The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-18
Plans Under Way for Stock.
ing State Waters With
this Western Fish
DUCK PRESERVE ON
LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Commissioner Leavans Hopes That the
State Will Shorten the Season on
Ruled Grouse in Effort to Prevent
Extinction of This Game Bird.

=
Extinction of This Game Bird.
Among the acts to be considered at the
the closing of the open season on part
ridges or else shortening 1t to veryi
short season, perhaps two weeks. AM
other project to be brought before the
fish and game commissioner TO purchase
for the state duck breeding ground
Both projects are backed strongly by not
only the fish and game department but
by many prominent sportsmen as well.
George Ii. Graham of Springfield, Mass., !
a fish and game commissioner of Massa-
ehusetts, has just returned to his home
after an important visit TO Vermont, so
far as fish and game is concerned. Mr.
Graham hopes that Vermont viii put a
closed season ON partridge shooting be-
cause Massachusetts, New York, Connect |,
cut and in fact 1all the nearby states have
agreed to do this. The birds have been
growing steadily scarcer with each year
of late and threaten to get down tol
Where's it will be hard work to bring them
| back unless they are given more protec-
! ton. Several factors have entered into
| the condition, which makes the birds few
| er. One OF these is that the hunting
grounds are now made SO easy of access
by the automobile hunter can leave
his business for only few hours and
Ipenetrate into some of the best hunting
grounds and be back again before night
Then the death rate has been very high
among young birds ON account of the wet
spring seasons. Commissioner Leavcns Is
in favor of a closed season or a very
short one. as is r. L Patrick, presiden.
OF the Fish and Game league.
4 One result of Mr.. Grabams visit 10
Vermont viii be the installation in the
back ponds and lakes OF chinook salmon
This fish is indigenous to the Pacific
) coast but four years ago Massachusetts
/ brought some eggs from the state OF
& Washington and planted them in its lakes.
/. The results have been most satisfactory
!, in spite OF the seeming impossibility of
{ transporting eggs that distance. The chin
ook salmon is probably the most rapidly
| growing fresh water fish in the United
; States, and Mr.. Graham had with him
some pictures Of a fish two years old
which weighed seven and three-quarters
fpounds There is no doubt that Vermont
y
: full outcome of the venture would mean
much to the small hotel keeper and the
/, spertsmen in places back in the woods
J, The project has proved SO successful in
u Massachusetts that fishermen who have
1 spent hundreds OF dollars and time in
c going through the Maine woods have
: caught bigger and more salmon in their
own state Of late than they did then
+ long trips. The salmon is pink and o.
d the same flavor as the other species. TIL,
2. rapid growth of the fish would probably
t make a closed season unnecessary. except
= during the spawning period. Smelt is th'
: best food for the larger fish. The salmon
y will probably not be placed in Lake Cham
3 plain for fear they would escape into tn,
9 Est Lawrence.
y Mr.. Graham was also impressed Will
: the possibilities of lake trout in LAX
Champlain, if planted among the island
and other. places where the water is deep
n His state stands ready to help Vernon
Y with fry or fingerhngs, ii this project i
i undertaken, and it undoubtedly will be
= Massachusetts, has nearly everything {
/ do with in the way of fish and game prop
agation but hasn't the means of securin
d the pike, for which Vermont now has
1t reputation and about all il win ask il
,tl return is some of the fry. of which Vel
mont always has an abundance, Their
seems to be no quibbling between tn
z departments of the two states. but TIA
- best of feeling exists, and the two ar
now working in closest harmony Mi
Graham is the second OF the three con
niissioners to visit Vermont OF late. II
hos been sent by his state to variou
places to study conditions.
When it comes to the duck preserv,
&C all game enthusiasts are Of one opinio
!. regarding it. There is money enough no.
tt on hand from the collection of hunter!
licenses to pay for a suitable preserve {
which there are many in view. All tina
is needed is authority from the legislature
The experiments iof the last year or 5
have proven that the ducks take to We
mont. and Judging by the luck which a
tended the experiments much can be don
here by way of propagation. Not onl
It. do Mr.. Graham and the state departmef
= favor the project, but the officials froi
Washington, after looking over the groun
or urged the movement strongly.
g. AIr. Graham took a trip around Ma
NJ let's Bay and for the first time saw fisl
ing through the ice done in comfort II
tried his luck for short time near Coat'
island and brought out a good sized pie
erel