The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-08
MONTANA GAME
. Wilful Destruction That Is
Fast Depicting the Streams
and Forests.
bmething Must Be Done or There
Will Be Nc Fish or Big
Game Left.
Iws to which M Regard II Paid-Hunt-
Ing Parties Now Out Contrary
to tho Statutes.

The willful destruction Of the natural
cd resources Of Montana which 10 CON.
hunlly going on is N matter which should
mmand the serious confederation Of our
1t Legislature. Very few countries pos
% 30 many natural advantages for the
essrvation Of game and ash % does Mon.
na. but with all these advantages the
ate will aoon DO on q rar with eastern
ates II something 10 not done to stop the
egal use Of rife and giant powder. A
|ntlsman who is = great srortsman. re-
ring to the subject yesterday, said:
1--WE have laws on the subject, II II true.
~ many OF them; they may be found
altered throughout the complied statutes
Montana. Somebody has been paid for
hitting them. and there they ars, Ths
10 of giant powder for the capture Of fish
. very grave ~offense. but hundreds OF
punds Of fish may be seen daily in tho
srious fish markets Of the state which
ere taken by such means. II 10 unlawful
kill for the market grouse or prairie
hicken, but yet you can get them at almost
by restaurant in Helena or Butte, but
srhaps they wee sent to the restaurant
some country friend. 1t seems TO be
0 ones duty to look into this. X,
1.-THE open season for mountain sheep.
|ocky mountain goat, antelope. deer.
loose and elk is from Sept. Is to Jan. Ii,
IN other words the season will not be
pen till Thursday week; and YET there are
least fifty parties out at the present time
fter big game. This may seem q rather
airing statement. but l know whereof !
peak. Take a trip into the Big Hole basin
nd you will find that many of the campers
lake no secret whatever az to what they
70 after. Within the past year hundreds
{ elk have been wantonly killed and left to
BIT; they didn't have the kind of head the
portsman(?) was looking for. or he had
ome other excuse to relieve his conscience,
he had one, for not making proper use Of
be meat. Several men in Montana make
living by capturing young ok, moose, etc.,
Dr. speculative purposes. IL such work ia
he interests of the state? I think not and
should be stopped.
"The rowing bands Of Indians, many OF
which should be in British America, are
ksging q continual war of determination on
10 close season, he hasn't the compiled
tatutes to refer to. but he isn't ns bad 40
is white brother. for he does eat all he
ills. The fact is, our game laws are in Z
ad shape. Every legislature passes some
,w on the matter. and it's a pretty hard
halter for even a lawyer to toll which laws
ave been repealed, or which are still in
orce. Our next legislature should pass .
law ~embodyinR everything necessary for
he preservation of Montana game, and re-
ealing everything relating to the subject
Il present or the statute books. They should
reate the Office and provide for the ap-
of a game commissioner. whose
tuty it should be to see the law respected
ne present county game warden system ia
rank failure-and what may possibly be
low every ones duty. but what in real
W is no ones would become the
(luty of this officer, and we could at least
have some one to roast for the many fla
krnnt violations of the law which are con-
F~inuslly going IN. The expense would be
comparatively little. the ultimate benefits
would be inoaloulable. There is no good
L locking the stable after the cayuse has
bkipped. However, il when our wise men
assemble they do not see their way clear to
10 this, then let them repeal all existing
avs. 30 that those who respect laws NAV
have an equal show with those who do not"