38 



RECREATION. 



yield an influence heretofore not known. 

 We have a State Game and Fish Pro- 

 tective Association, and while this has 

 been instrumental in doing much good, 

 there is still ample room for great im- 

 provement. The L. A. S. could work in 

 harmony with the State forces as already 

 constituted, with increased protection to 

 our game and fish. Our laws relating to 

 the latter need radical changes, while 

 many provisions might be made throwing 

 greater protection around our game. I 

 hope to go down to Annapolis this winter 

 when the State Legislature is in session, 

 and make a personal thing of seeing that 

 amendments are made to existing laws, 

 meant to protect, but which do not protect, 

 and which but ill-advisedly complicate the 

 game laws of this State.' They are meant 

 for good, but being the product of men 

 who are iiot acquainted with the charac- 

 ter and habits of the game they would 

 protect, the laws work both a hardship to 

 the game and an annoyance to the true 

 sportsman. 



For instance, in certain counties in this 

 State, it is unlawful to catch, kill or trap 

 the raccoon in the months of October and 

 November, nothwithstanding Dame Nature 

 has supplied him with a luxurious growth 

 of hair that he may stay out late on sharp, 

 frosty nights, and be prepared to rest 

 comfortably when the cold blasts of win- 

 ter come in earnest. But the same law 

 says you can catch, kill and trap him in 

 March! What a travesty on the do- 

 mestic rights of the poor coon to legalize 

 his or her slaughter in a month when the 

 hair is beginning to shed, and what is 

 worse, at a time when for obvious reasons 

 the mother should receive every protec- 

 tion ! It is well known that coons bear 

 young in April. But why agitate the sub- 

 ject by protecting the coon at all? He is 

 here to stay, from Maine to Florida, is 

 hunted but little as compared with other 

 animals, and when hunted is seldom 

 caught. Why fill our law books with game- 

 law rubbish? We want to get right down 

 to the merits of each and every particular 

 case, and drive home that protection which 

 the thing considered may require. I am 

 not hostile to the coon. I am his friend 

 and will protect him in a fair fight, while 

 in a fair chase he is well equipped to suc- 

 cessfully protect himself. I mention the 

 above to illustrate that we do not need 

 more legislation, but better. Then, would- 

 be violators will have a wholesome respect 

 for both the letter and the spirit of the 

 law. In the case of the raccoon, I have 

 positive assurance that he does much dam- 

 age in localities thickly settled, and within 

 reach of his depredations. In one case, a 

 farmer, attracted by my dogs some morn- 

 ings ago, appeared on the scene and found 



your humble servant high up in a tree 

 trying to get a coon out of a hole. 



"Why don't you cut the tree dovvn?"' 

 he called up. 



"Don't want to cut any good timber," I 

 replied. 



"That doesn't make any difference. Cut 

 every tree in the woods if you can break 

 up these d — d coons." 



"But I don't want to break them up; 

 only to catch this one alive." 



"Well, I want them broken up. My 

 corn looks as if a gang of hogs had been 

 through it," etc. 



Worse than all, the ravages of this ani- 

 mal in breaking up quail and all other 

 kinds of bird nests can never be known 

 or determined. In a chase one morning 

 last summer, I have a witness, with my- 

 self, to the fact that a coon which had 

 been chased up an old post, with the dogs 

 below, barking, flushed a mocking bird out 

 of a hole, and while the bird made frantic 

 circles in the air and repeatedly darted 

 down at the coon, that little animal, with 

 both eyes on his tormentor, ran first one 

 paw and then the other in that post hole, 

 then both paws, and taking out 5 eggs, 

 one at a time, ate them as suavely and 

 complacently as a boy would eat peanuts at 

 a circus. So why protect the coon in 

 October and November and murder by 

 legal enactment the mother coon as she 

 gets ready for housekeeping in March? 



I should like to join a party of gentlemen 

 some time, to visit the big game country, 

 principally to hunt with a camera. If you 

 know of such parties going out, I would 

 thank you if you would kindly mention my 

 name in that connection. 



J. E. Tylor. 



CALIFORNIA'S GAME LAW. 

 Game Warden J. J. Chapman came in yester- 

 day^ from the Elizabeth Lake country with 2 more 

 quail hunters in tow. He caught Henry Reynolds 

 and John Coe in the act in the fine quail country 

 between Newhall and Lancaster, ana* took them 

 before Justice Barkley, of San Fernando, who 

 promptly fined them $25 each. This is Chapman's 

 13th conviction in 2 months. — Los Angeles (Cal.) 

 Times. 



Mr. Chapman is doing first-class work, 

 and should be encouraged. So, also, should 

 such judges as Justice Barkley. It is to be 

 hoped others will follow their good ex- 

 ample. 



For the benefit of intending visitors to 

 California I give a synopsis of the game 

 laws of this State. 



The sale of all game except ducks is 

 prohibited. 



Quail and duck season : October 1 to 

 February 1. 



Dove and tree squirrel season : August 

 1 to February 1. 



Deer season : August 1 to October 1. 



