Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-12-24
THIRD REPORT OF STATE
GAME WARDEN READY
Beck Contains Picturesque Scenes of
West Virginia Forests.


gaEie warden, has been printed and
is being distributed among the sports
men, officers and other interested par
hes of the state. The volume Of over
$50 pages is nicely Illuminated with
picturesque plates Of scenery in West
Virginia and other interesting sub
jects.
The statistical part of the report
gives in detail all prosecutions, fines
collected, forest fires, nonresident
hunters licenses sold, fish planted in
West Virginia waters by the United
States government, and complete re
eeipts and disbursements Of the office.
The following brief summary of these
items may be Of interest to our read
ers; Total number of cases tried for
violations of the forest, game and fish
laws during the eighteen months COW
cred BY the report, 463; convictions,
1872; acquitted, Sc; pending, 16; APP
pealed, 9; jailed, Is; sent to peniten-
tiary, q; fines assessed, $6,225; fines
collected. $5,847.97. Total number Of
forest fires, PIG; acres burned over,
1908; damage to timber and other
property (estimated), $132,641.25;
amount expended in extinguishing
fires, $4,553.48. Nonresident licenses
sold, As; proceeds of same, s675. Fish
planted in 1918, 744,603; 1914, 1886;
total for the two years, S34,4SS.
Many subjects relating to the de-
partment of forestry, game and fish
are discussed, some of which are as
follows: Need of Forest, Game and
Fish Laws; Deputy System; Education
VS.. Force; Bulletins Distributed; Fines
and Convictions; Resident Hunters Lii
eense; Importation of Game and Birds;
Insectivorous Birds; Bird Clubs and
Organizations; Increase of Game; Bird
and Game Sanctuaries; Protection to
Fur Bearing Animals; Bounties on
Animals and Birds; Good Roads and
Their Relation to Forests, Game and
Fish; Pollution of Streams; Raising
Fish on the Farm; Need Of Fish
Hatcheries in West Virginia; Boy
Scouts, Forestry and Forest FIRES.
Some amendments which should be
made at the next session Of the legis-
lature are suggested in this report as
follows: The enactment of a resident
hunters license for the purpose of
raising revenue for the protection of
forests from fire, and for the purpose
of better protecting and propagating
fish and game and for the purpose of
better protecting the land owners and
farmers by providing means of identi-
fcation by which the destruction of
property and other acts of vandalism
by hunters may be traced and the per
petrators punished. A state fish hatch
cry should be provided so that the
streams of our state may be stocked
with fish. Our laws relating to for
est fires should be amended so as to
conform with the rules and regula-
tons Of the United States government,
in order to receive cooperation from
the government in this work, and to
afford better protection to our for
ests. Authority should be granted the
forest, game and fish warden to close
certain depleted streams for fishing,
50 that fish planted may be given time
to multiply. The open season on both
TROUT and bass should be shortened.
A limit on the number of trout taken
per day should be fixed at 25, and the
minimum length should be raised from
five to six inches. Section Al of the
Acts Of 1909 should be amended so as
tn make the meaning clear as to the
ling of fish of the sucker variety
way at ant time, which is very
ag and is mot plain even to
~ profession It is suggested
that S e made unlawful to catch fish
in any of the streams of the state ex-
cept with hook and line. Open and
closed seasons on all migratory birds
should be made to conform with the
federal law. There should be bag
limit on gray squirrels of not more
than 25 per day. All unnaturalized
foreigners should be prohibited from
carrying firearms d any kind There
should be closed season on all fur
bearing animals except for about six
ty days when the fur is merchantable.
Authority should be given to the for
est, game and fish warden to lease
land for game and bird refugees or
sanctuaries, where all shooting may
be prohibited, and game and birds
raised for stocking purposes.
Copies Of this report are being |
mailed to all constables, justices and
deputy wardens. Any other persons
desiring copy may secure the same
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