Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-23
kSTATEiH0USE.9
East Hampden Suffers a
Plague Of Doves.
Strange Interpretation Of Some
OF Names Game Laws.
~ kSxs~.x n
Highway com'r. Sargent Commenc.
es State Road Meetings.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR
Next Meeting of Governor and Council.
Tuesday, May 7. at 10 A. M.

| 1T is we'll nigh IMPOSSIBLE" said a
member of the Commission of Inland
FISHERIES and Game yesterday. Ito
| keep track of the transformation print
cd i'm some of the Boston papers rela-
! tive 10 fish and game matters in
Maine. Here is a misleading yarn
printed in the Boston Sunday Herald Of
| April IL
| East Hampden. Me-. April 20, 1907
| Farmers ana iCemen in this section OF
Maine are suffering from a plague of
| doves.
| ana they cannot protect themselves.
| As the ground appears above the
| snow drifts, and the farmers get out
| their seed oats for early sowing, the
| doves, which have Congregated about
| the grain stores of Bangor all winter,
| are lying intO the country, and while
eating the warm mashes put out for
| poultry, take the opportunity To look
over the farms and learn how much
land is to bc pnt into grain this year.
For four five years past The doves
| have proved Il great annoyance to
those who live near Bangor. The
| birds have made their homes In the
icehonseS along the Penobscot river,
4
broad plates of the tail buildings. and
rear a half dozen or more families
| every Summer.
"From here they forage far and wide
| among the fields, picking up the grain
| as fast as it is Sowed, so that many
| farmers cannot raise "a crop Of oats or
peas or barley, and are seeding their
plowcd land down to grass and clover.
~ l,a
| plain bitterly ana make loud protests
| against the pest of doves, because Of
| the damage they do.
"Thcre seems no way Of remedying
| the evil, because the laws Of Maine fine
| every man s. who shoots or traps or
| captures a dove which is not an inmate
| of his own doVe-cOtc. AS the Wardens
receive half the fine for making the
| complaint. and are paid for travelling
| expenses and witness fees. these Off
| calS are most Niligant."
| Continuing he said: ct is only
necessary 10 point out that there is no
close time on doves, no penalty pro-
| vided by the statutes Of this State for
killing them, the wardens have moth
| ing to DO about their protection and
receive no part of any fine. All the
w
| fish and game laws as compiled by
| Chairman Carleton of the fish and
! game commission. and is as follows:
| at is held iii all the authorities that
| doves are fcrae naturae. and as such
are not subject of larceny, except when
in the care and custody of the owner;
as when i'm a dOve-cOte or pigeon house.
| or when in the nest. before they are
able to nv. II, when thus under the
| care Of the owner. they are taken fur
| lively. it j.; larceny, . Pickering. Il. 50
| Me. Sc.
| perhaps when feeding on the
| grounds of tie proprietor. or resting on
| his barn. or other buildings, if killed
| by stranger. the owner may have
| trespass. and if the purpose be to con-
sumo them as food. and they are killed
| or caught or carried away from the
| inclosurc of the owner the act would be
larceny. S? Me. So