The coastland times., 1951-11-23
MORE STATE AND
FEDERAL GAME .
ENFORCEMENT
Extra Duck Hunting Stamps
Money Provides Means
for Stricter Enforce
rnent

A good tip for all hunters, and
especially those who go out today
for wildfowl, will be to take eau
tion. The Federal Government is
planning stricter enforcement of
the game laws this year, and has
extra money for the purpose,
through larger allotment of
duck stamp funds.
North Carolina game authori-
ties some months ago, announced
more strict enforcement of all
game laws, and particularly on the
hunting of bear and other big
game by night.
With respect to the wildfowl
hunting program, the Fish &
Wildlife Service makes the fol-
lowing announcement:
A greatly expanded program of
enforcement and management for
the protection of the nations mi
gratory waterfowl resource is an
nounced by Albert NJ. Day, Direc-
tor of the Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice.
The enactment of S. 509, now
Public Law 1872, by the last ses-
sion of the Congress, authorized
an increase in expenditure of duck
stamp funds for enforcement and
administration from 1929 to 1870
of annual receipts, at time when
more enforcement officers are sore
ly needed to protect the ducks
and geese that fly south each au-
tumn. The Service has estimated
that the illegal kill of ducks and
geese amounts to about 20 per
cent of the legal kill. The new
amendment is expected to enlarge
enforcement facilities to the ex-
tent that more waterfowl will fly
north each spring to their ances-
tral breeding grounds
Based upon the sale of approx
rimately 100000 stamps each
year, the Service expects to have
an additional 100000 available to
hire and equip enough new agents
to bring the enforcement staff up
to a strength of about 120 men.
The additional funds will permit
the placing of 81 new United
States Game Management Agents
in areas which were previously
understaffed. 1t will also allow the
Service to employ undercover
agents to check commercialization
and illegal shipment of waterfowl.
"Good enforcement is achieved
in large measure through public
understanding of and resepct for
the annual hunting regulations, |"
said Mr.. Day, and "good regula-
tions can be based only upon
sound, factual information. The
States, through Pittman-R Robertson
projects, and the Service, with
/ duck stamp and other funds, are
now gathering much information
on the year-round status of water
fowl. We must be certain that we
are making maximum use of all of
these data, acquired through the
expenditure of public funds, when
we undertake the difficult task of
prescribing regulations each year.
Management by fiyways re-
quires that additional technical
help be assigned to the coordina-
tion of State and Federal activities
in order that the best possible reg
ulations may be made for each fly
way. I am convinced that we can
best achieve this goal through
reorganization of the Branch of
Game Management which will
combine the law enforcement off
GERS and the waterfowl biologists
in the same unit, under the same
administrative direction. More eff
ficient use can then be made of
manpoWer and equipment in both
the law enforcement and the fact
finding units. AS the end result,
the Service expects 60 be able TO
gather better data upon which to
base the hunting regulations and
to effect a decided strengthening
of enforcement activities"
To accomplish this consolidation
of enforcement and management,
the Service Director explained
that he is transferring the person
mel and funds of the Section Of
Waterfowl Management Investiga-
tions, which includes the fivway
biologists, from the Branch Of
Wildlife Research to the enlarged
Branch of Game Management. II
want the Branch Of Game Manage
ment to become what the name
implies" said Mr.. Day. 'Public
Law 1872 was enacted to improve
enforcement. This seems to be the
appropriate time to effect gener-
al Improvement in the whole wa
terfowl management program
which has long been considered"