Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-03-23

A copy of the new fish and game
laws proposed by the Conservation
Commission and embodied in Assem-
bly, bill No. Alb, has been received
by the News-Budget this week. Re-
strictions on both hunting and fish
ing have been drawn considerably
tighter than they have ever been in
the past. Under the provisions OF
this bill, it would be unlawful to
kill bear, skunks, squirrels or rab-
bits except during a short open sea-
son, for bear the same as for deer,
and for the other animals named
from Oct Is to JAM l. Many new
restrictions have also been placed
on fishing The bag limit for trout,
according to this bill, would be
twenty-five each day of a minimum
length of Z inches. Three muskel-
lunge would be the limit for one
day, minimum length being "A inches.
Another provision of this remark
able bill prohibits even residents of
the state from fishing for trout ex-
cept they have taken out a license,
the fee for which is one dollar.
NOn-residents are to be charged 81
for fishing licenses. The man who
isn't a professional trout angler and
who happens to find himself on a
trout stream once probably during
the summer will be prohibited from
trying to catch the speckled beau
ties because he hasn't a license. The
penalty for fishing trout without IL
cense is a fine or not less than
5000, nor more than $500, Or by i'm
prisonment in the county Jail not
less than nine months or more than
one year, Or by both such fine and
Imprisonment. SO, if this bill be
comes law, and you happen to
take your family out with you for
an outing in the woods some fine
day next summer, don't permit your
wife to borrow your trout rod and
line and do little fishing for her
own enjoyment, for, as she probably
has not provided herself with Ii
cense, in the event of apprehension
while committing this crime. she
will be lucky to escape with a fine
Of only 5000. That would be the
minimum. She might get nine
months in jail if you were unable to
pay her fine
If We read the bill correctly the
farmer who discovers a skunk raw
aging his chicken-house will have to
wait until the "open" season and
then take out license before he
kills the odoriferous marauder. And,
it wouldn't be easy to burn all the
evidence if you killed one contrary
to the peace and dignity of the state
of Wisconsin,
Killing rabbit Or a squirrel
without license is likely to cost
you from 5000 to $500, or nine
months to year in Jail.
We believe the bill as drawn is
vicious and should not pass. The
resident of the state should not be
required to take out a license if he
wants to do little fishing, for trout
Or any other kind of fish.
Violations of the existing game
laws are now far less frequent than
they were formerly and the conser-
walton men evidently fear that I'M
less greater. restrictions are placed
upon the people of the state the
revenue from fines and the number
of convictions will drop off to such
an extent that some of the wardens
will necessarily lose their jobs. In
creaslng the fines for repeated of
lenses and for such fragrant offenses
as dynamiting fish would meet with
general approval, but the passage of
any such law as Assembly bill No.
Alb is uncalled for 1t savors too
much Of Russia.
We will have to have passports
next to go into the woods and be
liable to hanging if caught walking
on a railroad track.