The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-02-07
ARE NOT
POT HUNTERS
Local Sportsmen Resent the
Statement Of
ONE J. NJ. GAUNT
Of Great Falls-What Gaunt and tn
Other Fellows Have to
Say.
ONE J. NJ. GAUNT

Virtues vi INC pctltlOu vi lHc LoV
sportsmen of Flathead county which
was presented in the house of repre-
sentatives asking that the game
and fish laws be amended SO as to
make August Is the date for the
opening of the season for the killing
of ducks, j. NJ Gaunt, of this city,
president of the Montana State Sports
mems association, and one of the Off
GERS of the Great Falls Rod and Gun
club, stated that such a request was
ridiculous and should not be consid-
cred.
why those people must be lot
of pot hunters" said he. ITO fix the
opening of the game season at such an
early date would simply legalize the
butchery of ducks and geese which
are hardly able to fly at such an early
period. At this portion of the year
the weather is still warm, the
young ducks are hardly matured,
they have not yet learned to fly, their
flesh is soft and hardly suitable for
eating and no one but meat hunters
would care to kill them. 1t is posi-
be to kill the ducks at this time with
clubs alone, and such conditions are
not at all desirable to sportsmen. The
LIST of Sept, the time for the open
ing of the game season according to
the present law, is plenty early enough
and We the members of the state as
sociation, are strongly averse to the
meeting in Butte we considered this
matter and we were generally in favor
in the shortening of the season The
season now extends to the list of May
and does not end until during the
breeding season. If the season was
shortened it would have a tendency c.
keeping more of this class of game in
this territory and they might do their
breeding along the waters of the riv
ers and lakes of these sections, where
as now they are driven out by the con
tinual shooting and they go north to
do their breeding. Great Falls
Leader.
The Bee showed the above to some
of the sportsmen of kalispell and
they expressed themselves as follows:
Sidney M. Logan:
am not acquainted with Mr.. j. NJ.
Gaunt but | reckon he is just hot
stuff! If | were the state game war
den | would see to it that Mr.. Gaunt's
county had an extra supply of depu-
ties, because have always been sus-
picious of these better than thou
fellows. We might have some pot
hunters in this section but their
names were not signed to the petition
o which the gentleman from Cascade
county refers.
Many of the men who signed that
petition could probably give Mr.. Gaunt
cards and spades in all that pertains
to true craftsmanship and could also
give substantial reasons for the
amendments they advocate. Mr.. G's
characterization of the people of this
section as lot of pot-hunters is
wholly gratuitous and | apprehend
will not influence any votes in the
legislature.
Upon other grounds than the one
| Mr.. Gaunt takes exception to | could
not see my way clear to sign the pc
tition. but so far as the duck season
, is concerned the petition voiced the
sentiments of every sportsman with
whom | have talked and | have can,
, vassed the subject pretty thoroughly
in the past few weeks. 1t might take
ducks longer to mature in Cascade
county than it does in Flathead,
but it is certain that in this section
the ducks are strong on the wing by
the 18th of August. and man would
starve TO death hunting them with a
club as Mr.. Gaunt intimates he some
times does. In the event the leg
! islature should change the opening
VI tiS SSdSol " Aug. 10, we Will Slau-
ly raise purse and enter into a
contract with the Great Falls gen.
. tleman to give him a dollar for every
: young duck he kills with a club if he
will give us twenty-five cents for every
one that gets away
AS to spring shooting-that subject
has been canvassed time and again.
} and it Is almost the universal opinion
in Montana that it would be folly for
, this state to abolish spring shooting
J until some of the other western and
, southern states are ready to fall into
| line. As a matter of fact the spring
shooting does not amount to much.
and only serves to mitigate the tedi.
BUSINESS of the long wait for fall shoot
ing. For long time spring shoot