Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-11-05
THE GAME LAWS NOW IN
FORCE.
Interesting Summary Prepared b.
Secretary Jas. n. Rice, Jr.

Interesting summary prepared Dy
Secretary Jas. h. Rice, Jr.
From The Columbia State.
The Audubon Society is in receipt
of requests daily for copies of t'e'
game laws. These cannot be supplied
since the issue has been exhausted,
giving conclusive evidence of the in
terest felt i'll the subject all over
South Carolina. The society has re-
-questod that extra copies be returned.
Requests have come also from other
States. To make the principal points
clear the following is summary of
the more important laws as prepared
by Secretary Jas. Henry Rice, Jr
Gamo 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 (marsh hens). coots,
gallinules, surf birds, snipe. wood
cock, quail, (partridge), rice bird,
black bird, dove, snnd-pipers, upland
plover, curlew, wild turkey and pa
irre chicken.
prairie (pinnated grouse) hens were
put on this list, nor why Mongolian,
or ring-necked pheasants and ruffed
grouse were left off There are no
prairie chickens in South Carolina ;
whereas there are both MoAyolian
pheasants and ruifed grouse. but
such is the law.
The above birds may be shot in
the seasons permitted by law, or
taken IN those seasons by any method
which the law allows.
Nongame Birds.
All birds not on this list are non
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 msdemeanor to
have In possession any part of nom
game bird, such as feathers, body or
skin; and it is equally against the
law whether such bird was killed
within or without the State.
The State Owns the Birds.
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 Exempted.
The act further recitcs that the
English sparrow, cooper's hawk (the
chicken or hen hawk), the sharp
Skinned hawk (known locally as the
Blue Darter''0, the great horned
owl and all other birds which are by
nature destructive of other birds, are
not included among the birds pro-
tected by this act. nor are the nests
or eggs of these birds protected.
A person is allowed to kill crows
on his premises if they are destroy
ing crops, but he is not allowed to
sell them or their feathers.
No non-gamc 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 person of
the age of 10 or upward. who is
properly accredited, permitting the
holder to collect birds and their eggs
Tor strictly scientific purposes The
applicant must be endorsed by two
well known ornithologists, ard if it
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 800 or
800 days' Imprisonment.
IT will be seen that no woman has
the right to wear the feather of n
non-game bird on her hat: it is an
indictable offense ur der the laws ct
South Carolina, and it might be add
ed that it is or indictable offensc