Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-14
.BOUNTIES HELP
STATE CLEAR OUT
NOXIOUS GAME
Money Derived From Hunt
ers' License System Used
in Good Purpose

| honey uerlNeu from tne hunters
license system in Pennsylvania
that are nuisances to the farmer,
the poultry raiser and the game
fancier and probably brought about
the destruction of thousands of
| predatory hawks during the year
ending November 80, 1917, accord
ing to the records of the State Game
Commission. This seems to have
been a most successful year for
clearing out the noXious game and
the figures all represent payment of
bounties which have been carefully
attested and the pelts examined.
The bounties were paid on 44,270
weasels, of which Crawford and
Bradford county farmers each killed
more than 1000; 5,S46 mink, S,734
gray foxes and 1886 of his red
brother and 393 wild cats. The to-
tai amount of money expended was
$66,614, All of this was provided
by the sportsmen of the state as
their share of ridding the farmer of
some of his worst pests and is
rather impressive lesson in the value
of the license system, to say moth
ing of identifying every hunter.
/ Over the Top Last Year
With several counties to complete
their returns, the total of the hunt
ers' licenses issued during 1917 was
305,005 which is just twenty-three
short of the record made in 1911,
the first year when the license sys-
tenn was adopted. 1t is certain that
the total will run a couple of hun
dreds beyond that record and that
! the year will close over 1000 be-
yond 1916. This means ninety cents
for game propagation and protec-
ton from each license for the state,
extension of the game preserves,
running down of game outlaws and
payment of bounties for more pests.
The record for the year is led by
Allegheny county, which had about
10000 licenses, with Philadelphia
and Luzerne coming along as con-
4 tenders for second place. 1t is in
teresting to note that big farming
counties like Lancaster, Berks, Le-
high, York, Franklin and Chester
issued more licenses than ever be-
fore and that they furnished con-
siderable kills of game, according to
the reports which have come to hand
from the wardens. This illustrates
the changed conditions and the at
titude of people toward the act.
Thousands of young Pennsylvani-
ans went out to war including many
men who spent a couple of weeks
every fall in the woods, and that in
| dustries have been going at such a
rate that many men We're forced to
give up their annual hunt for deer,
bear or cottontails and birds.
To Close OH Grouse
There appears to be little doubt
about the office of the State Game
| Commission that there will be a gem
eral closing of the counties to the
hunting of the ruffed grouse next
fall Petitions to close counties are
already being heard of and many
letters have come here urging that
steps be taken to save the great
game bird. The plan appears to be
among sportsmen generally to petit
ton the Commission to close the
| counties, as has been done on deer,
quail and turkeys and other game
in a score of instances, on ruffed
| grouse. AS the movement is state
wide. it would enable action to be
taken without waiting for the Leg
islature and the effect would be to
gain time and to bring about such
an increase as occurred in the case
or wild turkeys, which were pro-
tected for two years and which are
now numerous in counties where
they were long a scarce article.
1t is possible that petitions for
closing of counties on other game
may appear, but not much opposi-
ton to the movement to save tho
grouse is considered as probable.
New Game Preserves
If leases can be secured from cCal
companies, new game preserve will
be opened in the Lykens Valley re-
gion of Dauphin county, where over
5000 acres are available and which
would open a region easy of access,
and steps are also under way to have
lands leased for preserves in War
rem, Bucks and possibly Clarion
counties. The game preserve, like
hunters licenses, has. come to be
recognized as something very valu-
able to sportsmeR and the plans will
be heartily supported when an
nounced, it is believed here.
During the spring some extensive
distribution of Mexican quail will
kake place in the older preserves and
other birds will be put out.
1t is feared that at least a dozen
of the states elk will be shot in the
Blair county region if they can not
be driven back to the mountains.
These elk have wandered from
northern counties and gotten out of
the woods, making themselves a
nuisance to farmers. They have
been ordered shot by wardens if they
can be rounded up. The state now
has couple of hundreds of elk. |
which will be protected until 1921.
State game wardens are COM |
mencing to run down the illegal |
hunters and the men who disregard |
ed laws and shot does, but they have |
also turned up some curious viola |
tions of the hunting laws whereby |
foreigners who went back to home |
countries and who happened to be |
neutralized, sold their papers TO |
others who We're not citizens. This |
constitutes a new phase of the alien |
gun law and in Cambria county over
twenty-five arrests for this offense /
were made. In other instances men |
borrowed naturalization papers and |
got hunters licenses.
State fishery authorities are |
taking advantage of the season TO |
study reports on the way trout sur-
vived in some of the streams and
lakes, which were planted, the re-
suit being that brown trout have
been successfully maintained in
creeks where brush has Disappeared
from banks. The total of such fish
put out IN 1917 broke all records
ana plantlng Will be started as soon
as weather permits this year.
TELEPHONE co. OFFICERS
Middleburg, Pa, Jan. 14.-Stocl-
holders of the Middleburg Creek
Valley Telephone Company held a |
meeting in their offices over the Ma
tional Bank building yesterday and
elected the following officers and al
rectors: President, Harold Mo.
Clure; president. James Mapee.
secretary, George w. WagenseIler
treasurer, John S. Kaufman: gen,
eral manager, Frank A. Eyer: di-
rectors.. George w. Wagenseller.