Marble Hill press., 1920-07-01

the state upon higher ground than that the treaty
deals with creatures that for the moment are
within the state borders, that II must hr carried
out by officers uf the United States within the
same territory aud that hot for The treaty the
state would be free To regulate this subject IT,
self"
with The federal migratory bird law IN opera
tion and Canada holding up her cua-aS she Is.
the birds have "A chance A> soon As Mexico l.
brought 20 time and made 10 behave deceutly.
the same Aud of treaty viii b" arranged with
her. Then rhr birds viii hr protected all along
the line %. migration
II Is la, opinion Of most duck shooters that
the good effect II the federal migratory bird law
Is already very much IN evidence. The birds nov
nest iu many ~ their old nesting places 10 the
United States, instead OF going clear To northern
Canada I.,r all Wild life they are quick TO
sense their protection and tu take advantage OF
g. In consequence the hunter, from his view
point Is pleased with the working of the law
because 10 gives him more ducks TO shoot in the
fall
The Judgment Of the hunter IL confirmed by
that Of The biologist. The United States Biological
survey j. engaged In study OF the conditions at
the larger breeding places In various parts OF
the country \ 1920 report on Waterfowl IN
Nebrnsku. an Illustrated bulletin Of - pages
by Harry c. Oherholser-Snys on this point, in
part
the presence Of man--the sand hill region of Ne
hraska is 3u ideal breeding place for waterfowl
II is indeed one of the very best Of the remain
Ing breeding grounds. The great number Of
marshy lakes with their abundant supply Of food
shelter and breeding places provide advantages
which II would be difficult 10 surpaSS.
1T is the universal testimony Of residents and
Of sportsmeu that the myrads of ducks which in
former tsucs frequented the sand Hill region,
4trSY md FOIL haE hnap
greatly reduced. This dimnuuon is due in part
TO spring shooting. but also to a number Of other
causes including the slaughter of ducks in great
numbers both south and north of Nebraska. The
migration flights here, however, are still large
and show that there remains good supply Of
waterfowl which with proper protection and rea
sonable regulation Of shooting will continue indef
nltey to furnish excellent sport. The breeding
waterfowl of the sand hills also have suffered
from hunters. particularly in spring. On many
of the lakes there are club houses owned by
sportsnen from cities outside OF the county who
were long IN the habit of shooting here regular
ly in spring
"Since the enactment OF the federal statute Of
1913 known the federal migratory bird law,
there has been comparatively little spring shoot,
ing In the sand hin region. for the law seems TO
have been very well observed
"In all the localities that the writer visited he
made careful inquiries regarding the effect that
the stopping of spring shooting has had on the
numbers of waterfowl, particularly ducks 1t Ia
very gratifying TO note that after the federal law
went into effect ducks began steadily to increase
In Nebraska, particularly in the lakes Of eastern
Cherry county those about the headwaters of
the North Loup river, and at the Cody Lakes.
As one resident expressed II, as soon as the ducks
find out that they will not be disturbed In spring,
they come back in increasingly large numbers" "