364 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Pheasants and Grouse, Reared by American Game Protective Associati 
on. 
and not the laws to them. But let us see, is 
this really true that conditions are as these men 
say? As a general answer we feel safe in say¬ 
ing it is all nonsense and absolutely absurd as 
to the number of does killed this way annually. 
While the statement may be partially true in 
certain isolated sections, as a general proposi¬ 
tion it is far from the truth. Does any man 
dare tell us that there were as many does killed 
unlawfully in the Adirondacks last season as 
there were bucks lawfully taken? We have ac¬ 
curate figures on the number of bucks killed in 
Vermont, and several other states, during the 
past open season. Now, we would like to see 
the color of the man’s hide who will come forth 
and assert that equally as many does were un¬ 
lawfully killed in those states. Where will he 
get his estimate from? Will it be from his own 
knowledge of the lawlessness he discovered in 
the section where he was hunting—all of which 
he has probably carefully secreted from the game 
department—or is not, as a matter of fact, sim¬ 
ply a figment of someone’s imagination? The 
true way to settle the doe killing question is to 
make a stringent law against this practice with a 
good, stiff penalty for its violation, and then turn 
into the woods during the open season a 
strong body of wardens and you will see this 
“Shoot first, look afterwards” proposition disap¬ 
pear from the columns of the sportsmen’s press. 
We conclude, then, that the opponents of the 
“buck law” are basing their claim on false 
premises and are not entitled to consideration. 
Civil service for game wardens is a good 
thing, no doubt. Tt is what some of us have 
been striving for for years. It is the most en¬ 
couraging measure for real warden .work that 
can be imagined. But we do hope that the men 
who prepare the examination will at least have 
a little practical knowledge of what constitutes 
an efficient warden; what a real warden is up 
against in his duties; how those duties are per¬ 
formed in practice and not on paper, and what 
kind of stuff it requires in a man to do efficient 
work. It is admitted that to prepare a proper 
set of questions for examination of applicants to 
get good men is an extremely difficult matter, 
but a man who has had field experience can 
tell you about every time the true from the 
false. If your humble servant were acting as a 
civil service commissioner the first few ques¬ 
tions which he would ask an applicant would be 
these: Are you in favor of game protection by 
means of strict enforcement of the laws? Are 
you fond of the wild life found in our forests 
and streams? Is your whole heart in this cause 
of protection so you would be willing to work 
hard to protect the wild life even though you 
did not receive a penny for .your services? 
Would you be willing to serve six months on 
trial without compensation to show your .good 
faith in your pretensions ? Have you done much 
hunting and fishing in your time, and if so, 
when and where? Have you had experience as 
a peace officer? Do you know when a game war¬ 
den may make an arrest without a warrant, and 
when one is required? Have you had much ex¬ 
perience in tracking game? Would you walk ten 
miles on a wet, cold day to arrest a man who 
had unlawfully killed one little song bird? Here 
are a few samples of questions which, if an¬ 
swered properly and in the right spirit, show 
just what your applicant will be as a game 
warden. The thing to ascertain is whether the 
applicant’s whole heart is in the conservation 
movement, or whether he is after the job for 
the money it pays him. If he is a sentimental 
crank in favor of protecting the wild life you 
will find that is his religion and he is sure to 
make a good warden. 
BIG GAME IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
Athalmer, East Kooteney, British Columbia. 
April 12, 1915. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I am located at the fork of the Kootenay and 
Vermillion Rivers, a little north of “Hornaday’s 
Country,” so called here, of which you will see 
a vivid description in Mr. Hornaday’s book— 
“Camp Fires in the Rockies.” 
Since our local legislature—some few years 
ago—raised alien sportsmen’s license fees from 
$50.00 up to $100.00, these alien sportsmen have 
fallen off at a rapid rate. Guides have gone 
elsewhere, and wealthy sportsmen being few, 
big game has increased enormously—moose, 
wapiti, bighorn, goat, grizzly (also black cin¬ 
namon and silver-tip), cougar and mule deer. 
Wapiti have been on the protected list for some 
years. Fine trout fishing abounds in river, 
stream and lake. 
I have been trying to get the present $100.00 
charged alien sportsmen taken off and put on a 
scale of so much for each animal killed, say 
from $15.00 to $25.00 for a grizzly, or sheep, 
or wapiti, or moose, etc. On this system sports¬ 
men would only be paying for what they got, 
instead of paying a lump sum down, which is 
too much like buying a pig in a bag, for after 
all, big game hunting is like playing a game of 
cards with the most practical and experienced of 
men as the players, but so far have failed to 
move the powers that be, as one must when up 
against the fearful odds found here—that is, a 
legislature absolutely devoid of a single member 
who is a practical sportsman with the interests 
of either big game or the country at heart. 
Big game! Every head of which is worth is 
worth from $1,000 to $1,200 per head com¬ 
mercially to the country, is left to the tender 
mercies of politicians, in sympathy and effi¬ 
ciency as far apart as the poles. Ye gods! the 
very thought of it makes all lovers of Nature’s 
beautiful fauna jump 40 feet in the air! ! ! 
That we have plenty of game here in East 
Kootenay and other parts of British Columbia is 
not from the protection afforded it by the civ¬ 
ilized white man (look at the way they are mur¬ 
dering one another in Europe at present), but 
from the heavily timbered, rugged nature of the 
country and the game’s own instinct. But I 
forget—I am taking up your time with what you 
are undoubtedly well acquainted with. 
J. A. H. 
GAME CONDITIONS IN KANSAS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
No doubt you are aware that the legislature 
of the state of Kansas at its last session allowed 
$18,000 for the maintenance of the fish hatchery, 
and not one cent is to be spent for the welfare 
of our game birds. This goes to show that our 
game birds are being protected off the face of 
the earth. Our sportsmen paid through hunting 
license something like $40,000 a year. Eighteen 
thousand is to be used for the upkeep of hatchery, 
balance, $22,000, goes to state revenue—a case 
of sportsmen being robbed by legislature or, as 
the game politician calls it, class legislation. One 
thing that I am proud of is that Governor Capper 
appointed a man of fine ability for State Game 
Warden of this state—a man whom I think 
knows a little more than fish culture, who will 
look after the welfare of our game birds, or will, 
at least, use his influence in that direction. I 
will see the new Game Warden of Kansas and 
consult with him on game propagation, and 
should he adopt the plan, you can look for Kan¬ 
sas to go on the map as a game producing state. 
GEO. J. KLEIN. 
