The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-28
MICHIGAN
Bill ATTACKS
CUTTERS OF PINE
UPPER PENINSULA MEN ARE IN
RESENTFUL MOOD.
Measure Presented at Lansing Calls for
the Appointment Of Outside Deputies
to Enforce the Game Laws Against
Lumbermen Who Are Represented as
LaWbreakers.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The journal.
Negaunee, Mich, Feb. 28.-A bill introduced
in the state legislature at the instigation Ct
the Berrien County Hunting and Shooting clut
Is provoking much comment in the upper PENN
sula. 1t is openly aimed at the lumbermeIl
in this region and assumes that they are gen
eral and consistent violators of the game law,
either in killing deer to feed the men in their
camps in allowing deer killed by others te
be consumed for this purpose. The measure
calls for the appointment of six deputy game
wardens who shall be nom presidents OF Mlcnlgan
and whose particular duty shall be to keep an
eye on affairs in the logging districts, non
resident deputies being proposed because 1t IS
felt that such deputies would be more Jealous
law, not being subject to local influences NJ
local friendships.
This charge against the lumbermen is no new
one. 1t has been aired many times before, ano
does the logging interests generally an 1njus
tice. 1t may be true that there are few lum
bermen who endeavor to cut down expenses n!
killing deer but it is not so with the great
majority. Lumbermen in general find that It
requires all their time to direct their logging
operations. They have no time for hunting, and
it is extremely questionable whether 1t would
prove profitable. 1t is undoubtedly true that
deer is occasionally killed by some employee, but
it will be found that this was not done at the
bidding of the owner Of the camp. Besides this.
deer are not plentiful that they can lie
slaughtered in numbers. The lumbermen are
law-abiding citizens.
There will likely be much unfavorable criti'
cism in the upper peninsula of the plan to
turn into this region nonresident game wardens.
Any attempt to enforce the proposed schemc
would in all probability arouse deep resentment.
As far as the alleged slaughter of deer Is
concerned, the snow and weather conditions are
doing more to kill off the animals than are
poachers, to say nothing of the ravages OF the
wolves. Only yesterday Deputy Game Warden
Kellan Of Marquette county came upon the car,
cass of a large doe that had evidently died
from starvation and he declares that he saw
several more deer in famished condition. Feed
ing grounds are very scarce at this time, and
persons who have observed the habits OF the
deer say that the customary "herding' Is not
now practced by the animals.
A roar of dissent from the proposal to III.
crease the fee for deer licenses for reside 1t
hunters from IS cents to IS, as provided in a
bill introduced in the legislature by Represen-
tative Kelly of Berrien county, has gone up In
the upper peninsula. The plan is held to be
futile and va1ue1ess. 1t is apparently designed
to benefit lower Michigan sportsmen. IS
license fee added to the expense of the trip to
northern Michigan woods would amount to little
or nothing for the people who feel they can
afford the journey. In the upper peninsula, tho,
it would be very burdensome and would doubt
less lead to general refusal to observe the
license law, at which the game wardens would
be compelled by public sympathy to wink.