The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-11-10
WARDEN REPORTS
SOME EXTRACTS FROM REPORT
OF GAME WOROEN THAT
WILL INTEREST
FRIENDSO of ISHAND GAME
Cites Neighbor State of Minnesota as
Being Worthy of Copying in
Ideal Laws FOR Game
and Fish

Pierre-State Game Warden w. F.
Bancroft, has just issued his annual
report for the year ending June 80,
1910. which is tOmpTele sive and
touches upon all met ers parta,ni 6
to his department, and will in ere t
all true sports and those int estel in
game.
The report says in part:
The last leg stature. in recognizing
this fact by passing pract callv n new
game and fish law and c eating the
Office Of state game warden-,n ia t,
a department of game and fish, Only
rightly followed in the footsteps OF
other prog essive states that Lave ear
Iier recognized the recess ty of bet
ter laws for the protection and propa-
cation of, our game and fish.
The results OF the first years
workings of our game and fish laws
have proven satisfactory on the whole
but with needed legislation II amend
the present law still Letter results
may be obtained. The enforcement
of the existing laws has been as good
as could be expected. In some coUn-
ties the law has been wei enforced,
while in others the destruction or
game and fish has gone on nearly as
great as in former yea S, with but
few exceptions due to inefficient coun-
ty game and fish wardens be ng
recommended for apo ntment by the
different boards of county commission
ers, but they are fast being "weeSed'
out by the state game warden.
Zone thing certain, South DaNota
must follow in the footsteps Of M n
nesOta-one of the most progress I've
states in the west when it N 10
proter ting game birds and ANNA S
and that is to prohibit the spring
shooting of migrating wa erfOwl.
The recommendations made in this
report for needed amendments to the
present laws are made solely to I'M
prove the laws and to mate the laws
more effective for the letter emf re
ment and still greater p"opaga ion OF
our game-both large and swaziland
fish as well. The present game I'D
fish laws now on our statute BOOKS
should all be cOdifed into n general
law. as there a~e at IRE ent many
conflicting as well as inconsistent Sc -
lions. Solely on this account are manV
of the prOvis' Ons almost impO sib e t
male hold good in TIE courts, and a
a consequence county game Ta.dens
find it almost impossible to do good
work along certain lines.
For the first years WORKINGS Of the
new game and fish law there have not
been as many arrests as your state
game warden bel ewes there should
have been. Only sevent five 90
arrests and t~wenty-seven (2D s2lz-
ures we're made. In many inetan es
there has been a gross disregard OF
evidence submitted to justices OF the
peace, while in other cases the sta 'e's
attorneys have been lax in their pros
e~cution. In a few cases the fault has
been with the county game warden IN
not securing sufficient eViden'e upon
which to make a good case.
"However. lock for a much better
enforcement OF the law during the
coming wear. as many county game
wardens were before new at tie bust
ness but are now better posted and
more experienced in dealing with
game and fish viO'at0rs The st &c
game warden expects to personally
cover a much IdlStl VI WY NN'@ -
son than ever before. using an auto III
this purpose. In this come ton
would urge an amendment to the pes
ent law establishing an office deputy
in order that the office work Iaa be
properly looked after during the al
sence of the state game warden o.
field work"
OF the seventy-fve arrests m7de
fines were paid in sixty-ive, and two
were dismissed, the other being tounc
not guilty.
The number OF hunting licenses was
as follows: ,o
Resident hunting licenses. 20 l9
bringing in s26, 1853, Nonresident IL
censes for small game. 1873, in ca h
s2.745; nonresident, Zig game, Il, y
cash. $500. Nonresident fishing Ii
censes. 81: in cash, SCI. Nome .iden
trapping licenses, l; in cash, Slooo
The largest number Of bunting II
censes was issued in Day county, /.
256: the smallest in Gregory county, >