Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-05
REPORT Of
CAME WARDEN
Hunting and fishing in Territory
Should Prove Great Source
of Revenue.
VIGILANT WORK
BY DEPUTIES
Total Number Now in Service
Eighty-twO. Wholesale
Slaughter of Deer
by Indians.

Page B. Otero, game and fish war
den for the territory Of New Mexico,
has made the following report to
Governor Otero for the past fiscal
year, for insertion in the annual re-
port Of Governor Otero to the secre-
tary OF the interior:
The advantages which nature has
so literally bestowed on New Mexico
in the way of magnificent mountain
ranges and numerous beautiful
streams and lakes, should, with the
wise enactment of practical laws
looking to the preservation of our
game and fish, prove great source
of revenue. Sportsmen who select
this field for hunting and fishing
would leave usually more than the
value of the game they take away, es-
specially if uniform license is
charged
Other states and territories realize
the importance of protecting and pre-
serving their game and fish, and are
making every effort to improve their
condition in this respect.
The success or failure Of officials
to enforce our game and fish laws,
depend largely upon public sentiment
and while there is a growing and
better sentiment in many localities
of our territory. and little difficulty
is met in securing convictions upon
proof of guilt, there is still in some
portions Of our game and fish dis
trcts a decided prejudice against the
prosecution of violatcrs even when
the evidence Of guilt Is conclusive
partly due, no doubt, to the fact that
what they have always considered to
be legitimate and right is not being
arbitrary taken away from them.
While more arrests and convictions
for game and fish law violations have
been made during the past year thar
during the entire former history OF
this department. still. as | have stat
ed in my reviOus Teort, it is very
difficult to obtain the services of suit
able men to act as deputy wardens
on account of the insufficient com
pensation connected Herewith, there
being no money appropriated fol
compensating a deputy other thar
the fines collected from successful
convictions. On the theory tina
those who hunt and fish should pa,
all, or large share of the cost o
preserving the game and fish, instea,
Of burdening the general taxpayers,
again urge the necessity of enactin,
law licensing hunters, as follows
Resident hunters large game
deer. $500 per searon: small game
(birds). 81 per first day, and so
per each succeeding day. Non-resi
dent general hunting license. $25 pc
season. In this way we could Great
fund out of which dutia night b
paid stipulated salary, ard ee in
uosition to dictate as to the kind O
men to EMPLOY and insist upon thei
doing their full duty.
During the year just parsed ther
have been five arrests made, all rt
sultinp in convictions: Three in Gram
Sierra and Luna Counties. and Nv
in San Miguel County. and the lesso
seems 10 have had the proper effec
for. while il has 30 far been Difficult
to obtain regular reports from dept
ties. what few notices of violations G
the law coming to this office fror
other sources. are from parties nc
considered responsible.
While it IL not to be expected tha
everything will be saved, still, wit
a few changes in the present Law
and a proper system of enforcing tn
same, | have no doubt but that tn
improvement in all conditions woul
be plainly noticeable
The slaughter of deer by the APT
che, Navajo and Pueblo Indian tribe
who make their raids from their re
ervations each fall land at othe
tines has done more than all otht
agencies oomhned to reduce the nun