Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-10
continued Commissioner Par:

pear" continued Commissioners Par
sons. fs-
Hunting conditions are improving
generally and it is believed the true
sportsman is more in evidence than
ever before, and leaving a few birds
for seed and not cleaning up the last
pair in a cover is having a good eff
feet upon the thoughtless novice who
is anxious to make a record regard
less of the consequence. 1t is not
now the last bird so much as for
naerly.
During the past season woodcocli
were repeated in good numbers i'll
some of the southern counties and
quite a number of sportsmen from
out of the State availed themselves
of the opportunity to engage in the
fascinating sport of woodcock shoot
ing 1t may be well. however. to re-
ducc The bag limit from 10 TO five il
we hope to see this bird increase.
spreading more generally over the
southern counties of the State. Five
birds is the bag limit in New Hamp-
shire and sportsmen seem well salts
fed with that number.
Bob cats and loupcervier. or Can
ada lynx, are still creating havoc
among the deer in some sections.
They will undoubtedly be hunted
more this winter when they can be
tracked on the snow than they were
earlier in the fall.
TT would seem that a SO bounty
would be q fair inducement for hunt
ers who know their habitat and are
familiar with their habits to hunt
them, although the fun is Of little
value compared with last season. 1t
is also claimed to be good sport in the
winter months for nimrods with red
blood in their veins.
Beaver are becoming very numer+
Gus in some sections of the State, and
it has been found necessary to open
up again this year quite a number of
tracts to trapping where they were
doing actual substantial damage.
Not as much trapping will be done
this year as last On account of the
low price of fur. Open season has
been declared only in such instances
as the flowage. or damage, was I'M
reasonable and worked an injury to
the owner, or retarded some lumber
ing operation. The beaver have now
such a foothold in Maine that there
is no fear of exterminating them by
lawful trapping, as only small areas
are opened as compared with the
territory covered by them.
"The warden service has of neces-
sity been enlarged since the great in
flux of visitors and sportsmen, which
ing of the armistice. This created
an unusual demand for wardens i'll
every section of the State. The small
number available with the funds pro-
vided for the department has been
Inadequate to cover so vast Il terri
tory as needs patrolling, but the
wardens. as a whole, have rendered
good service and accomplished much
in their efforts to protect the game
of the State.
That poaching is growing I'M
popular and the violator more 'asily
apprehended than formerly is owing
not only to the good work of the
wardens but to the interest being
taken by other citizens of the State
who are ready to give information of
such violations as come to their
knowledge. The plain clothes men
are also making it too uncertain to be
profitable. and moving from point to
point in all kinds of business, even
as lumbermen. scalerS, sportsmen
and everyday Jonathans. keep the
poacher guessing, and one thing he
has guessed right-that if he gets by
with his yj0lat ion this vpor Sop,a
warden or secret service man is. still
on his track and liable to take him
at any time"