The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-11-20
BONNER VIEWS DUCK
TRAPPING I'M VA.
TO ALL
Congressman Demands Wildlife
Department Enforce Laws
Which Protect Game


Which Protect Game
Widespread publicity in Norfolk
newspapers concerning the whole
sale trapping of ducks on the
Eastern Shore of Virginia drew a
blast from Congressman Herbert c.
Bonner of the First District of N.
S. Wildlife Department in Wash
c., who Immediately wired the Z.
ington about it.
Mr.. Bonner is Chairman of the
Congressional Committee on Wild
life and Fisheries, and he views the
illegal slaughter of game birds as
described in the Norfolk paper as
greatly harmful and unfair to the
duck hunters of the country, and
particularly to areas such as ours
where so many people depend for
a living on the income from sports
men.
Mr.. Bonner said with vigor, that
the U. S. Wildlife, should do with
less men in the office and with
more in the field enforcing the
law, and urged it to call in enough
wardens from other states to break
up the illegal slaughter of ducks
in Virginia. If such practices are
allowed to continue, Mr.. Bonner
believes, the duck hunting indust-
ry will be destroyed and many
citizens deprived of their rights.
Mr.. Bonner said he was going to
bring the subject before his COM
mittee in Washington. In his tele-
gram to the U. S. Wildlife division
in Washington, Mr.. Bonner said,
81 have talked to the Virginia
game warden this morning verify
ing the story appearing in the No
vember Is issue of the Virginian-
Pilot.
"This is disgrace to your adj
ministration. You should personal
ly go into this area, transfer your
present federal game wardens and
bring in larger group who will
enforce the laws and regulations
affecting the taking of migratory
birds.
"You cannot expect the support
of Congress unless you administer
the existing laws and regulations"
Bonner talked with Leffler over
the phone and discussed the sit
uation with him personally. The
congressman also contacted game
protectors in Virginia and verified
the reports appearing in the Vir-
ginian-Pilot about duck trapping.
James E. Mays, who wrote the
revealing article on the vicious rae
ket of trapping and selling ducks,
points out that it is a lucrative
racket that makes a mockery Of
the laws and the treaties.
Mays reports that the present
selling price is $3.50 for pair of
ducks.
A single trapper was reported
to have Dragged that he caught and
sold more than 1000 ducks last
year, thereby turning a profit of
nearly $1,000 at the expense of
bird lovers and legal waterfowl
hunters.
Mays points out that trapper
does not worry too much about
being caught. The standard fine in
local courts is $25 and costs. State
law provides discretionary Jail
sentence and a minimum $3.50 fine
for each violation.
Even sitter penalties, up to six
months in Jail and $500 fine are
possible in federal courts, but such
penalties are rarely imposed.
Citizens and sportsmen of the
Eastern Shore despise the racket
and the racketeers. But only rigid
law enforcement by state and fed
eral officers, recognition of its vi
ciousness by the courts, and eli
mination of the markets can put
an end to duck trapping, points
out Mays.