The Washington herald., 1909-08-15
OPEN SEASON NEAR
District Hunters Await Bird
Shooting Time.
HARBoR PATROL IS WATCHFUL
From Now Until Game Laws Are
Suspended, September L, Police Ex-
pect AInny violation of the ReEu-
Iations-Rfver Marshes Prove Most
Attractive TO the SpOrtsmen.

With the approach Of September local
hunters and sportsmen are waiting i'm
patiently for that seemingly distant Dis
trict game season TO open To them II
seems a long time coming. Those guns
which have been swabbed recently. time
and again. in preparation for future sport.
viii doubtless receive numerous similar
applications. If the present fretfuD long
ings are not hurriedly answered.
The law. IN part. states:
That no person shall at any time or
at any place in the District Of Colum-
bia XIII any game bird. or any other wild
/ bird whatever, except the English spar
row, under d penalty of s. or imprisOn-
rnent in the workhouse for not more than
six months. or BOTH for each bird killed
| or for each attempt as aforesaid; pro-
yided that land owners or tenants may.
under special written permit from the
Superintendent Of the metropolitan police.
shoot or kill crows. cooper hawks. and
great horned owls found destroying crops
or poultry on their premises"
Congress Makes Provisions.
But further Congress provides that
nothing in the above section shall pre-
vent the hunting of game birds on the
marshes Of the Anacostia River. or East
ern Branch, north OF the Anacostia
bridge. and on the marshes OF the Vir-
| ginia shore Of the Potomac River. eass
Of the Aqueduct Bridge
| provided, that said birds are not hunt
ed within 200 yards OF any bridge or
| dwelling"
The season begins on September !. and
| lasts through March.
From the middle Of August until the
| opening OF the season the vigilant force
Of the harbor patrol Is kept ever on the
alert Tor violators OF the law. With the
| appearance OF the blackbirds about this
| time the overzealous miscreants repair
| 20 the freQuented districts and commence
the destruction Of the birds A little
later, when the wild oats ripen on the
flats and marshes, reedbirds appear in
large numbers.
Most Orderly Season.
Last season was one OF the greatest
successes for many years. Up until the
last day Of the ante-season no violation
was committed. A patrol was sent out
early in the morning, before the break
OF day, in the quest OF violators. In
| previous years sharp and repeated cracks
>
ners could not be located. but during the
time preceding the season Of 1908 only
one such report was heard, and that
under amusing circumstances.
/ I II was August 81. the day before the
| opening OF the season when Sergt Dean,
OF the Harbor precinct took DR. s T.
Palmer. OF the Department OF Agricul-
ture. who, with Mai Sylvester, the Dis
trict game warden takes unusual inter-
est in the protection OF the birds. on a
trip OF inspection up the Eastern Branch.
| The sergeent was remarking 20 DIT.
Palmer what a successful and orderly
Iante-season II had been. and both were
congra tulating each other on the fact
/ when they were awakened from their
pleasant dreams 10 an unwelcome reality
reports OF shooting OF the Anacosta
marshes. Though the offender was caught
and punished. the season was prevented
from being the success il promised Dur
ing the season proper very few arrests
we're made for shooting in unlawful To-
calities.