The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-15
MANY. CHANGES MADE. 49,
IN STATE GAME LAWS
Legislation Shows Effort to Perpetu-
ate and Protect Different Species
of Grouse.

ate and Protect Different Species
of Grouse.
Washington. Oct. 14.-Forty
state legislatures have made more o,
less extensive changes in the game
laws this year, as is shown by bulle
tin just issued by the department o.
agriculture. While the number o.
laws enacted does not equal the tota
number passed in other years, wher
r most of the legislatures were in SEES
sion, the volume compares favorably
with records of previous years, owing
to the number of states which amend
ed and coditied their game legislation
Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota. Ohio
Texas and Utah for example. passed
general measures, revising their statu
ties. Considerable progress was made
along the line of harmonizing state
legislation with the migratory bird
treaty act and the regulations there.
under. In South Carolina the federal
regulations were adopted as the law
of the state. In New York the sea.
son for Long Island, and in Arkansas.
Illinois. Minnesota, Ohio, South Dako-
ia and Texas open seasons or other
provisions weer made to conform to
the federal regulations.
| What is considered very beneficial
! legislation for the protection OF big
game was enacted th<~Near. among
the most noteworthy of which was the
action of Maine in repeating the provi
sion which allowed residents to ex.
port deer. Federal Investigations dis
closed that residents OF Maine and
New Hampshire had been illegally
shipping large numbers of deer to the
Boston markets, and the magnitude
of this illegal traffic, as indicated by
the convictions secured in federal
courts, was doubtless instrumental in
initiating this legislation Another
most important provision of the legis
lation in Name, and one OF far-reach
ing consequences, was that prohib.
iting the use of deer and moose in
lumber camps The deer season.
were shortened from five to fifteen
days in Maine, New Mexico, Vermont
and Wyoming, and for all deer in
Ohio and West Virginia. The limits
on deer was reduced from two to one
season in New York and Ontario.
Nova Scotia heightened the season on
deer one week and New York. Texas.
and Vermont repealed laws protect
ing does.
Maine permitted moose to be hunt |
ed during the last ten days of Novem- |
Der, the first open season on these |
animals since 1915; and Nova Scotia
shortened the open season two
weeks.
The grouse season was closed in !
New Mexico, Texas Vermont and Wv |
oming: in Maine and Ohio existing |
open seasons were shortened: and in |
West Virginia the number of grouse |
allowed to be taken in season was !
reduced from twenty-five to twenty. |
In Michigan and Pennsylvania. where |
the season on ruffed grouse were
closed in 1918, hunting is again per-
mitted this year Alberta heightened !
the season on grouse and ptarmigan
two weeks.
One of the most important features
OF the game legislation of 1919 was
the effort to maintain efficient organi |
cations for the enforcement of Bhe |
laws. A very general effort was made /
to keep pace with the increased cost
OF living, which necessitated the nav.
ment of living wage for warden
work and competition with salaries !
and wages paid by private concerns |
NO less than eleven states-Connecti |
cut, Idaho, Missouri. New Hampshire
New Mexico, New York. Oklahoma |
Oregon, Texas. Vermont and Wyom |
increases in compen. !
sation for state wardens or deputies |
indiana and Ohio state game officials |
were authorized to fix the compensaJ
ton of all their employees, and in New
Jersey the salaries Of certain EN-. |
ployes Of the board of fish and game
commissioners are REQUIRED to be fix |
ed in accordance with schedule fur
nished by the civil service commits
sion
Idaho, in keeping with the move
ment in many states, created nine de.
parfments in which to centralize ana
systematize the civil administration
OF state affairs, and placed the 6sh +
and game bureau in the department
Of law enforcement In West Virginia
ri 81 state wide residence license law
was enacted to replace the 1915 act
requiring SO license of residents hunt
ing outside their counties OF resi-.
1eRee. The ST residence license.
with an exemption to landowners.
and members cf their famtl
les hunting on their own lands. has
proved popular throughout the coun.
Try, is not burdensome on the individ
lal hunter, and invariably insure f.
nancial support for adequate warden
service. restocking. and other lines OF
legitimate game conservation. West
Virginia made deep inroads into the
game and fish protection fund main
aimed by receipts from the sale ~
licenses, by providing that 20
per cent thereof should be expended
IN restocking streams with fish, and
10 per cent set aside for bounties on