The record-union., 1894-08-09
AMADOR DOVE SHOOTING is LATE.
Which Is Why Three Sacramentans
Got Into Trouble.
After Treating Two Mountain States
men, the Latter Had the Lads
All Arrested and Fined.

In Justice Henry's Court yesterday,
Frank Peck, Fred Butler and A. Z. Dal-
lis each put up $40 0compensation for trans
crossing the game law of Amador
County, which provides that doves must
not be shot there before the 18th OF Oc-
tober.
The young men were on camping trip
in Amador, and a few days ago they came
across couple of the Supervisors of that
county while out shooting some birds for
their camp They knew that doves were
legally ripe in Sacramento on the 18th of
July, but were not aware that different
regulation was in force in an adjoining
county.
The Supervisors referred to evidently
knew that the young men were unin-
formed on this point, for they partook OF
the latter's hospitality their
whisky, smoked their cigars and even
accepted the gift of a jack-rabbit from
them They hung about until the Sacra-
mento lads had shot a few doves, and
then went to local Justice of the Peace
and had them arrested for violating the
absurd Amador game law. which restricts
dove-shooting to such an unreasonably
late date.
The Sacramentans, when confronted
with the law, pleaded guilty, but were
allowed to return to this city and square
the matter here. Under the law the low
est fine that can be imposed is $40, and
Justice Henry taxed each of them In
that sum.
The young men had no intention, they
say, of violating any game-protective
regulation, either State or county, and
would not have done so had the Amador
Supervisors whom they met been courte-
Gus enough 10 inform them OF the rISk
they were taking in shooting doves.
This incident illustrates the absurdity
and injustice of each county having its
own game law. Under existing condi-
tions the sportsman who goes abroad
should take with him surveyor and
field outfit to locate the county lines, and
a legal adviser with a wagon-load OF law
books to post him as to when he may or
may not shoot certain kinds of game, ac-
cording to the neighborhood in which he
happens to be.
1t is true that general law suitable for
San Diego County is not the thing for
Siskiyou, but as the Legislature is pro-
hibited from making special laws there
seems to be no adequate remedy therefor.
1t was for time believed that the pro-
vision IN the County Government Act
which empowers Boards of Supervisors
to make local regulations for game pro-
lection would solve the difficulty, but the
result is far from satisfactory.
If ali Supervisors were personally
familiar with the subject there would not
be such wide difference between the
dates fixed for the opening and closing of
the shooting season IN their respective
counties. But the average Supervisor,
apparently, is at the mercy of every ig-
noramus and game-butcher who has
vote in his ''destrick," and the result is
a conglomeration of county game ordi-
nances with about as much harmony as
there is between the chant of Digger In
dian and the dulcet notes OF Patti.
In one county deer may De shot as
early as July lst; in another the season
opens in August; In another in Septem-
Der, and in some parts of the State not
until October, when deer are not fit to
eat.
And these conditions prevail often in
counties adjoining one another. For in
stance in Yolo County young ducks may
be slaughtered as early as the lst of Sep
tember the date fixed by the Legislat-
urel, while on the Sacramento side of the
river 1t is unlawful to shoot a wild duck
before the 1st OF October. The latter
date is perhaps early enough. although
the home-bred ducks are all on the wing
in August, and if the season flor duck
shooting) were to open on the 18th of Sep
tember it would not injuriously affect the
fall shooting, after the immigrant birds
come down from the north.
Because quails should not be shot be-
fore October 1st it does not necessarily
follow that ducks should not, any more
than doves, as the different species do not
all nest at the same time.
The recent convention of sportsmen
adopted a draft of a game law to be pre-
sented to and its passage urged upon the
next Legislature, which comes about as
near as general law could come to do
ing justice to all localities. This would
not be effective, however, unless the
Legislature repeals the clause in the
County Government Act under which
Supervisors are making local ordinances.