The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-11-21
VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT OF
WILDFOWL HUNTING LAWS
is ORDERED THIS SEASON
Breakdown on First Day Ropes in 80 Cases in
Lake Ma++amuskeet Area; Defendants Charg-
ed With Using Baited Blinds and Shooting Near
Live Decoys; DwindIing FIocks of Fowl Point
Up Strong Policy From Atlanta.

A breakdown on hunting law
violations, in keeping with policy
recently issued out of the Atlanta
office of the U. S. Fish and Wild
life Service, resulted in widespread
arrests on the opening day of the
season, Monday of this week. u.
S. Game Warden Bob Halstead of
Washington said Wednesday some
80 cases had been made in the
Mattamuskeet area of Hyde Coun-
ty, and more than 10 cases in
Arson County, with arrests in
other parts of the state noted.
This vigorous enforcement policy
is expected to continue throughout
the season.
Mr.. Halstead said w. T., Davis,
Supervisor of II southeastern
states recently had issued policy
for strict enforcement of the law
which does not permit blinds near
er than $50 yards of live decoy
geese kept on farms, and further
when any hunting is carried on
nearer than half a mile of such
decoys, the birds must be con-
fined in a building or rooted en-
closure.
Forty-one of the defendants
Monday were charged with viola
ton of this rule; 20 for hunting
over baited fields, and 10 for hunt
ing with guns not properly plug
ged. All defendants We're ordered
before a U. S. Commissioner in
Washington, and while the olive
decoy" defendants got off lightly,
other hunters were fined $25 and
guides taking part $50.A few de-
PENDANTS noted appeals, and some
of them came back Tuesday and
paid up.
Cases We're heard on both Mon
day and Tuesday.
In one instance, Is hunters,
customers of Claude Litchfield of
Engelhard were apprehended for
shooting too close to live geese.
4 In another case, 10 hunters guided
by Cecil Berry of Manteo were
charged with shooting over baited
fields.
Game wardens assisting in the
breakdown Monday were Howard
Wooten, State supervisor Of Dis
trict IL. Lawson Cohoon of Fair
field, Lindsay Everett of William
ston, and J. o. Early of Plymouth.
i Mr.. Halstead said number of
reasons had aroused the attention
of officials in Washington and At
lanta and had brought down a
| vigorous enforcement policy. First
is the dwindling flocks of Wild
fowl. In Maryland this week Mr..
Halstead had reports of small
flocks and poor shooting. Reports
were unfavorable from Virginia
and Currituck County.
The practice of batting fields
has also been the source of much
complaint, and investigation has
shown that some landowners, being
greedy for business calculatingly
plant crops of grain and beans in
suitable locations for hunting, and
deliberately leave the crops I'M
harvested. Fields are filled with
blinds, rentals of which bring a
good income to farmers. Fields
are overcrowded, in some instances
S small acreage containing as
S many as 20 to 80 blinds. If birds
: strip the fields of grain before
: opening date of the season, more
corn is often carried in and the
: fields heavily baited from time tx
: time.
: Complaints about this situation
S as well as about live decoys ant
other practices have come from
: many good guides and landowners
d who wish to see the law observed
s and the customers of the industr,
I protected. No hunter likes to b,
+ taken into court; sometimes he il
: misled; often he cannot know i
Il he is being caused to break tn,
law through the zeal of his guild,
e who wants good shooting, particu
t larly on opening day.
II On opening day this week dis
Y appointment prevailed because d
i mild weather, yet Monday witness
ed many good shots, and som
It hunters got their limits early.
e Tuesday was even worse becaus
n a fog lasting most of the mornin,
S made shooting impossible. Wed
E. nesday showed little improvement
v, in weather.
ri Early Sunday, hunters begal
lei flocking into Hyde County and b,
e night every hotel, motel, am
n lodging house had been filled i
capacity. In numbers Of hunter
r it is the biggest season known 81
l. the Hyde mainland. Every plac
Ie which accommodates hunters ha'
VI its yard jammed with parked cars
Il and along the roadsides were see
! more empty cars than ever befor
! noted in Hyde Ciunty.
H., Many new places have bee
mi built in the county, more tina
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