The San Francisco call., 1903-01-10
LEGISLATION
DE SIRED BY
SPORTSnEN
They View With Alarm the
Possible Extinction of the
States Fish and Game
An Expert Tells of Present
Conditions and Suggests
Several Needed Changes


the State are commencing to appreciate
the possibilities for shooting and fishing
which are at their doors and there is a
growing desire TO cast about the game
the protecting mantle OF the law to pre-
vent the extinction Of the wild fowl and
FISH which are found here in great
variety.
Public spirited men who are sportsmen
in all the name implies have given deep
thought TO the matter and will have
changes to suggest in the present laws
and also additions TO them which. If
adopted. viii make Of this State during
the next ten years a sportsman's para
disc
A. II Cumming, representative sports
man, whose knowledge Of shooting
and fishing has been gained by quarter
century on the streams and fields Of the
state. has consented to outline the pres
ent conditions and those which, in his
judgment, should prevail. he says:
The sportsrnen throughout this State r1gidly
market hunters use illegal methods and Kill
more game In day than 90 the sp0rtsmen IN
a month. The California Fish Commission
is doing al IN its power 70 conserve the game
bur its allowance from the state is so small
thar ir cannot properly patrol all the streams
ana shooting territory OF the STATE 10 pIOlect
the fsh and game Its officials are cOnth-
ualIy on the alert and the more hagrant cases
81 the izR can be set IN motion.
The market men have been netting canvas
backs iu san Pablo Bay FOR some time When
the cans dive for food in deep water the
nets are hurriedIy drawn over them by men
n boats and these great ducks are thus taken
The most fragrant abuse OF the laws govern
ing duck shooting is seen on the plains about
HeUIlian - BsRos, Dos Falos Menaois o.lo;2
, Flrepa1gis anc taetloe s0lth 70 BaHersIlelo
ANY rain IA the vicinity Of san Francisco
drives the ducks south for the new grass and
tne fresher water they congregate n ban0s
OF countless thousands. and after feeding they
come out cn the fields and sleep This is
the market hunters time for action These
men have a horse or a steer SO trained that
DE VIII Craze slowly in q circle which is
gradually growing smaller about the ducks
strapped To the hack OF the animal IS a four
bore gun. q cannon in miniature The market
hunter walks alongside the animal and when
be has the ducks in a compact mass at about
thirty yards range be turns loose the big
gun which is a cylinder-bore, therefore
aoattering gun Sometimes 800 ducks are
The market hunter has a number OF boys
with wagons some distance away and they
hurry 10 the scene a. once They are armed
with guns and KIN any wounded birds which
may be huttering about The men average
slN shots q Gay with these bg guns. which
indicates the warfare waged on the birds The
plains are dotted with the camps Of these
men, scarcely a quarter Of a mile separating
birds 10 market the slaughter is enormous
The boys serve a double purpose. They not
az once becomes the nominal owner Of fifty
o. them, thereby evacing the penalty Of the
railway station ana each boys consignment
is sent 10 a different man in this city By
this subterfuge the limit law is evaded. Al
though one man kills this great number they
ere subciFided into legal lots and shipped
Wells, Fargo q Co.'S Express. being COM
mon carrier, must accept the various bags
all are tagged in accordance with law
When they arrive here the commission men
send many men as there are sacks billed
them.
Up at Colusa they shoot by moonlight which
is an infraction OF the State game law and
ship the birds in the same manner as from
the south Wherever ducks are found in mum
bers there win be found the market hunter.
with all This slaughter Of game the public
is required 10 pay a high price for it under
The Plea that il is difficult 70 secure the
birds The market man can get as much
limit 10 the bag The only difference is that
he is put 70 more trouble 10 place il on the
market lWenty-t0ur years ago i could 20
from Fruitvale 10 Melrose marsh and kill fifty
or a hundred ducks in a days shooting At
rhe present time gunruan could not get haIf
a dozen in a month in that vicinity. Other
territory has been cleaned out in the same
manner. The birds are not here as they
The preserve sDortsmen are not shutting out
ne o5alrary Sportsman - some people con
tinuslly assert. The preserves are chiefly on
the Suisun sonOma and Petaluma marshes
and they forrp but a mere speck Of the avail
men who cannot AFFORD the time TO 70 far from
home. Where one acre is preserved the market
MnlCn
A sportsman considers himself fortunate II
ne Is able 70 spend one dey a week in the field
= me some 60 g nor nave more than one day in
llohlIl- me Sportsman takes out 100 shells
and considers himself fortunate II he kills
forty ducks. The market hunter. who is out
every day in the month. would have ninety
birds 70 show for every 100 cartridges he takes
out for his double-barreled gun. or in that
tfoportlon- owing 10 constant practice he
learns the habits 0f the ducks and can easily
rall them within range.
The market hunter is not forced by lack of
vi he
could make just good a living in the grain
field he can shooting these game birds
Some people think because the duck is A MI
f11s+ t5,s - 1slIstt tts nc Isser L alI1lnishes
ten birds killed that ends their produc-
uveness at once. When this number is mutt
piled by thousands il is easy 10 see where the
II New York and other Eastern States the
authorities have stopped the sale OF ducks IN
was taken es the birds were becoming extinct
ana decisive measures were necessary to save
mus be s1se+eS ~ sss,-5,,s, S.eh legislati4n
cucks ana other game birds OF IN ten wears
from now persons viii have TO pay s. for
canFasback, the price now charged in the East
To save the ducks believe the open season
should De from October 10 March / The
sportsrnsn should be limited 70 bag Of hfty
IN one day as al present. The markets should
be allowed 70 sell ducks IN any quantity dur
ing October and November. and no birds sbof,id
be sold IN the other months OF the season The
market hunters should be permitted 20 kin
ducks only during the months OF October ava
November FOR the next two years with q onn
no larger than ten gauge bore
The state allows only SD 500 for the nrotec-
TOD OF its game. This should be increased to
kp0OOO Michigan, State hardly as large as
some counties IN California allows $40 mo ,or
lhe protection and propagation Of its game
The increased allowance would be readfiT, FeIt
throughout the State, the commission is rer
forming wonders with its present small al
lOwance a
The regulations quail are good The val
ley Quai was almost eXterminated when fbe
law preventing sale OF the great littie b5rde
was passed They have multiplied wonderfully
since then. -''
The season on mountain quail should be onsn
september 1 instead OF October l. as at ureser,
the young birds being mstured at the forrne,
cate. the habits OF the birds being d,ffe-er,
from those Of the valley quail There sre
only three weeks in September when sboottng
ls possible. This is the time when thev frs-si
from the breeding grounds in the high Sierrss
into the foothills
The English snipe, the gamest bird known
except the woOdcock. is not protected excerli
~ the limit Of twenty-five 10 the gun eaeh
cay The close season. OF which there is none
now, should be from February l 10 August
For striped bass the close season Should he
N January instead Of June. The law SAYS
the meshes Of the nets used shall be seven ana
3 half inches The fishermen are using in
many instances, nets OF two and a half inch
mesh The fish N o,,d