The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-09-05
CLOSED SEASON EXTENDED.

Under the game law of the state
1.-THE open season for certain game birds
commenced Monday, September 1st,
land later in the fall the restriction IL
lifted from other game birds. The law
las it stands is considerably compli-
Icated and differs in groups of coun-
tiles. 1t is rather bewildering to a man
lout with gun, as he is compelled to
lcurb his inclination to shoot when
lever birds are flushed. He is liable to
lcut loose into a flock of Hungarian
Ipheasants, and if caught at it he would
Ipay stiff price for his mistake. It Is
"a great temptation to bang away at
|Chinese pheasants, but in doing 50 one
is taking long chances of being called
Iup on the carpet and mulcht for the
iact. Prairie chickens are under LONGER
lpl election than the grouse, but It re-
lquires considerable restraint to curb
the desire to pull trigger when chick
lens are flushed when it is grouse one
| is after However, it Is a wise provis-
ion that game birds should be pro-
tected, and 1t is regrettable that the
protection is not more drastic, for
there are always men without the
Ispirit of sportsmen, Indifferent to the
law, indifferent as to the rights OF
iothers. who persist in killing game
out OF season. Only stiff fines will
bring such game hogs to their senses.
land if game birds are to continue to
exist means will have to be found to
| stop the indiscriminate slaughter out
Iof season. Those of us who can look
back twenty years in this country and
compare the number of game birds to
be found anywhere in the hills or val
| lleys in those days and the scarcity Of
the same species of birds today can
lreadily understand how rapidly up
land birds, and water fowl too, for
that matter, are disappearing. II there
lis not strict enforcement of the game
law and greater care exercised by
those who persist in killing as soon as
birds are out of the shell, in q very
few years the prairie chicken the
lgrouse, the pheasant and ducks will
have disappeared from the earth as
completely as the buffalo and the wild
pigeon have been exterminated.
Every year on the 1st of September.
the day the ban is lifted, it has been
the habit of hunters to flock to the
hills after the first birds that are
Iopen to slaughter. There are general
y more hunters out than birds to be
Slaughtered. yet the kill made figures
up to large numbers. Very many had
lsecured licenses and prepared to start
forth on the annual riot of murder
Monday, but at the eleventh hour the
governor issued proclamation ex-
tending the closed season. For some
reason that closed season is confined
to few counties in eastern Washing
ton. The reason for this restriction
'should appeal to every hunter, and
should be vigorously obeyed. The
purpose is to prevent as far as pos
|sible the starting of fires. Timber and
grass are as dry as powder and spark
is liable to start disastrous fire. A
few hunters might exercise caution
but the average man with a gun is in
different to any consequences that
might follow his enjoyment of the
sport The careful are compelled to
suffer for the indifference of the care
less and even the most careful might
drop match or an ignited wad that
would bring about the same disastrous
results. Game commissioners have
been instructed by the governor
to enforce the order without fear or
favor, and in all probability numerous
hunters will be called upon to pay q
fine for insisting upon shooting under
a license. On account of the late date
|of the issuance of the proclamation
many will not have knowledge Of the
orders in time to stop the killing of
birds this week. But that ignorance
cannot continue very long as every
effort has been made to give the pro-
clamation publicity. 1t has been stated
that this is the second time that the
closed season has been extended by
gubernatorial proclamation. The re-
striction is only temporary, anyhow,
and it is to be presumed that after the
first general rain the ban will be lift
ed. In the meantime restrain your de-
sire to shoot birds and spread the
tidings that killings are unlawful.