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FOREST@AN D*5 TREAMG 



[JULY 13, ‘1907. 

his advice 
delay, shouted to hurry up, but all In 
for | was 
and encouragement was lost upon me, 
a prisoner. The strong current shot us rapidly 
by the birds when they made flight for the 
nearest bluff. It was not Idng before | dis- 
engaged myself from the fetters, but too late to 
bring down a bird. I have not used a phantom 
minnow since. 
Notwithstanding that on other occasions my 
luck was about the same, I had not given up 
hope, for to think that the youngest native 
could go out with a musket and with no ap- 
) 
parent effort kill,a bird was galling in the ex- 
treme to one who prided himself on his abilities 
as a sportsman, But what disappointments I 
had met with were to be overbalanced one day 
by shooting the largest gobbler of my experi- 
ence. My cousin, who had recently come into 
possession of a large fortune, in a misguided 
moment decided that the rocky hills here were 
places for the apple and peach industry, 
grea 
so quick as could be, 160 acres of rough hull 
lands were converted into a beautiful fruit and 
poultry farm. The improvements were so much 

vance of thosé usually found here, that the 
in ac 
natives looked upon it as the freak of some 
half-witted person. 
Among the poultry on the place, we had a 
and 
the 
of mammoth bronze turkeys, 
with the gobbling season, 
off every tame gobbler we 
had. One of the men, Matt. Rabb, came one 
morning with the information, that the largest 
wild gobbler he had ever seen came deliberately 
into the barn lot, whipped out a young gobbler 
and raised general havoc among the fowl. 
About this time my visions of another chance 
at turkeys became manifest, so I quietly formed 
large number 
when spring came 
wild turkeys ran 

plans with the help of Matt., to’ get this big 
fellow, for I felt to a certainty that if I got 
this one my run of ill-luck was to be broken. 
And so it eventually proved to be. Five morn- 
ings in succession I got a glimpse of the huge 
fellow tearing for the barn lot, but each time 
some little noise at the house put him on his 
guard, or he actually knew I was hiding im the 
crib, for he never came within range. That he 
was a monster I could see, and was confident 
that Matt. had not exaggerated hi$ size. 
We decided to change tactics, knowing that he 
would return the next morning if things were 
favorable, for the allurements of so many hens 
was too much for the wily boss of the woods. 
Instead of secreting myself in the corn crib as 
formerly, Matt. and I took shelter behind a 
huge black gum log hidden in a hazel thicket 
about a fourth of.a mile east of the barn. Just 
at day we saw the gobbler bolt at the first call 
of the hens for the barnyard. We had tied a 
dog to the barn, and this somewhat startled 
him, so he at once hid in the apple orchard to 
await developments. 
About that time Matt. gave two strokes on 
his cane, and the big fellow raised his head and 
commenced to strut. Fully five minutes or more 
passed before my companion ventured another 
call. THis time we eld see the gobbler was 
impatient to locate the call. 
A few seconds followed 
brought to him the exact location 
posed hen’s call. On toward 
race-horse speed, with the fire 
east wind 
of the sup- 
us he came at 
of battle in his 
and the 
eye. Two more strokes and he stood within 
fifty yards of us. * Just a little-at loss what to 
do, we feared he scented danger, but it was a 
mistake, for in a moment he was strutting and 
even where we were we could distinétly hear the 
“burr” of his wings. The mammoth bird of our 
woods stood there in all his glorious dignity, 
defying any fighter of his tribe to meet him in 
battle. Two more strokes, he turned toward us, 
and then the deception was discovered. Too 
late for the bird, a load of No. 4 shot struck 
him in the neck and he went to earth. When 
the last struggle was over, I stepped out to view 
my prize. A huge fellow he was, a king of his 
kind. I do not know to this day whether I 
would not have taken as much pleasure in seé- 
ing him again as he strutted than to have been 
his vanquisher. Locu LADDIE. 
Tue Forest AND STREAM may.be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dea'er to 
supply you regularly. 
The Game Warden of To-Day. 
By R. W. Williams, Jr., Assistant, 
) Biological Survey, in 
the Year Book of the Department of 
Agriculture. 
(Concluded from page 1i.) 
Powers. 
The powers exercised by the wardens of the 
present day are very extensive. Indeed, were it 
not so, enrorcement of game laws and the conse- 
quent preservation of game would be impossible. 
It is the exception now for a State to withhold 
from its game wardens the right to arrest with- 
out. warrant persons found in the act of violat- 
ing the law, and a number of States confer upon 
their wardens the right to search summarily any 
place where they suspect contraband game to be 
concealed. In New York the power of search 
without warrant under the game laws is granted 
to game protectors, but is withheld from peace 
officers, who otherwise exercise all the powers 
of protectors in the enforcement of the game 
laws, Several States have excepted dwellings 
from the general warrant of search, thus pre- 
Serving the ancient and time-honored sanctity of 
the home. While the warden may be lawfully 
invested with broad powers, it behooves him to 
use tact and discretion in exercising them, so as 
to give no just grounds for complaints of oppres- 
$10N. 
In Michigan and Wisconsin wardens are au- 
thorized to conduct prosecutions in the courts 
in the same manner and with the same authority 
as prosecuting attorneys, and in. Oklahoma and 
West Virginia they may do so without the sanc- 
tion of the prosecuting attorney. In Tennessee 
the State warden may compromise or discontinue 
cases where the violations are technical or where 
he believes the prosecution or fine would be op- 
pressive. In Maine the commissioners of inland 
hsheries and game may entirely prohibit the tak- 
ing of any kind of game in any part of the State 
for a series of years, not exceeding four. These 
are some of the extensive powers granted war- 
dens, and they illustrate the position of the ser- 
vice at the present day. In this connection may 
well be quoted the instructions given the deputy 
and county wardens of Michigan by the game 
warden of that State: 
The proper observance of the fish and game laws de- 
pends almost entireiy upon the vigilance and good judg- 
ment of the county 
f and deputy wardens. 
and ears open for 
violations, 
Keep your eyes 
but do not be too hasty in 
acting upon what you hear. Be careful not to jet the 
public know your plans. Be vigilant and fearless in 
enforcirg the laws, but try to do so without being ob- 
noxious. Be gentlemanly at all times. Show no favorit- 
ism, 
e and be especially careful that all persons are treated 
alike. 
It is important that the people should be awakened 
to the importance of respecting the laws for the preser- 
vation of fish and 

game. Use your influence to arouse 
public sentiment in “this respect. 
Special Equipment. 
he equipment of the game warden differs 
very little from that of othér officers who en- 
force criminal statutes, -but on account of the 
character of the territory to be patrolled sev- 
eral States in the past few years have pro- 
vided launches for wardens doing duty on water 
courses. Massachusetts for several years has 
kept in service along the coast a naphtha launch, 
the efficiency of which the commissioners of 
that State declare to be equal to that of a hun- 
dred men. The Audubon Society. of North 
Carolina, an incorporated body, which, under 
the terms of its charter, administers the game 
laws in that State, maintains a launch for the 
use of its wardens along the Atlantic coast. 
This boat is used in winter for patrolling the 
ducking grounds in. the larger inlets along the 
coast of North Carolina, where wildfowl resort 
in great numbers and are extensively shot for 
market; and in summer it does duty in the 
region about Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke, and 
around the islands in Pamlico Sound, where 
large numbers of sea birds rear their young. 
The game commissioner of Illinois has recently 
provided a cabin cruising launch for the use 
of the wardens along the Illinois River, and 
early in 1906 New York authorized the pur- 
chase of a steam or electric launch for the use 
of the two game protectors on Jamaica Bay 
and adjacent waters, and appropriated $1,500 
for the purpose. 
The police department of the District of 
Columbia maintains a launch for service on the 



Potomac River largely to enforce the 
laws on the marshes along the river 
The National Association of Audubon 
game 
So- 
cieties, always desirous to co-operate with game 
wardens, owns a launch with which its warden 
patrols the southern coast of Florida in the in- 
terests of the non-game’birds of that State; and 
in Louisiana its warden, who has supervision 
of the Breton Island Reservation in the Gulf 
of Mexico, is the owner and captain of a 
schooner which he uses in his work of pro- 
tection. 
Civil-Service System for Wardens. 
With increasing necessity for enforcement of 
the game laws and the, corresponding intricacy 
of these laws arises increased necessity for more 
intelligent officers to execute them. The civil- 
service rules, which have worked so well in 
other departments of the State government, 
have recently been applied to the game depart- 
ments of Massachusetts and Wisconsin, and 
their example will, without doubt, soon be fol- 
lowed by other States. The system, besides in- 
suring a higher grade of officers, has the ad- 
vantage also of elimina ting politics from the 
service. An examination of the questions pro- 
pounded to candidates for the position of game 
warden in Wisconsin shows that in that State 
great importance is attached to ability to en- 
dure exposure and hard physical exertion. Some 
account is taken of the applicant’s familiarity 
with the game laws and conditions in his terri- 
tory, and enough arithmetic is required to test 
his ability to keep his accounts. On the other 
hand, in Massachusetts less importance is at- 
tached to physical endurance, but applicants for 
the position of deputy fish and game commis- 
sioner are required to answer exhaustive ques- 
tions on their powers and jurisdiction under 
the game laws, and in relation to the -prelimin- 
ary procedure in the courts. 
Applicants should be examined upon the sub- 
jects usually included in the common-school 
course. Physical fitness and such previous ex- 
perience as would be serviceable in the position 
sought should be given due weight. Other 
qualifications being equal, the applicant who is 
an experienced hunter should command prece- 
dence over one who is not. 
In order to secure the largest measure of 
efficiency in the game department, civil-service 
questions should be framed to test the appli- 
cant’s qualifications to perform any and_ all 
services likely to devolve upon him in the per- 
formance of his duties. They should elicit his 
knowledge of the powers, duties, and jurisdic- 
tion appertaining to the position of warden and 
the methods of procedure in case of violation 
of the game laws. He should have a general 
knowledge of the object of game laws. and 
shovld show fair acquaintance with the fauna 
of his territory, especially with the species 
classed as game; he should be familiar with the 
limit of hunting seasons, with prohibited de- 
vices and methods, limitations on amount of 
game permitted to be killed, and restrictions 
on hunting by residents and nonresidents, and 
on sale and transnortation. Jf the examination 
is for one of the higher positions in the service, 
such as chief warden, the applicant should know 
something of the decisions of the higher courts 
in cases involving game, at least in his own 
State 
; Associations of Wardens. 
In the early part of December. 1892, the fish 
Min- 
met in 
for the purpose 
and game wardens of the two Dakotas, 
nesota, Wisconsin. Towa’ and Tllinois 
convention at St. Pal. Minn., 
of considering a uniform game law for the 
States mentioned. <A bill providing for stich 
a law was agreed unon, brit failed of adoption 
in the several States. Since. this meeting 
similar conventions have been held in other 
sections of the country, with like objects in 
view, but no permanent association was organ- 
ized until July 21, 1902, when the State wardens 
and commissioners of Colorado, Minnesota, 
Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, together with 
several other persons interested in game pro- 
tection, met at Mammoth Hot Springs in the 
Yellowstone National Park, pursuant to pre- 
yious agreement. A permanent organization 




