The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-09-15
WILD GAME IS ON
WAY T0EKT|NCT|ON
State Laws In the West Fail to Pro-
tect, Chiefly Because Juries
Will Not Convict.

DENVER. Sept. 1.-THE rapid dis
appearance OF wild game In the far
west is causing the government con-
siderable concern. The biological sur
vey recently made an exhaustive re-
port on big game conditions. and
while they were found good IN some
states, the reports from other haunts
OF big game were not so optimistic.
AS matter OF fact, between the
game hogs the ranchers who insist
on having wild meat out OF season.
and marauding Indians from various
reservations. wild game In the west 10
on the road 20 extinction. Most OF
the states have ineficient laws, which
vary greatly, and even these laws are
enforced only spasmodically, II 10 al
most impossible TO secure the convic-
ton Of a rancher who kill wild game
out OF season: turies in the sparsely
settled mountain communities VIII
never convict, and IN consequence
state officers have become discouraged
and rarely prosecute.
The tourist who happens 20 kill
grouse out Of season, or whose igno-
rance OF local game laws leads him
into such blunder, is made the goat. :
The chap who happens to have an
understood trout In his creel 70 fined
heavily, while the local resident, who
may be making a practice OF killing
mountain sheep. upon which there Is
ne-epen- season in most western
states, is allowed to carry on his work
unmolested because no conviction can
be secured In q local court.
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and
Utah suffer from the depredations OF
Indians, who care nothing for the
white mans game laws. The Indians
kill right and left. andS on their deer
hunting expeditions, they kill does
and fawns as we'll as bucks. There
IL another influence at work. against
which the most stringent laws tn the
world would be unayailing-the rapid
settlement OF the open range.
Antelope Disappearing.
Antelope, especially, have suffered
from the encroachments Of the set
tier. Colorado has had no open sea-
son on antelope for several years, but
these animals are steadily disappear
ing. The plains country east OF the
Rocky mountains has been put under
fence until little of the range has been
left for the antelope. AS result.
Colorado has had to feed the few re-
naming bands OF these beautiful crea-
lures nearly every winter. The best
of the range has been taken up by
settlers. The antelope, unable to find
sufficient natural feed. are driven by
hunger to the very farm yards OF the
ranchers. The ranchers do not have
more than enough TO feed their stock,
and are compelled TO call upon the
state for protection. az the antelope
play havoc with haystacks. II will be
only a short time before there will
be no more antelope on the high
plains, where they once roamed by
thousands.
Fish are little better protected than
other forms of game. The fish laws OF
the western states AFFORD little real
protection. II IL the same old story
of dificulty In securing a conviction
In local courts. Dynamiters and SEM
ers are seldom caught and never con-
victed. wyoming. which has the I'm
est trout streams IN the west. except.
perhaps, the Gunnison in Colorado,
has no closed season on trout. Fisher
men report big catches in spawning
time, when the fish should be left
undisturbed. II there are any laws re-
garding the screening OF irrigation
bitches they are never enforced, and
one hears OF 10 and 12-pound trout
being caught by farmers boys in irri-
CATION bitches.
II somebody is to be entertained the
citizens OF an enterprising town in the
haunts Of the big trout will give a
fish fry" For a day or two every
body in town will turn out and the
streams will be whipped to a foam.
The laws regulating the size Of the