The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-09-13
LAWS FOR THE HUNTER
Changes In Statutes For the
Protection of Game.
FEW HAVE BEEN MADE THIS YEAR

Mississippi the Only State to Make
Any Noteworthy Change-Some Now
Have Sweeping Sale Laws-Practice
License Spreading-Where Seasons
Have Changed.
With the coming of the first touch of
cool weather there Is a general over
hauling of gun rooms. Sportsmen who
have stayed in their offices all through
the hot months begin to think of the
birds and the elusive, gun shy deer
that are becoming more and more diff
ficult to kill every year, writes the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Evening Post. In large part Of
the United States Sept marks the
opening of the hunting season. In the
south the season begins later, and here
and there the embargo on certain game
is lifted a little earlier.
Every year marks an advance in
game protection in practically all of
the states. There have been very few
changes this year. Most of the game
laws that We're in effect in the United
States and Canada last season remain
in force, as only fourteen states and
eight Canadian provinces held legisla-
tive sessions this year. -Four of these
Ohio. British Columbia, New Bruns-
wick and Ontario-leave their game
laws unchanged, and the others passed
Il few statutes.
OF the states Mississippi was the
only one to make any noteworthy
changes. The legislature decided to
abandon its old system of separate
county laws and adopt general game
law with provisions uniform through
out the entire state. In taking this ac-
ton Mississippi followed the example
recently set by Virginia and Tennes-
see. This new law is thoroughly mod
ern and framed ON the lines of the best
game laws now in operation. 1t pro-
vides for the appointment of a game
warden, establishes a twenty dollar
nonresident license fee and prohibits
all sale and export of game.
BY prohibiting all sale Of protected
game Mississippi has taken an advanc-
ed position. The only other states
whose sale laws are as sweeping are
Michigan Minnesota, Missouri, Ar
kansas, Kansas, Texas, Montana and
Arizona. The Massachusetts legisla-
ture enacted some important amend
ments to its sale laws One prohibits
the sale of imported quail except in
November and December. Another
cuts off the sale of imported ducks
in the close season, and third pro-
hibits all sale of prairie chickens and
sharp tailed grouse. These laws will
abolish the market for game illegally
shipped from several western states.
The establishment of game warden
service in Mississippi leaves Alabama,
Arkansas and Texas the only states in
the Union unprovided with such spe-
cial police protection.
The practice of charging nonresident
hunters license Is spreading through
out the United States. 1t was not so
sSAAo
where without paying fee for the
privilege, but the increasing number
of hunters each season has made it
necessary for the states to adopt some
such plan to obtain a revenue for the
maintenance of the protection service
that many of them have put into opera
ton. Few changes have been made
in 10 In 1of 70
shooting seasons this year. Besides
the new twenty dollar licenses in Mis-
sissippi, South Carolina established a
twenty-five dollar nonresident county
license, and few minor changes were
made by Maryland in the license re.
qulrements in Prince George and Som
erset counties.
Seasons for the following game have
been changed: Deer in New York,
snipe, cranes and waterfowl in Louisi-
ana, wood ducks and pheasants in
Massachusetts and upland game in
South Carolina. In addition to these
changes, Virginia removed all protec-
ton from robin snipe, surf birds, GER
tain plover and curlew, and Maryland
altered several seasons in Allegany,
Anne Arundel, Cecil. Garrett, Hartford,
Prince George and Somerset counties
and on the Patuxent river.
A large number of bills relating to
game and game protection were con-
sidered by congress last winter, and
four, all relating to game preserves,
were passed. These authorized the
lease of $500 acres in South Dakota
for buffalo pasture, established a game
refuge in the Grand canyon forest pre-
serve in Arizona, prohibited hunting in
the District of Columbia except in the
eastern branch and the west side of
the Potomac and prohibited trespass
on bird reservations.