The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-11
Del Travis, Game Warden, Not
Discouraged.
WIN Stop SEEMING Despite Law
renee Judge.
NEWS FOR HUNTERS.
Pheasants Have Proven a Fail
ure in Kansas.
Would Have Rabbit Killers
Charged q License.

renee court released fish seiners on the
ground that the Kansas game law Is
unconstitutional
THE new game law has been in OPP
Grafton just a year. said Mr. Travis,
s'and as nearly as I can estimate we
have collected $4,000 in fees for hunting
acensea. The returns are coming in
! slowly because some Of the county
clerks ane inclined to shirk the work.
/ They get no extra pay for it
am In favor of some amendments /
70 the game law at the coming session
O. the legislature. Among other changes.
+ < want 70 provide that county clerks
may keep 10 cents as a fee for each
hcense issued. think 10 cents IS enough
OF fee to pay for all the extra work
required.
Another change which I favor in the
4ew Ga a provision that every man going
out INTO the field to hunt with a gun
shall be required TO have q license. At
the present time. licenses are not re-
( CURED OF those who hunt rabbits or
game not protected by the game law.
But We hnd IN actual experience that
2 man out in the field with a gun viii
shoot at anything that comes along.
and take the risk OF being found out
We have Issued only 20 OF the SIS
licenses Tor hunters from outside the
state and am glad Of It. We haven't
any TOO much game in the state as IL is
ano We don't need TO have any help IN
killing it,
Fheasants a Failure.
Indications are that the efforts to
propagate the ring-neck pFeasants in
Kansas are destined to fail. Under the
direction Of Mr.. Travis several thousand
dollars have been spent IN the purchase
Of pheasants from hatcheries in Oregon
and other coast states. The expectation
that the pheasants would take kindly to
Kansas climate and conditions have net
been very fully realized. The birds have
raN has -Iq4e u
to raise them than had been anticipated
We still have some pheasants left .
said Mr.. Travis, but they do not seem
to thrive very well. don't know wheth-
er it Is because Of the climate. or oe-
cause we don't know how to take care
Of them"
Fish Car Nearing Completion.
The state fish car, which is one of the
things to be bought with the sz2.O 900 col
lected from the hunters. IS being built IN
WI cost $1,000 It Will be equipped with
tanks for carrying FISH. and viii be Kept
az Fra1t on the sioetrack when not in
7 don't know what the railroads win
DO about hauling our state car free OF
charge said Mr.. Travis especially
aEter the antipass law goes into effect
Up to this time the railroad have been
very kind about Transporting cars OF
FISH free Of charge. and have favored me
with free transportation wherever 7
needed to go. IF the legislature masses
the antipass law, I expect it will cost
about $4,000 for my railroad fsre next
year.
t'Of course it is of advantage to the
railroads to have the streams ven
stocked with fish. because IT makes az
dnoucement for people to travel about
on nsnlng expeditions. We now have
good facilities for handling the business
and viii distribute lot of fish this fan
40 not think It VIII be advisable to put
license on the fishermen just vet
There are too many women and children
VINO Ike to go out and fish for while''
Sixth District Fish Ponds.
Sixth district fish ponds are causine
Mr. Travis more trouble than all the
rivers ana creeks of the state The
people Of the Sixth district are clamor-
ing for free hsh with which to stock
their ponds.
1T Is my plan said Game Warden
Travis today while In Topeka, ito put
some black bass into every good fish
stream in the state this fall. We viii
nave our new $1,000 fish car ready for
business within few weeks, and then
shortly after the distribution of fish
viii commence.
Il could take care Of the streams
all right but it is the ponds which
worry me and especially fhe Sfxth dis
trict ponds The Sixth district hasn't
very many goods streams for fish but
It has scores, hundreds and I guess
thousands OF artificial ponds. These
ponds are. some Of them, of consid-
cradle size, and have plenty Of water
the year around. And the owners of
the ponds want them stocked with
black bass. They don't ask for few
bass, but they want lot of them. and
they want them quick. OF course
these people are, under the law, entf-
tied to free fish. It is simply a aues-
ten Of when we can get around to
them all
II think there should be some pro-
vision Of law by which the owners of
private ponds should have to nav
something for the fish. enough to pay
the cost Of placing them in the ponds
at least. The state can afford to stock
the public streams but it should hard
~ be required to stock all the artificial
ponds besides. Usually these ponds
are reserved for the exclusive use of
the owner
II don't have any idea how many
FISH we viii have for distribution this
year We have six breeding ponds at
Pratt. where the bass are Matching but
we don't know how many we will have
until we drain the ponds in the fall
Law VIII Be Held Good.
Asked what effect the decision Of
the Lawrence court in the seining cases
weuld have. Mr.. Travis said.
1.-THE decision Of the Lawrence court
that the state game and fish law is un-
constitutional Is Of course of very lit
tie consequence The law IS all right
and We viii continue to prosecute those
people who persist in violating the
law. There are a number Of profess
sionaI fishermen down there who catch
fish for market. and Lawrence has
never made any effort to compel them
TO obey the law. We are going 20
stop their seintng. The law ought to
prohibit absolutely the sale of bass in
the markets. The state should not
be expected to stock the streams for
r1f q
state is trying TO do is to give people
cnanca 70 get out on our own kan