The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1911-08-31
GOVERNOR SMITH VETOEs MANY BILLS
Chief Executive Kills the Western and Atlantic Railway
Commission Bill, Editors Free Pass Bill and
Other Measures.
Atlanta.

AllduLd.
The game bill Of 1911 will be a law
Of the state Of Georgia.
The legislature OF 1911 has adjourn
ed, with much needful work undone.
But the game bill passed both houses
and was signed by Governor Smith.
Now let every sportsman In Georgia
rise and make his bow to the law
makers who made the law possible.
AS to the provisions OF the new
law:
1t establishes a new state depart
ment, which should be located in the
capitol building, but when Commits
sioner Mercer intends to carry way
down to Fitzgerald with him While
the bill does not specify that it must
be in the capitol, it was the spirit of
the measure that 1t be located there.
The measure provides for machinery
to carry out its provisions and to en-
force all game and fish laws. There
must be state commissioner and a
warden and deputies in each county Of
the state. Here is an excellent chance
for political machine to be built up,
and IL this is done the law might as
well be dead.
Here are the birds and animals
which the bill considers as game
Quail, commonly known as bob white,
cartridges; doves, snipe, woodcocks,
summer or wood duck, curlews, wild
turkeys, grouse, pheasant, deer and
squirrels.
The howl that was made by those
who feared that the bill would forbid
them to hunt possums at night was
ridiculous. The law provides only that
no game bird or animal shall be hunt
ed at night and the posssum Is not
game under this act.
Note the near seasons.
Here are the seasons: Quail, from
December / to March /; doves, De-
cember / to March i; wild turkey
gobblers and plovers, December to
March 1; snipe, December 1 to May /;
woodcock or wood or summer duck,
from December to January 1; buck
deer, fox squirrels and gray squirrels,
from October / to January /.
The killing of wild hen turkey or
roe or fawn deer for period of five
years is prohibited.
There must be no hunting of quail,
doves, snipe, woodcock, turkey, plo-
vers or wood or summer duck on
Thanksgiving day. The seasons for
all of these begins on December l..
Deer and squirrels only can be hunt
ed on Thanksgiving day. This change
in the season may seem bit hard at
first, but it was deemed wise to make
It on account Of the number of young
birds slaughtered on the days of
thanks and during the month of No
vember.
No one person may kill more than
three buck deer nor more than three
wild turkey gobblers during one sea-
son. No person may kill more than
25 quail or other game bird except
doves and snipe in one day, and may
only kill 40 doves or snipe.
The sale of game is prohibited. The
purchase of game is also prohibited,
and healthy fine or changing sem
tence is provided for the violators of
this provision. The measure also pro-
hibits the shipping of game either
without the limits of the state or from
county to county, except where hun
tiers accompany the game which they
themselves have killed.
Each nonresident hunter must pay a
license of SIS per season and each
resident hunter must pay 81 for a
county license or So for a state IL
cense. Each hunter must carry this
! license in his pocket while hunting
and exhibit it promptly on the request
of any game warden, deputy game
warden or ex-officio warden A penal
ty is provided for those who lend their
licenses to another.
The prohibition of nest robbing is
provided for, either of the game or
non-game birds, and the killing of any
non-game bird is prohibited except
English sparrows, owls, hawks, eagles,
crows and rice birds.
Strong penalties are provided for
those who kill, capture or wound any
game bird or animal by the use Of any
pitfall deadfall, snare, trap, net, pen
or other device or by the use of poi.
son, drug Or explosive or who hunt,
catch or kill them at night.
The measure prohibits the hunting
or fishing on the land Of another with
or without license without having
first obtained permission from the
land owner. Many sportsmen have
kicked against this clause and many
have blamed it for the defeat Of the
Davis bill. If looked at in the right
light it will be seen that it will work
no hardship on the sportsmen. 1t is
an easy matter for one to obtain per-
| mission to hunt on a mans land, If he