REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 7 



second largest State in the Union and that Eastern States not one 

 sixth of its size, with Httle or no mountainous sections, are using two 

 and three times this amount of money to enforce the laws for the restora- 

 tion and preservation of game, it will be seen how modest is our request 

 in asking for an increase of $5,000. 



Some of our fellow citizens, realizing that violations of the fish and 

 game laws constantly occur, propose to cure the evil by making radical 

 changes. In our opinion this is not the proper remedy. We have suffi- 

 cient laws on our statute books, but the means to enforce them are 

 inadequate. We will, however, recommend a number of changes that, 

 in our judgment, based upon our experience at court and with "public 

 sentiment," will produce the desired effect; in some cases shortening 

 the seasons, as for example the deer law. Experience has shown that 

 the long open season that was allowed at the last session of the Legisla- 

 ture, with the hope that the Boards of Supervisors would reduce it in 

 their respective counties to two months, has not been carried out, with 

 a result that some counties, with a better appreciation of the value of 

 their deer, have a season of but six weeks, while others allow the full 

 three months and a half. Careful consideration of the subject has 

 brought the conclusion that a State law allowing an open season of two 

 months, and applying to all counties alike, would be the fairest and 

 most equitable settlement of the question. 



In our opinion the present duck law should be amended. Our first 

 recommxcndation would be to reduce the bag limit from fifty to twenty- 

 five. This undoubtedly will be contested by many of the preserve 

 sportsmen, as on their baited ponds and patroled lands the growing 

 scarcity of ducks is hardly, if at all, noticeable. Twenty-five ducks 

 is three times the number that one man and his family could use in a 

 single day, and is practically all that can be carried. One of the argu- 

 ments advanced to retain the bag limit of fifty is that there are many 

 days on which the sportsman goes to his preserve and does not get his 

 full limit, in fact sometimes gets not more than a dozen birds, but this 

 is probably due to weather or other local conditions. Is it not reason- 

 able to suppose that if the bag limit is reduced one half, there will be 

 a larger number of birds left, which will bring the average day's shoot 

 nearer to the bag limit of twenty-five? 



We would also include the dove in the bag-limit reduction; and 

 would recommend that doves, snipe, rail, and other shore birds be 

 added to the non-sale list. 



With a few minor changes in the laws relating to the preservation of 

 fish, we believe the best interests of the State will be served. 



We believe in following a liberal but progressive policy, from year to 

 year, forging ahead and carrying with us public sentiment, the support 

 of which is absolutely essential to a proper enforcement of these laws. 



