I : j 



RECREA TION. 



kill all the game and catch all the fish they 

 can, I ask a little space in which to assure 

 them that in the West as in the East in- 

 ordinate greed is " the exception which 

 proves the rule " that a great majority of 

 sportsmen are content with capturing as 

 much game as may be needed for food. 



I have hunted from Lake Erie to the head 

 waters of the Columbia and with hundreds 

 of different men. To be sure some of them 

 have caught and killed for the brutish love of 

 slaughter; but by tar the most had other 

 thought than killing. The most genial gen- 

 tleman and most delightful companion 

 whose society I have ever enjoyed afield has 

 forgotten the game, his rifle, himself, in ad- 

 miration of a bit of grand mountain scenery. 

 On the other hand the man who wants to kill 

 it all is almost invariably so near to dis- 

 agreeable as to make one feel uncomfortable 

 from the first day out till the good-bys are 

 said. 



During the open season of '97 I was with 

 a party in the Jackson's lake country of 

 Wyoming. Wm. L. Simpson, of Jackson, 

 was one of our guides. He is not greedy 

 himself nor will he tolerate the exercise of 

 the trait in others. 



He, in common with most of the men we 

 met while there, were anxious to prevent any 

 waste of either game or fish. Mr. Simpson 

 is a gentleman, too, as are by far the greater 

 number of the men we met in his com- 

 munity. During a month's stay among those 

 people we did not once hear a sneering re- 

 mark about any man because of his per- 

 sonal cleanliness. They seem to understand 

 that a man may wear a clean shirt without 

 being a " dude." 



If the Governor of Wyoming will but se- 

 lect such men as Mr. Simpson for his game 

 wardens he can rest assured that the game 

 laws will be most fearlessly enforced and 

 that the *' kill all I can " class of shooters to 

 which Webber belongs, will soon migrate. 



Your " roasts " are a little severe I admit, 

 but the case you have is serious and needs 

 heroic treatment. 



Say, Coquina. I wonder how many thou- 

 sand men are laughing at your being de- 

 nominated "a meadow-lark hunter?" V. 



PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE NEW YORK 

 GAME LAWS. 



The New York State Fish, Game and 

 Forestry League met at Syracuse, Decem- 

 ber 8th. to draft amendments to the game 

 laws which will be submitted to the legisla- 

 ture at its next session. President W. S. 

 Gavitt. of Lyons, congratulated the League 

 on its success and urged renewed efforts to 

 increase the membership. The report of 

 the treasurer showed a balance on hand of 

 $90.11. 



On motion the privileges of the floor were 

 extended to James Annin. jr.. superinten- 

 dent of the Caledonia fish hatchery; Assist- 

 ant Chief Game Protector M. C. Worts, and 



Game Protectors Spencer Hawn and Mr. 

 Lnmphere. 



The following amendments to the game 

 laws were recommended: 



*' Making the close season for black bass 

 from December 1st to June 1st instead of 

 from January 1st as the law now reads. 



*' Abolishing the law which permits the 

 shooting -of ducks in the spring and making 

 the close season from January 1st to Sep- 

 tember 1st. 



'* Making the open season for rabbits Sep- 

 tember 1st to December 15th, to conform 

 with the law in regard to woodcock, grouse 

 and squirrels. A man seen in the woods 

 after December 15th, with a gun, cannot 

 then claim he is hunting rabbits. 



" Prohibiting the sale of quail, ruffed 

 grouse and brook trout at all times." 



" To increase the number of fish, game and 

 forestry protectors; to abolish the moiety 

 system and to increase the salaries of pro- 

 tectors to at least $1,000 a year each. 



" Reducing the bounty offered for the de- 

 struction of fish nets, put out in violation of 

 law, 50 to 60 per cent. 



" To strike out the word ' wild ' from the 

 statutes regulating the sale of moose, elk, 

 deer and antelope." 



The following officers were elected for 

 1899: 



President — Cornelius W. Smith, Syracuse. 



Vice-president — R. B. Lawrence, Long 

 Island. 



Secretary — Ernest G. Gould, Seneca Falls. 



Treasurer — A. C. Cornwall, Alexandria 

 Bay. 



Legislative and law committee — C. B. 

 Lapham, Canandaigua; F. J. Amsden, 

 Rochester; W. E. Wolcott, Utica; A. E. 

 Pond, New York City; W. S. Gavitt, Lyons. 



Auditing Committee — Aaron Mather, 

 Honeoye Falls; Thomas D. Hunt, Dun- 

 kirk; G. W. Weaver, Lockport. 



Following is a list of the delegates: 



G. M. Weaver and W. J. Jackman, Niag- 

 ara County Anglers' Association, Lockport; 

 S. A. Wood and T. A. Knapp, Sundown 

 Fishing Club, Poughkeepsie; E. G. Gould, 

 Honest Fisherman's Club, Seneca Falls; 

 W. E. Wolcott, Black River Fishing and 

 Game Association, Utica; G. O. Shields and 

 R. B. Lawrence, New York Association for 

 Protection of Fish and Game, New York; 

 A. C. Cornell, R. P. Graus, George H. 

 Strough and W. H. Thompson, St. Law- 

 rence River Anglers' Association. Clayton; 

 G. O. Shields and A. E. Pond, League of 

 American Sportsmen, New York; C. B. 

 Lapham, F. "A. Christian, H. R. Whitney, 

 A. C. Cappon and F. G. Halsey, Fly Casters' 

 Association, Canandaigua; E. L. Stone and 

 G. Ralph Huested, Fish and Game Associa- 

 tion, Mannsville: C. H. Mowry, D. H. 

 Bruce, J. H. Forey and George B. Wood, 

 Anglers' Association of Onondaga County; 

 E. F. Burnett and Henry Kellick, Spencer 

 Sportsmen's Club, Lyons. 



