Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-25

Ieath hen has been extinct
]. Mulkern, past president Of
the Washington Chapter Of the
Izaak Walton League and also
a past national director Of the
organization.
Three years ago this month
Samuel Spencer, then presi-
dent of the District Commits
sioners. requested me to try and
bring in q bill to repeal the
present obsolete law" Mulkern
says.
II enlisted the help of indi-
viduals like DR.. Ira Gabrielson.
former chief Of the Fish and
Wildlife Service and now presi-
dent of the Wildlife Manage
ment Institute. the late DR..
r. w. Eschmeyer, executive di-
rector of the Sports Fishing In
stitute, and all the people ]
knew in the Fish and Wildlife
and National Parks Services.
1T took three years. lots Of
rewriting by the District cor
poration counSel's ONCE, and
many meetings with the legal
staff and heads Of the Interior
Department. 1t has been quite
an education"
Annoyed BY Arrests
Mulkern's interest stems from
arrests of persons dip-netting
herring. A section Of the code,
dating from 1901, bans such
netting.
"Why, a man standing one
foot inside the D. c. line could
be arrested, while his neighbor
in Virginia waters could use q
dip net all he liked" Mulkern
said. He consulted Fish and
Wildlife and was told there
was no sound basis for the ban.
Actually, not many Of the
Districts hunters or fishermen
are acquainted with the code.
It is enforced by the Metro
poIitan Police and copies are
available at headquarters but
they are not distributed to
sportSmen.
Practically speaking, no great
effort at rigid enforcement has
been made in recent years. For
instance. it would be quite a
chore to check on all the WASH
ington hunters who must have
venison in their freezers after
last falls good hunting in
neighboring states.
Section 22-1613 of the code,
adopted in 1899. prohibits the
possession Of deer meat be-
tween January l and Septem-
Der /, while Section 22-16l0
bans the possession of squirrels
or rabbits, except the English
rabbits" or Belgian hare be.
tween February / and Novem-
Der l.
OF course, there were sound
reasons for most Of the old
laws. There was q day when
there was much hunting in
side the District.
DR.. Fred c. Lincoln, assistant
director of the Fish and Wild
life Service. who came here
in 1920, recalls hunting ducks
on both the Anacostia and
Potomac.
At one time hunting water
rails" or reed birds" was q
great sport along the Anacostia.
In South Carolina they are
known as "rice birds" Actually
these little birds, esteemed as
delicacies, are bobolinks, now
protected as song birds. An
other old District law forbids
the sale or possession Of reed
birds" between February / and
September /.
Recalls Quail Shooting
Senator Robertson, Demo-
crat Of Virginia, said he could
recall fright good quail shoot
ing in Arlington County" and
an anecdote about John RAN
dolph of Roanoke.
In 1925 Randolph was said
to have brought two bird dogs
to Congress so that he could
often slip of snipe hunting at
days end. 1t led to a men,
ber's complaint that the dogs
had more privileges than he,
the member, had.
At any rate, all hunting
within the District ceased about
1925. But there still is a law
that to prevent trespassing by
hunters. you must post your
property. Get busy with the
signboards, city jewellers.