The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-03-16
MIGRATORY BIRDS
FEDERAL OFFICIAL SAYS THAT
DEPUTIES WILL BE IN EVIL
DENCE ON ALL SIDES.

Those sportsmen who have chung
to the hopes that there would be le-
gal spring shooting OF migratory
birds, have been rudely awakened.
There will be no change in the rul-
ings of the federal department on
this subject according to the latest
information from Washington, and
the owner of a gun and a dog can
just as well pack away the former
and put the latter out to board.
Federal authorities in the various
states have been notified to see that
the new law Is rigidly enforced.
Emmett {. Higgins. district in
spector of the United States federal
migratory bird law department. head
quarters in Omaha. hits the nail on
the head In a short. but very under
standable letter that he writes 10 an
lnquiring friend.
Mr.. Higgins. TO put ii shortly. says,
Don't shoot" He gives his reason
for uttering the mandate. Here 1t Is:
THE federal migratory bird law
will be enforced and is being enforc-
ed every day. 1t does not matter
what any one tells you, we will en-
force ID to the very letter.
II am working here at st. Louis
for the present; will be up there as
soon as the ducks arrive in Nebraska.
Suppose everything is frozen in that
section just now, with nc ducks in
sight. Shall be glad to have you ad-
wise me when the ducks begin com
ing again.
Yours truly,
Emmett G. Higgins"
Backing up the statement made by
Mr.. Higgins is a terse but timely ar
ticle of warning to nimrods, appear
ing in this months issue of Outing
says.
The law applies to all parts of the
country, generally speaking, and he
Is a wise a who let's his automatic
or pump rust rather than go out and
take a chance of paying the price of
the blue steeled beauty several times
over to the federal agent who rises
up from the ground and says, You
belong TO me-; come along
The magazine articles is as fol
lows:
you cannot shoot this spring,
Paste that in your hat. Despite the
fact that a United States district
Judge has declared the federal law
for the preservation of waterfowl un-
constitutional, that act Is still the law
of the land, and will be until declar'
ed unconstitutional by the supreme
court-which we trust will be never
In the northern zone the shooting
season ended January Is, except in
New Jersey, where ii came to an end
February /. In most of the states In
the southern zone the open season
ended February i, with the exception
of Florida, Georgia and South Caro-.
lima. That Is the law. and that is
final. No matter what your state law
may say or omit to say on the sub
ject OF spring shooting, the fedora
statute prevails, and will continue tc
prevail as long as it is on the books
This law has been passed for The
good of all of us, and II is the dut,
of every good sportsman to observe i
himself and to see that others OBJ
serve il in his territory. Prosecu
tons may be begun at any time with
in three years from the date Of tht
offense. The enforcement OF this Law
Is under the charge OF the depart
ment OF agriculture, and inspector
| and wardens are under order to In
vestigate carefully all reports of vic
> lations and to prosecute in the fed
. eral courts wherever the evidence
seems to justify it,"