Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-02-21

KEIs-A QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION.
Just what the laws ought to be in re-
gard to partridges, quails and other
game birds is a question that doubtless
has more than one side to it, as is the
case with most questions. The game
laws are not uniform in the several New
England states and they are so liable to
changes from year to year that one needs
to consult the statutes often to avoid
danger of prosecution in case one is
tempted to seek game dinner from the
woods, even though the woods be part
of the homestead farm. All laws ought
to be based on justice as far rs possible
and in accordance with good common
sense. AS boy have enjoyed setting
and tending snares in the fall of the
year. Some of the first money l ever
earned was for game caught. in snares
set in my fathers woodland, and at
that time had heard of no law in regard
to such game. would no more think
of destroying young birds of the woods
at that time than would have thought
of killing my chickens before they were
of market size. We usually began to
set snares in September at the time the
leaves were falling from the trees. At
that time none of our neighbors object
ed to having snares set in their woods,
but i soon learned that hunters disliked
snareS and would destroy them when
ever found. / also learned later that
laws had been enacted in our state re-
stricting the setting of snareS. also
learned little later that partridgeS
do much harm in winter to
apple orchards that are near tracts of
woodland. An orchard that l planted
from trees raised from the seed when
| was boy became so badly injured
every hard winter by the disbudding of
partridges that l had to dig out the
trees and use the land for other purposes,
aud this after the trees had been in bear
ing several years and were nearly at
their best as producers. l used to sit
out in the orchard many cold hours
waiting to get shot at the birds that
came out to the trees between sunset
and dark When l could get two or
three in an evening it was fun that
would pay for being rather cold, but
when night after night had to go home
empty handed, the fun wasn't there.
After a few years of unsuccessful war
fare against the birds was not sorry
when | saw hunters with their dogs
out the birds in the autumn.
Towards the quail felt differently.
They seemed like domeSticated birds as
they travelled over the open fields and
doubtless did much good in destroying
insects that would be injurious to farm
and garden crops. l never could have
forgiven a hunter for shooting at flock
ON our premises.
suppose many of our game laws, or
at least the spirit of them, are based on
ideas and customs which have been
handed down from our European an
cestors who lived in an age when most
of the land was owned BY kings or their
favorites and before common farmers
were allowed to own the land they cult
waited. Hunting has always been
fayorite amusement for people in au-
thority, sometimes it is wild game but
not unfrequently human beings. Con-
ditions are somewhat different now in
this country, but it is not easy to get
entirely away from old ideas and Gus
toms. | sometimes have thought as
have watched the movements and heard
the remarks of some of our modern
policemen when following out 'clew"
that they were fully as much interested
i'm the hunt as in the prospect OF i'm
proving the condition OF society by their
achievements in ''landing" the game.
IL fish and game of various kinds are
useful to community then it is evident
that the public should have the power
to protect them for the benefit of the
public, just as the public should have
the power to cause the destruction OF
Injurious insects, weeds or diseases
among human beings aud dOmesticated
animals. 1t is not an easy matter to
formulate laws that will bear evenly on
the public and be just to all. It would
seem that after man had bought and
paid for farm including woodland, that
he ought to have control over what
ever grows upon the soil or is found
upon it. But game birds which We're
hatched and grew up chiefly on my land
NAV also roam over the lands of my
neighbor, and II have an ownership in
them because found on my premises
then by the same rule my neighbor can
claim and shoot them when they roam
over his lands. So the law inclines to
recognize game birds as free plunder.
But not SO with flock of turkeys that
roam over and obtain their living on
perhaps a dozen different farms, even
when that living consists largely Of corn
shelled from the ears standing in the
field. In practice it is often found that
a flock of turkeys belonging to a neigh
Dor may be doing me more good destroy
ing grasshoppers and crickets than they
harm me by feeding on the corn late in
the season. Neighborly neighbors do
not often have much i'll feeling in regard
10 turkeys that roam over cultivated
fields. suppose according to the let
ter of the law in Massachusetts an in
iured party can, by written notice,
oblige neighbor to contine all poultry
to his own premises, or be liable to fines
for such neglect.
In Northern New England the game
laws are getting unpopular among the
farmers who yearly suffer loss of crops
from the sportsman's herds Of deer. 1t
seems perfectly plain to me that the
game laws are far more to the interest OF
sporting men than to either the farmer
or the public as whole. As they now
exist in some of the states they are
temptation to farmers to become law
breakers.
lam sure that l should have to pray
often not to be led into temptation II
found a herd of deer every morning
tramping down and eating the grain in
nv fields. The game laws certainly
need overhauling in the interest OF the
farmers whose crops are being destroy
ed by protected birds and animals
Just how the laws should be changed il
a question that may need much earnest
thought. The matter should be dis
cussed freely in oranges and farmers
clubs in order that some agreement may
be reached in regard TO what should bt
demanded of our law makers. Right II
| line with such discussion will naturally
come in the laws relating to dogs whiol
are such menace to the sheep industry
Some men say that there are dog law
enough now if they were only put IL
Il eo-oa porhans that in true but thu