Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1914-10-01
FEDERAL GAME LAW.
Some Points Of Interest with RAfer.
ence to the Provisions Of the Law.

Gays IN this state perhaps are unaware
OF the fact that they are exercising a
privilege which is not accorded to the
lllarksmen OF our neighboring state of
washington, although their statute
aoes not prevent duck shooting after
september /. The rub comes from the
TACT That the federal game law pro.
vldes that in Washington no ducks or
migratory water fowl can, be shot in
Washington until after the LIST of Dc.
tober while in idaho you can bag TO
'ne mint after September LIST. Oregon
also has the same open season as Wash.
ington.
There has been no effort to contest
the constitutionality of the federal
game law as yet and up in Washington
although the state law says Sentem.
Der l, yet the game wardens of east
ern Washington have been instructed
to arrest offenders under the federal
law.
aour state game license, on the
pack, informs you if you have taken
the care and trouble to read it that in
the state of Idaho the closed season
under the federal law is December 16
to August 81, which allows Won TO
shoot ducks after September l. Your
license fails to give you the informa
ton that under the federal law YOU
are not permitted to shoot water fowl
before sunrise nor after sunset. Some
OF the hunters who have made use of
Lake 4earsley for shooting have been
informed by officers of the law as to
this provision of the law and that is
the reason that we have heard no can.
nonading down at the lake before sun
rise this year.
AS your Uncle Sammy does not have
any control over matters wholly con-
fined within the borders of the state.
under the constitution, and has the
power only Of legislating with refer
ence to matters in transit between the
several states or in other words with
reference to property and relations in
which every state is concerned and has
certain property right without an
absolute preference TO one state, he
has seen fit to legislate only with ref
erence to migratory birds which tray
erse our country from north to south
during their spring and fall flights.
Birds that make their winter and sum-
mer homes in the state to the exclu-
sion of other places of abode are the
sole property of the state and cannot
concern other states or the whole Uni
ted States. Therefore while the state
may permit the wanton destruction of
birds like the grouse, pheasant, fool
hen and the like, if it sees fit, vet
Uncle Sam can speak a word about the
bird which comes and goes and which
may be said to maintain several places
of residence.
Of course the several states have
made provisions for the prevention of
the complete extinction of game birds
and animals but the great difficulty
has been that the separate states could
not maintain uniform system of
game protection laws and the passage
of the federal act in 1913 was the re-
suit of the agitation of sportsmen
themselves who saw tnat under the
present increase of population wild
game of all kinds would soon be wiped
out entirely if greater restrictions
were not placed upon indiscriminate
killing without reference to the BIRDS
habits.
There is some question whether the
federal game law is constitutional, and
down south where the citizens are
sticklers for state rights they have
the provisions of the law
but as yet there has been no decisi'
that the law is good one and serves
a splendid purpose. The gluttonous
game hog is the only one who will
kick
The method employed in getting the
game, the number you are allowed to
bag and the like is still completely
left to the control of state laws. The
differnee in the open season here and
in Washington and Oregon is stated
as being that ducks and geese begin to
come in later because of its being
situated in a region of different eli
matte conditions. So when you clean
up your artillery and start out to get
some feathers to fill your folks sofy
pillows, just remember that Uncle Sam
has been partial to You Idaho boys
and show him that you have some re-
spect for the law by not shooting after
dark. Besides the observance of the
I A