Alaska Games Laws
and Their Enforcement
Big game hunting as a profession
has been taken up by many Alas
kans and lias proved worth while,
instead of a haphazard employment
as heretofore practiced. Exten
sive advertising of the big game
possibilities of the railroad belt and
other parts of central and south
western Alaska has brought this
about.
Conditions for Alaskans who have
engaged in this field of endeavor
however, would be far better if it
were not for the fact that the game
and game laws of the Territory are
controlled by a bureau in Washing
ton. If this bureau treated all big
game hunters equally, all would be
well. But such is not the case.
The Borden expedition and the
Revelle-Field museum expedition
are examples of what groups of
wealthy non-residents can do when
they desire by organizing a so-called
museum expedition, go to Wash
ington and get special permit,
largely through political influence,
to hunt big game in Alaska without
in any way complying with the game
laws of Alaska other big game hunt
ers and Alaskans must obey or be
subject to heavy penalty. And while
these “museum expeditions” spend
fabulous sums for their Alaska
hunt, practically none of the money
is spent in Alaska.
The permit granted by the bureau
in Washington to these “Museum
expeditions” allows the preferred
group to hunt in season and out
of season, exceed the limits of the
number of game animals allowed to
be killed, permits hunting without
paying the non-resident license, and
without employing licensed guides.
At present there are about twelve
such “museum” hunters in Alaska,
while as a matter of fact one licens
ed guide accompanied by a museum
expert could secure all the museum
trophies needed. But this would
force others, who are usually Invit
ed guests of the sportsman promot
er of the expedition, to take out a
regular Alaska hunting license and
conform to the laws, making each
non-resident hunter have a licensed
guide. To avoid this, a “museum
expedition" is organized and a spe
cial permit secured from the Wash
ington bureau, enabling the mem
bers to hunt at much better advan
tage than if they were forced to
comply with the laws as other non
resident hunters must.
If a resident of Alaska committed
the law violations which these “mu
seum experts" are permitted to do
by special permit, woe unto him.
His lot would be a heavy fine and
possibly a jail sentence.
And now another group of sports^
men (?) taking advantage of the
manner in which “museum expedi
tions” are permitted to violate the
A* ka game laws, have devised a
ne\ means of evading the laws.
Through the organization of a com
pany at Juneau headed by a mining
engineer of California who is also a
big game hunter, it is planned to
purchase abandoned prospects in the
big game regions on the pretense of
operating them. Club houses are to
be built on the property so the so
called stockholders, who are really
big game hunters, can hunt without
the necessity of having a licensed
Alaska guide. The objection of
many so-called sportsmen to being
accompanied by a licensed guide is
that the guide is a deputy game
warden, and might stop wanton
shooting of every animal encounter
ed. HunterB of this type will
abandon their kill every time they
see a better trophy, and this regard
less of any limit of bag allowedby
law.
How long are Alaskans going to
stand for this kind of administra
tion of the game law?
It is up to the Alaskan game com
mission to bring pressure to bear
at Washington, and see to it that
the game laws of Alaska are en
forced universally and not permit
ted to be violated bl a chosen few.
Unless this is done, and done quick
ly, the game commission will lose
the support of the Alaska people,
as a whole.—Anchorage Times.
PAYING TUB PIPER
At the first sessions of the Legis
lature in 1913 at Juneau several
fishermen from Wrangell and Pe
tersburg presented themselves urg
ing that steps be taken to prohibit
the intensive fishing of salmon
then just getting into its full stride.
The statement was made that In;
twelve years the cycle of depleted
fisheries would begin.
Since that time the fishermen of
the Territory, their delegates to t_
Congress and a few*. otbgp have
been sounding the warning to the
industry, the Territory and : to * the
nation at large. They have been ...
condemned as being “radicals” and :;
wishing the destruction of €he cam-.
nlng system; that their statements ,
were not true and that IT WAS IM- -
POSSIBLE TO DEPLETE THE ai
FISHERIES OF THE TERRITORY, i
By 1916 the Bureau of Fisheries,
began to hear the urglngs of those,
who wished to preserve this indus
try and they went as far as to ad
mit that these statements were bo
ing made.
The Canning interests with their
official organs refused to admit the
truth of assertions of depletion
made by fishermen who had ob
served this matter. Even though
“Bob” Heckman and “Bob” Bell
admitted before the legislature that
at that time depletion was well un
der way.
ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES
The run, or lack of run of sal
mon this year has been attributed
to the dry season, the constant
westerly and southwesterly winds;
the lateness of the season for all
things, vegetation., the late
spring, etc., etc.,. In the past the
cause of depletion has been blam
ed on the “Indian fishermen going
up-stream with gunny sacks;” on
the eagle, therefore ' the bounty;
on the seal; “helldtvers,” seagulls,