The Lamar register., 1901-01-02
SPORTSMEN HOLD
CONVENTION ATDENVER

LlOn at the Denver w neel CluD yeSter-
day afternoon. The object of the CON
vention is to draft bill to be sub
mitted to the coming session of the
Legislature, that will preserve the big
game and the fish of the state. Ute In
dians, too, will be the subject of an ex
tensive discussion, and it is presumed
that some plan will be formulated
whereby the federal government will
see to 1t that the Indians are kept upon
their reservation in Utah and are not
allowed to come into Colorado and
hunt. 1t is believed that all the work
before the convention will be finished
at the session tonight and that com
mittee will have the rough draft of the
bill prepared to be submitted tonight
to the convention.
In many cases the convention diff
fers from any ever held before in the
state. Dozens of state senators and rep
resentatives were present at the two
sessions yesterday and Others will be
present to-day, as honorary members.
One of the interested delegates is
Jack" Goff, the western slope hunt
er, who will pilot Vice President-elect
Roosevelt in his lion hunt next month.
Major William Cooke Daniels called
the convention to order yesterday af-
ternoon. Charles Kibler was elected
permanent chairman and Kemp Mid
dlekauff secretary.
Mayor johnson welcomed the con-
vention to Denver.
J. Grattan O'Bryan spoke of the
duck shooting and trout fishing, and
the enthusiasm of every man when in
the field with his gun or along stream
with his rod. Part of his talk was de-
voted to n call for stringent rules in
al he mn n nlt ta a
going out in dangerous scows.
Sumner w. Matteson was called up
on to speak of Ute Indians. He said
that ranchmen must be enlisted and
for n complete protection of game the
raids of utes must he abolished. An
other point was that tags must be kept
down in numbers. Mr.. Matteson re
viewed various raids of the Indians
and said that the issuance by the gov
ernment of $4,000 n year to them
would soon solve the Indian problem.
B. +. Jay. the game warden in the
Fourth district, made up of Routt and
Rio Blanco counties. said that he had
II right to refute charges made that
the wnrdens had hunted deer. Mr..
Jay then confined himself to the Indian
question.
81 went up and down White river
and talked to the Indians" said Mr..
Jay, ''and also to the settlers. We
have always understood that Indian
police could return the hunters. Ma
jor Myton. instead of being absent buy
ing supplies, as he maintained, was
with the Indians himself. / saw them
on October 18th on the Cathedral and
talked with them. l was in their
camp and followed them. In 1887
trouble was precipitated and debt of
S10O.OOO hangs upon the state. Do you
want me to shoot down Indians with
out the orders of the executive of the
state? l will never do so. On October
10th l went down to Cathedral and
saw deer everywhere, but a week later
when l went back there was not deer
to be seen"
Judge ID. c. Beaman spoke of mount
ain lions and big game, touching upon
the total disappearance from the Gun
nison country of deer and how rapidly
they are going out of the northwestern
part of the state.
Ninety per cent. of the residents in
the game region pay no attention to
the game laws" said Judge Beaman.
'and they kill deer and other game in
and out of season with reckless disre-
gard of the laws. They only deny this
when talking for publication. The resi-
dents kill 6.OOO deer n year: the Indians
and market hunters kill another 1000.
and the tourists and city hunters kill
another 1000 deer. 1t is apparent that
unless stringent measures be taken
that this slaughter will soon drive out
the deer. Flwns are killed by preda-
tory animals and these animals must
be killed so as TO protect these fawns.
"Mountain sheep have slightly in
creased in recent years because there is
no open season. Antelope have been
hunted and they are becoming scarcer.
Failure of enforcement of laws means
extinction of game. The federal gov
ernment spends three times as much
for its forest preserves in Colorado as
the state pays for the protection of
game"
In conclusion Judge Beaman advo-
Gated a hunters license. graded as fol-
lows: For non-residents, good all over
Colorado. S25: residents license, good
all over Colorado. 50, and licenses for
residents. good only in county where
| holder Is hunting. ST."
| The present law relating to shooting
| of ducks and the season was left on
| the statutes after n long fight, the only
| change being the elimination of the al
| titude clause.
Season for curlew and plover and
shore birds was changed from July
18th to September list, and the altitude