Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-20
FISH and GAME LAWS
Commissioner Titcomb Discusses
Them with County Wardens.
Some Important Changes Made IL,
Last Legislature ESCAPED Gem
eral Notice Mt the Time hut
Are Generally Approved.

Several hours Of hard work were put in
yesterday afternoon in the roof garden of
the Van Ness House by Fish and Game
Commissioner j. w. Titcomb with the
wardens upon whom the duty of protect
ing Nermonts reputation as sports
mons pleasure ground devolves. There
were present. in addition to the wardens.
a surprisingly large number of sports
men who took an active interest in the
discussion of the new game laws. 4 few
changes in these laws were criticized by
some as affecting their own particular
locality hut on the whole the code won
hearty approval and were evidently well
understood The evening was given up
to an executive session of the game war.
dens who elected their own presiding Of
icer and went to work to redistribute the
territories into zones so that the work
might he accomplished with more eff
cheney.
Synupses Of the new laws, printed on
posters. which will be circulated through
the state, were passed around and
Mr.. Titcomb asked for criticisms. 1t was
decided to place on the poster the in
creased fine for catching small trout The
wished to make it and this policy result
I'd in almost no penalty being inflicted for
everyone felt sorry for a person ia his
own locality who was caught with the
goods The usual fine was a dollar and
this was considered small sum to pay
for the sport. The new law provides
that a person caught with fish under the
legal length shall be fined SO with an adj
ditiona s. for each fish.
Most of the time was given Up to the
discussion of the Interpretation of the
new laws md Attorney II. e. Shaw was
on hand to give advice on the settlement
of knotty problems. There are numcr-
Gus privileges given to fishermen in Lake
Champlain which are not accorded those
in the tributaries and the question as
to whore the line is is difficult. The
same fishing laws will apply to the over
flows as to the lake and also to the
mouths Of streams SO long as the current
seems to set back from tho lake.
The changing of tho open season for
pickerol mot with criticism. 1t is now
gainst the law TO catch the fish in wat
crs other than Lake Oh mplain between
March 1 and May In Rutland county
most popular months for the sport and
the change will somewhat discommode
the fishermen there In large majority
of the districts, however, the change has
been hailed with Joy
one of the most important problems
which now confronts the handling of the
fish and game proposition is dealing with
the foreign element, chiefly Italians, which
is populating partsof the State. This class
is anxious To kill everything in sight and
has done much damage in some localities
where summer resorts formerly -four
iShed.
The clause requiring non-rcsidents to
procure nonresident licenses will be
strictly enforced and will stop much of
the wanton slaughter of birds. The fee
has been fixed at 5000 and this, 1t IS be-
leved, will prevent many OF the foreign
ers from hunting.
Among other laws which did not at
tract much attention when they We're
passed hut which will he brought to the
front is that which prohibits the sale or
having in possession for sale plumage.
skin or any partOf bird which is protect
ed by the laws Of this state. This means
that there will he something OF change
in the millinery stocks as the law is very
explicit and states that mo part of the
J.umagc. skin or body OF bird. protected
by the Vermont statutes or Of birds COM
ing from without the State, whether be-
longing TO the same or different spc-
cies from that native to this State, pro-
Vided that the birds belong to the same
family as those protected ny this act
snail be sold or held in possession for
sale This provision does not apply to
game birds, for which an open season is
provided"
This morning 1t Is expected that nearly
200 will lac present at the session which
will be held in the roof garden # the
Hotel Vermont.