The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-11-11
WARDEN REPORTS
SOME EXTRACTS FROM REPORT
or GAME WoRDEN THAT
WILL INTEREST
FRIENDS OF FISHAND GAME
Cites Neighbor State of Minnesota as
Being Worthy of Copying in
Ideal Laws FOR Game
and Fish

P~ierre-State Game Warden w. r.
Bancroft, has just issued his annual
report for the year ending June 80,
1910, which is comprehensive and
touches upon all meters pertaining
to his department, and will interest
all true sports and those interested In
the protection and propagation of
game.
The report says in part:
"The last legislature, in recognizing
this fact by passing practically a new
game and fish law and creating the
office of state game warden-in fact,
q department OF game and fish, only
rightly followed in the footsteps :.
other progressive states that have ear
lier recognized the necessity 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 to amend
the present Law still better 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 well enforced.
while In others the destruction OF
game and fish has gone on nearly as
great as in former years. with but
few exceptions due to inefficient
ty game and fish wardens being
recommended for appointment by the
different boards of county commission
ers, but they are fast being "weeded"
out by the state game warden.
zone thing certain, South Dakota
must follow in the footsteps of Min
nesota-one of the most progressive
states in the west when 1t m TO
protecting game birds and animals
and that is to prohibit the spring
shooting of migrating waterfowl.
"The recommendations made in this
report for needed amendments to the
present laws are made solely to Inn
prove the laws and TO make the laws
more effective for the better enforce
ment and still greater propagation of
our game-both large and small-and
fish as well. The present game and
fish laws now on our statute books
should all be codifed into one general
law, as there are at present many
conflicting as well as inconsistent sec
lions. Solely on this account are many
OF the provisions almost impo ssib'e ID
make hold good in the courts, and as
a consequence county game warcens
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 believes there should
have been. Only seyenty-ive T51
arrests and twenty-seven GID SELF
ures were made. In many instances
there has been a gross disregard OF
evidence submitted to justices OF the
peace, while In other cases the states
attorneys have been lax in their pros
ecution. In a few cases the fault has
been with the county game warden In
not securing sufficient evidence upon
which to make a good case.
"However, I look for a much better
| enforcement OF the law during the
! coming year, as many county game
| wardens were before new at the bust
ness but are now better posted and
more experienced In dealing with
game and fish violators. The state
game warden expects to personally
cover a much larger territory this sea-
SON than ever before, using an auto for
this purpose. In this connection !
would urge an amendment to the pres
emit law establishing an office deputy,
in order that the Office work may be
properly looked after during the abb
senee of the state game wa 'den on
field work"
OF the seventy-ive arrests inside,
fines were paid in sixty-fve, and two
were dismissed, the other being found,
not guilty.
The number OF hunting licenses was
as follows:
Resident hunting licenses, rs 169,
bringing in SIG, 1853. Nonresident IL
censes for small game. 1873. in cash,
s2.745; non resident. big game, IL, in
cash, $500. Nonresident fishing IL
censes, 81: in cash, $61. Nonresident
trapping licenses, /; in cash. $1,000.
The largest number of hunting IL
censes was issued in Day county, l.
256. the smallest in Gregory county, 5.