The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-08-19
FISHERMEN AND HUNTERS
Letter to Them From Commissioner
J. w. Titcomb.

~ tHe blcenseu anglers ana Hunt
ers: Every one OF you is interested
to have fishing and hunting improved,
at least so far as it pertains to your
favorite sport. 1t is safe to say that a
large majority of you believe in con-
servation and want the game laws en-
forced; also that large majority of
you believe in stocking the streams
and lakes with suitable species of
fish. Yet there is a great difference
of opinion about the laws for the pro.
lection of fish and game as evidenced
by the number of bills referred to the
Joint Committee on Game and Fisher
les at each recurring term of the Leg
islature. During the Legislature of
1910, one hundred bills were referred
to the Joint Committee on Game and
, Fisheries.
To attempt to explain the frequent
efforts to change certain parts of the
chapter of game laws is unnecessary.
You have only to call together at the
| corner grocery or elsewhere a half
! dozen persons more or less, and dis
cuss any one or all sections. A few
would abolish the entire chapter, bar
| ring perhaps the sections relating to
song and insectivorous birds. These
few are mostly men who neither fish
nor hunt. A majority of the few are
adversely effected by some one of the
laws or think they are, Some of them
are men who do not like to be under
| restraint while in the woods. Another
! group will disagree upon the varying
| opening seasons on both fish and
game. 1t will be difficult to find any
two men in a group who will agree up.
on all of the open seasons either as to
the time of opening or of closing them
| Quite number of people in one por.
| tion OF the state would advocate fish
ing with nets, but would split on the
kinds Of nets, while in most parts OF
| the state such course Is regarded as
| suicidal. Some men who are opposed
to the barbarous method of taking
| deer known as "crusting' believe that
it is perfectly proper for them to have
June or July venison. Among the
1 ltoA SlOAhoniNh dAN NHO
cause the State much expense in at
tempts through their representatives
to convert the majority OF the Legisla-
ture to their ideas. The writer has in
mind one such who would abolish the
| Commissioner because the latter does
not attempt to remove all protection
from coons and this man would discon.
tinue the stocking OF streams with
fish so long as coons are protected.
have briefly reviewed some of the
many differences OF opinion on a sub
ject of great economic importance
not for the purpose OF starting discus
sions or suggestions for further legis
lation, but rather in the hopes that an
explanation of the reasons for the
laws and the policy of the Commits
sioner in reference to their execution
may tend to more general under
standing and more cordial co-opera
tion on the part of those most yitally
interested
| Fish and game are property Of the
state. The game laws have for theil
basis the fundamental law that ami
mails ferae naturae are property oI
the State. In other words, the Stat,
owns all wild birds, wild quadruped'
and fishes and may prescribe laws reg
ulating the periods of time and tht
methods by which they may be taken.
Restrictive laws indispensable. Al
will agree that, without restrictive
laws, our wild life would be extermin
ated. Some quadrupeds and birds in
digenous Vermont have alread.
been eXterminated and In one instance
an exterminated quadruped 9TH,
, deer) has been restored In such abun
, dance as to cause many discussion
as to what shall be our future polio,
in regard to II.
When the Indians inhabited thi
country they were by necessity con
4 servationists because they were large
ly dependent upon fish, game and fu
bearing animals for food and clothing
With the progress in civilization an
increase in population, the necessit
, for restrictive and regulative laws ha
! become very generally recognized,
u, When q number of men form a pr
=, yate fish and game club. they immet
j. lately proceed to make rules and res
ulations as to the amount of fish O
game each member may take In a Sc,
son and IL II owns trout presery
a they usually increase the statu,or
= limit OF six inches to seven inche
. and perhaps stipulate that fish may b
taken only by the method known a
ny fishing.
Why should not the anglers an
hunters OF the State who are payin
/. for the propagation and protection I
fish and game consider themselves on
large club and all agree to abide /
the rules prescribed by the maiorit
II of the members through their repr
p sentatives in the Legislature?
y now ask your indulgence while
% give some of the reasons for some
d the more important laws.
Angling is defined to limit persC
IT to one rod and line when fishing fro
IL the shore and two rods and lines
IT two lines when fishing from boat,
" being assumed that in either case Il
'e one or two lines is all that u perst
can properly tend. The camper on Il
shore of n pond some times wou
like to set line with hundr
hooks. more or less, or to keep o.
IN line set in front of his cottage mig
and day. Such a practice In it's,
m would not be necessarily destructi
Of but other campers want the same pr
te ilege; daily visitors want the sai