The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-06-23
URGES AN OPEN
SEASON FOR QUAIL
u. S. Game Warden Attacks
y Bird Class.

Chief United States tame Wafden
George A. Lawyer of Washington, D.
c., in two addresses in Columbus last
Tuesday and Wednesday, one before
the Rotary club and the other before
the Kiwanis club of the capital, city.
Chief Lawyer urged the Ohio leg
islature to repeal the present law
and provide a short open season for
quail, perhaps week, or less, and
limit the bag to five or six birds.
i "It is better rsfor the quail if there
is short open season." said the chief.
Shooting scattsrs the coveys and
puts an end to inbreeding, which is
causing general deterioration Of the
species" %
That quail are deteriorating has
been proven by careful investigation
that have been made by experts of
the bureau of biological survey of the
United States department of agricul-
ture. Not only that, but the birds,
instead of increasing in numbers I'm
der the closed law in Ohio, are be-
coming fewer. The reason is that
the state fish and game bureau rep
resentatives all over the state are
not looking after the coveys as they
did before the birds were listed in
the permanently protected class. Nor
are the farmers feeding them in the
rigorous winter months, like they
used to.
The incentive for mankind to
nurse" the coveys along through the
} deep SHOWS when the birds are prac-
tically helpless to feed themselves is
lacking nowadays. Why should they
be fed when there is no reward of an
open season? So the quail are dy-
ing in winter, and are deteriorating
, because of inbreeding. Soon a good
: sized coxey in Ohio will be rarity.
A short open season and a limited
bag soon would bring the alarming
situation back to normal. Of course
an open season law should be rigidly
enforced and all violators be severely
FURNISHED. But if the state fish and
game bureau could begin propaga-
e ton of quail on the states preserves
+ and have full supervision over the
: birds it would not be long before we
: once more would have good quail
. shooting in the Buckeye state.
! Most Of the fisht t, and game associa-
$ tons Of Ohio have supported the oper
h season for quail plan. 1t is backed
t by state bureau. The .sportsmer
d want the law. The,state legislature
It should heed the wish of these thou.
:. sands of Ohioans.
= Chief Lawyer in his Columbus ad.
( dress also urged the club members
d and business men generally to aid the
a movement for game preserves
s throughout the country.
+ Commenting on the new Anthony
: bill, pending in congress, to provide
- for federal license for hunters al
! 81 a year, he declared it would il
d passed provide funds for the purchase
: and development of many game pre-.
serves and refugees. He declared that
more than 100000 state hunting
: licenses, issued last year, constituted
Ionly an indication of what might be
Y expected to result from a federal Ii
cense. s-s
Speaking of the good accomplished
a by the federal law which prohibits
r. spring shooting of migratory birds
d he declared that as it permits then
I to breed unmolested, it already has
y resulted in great increase in the
] number of wild-fowl.
3 The value of wild game shot ii
l. this country each year, he said, is al
IS least $100OOO,0OO, sum that coulc
e be vastly increased by proper con
servation. The value Of the fish
taken in American waters is about
the same, the two items constituting
an enormous addition to the nation.
= food supply. More than 1O,0OO,O0(
persons, Chief Lawyer said, engage
in fishing in the country every year
n Much praise was accorded by tn,
d speaker to the work of Chief A. C
It Baxter Of the Ohio fish and game
's division, and even more to the pro
: gram which Chief Baxter has formu
Il lated for the further development 0.
al the department.
Representative Crabbe, who led tn,
successful attack on the fishermen
license bill in the house at the recen
2 session, at banquet in Portsmouth
: last week declared himself in favol
z of a properly backed and draw
measure to license Ohio anglers. H,
stated the bill which was defeated
did not wholly meet with his approva
q but that he would have let it 20 thr,
Z the house had not circumstances, de