The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-03
l.AE GAME LAW
INTERESTING SUN1MAR 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 receipt
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 subject
all over South Carolina. The So
ciety has requested that extra copies
be returned. Requests have come
also from other States. To make
the principal points clear the follow
ing is a summary of the more i'm
portanr 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, branl,
wild ducks, rails (marsh hensJ,
coots, gallinules, surf birds, snip,,
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) hens
were put on this list, nor why Mon
golian, or ring-necked, pheasants and
ruffed grouse were left off. Ther3
are no prairie chickens in South
Carolina; whereas there ar e both
Mongolian pheasants and ruffeI
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 meth
Cd which the law allows.
NOn-game 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 misdemeanor
to have in possession any part Of
Inorganic bird, such as feathers,
body or 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 al wild birds, whether
resident or migratory, in this State,
shall be, and are hereby, declared
t. be the property of the State.
That is the law of South Carolina.
Birds That Are Excepted.
The act further recites that the
English sparraw, cooper's hawk (the
chicken or hen hawk, the sharp
Skinned hawk known locally as the
Blue Darter"J, 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 Tie
nests or eggs of these birds protec!
ed
A person is allowed 10 kill crows
on his premises if they are Destroy
ing crops, but he is not allowed to
sell them or their feathers.
No non-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 ot
the age of Is or upward, who IS
properly accredited, permitting the
holder to collect birds and their eggs
for scientificofi cmfwypshrdlurdluk
for strictly scientific purposes. The
applicant must be endorsed by two
well known ornithologists, and 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 500 or
80 days imprisonment.
It will be seen that no woman has
the right to wear the feathers Of a
non-game bird ON her hat; it Is an
indictable offense under the laws Of
South Carolina and it might be added
that 1t is an indictable offense un-
der the laws of almost every civilized
country in the world. There ar:
5O,OOO,0U0 birds used up In the
plume trade of Europe every year,
these birds being imported FROM
Asia, Africa and Polynesia. Mary
species have become extinct through
this savage slaughter.
The Open Season for Game.
According to the act of 1906 sea-
son for shooting partridges, wild
turkey, woodcock, Monaghan or
other pheasant is made from No
vember Is to March l, with the ex-
ception Of the following counties:
Beaufort, Hampton. Dorcheste',
Colleton, Charleston, Barnwell, Berl:-
ley Aiken, Oconee, Fairfield, Saluda,
Georgetown and Clarendon.
These counties have from Nc
vember 1 to April I. Lexington was
formerly among the excepted coun-
ties, but has been taken up and the
season there is from November Is
10 March l.
The deer season is from September
! to January /, but the law appIl.s
only to Georgetown county. The
rest are from August to February
Game Birds Not 10 BE Sold.
The act OF 1906 makes it q mis-