American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-02-24
breeding grounds

breeding grounds.
and ward off the human marauder, and herein lies the
closes nothing in the law providing for it's enforcement by
thewardens or for the feeding or maintenance Of wild life
in the refugees. Further the dedicated tracts are limited
to a section in extent which often defeats the beneficial
purpose intended, as a greater extent of territory is often
necessary and available. ~
We find that too many farmers are disposed to COM
oine their tracts in an offer covering a whole section,
water, merely because it offers an opportunity to post
their lands against hunters without expense to themselves
rather than from any disinterested desire to improve
game conditions. For this reason a rigid inspection of
the law, with a view to determining their suitability for
the purpose, and no dedication should be accepted except
for the highest fulfillment of the spirit of the law.
The law should be so amended as to allow the dedication
OF more than $40 acres in a tract where deemed advisable
by the wardens. In the northern portions of the state,
where the c~ontiguity of state owned tracts is uninterrupt-
ed by intervals Of privately owned land, the Public Do
main Commission is already finding means, through the
accomplishing of trades to unite their parcels into larger
and therefore more practical effectual refugees and
in giving the matter consideration and study, and in ar
ousing public sentiment. We also wish the Michigan Wild
Life Conservation Association might make this matter the
subject of discussion at the coming Saginaw meeting.
We cannot at this time present it in all it's phases, nor
have we space to explain the famous Pennsylvania laws
on the subject-which would be useless, perhaps, SO long
|%stitutional fetch of delegation of legal authority-but we
Ican call attention to certain conditions.
To begin with we have the game refuge law of 1913,
which allows the establishment of refugees on state lands
and the dedication of tracts for the same purpose by pri-
vate owners. The law is good, in that it has awakened the
people to the refuge idea. 1t is bad-or, better, only weak
lin that it is only a big bluff, albeit a fairly successful
bluff for a time until something stronger shall be provid-
led. It provides for the posting of boundaries of dedicated
tracts and also forbids the carrying of firearms within
these boundaries, or disturbance therein, even by the own
Ter himself, of protected wild life. This tends to impress
nearly all cultivated and having very little covering or
Lastly provision should be made for the detail of a
number of deputy wardens, that number to be determined
as the need appears after study of the case, for the pro-
lection of privately owned, dedicated tracts, and it should
be the business of such detail to visit every such tract
from time to time and see to the enforcement Of the law.
And like provision should be made for winter feeding, at
state expense, under the supervision of the deputies so de-
tailed. 1t may be begged that there are no deputies to
spare; but it is just such exegiencies as this that the sport
men of Michigan meant to provide for, when they sub
mitted themselves to the imposition of a gun tax of one
dollar to put 100000 additional into the hands of the de-
partment each year for the better protection and propa-
agtion of game.
More than this brief outline of the subject is impossible
here, but we want to get the idea across to our readers
and have them thinking and studying upon it so that they
may be able to put something practical up to the next leg
~islature. We would also like the Public Domain Commits
sion to discuss it with us and advance practical ideas gain
ed from experience and research.-The Michigan Sports
man.