FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



The man who quits when he gets enough, with plenty of game still in sight, is a real sportsman. 



FOREST RANGERS AS GAME PROTECTORS. 

 Hon. W. A. Richards, 



Commissioner of General Land Office, 

 Washington, D. C. 

 Dear Sir: 



I am informed that under existing rules 

 and regulations of your department the 

 forest rangers are simply requested, when 

 appointed, to co-operate with the State au- 

 thorities in which they serve in enforcing 

 State game laws. This term "co-operate" 

 is, as you know, flexible and may convey 

 varied meanings to different men. 



I learn that a further regulation prohibits 

 forest rangers from leaving the reservations 

 to which they are assigned, except under 

 orders ; that if a ranger follows a game 

 law violator off the reservation, in case he 

 arrests one on his own territory and takes 

 him to a court outside the reservation, 

 the ranger is subject to censure and to 

 loss of pay for the time spent off the reser- 

 vation. It seems to me it would be entirely 

 in keeping with the general policy of the 

 government regarding the protection of 

 game to give all forest rangers authority 

 and even positive orders, to enforce the 

 game laws of the States in which these men 

 serve and to provide that such rangers may 

 leave their reservations in the discharge of 

 such duty, for a stipulated period, without 

 loss of pay. 



A California judge has held that a State 

 game warden can not arrest an Indian for 

 killing game on an Indian reservation at 

 any time. This raises a question as to 

 whether a State officer may go on govern- 

 ment land in the discharge of his duty as 

 such State officer. 



In order to forestall any such claims on 

 the part of the law breaker it might be well 

 to request the Secretary of the Interior to 

 formulate rules in regard to the taking of 

 game and fish within the forest reserves, 

 such rules to be as nearly as possible identi- 

 cal with the game and fish laws of the 

 States in which the reserves are located. 



Will you not kindly consider these sug- 

 gestions and let me hear from you by early 

 mail, greatly obliging, 



Yours truly, 



G. O. Shields. 



Washington, D. C. 

 Mr. G. O. Shields, 



New York. 

 Sir: 



Referring to your letter relative to the 

 co-operation of forest reserve officers in the 

 matter of enforcing local game and fish 



laws, I have to advise you that this office 

 insists that all forest reserve officers assist 

 the State game officers in the enforcement 

 of the game laws in every way practicable, 

 consistent with their duties as forest re- 

 serve officers. The assistance rendered by 

 the officers of forest reserves consists gen- 

 erally in reporting any violation of the 

 game laws to the proper State officer, when 

 it is possible. As a forest reserve officer 

 is not authorized to arrest violators of the 

 game law unless he has an appointment as 

 deputy game warden, it would be useless to 

 issue definite instructions relative to the for- 

 est officers' actions in connection with ar- 

 rests. 



It is impracticable to direct forest reserve 

 officers to leave their districts and reserves 

 in the interest of game protection ; first, be- 

 cause of the fact that in many States suffi- 

 cient funds are not appropriated to enforce 

 the game laws, and if a forest ranger, who 

 receives only a small salary, was required 

 to leave his reserve for the purpose of 

 making arrests for the violation of the 

 game laws and to remain in some town with 

 an added expense of subsistence, without re- 

 imbursement from the State, it would ap- 

 parently work a great hardship. A second 

 reason why directions to leave the forest 

 reserve in connection with the enforcement 

 of game laws could not be given to ad- 

 vantage is because most of the violations 

 of the game laws occur during the summer, 

 when the danger from fire and through 

 trespass on the reserves is very great, and, 

 if the reserve officers were compelled to 

 leave their districts without the proper pro- 

 tection, great destruction of the forests by 

 fire might result. 



It is thought that forest reserve officers 

 fully understand what is expected of them in 

 the matter referred to by you, and no doubt 

 render great assistance to State game offi- 

 cers. It must be understood that this office 

 does not object to forest officers leaving 

 their districts and reserves for the purpose 

 of prosecuting violators of the game laws, 

 provided they can do so without prejudice 

 to the reserve service. A reduction in sal- 

 ary during such absence does not follow 

 unless their expenses and salary are paid 

 by State officials. It is suggested that if 

 State authorities would confer with forest 

 reserve officers and arrange some definite 

 plan for the protection of the game, further 

 good could be accomplished. In a great 

 many instances, it has developed that State 

 officers are under the impression that Fed- 

 eral forest reserve officers are to devote as 

 much time as is necessary to the enforce- 



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