

 tracts from the report of its commissioners 

 will prove of interest: 



" In many respects our game laws are in- 

 ferior to those of a majority of States where 

 game is protected. A few persons engaged 

 in the cold storage business are allowed to 

 keep game and sell it after the closed season 

 has begun. They claim to purchase little 

 that is killed in this State and none that is 

 killed after the closing of the season; but 

 they do not deny receiving it in large quan- 

 tities from other States, whether killed in or 

 out of season, they do not know. But they 

 do know that much of it is sent in direct 

 violation of laws which forbid its transpor- 

 tation out of said States. That these men 

 are honest in their statement that they do 

 not purchase game out of season is not 

 doubted, and if the traffic stopped with them, 

 there might be little cause to complain; but 

 they sell to hundreds of dealers, for whom 

 they cannot be responsible, many of whom 

 do not hesitate to buy game unlawfully 

 taken. Consequently the system of cold 

 storage vitiates the laws for protection and 

 renders it difficult to enforce them. The 

 game in the State is worth as much and more 

 than the inland fisheries, and it is to be re- 

 gretted efficient means are not adopted for 

 its maintenance and increase. The open 

 season is too long for the limited amount of 

 game in this thickly settled State." 



I regret I am not able to give a detailed 

 account of fines, convictions, etc.; however, 

 enough has been written to give readers of 

 Recreation some idea of the difficulties 

 different States have to contend with, in en- 

 deavoring to protect the fur and feathers of 

 the country. 



