Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-10-17

International Association of Game,
Fish and Conservation Commissioners,
held at Toronto, Canada, August 25th
and 18th, 1880, the Commissioners of
all the provinces Of Canada took the
floor to give graphic pictures of con-
ditions in their provinces. The leader
of these messages, a modern Paul
Revere to sportsmen, was Benjamin
Lawton, Game Commissioner of the
Province of Alberta, who predicted that
so per cent fewer birds would migrate
from his province than flew southwark
September 1929 Lawton's words of
warning We're supported by all game
commissioners in the waterfowl breed
ing area. Mr.. Lawton has had thirty
years experience and knows whereof
he speaks! Not only the warning from
Mr.. Lawton but the warnings from
others throughout the entire breeding
ground of wildfowl, means that Aneri-
can sportsmen, and especially those of
Maryland and the Atlantic Coast States
who depend for 80 per cent of their
kill of wildfowl to come from Canadian
territory, who are engaged in oiling up
their trusty weapons and renovating
hunting paraphernalia, will probably
be disappointed in the supply of wild
fowl found in their territories this COM
ing season.
In September, 1929, Hayes Lloyd,
Secretary of the National Parks of
Canada, under supervision the Migra-
tory Bird Treaty Act is administered
and who is acknowledged as one of the
formost game authorities of Canada,
reported very serious shortage in the
hatch of wildfowl in Canadian Ter
ritory due to the prolonged drought.
Mr.. Lloyd, at the convention herein
mentioned was compelled to paint an
even more disastrous picture relative
to the hatch of 1880.
Without question of doubt, the
droughtof the past two years has very
seriously affected the most important
breeding grounds for waterfowl on this
continent, not only those of Canada but
those of all states of the Mississippi
Valley and west to the Pacific Coast.
Thousands upon thousands of small
lakes, slashes and bayous which dur
ing normal conditions provide nesting
grounds for the wildfowl, have become
arid due to the drought and the Cana
adam authorities report that when the
baby ducklings came from thousands
of eggs laid by the mother ducks near
watered areas during May and early
June, they found the water had entire
ly disappeared. Consequently, thou
sands upon thousands of baby duck
lings were found dead throughout the
entire nesting grounds.
The situation in Canada is very al
arming, The Ontario authorities are
very seriously considering the DAMN
ng of chain of unused lakes, which in
the past have not furnished duck food
plants but which served as resting
places, great many of which are 10
Gated where dams can be built assuring
an adequate supply of water in the
iuture.
Geological authorities Of Canada claim
hat we are passing thru II 1-2 year
Try cycle caused by sun spot phases,
claiming this cycle began in 1927 and
'hould be at its peak in 1888. This
'ycle, they claim, seriously affected the
breeding grounds of wildfowl in Canada
n 1929 and has affected not only the
'reeding grounds of Canada this sum-
ler but vast areas in the United States
AVE greatly suffered from this long
ontinued drought
Other factors have plavad a defri-