Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-12-09
OLD GAME LAW
NOW IN EFFECT
Supreme Court Declares the New
Game Law Unconstitutional, ow.
ing to Clerical Error.
DEER MAY BE SLAUGHTERED
Each Person May Now Kill Six and
the Open Season Continues for
One More Month.

Many Anaconda sportsmen were In
hopes that the game law would still
remain in force so far as the slaugh.
ter OF deer is concerned, notwith.
standing the recen decision of the
supreme court of the state to the
effect that 1t was not unlawful to
shoot turtle doves. There cen to
be no two opinions about the law
that has just been declared to be of
no force and effect. Sportsmen and
hunters all agree that II Is by far the
best law that has been put on the
statute books. This is particularly
true as to the closed season for deer.
If II could have been enforced for a
few years this part of the state would
have become a hunters paradise.
Deer are quite plentiful this year, and
they have not been slaughtered In
great numbers. Not more than twen-
ty have been brought to Anaconda,
and they we're killed out of good slz-
ed herds. In a few more years Of
vigorous and real protection the
mountains would swarm with deer
and other game.
Now what the law has been declar-
ed to be of no good 1t is certain that
hunters will go out In droves and the
deer will not recover from the slaugh-
ter for years. The males are not good
during the month of December, but
that will make no difference to the
average man who is in the hills for
the purpose of killing something. II
the meat is not good the head will
do for a trophy.
State Game Warden Scott was in
terviewed yesterday in Helena by a
Standard reporter, and he has the fol.
lowing to say about it:
THE ruling of the court has the
effect of making the law of 1901 OPP
erative, this being due to the fact that
In the office of the engrossing clerk
of the senate the words an act to
amend were omitted in the engross-
ing of a bill, ar omission that proved
fatal. Under the decision In the
Brown case. spring shooting will once
more be permissible. II closes the
season on mountain sheep. the old
law, which has become the operative
law, protecting the sheep at all sea-
sons of the year. Turtle doves are
placed on the list of game birds.
SEEMING in the Missouri river from
this time forth will be permitted only
below Great Falls, whereas under the
law that has just been declared void
this was permitted anywhere on the
river except in Lake Sewall.
Deer hunting will be lawful until
January /, and the number that may
be slaughtered by any one person Is
six instead of three. The decision In
no way affects senate bills 80 and 81,
which provided for the licensing Of
guides and taxidermists, and the
shipping of game.
I'm brief, these are the provisions
of the game law of 1901, which be-
came operative by the decision Of the
supreme court, regarding the open
season: Wild geese, wild ducks,
brant and swan, September 1 to May
1; sage hen and turtle dove, limited
to the killing of 20 in a single day
by any one person, August / to De.
cember 1; grouse. prairie chicken,
fool hen, pheasant or partridge, limit.
ed to the killing of 20 in a single
day, September / to December 1;
deer and Rocky mountain goat, lin
tied to the killing of six by any one
person, in any one open season, Sep
TENDER l to January /; bull OF male
elk, limited to the killing of two by
one person In any one open season,
September l to November /. Fish
may be caught at any time of the
year with hook and line. The provis.
ion which now obtains as regards
SEEMING in the Missouri and Yellow.
stone follows:
"Seines or catch nets may be used
in the Missouri river below Great
Falls and in the Yellowstone river be.
low Big Horn, but such seine or net
must have a mesh not less than two
inches square,"