Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-10-05
GAME DEPARTMENT
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

Stuart Monday, the document
being a lengthy but extremely
interesting story of the depart
ment's very successful year.
Mr.. Parsons reports that the
total receipts from the hunting
licenses for the year were S92.-
o7l-far more, lie declares, than
the most optimistic advocates of
the law anticipated.
Another feature Of especial
interest which he mentions in
his report is that while the law
creating the department provided
no funds on which it could set up
business, making it necessary
for the governor and the COM
missioner TO make suHdry adj
vances in order to get it estab-
lished, it had on hand on tue lst
day of July, 1917, the snug bal
ance of S2O,595.65.
COLLECTIONS IN DETAIL.
There was collected from coun-
ty hunters at ST each the sum of
S55,0 from state hunters. at
50 each. S29.679; nonresident
hunters, at SO each, 81, $50;
alien hunters, at $50 each, 500;
while nonresident fishermen, at
SIS each, paid a total of SOS.
From these totals the clerks, for
issuing licenses, deducted COM
mission of per cent.
From this income it was pos
sible for the department to em-
ploy wardens during the time
when their services were most
needed at the maximum wage
allowed bylaw. In the off sea-
son they we're paid but $40 a
month each.
Many of the best citizens of
the commonwealth are serving
as wardens without pay. except
fees on convictions, and the ac-
tivities of the department and its
representative have had a splen-
didly deterrent effect in the pro-
lection Of the wild life of the
state. Total fines imposed were
$4,223 for the first year of the
departments business. The
commissioner expresses the opiu-
ion that number of fines have
not been reported to the Depart
m.nt. The results of the first
year, says the com missioner, are
very gratifying.
RESTOCKING THE STATE.
The department has been &C.
cupied very considerably in re-
stocking the state with varieties
of animal and bird life extinct in |
Virginia and replenishing other
varieties which have been seri-
ously reduced in number.
Referring to the $50 elk brought
in from Wyoming. he said that
number of calves had been
born, and that the supply would
be further augmented by another !.
importation early in tile winter,
: efficiently early, in fact, for til.
young to escape the hardsliips|
OF the western winter.
FOR RING-NEcKED PHEAsANTs.
A determined effort is being
made to introduce the ring-neck-
I'd pheasant. 1000 eggs having Il
been distributed throughout tile
state for Matching and 2,2OOlt
Touug pheasants have been Sc II
cured from breeders. Two hun.
bred full-grown birds have been t
procured for the state game t
farm, plans for which are now
being perfected,
Special effort will be made tsl
Increase the stock of turkeys nextl
season at the farm donated by =
the Norfolk and Western Rail-
way Company, near Ford, Va,
as a game farm or preserve. Mr..
Parsons expresses the opion that :
luail will soon become plentiful.
He declares that special effort
should be made to increase the $
number of deer, and commends I
he Pennsylvania law. which o
iolds tue open season on doe to )
wo weeks.
THE FISH SITUATION. II
Referring to the fish situation, 5
lie said that while the work of t
he game wardens under the new o.
anne law will undoubtedly result
d a short time in some increa Sc o.
. the supply of fish. sfrea ms M
ad been depleted almost to the B
oint of determination, and the
found but few fish 10
rotect when it came into being. =
[e strongly recommends sur n
y of the streams to ascertain III
y exact needs Of the situation. Ii