Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1910-08-12
THE NEW STATE GAME
LAW IS A BIG SUCCESS.

warden. who recent ~ removed his
office from this city to the state
capital. was in the city last week
visiting a few days with his fam
lily. Mr.. Bancroft isvery much
pleased with the workings Of the
new game law but will asa the.
next legislature to change the
law on some minor points. The
state game warden seems favor
ably impressed with the idea Of
cutting out all spring shooting.
Reviewing at length the work
of the first year Of the depart
merit of game and fish Of South
Dakota, operating under the new.
game law passed by the legisla-S
ture Of 1909, and making several
suggestions to the legislature Of.
1911 for the remedying Of certain
defects. State Game Warden W..
F, Bancroft Of this city has pre-
pared his annual report and the
same will be transmitted to Gov
R. s. Vessey as soon as it is off
from the press. The report shows
that the new law is success and
is meeting the needs Of the state
admirably.
The creation Ct a splendid state
game fund is one of the most i'm.
portant things shown by the re-.
port. In money received from res
ident license fees Of 81 each, the
fund has grown far beyond the
expectations of all concerned
After paying all the operating
expnses of the game department,
including the salary of the state
warden, there still remains over
$4,000 in the fund. This with
the annual addition of fully as
much more, will soon create a
fund that will be of inestimable
value in preserving game, intro
ducing new species of game birds,
and in propagating game fish in
all the waters Of the state.
There were issueo during the
year 14.642 resident hunters Ii
censes. OF nonresident Licenses
there were issued 1873 for hunting
small game. IL for big game. 81
for fishing, and for trapping.
The fees received for these licen.
SEES alone were just about snffi-
cient to pay the expenses Of the
department, and in the future
especially if an open chicken sea.
son is provided. will doubtless
maintain the department while
the resident license fees will go
into the fund.
The state warden in his report
advises the governor that he is
planning two things of widespread
interest to the state in the invest
mentsof this fund. The first is
the establishment Of state fish
hatchery. and the second the in
PRODUCTION of Chinese ring neck
pheasants into the game fields.
The report says that the state
game warden believes that the
time is ripe for the building and
maintaining of such an institution
that the people of the state may
enjoy better fishing in tie numer-
GUS lakes and streams, and that
no better use of the state game
fund could be made. Further he
says that he has perfected plans
for purchasing about 100 pairs of
pheasants and placing them in
/! the hands Of farmers for propa-
cation. The report sites govern
ment experiments from which it
has been determined that the
pheasants do we'll in this section
| of the country.
Several changes in the law are
recommended to the consideration
of the legislature. Foremost
among them is in the appoint
ing power Of county wardens. The
naming Of the county wardens has
proven detrimental to the service
in many counties. The office is
often in incompetent and unwilling
hands. and the state game warden
lean do nothing in such situation.
| 1t is suggested that the appoin-
tive power be given to the state
game warden or that the Office be
made elective.
The report also says that a cod.
ification Of the game laws would
be valuable help. Wardens have
experienced difficulty in prosecu.
tiops because Of conflicts in the
law as they are on the books to
i day.
t It is recommended that all sein.
ling for fish be prohibited except
such as is done under special per.
4 nit from the state warden. /,
/ is also suggested that spring
shooting be made unlawful, and
4 that the trapping season be from
A December | to March ! and thai
shooting and spearing Of fur bear.
49,