Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-31
OBSERVE THE LAW.
A Movement to Protect Our Fish
and Birds.

/
| A meeting of citizens will be held at
the Benham House this evening for the
purpose of organizing sportsman's IS
club. The chief object of the club will
be to protect the fish in our lakes and
the game on our prairies and in our
forests. The time has come for legal in
reference to prevent the wholesale
slaughter of fish and prairie chickens.
The law on the subject is very strict and
should be carried out. In reference to
| fish the statutes say:
1t shall be unlawful for any person to
take, catch, Kill or destroy any fish what
soever except by angling with hook and
line in any Of the lakes or streams or in
| lets or outlets Of said streams, or any
waters of the Territory of Dakota except
the Missouri and Red rivers. (Session
laws 1888, chapter SO, section l.)
1t shall be unlawful for any person to
take, catch, kill or destroy by any de-
vice whatsoever any pike, pickerel,
perch, bass or muscalonge, except for
me purposes of propagating or breeding
| in any OF the waters of the Territory of
! Dakota, except the Missouri and Red
| rivers, between the first day of February
| and the first day of May in any yeur, or
expose the same for sale during this
period. Sessions laws 1888, chap. 50,
sec. q
Any person who shall violate the pro-
visions of this act shall be guilty of a
mlsdemeanor and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished by fine not
| less than IS nor more than $25 for the
first offense, or less than $40 or more than
Sl0O, or by Imprisonment in the county
| JAIL not exceeding 80 days, or by both
such fine and Imprisonment in the dis
cret1on OF the court on any subsequent
offense. Session laws 1883, chap SO,
sec. 3.)
1t Is claimed that at least ton per day
OF our celebrated Devils lake pickerel
are now being speared by the fishermen
on the bay and shipped to various parts
Of the country. This wholesale taking
of fish In violation of law cannot 20 on
much longer without the total destruc-
tion of the tinny tribe Of Devils lake. 1t
will be observed that the law prohibits
the taking Of fish In Dakota, except in
the Missouri and Red rivers, at any time
except by hook and line, and taking
them In any form is expressly prohibited
by the code between the lst%lay of Feb
ruary and the lst day of May-the i'm
portant period in the life of all fish in
any country.
The law in reference to the killing or
trapping. Of quail, prairie chickens,
grouse, plover, snipe or curlew is equally
as strict. The statutes say that game
shall not be killed for market purposes
at any time, and 1t is misdemeanor to
kill or trap any of the above mentioned
birds, for any purpose. between tho lst
of January and the 18th of August. The
penalty for violation of tho game law is
fine Of 81 for each bird killed and costs
OF suit, one-half the tino going to the in
formant. Tho law provides similar
penalty against those who expose for
sale any Of the game mentioned above,
and it is the duty of constables, sherif1s
and their deputies, when notified of Il
violation of the law, to cause the arrest
of the person or persons complained
against.
Every citizen who desires to preserve
the fish of our lakes and the birds that
are 80 numerous in this region should
Join the contemplated sportsmen's club.