The Jersey City news., 1901-08-29
DIGEST o. GAME LAWS
United States Agricul tural
Department Will Issue
d Publication.

I WASHINGTON, Aug. 29. 1901-The agri-
cultural department is preparing to issue
publication giving digest of the game
laws Of the country. Especial attention
Is given to State laws for game protec-
tion enacted in 1901. Outlining the gen
erai scope of this legislation, the authors
of the publication, T. s. Palmer and II.
w. Olds. say
1.-THE opening year of the new century
has witnessed an unprecedented interest
in game protection. Nearly four-fifths of
the States and territories have enacted
These amendments vary from a slight
change In the Delaware law, regarding
close seasons to the adoption of the gem
eral game law or code in Arizona, Cali
fornia. Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan.
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hamp-
shire and New Jersey. Changes in dates
for opening or CLOSING the seasons have
been the most common but restrictions
on methods of capture, on sale, shipment
and storage, also have been numerous.
In many instances the laws necessarily
have become more complex, but there has
been strong tendency towards extend
ing protection to more kinds of game,
shortening the seasons. limiting bags and
throwing greater restrictions about the
trade In game.
Nebraska and Missouri, which suffered
severely from wholesale shipments of
game last year. have Joined the great ma
jority of States in adopting stringent nom
export laws, leaving less than half doz-
en- States now without protection of this
kind. Other States, notably Indiana,
Montana. Nebraska, Pennsylvania and
Washington, have restricted hunting by
requiring licenses of nonresident hunts
ers, favorite expedient, particularly in
the middle west, for providing a game
protection fund. South Dakota and Wis
consin require residents as we'll as nom
residents to obtain licenses, and Oregon
now licenses nonresident market hunters.
In all the Northern States from the
Alleghenies to the Pacific, with the ex-
ception of Ohio Idaho and Oregon, nom
resident hunters must now secure licenses
at cost of SO to s4O.''
1t is stated that hopeful sign of
the times is the general recognition of
the principle that game preservation is
a national rather than local question.
Organized effort has accomplished more
this year than ever before The Ameri-
can Ornithologists' Union, interested es-
pecially in the preservation of non-game
birds, has secured the enactment of a
practically uniform law in eight States
and the District of Columbia, and incl
dentally the adoption of a uniform defini-
tion Of game birds.
The League of American Sportsmea
has given attention especially to secuT-
ing better protection for big game and
wild turkeys. and its efforts have con-
tributed to the passage of bills providing
a close season of three to ten years for
antelope in six States, for elk in five
States, and for mountain sheep and wild
turkeys in two States. 1t has supported
the principal advocated by several lead
ing sportsmen's journals, that protection
can best be secured by restricting the sale
of game and limiting the amount of 4
days or seasons bag. The influence thus
exerted combined with the aid of various
other game organizations, was largely In
strumental in securing the passage OF nu-
merous laws embodying these features.
The sale of all kinds of game has been
prohibited by some States, and that of
certain species by others. AS a result of
efforts in this direction, three kinds OF
game-antelope, elk and prairie chickens
have been practically removed from The
markets. excepting where their killing is
still permitted