The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-11
NEW FEDERAL pIRr LAW
Makes Some Changes in - Hunting \
Laws in This State.

Every sportsman of New England
will be interested to know how Vthe
new Federal Regulations for the
Protection of Migratory Birds affect
his territory. He will want to know
under what circumstances the Fed
eral laws take precedence and when
the State laws are effective. A lit
lie study of these different regula
tons will be necessary to determine
whether he is hunting legally or il
legally.
Undcr an Act of Congress, passed
March 4, 1913, known as the Nc
Lean-Weeks Bill, the Federal Gov
ernment was given the power to
seasons for migratory birds. On
October /, at 1910 p. M. these regu-
latons were signed by the Presl-
dent, as the statute requires, and
now have the force of law. Under
these regulations New England
comes in the Northern Zone OF Zone
Nc. /.
The Federal Regulations apply to
migratory birds, but not to all mig
ratory birds; only to migratory
game and insectivorous bi 'ds. If a
game bird is migratory it is in
Guided under the regulations. The
ruffed grouse, bob-white and prairie
hen are not considered migratory
enough to be included under these
regulations. On the other hand til.
woodcock and snipe are included.
All perching birds which feed entire
~ or chiefly on insects are protected
at all times. This includes bobo-
links, catbirds, cbickadees, cuckoG5,
llickers, fiycatchers, grosbeaks, hum
ming birds. kingle,s, meaaowia ks,
lighthawks, nuthatches, orioles, rob
ms, shrkes. swallows, Wits, tanag-
ers, titmice. thrushes, vireos, WARP
lers. waXwlngs, whippoorwlls, wood
peckcrs and wrens. kingiishe S,
for example which ae insectivorous
in small degree. are not included,
but they may be protected under
State laws.
Consultation with State and FEEDER.
al legal authorities shows that they
agree that the Federal laws take pre-
cedence over State laws except
where the State law makes a short
er open season than the Fede al law,
in which case there is nothing TO pro-
vent the State authorities from en-
forcing the State law For example.
the Federal Regulations in Massa-
chusetts fix the open season on wood.
cock from October 10 to December !,
while under the State law the season
is established 10 coincide with thai
of the grouse and extends from Octo-
be- IL to November IL. In such a
case the State law will hold. but
when the open season under the
State law begins earlier and ends
later than that under the Federal
Regulations, the Federal Regulations
viii hold.
The open season for migratory
birds in Zone No. | under the FEEDER
al Regulations a'e as follows. Wa
terfuWl. September 10 December
iG; Exceptions in New England, Mas
sachusctts from September II To Jan
uary /. Rails, GOos and GaIlinules,
September | to December l.: excep'
tons in New England: Mdssacitu
sets, New Hampshire and Rhode
island, from August Is to December
/ Connecticut, September 10 to De.
cember /. Woodcock, October / to
Decembe- I. exceptions in New Eng
land: Connecticut and Massachusetts
from October 10 to December l and
in Rhode Island from November to
December /. Shore birds-black
breasted and golden ployer. jack
snipe and yellowlegs, September
to December 16, exceptions in New
England: Maine, Massachusetts. New
Hampshire and Rhode Island, from
August 10 to December |. The shore
birds named above are the only spe-
cies that may be legally killed for
five years under the new Federal
Regulations. All small plover, sand
pipers or peeps" and "grassbirds"
are protected at all times. All migra
tory birds are protected from sunset
throughout the United States, and in
Vermont rails are protected until the
year 1918. There is close season
ON wood ducks in New England un.
I'll September. 1918. The regulation
of the collecting OF birds for scienti-
tic purposes is left to the several
states.
Edward Howe Forbush.