West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-12-24
Third Biennial Report OF Forest, Car,
md Fish Warden Now Ready
for Distribution.

Viquesney. state forest. game and fish
warden. has been printed and is being
distributed among the sportsmen, oia-
GERS and other interested parties OF tire
state. The volume OF over one hun.
dred and fifty pages is nicely illum:-
mated with picturesque plates OF scep-
cry i'm West Virginia and other inter.
esting subjects.
The statistical part of the report
gives I'm detail all prosecutions. fines
collected. forest fires, nonresident
hunters licenses sold, fish planted i'm
West Virginia waters by the United
States government. and complete re-
ceipts and disbursements of the Office
The following brief summary of these
items may be of interest to our reaG-
ers: Total number OF cases tried for
violations of the forest, game and fisl.
laws during the eighteen months COW
cred by the report, 1863; convictions,
392; acquitted. Sc; pending. Is: ap
pealed. 3; jailed. 16; sent to peniten-
tiary. 2; fines assessed, $6,225. 90; fines
collected. $5,S47.97. Total number OF
forest fires. 219; acres burned over.
72.033; damage to timber and other
property (estimated) $132.641.25:
amount expended i'm extinguishing fire,
s4.5534S. Nonresident hunters licenH
ses sold. 45; proceeds OF same. S675. 90.
Fish planted i'm 1913. 744.6O3; 1914.
S9.s36; total for the two years, S3i.-
| 43S.
Many subjects relating to the de-
partment OF forestry, game and fish
are discussed, some of which are a 4
follows: Need OF forest. game and fish
laws; deputy system; education Us.
force; bulletins distributed: fines and
convictions; resident hunters license !:
importation of game aid birds; insec
tivorous birds; bird clubs and organ.
ization; increase of game; bird aud
game sanctuaries; protection to fur
bearing animals; bounties on animals
and birds; good roads and their reIa
ton to forests. game and fish; poilu-
ton OF streams; raising fish on the
farm; need of fish hatcheries in Wet
| Virginia; boy scouts, forestry and for
est 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
game and fish. and for the purpose of
better protecting the land owners and
farmers by providing means of identi
hcation 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 forest
fires should be amended so as to con-
form with the rules and regulations D:
the United States government, in order
10 receive cooperation from the gov
eminent in this work, and to afford
better protection to our forests. Au-
thority should be granted the foresf.
| game and fish warden to close certain
| depleted streams for fishing. so tina;
| fish planted may be given time to
| multiply. The open season on boil,
| trout and bass should be shortened.
| a limit on the number of trout taken
| per day should be twenty-five. and the
minimum length raised from five to
six inches. Section "A OF the Acts Of
| 1903 should be amended so as to make
| the meaning clear as to the CATCHING
| of fish of the sucker variety in An,
| way at any time, which is so yer:
conflicting and which is not plain
even to the legal profession. 1t is sug
gested that it be made unlawful to
! catch fish in any of the streams of the
state except with hook and line.
Open and closed seasons on all mi
| gratory birds should be made to con
form with the federal law. There
| should be bag limit on gray squirrels
Il - NV 'hOiV IMAM tWtnly I'VE per uHV.
| All unnaturalized foreigners should
be prohibited from carrying fire arms
of any kind There should be a closes,
| season on all fur-bearing animals ex-
cept for about sixty days when the fur
is merchantable. Authority should be
given to the forest. fish and game war
den to lease land for game and bird
refugees or sanctuaries. where all
shooting may be prohibited and game
and birds raised for stocking pur-
| poses.
Copies Of this report are being mail
ed to all constables, justices and dc .
putty wardens. Any other person d..
string copy may secure same free Of
charge by writing the Forestry, Game
and Fish Department. Belington, W.
Va.
kingwOOd District Teachers Institute
At Tunnelton. Monday. January 4.
1915, will be held the pay" institute
in Kingwood district with King
wood. function and the rural schools
Il