The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-21
FISH AND GAME.
COMMISSIONER HEATH's RE.
PORT TO CO. COMMISSIONER.
What Has. Been Done During the
Past Year-Matters of Interest to
Sportsmen.

County Game and Fish Commissioner
Heath has made report to the board of
county commissioners. which will be
taken up at the meeting today 1t is a
brief resume of his operations for the
year and is as follows:
In pursuance of law l beg leave to
submit for your consideration the follow
ing report of my labors as fish and game
commissioner of Salt Lake county from
the 18th day of December, 1895. TO date
Myself and deputy have arrested q
persons OF that number. two were dis
charged, one dismissed and one appealed
tc the district court Total amount of
nnes and costs amounted 10 S2S3.10.
Il put in six FISH runs in Parley's can
yon streams; one in Big Cottonwood cam
yon. cleaned out four brush dams in
tcnwood creek, six in Little Cottonwood
canyon and three in Mil Creek canyon,
in order TO allow trout to pass no and
Gcwn these streams.
I posted up in every precinct in this
county a full copy of the fish and game
law and copy of the laws of the Fish
and Game Protective association with
each one, and posted up in each canyon
In this county five or six copies of each.
| also posted quite a NUMBER in other
bordering counties and endeavored to
pest all hunters so that none need v.o-
late the law.
also seized of W. S. Henderson 81
pounds of trout unlawfully shipped into
this state and from Gibson & King, 1&
pounds. and from Pacific Express COM
pany, los pounds which | sold to the
highest bidder for cash. amounting to
S4j.lS, which l turned over to the treas
urer OF Salt Lake county.
u have been present some nine or ten
tines when seines were drawn in the
Jordan river and lakes nearby. and there
was caught OF carp, clubs and suckers
some 5.e0c pounds. About 80 per cent of
those caught were carp, caught in White
lake.
- also find there is 70 per cent more
trout and bass in Jordan river than ever
before. and this great increase is due
solely to the protection afforded by legis-
lation. l find that the great decrease in
the number of ducks and snipe over one
year ago was due to the high water of
June last. as 90 per cent of the eggs were
under water for a number of days while
IN state Of incubation.
And while our legislators are zealously
guarding the interest of our young state,
there are still improvements to be made.
Fer our own protection l would suggest
that the law protecting doves be repealed,
as they are migratory bird and also a
grain destroyer. They come here in the
spring and rear their brood en- our grain
fields, and leave in the fall, fat and
dainty. to grace the tables of the south
eIn states. In justice 10 ourselves, they
ought not TO be protected, only from the
LIST day of October 10 the 18th of July
following.
I'VE would also suggest that the
bounty laws be made more liberal in re-
gard to game destroying animals and
birds, such as the skunk. weasel, crane,
etc The skunk is one of the greatest
enemies to ducks, and thousands of nests
arc destroyed every year by these pests
alone. There should be some device or
method on protecting the trou. from go
Ing out of the streams into the irrigation
bitches as they are returning from Their
spawning places. as there are thousands
e|-k, IL \ -
in the fields or gathered up and killed
for consumption. by leaving the bitches
unprotected.
And also recommend that the trout
season should open the LIST day Of July,
and that the duck law De changed, al
lowing shooters one hour after sunset and
ore hour before sunrise. | thing the time
frcna the lst day of april TO The LIST day
o. October is the best We can get.
al a HEATH
'F.sh and Care Commissioner.