Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-10-15
FEDERAL BIRD LAWS.
Expert Tells How They VIII AFFECT
New England.


Every sportsman Of New England will
be interested 10 know how the new Fed
eral regulations for the protection Of
migratory birds affect his territory. He
wiIl want to knox under what ciscum-
stances the federal laws take precedence
and when the state laws are effective. A
little study Of these different regulations
"a i'll be necessary TO dstermine whet her he
is hunting legally OF illegally.
Under en- act OF Congress, passed March
i, 1918, known as the Mclean Weeks bill,
the federal government was given the
power to make regulations TO tx the
closed seasons for migratory birds. On
Oct. /, al 12.80 p. m, these regulations
were signed by the President, as the
statute requires, and now have the force
Of law. Under these regulations New
England comes in the Northern zone, or
gone No. /.
The federal regulations apply to mi-
gratory birds, but not to all migratory
birds; only TO migratory game and in
sectivorous birds. II game bird is mi
gratery il il included under the regu-
lations. The ruffcd grouse, bon-white and
prairie hen sre not considered migratory
enough to be included under these regu-
lations. On the other hand, the wood
cock and suipe are included.
AL perching birds which feed entirely
or chiefly on insects are protected at all
times. This includes bobolinks, cat birds,
chickadecs, enckoos, fiickers, fiy-catehers,
grosbeaks, humming birds, kinglets,
meadowlarks, nighthawks, nuthatches,
orioles, robins, shrikes, swallows, swifts,
tanagers. titnice, thrushes, sireos, warb-
Iers, wsxwlngs, whip poor wills, wood
pcekers and wrens. Kingfishers, for ex-
ample, which are insectivorous in a small
degree, are not included, but they may
be protected under state laws.
Consultation with state and federal
legal authorities shows that they agree
that the federal laws take precedence
over state laws except where the state law
makes a shorter open season than the
federal law, in which case there Is moth
ing to prevent the state authorities from
enforcing the state law. For example:
The federal regulations in Massaehu-
setts fix the open season on woodeock
from October 10 to December l, while
under the state law the season is es-
tablished TO coincide with that OF the
grouse, and extends from October u to
November u. In such case the state law
viii bold, but when the open season under
the state law begins earlier and ends later
than that under the federal regulations,
the federal regulations win hold.
The open season for migratory birds in
zone / under the federal regulations are
as follows:
Waterfowl, September / to December 10.
Exceptions in New England Mass
schusetts from September 10 to January
/.
Rails, coots and gallinuies, september
to December. /. Exceptions in New Eng
land Massachusetts, New Hampshire and
Rhode island, from August IS to December
/; Connecticut, September i6 to December
/.
woodcock, October ] TO December /.
Exceptions in New England Connecticut
and Massachusetts,, from October 10 to
December /, and in Rhode Island, from
November to December 1.
Shore birds, blackbreasted and golden
plovsr, jacksnipe and yellowiegs, Septem-
Der TO December 10. Exceptions in New
England - Maine Massachusetts,, New
Hampshire and Rhode Island, from August
is to December 1. The shore birds named
above are the only species that may be
legally killed for i've years under the new
Federal regulations. All small piover,
sandpipers or s.peeps" and "grassbirds'
are protected At all times.
All migratory game birds are protected
from sunset to sunrise throughout the
United States, and in Vermont rails are
protected until the year 1918. There Is .
close season on wood ducks in New Eng
land until September, 1915
The regulation OF collecting OF birds for
scientific purposes Is left TO the several
states.
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