Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-14
IOWA SPORTS TALK
A Snow Storm Means Sport For
tie Duck Hunter-Evils of
the Spring Shooting
AN OBJECT LESSON CITED
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio,
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine
Prohibit Spring shootins-BI Intro
duced into the New York Legislature
Forbidding it-Good Idea for Iowa.

| The past week of warm sunny days
| has sent the greater portion of the Wild
| ducks north, but has furnished Iowa
lsportsmen with but very little shooting.
The birds have flown high. and hunters
have been compelled to content them
iselves with watching them, from afar,
weather indications for today. of snow
| and falling temperature, hunters
should be on the alert for the first signs
of storm, for if it is at all severe
with it will come hundreds of birds,
Imany of which will stop until the
weather moderates on the open bodies
| CT water in this state.
| Speaking of spring shooting naturally
| calls to mind the evils of IN open spring
season and brings up what other states
| are doing to remedy this condition. a
hill has been introduced into the New
York legislature forbidding the spring
shooting Of wild fowl. ana has been re-
ported favorably by the game commit
tees. The states that do not allow the
lopen season to continue thru spring
lare: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Ohio. Vermont, New Hampshire ana
Maine. 1t it true that a large per cent
OF these states lie north of Iowa, and
from their geographical position, and
topography. furnish a natural breeding
place for ducks. This is. however, true
Ionly to certain extent. as there are
other reasons why the birds choose the
| northern country for their summer
nesting place.
Taught by instinct, every species of
the water fowl is shy, and will not nest
Il and rear their young where they are apt
to be moested. 1t is due. to n certain
extent to this reason why these birds
Iselect northern Minnesota and Michi-
gan and Canada. where they will be
free from the molestation of the hunter.
Old residents in this state say that
when the country was thinly settled
Inany wild fowls nestled fere. and there
lis still evidence OF this in the number
Itnat even now make their summer
abode in the lakes and sloughs of north
ern Iowa.
1t is a fact that any one conversant
with the subject will admit that every
year the number of wild fowls is di-
diminishing. This is due entirely to the
long open season, during which time
more birds are slaughtered than the
Survivors can produce. Most of this
slaughter takes place in the spring, and
there is but one remedy for it. Ducks
will not breed in captivity, and for
that reason they can nc. be captured
allowed to breed and Increase, and be
turned loose as fish are, and with which
tie streams and lakes OF the state are
stocked. The open season should be
shortened on the spring end. so that
each year fewer birds would be killed.
and more saved to return to their
northern breeding grounds, where for
time they would be to i certain extent
free from the molestation Of man.
If the shortening Of TIE open season
curing the spring months is good
thing for New York why is it not so for
Iowa? In that state they have been
furnished with an object lesson that
has proved decidedly advantageous to
sportsmen. On the petition OF the citi-
zens of Jefferson county. for two years
spring shooting was abolished, and the
best and most overwhelming evidence
from that locality has shown that there
was never before so many birds seen
there as during those two years. The
wild fowls have bred there in great
numbers. and as a result the fall shoot
ing has exceeded that of previous years.
II this can be proven by actual test in
the state of New York, why can not the
same thing be done in iowa?
Geograp hically. New York and Iowa
are similar. There is but small por-
ton of that state lying farther north
than the northern boundary of Iowa,
which is in 43 degrees 80 minutes north