The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-11-17
THE GAME LAW.

Kimbali Graphic: State Game
Warden Bancroft is out in his annual
statement of his office for the official
year. While on the whole the work.
ings Of the new law have been very
So in regard
TO the readiness with which the hunt
ers of the state have responded with
the license fee-the state game ward
en- can see where the law is defective
in certain parts and hopes that the
next legislature viii see the wisdom
of amending it somewhat that certain
provisions may be more easily en-
forced. One stumbling block he has
found is that which gives the county
commissioners the appointment OF
the county warden. Experience has
s4own that in many cases such APP
pointments have been worthless, and
the state warden has found difficulty
in removing such appointees and sub
stituting more capable men. As was
to have been expected, he found hui
man jackasses posing as justices OF
the peace who have fiagrantly disre-
garded both the law and the evidence
in cases taken before them.
During the two seasons that the
i new am law has been in effect a
sum approximating 100000 has been
piled up IN the state treasury, none OF
! which is available under the law for
any purpose except that OF the eX-
penses of the state warden's Office. 1t
was contemplated by the trainers OF
the law that the greater part of the
fifty per cent OF the licenses fees go
ing TO the state should be expended in
restocking the fields and streams o.
the state with'game and fish: the es-
Establishment of fish hatcheries and so
on, but, as stated, there is nothing in
tie law that permits the state ward
en- TO draw on the funds for this pur-
pose. Either the law should be
amended to permit this or the great
er part of the license money-say 20
per cent-go to the counties, to be
used by them in employing either bet
ter game wardens or more of them.
The prime intent of the law is to
protect the game and fish we now
have. and it would be the part of
| wisdom to first provide for their pro-
lection rather than to pile up a sur
prus to be used for propagating game
and fish that can but serve to add to
lUG llltSdl duO WouCOA w
struction now so prevalent all over the
state beause of the inemciency of the
limited number of game wardens.
The average sportsman will tell
you that for his little silver dollar he
has been handed a gold brick along
!! with his license tag; and If he is to
be annually feeced of a like sum he
wants some show for his white alley.
We are making the prediction right
here-tnat when the season opens on
prairie chickens a year from this fall
that these royal game birds Of the
prairie will be found less in numbers
than at any period prior to the three
years they were supposed to enjoy un-
molested freedom.
The state game warden should not
only have the right to appoint the
county game wardens, but as many
district or deputy state wardens as
the funds collected from licenses will
permit. There are certain localities
in the state both east and west of
the Missouri that require unusual
watchfulness. In the Black Hills
country are the trout streams and the
home of what big game the state has
left. In the eastern part Of the state
are HludHy tdhCS iOICu Luz LuCl uSA
andes as resorts for wild fowl. More
en- in such localities either lacks eff
fciency or shuts his eyes to the do
ings Of his neighbors for fear of hurt
ing somebody's feelings and the re-
suit is that the practical workings of
the new law SINNERS down to f1eec-
ing sportsmen for the financial 'bene-
fit of these sort Of sticks posing as
game wardens.
Take the case of Lake Andes in
Chas. Mix county, as an illustration,
a lake that has no equal that this
writer knows as black bass fishing
resort, and equally famous as the
stopping place each fall of countless
deep water ducks of the most highly
priced species.
There is not a particle Of evidence
in or about this lake that a game
warden has an existence in the county
or out of it. The game law is violat?
ed almost daily in the most open man
ner. There is an old saying that no.
body but a fool will hunt ducks with
a brass band, but they are eve do
ing worse at Lake Andes-hunting
them with motor boats. This writer,
while rowing down the lake one
morning long before daylight to a ia
vorite point for setting out decoys
met two motor boats sneaking along
the lake. throwing flash lights on the
water that the occupants might if pos
sible pot shoot the blue bills on their
roosting grounds-not only a dirty,
unsportsmanlike method. but in d.
rect violation of the law not only of
this state but everywhere where game
laws exist. There should tbe a law
prohibiting the operation Of motor
boats on all such lakes in the state
for any purpose between Oct. is and
may the latter day being the OPP