The San Francisco call., 1908-12-27
GAME LAW CHANGES
ADVOCATED BY
SPORTSMEN
Concerted Action 10 Securs
Needed Legislation 10 Cor
rect Evils Is Urged
BY Frank O'DonneH

By Frank O'DOuneH
With the time for the meeting OF
the state legislature drawing near it
behooves the gun clubs members and
the sporting associations of the state
in general to take some concerted action
toward securing legislative enact
ment that will remedy many existing
Ills in the game laws. Lack of con-
certed action in the past has been re-
sponsible for the defeat of several
measures that would have proved bene-
fetal t0 the people of the state. who
are the actual owners of the game. on
the other hand the apathy of sports
men has been equally responsible for
bills going through that worked a
benefit to some sections Of the state
and hardship on others
In fixing the dates for the opening on
the shooting season for protected gamt
it would seem that lobbyists at thay
state capitol and even the law makers
7 themselves had an eye only to their
own constituencies, for it is well known
the state law when the birds are nest
| ing or are nothing more than dedglngS
In some sections.
ADVOCATE NEW LAW
AS the sportsmen OF the different
parts of the state clash whenever "A
I
suggested, 1t seems impossible to strike
a happy medium, and for this reason
there are many who advocate the pass
age or law foroiddlng the Killing
of quail for period of several years.
The advocates of this measure are
more numerous around San Francisco
than elsewhere and they point TO the
scarcity of game in some of the bay
counties in support Of their position.
1t is argued that in Alameda and
Contra Costa counties, where the game
was once abundant. quail shooting is a
thing OF the past except In a few 1So-
lated canyons seldom penetrated BY
conditions will exist all over the state
in time, unless some radical change is
made in the present laws.
Local hunters. however. are more in
tereSted in securing change in the
laws governing the shooting of wild
ducks than in any other kind of game.
ducks alone may be marketed and tho
proposition to reduce the bag limit
from So 10 25 is meeting with general
the marketing of ducks unlawful is.
however, meeting with strong OppO-
sition- On one side are aligned the
are the market hunters, the commits
sion merchants and the poultry deal
/ erS.
DUCKS LESS PLENTIFUL
The .sportsmen allege that ducks are
becoming less plentiful every year and
therefore need additional protection.
while those interested in the sale OF
game contend that it would be an in
/ justice to the general public IL none
but those who can afford the time and
expenditure OF money for hunting trips
were allowed TO satisfy their appetite
for the succulent wild fowl.
There is some talk of attempting to
put legal check upon the operations
/ of hunters who are killing ducks with
/ big bore and swivel guns on the bay
/ This questionable form of sport has
been source of great annoyance TO
hunters on the upper reaches Of San
Pablo this season Pot hunters and
I game hogs have been chasing the
/ fiOcks around the bay in launches
/ equipped with swivel guns and resem-
| bling miniature gunboatS. manning
\ fully many birds they kill This
practice has a tendency TO drive the
game away from that part OF the bay
and should be stopped If possible. as
birds are plentiful enough to insure "A
/ bountiful supply for every one without
indiscriminate slaughter.
/ CONDITIONS IDEAL
The cold weather has made condi-
/ tiOnS for duck hunting ideal around
( the bay, and local powder burners have
4 found shooting on the bay shores and
on the marsh areas productive or good
results. Gun club members and inde-
I pendent scout hunters alike are enjoy
/ ing excellent sport and limit bags are
reported from all sections every day
Members of the Newman. GuStine. West
Side, Los Banos and other clubs i'm the
San joaquin valley report shooting
good. Results are gratifying on the
preserves on the Suisun marsh. and
/ glowing reports continue to come to
hand from the Kubler club preserve at
/ Mount Eden and that OF the Empire
! club at Elkhorn.
At the preserves in the valley around
Los Banos spoonbills, widgeon and teal
predominant in the bags, there being
hardly any canvasbacks and but few
sprig in evidence. Ed Lippold of the
Kubler club said that around Mount
Eden there were more sprig than any
thing else, with sprinkling of teal and
wiGge0n.
On the southern bay Off Millbrae and
Redwood City and also on the shores
of San Pablo bay. canvaSback were in
abundance and in both regions limit
/ bags were obtained with ease by many
/ hunters. Eight members OF the Empire
gun club shot over their preserve at
ElkhOrn last Sunday getting an aver
age OF 80 birds each. Jim Sweeney get
ting the limit on canvasbacks and +. s.
Judah, j. b. Hauer and j. Peltier get
ting mixed limit bags in about two
little attention to the small ducks. their
bags consisting chiefly OF cans and
sprig.
The recent cold weather froze up
many small ponds In the San Joaquin
valley and in the Suisun marsh. and the
ducks which had been scattered all
over the country after the heavy rains
bay and~on the deep ponds of the pre-
serves, which accounts for the uniform
success of hunters.
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