The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-03
STAYING THE GROUSE
Sportsmen Fairly Revel Ameng
Half-Grown Birds.
GOOD SPORT ATMeRceRsloucn
The Open season Invites Many Hunt-
srs late the Weoas-Ths
Law Defective.

aportsmen. with their hunting parHpher-
malta and dogs. may be seen returning
almost hourly from some favcrife To-
calsfy with fairly good bags ana
reports Of good shooting The coun-
try IN and about Mercer slough
on Lake Washington. seems 10 be the
noss-scnght-for pace. mainly because the
best-kncwn sportsmen invade that section
and report their bags. While these men
are enthusiasts over the sport and unani-
nous In rhe opinion that the birds are the
most paIatable bits OF food TO be had.
they are nevertheless loud In saying tnaS
the state game laws should be revised.
30 ~ TO make the open season for grouse
begin on September / or Is. instead OF
August /. as az present, giving as reasons
the xmalIness and extreme young age or
me birds. Not only this. but they main
tain that tho laws. which prohibit the
sale of grouse before December 4. work q
hardship on the person who does not
hunt. and therefore Is compelled to forego
the enjoyment OF this foothsotne food
unless presented with a brace by some
friend In other words, they argue that
IL should be no more a crime TO snoot
the birds than 20 sell them. thus giving
pot hunters q splendid opportunity OF
breaking rhe laws and really making
them a dead letter. Col. Mckee president
OF the State Sportsman Association, and
q man who loves shooting for the sport
there is in IL. Is already figuring on
plaza 10 revise the laws, which ne VIII
bring up at the annual state meeting
at Tacoma in October.
In speaking OF the matter last night
Col. Mckee said. II consider 1t nothing
more than murder to Kill these young
20 know how to ny. / do not blame the
sportsmen. though, for getting all the
sport they can out OF It, but blame the
state game laws, which are In my opin-
ion nothing more than great big farce.
These birds do not begin TO breed until
late In the fail. and are nothing out
chicks when the season opens. The state
Sportzmens Association. however, Is al
work on a plan which / hope VIII pre-
vail. and which viii probably contain
among other provisions clause liking
either September or September 10 as the
date for the opening OF the grouse sea-
son. Another thing that should be REM
edied is the clause fixing the date for
selling grouse, which Is now December l.
believe and think IL Is the opinion or
every true sportsman that II should be
just as lawful to sell grouse during the
open season as IL Is TO kill them. Now.
suppose was q neighbor Of yours and
used to hunting, while you never went
out In the field. could get out and make
a nice little bag. and If / did not choose
TO send you In brace and no other ac-
qualntance did, you would have TO DO
without the game. unless you violated the
state laws and secretly bought some from
a pot hunter Do you think that is jas
tsce? Wei. ] should say not also think
the open and close seasons for ducks
should also be changed, and they VIII be
IL have anything to say in the matter"
This seems 10 be the consensus OF opin-
Ion among all the members of the Rod
and Gun Club and Sportsmen's Associa-
ton. and Ii is almost certain that COM
bined action on revision Of the rules
will be had before the next legislature
oonvenes. In the meantime the members
feel that they should get some good out
OF the sport. for IL they do not shoot the
game pot hunters viii clean the country.
OF all the hunters that went out on Sat
urday. George White met with the best
luck. bagging thirty. White did all his
shooting on Mercer slough. and while the
covies he ran across were not large there
was quite n number OF them The birds
were all small, none of them being over
three quarters grown and many OF them
only half grown. Frank Hardwick and
Hoey Bean went out on Saturday and re-
turned Yesterday evening. bagging four
teen. Fred Charles. Jack Ruppe and one
other got nineteen on Saturday afternoon
and yesterday.
Archie Treat. DR.. Purdy and Fred Slim
son bagged sixteen near Mercer slough
In two days hunting. the birds all being
small but delicious eating. Reports or
good bags are coming In from other Sec
lions, but names are not given. A good
story Is told on hunter who had watched
a covey near Green lake fer the past
month very zeaiously. contemplating
nne days shooting on Saturday. He Gle an
ed his gun, carefully loaded his shells.
donned HIS hunting clothes and with his
dog started out with thoughts of n fif.e
DAYS sport but when he reached TIE
coveted spot the little covey had aisao-
peared, and after searching for them 81
Cay he found that another hunter. vi .
had also been watci1ng the cover, lad
reached the field first and bagged the
game murmuring. as he walked triumph
antly Off the field. There are others"