The Calumet news., 1912-09-24
GAME AND FISH
OF MUCH VALUE
Game Warden Oates Says Pro-
lection is Not a Fad


has little. If any. idea of the value. IN
dollars and cents, of the game of the
state" State Game Warden oates re-
marked in discussing the activities of
his department with Marquette Min
ing Journal man. "The idea is held by
many persons, that the game Is a bur-
den To the state, and that from the
financial viewpoint Michigan would be
further ahead IL IL was entirely eX-
terminated. Nothing could be further
from the fact. The game is a great
resource. and one that should be con-
served as all other natural resources
should be conserved.
Another erroneous idea held in re-
gard to the operations of the state de-
partment for the protection of game
and the supervision of the fisheries is
the one that is a source of expense
to the state. Here again the popular
view is erroneous The department
is supported wholly from fees and
hunters licenses. Last year the de-
partmcnts income was $26,04O.50, as
against S2S,532.50 for the year previ-
Gus. The decrease was due TO the pass
age of y law prohibiting foreign hunt
ers shipping outside the state the
deer they killed. As a result of the
ed falling off i'm the number of licenses
issued to outside hunters. The re-
ceipts of the department from the sale
of licenses for commercial fishing
were, in addition, last year $9,91S, but
practically all of this was needed for
the expenses of the supervising the
commercial fishing, so that the eX-
pense of protecting the game animals
was deferred largely from the income
from the sale of deer hunting licenses.
Value Of Fish and Game.
"Now for the other side of the ques-
tion. Here are some estimates pre-
pared from the most accurate data the
department has been able to gather of
the Importance of the commercial fish
| ing industry; value of lands, boats and
nets used in commercial fishing. s2,-
| 100000 number of men employed,
5000, to which are paid salaries
amounting to S924,00 number miles
! gill nets used 1000; number of pounds
of fish taken i'm 1911, 34,000,0OO value,
! 81, ,O5S.660. The following estimate on
the value of our game may be interest
ing: Deer killed in 1911 l2,00O, the
value of which was $4,000; 10000
hunters of SMALL game killed small
game TO the value of 100000; value of
! fur bearing animals killed in 1911, ST.
| 275,0OO; value of non resident fisher
men and hunters TO Michigan, $1,000
| 600
1T is thus to be observed that the
value of the fish and game and fur
bearing animals annually utilized in
the state amounts to millions, and the
expense of protection and supervision
is less than $4,000, betrayed entirely
| from the sale of licenses and from fees
| levied against commercial fishermen
and hunters. This is the total amount
provided for the pay and expenses of
| twenty nine deputies who patrol 200
miles of lake coast, nearly 10000 inland
! lakes. and $4,000 miles of streams, be-
sides the natural haunts and territory
| freouented by game, millions of acres.
From July 1st 1911, to July first, 19l2'
the twelve months of my incumbency'
s13,257.OS in fines were collected and
turned over to the state; $l,642,5i from
the sale of confscated property; anu
fish and game to the value of A'2So
was seized and sent to charitable and
other public institutions of the state
A comparative statement OF arrests
and convictions of the twelve months
of the previous year with the last
twelve months reveals the following
, facts: