THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN SPORTSMEN. 



3i5 



pledge you my most earnest efforts for the 

 continuance of this work through the com- 

 ing year. 



If you will all co-operate with me, as 

 you have done, and if the thousands of 

 other sportsmen in the United States can 

 be induced within the present year to co- 

 operate with us as they should do, we will 

 have 100,000 members at the end of this 

 year; we will have a division in every State 

 in the Union and several divisions in Can- 

 ada. Shall we have this co-operation and 

 support? It depends largely upon you to 

 answer. It is impossible for one man or 

 for 10 men to do the work alone. It re- 

 quires the assistance of the thousands and 

 I earnestly hope we may have it. 



HE DECLARES WAR. 



Worcester, Mass. 



Editor Recreation: I have been a con- 

 stant reader of Recreation for several 

 years. I like the way in which you so ably 

 dispose of the game hogs. Don't let the fire 

 go out. It will be needed for many years yet. 

 I have seen but few roasts on game hogs in 

 this State, and it is about time for some 

 of those in this section who call themselves 

 sportsmen to walk into the pen and take 

 their medicine. When I think of the fish 

 and game that are taken illegally, simply 

 for the market price, it makes my blood 

 boil; yet little has been done to stop it. 

 I now appeal to you, and to the L. A. S., 

 for most of the State game wardens I know 

 of are entirely useless. Many of them are 

 poachers and pot hunters themselves. What 

 protection can we expect from such hogs 

 as these? This city of Worcester has a 

 population of 100,000, yet you can go to 

 the city line in the fall of the year, 3 weeks 

 before the legal hunting season opens, any 

 day in the week, but more especially on 

 Sunday, and you can hear the crack of the 

 game hogs' guns. This is kept up until 

 the snow gets so deep that it is impossible to 

 hunt. These men 'wonder what has become 

 of the ruffed grouse and the quail. 



This state of affairs will continue, to a 

 certain extent, until a State law is passed 

 prohibiting the sale of game of all kinds 

 for at least 10 years. This is the only way 

 to protect it. I am thoroughly familiar 

 with all of the game and game covers in 

 this State, as well as in several other States. 

 Am also a lover of birds, and have studied 

 them many years. Our grouse and quail 

 are decreasing every year. I don't think I 

 have killed 100 birds all told, in the last 4 

 years. 



Within 10 miles of this city is a pond 

 that has a number of pickerel, and every 

 Sunday in winter one to half a dozen men 

 from this city go there, set up their tilts 

 and fish all day; yet no move has been 

 made to bring these lawbreakers before 



the judge. I have dug up the hatchet and 

 shall from this time forth continue to fight 

 the fish and game hogs to the bitter end. 

 Send me a few of the circular letters and 

 copies of the constitution and by-laws and 

 I will try and start a branch of the L. A. S. 



F. W. Allard. 



The L. A. S. literature has gone to you 

 by express. Now sail in and enroH a large 

 number of members. 



Send me the names and addresses of the 

 lawbreakers, in order that I may brand 

 them. — Editor. 



MEETING TO ORGANIZE L.A.S. 



Flathead County Division of the League 

 of American Sportsmen held an important 

 meeting Monday evening at the office of 

 Sidney M. Logan, at which there was a 

 large attendance. The secretary of the 

 division was directed to correspond with 

 members of the legislature and with the 

 State warden of the League, with a view 

 to securing the passage of a law providing 

 a bounty for the killing of mountain lions, 

 and to make suggestions in regard to other 

 needed amendments to the game laws. 



It was agreed to prosecute offenders 

 against the game laws of the State vigor- 

 ously, without fear or favor. 



The League desires to call attention to 

 the fact that under the laws of this State 

 informers are entitled to one-half of the 

 fine collected from offenders; also that 

 speckled and mountain trout are being 

 sold by Indians, butchers and others in 

 flagrant violation of the law, and that here- 

 after such offenders will be vigorously 

 prosecuted. 



The division is thriving wonderfully, and 

 almost daily new members are added. At 

 present the membership includes residents 

 of Big Fork, west side of Flathead lake, 

 Bad Rock, Fairview, Brocken, Libby, 

 Troy, Jennings, Kalispell, Columbia Falls, 

 Belton, Nyack, Summit, Marston, Tobac- 

 co. Stillwater and Whitefish. 



All ministers and teachers are requested 

 to hand or send their applications to any 

 member of the committee in order that 

 they may be enrolled as honorary mem- 

 bers. 



The membership is $1 a year, the bronze 

 badge of the League being 25 cents extra. 

 Every lover of nature, every sportsman, 

 every person who believes that the forests 

 of Flathead County should be protected 

 against the depredations of timber pirates; 

 every person who believes in the protection 

 of song birds, of game birds, game animals 

 and fishes should join the League and con- 

 tribute his dollar to the good cause. 



Any person (man or woman) desiring to 

 become a member may procure blank ap- 

 plications from any member of the com- 

 mittee. — Kalispell, Mont., Inter Lake. 



