The Arvada enterprise., 1923-09-20
WILD PIGEON FEV1
California Hog Farmers Act >.
Save ACorns.
Ranehsrs Demand Open s.,.,,
Thousands Of Birds Can q. "
Slaughtered.

Ns van be
Slaughtered.
Inc Wild brother of the pigeon NH.
struts and COOS in front of No,',
Square Garden and shares tho lua'
cons Of his admirers is a source a, % a
sension In California, and around h,s
Is raging a controversy in wh,al
charges and countercharres n, a.as.
and political activity are banded ho,s.
and forth. Even the federal vovs..
ment has been forced to take co.n,
zance Of the feud between friends ~
foes of the wild or band,tailed n,,aaS
OF northern Santa Barbara county,
The housewife who does her ou,
marketing would not be likely to CON-
meet wild pigeons with the nrica =.
bacon, but according to the hop r.,.
ers of Santa Barbara the bird Ia a ds
stroyer Of the acorn crops on which
the hog ranchers chiefly depend n,
feed, and hence factor in the cro, y,
porkers and their attendant sellIn.
price.
Last November and December, A.
cording to some hog ranchers and
farmers. the wild pigeons were SO mn.
merous and hungry that they proved
disastrous to the acorn crops and the
early paintings of farmers. In fe,,
that the flight Of countless thousanh
Of wild pigeons would continue dali,
for three months, 16 farmers accord.
ing to the California fish and gam.
COMMISSION, wrote to Secretary WAL
luss Of the Department of Agricul
ture In Washington and requested that
an open season be declared on tn
pigeons
Farmers, they averred, were uuab].
to plant grain because the thousand,
of pigeons devoured the seed az soon
as it was sown. They urged that Janu.
ary, February and March be declared
open months for the killing of the
birds, with limit of so birds per hunt.
er, and with no limit on farming land
when permission to shoot was Oh
tained from the farmer.
An investigation was made BY Dr.
w. p. Taylor. assistant biologist Of the
United States biological survey, and
, he agreed with the deputy fish and
game commissioner of the Santa Bar
bara district that sportsmen were ty.
ing to hide behind the farmer and en.
deavoring through him to get acorns
instead Of chestnuts out of the fire
Doctor Taylor. stating the petition to
he based on miscOnceptlon, mot to
say willful perversion of the facts"
asserted no damage to grain was n
ported or could be found in the pigeon
country.
Many acorns were left behind BY
the pigeons In the Santa Maria sec.
tion." he continued. 'There is abun.
dant green feed this year aside from
the acOrns, and the value Of acorns
al food for stock Is questionable At
best. for 1t Is reported on good author.
ity that hogs fed on acorns put on soft
fat and lose their marketability.
''The granting Of this petition would
pave the way for duplication Of the
disgraceful slaughter Of 1912, which
Is still a stencil In the nostrlls Of con.
servationists az well as In those Of
the better balanced residents In the
pigeon sections themselves. l talked
with numerous petitioners, but not
one. on conversation, argued for the
large limit here proposed, or for IN
limited killing on farm lands.
There II NO question in my mind
reported the deputy fish and game
commissioner. but what the pigeons
have in the past done harm to the
farmers In the Zaca. Los ollvos and
Santa Ynes Valley sections, but not
nearly % bad a. reported. As to the
acorns, I have talked to cattlemen and
they do not think much Of the acoss
AZ q food for cattle and hogs"
The attitude Of the California nsh
and game commission on the question
IL thus expressed:
If It 10 time to open the season on
wild pigeons let the sportsmen so state.
proving their contention by show o!
statistics as to augmented numbers OF
birds and reasOnableness OF toll NJ
ing taken. But why hide behind Inc