THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



error, however, in the new code which made the duck season 

 widely different in various counties. The Federal law for the 

 protection of migratory birds corrects this error and makes a 

 uniform season in the states of Oregon and Washington. 



For many years there has been a movement on foot to have 

 the Federal government take over the protection of migratory 

 birds. The organized effort which was made by various sports- 

 men's associations, and other societies and individuals, in all 

 parts of the country ended in the passage of the Weeks-McLean 

 bill, which was signed by President Taft on March 4, 1913. This 

 bill provided that the regulations for the protection of migratory 

 birds should be formulated and open and closed seasons should 

 be fixed by the Department of Agriculture. This has been done 

 and the new regulations went into effect on October 1. 



The real value of the federal law is, that the country is di- 

 vided into two zones according to the migration of birds and the 

 seasons have been set with this idea in view. This gives more 

 uniformity than formerly, when it was impossible to get any con- 

 certed action by different legislatures. 



The new federal migratory bird law provides a five-j^ear 

 closed season on the following game birds : Band-tailed pigeons, 

 curlew, wood ducks, and also all of the shore birds to be found 

 in Oregon except the black-breasted and golden plover, Wilson 

 or jack snipe and greater and lesser yellowlegs. Both the black- 

 breasted and golden plover are rare in Oregon so the only shore 

 birds which are lawful to hunt are the Wilson or jack snipe and 

 greater and lesser yellowlegs. 



It has heretofore been lawful to hunt the above birds in 

 season in this State and for that reason the new federal laws 

 are of particular interest to Oregon sportsmen at this time, as 

 they supersede State laws wherever there is a conflict. 



A daily closed season is set on all migratory game and insec- 

 tivorous birds between sunset and sunrise. 



The open season on ducks, geese, rails, coots, gallinules, is 

 from October 1 to January 15, both dates inclusive. 



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