THE GAME LAWS 



185 



for which he pays $600. He has six nets 

 extending from the shore 1^2 miles out into 

 the lake. The nets are deep enough to al- 

 low the lead line to rest on the bottom and 

 the cork line on the surface of the water, 

 the outer end being forty-five feet in depth. 

 Each net has two or more cribs. The fish 

 follow along the net until they come to the 

 crib, which is about 30 feet square, the bot- 

 tom and side composed of small meshed 

 netting that holds a fish of one-fourth pound 

 weight. 



"When the nets are lifted they contain 

 from 500 to 2,000 pounds of fish, which are 

 dipped out with a scoop net, except the stur- 

 geon, which are lifted with a gaff hook. 

 The law requires the black bass to be re- 

 turned to the water, but as there is seldom 

 any inspector present the law is not en- 

 forced. The 100 or more black bass I saw 

 taken would not average more than a pound 

 in weight, while a few years ago the average 

 run was three pounds. 



"If the two governments would join and 

 prohibit net fishing in Lake Erie for four 

 years fish would become plentiful and of 

 good size. Net fishing is not allowed in 

 Niagara River, but the net fishing on both 

 sides of the lake prevents fish from getting 

 down the river, and Buffalo anglers have to 

 go to Canadian lakes for their sport. The 

 fish caught in the lake are sorted, packed in 

 100-pound boxes, and expressed to Buffalo 

 or New York, where they are sold to the 

 consumer for 10 cents per pound." 



An interesting case to hunters was tried 

 recently at Merrill, Wis. A hunter killed a 

 deer out of season and two of his neighbors 

 witnessed the killing. As the animal was 

 too heavy to carry home the hunter left it 

 in the woods until he could get his horse and 

 buggy, and before his return the two neigh- 

 bors swiped the venison. The hunter went 

 and demanded the deer, but was refused. 

 He was arrested for killing deer out of sea- 

 son and paid a fine. In return he had the 

 two neighbors arrested for having a deer in 

 their possession out of season and for this 

 offense the judge imposed a fine of $54.80 on 

 the two men. 



Page B. Otero, fish and game warden of 

 the territory of New Mexico, is in receipt 

 of a letter from Captain John F. Fullerton, 

 of the mounted police, stating that the In- 

 dians, who have been giving a great deal of 

 trouble of late by ignoring the game laws 

 and killing deer out of season, have been 

 ordered hack to their respective reservations, 

 and that nearly all of them have complied 

 with the order. 



En addition to the orders of the mounted 

 police it is stated that runners from the 



different Pueblos were soul oul to warn the 

 Indians that they had best return, as the 

 officers of the law were after them. About 

 150 Pueblos, Apaches and Navahoes who had 

 been hunting in western New Mexico are re- 

 ported to have returned to their reservation,, 

 but not before they had secured a number of 

 does and bucks. 



Private Myers, of the mounted police, who 

 has been in Santa Fe the past few days on 

 business connected with his duties, stated to 

 Warden Otero that almost all of the Indians 

 had returned to their reservations and pueb- 

 los. Speaking further of the matter, Private 

 Myers said : 



"These redskins have absolutely no regard 

 for the game laws. They seem to think that 

 as long as there are deer to shoot they have 

 the privilege of killing them, no matter 

 whether it is in season or not. We have 

 succeeded in arresting a number, and hope, 

 by confiscating their arms and ammunition, 

 and fining them, or confining them in jail for 

 a while, to teach them a lesson." 



Mr. Otero states that as yet he has had 

 no advices from the commissioner of Indian 

 affairs at Washington as to what the au- 

 thorities intend to do in the matter in refer- 

 ence to the letters he has sent the commis- 

 sioner on the question of the government's 

 charges disobeying the law, but states that 

 he does not propose to wait much longer 

 upon the government to take matters in 

 hand, and that in the event of the Indians 

 repeating the offence, measures will be taken 

 by the mounted police and the deputy game 

 wardens to stop them. 



GOLDEN GATE, CALIFORNIA 

 The fishermen Sailing boats out into the 

 ocean are again trying to exterminate the 

 seals that inhabit the rocks off the Cliff 

 House. Every day for the past week from 

 these fishing boats shots are heard on the 

 shore, and the bodies of several seals, 

 killed by rifle bullets have been found 

 washed in upon the sands. It is stated 

 that nearly every fisherman who goes out 

 to sea now carries a rifle, and as the boats 

 skirt the rocks they fire from six to a 

 dozen shots at the animals as they bask 

 in the sun on the rookeries. 



Some years ago the fishermen com- 

 plained that the seals were eating all the 

 fish in the waters, and that it was neces- 

 sary to kill them off to preserve the fish 

 for human consumption. At that time the 

 scientists who had made a study of the 

 seal and his habits declared that the num- 

 ber of those on the rocks near the ocean 

 beach could not appreciably diminish the 

 supply of deep-water fish. Stringent meas- 

 ures were taken to protect the seals from 

 the rifles of the fishermen and not until 

 recently have attempts been made to once 

 more kill them off. 



