The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-11-04

could not stand the great drain upon Il.
game resources. Only within few
years have the authorities taken up liz
subject of 1eple4ishing the game. and
before any move in this direction wai
made the protection was quite insaiei
ent.
A class Of foreigners came in who had
not the slightest respect for the law. Men
and boys killed everything at any time.
A wren's life was as unsafe as that Of
drowsy rabbit-siting in its form in Aug
ust and bunch Of quails dusting in thu
road was fair meat for the pot-hunter.
This is true to this day IN isolated cases.
but the severe punishment weighed out
has done much to diminish the slaughter
Of song birds and the killing Of game ous
of season.
The exaetion Of a cunning license rus
persons living outside Of the State was
a retaliatory measure. but its good effect
is already apparent, especially in the ii.
crease Of quail and cottcntails. Two ex
tremely severe winters in succession have
probably minimized this efect, but thu
prospects this fall are extraordinar.x
good. if reports from various parts Of ths
State are correct. From all parts Of the
State the reports indicate that rabbits
have thriyen amazingly this year. aas
the indications for quail Shooting art
quite promising, especially in Monmouth
and Ocean COUNTIES. Somerset gsInrers
say that these birds are al least tw.ee
as numerous as they were at tie open.
ing Of the season of 1904. Buekwheat
patches in Passaie county haze been
robbed by the quails, if the owners can
be believed
husted grouse appear to be in aboul
the usual numbers Man is the least q,
the enemies Of this wary bird. If suf.
fers more from disease and parasites
than from the shotgun. for fhe soph;sti.
Gated Jersey grouse puzzles all but tlit
most expert of the present day gunner
and it is good man who bags one il
four shots. They have Inherited man1
cunning and puzzling tricks and really
seem to enjoy playing them on their pur.
suers. A wise Jersey grouse viii rise
with whirr after the gunner has passed
and dodge behind a tree. keeping it be.
tween his precious body and the gunners
view until out Of gunshot
The greatest drawback to cunning II
New Jersey is the increased acreage o5
posted property. In Passaie. Bergen.
Morris and Sussex counties large ma.
jority of the acreage is advertised against
Cunning or trespassing. Large areas are
leased by clubs or preserved by individs
nal owners, and in these counties thers
is little free shooting ground. Warren
and Hunterdon are said to be over sew
enty per cent. free, and there is little
land posted in Monmouth county, except
along the shore. Ocean county is almost
entirely free shooting ground. Essex ana
Union are almost out of the question,
except for popping over rabbits in opeI
lots. Hudson does not count either, and
Mercer county is pretty well staked on
by private owners, while Burlington
county presents a great expanse Of fret
shooting, with little game to the squar,
mile. It was said by an old gunner las
year that man would have to trave'
forty miles up the Laekawanna railroad
to find anything better than ''no tres
pass sign to FIRE load of shot at.
South Jersey will afford some fns
shooting this year, it is said, but few
Trentonians think of going there fo.
quails or rabbits. 1t seems like foreign
country to people from this end Of th
state. and they have long been reconeil
ed to giving it up to Philadeiphians. VIII,
formerly made laws for the regulation oi
shooting in Salem, Gloucester, Cumber
land and Cape May counties.
1t is possible TO yet some excellen
quail shooting along the line of the Cam
den and Amboy division Of the Penn
sylyania Railroad this year. and ALIENS
the Freehold and Jamesburg and New
Jersey Southern road IN Monmouth ant
Ocean counties. The High BriGe
branch of the Central offers attraction
also.
No matter where you so It s alwav
good to be polite to land owners. che.
orders and avoid destroying property