Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-23

previous year except lS1i, dcCOEulIe
TO Farmers Bulletin 6s2, Game Laws
for 1875 Forty-three States held
regular legislative sessions, and in all
Of these States except Arizona. Georgia
and Nebraska some changes were
made in the statutes protecting game.
| The largest number of new game laws
passed in any one State was 81, in
North Carolina but in California,
| Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey. Ore
eon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin the
| number reached 10 or more. Several
measures were vetoed, including a
general game bill in Idaho the first
bill appropriating the hunting license
fund in Pennsylvania, bill protecting
bears in California, and three sections
of the game bill in Washington. A
| number of bills We're introduced for
the purpose Of harmonizing the State
laws on migratory birds with the Fed
eral regulations. In at least nine States
changes were made which brought the
seasons into substantial agreement.
viz, California, Connecticut Maine
Michigan, New Hampshire, Tennessee
and West Virginia. In Illinois the sea-
sons for all migratory birds except
coot and waterfowl. and in Washington
for the smaller shore birds were made
to conform with the regulations under
the Federal law. Uniformity was also
secured by provisions in the laws of
Connecticut Maine New Mexico.
North Dakota. Washington and Wis
consin, prohibiting hunting between
sunset and sunrise. On the other hand
Delaware adopted a resolution oppos-
ing the migratory bird law. and Ohio
and Rhode Island, which had harmon
lied their seasons in 1914. changed the
| seasons on waterfowl this year
AS a result of the decision Of the
Supreme Court of the United States
on January le, 1914. sustaining the
alien hunting law Of Pennsylvania
| legislation prohibiting aliens from
hunting or owning shotguns- or
rifles was enacted in at least
| four enthusiastically New Jer-
sey North Dakota. and Yves, Virginia
but certain exceptions based on
property qualifications were made in
Massa chusetts and New Jersey.
| Close seasons extending for several
years were provided for certain kinds
of big game and also for game birds.
Hunting mountain sheep was suspend
ed in Idaho, Montana and Washington.
and goats were protected until 1918 in
Montana. Moose were protected for
four years in Maine. the first absolute
close season on this species for 35
years-since the suspension of hunting
from 1878 to 1880. Antelope were Civ
| en- indefinite protection in New Mexico
and Montana In Michigan. New Mex
leo and Oklahoma prairie chickens
were protected for several years. Mich
iSan extended complete protection also
to quail, imported pheasants, grouse,
and wood ducks for FIVE years. Min
| nesota protected doves. woodcock,
plover and wood ducks until 1918.
New Mexico gave protection to pleas
ants. bob whites, pigeons and swans.
IOklahoma protected doves. grouse,
wood ducks and curlew. Several birds
were removed from the game list and
protected through the year. Okla
homa gave such protection 10 pelicans,
sulls and herons. Tennessee declared
ring neck pheasants. bullbats. robins
and meadowlarks to be non game
birds. In few cases protection was
removed from certain species-notably
the turkey buzzard in Delaware. Flor
ida and North Carolina, owls and
starlings in New Hampshire and cor
morants in Illinois and North Dakota.
For the first time in Il years moose
hunting is permitted in Wyoming and
for the first time since 1907 prairie
chicken shooting is permitted in In
diana.
Novel Features Of State Laws.
/ Among the novel features in the laws
this year may be mentioned the decla-
ration in the Florida law that owner
ship Of game is vested in the respec-
tive counties: the provision in the CAL
Tfornia law protecting spike bucks, or
deer with unbranched horns. instead of
deer with horns of a certain length !;
and the Wyoming experiment Of al
lowing the killing Of so bull moose
under 500 licenses instead Of an in
definite number during limited sea-
son Methods of hunting were re-
siricted in Michigan by prohibiting the
use of automobiles in hunting part
ridges. and in Indiana by prohibiting
the use Of searchlights or other arti-
fetal lights attached to autos for
hunting game on or near highway
Several new restrictions on shipments
appeared for the first time: Illinois
prohibited importation from points
outside the State of any game excep,
deer legally killed. Pennsylvania pro-
hibited shipment Of game by parceI
post and Wisconsin. shipment under
an alias. Connecticut authorized the
commissioners of fisheries and game
TO grant permits to bring in game
lawfully killed outside the State, pro-
vided such game is not offered for sale
Quail.
Notwithstanding the agitation in IA.
vor of protecting quail for several
wears in some sections no bills of this
kind were passed this year, and IS
States still provide quail shooting. The
seasons were shortened six weeks ir
, Oklahoma and two weeks in Nevada
Limits were established for the frs,
time in Arkansas and New Hamp-
shire, reduced in Iowa from % to ii
! per day, in Oklahoma from % to 10. il
Minnesota from Is to 10, and increased
in Nevada from Is to 20 All but IA Of
the States which permit quail hunting
now have limit OF 20 birds or les:
per day.
Waterfowl.
All the States now allow waterfowl
, hunting. but the wood duck is protect
i ed for several years throughout thu