The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-26
Harry Rarnier, District inspector,
Gives an Interview In Davenport
Concerning These Acts Gov
ernIns Hunting.
CAN SHOOT ON OCTOBER i
Ban is Suspended for Season Of 1917
According to Statements
How Nation Protects
Birds.

ducks and other migratory birds on
the Mississippi river has been raised
by the United States government for
the season of 1914, effective October
/, says the Davenport Democrat.
The above announcement has been
made BY Harry Barmeier, federal dis
trict inspector over migratory birds
for the state OF Iowa, who arrived In
Davenport Saturday morning for
brief business visit.
INSPECTOR Barmeier Is In receipt OF
the following communication from
the United States department OF agrf-
culture:
Regulation No. 8, relative to shoot
ing on the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers, Is suspended for the season
OF 1914, thus affecting hunting in GER
tain sections Of twelve states.
"The advisory board recommends
that hunting on these rivers be per-
mitted whenever the state phohibit
the use Of motorboats In hunting
water fowl. AS this will require leg
islation BY Illinois. Missouri, Ne
braska and one or two other states,
the regulation is suspended this year
in order that the states may take &C
ton, If they so desire, at the next
session of their respective legislatures
which met in January, 1915"
One year ago the federal authori-
ties announced that all shooting OF
migratory birds on the Mississippi
river was forbidden. This edict was
promulgated, owing to the fact that
there had been wholesale slaughter
ing of the birds by hunters along the
Mississippi, and 1t was feared that
the various fowls were in danger OF
extinction.
The state laws OF Iowa forbid the
hunting Of ducks in motor boats, but
local sportsmen will this season be
enabled to shoot the birds from row
boats or from the land.
Birds Are Our Friends.
Inspector Barmeier is an old hunter
himself, but there are So many good
features in the new federal law which
he has been appointed to enforce that
he is enthusiastic over 1t.
"A quail will destroy more grass
hoppers than any machine that was
ever invented" he said Saturday.
How'd you like to eat five times
your weight every day." he demand
ed of the Democrat man with whom
he was talking. That's what a lot
of young fledglings do, and often their
food Is made up almost entirely OF
the harmful classes of insects. The
new law was made for the protection
of the farmer, and OF the consumer
of the farmers crops. who complains
that the cost Of living is too high. We
want more song birds, for they are
nearly always insect eaters. They
also eat great quantities OF weed
seeds and the little grain that they
eat Of the farmer can well afford to
let them have"
Just there Mr.. Barmeier thought
one exception might be made in favor
Of the farmer.
Some Of the farmers will say.
That it amt true about the doggoned
;bIackbird,' he continued I'll have
to admit that at this time of the year
the blackbirds gather into droves
along the Mississippi and occasionally
invade a field in such numbers as to
do considerable damage. But back
in the interior, where there are SIM |
ply individual families Of them In
stead of droves, they do lots more