The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-02-04
THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS
(By BREVARD NIXON.)

and IN Lincoln Until the 1st OF Feb
fuary; but IN Castor there is no open
season. 1t follows that there is a
rush OF hunters from the closed eSun-
Ties ~ those that are open. Meek
lenburg. for instance, has supported
the Castor sportsman for several
years. 1t is 50 ali over the State
wheF he adjoining counties have not
UNIFORM laws. It is not good lesis-
iative morals or policy to make it q
TO do a certain thing on
one side Of a creek and all right to
do It On the other side. Let US have
uniform bird laws, uniform observance
n uniform enforcement All over the
State as near as practicable.
Ihe reason the Open season Should
be made to commence hate is to give
the birds time to get full grown. on
account Of late matches. birds are
often not much more than half grown
by the LIST Of December. cannot fly
fast. and when wounded usually sue
cunD TO the injury and die. Whereas
the full-groWn bird is strong. knows
how to seek cover, flies very fast. is
hard 10 hit, and when wounded will
usually recover unless the wound is
very ere.
Insufficient Laws.
+ strongest proof of the ihefi-
cheney Of the statutes on the books
today IS their failure to do what they
purport to do. Under our present
system Of legislation and pr3Etice it
will be but a short time when the
quail n other LII birds will be
extinct in the State. To make the
laws Uniform tends t0 unity the effort
of ali the citizens of the State III the
interest Of game. But the Legislature
must go further n get at the bot
tom OF the trouble and shape legis-
Iation accordingly.
;. bog Laws
dog law. such as would eliminate the
poor hungry roaming suck-eSy hound
;, First, there should be an effective
during h laying and Matching sea
, son. More damage is done to birds
by such dogs breaking up the nests
: thar probably all other forces acting
= together.
MIR. Wade Eutledge. a prominent
farmer of CASTOR, said recently: last
: year 7 found five partridge nests on
7 my place around my home. We had
had the clese season fer SO long that
r was most interested in them ant;
{ watched them closely. But the hounds
{ owned by some OF my tenants found
All but one OF the nests and sucked
d the eggs. This was the destruction
: Of eighty birds in IS narrow area, the
s nests averaging tvs enty Eggs each.
d and my friends ould not have done
so much damage by shooting during
the entire season"
: air. R%utIedge's experiences u tina
Of every farmer whom ] nave spoken
6 to on the suhiect; and it is nay Owl
Y experience. Any hungry, untrainet
n cog, for that matter, will suck Eggs
e The sheep-kiling dog Of olden time,
is was outlawed; it should be SO witt
l. the suck-egg dog that destroys th'
Y birds nests.
n Either put such a, tax on all dog
10 rs will compel the owners to dispes
,e Of such useless property, or reQuir
ID all persons to keep up their dog
eS during h laying and Matching sea
II son. as laws OF 1893, chapter 715 pro
le vided as to bird dogs in AfamSnct
re Such dogs not only destroy the bird
n. hut all other game nat have thei
Is. Young ON the ground. It il 30 use t
in hunt around where there are d mum
r. Der of hounds. -
ID Sale Of Birds P~roaibited.
er Next to the hound dog the pc
III the birds. No matter what the p-ic
ds offered for birds the Law should pr1
st hibit the sale OF such game at a
e. seasons OF the year. Hardly Il me!
tv chant in the State but what cstel
ny 70 this trade. There are regular Dir
Ill spectators. They make trips o.
&c, from towns like Charlotte throug
d. the counties and return with hui
in dreds OF hiPds which they sell
twice wha they give for them
have in mind now a certain peddl'
who has piled his trade regular
IL from Charlotte to Denver. Idnco
'ut county, bringing hundreds of birt
nix every Tuesday. he neuf
lat $50 a week on birds alone. One ma
went to an adjoining county al
bought UP over two hundfea birds
he two for a quarter and sold them
he Charlotte ct 80 cents. lie ma
II IL cents on each hiro. "r Ss3 {
ate The lot. A merchant can buy the
ed at $l.50 q. dozen and nave d stan
on Ing engagement to sell to soraa ci1
or hotel at Is cents apiece.
IRE The man who kills birds for Sc
ire should be suppressed as g ruiSaclc
He is usually a trespasseF. and
Z tresna seer is a Criminal. 70 02N