8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



%mt{t §x$ Htjd 



THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION. 



The Seventh; Ajthual Meeting held at East Saginaw, 

 .(an. I r t \nj> 18. Full Report of a Very Intkhkst 



TNG AND PnOFITABbK MlCKTl.Nf:. 



npiiE Severn h Annual Meeting of the Miclugan Sportmeii's 

 -L Association was held at. East Bftginaw, on Tuesday and 

 Wednesday, Jan. 17 ami 18; and was well attended, and. great 

 interest was manifested, notwithstanding the fact that the 

 Legislature docs not meet this winter, and it being what 

 might be called the "off year' was expected to haw an <HV> i 

 to reduce both interest and attendance, 



Tl'EKDAY MORNING SESSION. 



The convention met iu the Common Council rooms, and 

 -was called to order by the President, Dr. E. D. Holmes, of 

 Grand Rapids, who expressed bis pleasure in seeing presenl 

 so many friend? of game protection and Inie sportsmanship, 

 and complimented The association on the straightforward 

 manner in which it had since its-organization adhered to the 

 objects of its formation, the protection of game and fish, 

 The President compared the meetings of this association with 

 the annual meetings of some other State associations "for the 

 protection of game and lisli." Which are devoted solely to trap 

 shooting for money and prizes, while any action in the direc- 

 tion of a better protection to fur, tin and feather seems entirely 

 forgotten. An association based upon the plan of work of 

 tbrJe Michigan Association, was considered a great experiment 

 at its organization, but the infant had steadily grown from 

 weakness to a healthy maturity and acknowledged influence, 

 and (bis he attributed very largely to the fact that trap-shoots 

 and pigeon tournaments were rigidly ruled out from the 

 annual gatherings. The President hoped the present meet- 

 ing would be equally prolific in wise counsels and good 

 results as its predecessors, and closed by appointing A. il. 

 Mershon, A. J. Keeney and R. Mudge, committee on creden- 

 tials. On motion, the report of committee wa$ deferred until 

 the afternoon session, and the meeting adjourned until 2 P. M. 



TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. 



After reading minutes of previous meeting, the committee 

 Is reported clubs represented as follows : 



:-- port man's Association, Jackson— -S. Edward Bogers, 

 ona'a George Colk-y, Nelson W. Burkhardt, George 



Centrf 

 Mayor C 



F. (Shun 

 KentC 

 Dr. J. 



Sportsman's Club, Grand Rapids— Dr. E. S. Holmes. 

 ', George A, Gould. 



Hastings Sportsman's Club, Hustings— Koval Mudge, W. R. Geer. 

 Bay Point Shooting Club, Erie, Monroe County— A. J. Keeney, Levi 



AfcCa 



Eas 



J. R. 



tin. 



-tsman's Clnb, Saginaw— E. J. Peck. E. N. Briggs, E. R. 

 Birae.N . James Jerome. 



Game Protection Club, East Saginaw — A. H. Mershon, 

 1, D. R. Brown, i;eor:;e L. Remington, H. B. Ronev. 

 otingand Fisliina Club, Bay C'itv— C. L. Collins, F. H. 

 stover, E. Q. Insjcrso'.l, R. P. ft lis tin. 

 Sportsman's Association, Battle Creek— N. A. Osgood, 



tb, Detroit— E. H. Gib 



owell, Mich.— Cb.as. 

 . Mulliken. H. B. Blai 

 b. Cheyboygan— Chi 



mn. 



Jewett, Henry D. 

 'Kitchen, W. S. 



Ha: 



lit Sportsmen's C 

 Bay County Sportsi 

 H. Wflldris, E. L. Car 



:b— L. G. Rutherford. E. D. Richmond. 



Mrs Association— Judge S. T. Holmes. Mayor J. 



?r, Senator C. F. Gibson, C. C. Eitzhugli. 



Individual members of the Association were elected as 

 follows: E. Q. Ingersollj Bay City: B. E. Rogers, Jackson; 

 Lafayette Owen, Detroit; James Slocum, Detroit; Frank 

 Eddy, Detroit; W. H. McGraw, Detroit; W. J. Mason, 

 Detroit. 



By Mr. Rogers: Resolved, that each delegate and member 

 of tins association present at its deliberations be entitled to 

 one vote. Carried. 



Mr. Keeney suggested that the delegates present be called 

 upon for a report of their success in enforcing the present 

 game laws, in their immediate neighborhood, the past year, 



Mr. A. II. Mershon, President of the East Saginaw Game 

 Protection Club, spoke of the prosecution in Clare County, in 

 which a sympathizing jury refused to convict on the ground 

 that the deer might be a tame one and was not proven to be 

 wild. He thought the agitation practically stopped the illegal 

 shooting of deer for five or six weeks, thus giving the fawns 

 a chance for their lives, and had stopped a large amount of 

 wanton slaughter. He thought more could be accomplished 

 by conciliation and trying to instruct the settlers as to what 

 was to their best interest, than by rigid enforcement of the 

 law without regard to the family necessities of the settlers, 

 many of whom are homesteaders and very poor, and have to 

 [ill a deer occasionally to keep their families from starving, 

 ation would uot favor prosecution in 



he North- 

 inner that 



and be knew the 1 

 such cases. 



Inasmuch as jure 

 have to lie drawn fi< 



raid be 



the new law was 

 vided for its enf 

 tion of fish span 

 more than to ma 



Conductor Cat , 

 Central Railroad, reported 

 fewer violations than at an 



i in the 

 re, and 



■ns thr 



tion 

 bef 



freight agents on t 

 intendent to know 

 ped during the gs 

 as a rule much pi 

 sociation's interprctatioi 

 ing game for their fan 

 seemed more than ever c 

 thought the practice of ' 

 Manistee rivers hs 



President Holmes 

 Rapids were all in f 

 violate the Shipping 

 1 icing memb 



thinly settled parts of the State 

 ti bummers and hangers on, who 

 svent the execution of the law, 

 i was very difficult. He thought 

 it needed effective measures pro- 

 Iso believed that if the destrue- 



topped, it would accomplish 



s for fishing, 

 the Mackinaw Division of the Michigan 

 •osecutions at Bay City, and 

 time for ten years; fewer viola- 



rtructedby darns. Ther 

 to prevent the capture 

 of these ladders, and I do 

 where men and boys are 

 capture of fish in their im 

 IStia, requiring all persons 

 to carefully retain the spt 

 season, makes no rnentioi 

 haps in l-stio it was not v.n 

 that this was a necessity 

 small ch£ 



Ugh Which th 

 Stat 



j tha 



ill i 



?d with the tie 



actual s 



during 



?ed to re 



3 rtir 



that he kne 

 nstructed by 1:1: 

 xes and packnj 

 id the inhabitants w 



.' game law and 



Ci 



tda 



1th 



of, all 

 Super- 

 s ship- 



id a Is. 



greatly deerea, 



•igbts " in kill- 

 1 close season, and 

 •i the game law, He 

 m the Au Sable and 

 ed the past year. 

 centering at Grand 

 it is, and would not 

 he railroad officials 

 jartily with us. lie 

 thought there would be no trouble with common carriers, 

 and anticipated no difficulty in preventing the illegal ship- 

 ment ( ' 

 Mr. 



white fish : and there sh 

 portent smtrject, but if 



min, I have, little hope of t 

 the law . 



My friend Thos. L. C'obt 

 days ago with the request 

 before vour association at' Jit 

 which I replied that 1 he.." ■: ■■■■• ■■ 

 troduetion of the Gentian Cai ":: . ■ 

 our Board in Detroit t wc 

 I would reproduce if desired. 1 lit 

 from home in the interest of the fl: 

 much that it will prevent; the plet 

 your kind invitation to aJ : end I a 

 lion's annual meeting at i.a-: -.. _; 

 send in the paper, which on can I 

 yours, K, i i ]{, Mil 



notk 



now 



of a fish shute 



in 



the 



bate 



not in 



til! 



■ constant pra 



•ti 





f the 







-ieiuhv. The h 





past 



ed in 







in rhe catch ol 



V 



•hit.. 



fish 







■ iisU during- th 



e 



spa\ 



-Jim;:; 







•ti ligation of th 





g 'S 



Por- 







iv the anther 





th 



: bill 







endeavored t 



il 



ave 



some 







d perfected, i 



ml 



wi 



diotit 



State 



of 



tiiio have a clo 





3eo - 



m on 



Id be 



a tmif orcn law on t 



ha 





=tini- 



eann 



>t tithe mint, mini 





,nd 



cum- 



perfet 



tln| 



'the weightier 





a toe 



rs of 



f Kalamazoo, wrote, me a tow 

 t 1 prepare a paper to lie read 



i of the regtiln 



■ell 



; th: 



usual, their mrjtivi -■ fi : n u1 In i Liiisoonstrucd to be far the 



benefit of the juu i lb and tiie.v met with much 



a ,\ and lie"! ill., action of the club de- 



u.utnt of ignorance among the people. 



generally concerning game and gfimelows, Aftet 



Dear Friend Eblmes: 



1 send yon the enclosed ore 

 aslnmi'.-iolnv v ano tn xi .. 



lam too poorly to join 

 however, it would do rue e 

 sportsmen ot th- St.-.i - ;.;;.- 

 wishes, with the romp 

 lieving that, yejit ma. , hai e a 

 am, sineerelv yours] 



.1 "as. C! 



[Mr, Portman's paper will appee 



Paris, Mich., Jan. t i 



just as it came from rnvhand, 



vamp it, 



1 happy gathering ti, 



, i bake the nan-' 

 :,-,,/ ,,,,■.: a _ , , , 



f the seasi in, g iji i and be- 

 ge ;■ ad eut hjisiasl ic mi 



. 



dth 



|Ei;b. 2. 188S. 



Ilh'n 

 Chk 

 the: 



year of vigorous prosecutions a great change in public s"nii- 

 ment began to lake place, people saw the club were right 

 and rallied to their support, and the past year there had been 

 scarcely any violations of the game law. The farmers' bovs 

 and country people generally in his section. i, r believed, 

 were observing the law. for which he gave the State \ soci- 

 tion credit in having procured the prcscut law and organized 

 its auxiliary clubs. 



."Mr. Hi.trby said the low had had a like eood client in Hie 

 vicinity of Jackson; that their club had met with tl 

 opposition at the start: but when the farmer? cam 

 the good effects of the law and to understand the m 

 the sportsmen, their opposition had ceased, 



Mr. Humphrey, of the Chicago Gun Club, regretted tie- 

 violations which were going on constantly in his section of 

 the State, but as they were almost wholly by s-i tiers with 

 large families to feed, he had not the heart to pro-, cute thom, 

 and should not do so. He though.! the pra. 

 live deer on the show orust and tying them up ah outrage 

 which should be summarily dealt with, as the deer mvariably 

 died. One man had eight tied up in his barn alive, and all 

 died. These men claimed they knew of no law for the pro- 

 tection of game. A justice of' the peace lined them one dol- 

 lar and costs each and let them off. Killing out of 

 lazy vagabonds goes on daily, but it is almost bnpossll !■ to 

 catch them at ii, and it was a difficult problem for the drib 

 to deal with, The deer in Northern Michigan were rapidly 

 becoming extinct, and were much scarcer this year than 

 last. Five out of every six deer Caught in Chcybovg'an Bounty 

 were does, and live out of six of those d,oejJ were found to 

 have twin fawns within I hem, and the wanton slaughter of 

 deer was v. -rv great. Other delegates recited their experi- 

 ences, all going to show that the work of the Slate Associa- 

 tion was having its effect, and thai a .ureal, change in popular 

 sentiment was going on all over the State. 



Secretary Mershon then read the following tetters: 



Fond dd Lac, Wis., Jan. 4. i- 1 -.. 

 W. B. Mershon, Secretary Michigan Sportsmen's Association! 



It affords mo pleasure to acknowledge your favor iu'&tesing 

 the notice of your annual meeting on the 17th, and to assure | 

 you that it would be a great satisfaction to accept vour cor- 

 dial invitation to be present. 



While I am unable to do this, I desire to congratnlaffce vou 

 on the noble and progressive course of the Michigan Associa- 

 tion, and have, reason to believe, that there will be no abate- 

 ment of the zeal manifested in former years. 



As the especial attention of your coming meeting is beine; 

 directed to the enforcemect of your laws, it may not be 

 uninteresting for me to state that your non-export law- 

 worked grandly in the upper peninsula last season, and was 

 the means of saving more deer than all other statutes com- 

 bined. 



No doubt instances of flagrant violations can be cited, but 

 the great throng of poachers have been restrained by this 

 restriction. 



Your association is under lasting obligations to 

 western Railway management for the effective n 

 has characterized the enforcement of the law. 



From personal correspondence with the attorney of the road, 

 and repeated inquunes at different, stations on the line, I was 

 fully satisfied the management, seconded vour enactments. 

 During my stay in the woods last season, I met the same old ' tJjl 

 parties of gentlemen sportsmen from other States, and while , tor 

 many of them would have enjoyed carrying out a, saddle of 

 venison of their own dressing, they freely admitted that the 

 sports of the forest were sufficiently enhanced by the conspic- 

 uous absence of the meat hunters to make the restriction 

 preferable. 



My own State, Wisconsin, has suffered in consequence, as 

 the great crowd of hunters has congregated on our soil to 

 slay, ship and sell without restraint. 



Our State Association of last year is responsible for the 

 wholesale destruction that has been carried on instead of 

 emulating the conservative spirit that has .governed your 

 deliberations, a repeal of our non-export law was recom- 

 mended and secured on the grounds of unconstitutionality, 

 also the shooting season was extended from November:;:), to 

 January 1st. 



Perhaps this may be the reason why the association seems 

 to have gone the way all thing's that have lost or outlived 

 their usefulness, after having secured the repeal of the most 

 salutary means for protection conservative sportsmen had 

 been able to place on our statutes. 



I earnestly hope that not manv years will intervene until 

 Wisconsin shall again stand with Sliehigan, and insii 

 you that the destruction that now has no restraint sha 

 a limit, and that the pine, clad hills of the north shall not cc. 

 thitie to be a vast charnel house for the wandering tribes 

 all nations and tongues. Yours. 



L. M. Wtatt. (SecretaryFond du Lac Game Club] 

 Richland, Mich.. Jan. 10, 1883, 



Dr. Holmes— Your kind letter of yesterday was ie::e : v 

 this evening. There are a few simple changes in the !a< 

 relative to fish and fishery interests which ouabi, nor to ha 

 taken any tme at all to amend in our Legislature. For i 

 stance, the law requires all the natural fishways of ,. t. tia 

 to be provided with fish ladders where the fish" ways are < 

 " : no provision in the act of 1 1 

 f fish at the entrance or ... 



Dr A ,S'. Holmes, President Michigan Sjior) sr.i'a ,?> Association' 



__ Dear Sm- 1 regret much that I shall not he able to attend 



but I am compelled to be present to- 



th) at the meeting of "The Sportsman's 



"f Chicago, for the Protection 



vma been one of those appointed at the 



your annual m 

 morrow night 

 and Game Deah 



s mv i ntcntion to have 

 e from it, hi 



bv-la< 

 e Michigan 

 . I have been Eo'r 

 gently it was not 

 hi. n at J.:.;':;;!.!: I::.. 

 nfortunately busi- 

 j1 been able' to do 

 t. iu lieu of it, the 

 before the meet- 

 of others, and the 



it. I must, therefore, request 

 enclosed containing mj remark 



. I also the expression of the opinio 

 result. 



At the meeting to-morrow night nctivc service will be taken 

 towards a National Meeting. 



1 have received many letters from the Fast as well as from 

 the West, favoring the movement. I hope 

 Sportsman's Association will !o„k upon it as fa 



As I look back to six yews ago I cannot 1 

 much has been done in the interval towards Hi 

 tion of name. For what has been done the M 

 man's Association is entitled to much credit, 

 yet to be done, and if every other State Asso. 

 the Michigan Sportsman's 'Association, it wo: 



fore wo should have reached that position iu 



man": 



Associate 



id f 



tely. the 

 effo: 





i realize a.ov, 



iei ter protec- 



'here is much 

 ition was like 



le protection 



and fish pro- 



ligan Sjmn., 



Sportsman's 

 protection of 



. terests and efforts": 

 game and fish as other associations are for the a 

 interest and all efforts in that direction. 



I hope your association will ever continue/in the noble work 

 it has undertaken. 



And, in conclusion, let me personally:, as a sportsman and 

 game protector, thank the .Michigan Sportsman's Association 

 for what they have done. Yours very truly, N. Rowe. 



The Secretary then read the following article referred to: 

 The chairman stated the object of the meeting ant dr. \v 



attention to the 

 of 



zmg tin 



vholly mop 

 aities of Illi 



nld it I 



.tl absurditio! 



ates, and the nee 



he Eastern and 



3n for the sate oj 



narket closed, th 



Western market 



ths after thi 



vould be wholly inoperativ 

 and ot 

 inres of 

 were similar in provisioi 

 game. Even if all the £ 

 State of Illinois, what \ 

 Illinois. January 5, whit 



kept open for one or two months longer ? But when tin 

 of Illinois at the present time, owing to the outrageous ■ 

 :.y '.11 arm r...,' I to lair, an a!no..ji.es:-.imal portion '.'" " 'a- a 

 the United States, and the Chicago market, WES to a art- 

 tent an entrepot for Eastern markets, it, seemed the po 

 votdd bring the date 1 o 

 the open season for the 

 es eotdd be induced t. 

 ?.. A month would the 

 na.rkets of the country, 

 jame dealers was to ngi 

 i to that date, their co-ops 

 woum oe gained, which as every one must ackntr 

 would be an important factor in the protection of gam? 

 'hey would not sell it, those who lived by the capture o 



tsting in the 



r har- 



f the 



1 or 



ila 



of 



the city of 



l-."efeat 



of Which 



■viu-.-the 

 3 in the 



wisdo 

 oth 



takt 

 :ets, 



enteral s 

 the la 



id in th 



nportant 



i of the 



:ir by snaring or shootit 

 nefarious practice out of s. 

 they would not have anj 

 As an instance that the clc 

 protect the. game of the W. 

 the end of t) 

 cula 



•hooters, drawinj 

 that although the Chicago market" 

 Eastern markets would remain < 



, would be 



'mduceme. 

 ing of the 

 st, the East 

 ah vear, floe 



: no 



ind to ship tin 



demonstrate, the 

 from the State i 



thai 



th. 



effect. In the first v 

 f Ohio in one shipmer 

 tfy birds were shipped 



iprjl last 3 



beyond doubt not th( 

 but half what he had b( 



the law 

 market 

 trapped 



h had been trapped. And 

 peakerknf 



only i 

 an told to 



rnal port 



r to 



eat ex- 



liev of 

 II, tsf 

 sale of 

 i (dose 

 n have 

 and as 

 dty e it- 

 eration 



ledgi 

 , for if 



game, 

 p their 



t res st 



Litre it. 



fact 

 , the 

 iger, 

 ,vould 

 ear, 

 ight 

 on game 

 vlu'le this 



■rete.-red 

 ad found 



ile of pi 



year is 

 r'them. 



Ida 



, and t 



-mid n 



ale 



s dealers, 

 mportam 

 with the 

 isary to a 



sp<: 



the 



eoitimate, as 

 The Chicago 

 Is from being 

 a!e man, had 

 ilosed at that 

 there Mould 

 p them. He 

 ivell as West, 

 subject, and 

 nd the. 

 inject, 



lish i. In 



Ult.' 



shorten t 

 bat througli a eor 



he coming summer, legislation" could be effected 

 ;the next, winter, which would bring about the desired 



of spc 



of _ 

 and game 



Dr. I C larkc- one of the Slate Fish Commissioners 



■ Pen- 

 ishing" 



uffed 



then read a paper on "The Brook Trout in the Lt 



insula." This is printed in our "Sea and River Fi 

 columns. The subject then turned, upon game birds. 

 Mr, Greenwood, of Saginaw City, considered the 

 grouse the finest game bird we have; spoke of their h 

 in numbers and their feeding largely upon the lands of the 

 popple bushes that spring up after the timber is cut off, and 

 advocated a liberal bounty upon the heads of foxes, owis and 

 Lawin-. 



spoke of Mr. Holly of that city who 

 twenty foxes with hounds, and last 

 re. all out of a large thicket near the 

 e becoming muchmore plentiful on 



des'Toyed more grouse 



last i 



F.f 



■ Ci 



sports 



togethc 



id that last spring the Kent County 



>d a bounty ot twenta _fl ve cents each 



nd had received 98 up to the present 



-rouee iu that vicinity tli 



He considered it vei-v important that 



tdf 



at destr 



skin 

 >n of £ 



hawks, .awls, "etc., 



-hoot, their enemies. 

 tioned that, every district represented 



use, and favored prompt action 



.. .1 the 

 members n out s" 



., . ... 



in the eonventi i b 

 ing bounties. 



Air. haaeney. of Erie, said that water fowl, colin and groUSe 



were more plentiful with them than for manv years: that, his 



club make it a point to kill predatory birds and ajannah at 



Opportunity, and prefer to kill them to ctdin and grouse. 



■. ed the total prohibition oi .prhig shoot lu ; , and 



. Bred on their marshes v 

 1 epteml real and mallards breed in abundance 

 m then- ma rdie .. i ,„ the reason that tb--- : -, -, n dis- 



