Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-01
HUNTERS PUZZLED
At BIRD PROBLEM
State Permits Shooting of Reed
Birds, but Government Pro-
hibits 1t.

Reed birds and oysters will not ar
rive together this year. so far as
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Della
ware are concerned.
The failure of President Wilson to
approve a proposed open season for
reed or rice birds between September
/ and October 81 prevented gunners
starting out this morning with the
opening of the game season, from
shooting this particular game.
News dispatches from Washington
yesterday stated that the amendment
to the Federal game law, enacted last
fall, and which would permit the
shooting of reed birds in this State
and Delaware had not been approved
by President Wilson.
Unlike other food products, oysters
the season for which opens today
are to be cheaper this year than for
many seasons, according to growers.
They say that no excuse exists for
declaring that the European war has
caused famine in the oyster mar
ket, and that instead the loss of
Europe as a market for the succulent
sea food will lower the prices in this
country.
For many years, they say, Europe
has taken the finest oysters produced
by this country. There are numerous
beds along the Long Island shores
that have produced them for the
European markets exclusively. The
large hotels of Europe and the
steamship lines purchased oysters in
enormous quantities. Growers say
that never before have the Long
Island beds been in such flourishing
condition as they are this season.
With reedbirds flying in great clouds
over the meadows in South Jersey
and river and the tides just about
right for what has heretofore been
the opening of the cunning season
for reedbirds, hundreds of native gun
ners and several parties of sportsmen
from the cities are much perplexed
today as to what they will do. Tech
nically they are not supposed to shoot
the reedies, which remain protected
by the new federal game laws until
President Wilson shall have signed
the recommendation of the secretary
of agriculture restoring the open gun
ming season for these birds for the
months of September and October. So
much confusion has arisen over the
conflict between State and federal
game laws, the the question as to
when the latter really become effect
i've that the majority of the gunners
are in a haze and are not certain what
they ought to do.
Native gunners are especially in
censed over the situation in view of
the fact that the State game author
tiles have warned them to refrain
from shooting reedbirds until the fed
eral statute is Strengthened out, while
gunners over in Pennsylvania are said
to have been told by the State Com
mission to go ahead and do all the
SHOOTING they want to.
Federal game wardens here are in
bit of quandary as to what to do.
Unless they receive instructions to
the contrary, it is said that they will
attempt to enforce the federal law as
1t stands and will arrest gunners who
fire upon the reedies on the Jersey
shore.
Most of the gunners are contenting
themselves with bagging railbirds and
mudhens, which do not come under
the ban of the law. These fowl are
plentiful, but 1t is the reedbirds that
fill up the bags the quickest. and ma
tives say they have not seen so many
of them for several years as are now
flying on the meadows and fattening
on the reed seeds.