Connecticut western news., 1911-03-09
IOB'S COUNSEL
State ornlthoIogist Asks sportsmen to
 Let Up.

State OrnltnoloRlSt ASKS SpoTtSFnen 10
 Let Up.
 At present there are some eleven diff ferent bills introduced into the Legisla- ture to extend the legal season for shoot ing wild ducks and geese. The present law closes the season Jan. 1, but these bills would extend It to February, March, or April. One of the duties of the State Ornithologist, Mr. H. K. Job, is to net in advisory capacity to legislation affect ing bird life.
 He writes in part 1t is a matter of common knowledge that there has been in the Inst two or three years a notable increase in the abundance of wild ducks in our State, particularly on the coast and up the principal rivers. This fall and winter there has been the biggest increase of all, The only assignable cause, as generally admitted, is the abol- ition of late winter and spring shooting. i Why, then, should we undo this success. i ful policy, just as it is beginning to show splendid results?
 There is more apparent reason for ex tending the open season for one month, to Feb. 1, as the ducks probably do not mate till February. However, do not I consider this advisable. For most game there is already too much shooting, and the general policy is for restriction rather than extension. In Oonneoticut we now have open season for duck for one.third of the year, and even on the coast there are ducks for two months and a half of this period. To the proposal made to swap September for January all the up- State sportsmen would object, for obvi- ous reasons, and they are in the great majority. If we should extend the sea- son to Feb, 1, at the next session there would be demand from certain class for March 1, and so on.
 Eleven states of the Onion, nearly one- quarter. have lined up for stopping all shooting on Jan. 1. .s'.
 As it is even. now, we are coming pretty near to making the New England coast and Long Island Sound a game preserve and wildfowl refuge. Nearly all the States close the shooting season with the New Year. New Hampshire, with but tiny strip of coast, allows one month longer. Rhode Island is our one conspicuous retrograde sinner, allowing shooting to April l,-muoh as we in | Connecticut ignorantly did until recently up to May 1, before which date would find the eggs of our black ducks and wood ducks already lad.
 The complaint has been that the ducks hitherto have stayed out at sea and did not tend inshore till after Jan. l-that is to say, till the persecution had ceasedl Now that the ducks have been having more of square deal, last fall they came inshore approximately early, aud there was some good broad.bill shooting even in October. Down in the Carolinas they say that the prosecuted ducks arc now getting the habit of staying out at sea each day till after dark, depriving the gunners of their opportunities. These States give them no protection at all, and such would serve them right.
 Sportsmen friends, l have as much sporting blood in my veins as anyone, and have frosted my fingers and toes many tune lying on my back in an open dory ont on the wintry sea-, wait tug for fowl Bat let's restrain our en- thusiasm bit. aud sacrifice little for the general good In the end we shall all be better off, and have more and last ing sport. Let the law stand as it is.