OCR Text |
Show Game Warden Wins Honors "With the growth of towns and more intensive oocupation of fields and forests by man our wild life is having a more and more difficult existence", Merrill Mer-rill Hand, Utah game warden and former scout commissioner told boy scouts recently. "All birds are protected in Utah", Mr. Hand added, "even the hawk, until he is caught in the act". Mr. Hand was informed he was the recipient of the William T. Hornaday gold honor badge and plaque for distinquished service to wild life. He was formally awarded the badge and plaque last week at Mt. Jordan Court of Honor. Mr. Hand is a member of Training Explorer Troop 716 of the Boy Scouts of America in Draper, This is the first Hornaday award given in the western United States. For one and a half years a part-time game warden, Mr. Hand was made full-time warden war-den in June by the Utah State Fish and Game Commission. He has done volunteer wild life conservation work for the last 12 years. Mr. Hand was a scout as a boy and has put in 15 years of scout work. His son is now a star scout. Mr. Hand encourages all scouts and the public to conserve and protect wild life in general. "A lot of people don't realize what a little sparrow does for the farmer". Hand asserted. "If it weren't for birds in time there would be no grain left. I once found 19 grasshoppers in the craw of a pheasant. This one bird prossibly saved half of a tomato crop." Hunting and fishing is a big business in Utah. More than $5,000,000 was spent on these two sports in the 1941 season. The amount was spent in the following manner: $476,500 for ammunition, $153,750 for rifles, $75,000 for tackle, $750,000 for hunting and fishing clothes, $1,-500,000 $1,-500,000 for transportation, $20,-000 $20,-000 for boats, $100,000 for club dues, $100,000 for guide service, $1,500,000 for meals and lodging, lodg-ing, $100,000 for miscellaneous items connected with these two sports and. $275,000 for licenses. The figures were compiled by the Salt Lake Junior Chamber of Commerce. |