The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-01-22
GAME IN THE STATE MORE
PLENTIFUL.
Commissions Report Says That The Recent
Hunting Season Was Unusually
Good-Deer Rapidly In
creasing.

The State Game Commission has
filed its biennial report with Governor
Stone with a number of recommendd-
tons and suggestions.
The report says that the interest in
game, song and insectvorous birds
has very materially increased in this
state since the enactment of wise laws
looking to their protection. The laws
prohibiting the killing OF certain game
for sale, and shipment of all kinds of
game out of the state, and the killing
of song and insectivorous birds and
the Spring shooting OF aquatic fowl
have attained the purpose intended,
and many States and Territories and
several of the provinces OF Canada
have followed Pennsylvania's lead in
these matters.
The commission says that public
opinion is with 1t in the enforcement
OF the game laws, and 1t is materially
assisted by sportsmen and those en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits who
realize the value of the living bid.
The law requiring nonresident
hunters to paya license unless they
own property in the state has been
avoided IN a number of instances by
men who purchase a small tract OF
"wild cat land" and hunt as they
please with no license requirement.
The commission recommends an
amended law that will require the non
resident to pay the tax even though
he owns property in Pennsylvania. 1t
also suggests that the unnaturaIlzed
foreigner should be required to pay
license tee before he can hunt IN this
state, the object being to curb the
foreigners who hunt here and kill
everything they see that wears feathers.
The commission also thinks that boys
under I6 years of age should not be
allowed to handle gun of any klnd
except during the open season tor
game, as they are prone to fire at airy
kind OF bird.
Lack of funds hampered the WORK
of the commission to great extent
but it conducted its prosecutions oI
game law vlolators vigorously and Sc
cured favorable verdicts in the follow
ing cases: Deer killed out OF season.
a: other game killed out of season, 2
deer killed IN the water, I; purchase
of game 4; sale of game, 2; hunting
by non residents, I; hunting game or
Sunday, a; game in possession out o
season, 2; destroying BIRDS nests, S
ferrets killed, 3; dogs killed for run
ming deer, II.
The commission lost nine cases an(
has a number of prosecutions unde
way. IL has private information o
f ty dogs caught chasing deer an'
killed by individuals. One man re
ports having shot nineteen dogs tina
were actually in pursuit OF deer, ant
asserts that, in his opinion, more dee
are annually killed BY dogs running
at large than ale killed by the com
bined hunters of the state both in an
ont of season. Deer are rapidly IN
creasing in this state, and if the do
question is settled, as now seem
probable, hunting will be as enJoyaDl
in Pennsylvania as in any state In tn
Union. =.
The game wardens of the state dl'
covered and destroyed many dee
licks, aud found many hunting camT
in operation after the deer season a. o . h ha a
closed, the hunters claiming that the
we're hurting bears, which leads
the suggestion that the open seaso
Gov deer and bears be made the sam
The commission takes stron
ground against the shooting OF de-
with buck shot, claiming that the gan
,s wounded and wanders off to di