The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-11-04
THE GAME LAW
INTERESTING sCSnNAR Y PRE-
PARED By SEC. RICE.

The Game Birds and Non-game
Birds Defined By the Statutes
Which Are Very Rigid.
The Audubon society is in receip,
Of request daily for copies of the
game laws. These can not be sup
| piled since the issue has been ex-
hausted, giving conclusive evidence
Of the interest felt in the subjee:
all over South Carolina. The go
ciety has requested that extra copies
be returned. Requests have come
also from other States. TO make
the principa! points clear the follow
ing is a summary of the more i'm
portant laws as prepared by Secre-
tary Jas. Henry Rice, Jr.
Game Birds.
The statute of 1905, passed two
years before the Audubon society was
Chartered, defines what are game
birds and what are not. The game
birds are: Swans, wild geese, brant,
wild ducks, rails (raarsh hens),
coots, gallinules, surf birds, suip..
woodcock. quail (partridge!). rice
bird black bird, dove, sand-pipers.
upland ploVer, curlew, wild turkey
and prairie chicken.
1t is not known to the society
why prarie (pinnated grouse} hem
were put on this list. nor why Mon
goiian, or ring-necked, pheasants and
rufed grouse were left of. Ther&
are NO prairie chickens in South
Carolina; whereas there ar e both
Aongolian pheasants and rufet
grouse, but such is the law.
The above birds may be shot n
the seasons permitted by law, or
taken in those seasons: by any meth
Cd which the law allows.
Non.gane Birds.
All birds not on this list are no..
game birds within the meaning of
the law and may not be killed at any
time; nor may their nests or eggs
be destroyed. 1t is a misdemeanor
to have in possession any part Of &;
non-game bird, such as feathers,
body OF skin; and it is equally
against the Law whether such was
killed within or without the State.
In the preamble to this act it is
stated: That all wild birds, whether
resident or migratory. in this State,
shall be, and are hereby, declared
to be the property Of the State.
That is the law Of South Carolina.
Birds That Are Excepted. 8
The act further recites that the
English sparraw, cooper's hawk tthe
chicken or hen hawk, the sharp
Skinned hawk (llnown locall.>as the
Blue Darter"), the great horned
owl and all other birds which are BY
nature destructive Of other birds,
are not included among the birds
protected by this act, nor are The
nests or eggs Of these birds protect,
ed.
A person is allowed to kill crows
on his premises.if they are Destroy
ing crops. but he Is not allowed to
Sc them or their feathers.
Nc ncn-game bird may be shipped
out Of the State nor may the eggs
or feathers Of such bird be shipped.
For Scientific Purposes.
Certificates may be granted By the
secretary of State to any preson 0;
the age Of 10 or upward. who Is
properly accredited, permitting the
holder to collect tirds aad their eggs
for scientifcofi cnfwypshcdlurdluE
for strictly scientific purposes. Tne
applicant must be endorsed by two
we'll known ornithologists. and II Ii
is proved that the holder has taken
birds for other than scientific pur.
poses his certificate will be at once
Cancelled and not renewed. Besides
he will be liable to fine OF s100 or
80 days Imprisonment.
It will be seen that no woman has
the right to wear the feathers Of
non-gama bird on her hat: it is an
lndictable otfense under the laws o:
South Carolina and it might be added
that it is an indictable ofense IN.
der the laws of almost every civilized
country in the world. There ar:
150,000,00o birds used up in the
plume trade of Europe every year.
these birds being imported frocn
Asia, Africa aud Polynesia. Many
species have become extinct through
this savage slaughter.
The Open Season for Game.
According to the act of 1906 sea-
son for shooting partridses, wil1
turkey. woodcock. Mongo!ian or
other pheasant is made from No
yember Is to March I, with the ex~
ception of the following counties:
Beaufort. Hampton. Dorcheste'.
ColIeton, Charleston, Barnwel!, Ber!:-
lev Aiken, Oconee, Fairfield, Saluda.
Georgetown and Clarendon.
These counties have nora No
vember ! to Apri! l. Lexington vas
formerly among the excepted ccuu-
ties, but has been taken up and the
season there is from November 10
20 March ].
The Z (eer season is from Septenbe:
to January l, but the law applies