Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-07
MAINE GAME LAWS.
Absolute Need Of Better Pro-
lection for Our Game.
More Killed Every Year Illegally, Than
Legally, Says Mr.. Carleton.
Would Severely Punish Every Offender ana
Favors Licensing Of Guides.

The following interview with Fish
and Game Commissioner Carleton ap-
peared in the Boston Sunday Globe,
Dec s:
THAT our game laws have been bet
ter enforced this year than ever before
| think our people generally agree, but
the summer killing, as well as the win.
ter killing in deep SHOWS, is something
enormous. More deer, moose and carl
bou are illegally killed than are legally
killed. Now, this is a startling fact
and say what We will. this condition of
affairs must cease or big game in Maine
will soon cease to exist in numbers
sufficient to attract sportsmen from
out of the State.
Il was talking in my office few
days ago with a leading lawyer of Chi
cago, formerly of Maine, and he told
me that sportsmen of the West We're
looking to Maine for future hunting.
The big game of the Rockies is getting
played out.
Now how shall we protect our game
The present system is clearly defective.
1t is not practicable from the very ma
dens to do it, 1t would take warden
for nearly every fishing party who
camps out in the northern forests, and
for nearly every sporting camp, so
called. in Maine. and no Legislature
could be expected to appropriate money
sufficient to do this.
Hundreds and hundreds of parties
during the summer months hire guides
4 Il.
and months around the lakes and ponds
in the very heart of the game country.
and 40 out of SO live on moose, deer and
caribou. OF course their guides are ac
tive participants in this poaching.
II am convinced that in order to in
force our inland fish and game laws
every guide must in effect he warden.
They must be required to be registered
before being allowed to engage in the
business of guiding. and if convicted of
violating the game laws. be debarred
from practicing their profession.
The owners of sporting camps. So
called must be compelled to take out
license and give bond not to violate
the game laws. Sporting camps are
everywhere in the regions where game
abound. Their business is wholly de-
pendent upon taking the peoples fish
and game. and it is not reasonable. it
seems to me. to compel them to obey
the laws.
Now, this viii meet with very de-
termined opposition from guides and
from keepers of these camps. Too many
Of these enormously think it will spoil
their business if they cannot in sum
mer XII deer and serve it to their
guests. But they are mistaken. 1t will
help their business rather than hurt it.
but whether it hurts or helps, it must
be stopped. The people do not half
realize the enormous benefit to them of
their fish and big game
The farmers of Maine ought to be
more enthusiastic over it. The Grange
Patron of Husbandry and every farm
er ought to make it a cardinal principle
of their creed to protect game and prop
agate fish. and they will in the near
future. l am fully convinced
We cannot now half supply the de-
mand for young fish-trout. and land
locked salmon-to restock the lakes
and ponds of the State.
Time was when a fisherman or a
hunter was looked upon as a ''ne'er do
WELL" but that feeling has long since
passed away. The recreation or vaca
ton season has become an established
institution in American civilization. and
it is the part of business wisdom to at
tract the ever-increasing multitude to
Maine as much as to seek to establish
new manufacturing industries within
our borders.
THE only difficulty is to make our
people understand the situation. Pub
lie sentiment, the maker and repeater
Of our laws. is constantly growing in
this direction. All believers in Maine
in her grand prospects, are most cordi-
ally invited to take q hand in this mat
ter.
You may say for the commissioners
of inland fisheries and game that with
they are doing everything possible to
propagate and distribute fish and pro-
tect game. We are building two new
hatcheries, one at Monmouth and one
in Penobscot county, and if the COM
ing Legislature gives us the means to
run them we hope to reasonably sup
ply the call for fish to restOck the lakes
and ponds of Maine. The successful
artificial propagation of the landlocked
salmon and sea salmon, and other
varieties of food fish, and the restock
ing of our waters thereby, is an estab
lshed and admitted fact, limited only
by the means at our disposal for this
purpose
THE commissioners have had many