The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-04-04
BEAVER POACHERs
WARDENS NEEDED.
TEN MEN NOW EMPLOYED
FORTY NEEDED THIS
SPRING.

With a fortune in beaver fur at
stake, the Minnesota game and hsn
department is confronted by the
problem of patroling the vast Wild
erness region between the north
shore of Lake Superior and the
Canadian boundary in northeastern
Minnesota this spring with an in
ADEQUATE force of game wardens,
said Commissioner Gould to the daily
press on his return from the For
est.
He recently completed a snow
shoe trip of more than ITO miles IN
the Superior National forest and
state game refuge, and returned to
his office in st. Paul with better
understanding of the difficulties un-
der which the law is enforced in that
section of the state and a clearer
perception of the course that should
be pursued to halt the outlaw traffic
in beaver fur which has been rob-
bing the state of its resources.
Under the laws of this state
beaver are protected at all times,
except that the commissioner, under
certain circumstances, is authorized
to issue special permits for the TAX
ing of a specified number of these
animals in a given territory. No
such permits have been issued by
the commissioner this season, but
outlaw trappers have evaded the law
in the past and probably will en-
deavor to do so again this spring.
Beaver pelts are worth about $40
each.
If difficulty is experienced in
marketing the pelts on this side of
the line, there is always ready
market across the Canadian bound
airy, and the wilderness trails OF
northeastern Minnesota afford ready
access to that market.
Commissioner Gould learned on
his trip that there is little to be
gained by guarding the avenue of
traffic on the outskirts of the pre-
serve. It is necessary to apprehend
the outlaw trappers at their scene of
operation. This sort of work re-
suires an adequate force of wardens
familiar with the wilderness trails
and the traplines of that region.
Only 10 such men are available at
the present time, and they are I'M
der the supervision of Leo Chosa,
who directs their activities in the
Superior state game refuge and adj
jacent territory.
Chosa told the commissioner that
a force of 40 trained men would not
be too large for the work at hand
in that region this spring. At least
10 more are very necessary, and the
department is seriously handicapped
by lack of funds.
Wild life conditions, generally,
were observed by the commissioner
and his party on their trip through
the forest. Attention was directed
to the moose situation. It appears
that the dwindling of Minnesota's
moose herds may be attributed
largely to some strange malady that
is killing them off, That is Chosa's
contention. Several days ago he
found the carcass of large bull
near the Kawishiwi river. 1t was
gaunt and emaciated, and apparent
ly had starved to death in spite of
the presence of plenty of food.
Gould instructed Chosa to snake the
carcass out of the forest, if possible,
and ship it to the University of Min
nesota for examination.
The wolf situation was investi-
gated and the commissioner is con-
WINGED that more practical methods
must be adopted to kill off these de-
stroyers of large and small game
animals. The state of Michigan
employs salaried wolf hunters in
stead of paying a bounty. Wolf
hunters likewise are employed by
the federal government. It is large
ly for the purpose of destroying
predatory beasts in the refuge that
trappers are licensed in that region.