The Audubon Societies 



139 



that this was sufficiently overcome to ob- 

 tain the law even in its present form. 



The open season for Doves has been cut 

 from seven and one-half to three months, 

 but the season opens at least a month earlier 

 than it should. There was an almost unani- 

 mous consent of the sportsmen of the state 

 to cut the Dove season to the one month of 

 August, and this could readily have been 

 done if the State Board of Fish Commis- 

 sioners had not, in its report, recommended 

 the longer season, which was incorporated 

 in the successful game bill. 



There is a pronounced popular sentiment 

 in California favoring the taking of Doves 

 from the game list, and giving them pro- 

 tection at all, times. It is generally conceded 

 that no open season satisfactory to all sec- 

 tions can be made for the whole state, that 

 does not subject these birds to being hunted 

 during a part of the time they have young 

 in the nest. On this account, possibly 75 

 per cent of the sportsmen favor the drop- 

 ping of the Doves from the game-list, and 

 probably three-fourths of the remainder are 

 opposed to opening the season before Au- 

 gust. It now opens July 15, two weeks 

 later than under the old law. 



The Doves, chiefly because of the prac- 

 tice of hunting them in the nesting season, 

 are fast being decimated in many parts of 

 California, and it will be necessary within 

 a very few years to close the season entirely 

 in order to preserve the species. The hunt- 

 ers of the state, with very few exceptions, 

 recognize this fact, and regret that the later 

 period was not fixed for the opening of the 

 season by the amended law. A number of 

 counties protect Doves (Santa Cruz pro- 

 hibits their killing at any time). 



The open season for Ducks is now Oc- 

 tober I, two weeks earlier than formerly, 

 and the bag limit has been cut from fifty to 

 thirty-five birds to the hunter in one day. 

 There is evidence that bag limits on Ducks 

 have not been generally respected in Cali- 

 fornia, save where public sentiment and ac- 

 tive and efficient game-wardens compelled 

 such respect, but it is hoped that the in- 

 crease of funds now available for game 

 preservation, provided by the hunting li- 

 cense law, will give such increased warden 



service as will put a stop to many former 

 notorious violations of this sort by those 

 who make a business of killing Ducks for 

 the market. 



Several county district attorneys ruled 

 last year that the Robin is a "game bird," 

 and was, therefore, not protected by the 

 non-game law as it then stood. This re- 

 sulted in much Robin shooting in two or 

 three counties at the north, but happily the 

 law has been amended to remedy this defect. 



Much to be regretted, an open season of 

 four months has been made for tree squir- 

 rels, which during the past two years have 

 been protected at all times. This was also 

 a recommendation of the State Fish Com- 

 mission, and one for which there was seem- 

 ingly no demand from any considerable 

 number of hunters. 



Other open seasons for game and the old 

 bag limit remain unchanged, except that 

 the deer season now opens and closes two 

 weeks earlier than under the old law. 



A law was passed providing that any 

 owner of one hundred and sixty acres or 

 more of land may enter the same as a State 

 Game Preserve for one to five years, and 

 thus absolutely prevent hunting thereon for 

 such a period. If the intent of this law is 

 properly carried out, it will do very much 

 to restore the wild game in many depleted 

 sections. 



A strong effort was made to remove pro- 

 tection from the Meadowlark, but this was 

 defeated in the Senate by a vote of three to 

 one. When this bill was introduced in the 

 Legislature, the Audubon Society issued a 

 special leaflet on the food habits, and thor- 

 oughly established benefits of this bird to 

 the agricultural interests, and a large edi- 

 tion was circulated at Sacramento and 

 among farmers' organizations throughout 

 the state. 



The only piece of really vicious bird leg- 

 islation enacted at the late session is an 

 amendment to the non-game-bird law, re- 

 moving protection from "all fish - eating 

 birds, except Sea-Gulls and Blue and White 

 Cranes." The Audubon Society used every 

 possible means, including an appeal to the 

 State Fish Commission, to prevent this 

 crime against the several species of sea and 



