Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-12-04
NOVEL GAME LAWS
Enactments for Protection of
Wild Things.
Marked Features Of Legislation of
Year Was Unusual Progress in
Establishment Of Bird and
Game Refugees.


according to Bulletin No. 20 of the de-
partment of agriculture, setting forth
game laws of the United States and
Canada for 1913.
Hunters are required by the authori-
ties of Manitoba to wear white coat
or sweater and cap, while those who
hunt for big game in Saskatchewan
must wear a complete outer suit and
zap of white.
Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota,
Washington. Mississippi. louisiana,
Minnesota and Wyoming prohibit the
use of silencers. Connecticut has pro
vided that any hunter who shall injure
a fence or let down bar without re-
placing it shall forfeit his hunting
license privilege for two years.
Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Brit
ish Columbia require license appli
cants under sixteen years of age to
furnish the written consent of parent
or guardian. Vermont has similar
restriction for those under fifteen, and
Oregon does not permit children un-
der fourteen years old to hunt except
on the premises of their parents. rela-
tives OF guardians.
Numerous states are restocking pre-
serves with elk and other big game
In the effort to protect this game
Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia
and Wisconsin have protected elk FOL
a term of years, and in Massachusetts,
where few moose have escaped from
the Blue Mountain forest reserve into
the adjoining woodlands, a perpetual
close season for moose has been pro
vided in the hope that this area may
eventually be restocked from this nu,
cleus.
During the year Is states created
game preserves, IA in the United
States and in Manitoba. In Wash
ington the county game commissioners
were authorized to create game pre-
serves, not to include more than three
townships in a county, and the authorl,
ties OF Michigan, Ohio and Vernon
were authorized to establish game pre-.
serves on private lands.
One of the marked features of the
legislation of this year was tie un,
usual progress in the establishment
of bird and game refugees. BY cAecu-
tive order four national bird reserves
were created, the Aleutian reservation,
containing the entire chain of Aleu-
tian islands, in Alaska, and the smaller
reservations Of Walker lake in Arkan
sas, Petit Bois island on the coast Of
Alabama and Anaho island in Pyr, mia
lake, New, thus bringing the total
number of national bird reservations
up to "a. Recently the Niobrara birC
reservation has been enlarged and
stocked with herd of buffalo, elk anG
deer.
A number of changes in laws pro
tecting big game were made during
the year. Colorado and North Dakota
prohibited all killing of deer for tt rin
of years and Saskatchewan has pro
vided a close season throughout Inc
year for all big game south OF latitu le
62 degrees. Laws protecting does at
all seasons were enacted In Florida,
Nevada and Wyoming. The deer sea
to two months in Utah, Wyoming ard
Quebec. New Hampshire heightened
the season two weeks in Coos county
Vermont ten days, and Massachusetts
opened the season in the few closed
counties, thus permitting shooting
throughout the state.
Wyoming and Montana heretofore
affording the principal hunting for els
and sheep, have recently limited the
hunting area to few counties in each
state, where the seasons have usually
been shortened Wyoming has adopt.
ed the innovation of allowing the kill
ing of female elk only under ordinary
resident licenses and requiring licen'
sees to obtain a special SIS license
to kill a bull or an additional COW.
The most important changes In sea-
sons are due to the passage Of the fed
eral law protecting migratory birds.
Under the regulations proposed by the
department of agriculture spring shoot
Ing Is entirely eliminated and the sea
sons materially shortened In several
states.
Restriction of hunting and greater
uniformity of laws is the general
trend of state legislation in the mat
ter OF seasons. Florida repealed all
local game laws and made the seasons
uniform throughout the state and the
passage of a measure in Wisconsin
adopting the same opening date for
upland game as is in force in Mime
sofa and North Dakota illustrates the
fact.
New York placed a close season on
quail for five years and Kansas added
both quail and prairie chickens to the
close-season list until 1918. Ohio sus-
pended hunting of quail, ruffed grouse
and doves for two years. Pennsylva-
mia eliminated the open season on
doves, kildeer plover and blackbirds,
while Utah extended complete protec-
ton to doves, swans and all shore
birds except snipe. The trend of leg
islation during the last year has been
toward electing the close season.
Delaware shortened the season on
ducks a month and on geese two
weeks; Indiana curtailed the season
six weeks on doves and ten days on
quail and ruffed grouse; Michigan, 16
days on woodcock, and Missouri, one
month on quail; Oregon shortened the
season As days on doves and pigeons,