Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-12-04
NEWS OF GAME AND SOME STILL FOUND
FISH DEPARTMENT BY SHERIFF DOVE
Commissioner Mcdonald Lee Gives
Interesting Data For Sportsmen

Just at this season, when fauna
mostly with feathers) are put to 1t
for some place of safety, it is inter-
esting to note the marked advance
both in the number of sportsmen and
in the wild life of Virginia. The
State Game Department has COM
pleted its survey through half a
thousand volunteer citizens, togeth-
err with its warden force, and finds
indisputable evidences of greater
abundance of game than for many
years past. The first week of land
hunting, says Commissioner Lee, has
set a record, both as to the num-
Der of sportsmen in the field and the
greater crop of trophies bagged. AS
yet there have been only normal re-
suits in wild-fowl shooting, and this
is not expected to increase in the
State before rough weather sets in
With open weather and with no ice
in the north and west ducks and
geese do not so rapidly seek the
south or the brackish, unfreezable
waters of our seaboard.
OF great bearing on this subject
of wild-life in Virginia will be found
the biennial report of the Depart
ment of Game and Inland Fisheries,
Mcdonald Lee, Commissioner, re-
Gently transmitted to Governor Trim
kle and now in the hands of the pub
lie printer. While the figures are
not yet released for publication,
enough is cleaned to justify the pre-
diction that the financial condition
of the department during the past
two fiscal years will be found to be
in better shape than during the two
years preceding them, which excelled
that of any period since the creation
of the department in 1916.
The activities of the department,
though curtailed and interrupted a
year or so ago because of clamor
for economy, are in exceptionally
good shape; according to the re-
port Indeed, they are superior to
those of any years, says the Commits
sioner, with the exception of 1922
and 1928. before the restrictions
were imposed, and much in excess
of prior administrations. probably to
degree of four hundred percent.
says the Commissioner.
1t is understood that the financial
audit and report will show that the
administrative end, taking in all ex-
penses for officers and admins
trative forces and general ''over-
head" amounts to less than twenty
five per cent of the total expendi
lures.
The department handled about
fifty thousand individual items of
expenditures, covering an outlay of
over half million dollars in three
years. 1t has been complimented on
the distribution of these funds and
on the work mplished-follow-
ing a thorough Investigation and
three audits within the space of a
single year The answer of the de-
partment to critics, says the Com
missioner, is still fresh: I'VE have
collected more, have spent more,
have done more and have more in
bank" According to all recogniz-
ed business methods" says Commits.
sioner Lee. 1.-The record of the de-
partment shows a healthy and pro-
gressive advancement"
The valuable films of wild-life
are touched on by Commissioner
Lee There is said to be a great de-
mand for these from other States,
thus adding to attractions offered
by Virginia.
Among interesting advanced acti-
vities of the department that have
elected commentator both at home
and from other States, says the Com
missioner, as well as from Federal
Bureaus, may be mentioned these
features:
The most successful and largest
quail hatchery in the world; the per-
sistent warfare on destructive birds
to control the increase of German
carp and of the English sparrow;
saving of Back Bay from inroads of
the ocean; greater energy in patroll-
ing and policing land and water; ac-
tivities in rounding up unlicensed
CANNES; motion pictures of wild-life
for educational purposes, and the ex-
lcellent publication of the Virginia
Fish and Game Conservationist.
while we are in the habit of la
menting vanishing game" says the
Commissioner, this is not exactly
as true today as it was ten years ago.
Localities where few years ago
bear and deer had been practically
exterminated are once more becom-
ing haunts of big game The Game
Department fully recognizes that
greater efforts must be put forth
each year to restock, to more zeal
ously enforce the game and fish
laws, to combat the automobile and
automatic gun and the other subtle
devices to decoy and to destroy fish
es and wild fowl"
Commissioner Lee points out that
his is among the few departments
which is not burden to the State,
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