Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-23
HUNTERS LICENSE
NOT A PERMIT
1t Does Not Give the Holder
Right to Trespass on
Posted Land.

In an article pointing out that hunt
ers' license fee docs not give holder the
right To shoot on posted lands, the Del
aware State Sportsman Association says:
In a previous article it was endeavored
To show that the revenue derived from
hunters license fees was spent in good
measure to protect from aliens particular
ly those birds that are of value 10 our
farmers through their cons mption of
weed seeds and insects.
tn this occasion the writer would like
to consider the question from n some
what different aspect. Two questions
trouble good many people who do not
shoot and who, therefore, are not familiar
with that form OF sport. Such as these are
not infrequently Of the opinion that the
game wardens of the State and the fish
and game commission are supported by
general tax on all citizens That, of
course, is not the case, for the money, in
States which exact hunters license fec,
comes from special tax, levied only on
the man who shoots in many particulars
the most fairly imposed fax we have m
this country. No one, therefore. who does
not shoot contributes n cent of the money
that goes to the support Of the man paid
To protect both game and non-gamc
birds.
The second troublesome question for
the man who doesnt shoot Is as To the
rights conferred by the hunters license.
Many owners of farms, for instance, are,
not unnaturally, of the opinion that the
license gives the hunter legal right TO
treSpass on farm lands Such is not the
case An individual armed with a license
has no more rights than one without 1t IN
this respect
In this connection carcfulConsideratlon
is invited TO the fact that, when there are
no license system and no adequate game
warden force, men who want to shoot
feel more free 10 trcSpass on farms at
any season Of the year they care 10 shoot,
than they do when there IS "A special police
force the game wardcns for tho enforce
ment of closed seasons on game birds and
the protection of non-gamo birds in all
seasons.
Many farmers have suffered from the
of so-callcd sportsmcn who
left gates open, tore down fences, shot
live stock and committed other unpardon-
able trespaSscs This sort Of thing thrlvcs
IN fullest measure whore the restraining
hand Of the law is pAralyzcd, and the
lawlcSS element among those who shoot
can 90 out with dog and gun amy season
In tho year without fear OF molestation.
It is the Iaw-abiding element among
those who shoot who believe in The hunters
license fec and the lawlcss which fre-
quently is indifferent or actually opposed
To it.
In the more progressive States those
who shoot are required 10 wear large
license button or tag bearing All individual
number 50 that any citizen whose rights
may bc infringed upon by the shooter
may have an easy means of identifying
him This is the same principle rs that
requiring automobile owners to put num-
oered license plates on their cars.
The license. therefore. far from CON
,crring any rights 10 go upon lands
owned, may be so employed rs to
Be Of value TO the landowner who suffers
rom trespasS.
In later article there will be some
hing to say about the relations Of the
nan who owns farm and the man who