The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1911-08-31
GAME AND FISH LAW.
Officers Make Statement in Regard to
Its Provision.

oASCAo NA0hS osoS~ssa~Sss sss AS~o>~~N w
Its Provision.
To the Public: the last leg
islature was in session last spring the
report gained wide circulation
throughout this part Of the state, that
a law had been passed amending the
present Fish and Game law so that it
would be lawful to hunt without a IL
cense and to catch fish with seine
and net. So general was this report,
circulated by newspaper articles as
we'll as by current rumor, that many
of the citizens of all classes, in per-
feet good faith, and without any de-
sire to violate the law, not only went
hunting without any license, but pur-
chased nets and used them in the
various streams of water.
Now as soon as the acts of the re-
cent legislature were printed and dis
tributed, which was not until late in
July in Bates county and the law
could be examined, it was found that
no change had been made in the law
as to the requirement concerning IL
cense to hunt, Second, it was found
that the only change made in the law
as to use of nets in catching fish was
to make it lawful for any person to
fish on his own premises or the prem
Uses of another with consent, in any
unnavigable river or stream, with
common two-inch mesh seine. 1t
will be seen from this that the only
privilege granted by the new law not
granted by the old law is the right to
fish with common two-inch mesh
seine. A seine of any smaller mesh
cannot be used without violating the
law nor can trammel net, or any
other kind of net or trap be used for
: any purpose, lawfully except as point
ed out in the old law as it stood prior
to the last legislature.
It is unfortunate that so many citi-
zens, acting on the erroneous reports
above mentioned should have invest
ed money in seines of less mesh than
two inches and in other nets not rec
ognized as lawful. 1t will be noted
also that even a common two-inch
, mesh seine can only be used during
the months of July, August and Sep
, TENDER of each year.
Now, while as above stated there
f have doubtless been unlawful seines
) and nets used in the waters of Bates
r county, there have been no prosecu-
e tons and in fact no complaints have
been made to my office, for the rea;
t son that the Deputy Game Warden,
Mr.. John Harper, and myself as
Prosecuting Attorney, have deemed
it unfair to proceed against parties
who had been deceived by the re-
!. ports above mentioned and in good
, faith acted on such reports, until
some steps could be taken to correct
the erroneous impression created by
) the above reports. The object of this
s statement to the public, Joined in as
/. will be seen, by the said Fish and
y Game Warden is to call the attention
j., to the citizens generally to the fact
4 that it is unlawful to use net OF any
!. kind or any seine of a less mesh than
two inches. There was some confu-
sion as to what was meant by "a
common two-inch seine," and to get
the construction placed thereon, by
the State Fish and Game Warden,
,. Mr.. Jesse Tollerton, Mr.. Harper
wrote him and his reply to such letter
1t is found in connection herewith, by
which it will be seen that he con-
'e strues the law to mean a seine having
meshes two inches square, and MOI
r. as contended two inches one way anC
a less dimension the other.
In conclusion let me suggest tina
~ you do not:
N 1st. Fish with sein less than two
IS inches square in the mesh.
Is I'd. That you do not use any othel
s. kind of net or trap of any kind or di
" mansions except as permitted under
at law as it was prior to 1911.
Sd. That you do not hunt withou
o first having license, except whe'
o. on your own or rented premises.
le It will be deemed favor by Mr.
De Harper as we'll as by this office if thi
II statement and the others hereto at
in tached are published by the variou
lie newspapers of the county, and l be
IT. lieve the public generally will appre
n. ciate such action on the part Of sue
It, papers. And after such publicatio