Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-23
MADISON NIMRoDs APPEAR IN
FAVOR OF NORTH BILL.
OTHER STATES ARE UNFAIR
South Does Not Protect Ducks so
That Wisconsin DepriVes Citizens
of Shooting That other States Get
Congress Power to Enact Game
Laws is Questioned.
Madison, March ~.

The question of spring shooting, ar
gued yesterday before the joint COM
mittee on fish and game developed
spirited discussion by Senator North,
author of the bill, and Grant Thomas
of Madison and others on the favor
ing side, and Charles X. Lush, chief
clerk i'm the Office of the secretary of
state. II. +. Hamilton, formerly as
sistant attorney general; Henry
Graas. clerk in the Office of Warden
Overlook, on the side of the present
law which prohibits all spring shoot
ing in Wisconsin.
Senator North opened the discus
sion with an explanation of the bill
which he introduced at the request OF
a large number of his constituents
and which amended the present law
so as To allow the shooting of some
varieties of ducks i'm the spring, pro
hibit the marketing of ducks ana
limits the bag to II ducks a day for
each hunter.
The feature of the hearing was the
request made by Mr.. Thomas that the
committee consider the subject of
seeking such legislation by congress
as shall tend toward the uniformity
of the game laws in all the states
and particularly with reference to the
protection of the migratory birds. He
said it was of little avail that Wis
consin protected the ducks, depriving
her own citizens of the sport and the
profit of shooting. when the southern
states offered the birds no protection
whatever. He said If congress, either
by general law or otherwise could
bring It about that the birds would
be protected from market hunters,
limit he bag To a reasonable numbre
for each hunter and thus make hog
hunting impossible the situation
would be more encouraging. He said
the question of whether congress had
tn, right To enact such laws was an
open one and that on it authorities
differed. He said one of the present
assistants TO the attorney general OF
the state had given an off-hand
opinion to the effect that the protec-
| ton of the fish and game was a fit
subject for congressional enactment.
Mr.. Hamilton volunteered the opinion
that congress had no right whatever
under the constitution to enact fish
and game laws that these subjects
were clearly under the police power
of the several states and no law such
as Nj. Thomas suggested, if il were
ever passed by congress, would stand
If attacked i'm the courts.
Senator North said the hunters of
his senatorial district were unanimous
" i'm favor of the change in the law
so as to allow them to shoot some
kinds of ducks during a short period
at least in the spring. He said he
was not much of an enthusiast in the
matter of outdoor sports himself but
was overwhelmed with demands and
petitions from his constituents in
favor of the bill. Reading from in
formation which he said had been
placed in his hands, and which he
said had convinced him that the de
mand for spring shooting in WiscOn-
sin was a reasonable and just one, he
saiu that 43 states of the union allow
spring shooting and only 5, WiscOn-
sin among the number, give protec-
ton to ducks in the spring season.
He said our state protects certain
varieties, excepting looms and rails.
In - states and territories, he said
there is absolutely not one law for
the protection of game. The
southern states, in which the ducks
spend the winters, have no protect
inc laws and here the ducks that the
northern states and Canada raise in
the summer are slaughtered for the
market i'm the winters.
Mr.. Thomas said he represented
number of local sportsmen, who had
me, to consider the subject of the pro-
posed change in the law. There were
100 at the meeting and the sentiment
appeared to be unanimously in favor