The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-15
SLAUGHTER OF GAME.

Birds and Animals Killed by Mercen-
 ary Hunterl and Trappers.
 The mercenary huiiter and trapper who has been responsible for the extinc tion of valuable animals and birds in older sections of the United States is
 now plying his trade in Indian Terri tory, in spite of the strict game laws in
 force. 4'as7-t The Indian agent has dicovered that quail trappers are making a systematic campaign against this class of birds by trapping them and sending them
 out of this Territory. While waiting for a train at Crowder City the other day Agent Shoenfelt noticed a commo-
 tion in several boxes and upon investi- gation found that they were filled with live quail, which were billed to An thony, Kan. He ordered them released
 and at least 5000 full grown birds flew
 away toward the neighboring fields
 Last year the agent discovered 5000 live quail at Pauls Valley, which were about to be shipped to New Zealand to a firm that is trying to establish these
 birds in that country. The professional quail trapper is
 probably the greatest enemy of the true sportsman of Indian Territory. He
 stretches large net in the tall grass and then drives the birds along the ground until they are within it's reach,
 when the ends are closed in upon them
 and they are prisoners in it's meshes.
 The, Indian policemen, through the . instructions of the Indian agent, have been releasing a large number of quail l this year which have been caught in
 this way, and wherever the trappers can be found they are being arrested. In order to make the Indian policemen l more vigilant, they are allowed to keen any game that they conf1scat which has
 been killed by hunters. When they con- fiscate live game it is always released. One of the great menaces toF3the game of Indian Territory is the pro- fessional trapper of full bearing anil
 malls, who travel over the country bly, ing his trade at different seasons in
 the sections of the country where he
 will get best results. In certain por-
 tions of the Blue River thousands of
 beavers build their dams. These anil
 mals are easily trapped, and the pro-
 fessiollal trapper of fur bearing ani-
 hundreds if allowed to work unhind- cred. The Indian police are instructed to keep close watch on these streams and to arrest all persons who attempt to trap or kill the beaver. x.
 Indian Territory also has many other fur-bearing animals which would make
 prizes for the trapper if he were al-
 lowed to hunt them unrestrained. ~. The Indian agent is having his usual with hunters of deer this season. It a
 man wishes to kill a deer or. two for his own use there is no objecton. But there are men in the Territory who at- tempt to make their livelihood by hunt ing deer and selling them to butchers
 in and out of the Territory. The great and increasing demand for venison in railroad eating houses and in butcher
 shops all over this section of the coun- try makes traffic in venison profitable. The Indian police are instructed to
 make the rounds at the butcher shops in each town in the Territory at regu. lar intervals and to confiscate any ven
 ison or quail they may find for sale in these places. This is done very ire.
 quently in most Territory towns, but seldom becomes known to the general
 public, as no arrests are made and the
 butcher from whom the meat is taken
 keeps his own counsel.--Muskoqee cor
 respondence Kansas City Journal.-