The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-01
LICENSES ISSUED
 TO 22l HUNTERS
Many Bridgeporters Out Today After
 Partridge and Quail
LATTER ARE VERY SCARCE

LATTER ARE VERY SCARCE It is probable that 200 Bridgeport
 hunters roam the woods and fields to- day seeking first shots at quail and
 partridge. Yesterday 15O licenses to hunters were granted by the town clerk. The total number of licenses was thus increased to 231. All but 228 are nonresident licenses which retail at SIPS. But Town Clerk Weber d&s- posed of a nonresident license mark ed at $1O25 and an aliens license, at
 $15.25.
 Most of these people were intending to take advantage of the first chance to shoot partridge, which came to-day. The law has been off since August 31 on shore birds, plover, snipe, sand pipers. gallinules and mud-hens and since September Il on rail. To-day
 the law goes off on quail, wood-cock, partridge, pheasants, wild-ducks, with the exception of wood-ducks, geese,
 brant, swans, gray squirrels, wild hares and rabbits. The warm open winter, followed by the cool summer has been of exceeding value to the birds in their breeding. The quail have not yet recovered from the severe winter of a few years
 back. when practically all of the young
 
 and result they are still scarce.
 Hunters have a sort of agreement among themselves to practically let these birds alone this year. The Gen. eral Assembly at its last session pass ed law prohibiting any person from
 killing CT having in his possession
 more than five quail in any one day
 or, more than thirty-six in any one year.
 Partridge are reported to be numer- GUS. The wild duck and geese hunt ing will not be at it's best until the last of October, and the first of No vember, when the birds commence to go South. The impression seems to
 nave gained ground that a law was
 passed allowing owners and 1essees of real estate to snare birds on lands
 owned or leased by them. Such is not he fact. however, the law in that re-
 spect remaining the same. But a law was passed as follows:
 "Every person who shall, upon any
 land not owned by him or of which he is not the legal occupant, set. place, or locate any trap or snare for the pur-
 pose of taking any wild animal, with
 out having first obtained the consent
 of the owner or legal occupant of said land. shall be fined not more than $50, or imprisoned not more than thirty
 days, or both.'' This permits owners or lessees of land to use Snares or to give permission to others to use snares for the purpose of taking wild ami mals, but does not permit the snaring of birds. Sl la
 Another law of interest to hunters and trappers is the one prohibiting any person from setting, placing or locating any trap or snare of any kind
 with any scented bait or scent. The law has prohibited the use of scented
 bait for several years and the trap pers have been using scent instead on their traps with good result and this forbids that practice.
 The hunting of wood duck has been
 stopped, a close season for the birds
 being established to August 31, 1910.
 penalty of a fine of not less than
 $5 is provided for any person who shall hunt, take, kill or attempt to
 kill any wood duck during the close
 season.
 The hunting of mink is permitted the year round, the law which estab- lished a close season for mink and otter from April 1 to October 31, both inclusive, having been amended to
 read as follows: 'The close season for otter shall be from April 1 to Oc- tober 31, both inclusive. No person
 shall shoot, kill, trap or take any ot- ter during the close season, except on
 the land of the person taking the same when such otter is destructive to the poultry or other property of such per son.
 The killing of any Hungarian par fridge before October 1, 1910, has been prohibited. After October 1, 1910, the close season on Hungarian partridge will be from December 1 to September 30, both inclusive.
 The law concerning the taking of wild fowl has been changed to read as follows: "Wild ducks, geese, brant, and swans shall not be taken except
 with a gun fired at arms length with out rest. They shall not be fired at T,rnnaJ1ad nfharxyiSn n by hand, or from any oating device used to conceal the hunter, if more than fifty feet from the shore or nat ural growth or grass or ags. They shall not be taken in the night sea- | son from an hour after sunset until an hour before sunrise.'' This puts an end to a favorite method of hunting wild fowl with the motor boat, and
 also forbids the use of blinds.
 The grey squirrel law is, about the same, but an amendment has been made to it permitting the selectmen of any town, upon the written appli- cation of twenty electors of said town to forbid the hunting or killing of any gray squirrel within the limits of such | town.
 The use of ferrets in hunting rab- bits and wild hares is permitted by | the following law, from December | to January 15, both inclusive: The close season for wild hares and rab-
 bits shall be from January 15 to Sep | tember 30, both inclusive; provided however, that no person shall hunt or take any wild hare or rabbit in any other manner than with dog and fer ret or either, between the first day of December and January 15, both in- clusive" This extends the season for
 hunting rabbits from the first day of December to January Is, but also re- stricts the manner in which they shall be hunted during this time to the use of a dog or ferret.