The record-union., 1897-02-18
A PRETTY FAIR GAME BILL
Che One That is Likely to Pass the
Legislature.
1t Could be Materially Improved,
But All in All, Is a
Good One.

In response to the many inquiries that
have been made of the 'Record-Union
as to the nature of proposed amendments
to the game laws now pending in the
Legislature the following bill is pub
lished for the information of the public.
This bill was introduced in the AS
sembly, amended there, passed and sent
to the Senate. There it received sew
eral more amendments, the last having
been made on Tuesday. To-day 1t Will
be on the third reading file, and as soon
as it passes that body it will be re-
turned to the Assembly. If the Senate
amendments should be concurred in
there, the bill will be passed without
much delay
Considering the feeling that has been
displayed during the last two years
over the game law provisions, this bill,
which NOW bids fair to pass, is a very
fair one. In it's present shape the open
season for ducks and quail begins Octo-
ber lst and closes March 1st. This adds
two weeks to each end of the shooting
season. 1t would be better to let the
present date October 1oth) remain, but
the two weeks extension from Febru-
airy 10TH to March 1st is not objection
able, as in the upper half of the State
there is very little duck shooting to be
had between the first part Of January
and February 10Th. From the latter
date to March 1st the ducks are more
plentiful.
The provision of the law of 1890 re-
stricting market hunting has been omit
ted as a sort Of compromise. The law
now in force is in the right direction,
however, and unless something of the
kind be re-enacted the excellent work of
protective clubs will have been for
naugAt.
The following bill, as originally intro
duced. exempted canvasback and blue
bills from it's operation-that is, they
We're not to be protected This would be
all right if men would not Kill other
ducks that nest here in the early spring
months while pretending to be
shooting canvaSback and blue
bills. AS all men who carry guns are
not true sportsmen, and cannot be
trusted to obey the law, the Senate very
wisely struck out this provision.
THE BILL AS IT is.
An Act to repeal Sections 626a, 626b,
G2Gc, 626d, 62Ge, 626f, cog. 626h, 62Gi,
627a, 627b. G27c and 627d, and to
Iamend Sections G26 and G21 of the Penal
Code Of California, relating TO game.
The people of the State of California,
represented in Senate and Assembly,
do enact as follows:
Section l.. Section 626 is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Gca+i1r tfpf. E'x-p,.yr r1ep~.op yx-Iol0 ba
tween the 1st day of March and the
1st day Of October, in each year, shall
hunt, pursue, take, kill or destroy, or
have in his possession, any valley quail,
bob white, partridge or amy kind of
wild duck, or rail- every person who,
between the 10Th day of February and
the 1st day OF September in each year,
shah hunt. pursue. take, KILL or de-
Stroy, or have in his possession, any
mountain quail or grouse; every per-
son who, between the fifteenth day of
February and the 10Th day of July in
each year shall hunt. pursue, take, kill,
or destroy, or have in his possession,
any dove or doves; every person who
shall take gather or destroy the eggs
or nest of any quail, bob white, part
ridge, pheasant, grouse, dove, robin, or
any kind of wild duck or rail; every
person who, in the State of California,
shall at any time hunt, shoot, shoot
at take, kill or destroy, buy sell, give
away, or have in his possession, except
for the purpose of prOpa CATION, or for
educational or scientific purposes, any
English skylaTk, robin, canary, meadow
lark humming bird, thrush or mock
ing bird, or any part Of the skin, skins,
or plumage thereof. or who shall rob
the nests or take or destroy, or offer
for sale, the eggs of any of the said
birds; every person who, before the
1st day of March, 1899, shall hunt,
pursue, take kill or destroy, or have
in his possession, any pheasant; every
colds storage company person keeping
cold storage warehouse, tavern, or
hotel keeper. restaurant, or eating
house keeper, market man, or other
person. who shall buy, sell, expose or
offer for sale, or give away, or have in
his poss esssion, any quail, bob white,
partridge, robin, grouse, dove, pheas-
ant. wild Duck except canvasback and
bluebill, or rail. during the time it shall
be unlawful to kill such birds; every
person who shall hunt, pursue, take,
KIM, or have in his pOss es7Sion, or de-
strOy any made deer between the 10th