The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-08-11
FEDERAL CAME
| A v { I AXE
PRECEDENCE
WHERE THE STATE LAW CON-
FLICTS OR is SILENT. QUAIL
BAG LIMIT HAS BEEN REDUCED
IN OKLAHOMA.

Washington, Aug. 10.-Sportsmen
are warned by the United States de-
partment of agriculture that federal
regulations as to migratory birds VIII
apply to the exclusion Of state regula-
tions. The department will consider
recommendation submitted in good
faith. for amendment of the regula-
tions, but will hold no public hearings,
nor will it amend the regulations
prior to October IS.
The open season for water fowl in
Oklahoma, Sept. Is to Feb. l; Arkan-
sas. Oct. | to Jan. 16; rails, coots, gal
linules, all states, Sept. l to Dec. l,
save Louisiana, where the open sea-
son is from Nov. l to Feb. l; wood
cock, all states, Nov. to Jan /; shore
birds, including black-breasted and
golden plover jacksnipe, yellow-legs,
etc, all states from Sept. l to Dec.
16, save Louisiana and Texas, where
the open season is from Nov. l to
Feb. l. Insectivorous birds are pro-
tected indefinitely. Band tailed
pigeons, cranes, swans, curlews and
smaller shore birds protected until
September l, 1918. Shooting is prohib-
tied between sunrise and sunset, or at
any time on the Mississippi river be-
tween Minneapolis and Memphis after
Jan l, 1915.
State Game and Fish Warden Noble
issued the following statement as a
preface to the state laws issued in
pamphlet form that may be obtained
at the county clerks office.
1t is the purpose of this pamphlet to
give in concise FORM as nearly as pos
sible, all of the information the gen
eral public may need to fully under
stand our game laws.
In order that you may understand
the conflict in our state laws and the
TeSuldIlOllS Vi lHe leuel al SoNSi hiiiSii''
it is only necessary to say that where
there is a conflict, that the federal
laws take precedence over any state
laws. The government claims to own
and have control of certain kinds Of
birds. migratory, water fowls, shore
birds, or such birds as do not remain
in any particular locality during all
the year, or that migrate south in the
cold season and return to the north
in warm weather to rear its young.
1t is absolutely necessary that the
authority to protect them should be
vested in someone. Many of our states
have no statutes as to the season in
which they can be taken, nor the bag
limit. Millions of these birds are an
nually killed by Game Hogs" for prof
it, and by a greater number of ignorant
persons who neither think nor care
what their work of destruction really
means. Therefore it was thought best
to vest this authority in our federal
government in order that the neces-
sary protection and conservation
should be enforced in all of our states
Our game laws are not joke. 1t is
as much crime to kill and eat a wild
turkey out of season, as it is to Kill
and eat your neighbors hog. 1t is as
much a law violation to exceed the bag
limit on quail as it is to steal chickens.
Morally. it is a greater crime to dyna-
mite our streams than it is to carry a
pistol illegally, and yet there are those
who hesitate to report violators of our
game laws. Why? Why do you? All
good people (and they are in the ma
jority), will respect you for your clear
cut ideas about enforcing our game
laws. Only the bad and ignorant man
will chide you.
1t shall be the policy of this depart
ment to teach our people to respect
and obey all of our laws, more especi-
ally our game laws, and to create an
interest in our wild game and birds,
in order that in later years we can
each have his proper credit for hav-
ing done his part in protecting our
wild life. and in doing that, to have
worked out the theory that we kept
mankind from being exterminated by
protecting our game and birds.
We ask earnest cooperation of all
good people. We demand the observ-
ance of these laws by the wicked.
GEO B. NOBLE,
State Fish and Game Warden.
The open season for Doves, accord