Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-08
The Game Law.
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The law for the protection. of game birds in tbis State as we have had occasion to re- mark before, overreaches itself ana thus mas practically become a dead letter. The pres ent law, which has been In force aDou1 Inres wears. puts woodcock, partridges and qnall upon the same footing, and the time at which these birds may become the legal prey of the sportsman's gun IS marked down Tn the statutes as October 1st So far as par tridges and quail are concerned there can pc no objection to the time. It is early enough for these birds. But with the woodcock 1t IS different. These are flight birds and are constantly moving, after the young are strong enough to take wing. It is the belief or some that these birds are already on the move southward, and with the adJo1nlng States legally permitting them to be killed now, is it any wonder that our sportsmen should be restless under the law which re- strains them from shooting woodcock nearly two months longer?
 We desire the protection of game as muon as any one, and would oppose a law that dld not afford it; but, we have said, this law defeats itself. The old law which was in force for so many years fixed the time for shooting woodcock at July 4th, and this law was very generally regarded, the sportsman having a wholesome fear of violating It, How is it now, with the time extended to OctoberI It is a fact that cannot be disputed that the shooting of woodcock this season began in | .ln | suppers were provided in this city before July came in. A bad feature about the early shooting of woodcock this season is to be ! found in the fact that the young birds were not so fully developed as usual, owing to the | cold spring and the lateness of the season, \ which interfered with the incubation.
 ! We would not advocate fixing the time too ! early, nor do we advocate fixing it too late. ! With deference to the views of our New Lon l don contemporary, the TeLegT0m, which ar | eues for the law as it stands, we insist that | October is too late The writer starts off on | 8 false scent by arguing from the standpoint | of thorough observance of the law, Whlcn | we have shown does not exist. On the con- | trary as we are assured, there has been a more general slaughter of the young birds | this year and last than there was when the l law was |" off 7" on the 4th of July. Now If it be true that the law is so generally disre- garded, and we believe it is, where is the force in the assertion that '' since the changes in the law the fall flights have been increas- ing every year, and the .unmolested young have had a chance to reach maturity"
 | In bold and almost open defiance of the law the sportsmen have not given the young
 "half a chance to reach maturity" We are
 sensible that this line of reasoning prompts the inquiry, ''Why is not the law enforced ?
 We are not prepared to answer. It may be
 because the time has been extended to an un reasonable limit, which would make it's en
 forcement extremely difficult, if not impossi
 ble law to be respected, should be req
 sonable and just If possible let the time bt fixed so as to protect the young birds, alst protecting them during the melting season \ and at the same time give the Connection | sportsmen an equal chance with the gunner of New York and Massachusetts. As tn molting season of woodcock begins abou
 this time, the New York law fixing the tim ] for shooting them at the 1st of August seem | A.- TO,,k 1,, klo4 CAoka AI1a1 1ory
 of, and the birds are shot regardless of thei | condition, and ready market is found fo them.
 To meet the difficulties of the case ant l give our sportsmen what they consider 'fai | play, I" it might be advisable to complicat l the law little by removing it's restriction | say from the 18th of July to the 1st of Au | gust, restore the law again to last during tn molten season and finally removing 1t as earl | in September as would be consistent wit l this idea. Make this or @ similar enactmen
 and then see that the law is enforced. The l the real protection of game would be en | sured With law fixing reasonable limit | the sportsmen would be made to regard i
 and withlsuch law they would not need
 be forced, All true sportsmen would cheer , fully abide by it.
 The truth of the matter is the present la | was not designed so much for the protectio
 of woodcock as it was for the protection ( bs Quall Aul phrGrIaSe' Ab 4s dn uAPloasoA truth to acknowledge that the average sport
 man, when out for woodcock in July, woul
 spare neither partridge nor quail, and Is shoot these birds before October is somethin
 they should be ashamed of. This fact an the other fact-which weighed more with tf a farmers-of tramrlng down the grass wi
 the real cause of carrying the law. on woot = cock over to October. We agree with or
 contemporary that the ''clean killing of
 strong-winged, vigorous bird on a bracir
 November morning. would be preferable
 "shooting them in the heat of dense swan
 in July" But can't we compromise on som
 thing which will permit those who love u
 sport in s.the heat of a dense swamp
 I have their enjoyment, while the other on
 are taking in the pleasures of ''bracing N
 vember morning?''