The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-09
FIELD DAY FOR
DUCK HUNTERS
Some Want Law Changed
Others Object
OrnithOIigists Advise Leaving
Statutes Alone = Benefits of
Conservation Policy Already
Felt

Hartford, March 9.-The fish and
game committee heard yesterday aft
ernOon fourteen bills, which for the
most part aimed to modify the pres
emit laws on the open season for shoot
ing of wild fowl. so that hunters
might have better sport and better
duck for their tables than they claim
they can obtain at present. The
hearings on these bills afforded many
elements of the drama throughout
the afternoon. First came pleas from
various sources to cut off the open
season during September and October,
and open the months Of January and
February, instead. Speakers for these
measures We're having their difficult
tor Judson at the psychological mo-
ment, proposed compromise bill,
which aimed to close the month of
september and open the month of
January, instead. With the spell of
this orator lowering over them, and
been similarly influenced. all those
favoring changes in the existant laws
rushed to the banner of the senator,
and it seemed as if a real solution
had been reached, even so early in
the afternoon. But, then, the mega
tive side had not yet been heard from,
and when it was it tore up the argu-
ments of the affirmative. w. DeLoss
Love. president of the Connecticut
Humane Society, was the first and was
followed by many others.
Those, who either presented bills
for changing or extending the closed
season on wild fowl were Representa-
tive George s. Clark of Milford, Rep
resentative Leroy E. Moulthrop of
Huntington. Representative Sidney v.
Osborn of Branford, H. w. Averin Of
Bradford, Senator Judson of STRAIT
ford. w. B. futile of Stratford, T..
M. Adams of Bridgeport, Representa-
tive G. H. Peck of Stratford, D. Kelley
of Bridgeport and Representative w.
HI. Burr of Westport. Their major ar
do not get benefit from the law, as it
now exists, since conditions are differ
ent here with regard to the gathering
of birds than they are in the more
northern New England states; that the
broadbills are latest and finest, more
themselves in January and February
than they are in September and Octo-
Der; that the ducks are not wanted
entirely for sporting purposes but for
food as well; that ten ducks are kill
ed on Long Island Sound during the
warm weather of September to every
one killed in January or February;
that 1t is the opinion of intelligent
men, not bird-slaughterers (Senator
Judson's statement), that duck shoot
but purely sport; that ducks are SO
young and tame in September that
you can shove" right on to them
without their being alarmed, and with
resultant slaughter; that September
ducks are poor and scrawny; that the
mating season of ducks does not come
until after February l.; finally that
Senator Judson's bill wotlld be con-
sistent with the work of those socIe-
ties that aim to protect the wild
ducks.
Those who spoke in favor of leav-
ing the bill as it stands, or of even
shortening the open season from four
months to three months, by closing
the month of September, were Rev.
w. DeLoss Love, Senator Peck, r. O.
Cheney of South Manchester, c. G.
Goodrich of the Hartford & New York
Transportation Company. w. r. New
some of Hartford, George Comstock
of Essex, Representative Albert v. w.
Sherman Of West Hartford, G. w.
Ripley Of East Hartford, w. 3. Treat
tary of the Norfolk Rod & Gun Club;
H. c. Mills of Pennington. Rev. H. e.
Job, the state ornithologist; Repre-
sentative John H. Noble of Old Lyme,
Mrs. Jesse Gerard of South Norwalk,
representing the Connecticut Fedora
of the New England Conference of
Women; ex-Representative G. W. vi
bert of South Windsor, Mrs. Rather
inc Moody Spaulding, editor of the
woman's department of the Bridge.
R9et e. p ST. John h presdent
Of the Hartford Bird Study Club; j.
H. Sage of Portland, secretary of the
American Ornithologists' Union; He.
Banning Of Brockway, l.. v. Ripley of
Glastonbury, Edward II. Forbush of
Boston, Massachusetts, state ornithol-
ogist, and Frederick Williams of Hart
ford. Their arguments were that the
mating season does begin in January,
and that this month should, therefore,
not be open for humane reasons as
we'll as practical, that the laws be-
tween the New England states should
be uniform; that the present laws are
now beginning to show SatiSfa Glory
results with respect to breeding of
birds, and should be given a fair trial;
that black ducks and broad bills are
now showing promise of the album
dance of twenty-five years ago; that
there is more certainty Of good ducks
and good sport under the present law
than there would be if the law were
changed; that it would even be better
to close Septem Der, and thus shorten
the present season one month, be-
cause of the immaturity of the birds;
that this state law. in conjunction
with those of other New England
states.is developing a wonderful game
reserve: that preservation of birds is
but one link in the chain for the con-
servation of all our national resources