The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-02-01
BROWN BEAR is
BECOMING A PEST
Alaskan Governor Would Repeal
Law Protecting the Beast
ARCTIC GAME INCREASING.
Deer Falling of Owing to Heavy
Snowfall of the Last Two Winters.
Tells of Many White Men and In
dams Killed or Crippled by Bears.

Snowfall of the Last Two Winters.
Tells of Many White Men and In
! dams Killed or Crippled by Bears.
In his annual report to Washington
on the game law Governor Clark Of
Alaska makes a special plea for the
repeal of the law protecting the brown
bear. The governor says:
THE least that can be said Of the le-
gal protection of the brown bear in
Alaska is that it is an absurdity. II
this protection is continued the menace
TO human life will be still more seri-
GUS. and agriculture and stock raising
In some of the more favored portions
of the territory will be discouraged.
THE superintendent of the govern
ment's experiment station stock farm
on Kadiak island makes a strong APP
peal for the protection of settlers and
live stock from the brown bear, decIar-
ing that it has become a question
whether we shall have a game pre-
serve or great agricultural and stock
raising region on Kadiak island. The
existence of this feature of the law,
which has nothing whatever to com
mend 1t. is so strongly opposed by the
residents of the Kenai and Alaska pen
insulas that the enforcement of the
just provisions of the law is rendered
more difficult"
Manned by Bears.
Thomas ". Hammond, United States
commissioner at Hanna. in a letter
now on file in the governors office
says that he personally knows of more
than 100 white men and Indians who
have been killed or crippled in encoun-
tiers with brown bears in the brush or
grass. 81 doubt very much" he says,
IF there is single village in Cook in
let that does not have among its in
habitants one or more men who have
been MANNED by bears. She bears at
tack both men and beasts when their
cubs are young"
In his report the governor saws:
Game is still plentiful in almost all
parts Of Alaska. This statement ap-
plies to both animals and birds. The
of opinion among the ward
ems, licensed guides and residents gen.
orally seems to be that moose are in |
creasing in the Renal peninsula, a 1
TACT of significance when it is consid- |
cred that this peninsula is the region |
selected by nearly all the nonresident |
hunters as their hunting ground. |
Caribou are increasing. it is believed.
n the Alaska peninsula and in one or
.wo of the larger islands west of the
peninsula
Deer Falling of.
ION the other hand. there has been
IN enormous falling of in the number
# deer in southeastern Alaska, fact
which is due principally to the abnor-
nally heavy snowfall of the last two
winters. The prohibition of the mar
,et selling of venisOn in 1911 has
Droved to he q wise measure and is
by local public opinion. The
should be extended by reg
latiOn to include 1912.
There has been no large general de-
rease in the supply of game birds
here has been an increase in many
ocalities and a decrease in several
laces where forest and brush fires
ave swept over the country, killing
Dung ptarnigan and grouse"
Eight or ten convictions were Sc
ured during the year of persons guilty
violating the law.