The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1909-02-13


Plain Talk from the HIM
The deer are on the verge of xtinc-
tion IN Colorado. Nothing hat .
closed season can save and ps1p 1posate
the pitifuliy few left--the atttsrsd
remnant Of once great bands.
This deplossble exterminatS1n Il .
direct result Of one Of the mcetamss-
inS. ridicuspus lawaever recosaed in
the history of the state-the illegal
issd alauehtsr" bill passsd BY the
last assem6iy, which put it, august
stamp of approval on the shameful
killing Of the does and fawne The
last session of the legislaturs. Instead
d trying 70 save the deer. en4eted .
lav 70 sell them Of at so mach per
hsaA-bucks, does and fawns. What
will this sesston dor Put : bounty
on these animAlsl
4 -.
|. Last fall witnessed such aM unre-
stricted (bscauss lawful killing Of
deer, such > wanton slAnghfr, that
old-time hunters protested At the
ginttony of 1t. Thousands e 2unters
thronged the hills; there sSsned >
hunter to every deer. From 1orning
till night the sound Of rifls Eng re-
sembled an army in batt1 The
slaughter was An outrage, othing
less.
It is , conservative estiWate to
claim that two-thirds Of theExleer In
the state were killed. One mere . lch
open season-nsxt fall-ms&ns the
practical determination Of the deer,
especially in the famous White River
country. Il
It is now proposed, by . sports
mems bill brought before the legisla-
tnre, to shorten the season to ten
days and to allow but one deer, =
buck, to each hunter. All very we'll
-as far ~ 1t goes. But remember
that while the state can limit the
number Of deer to . hunter, Il cannot
linit the number Of hunters. To say
that one citizen can hunt and that
another cannot IL neither Just nor le-
gal Consequently, II this bill, or >
similar clause, 10 passed therewill
be as many hunters - evsf, which
will mean, 1t this stage Of the game,
several hunters to every buck. It
doesn't require college professor to
cAlculate that the inevitable and log
ical effects Of such . measure will re-
suit In the bucks all being killed of
|ta = stnsls asases,. !. : yh6see- are
10 few deer left 20 permit the killing
Of any for years, that II, II the state
desires to save them.
=.
Between the sportsmen, Bettlers
and Indians, the wild animals and
eagles, and the constant shortening
and closing in range, the deer have a
hard time to exist The fact that
climatic conditions force these ami
mails to and from widely separated
portions Of the state but makes the
problem Of their preservation the
harder to solve. =. Viewing these
indisputable conditions It becomes
q grave question as to whether, even
with the best protection, the deer
can be perpetuated very long.
CiviliEation's advance is in
exorable' and the wilderness
and all therein must give way
before 1t, slowly but none the less
surely.
However, let us try to save the
deer ~ long - possible. This can
only be accomplished in one way.
Close the season for five years and
put bounties on the more destructive
of the wild animals and on eagles.
Then see that the whites, irrespective
of class, and the Indians obey the
law. This would be just to all and
there could be no cause for complaint.
Unless this ia done the deer are
DOOMED.
-.
It is too late for halfway measures.
What is the use in paying heavy
taxes to keep up game law which
fails Of its purpose-which is, In
brief, , mockery and q farce. Either
close the season and protect the deer
80 that they can increase, or else
throw the season wide open the year
around and let the hunters finish the
slaughter Of these graceful animals.
And then the Great Squabble would
be ended forever and forever.
GUY STEALEY.