The record-union., 1893-03-07
COMMON SENSE GAME LAWS.
When Shall California be Blessed
Herewith 2
Birds That Should be Protected, and
Others That Are Capable of
Protecting Themselves.

Should the ghost of the Emeric game
law, in its present disfgured condition, be
in danger OF passing, the Legislature
should see that the word ''snipe" is
stricken out. Snipe have never been
protected by law, because they are migra-
tory birds and do not breed here.
The only snipe shooting to be had north
of San Francisco Bay is in the month of
March, as the birds pass up on their way
to the breeding grounds in the far north.
To say, that English snipe shall not be
shot in March, is equivalent TO saying
that no one in the northern half of the
State shall be allowed to have any snipe
shooting.
During the winter months these birds
are plentiful on the marshes about San
Francisco, and it is a great injustice to
sportsmen north of the bay for the law
to step in and declare that none but those
of san Francisco and vicinity shall enjoy
the sport of snipe shooting.
The entire bill now before the Legis-
lature appears to have been gotten up
in the interest of a few San Francisco
shooting clubs whose members do not
care whether or not the interior sports
men have any shooting at all.
For similar reasons the law should per-
nit ducks to be shot two weeks later
than the present one provides, or until the
middle of March. Early in the season
the migratory ducks nearly all go to the
! bays, where they stay until about the lst
OF March. There has been very little
Understanding in this part of the State
during the past winter, but just now the
birds are working up this way, and a
| couple ofweeks' of fair sport could be had
| did the law permit.
The old game law that made the closed
season begin on the 10th of March was
| the best the State ever bad. The truth is,
! the law should apply differently in the
various sections OF the state. Provisions
which would suit the condition of things
in san Diego are not such as should APP
/ ply TO Siskiyou, nor even to Sacramento
Take the case of Sierra and other north
ern counties. BY the time the open sea-
son October lst) commences there the
game-ducks and quail-is all gone; it
has gone south to the warm valleys. and
the people up there get no shooting. In
| the far northern counties 1t should be
lawful to shoot ducks and quail in Sep
tember, while in the central and southern
parts OF the State the season need not
open until October 18th.
The Constitution, of course, prohibits
special or local legislation by the Legisla-
ture, but in framing game law the open
enough TO give all sections of the State as
nearly an equal chance as possible.
The best remedy, however, under eX-
isting circumstances is to allow the Su-
pervisors of the various counties to regu-
late the season for protecting game; and
all interior members of the Legislature
| should see TO ii that this provision is re-
taiaed in the County Government Act.
Two years ago the general game law
was passed day or two after the County
Government Act and was generally ac-
cepted as rendering nugatory the pro-
vision giving Supervisors the authority
to regulate the game seasons in their re-
spective counties. Ifpossible this should
not be allowed to happen at this session.
The great trouble is that the sportsmen
OF the interior are widely scattered and not
organized, as are those in San Francisco,
and their rights are not usually pre-
scented to the Legislature. But their rep
resentatives should see to it that they are
not longer deprived of those rights and
privileges.
There is neither sense nor reason in
prescribing for ducks and snipe the same
regulations that are necessary for the
protection of quail. The latter birds are
not migratory, and therefore require
more stringent regulations for their pro-
lection than the others. So, too, in re-
gard to grouse. These birds inhabit the
nigh mountain sections of the Sierra Ne
+ vada, where nobody remains after abou
the lst of October. They are fully ma
tured by the 10Th of August, and person.
who visit the mountains as late as that
or in September, should be allowed t(
shoot grouse when they find them
which is no easy matter.
And there is no necessity for allowing
the open season for grouse shooting t
run until March lst just because tina
date applies to other game. 1t could jus
as we'll be shut off on the 1st of Novem,
ber.
There should be allowed two or three
months for deer shooting-say July
August and September-or from Angus
lst TO October lst. Winter shooting il
the snow should not be allowed.