The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-19
Fish and Game Laws---PrOpOsed Leg
islatiOn.

Concerning the fish and game laws,
and certain legislation proposed, Com
missioner Titcomb writes the WATCH
MAN:
At each recurring session of the Legislature
various bills pertaining to the protection of
fish and game are introduced without consult
tation with the fish AMI game comm ssioners,or
without regard to their reports and recon-
mendations. Many of these bills aim to pro.
tect our fish and game but are mperfectly
drawn and do not properly cover the ground.
As an illustration OF this, see House bill
No. TO- prohibit ng the killing of deer. The
commissioners report shows that great destruc-
ton to deer comes from their pursuit by dogs.
There is no question but what the people want
the deer protected. Now let us have the bill
amended by the committee to which it has
been referred so that the pursuit of deer by
dogs can be stopped. At present deer are
pursued by dogs throughout the year and when
the does are heavy with fawn. We predict
that the joint committee on game and fisheries
will see that the bill is properly amended.
House bill No. IA is another measure intend
ed o protect trout. There is no question
about the good intentions of the Representa-
tive who introduced the bill. 1t conflicts,
however, with our purpose of making YER
mont attractive to summer tourists, very few
of whom get there until the close season on
trout proposed by this bill has gone into effect.
If the entertainers of our summer guests know
what is going on they will certainly enter
protest against such a measure. We have tried
closing the trout season at various dates, and
August is one of them. The open season
has been tried at April ! and at other than
the present dates; but no close season has been
so uniformly satisfactory as the present II
the Legislature changes it the next one will
certainly amend it again. When open and
close seasons are once established, it takes at
least two years for the public to find it out,
Notwithstanding the very general distribution
of circulars on the subject. The present close
season ON trout conforms very well to that of
neighboring States of the same latitude.
The same bill proposes to repeal the six
inch law. The commissioners report ackowl-
edges that the law has Objectionable features
but that it is in the main good law. That
its object is to allow trout to reproduce at
least once before being caught. If this law IS
hatchery will be killed before they have ar
rived at the age of maturity which permits
them to assist in the work of restocking our
streams. Then, to, even if the law is violated
in some communities, it certainly prevents a
wholesale slaughter for hotels even in those
communities. We do not see in print reports
of catches of two and three hundred trout
taken in one day, as was frequently the case
previous to the present law.
The commissioners have in view some legis-
lation relative to permanently closing the small
breeding brooks as feeders to the larger
streams which will materially assist in improv-
ing the trout fishing. Don't repeal the six
inch law. Don't be selfish. The assertion
cannot be substantiated, The State hatchery
was originally stocked with 400 small trout
taken with hook and line, They are there to-
day TO tell their own story