The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1902-12-06
The Game Question.

This article must be prefaced by the
statement that nothing herein applies
to the true sportsmen, than whom there
are no broader minded. courteous men.
but to that muci, larger class whose
words and deeds have gained for them
the vulgar but nevertheless fitting term
of "game-hogs"
From the contempt shown by this class
for, and open violation Of. the game law.
written and unwritten. as well as their
indifference to the rights of the settlers,
and the depredations they are guilty of
committing on private property. 1t Is
very evident that legislative steps must
be taken, ard ut once. to remedy the de-
plorable state of affairs as they exist.
Aside from the question of slaughtering
game, the lives and property OF settlers
are In danger throughout the hunting
season. the one from careless shooting
and the other from fire, accidental or
malicious shots or theft.
The majority of hunters this year
seemed to be "barefooted" pot hunters
and ''silvershod" head seekers. Their
natures are identical. save in this one
respect: The poor have fear If not re-
spect for the law, the rich have neither.
Everywhere in the upper country can
be found carcasses of deer-bucks, does
and fawns. A small per cent Of these.
including the does and fawns, were shot
with the intention of killing them for
meat (the bucks being both scarce and
wild many hunters took anything in
sight. but being only wounded. ran
some distance before falling and 80
could not be found. A still smaller
number was crippled or killed by i'm
patient hunters shooting at bucks in a
herd of does and fawns instead of wait
ing for them to separate. The balance
were killed lust for the fun Of seeing
them fall" as one frank member of the
p. h. and h. 8. orders defined the pre-
instinct of the two tribes.
This is apparently the strangest trait in
the nature Of this class of people. Kill.
kill, KILL" is their motto. and kill they
do. Every thing from mouse to bear,
and humming- bird to an eagle they
regard as theirs by right of-well, greed
and might.
1t is quite needless to add that the elk
Jared any better than the deer. One
case OF this kind was unusually bold.
Two bull elk were killed under the rim
rock Of Sleepycat mountain weeks be.
fcrp the season opened. This ID a favor
ite camping section and the two dead
animals we're viewed BY many persons.
One, which must have had fine set of
antiers, though still In the velvet. had
its head removed. The other, a smaller
one in size. was untouched with the ex-
ception of its worries.
In several districts loose hounds we're
seen chasing both deer aud elk.
No reports came in this year that fish
were being dynamited. but fishermen
violated the law by catcning more than
their allowance and in not returning the
small fry to the streams.
So much for the slaughter Of game.
The accidental (?) shooting of cattle was
of such frequent occurrence as to finally
become monotonOus. Fine large steers
with little bullet hole through them
lay here and there. In only one known
instance had the meat been touched
r. p. Bartlett had one of his herd, q
yearling. 1 believe. killed and the hams
taken. Several horses were shot, also.
Dick Stone lost one of his best mares
near Lost creek, and also mule near
the rangers summer camp on Ute creek.
The mare had been killed in rather
public place and the innocent tender
feet had dragged the animal to the
brush and tried to hide it. The mule
was shot in an open field, and at the
time was feeding with herd Of horses.
Other cases, such as the one in which q
tourist mistook his own horse for deer
and shot it. are not mentioned.
The pilfering of houses and destruc-
tion of outside property is nearly on
par with the rest. II wood was not
handy to their camp. many parties did
not hesitate to take rails off fence. or
n pOSt CstuCi. Auio yCAA tuC AnuSC was
short and several cases are on record
where some person or persons unknown
some hay without asking the
owners permission, or else turned their
horses In the pasture over night. One
Guileless party camped at ranch of
which the host happened to be away.
borrowed" large feed Of hay for their
team, built up an open tire within few
feet of the stacks, cooked breakfast and,
leaving the fire still burning, went on
their blithesome way. blissfully uncon-
scious that they had done ANYTHING
wrong. This risk of fire is the settlers
greatest fear. They never know when
an unextinguished match, a still lighted
cigar or cigarette, or campfire will de-
stroy the work of years. Some of the
worst fires in the White river country