126 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



MARKET HUNTERS FIND WATCHFUL 

 WARDENS. 



The sale of ducks is now largely a 

 thing of the past. Where the San Fran- 

 cisco markets formerly had 300,000 ducks, 

 the illegal sale at present must be but a few 

 hundred, or at most a few thousand birds. 

 Of course, in spite of the federal law pro- 

 hibiting the sale of ducks, the incentive 

 of the dollar drives a number of men to 

 continue each winter their former trade 

 of market hunting. Automobiles and 

 good roads make it possible for the duck 

 bootlegger to continue to operate. But 

 quick convictions and heavy fines have 

 been meted out the past season, and the 



FAULT FOUND WITH THE PUBLIC 

 SHOOTING GROUNDS BILL. 



The New-Anthony l)ill providing for a 

 federal license to hunt migratory birds 

 and for the establishment of public shoot- 

 ing grounds and game refuges, which has 

 been widely endorsed by sportsmen's or- 

 ganizations and game commissions, was 

 not all that it was made to appear to be 

 in the publicity given it. By a provision 

 almost hidden in the text there is un- 

 warranted encroachment by the federal 

 government on the rights of states. Sec- 

 tion 13 provides for complete control of 

 every "fisli, wild animal, or wild bird," 



Fig. 



58. Ducks seized near Willows on December 14, 1921, after night-shooters had 

 abandoned their kill at the approach of Fish and Game Wardens. 



man who hunts for the market has to 

 turn outlaw and smuggler. 



The accompanying picture (Fig. 58) 

 shows the destruction due to this type of 

 hunting. Deputies of the commission 

 heard night shooting near Willows on 

 December 14, 11)21, and investigated. The 

 hunters ran, leaving a hat and "long gun" 

 (an automatic capable of firing ten shots) 

 and hundreds of ducks on the ground. 

 After the birds had been collected, the 

 photograph was taken. 



Information withheld by residents of 

 the duck country sometimes makes it diffi- 

 cult to make arrests. Deputies spend 

 night after night in the cold, wet marshes, 

 doing their utmost to stop market hunt- 

 ing, and yet those who could be most 

 helpful in furnishing information refuse 

 to aid. Proper information is often the 

 most important part of gaining an arrest 

 and conviction. 



whether it bo resident or migratory. 

 Judging by court decisions, this is uncon- 

 stitutional. Furthermore, the bill pro- 

 vides for administration by a commission 

 composed of the Secretary of Agriculture 

 as chairman, the Attorney General, the 

 Postmaster General and two members 

 from each house in Congress. How are 

 tlie sportsmen represented on such a com- 

 mittee? Worse, the commission is purely 

 political and has the power to spend mil- 

 lions of the s|iortsmen's money. Any law 

 of this kind should be administei'ed by a 

 commission made up of conservation 

 e.xjierts. 



It was the fish and game commissioners 

 of the Western states that discovered the 

 flaws in the bill and made the first im- 

 portant protest. A convention was held 

 at Salt Lake City and the following 

 resolutions were passed : 



