The sun., 1919-02-16
Na0 York States Fight Against Predatory Animals and Birds Meeting With Success
|GUNNERS URGE REST
DAYS FOR WILDFOWL
Desired by Sportsmen in Sec
lions Where Birds Congre-
gate in Large Flocks.
TRIED OUT IN 3 STATES

WARRINGTON, %. c., Feb. 1b.-Nest
days for wild fowl are being advocated
| by gunners In various sections OF the
country, and already members OF the
Advisory Board are hearing from sports
| men.
In fact, the sentiment in favor OF rest
DAYS in certain localities has grown so
great that the subject will be discussed
at the next meeting OF the Advisory
Board and n consensus Of opinion OBJ
tanned. The migratory wild fowl law Ii
SO flexible that what experience teaches
as to the value of the various regula-
lions they can be amended and changed
to suit conditions without delay.
Wherever ducks, geese and hrant con-
rregate in immense fiocks rest days have
| for a long time been in vogue. During
the open season for wild fowl in North
lCarolina, where county laws prevail,
there are three rest days a week, in
Guiding Sunday. This is particularly
true OF Currituck and Dare counties,
where the best shooting in North Caro-
| lima Is obtained.
| In the Delta country OF the Mississippi
and Louisiana the market hunters by
mutual agreement in the past stopped
| the shooting each day at IL O'Clock
noon. Now that the Federal law has
stopped market hunting. the principle Of
a half days rest has been continued by
the Delta Duck Club. the principal club
| Of that section.
The rest day idea had its first tryout
in Tennessee during tho 1917 shooting
season on Reelfoot Lake. Under the
provisions of the State law, wild fowl
cannot be shot on the lake before s
o'clock in the morning or after in the
afternoon of any day during the open
season.
How Rest Time Works out.
AS is usual when an idea is tried out
In a community where the principle is
NEW, the law met with some opposition,
but when the 1918 season arrived those
who had participated in the splendid
shooting of the previous season had
nothing but praise to offer for the new
law.
The wild fowl that stopped at Reelfoot
Lake In 1917 quickly recognized the
fact that they could feed without mo-
lestation for a considerable period both
in the morning and the late afternoon.
without being disturbed, and conse-
quently they did not fly out on the Mis-
slssippi during the shooting hours, as
was formerly the case.
The Idea of rest time Is to gfve the
ducks a reasonable time to get their feed
and is a really agreeable time because
ducks are not compelled to feed at night.
They do not like to feed at night pre-
ferring to rest then.
One of the members OF the Advisory
Board has put forward the suggestion
that pending the enactment of Federal
Regulation giving the wild fowl n rest
period, II might be well to encourage
States to take such action themselves.
| BY giving rest periods to birds, Il might
be possible to increase the bag limit on
ducks, which is twenty-five a day In the
aggregate.
Need for Rest Period.
That there IL need of rest day In the
week. or half day period. is the view
of number of the members of the Ad-
visory Board. It is said. Every duck
hunter knows. It is pointed out, that the
| continual pounding away at ducks drives
them away from the section. besides
! making the ducks thin and not desirable
for food.
Therefore there IS a strong sentiment
In favor OF law or regulation which
will give the ducks feeding time undis
, turbed during the day, so that the birds
may have the night for sleep. Ducks, Il
Is hardly necessary to say, need sleep as
. much as human beings do. 1t is to tht
interest of the sport. says gunners who
have been consulted, to give rest period.
during the open season to wildfowl
, The Advisory Board consists OF Johr
Il. Burnham, president OF tho American
: Game Protective Association. chairman
members of the Fish and Game Com
missions of the various States, conserva
tionists and spor,smen.
Its membership follows: w. c. Adams
Boston. Mass; NJ. L. Alexander, New
! Orleans, La; Carlos Avery. St Paul
Mimi. Brooke Anderson, Chicago: Ed
. ward G.. Bradford. Jr.. Wilmington, Del
w. L Barber Madison. Wis. William +
I Finley, Portland. Ore; Z. II. Forbush
Boston: George Bird Grinnel. New York
a L, G. Hinshaw, Spirit Lake. Ia; DR.
William 4. Hornaday. New York: Georg
c.. Roster. Lincoln, Neb. Marshall Nc
Lean. Albany. N. Y; l. C. Myers. Akron
q Ohio; Clark McAdams. st. Louis, Mo.
i Clinton NJ. Odell. Minneapolis, MINI; T
K Gilbert Pearson. New York; Georg
shiras Sd. Washington. d. c.; John II
q Wallace, Jr.. Montgomery. Ala, and Car
:, | Westervelt. San Francisco