﻿4 BULLETIN 22, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BIG GAME. 



Several important changes have been made in provisions protecting 

 big game. Colorado and North Dakota prohibited all killing of deer 

 for a term of years and Saskatchewan has provided a close season 

 throughout the year for all big game south of latitude 52°. Laws 

 protecting does at all seasons were enacted in Florida, Nevada, and 

 Wyoming, but South Dakota repealed a statute of this kind enacted in 

 1911. The deer seasons were shortened from two weeks to two months 

 in Utah, Wyoming, and Quebec. New Hampshire lengthened the 

 season two weeks in Coos County, Vermont ten days, and Mas- 

 sachusetts opened the season in the few closed counties, thus per- 

 mitting shooting throughout the State. Montana provided that the 

 limit of three deer a season can include only one doe. In 1911 Mich- 

 igan made an experiment of an open season of 45 days on deer but 

 limited the life of an individual hunting license to 25 days from 

 date of issuance. After a trial of two years the season has been 

 restored to the last three weeks in November to correspond with the 

 deer season in Minnesota and Wisconsin. 



Wyoming and Montana, heretofore affording the principal hunting 

 for elk and sheep, have recently limited the hunting area to a few 

 counties in each State, where the seasons have generally been 

 shortened. Wyoming has adopted the innovation of allowing the 

 killing of female elk only under ordinary resident licenses and 

 requiring licensees to obtain a special $15 license, to kill a bull or an 

 additional cow. Montana also prohibited the killing of ewes and 

 lambs. Other States in which elk or sheep were protected for a 

 term of years or by a perpetual close season are Nevada, Oregon, 

 Utah, and Washington. 



OPEN SEASONS. 



The most important changes in seasons are due to the passage of 

 the Federal law protecting migratory birds. Under the regulations 

 as proposed by the Department of Agriculture (see pp. 20-21), spring 

 shooting is entirely eliminated and the open seasons materially 

 shortened in several States. 



The general trend of State legislation in the matter of seasons 

 seems to have been toward further restriction of hunting and greater 

 uniformity. This fact is illustrated by the enactment of the general 

 game law in Florida, which repealed all local game laws and made 

 the seasons uniform throughout the State, and the passage of a 

 measure in Wisconsin adopting the same opening date for upland 

 game as is in force in Minnesota and North Dakota. A few important 

 species were removed from the game list or were given protection for 



