The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-06-03

instance l remember when poor
fellow was mulcted in a heavy fine
for selling two ducks legally killed
Nothing, however, was done to the
prominent hotel keeper equally gull
ty who purchased them. Another
man was fined for catching fish at
the dam with grab hook; but the
corporation that owns the dam was
allowed to obstruct the passage
of the fish to their spawning grounds.
The most ridiculous case, however,
is that of the gentleman of whom |
can say personally that it is utterly
impossible for him to be guilty of an
unsportsmanlike action, who was
fined for presenting his wife with
venison killed in season by himself
and innocently served by her to the
hotel guests.
To any sportsman who desires to
see the game of the state protected
it is painful to see the attitude taken
by some of the newspapers, and even
by some members of game protec-
ton societies against the chief game
warden and his deputies.
A protest against the chief war
den was filed with the governor
charging him with neglect of duty,
and yet he is prosecuting cases all
over the state, among which are
cases for having possession of heads
and hides of game animals killed
several years ago. Could an officer
go to greater extremes than this?
When the deputy for this district
was appointed one of the county
papers fatty declared him to be mo
good" but when at the cost of money
of his own expenditure and consid-
cradle trouble he brings in a batch
of law-breakers he is criticised and
his efforts belittled by the same
paper.
The game warden cannot be too
alert, nor can he discriminate-let
the courts do that, Each officers
territory is large and the violators
numerous. I have had abundant evil
dence of this recently on my fishing
trips, where the banks were covered
of the sportsmen GU who take their
fish with n spear and laugh at the
chump who follows their trail think
ing to find sport with a hook and
line.
Another scheme is to build a
pocket in the stream and by the light
of pitch fire on the bank spear the
fish as they pass up stream into the
pocket. Two well-known mill men
from town have made several good
catches by these methods this spring,
and it is currently reported that a
blacksmith from town while on a
fishing trip in this locality, to vary
the sport, took out his rifle one day,
and killed three deer at one shot,
two of them being not quite develop
ed.
All statutes relating to the protec-
ton Of game and fish are originally
devised, framed and introduced into
the Legislature by local associations
organized mainly for the purpose Of
game protection. These societies or
clubs are located in towns and cities
and composed of city sportsmen. The
club located at the capital of the
state, usually being the strongest,
takes the initiative when they think
changes should be made in the game
laws; a bill is framed, a member of
the legislature is selected to intro
duce and champion it, and the gun
clubs throughout the state are called
on for aid. The bill usually becomes
lava law representing the city
sportsman's view of game protec-
ton. Now, one type of the city
sportsman is this, he has an expen-
sive gun and brace of thorough
bred settlers, but he can't hit a grouse
in brush on the wing to save him;
with seventeen pockets, but there
are no blood stains on the coat and
no feathers in the pockets. He takes
a fishing trip but he does not find out
| how delicious a brook trout tastes
direct from the stream to the camp
fire. Instead he eats his minced
ham sandwich and sponge cake and
goes back to town. He has enjoyed
his trip and thinks he is a sports
man, but he knows nothing of the
nature and habits of game; he can
not mention three varieties of wild
fowl in his locality. All the grouse
species are chickens" He only
knows that deer drop their young
some time in the spring." and yet
his influence is felt in the game laws.
1t is this class of men that say to
ninety per cent of the people of
Montana, Thou shalt not eat game
or fish at any season of the year be-
cause thou hast not time or skill to
capture it thyself.
1t seems to me that with our heavy
nonresident license law and a law
prohibiting shipping out of the state