The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1922-12-01
Enral unh nrrannal
Friday, December Ist, 1922 81
Explains the Scarcity of Rabbits

NOVStuUGE l0AA
Dear Editor:
For the past few days, l have MOTTO
ed articles in the letter columns of the
press of this State relative to the scar
city of rabbits. | have been requested
Oh numerous occasions to explain this
condition.
During a conversation with DR.. Alex
ander Wemore, Investigator of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, on
November 18th, l requested to know
to what he alluded the scarcity of rab-
bits in this State, His reply was to
the effect that practically every State
in the Union every or 8 years have
the same trouble we are experiencing
at this time, due to a disease which
spreads among the rabbits during
early Fall.
The Acts of 1922, Chap. 3O1, pro-
vides, that persons may train or hunt
their dogs without a gun between
September 10 and November 9. Dur
ing the month of Sept ember. we re-
ceived reports from practically every
County in the State advising US that
rabbits were very plentiful. however,
when the hunting season opened, this
species of game became very scarce.
Personally allude this scarcity to
several causes:
/. Long drought since September Is
which necessitated rabbits seeking
water courses.
2. Possibly disease.
8. Great increase in the fox family
and other vermin.
There are large number of persons
in this State who enjoy fox hunting,
and it is almost impossible to secure
legislation to rid the State of the Fox,
which every sportsma n knows is very
detrimental to our Game supply. Dur
ing the Spring of 1922 a friend told me
he dug out one fox den and found 5
young rabbits, and in another den he
found seven mallard ducks, which goes
to show the fox does not confine his
activities to the fur family alone.
Opening the squirrel season Sept
ember 1st gives certain persons good
chance to kill rabbits during tn cir hunt
for squirrels. OF course, / am aware
there are great many persons who
hunt squirrels, but do not kill other
game on which there is closed season;
fhnrn nnpohpr nf
persons who use the open season on
squirrels to hunt other game including
rabbits.
Several days ago letter appeared
in one of the Baltimore papers under
date of November 22nd, signed &c. J.
NJ, Hamilton, advising the purchase
of rabbits for restocking. For the
information of the public especially the
sportsmen, I. wish to state that we
have contracts placed for the delivery
of 5, 900 Cotton Tail Rabbits during the
Spring of 1923, therefore, each County
in this State will receive an allotment
During the season of 1922, we had coh-
tracts placed for cotton tail rabbits;
however, due to the heavy rate of
mortality in shipping, the broker refus-
ed to fill our order.
During an inspection trip through the
Counties of Allegany and Garrett,
which Counties were stocked last year
with the Maine Snow Hares, during
the season of 1922, l was unable to
find single person who had seen or
killed single Snowshoe hare during
the open season, therefore, have come
to the conclusion this species of Game
is not suitable for the covers of this
State. I also learned the sportsmen of
these two Counties realize opening the
Squirrel season September 1st is de-
trimental instead of being beneficial to
our game supply
E. LEE LECOMPTE.
State Game Warden