Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-01-11
FISH AND GAME.
Suggestions by Commissioners Brack-
EFT In Annual Report.

Suggestions by Commissioners BfAck-
EFT In Annual Report.
A recommendation of reduction Of
Q6,S0045 year for the next two years,
from the appropriation Of the department
in 1903 and 1910 10 the feature Of the an
nual report OF the commissioners Of in
land fish and game. The amount asked 10
$4,000 per year. This year the depart
ment had for its use s91 ,sS0.45 Of which
amount a., 500 was . direct tax.
Chairman Bracket Of the commission in
discussing this Recommendation says that
the estimate is the result Of careful inves-
tigation on the part Of the members OF the
commission. They have endeavored to
handle the affairs OF the department in the
same manner that they would
their own private business. They have be-
come convinced that they can get along
with less money, 80 are not asking for SO
much.
Carefully prepared articles on the arti-
fetal propagation of fish and the history
OF the introduction of the Hungarian
partridge into the State, together with the
various opinions Of the attorney general
on questions of law coming before the
members of the commission, make very
interesting features of the report, which
will be illustrated with appropriate
photographs.
Cases Of men killed by being mistaken
for game while hunting are handled with
out gloves. The report says that some
thing should be done to prevent such
accidents. The report then suggests that
law be enacted which will require every
person who shoots another, while hunting,
to pay heavy fine to 60 toward the sup
port Of the family of the victim. The re-
port then takes the coroner's juries in
hand and declares that in cases of this
kind, they are distinct hindrance to the
county attorney investigating these cases.
"The juries," says the report, sare
usually made up from the neighbors, and
it is not in the nature of things for the
verdicts to be other than what they al
ways have been in this State, virtually an
expression Of sympathy and friendship
for man who has carelessly shot an
other"
It is the opinion Of the commission, as
expressed IN the report, that these cases
| should be taken directly before the grand
jury, without any coroner's inquest.
This, they conclude, will have deter
ring effect upon the man who shoots at
every moving twig in the hope that it is q
deer or q moose.
| doubtless increasing in number, the
| strength of the animal is on the wane, and
that the condition can only be changed
| by close time. 1t also urges a reduction
| Of the number of birds which hunters
shall be allowed to kill.
The report contains the following
recommendations for legislation at the
coming session OF the Legislature:
The law providing that the commission
ers shall remove beaver that are doing
damage to timber land, on complaint of
the land owner, should be revised to
allow the commissioners to declare an
open time on such townships as are being
damaged. The trapping should then be
open to all licensed trappers for the time
specified.
That nonresident hunting licenses and
all special tags be sold through the town
clerks Of the State, and such others as
the commissioners direct, and that the
licenses and tags be furnished by the
secretary OF state direct to the agents !;
that agents be paid 10 cents each for the
sale of bird licenses, rs cents each for
the sale OF big game licenses, and 10 per
cent. for the sale Of transportation tags.
This should make a saving of about $500
. year to the State.
That the legislature make an appropri-
alton of $500 to encourage the propagation
of.the Hungarian partridge.
1t is set forth in the report that at the
time Of the filing of the document, re-
turns showed that 556 licenses were issued
to nonresident hunters prior to Oct. 1,
and 2,105 after that date; also that 100
hunters who held IS licenses exchanged
them for big game licenses, paying the ad-
ditional 80.
During the year, licenses were issued to
2,1O0 guides; 127 camp proprietors; 424
hunters and trappers; forty-th three market
men; twenty-three market dealers in
hides and fur skins; eighty-two county
| ucoioHo III INC oauue, tAlIteeH NONRESIDENT
and unnaturalized persons to buy and sell
hides and fur bearing skins; twenty taxi
dermists, anu four commissions to take
nests and eggs for scientific purposes.
The camp proprietors report that they
entertained 5,277 resident guests and TO-.
6S6 nonresident guests during the sea.
son. OF these 1921 were hunters. Ii
these camps there were used 274 deer, six.
ty-tive Of them being purchased.
An interesting paragraph in the docu.
ment shows the number OF fur bearins
animals which have been taken in tn.
State during the past year. This para.
graph follows: Sable, 1856; fisher, 1872
mink, 1881: foxes, 947; weasels, s44
otter, SO; raccoons, 1853; skunks, 3i2; bear
257; lynx or wildcat, rs; ermine, 1875
muskrats, 5,291; beaver, 1893.