The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-12-01
Said that State Legislature Will
Alter Laws Regarding
Deer Hunting.
FRAMING OF THE BILL.
Of Tags on the Licenses
Will be Reduced From Five
to Three, Possibly Two.

1t is said that it is now almost as
sured that the agitation in favor of
material changes in the present
game laws will be productive of re-
suits before another hunting season
opens. This topic has been most
prolific of discussion throughout the
upper peninsula. There APPEARS to
be general dissatisfaction with the
provisions Of the present law and a
genuine desire that they be greatly
altered at the next session of the
state legislature. The Michigan
press is discussing the matter more
or less generally and the hunters
themselves are giving it no little
attention. 4
As an evidence of the extent to
which the agitation for remodeling
of the present Statute has gone, says
the Marquette Mining Journal, it
may be stated that it is a matter of
common report that Representative
Sherman T. Handy of the Dickinson
district will have charge of the task
OF framing new game law and of
plotting it through the state legis-
lature. General discussion of the
advisability of making notable
changes in the present law are moth
ing new. They occur with great
regularity once a year. Almost all
sportSmcn admit that the statute
now in force is faulty in many par
ticulars. To date the dissatisfaction
has never been manifested in any
others form than words, but this
time il bids fair to show itself in the
midst of the state solons. The un-
precedented slaughter of game dur
ing the season just closed is respon-
sible for the unusual earnestness of
this falls stir. With all conditions
in favor of the hunters the deer have
suffered severely and when the
sportsmen survey the situation with
discriminating eye they realize that
q few successive seasons like the one
just ended would result in disas-
trous thinning out Of the upper pen
insulas great game animal. With
the hunters who give thought to the
future Of their favoritc sport are
lined up the humanitarians who, on
general principles, are opposed to
indiscriminate Slaughter.
The most sweeping change which
it is proposed to introduce in the
new law is a provision reducing the
number of deer which may be legal
ly killed by each hunter. Every
license issued under the present
statute is accompanied by five tags
aud each tag represents a deer that
the sportsman may or may not
bring to earth, according to his luck
in the haunts of the game.
1t is generally agreed, except
among the most successful hunters,
that this number is too large and it
is said that it will be reduced to
three, possibly to two. This change
in itself will work world of good
and will do much to ensure the per-
pctuation of Michigan S most prom
inent game. On this point there
seems TO be only one opinion among
those who discuss the proposed new
law. They say that if the present
statute is to be changed at all it is
most important that the number of
deer allowed each hunter be reduced.
The nonresident hunters have
howl which will likely be quieted by
new legislation. At present they
are not allowed to ship carcasses
out OF the state. A Chicago man
may hunt in the upper peninsula on
the payment of the license fee of
s25. He may havefall sorts of sport
and most enjoyable outing but he
is denied the privilege Of remember
ing his friends at home with venison
steaks. This class OF sportsmen
think that they should be permitted
to ship at least one carcass to their
homes. 1t is likely that the law
may be changed so as to give them