Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-24
SEEK TO AMEND
STATE GAME LAWS
Delaware Commission, at a Meet
ing Here, Decided to Ask for
Some Legislation.

MS MAS uftlltu ~ u ttV'ttuk NvVsNS'-
day afternoon of the State Board OF
Game and Fish Commissioners, in the
office of the commissions president, Ed
ward c. Bradford, Jr.. Others of the
commission attending, were: W. IA. Reed
of Dover, vice-prcsident; II. G. DAVIS,
Laurel, secretary and treasurer; j. Hall
Anderson, Dover, chief game warden, who
declared amendments are badly needed IT
a proper season for game and hsh Is dc
sired
One of the main features OF the re-
vision TO be asked for by the commission,
so the members of the body decided, is the
reinstatement of the resident hunters
license, q law that was repealed several
years ago and thereby threw the State into
being one of the East's great spots where
in the illegal fishing and shooting OF game
is openly practice. This, Mr. Anderson
said. was not because the laws OF Della
ware, as pertaining to the Game Commls-
Sinn. were lax, but that the Legislature, by
abolishing the hunters license law has
also cut off from the commission, all its
revenue so that the minor laws of the
State are o. h, but no law can be en-
forced unless there are agents for It's en-
forcement, and the Game COMMISSION
has not the money to hire wardens, as SO
many are required, no. only IN the lower
counties but also In New Castle county.
The reinstatement of the resident
hunters license law, Is being widely de-
manded by the men of the State, who oc-
caSlonally take the time to go out tor a
day or two OF hunting The price OF the
license as advocated by the COMMISSION Is
81 NO q year, which, IL Is said, Will prob
ably bring INTO the the body the sum OF
about $l2 900 year, which 1T is further
declared will be sufficient for a Stste of
tins euze TO get along very we'll In restock-
ing the ponds IN Delaware and placing
plenty of quail and other game birds so as
to make Delaware n paradise for the
hunter.
And thus would be paradise for the
hunter In one or two years, II was held,
we're means taken TO combat the law
breakers by a proper wardenship and the
proper redistribution of the fish and game,
SO the members of the commission say.
Whenever the law WAS enforced, while IN
operation In Delaware, there was the
greatest incrcasein the fish and game IN the
state. II j. TO return the State to that
former bounty, that the commission VIII
ask the coming Legislature to pass once
more. the resident hunter : license law at
minimum OF 81 10 per year.
BENEFITS RESULTING.
Therr an 20 this law As To almost every
thing else, few oblectors, but the attl-
tude of the commission, which they also
hone will he the attitude Of the Dcglslat-
ors. makes II appear certain that the plan
As nut forth VIII be readily granted For II
must be realized what, for sll0 year, q
hunter is privileged 10 do, both under the
State and national laws Here are few
of the thngs
First-Can start TO fish IN every pond IN
Delaware. and there arr about so oi them
in this State, for black bass and other
game fish, from MAY % 70 February
Second-Can shoot squirrels from Sep
ternber To October Is.
rhIrd-Csn trap muskrats from No
vcrnber 20, to March 25.
F0urth-Shoot ducks. geese and snpe
from October Is to January 81
Railbirds, from September l.
20 November /, plover from August rs to,
November 80, doves, quail and rabbit
from November l5 10 January !.
Not only l. the license law a neces-
sltv that h demanded nv the hunter
Mr. Bradford said, Yesterday To which the
other members of the commission nodded
their approval, but 4 seems 70 the ss
beng Just and best for the other people
ot the state. Tor It SEEM 70 me 70 3 very
ltrst and lcgsl proposition - as - allow
the hunter and those who benefit by the
laws ~ W WI-h - enforce them that those
who hunt shoaid be made 10 paw = license
that not only Will make helr sport better
but Will also keep out of the game, IneX-
pericnced persons who think that carry
ing a gun and shooting a. everything u
sight was an American privilege that
everybody should exercise No, o,r idea
Is 10 make Delaware q paradise for the
hunter, and think that with the passage
OF that law By the next Legislature Della
ware surely will re one. The several
thousand dollars that will come 70 the
commission from the taxes will be spent
mainly TO replenish the game and re-
stock the ponds. IL must also be realized
thst wardens are 70 be hired and that
money is necessary TO bring about prose
cufion f the law vloiators. All these
features require money and the comnls-
SION Is now without a cent with which 10
enforce the laws. IL Is true that the State
appruu1iates 5000 year, which Is the
amount paid TO the chief game and FISH
warden of the State Outside Of that,
there u little license money pald in BY
the outsiders OF the state, which Is re-
auired TO paw A +. Dillihay, the chief
fiejd warden Of the State. Thus we are
handicapped most numerically and we
haven enough money now 10 carry on
our business ~ proper way. There Is one
thing that ] wish for At the next Legisla-
tuye, and that Is the passage OF the resi-
dent hunters license law.
REPLEsIsHIsG CAMP
The question Of replenishlng game birds
and etc, IN Delaware Is bringing the
matter 10 the attention OF the Game Com
mission. Mr.. Anderson, the chief game
and FISH warden. has carried on consId-
cradle correspondence with the neighbor-
ing States about the matter and has re-
ceived some very good replies On the
matter Of quail he wrote 70 DR. Joseph
kalbfus. the secretary Of the Pennsy-
wanna Game Commission, and received the
following reply
In reply 70 your letter Just received /
would say, We have had considerable ex-
perencc IN the handling Of quail IN tbe
part 25 or 80 years We find from actual
experience, Just ~ you have found. that
where hocks ol quail are not broken tip
either In shooting Or trapping or in other
y avs, that two Or more hens will lay Ia one
nest. that the cDcb birds val fight over
hTec nests, with the result that thcrevIll
BE- no Matching az all have seen as
many a. 40 eggs IA one nest. same havinp
Dcen layed by possibly two OF more blrdS
At one tune had a flock of quail that ran
together for two whole years without loss
During the early spring Of the next veal
duck hunters along the shore where these
birds were located, Taked them ~On the