Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-30
The Guarding Of Our Game Interests.

The Guarding Of Our Game Interests.
The interview with Commissioner
Carleton pertaining to the reported
operations of an Ohio hog-huntins
party in the northern part of the State.
and the suggestions, growing out of
this and similar incidents appears in
another part of this issue and are
we'll worthy of the careful attention OF
our readers. 1t is now pretty gener-
ally conceded by people familiar with
the game interests Of the State that the
law requiring the registration of
guides has been productive of much
good. The operations of this big hunt
ing party emphasize the need of addi-
tionai legislation either forcing nom
residents to employ registered guides,
hunting which may be utilized in the
employment of additional game war;
dens. Maine may the more readily do
this from the fact that-with the pos
siHae exception of one or two southern
states-it is practically the only State
in the Union which permits sportsmen
to carry game outside of its borders.
That it is entirely competent for the
State to prohibit this, while at the
same time permitting game to be taken
in open season is fully established by
a decision of the United States SUI
preme court Some of our readers may
recall the facts in the case. The
game laws of the state of Connecticut
do not permit the removal beyond it's
borders of any game taken there. Some
hunters from New York came into the
State and killed some game birds.
When prosecuted they set up as a de-
fence the claim that the state of Con-
necticut having permitted them the
legal killing of this game had no right
to, say what they should subsequently
do with it. They were convicted, and
the verdict sustained, on appeal, by the
supreme court Of Connecticut. They
then carried the case into the supreme
court of the United States, and a de-
cision handed down by. Chief Justice
Fuller fully sustained the decision of
the Connecticut courts. This decision
declared that the game of a state was
the property of all it's citizens, and that
they had a perfect right to make any
regulations they thought best govern
ing the killing and the disposition Of it.
It was entirely competent for the peo-
pie of the, state, to accord sportsmen
qualified rights in the taking of game,
and the fact that such qualified rights
had been granted could not be held to
carry any additional ones.
1t is therefore entirely within the
legal power Of our State to prohibit alb
solutely the removal of game beyond
our borders. and the fact that it
has not done so furnishes substan-
tial reason why nonresident hunters
might with all proprierty be required
to employ registered guides or pay a
license fee, and, indeed, we see no very
good reason why they should not do
both-particularly if they plan to car
ny the game they take home with
them.
One thing is certain, if our game is to
be preserved to be source of future
revenue to our State, some way should
be found to stop the depredations of
hog-hunting parties from other states,
who leave no money with us, do not
avail themselves of the experience of
our capable guides, and pay little if
any respect to our game laws. In this
work the wild land owners of the
State whose valuable timber tracts are
menaced by the thoughtless careless
ness of such parties may we'll take an
active interest
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