The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-12-04

cusations were made by one c. S
Burnes who told the Journal much
The story in the Journal is as follows
Charges that complete break
down in supervision by game wardens
has resulted in wholesale butchery OF
wild game in northern Minnesota came
from a Minneapolis sportsman Satur-
day, simultaneously with an announce
ment by the state game and fish de-
partment that it is waging relentless
war on hordes of outlaw hunters.
1.-The charges of laxity in enforce
ment of the game laws were made by
c. S. Burnes, Minneapolis sportsman,
who returned from short visit to his
vacation cabin near Ely on the Ely
Finland road. He related a story of
widespread violation of the game laws
$50 widespread has become the pro-
miscuous shooting of deer, supposedly
protected by the closed season, that
wardens from the quieter sectors in
southern Minnesota are being trans
ferred to the big woods, w. D. Stewart,
state game and fish commissioner, said
mot only are the lawless shooters
threading to deplete the states supply
of big game but they are actually ter
rorizing farmers and settlers in some
areas, declared the commissioner
Much hunting is being done at night,
he said, in many cases the huntsmen
mistaking livestock for deer Night
hunters usually drive the narrow woods
roads without lights to escape detection
after suspicion has been aroused, thus
creating traffic hazard that has re-
suited in accidents and many narrow
escapes, Stewart said.
Mr.. BurneS conferred with Isaac
F. Kaufman and Arthur M. Packer,
members of the Hennepin County
Sportsmen's Club, concerning steps to
be taken to stop inroads by poachers.
There apparently is no supervisor
by game wardenS in that section of
the state whatever" Mr. Burnes said.
mot only did my observations con-
vince me of this, but reports from mine
officials in the range country confirmed
CneSe observations.
"A mine superintendent at Eveleth
told me there has been no supervision
all fall. He said that the men, usually
employed by the mines, are running
riot through the woods, killing off the
game in wholesale quantities and that
no visible effort to stop this is being
made by game and fish department
authorities.
Reports reaching me while in that
section were that hardware dealers have
sold more 5000 rifles, guns used in
hunting deer, than ever before and the
sales are keeping up.
Mr.. Burnes said that while travel
ing toward his cabin last week by auto
mobile he came upon five spots within
a few miles where deer had been
butchered.
During that trip, Also" he asserted,
Il saw one lone partridge. Last year
I raised covey after covey, while going
to the cabin. Last year the partridges
would come up in the yard at my cabin
and feed with the chickens.
"As I see it, that is ample evidence
that cartridges are being slaughtered
in that section 1t is only a matter of
time, unless something is done to
remedy the supervision situation at
once, until the entire game supply is
wiped out"
"Recounting another game law vio-
lation, Mr.. Burnes said:
Last Sunday morning when I was
at my cabin, I heard a shot down in
the woods and decided to investigate.
I knew just about where it came from,
but it took me some little time to find
the exact place. When I arrived there
I found the head, feet and hide of a
buck deer"
Mr.. Burnes said the slaughter of
the wild game is prevalent in Lake,
Cook, st. Louis and Itasca Counties.
Mr.. Stewart, game and fish COM
seems to be more interested
in the tourist business for the state
than in conserving wild game life,"
Mr.. Packer charged.
I'VE have conditions such as that
which Mr.. Burnes reports from the
north woods country, and yet the state
game and fish department has an ex-
penditure of $4,000 more per month in
game wardens' salaries than last year"
Mr.. Kaufman said "It seems to me
that it is time for the sportsmen of
Minnesota to take a real hand in
finding solution to this whole
business"
Stewart said the reinforced staff
already was producing satisfactory
results and he hopes to stamp out the
evil soon in order to direct the aug
mented force toward the illegal beaver
trapping, perennial plague in nor
them Minnesota.
From many sections of northern
Commissioner Stewart said,
have come complaints from the better
element of citizenry" protesting against
Illegal deer hunting, which in some
sections has almost become rampant.
Outlaw deer hunters are more
numerous than usual this year." the
commissioner said. Many of these
OF course, never have any respect for
the law, being chronic violators. Their
numbers have been increased due to
greater access to the woods because
of improved highways.
The poacher now is able to get about
rapidly in the woods and so is far
more difficult to apprehend.
Our forces are not large enough to
completely cope with this situation,
hlIf uo ORC <3oy,Iox,;,,o 49, - - A. =