Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-21
UNREASONABLE DEVASTATING.
HOW GAME Is PROTECTED IN SOME
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES.
Supervisors Who Seem to Have No Con-
ception of the Spirit of the Law
to Protect Game.

A correspondent of the RECORD. UNION,
writing from Bartlett Springs. Lake county.
under date of June 10th, says:
1.-The hunters are killing deer right and
left here. They claim that the Supervisors
have the right to fix the game laws to suit
each county. l believe they changed the
season so that the close season ends the
LIST of June. Please let US know through
the columns of the RECORD UNION if such
is the law. 1t is q burning shame that any
kind of game should be killed before the
LIST of July, particularly deer or doves
Section 4046 of the Political Code, IN pre-
scribing the powers and duties of Boards of
Supervisors, says they may make regula-
lions for the protection of game" etc., and
that when such regulations are made
the laws of the State for the pro-
lection thereof (game and fish, are sug-
pend in such county"
1t depends, perhaps, on how this section
should be construed, as to whether or not
Boards of Supervisors have the power to
shorten the close season for game, or, in
other words, to permit its destruction at
an earlier date than prescribed by the
State law. The latter fixes the date of the
commencement of the open season at July
LIST for deer, which is certainly as early as
deer should be killed-too early, in fact, as
many of the fawns are then quite small.
The section quoted says that Supervisors
may make special regulations for the PRO
lection" of game in their counties. but it
does not give them authority to make
special regulations for the destruction of
To Of ho
fore the LIST of July and after the LIST of
November means nothing less than license
to destroy that species of game. and if a
test case were made it is doubtful if the
Supervisors of Lake county could Justify
their action in the Courts.
1t has been of little moment to Lake
county in the past, however, whether or
not there were any such thing as game laws
in existence. 1t is notorious fact that
market and hide hunters have killed deer in
that county at any and all seasons of the
year, and that the local officials have been
too cowardly to interfere. The Super
visors might just as well have declared that
deer could be killed in January and Febru.
AIRY es in June for all the effect the latter
restriction has in preventing the indiscrim-
mate slaughter of that species of game in
Lake county, where any law on the sub
ject would be utterly ignored.
Lake county aspires to become a popu-
lar resort for pleasure seekers, tourists and
travellers, and vet her officials have not had
the foresight to see and appreciate the fact
that when the deerin her forests shall have
been exterminated by few lazy hunters,
and the trout streams robbed of their
fishes, Lake county will have no more
charms for pleasure-seekers than are now
possessed by Contra Costa, or the sand
dunes of the San Francisco peninsula. The
time was, few years ago, when Lake
county was perfect sportsmen's paradise
Her hills and dales were well supplied with
deer and other large game while her noun
tain streams fairly teemed with the choicest
of brook trout; and men travelled hun
dreds OF miles for the pleasure of hunting
in her forests or whipping the brooks with
rod and line. Where now are the glories
of those forests and streams? Who ever
hears of anybody nowadays going to Cobb
valley, or Big valley. to get day or two of
sport with the trout?
The truth is, the officials of that county
like those of many other mountain coun-
ties-have paid no heed TO the game laws
They have allowed the deer and other
game to be slaughtered for their pelts, and
the streams to be robbed of their precious
wealth, until now Lake county has little
left to attract the tourist but her pictur-
esque mountain scenery. If the Super
visors of that county really desire TO pro-
tect what fish and game theyshave left,
and to have the supply increased, let them
do as FL Dorado has done-prohibit the
killing of deer at any season for term of
yesrs-and then let them see that the laws
regarding trout protection are respected.