Feb. 18, 1892.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



14 9 



THE NEW YORK STATE CONVENTION. 



SYRACUSE is a stronghold of protection. There is a 

 small army of men there who hold to nothiug more 

 tenaciously than that game and fish laws are made to 

 protect game and fish, and must be enforced. These 

 men do not exhaust all their energy and enthusiasm in 

 talking protection. They put their 'hands down deep into 

 their pockets and pay out money for it, not once, but 

 time and again. Syracuse is the home of the Onondaga 

 Anglers' Association, made tip of such enthusiastic work- 

 ers as Henry Loftie, J. N. Babcock, Walter S. MacGregor 

 and others — the association which backs up Protector 

 Hawn in his fight against the netters. The Onondaga 

 Sportsmen's Association has done similar good work in 

 the suppression of game pirates. There is indeed not to 

 be found in this country a city where fish and game pro- 

 tection is more intelligently appreciated and energetic- 

 ally enforced, where works attend words more effectively, 

 and actual accomplishment more richly rewards prac- 

 tical effort. It was something of a foregone conclusion 

 then, when Syracuse was named as the place for this 

 3? ear's convention of the New York State Association for 

 the Protection of Fish and Game, that this organization, 

 which for ten years past has been known only by its trap 

 shooting tournaments, should catch the spirit which per- 

 vades the city, and that before the 1&92 calendars should 

 be torn down a change of programme might be looked 

 for. In due time a call for a winter convention was sent 

 out by President Horace White of the State Association, 

 and in response to this call there came together at Syra- 

 cuse last Friday, a gathering of enthusiastic and repre- 

 sentative sportsmen of the State, to discuss game and 

 fish interests. The spirit of the convention could not be 

 mistaken; those who had given up a day to attend the 

 meeting were there because they wanted more efficient 

 legislation, and improved enforcement of the statutes. 

 It was a business meeting, in earnest, harmonious, and 

 controlled by the spirit of the greatest good to the great- 

 est number. 



The delegates assembled in the Music Hall of the Y. M. 

 C. A., at 10 o'clock Friday morning, and after a happily 

 worded address of welcome by President White, the con- 

 vention organized with Charles B. Reynolds, of the 

 Foiiest A»r> Stream, as chairman, and John B. Sage, of 

 Buffalo, as secretary. The roll call showed that" dele- 

 gates from all sections of the State were present, from 

 Long Island Sound to the Niagara line, and demonstrated 

 the representative character of the assembly; 



Anglers' Association of Onondaga — Walter S. MacGregor, Henry 

 Loftie, Amos Padscham, John N. Bibcock and M. J. French, all of 

 ■Syracuse. 



Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence River— W. H. Thomp- 

 son and A. C. porn. wall, Alexandria Bay: R. P. .Grant, George H. 

 Suough, G. M. Skinner and Coas. Ellis, of Clayton. 



Auburn Gun Club— Wm. A. White, Ctaas. W. luttle and C. IT. 

 Chedell. 



Balsam Lake Club and Sandown Fishing Ciub, Sullivan County 

 —J- S. Van Chef, Pougbfceepsie. 



Black River Fish and G.tme Protective Association— F. X. Salz- 

 man, Forest port; W. E. Woleott, Uiiea. 



Ceniral New York Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game— Chas. A. Bannister and Geo. R. Peck, Cayuga county; 

 Fred. J. Davis and Clinton S. Carr, Tioga county; W. S. Gavitt and 

 C. Hotehkiss, Wayne county; J. G. Stacey and Lyman Root, On- 

 tario couutj: Dr. Fowlor, JTompklns county; Chas. T. Silsby and 

 J. N. Hammond, Seneca county; A. M. Schermerhorn, Cortland 

 county. 



Cheaper Food Fish. Association — Frank J. Amsden, Rochester. 

 Chenango Fish and Game Association— J. P. Allds, Norwich. 

 Chemung Comity Sportsmen's Club— Chas. H. Knippe, Eimira. 

 Clyde Gun Club— Geo. B. Greenway. Jas. M. Streeter. 

 Genesee Valley Association— O. T. Hamilton and C. C. Laney, 

 of Rochester. 



Glen Havn Gams and Fish Protective Association— Geo. K. 

 C dlins, E. D. Crossley, Hosea Randall, Jr., Jefferson J.Brown. 



Leatherstocking Gun Club— J. K. Stockwell, S. O. Osterhout, of 

 Oswego. 



Monroe Sportsmen's Association— Jno. R. Fanning and Dr. M. 

 L. Mallory, of Rochester. 



New York Association for the Protection of Game— Robert B. 

 Lawrence, Flushing, L. I. 



Niagara County Auglers 1 Club— John F. Little, W. W. Trevor, 

 of Lockport. 



Oneonta Fish and Game Protective Association— Edward E. 

 For J. 



Syracuse University Gnu Club— Frank E. Oliver. 



Oneida County Sportsmen's Club— Gustavus Dexter, Utica, N.Y. 



Onondaga Couniy Sportsmen's Club— Chas. L. Becker, W. E. 

 Ilookway, C. H. Mowry, Wm. Piettie, Myron Weidman, H. M. 

 Chase, N. Ayrus, Horace White, Henry Loftie, all of Syracuse. 



Spencer Sportsmen's Club— W. S. Gavitt, M. L. Forsyth, Henry 

 rollick J. W. Putnam and VV. C. Soule, of Lyons. 



Utica Fish and Game Protective Association- 1. C. Mcintosh, 

 John D. Collins, of Utica. 



Weedsport Rod and Gun Club— G. M. Stickle, E. L, Benedict, 

 Jam^s Wright, of Weedsport. 



Others present were Gen. D. H. Bruce of Syracuse; John B. Sage 

 r>t Buffalo. Secretaty of the Association; Ouief Game and Fish 

 Protector J. Warren Pond of Malooe; Protector Harrison Hawn 

 ami Deputy Henry Jackson; Monroe A. Green, Suosrintendent 

 Caledonia Hatchers; A. C. Stewart and Dr. A. E. Mallock of 

 Hamilton, Ont., representing the Ontario Gam^ and Fish Com- 

 mission; H. W. Rogers, of the Rogers flshwav, Amherst. N. B.; 

 K. P. Doyle, of Hie American Fisheries Society; Chas. B. Rey- 

 nolds, of the Forest and St-huam. 



Letters of regret at enforced absence and expressing war rn in- 

 terest in the cau r e were received from Judge Vann, Gan. tt. U. 

 Sherman. C. H. Post, Senator Donald McNaughton and Secretary 

 Richard 0. Harding of the Massachusetts Association, 



On motion of Frank J, Amsden a committee on game 

 laws was appointed to consider the Gould bill, and to re- 

 commended, action on it. The committee 'of thirteen 

 was made up as follows: 



Fish Interests — F. J. Amsden, George H. Strough, Henry 

 Loftie, Hon. John Little and Henry M. Chase. 



Game Interests— Charles H. Kaapp, William S. Gavitt, 

 Robert B. Lawience, William Hookwav and J. Warren 

 Pond. 



Law Enforcement — Walter S. MacGregor, Dr. J. S. 

 Van Cleef and John R. Fanning. 



After discussion of a resolution offered by C. H, Mowry, 

 that if the present State Association were inadequate to 

 meet the roquirements of game protection interests, a 

 new one should be formed, this committee onpermament 

 organization was named: Messers Mowry, Sage, White, 

 Strough, Bruce, Lawrence and Walcott. Their report 

 was read by Gen. Bruce at the afternoon session, and 

 was unanimously adopted as follows: 



Your committee, to which was referred the subjret of effecting 

 a permanent organization of this convention, have had the sub- 

 ject under consideration and report as follows: 



It appears by the roll of the convention that the. attendance is 

 wholly from the membership of clubs and associations situated in 

 various parts of the State, though not all such organizations are 

 members of the present State Association. The present represen- 

 tation sho ws what may be accomplished where ail such organi- 

 zations come together; and with this fact bofore us we submit the 

 following conclusions and recommendations: 



1. Tuat we deem it to be inexpedient to organize another State 

 association at this time, believing that the present Association 

 will hereafter be more vigilant in the exercise of its powers for 

 the protection of fish, game and the forests, provided it shall have 

 the help and support of all associations organized for the purpose 

 for which the State Association was created; that is, protection. 



3. We recommend that all such clubs shall become members of 



the State Association, with a view to increasing its influence and 

 power. 



3. We call upon the State Association to appoint and hold a 

 meeting in January of every year, solely for the consideration of 

 legislative questions, and the appointment of a standing commit- 

 tee to be composed of a vice-president for each judicial district 

 who shall be chosen for his fitness to supervise the administra- 

 tion of th9 laws in his district. 



D. H. Bruce, 1 



C. H. Mowey, 



Jno. B. Sage, I 



Hoha.ce White, Committee. 



G. H. Strough, I 



R. B. Lawrence, | 



W. E. Walcott. J 



The chairman of the convention was empowered to ap- 

 point four other members of a committee of five to sub- 

 mit to the State Association, at its June meeting, sug- 

 gestions as to protective work and the enlistment of sup- 

 port by protective organizations which are now not mem- 

 bers of the Association. A committee on forest preserva- 

 tion was made up of Messrs. Walcott, Hamilton, Malloy, 

 Laney and Bruce. Their report, with its embodied re- 

 solutions, was adopted as follows: 



Your committee on forest preservation respectfully report by 

 resoln'ion as follows: 



Resolved, That we believe that the preservation of the Adirondack 

 wilderness as nearly in its original state as may be practicable at 

 this late day is absolutely essential for the equalization of the 

 temperature and rainfall; for the maintenance of the canals and 

 the water supply of the State: for the conserva'ion of fish and 

 game: for the purpose of affording a natural sanitarium for 

 invalids and a delightful resort for rest and recreation; and for 

 the comfort, health and general welfare of the people of the 

 State, and 



Resolved, That, the plan for the occupation of the Adirondacks 

 as a State park is in every way desirable, and no time should be. 

 lost by the State in appropriating funds to purchase all lands ob- 

 tainable at a fair valuation, exercising its right of eminent do- 

 main when it is for the best interest of the State to do so. That 

 no State lands in the Adirondacks should hereafter be sold or ex- 

 changed. That measures should be taken to perfect all titles of 

 lands sold for taxes and held by the State. That a system of 

 forestry under competent supervision be established, and all 

 land owners, clubs and associations be urged to place their lands 

 under its control. 



We recommend that all good citizens should take a deeper in- 

 terest in the forestry question and that they identify themselves, 

 with some forestry association and encourage the dissemination 

 of information on this subject among land owners throughout 

 the State. W. E Wolcott, ] 



Arthur T. Hamilton, I 

 Db. M. L. Mallory, |- Committee. 



C. C. Laney, | 



D. H. Bruce. J 



The committee on game laws reported the Gould bill 

 with certain amendments, as noted below. Each amend- 

 ed section was considered separately; and the measure 

 was then indorsed as a whole. The committee on game 

 laws was continued, with instructions to prepare a re- 

 vised draft of the Gould bill, embodying the recommenda- 

 tions of the convention, and to urge its adoption before 

 the Game Law Committee of the Assembly at Albany, 

 at a hearing which will be given Feb. 28, President 

 White was made a member of the committee. The As- 

 sembly hearing had been set for Feb. 16, but as it 

 would be impracticable for the Syracuse committee to be 

 present on that day, the chairman of the convention was 

 instructed to request a postponement. This has been 

 done, and Mr. Gould has advised the Forest and Stream 

 that a hearing will be given next Tuesday, Feb, 26. It is 

 earnestly hoped that all the members of the game law 

 committee may be present, and all others interested in 

 securing the passage of the Gould bill are urged not only 

 to attend the hearing, but to use their influence with their 

 representatives at Albany to that end. 



A pleasant incident of the convention was a brief ad- 

 dress by Mr, A.. D. Stewart, of the Oatario Fish and 

 Game Commission. Mr. Stewart assured the delegates 

 of the warm interest which Canadians felt in the pro- 

 ceedings of the convention; sportsmen, he said, were 

 united in sympathies and a common interest, which no 

 political boundary lines could interrupt. He announced 

 that his commission had on the day before submitted its 

 report to the Untario Legislature, and had recommended 

 a uniform shooting season from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, spring 

 shooting being entirely abolished. This announcement 

 was received with much satisfaction. The sentiment of 

 the convention, as shown in the amendments adopted, 

 was very strongly against spring shooting. 



At the conclusion of the game bill discussion Mr. 

 Rogers spoke on the economic importance of fishways. 

 Then with votes of thanks to President White, the 

 chairman and Secretary Sage, the convention adjourned 

 sine die, 



THE GOULD BILL. 



The Gould bill is the bill prepared as a result of the labors of 

 the Game and Fish Law Codification Committee. It, was in the 

 Legislature last winter, but tailed of passage. The bill of 1893 is 

 substautially that of 1891. Its general provisions are given below. 

 The amendments adopted by the Syracuse convention are noted 

 in brackets. 



The bill provides for five fish commissioners, one from each 

 judicial district; and twenty fish and game protectors, to be 

 appointed by the fish commissioners, and under their control. 



Deer close reason, Nov. 1 to Aug. 15. One person may tnke r.ot 

 more than two deer in a season. . Does and fawns may not be 

 killed. Hounding p rmitted from Sept. 10 to Oct. 11; forbidden at 

 all times in S r . La*rence, Delaware, Green, Sullivan and Ulster 

 counties. Dogs chafing deer illegally may be killed. Transporta- 

 tion of venison restricted to one carcass, to be accompanied by 

 owner. Crusting forbidden. [The amendments forbid "owner or 

 har borer" to permit dogs to run at large in the deer country in close 

 season; and forbid transportation from "or through" anycouuty.J 

 . Close seasoo for hares and rabbits, March 1 1" Sept. 1: on Long 

 Island, Feb. 1 to Nov .1. [Amended to make the season every- 

 where Jan. 1 to Sept. 1.1 Trapping forbidden. 



All shooting forbidden on Sunday. 



Close season for black and gray squirrels. Jan. 1 to Sept, Pi; on 

 Long Island Jan. 1 to Nov. 1. [Amended to make season every- 

 where Jan. 1 to Sept. l.j 



A bDimty of 810 is given for a bear, 330 for a grown wolf, §15 for 

 a pup wolf, $.'.'0 for a panther. LAmanded to add a bounty of $2 

 for a f ox. J 



Close season for wild fowl, except goese and brant, March 1 to 

 Sept. 1; on Long Island May 1 to Oct. I. [Amended to make sea- 

 son every where Jan. 1 to Sept. 1.] May not be killed save with 

 gun raised at arm's length and fired from the shoulder, nor 

 from any boat other than a boat propelled by tiand. 



Sec. 162, exception as to wildfowl, was amended to read: "Float- 

 ing devices may be used for the purpose of shooting web-footed 

 wildfowl therefrom in Great South Bay west of Smith's Point, 

 Shinnecock Bay and in any part of said counties said birds may 

 be pursued and killed from boats propelled by hand, and from 

 any sail boats in Long Island Sound, Gardiner, Peconic and 

 Napeague bays." 



Close season for quail, Jan. 1 to Nov. 1. On Robin s Island they 

 may be killed from Oct. 11 to Feb. 1; qu&U lawfully killed may be 

 sold to Feb. 1. 



Close season for woodcock and partridge, Jan. 1 to Sept. 1; on 

 Long Island, Jan. 1 to Nov. 1; in Lewis, Warren, Su-atoga and 

 Richmond counties, Jan. 1 to Aug. 1. [Amended to read for "part- 

 ridge," "ruffed grouse, commonly Known as partridge, or any 

 member of the grbuse family," Season everywhere made Jan. 1 to 

 Sept. 1.] Sale of lawfully killed birds permitted to Feb. 1. Trans- 

 portation of woodcock, quail, partridge, ruffed grouse, or any 

 birds of the grouse family is prohibited from any county unless 

 accompanied by owner. Snaring forbidden. 



Close season for plover, snipe, mud hen, gallimile, grebe, surf 



bird, curlew, water chickeD, bay snipe and shore birds, Jan. 1 to 

 Sept. 1; on Long Island, Jan. 1 to July 1. [Amended to read "Wil- 

 son's snipe, commonly known as Englisn snipe, plover," etc.] 



Wild birds, other than those named, are protected at all times, 

 except the English sparrow, crane, crow, crow-blackbird and 

 kingfisher. Birds destroying fruit may be killed. Close season 

 for robins, blackbirds and meadow larks, Jan. 1 to Oct. 1. 

 [Amended to make season for blackbirds and meadowlarks Jan. 

 1 to Sept. 1., robins not to be killed atall.l Robbing of nests of 

 wild birds prohibited. Naturalists 7 permits for collecting scien- 

 tific specimens may be granted by incorporated societies of natu- 

 ral history and by tbe Regents. 



[All the sections relative to Long Island seasons and conflicting 

 with the foregoing were stricken out.l 



USE, 



The bill forbids pollution of waters by dye stuff, coal tar, gas- 

 house refuse, sawdust, shavings, tan-bark, lime, etc.; taking fish 

 by drawing off waters or by means other than angling (exceptions 

 to be noted); taking trout of any kind, salmon-trout or land- 

 locked salmon, from public waters for stocking private, waters, 

 or taking them through the ice. Close season for trout of any 

 kind, Sept. 1 to May 1; on Long Island and in Spring Brook Creek, 

 in Livingston and Monroe counties, Sept. 1 to April 1. The law- 

 ful size of trout, salmon-trout and land-locked salmon is 6in. 

 L Amended to 12in. for salmon-trout or land-locked salmon.] 

 Trout may not be disturbed on spawning beds. Close season for 

 salmon-trout and land-locked salmon, Oct, 1 to May 1; on Long 

 Island, Oct. 1 to April 1. Transportation of trout, salmon-trout 

 and land-locked salmon forbidden unless accompanied by owner. 

 Sale of lawfully killed salmon trout permitted from May 1 to 

 Oct. 1. 



Close season for black bass. Oswego bass, Jan. 1 to May 80; in 

 Lake. George, Jan. 1 to Aug.l; Black Lake, Jan. 1 to May 5. Law- 

 ful limit of length Sin. 



Close season for muskallonge, Jan. 1 to May 29. [Amended, 

 Jan. 1 to May 30.] 



Close season for salmon, Aug. 15 to March 1. Lawful limit of 

 length ISin. 



Numerous exceptions are made as to certain waters. Sec. 143 

 permits ice fishing for bullheads, catfish, eels, suckers, perch, 

 pickerel and sunfish in lakes Champlain, Seneca., Cayuga, Keuka 

 and Canandaigua. [Amended to include also Skaneateles and 

 Owasco.] 



Sec. 143 permits in the Oneida River eel weirs with lath not less 

 than 3-6'iu. apart. [Amended: "Provided that there be a clear 

 passageway-, at low water, for boats and fish of not less than 10ft."] 



"Angling" 1s defined to mean taking fish with hook and line or 

 rod held in hand. [Amended by adding, "and does not include 

 set lines."] 



PROSECUTIONS. 



Sec. 231. Actions for penalties and as provided in section 230 

 shall be brought in the name of the people on order of the chief 

 protector or by direction of either of the commissioners. [Amended 

 by adding after "commissioners:" "who are hereby authorized, in 

 their discretion, to employ special counsel to commence and 

 maintain such actions, and the compensation of such special coun- 

 sel may be fixed and allowed by the commissioners."] 



Sec. 243, which authorizes protectors to arrest without warrant 

 any person committing an offense against this act, was amended 

 by adding: 



"Such protector or peace officer may cause any chest, locker, 

 box, crate, basket or package iu possession of such person to be 

 broken open and the contents examined, and may enter upon any 

 skiff, boat or vessel and search any and all parts thereof for that 

 purpose." 



An entirely new and very important section, designed to remedy 

 what has proved an obstacle in the way of the protectors, was 

 adopted as follows: Section 244. It shall be the duty of any keeper 

 of a boat livery to let or hire to any protector, or special protector, 

 on tender to him of the customary fee for one day's use or hire of 

 a boat, any boat and appliances kept by him, not in actual use, 

 and any protector or special protector on tendering to any keeper 

 of a boat livery the customary fee for one day's use of a boat, may 

 take any boat and its appliances in said livery not in actual use, 

 and use it for the purpose of this act, and shall not be liable to 

 any action for damage for so doing, and any keeper or owner of a 

 boat livery refusing to permit such protector to use such boat on 

 pa\ mentor tender of payment of the customary feea therefor, 

 shall bb liable to a penalty of $25 for each and every offense, to 

 be collected and enfoiced by the protector or chief protector. 



NOTES OF GAME. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



We have had very little shooting this winter on account 

 of deep snows. I saw nine partridges budding a few days 

 ago in one tree.^ Two black ducks "liave been shot in the 

 last two weeks in Pike River, something never heard of 

 before so late in the season around here, as it has been 

 very cold weather for some time back. We expect some 

 duck shooting when the spring opens. H. C. C. 



Bedford, Quebec. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



We have had a very open winter so far, lots of prairie 

 chickens being left over from last fall — which will insure 

 good shooting next fall, should the spring be dry enough 

 for hatching. Rabbits are quite plenty, so we are not 

 wholly at a loss for something to keep in shape on. 



Rockwell, Iowa, E eb. 8. W. L. H. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Messrs. Gh W. and J. A. Patton returned from a ten 

 days' trip to the Sacramento Mountains, SO miles from 

 here, where they found game of various kinds abundant. 

 They saw over 200 antelopes, 30 deer, one bear, and 

 hundreds of ducks, quaiis, curlew, etc. They state that 

 they could have loaded a wagon with game, readily, but 

 killed, only such quantity as they could use. Mr. W. 

 McK. Pardee, who is a persistent and enthusiastic quail 

 shooter, says that the quails here are becoming educated. 

 He finds that after a covey has been shot into a few times 

 aud become scattered the single birds lay well to the dog, 

 and that they can all be flushed within easy range. He 

 has made several good bags of late. The open season on 

 large game and game birds continues until May 1 in this 

 Territory. G. O. Shields. 



Eddv, New Mexico, Feb. 6, 



The Legislature of Ohio is this session evolving the 

 usual miscellaneous assortment of fish and game bills. 

 The first one in the hopper simply prohibits the killing of 

 quail for live years. The series of warm winters of the 

 past few years has rendered this game plentiful, and 

 sportsmen see no call for this five years of prohibition. 



Perhaps the most absurd bill yet introduced limits the 

 gunniag season to Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 

 between Nov. 1 and Dec. 2 I. There is little probability 

 that either bill will pass. The only danger lies in the 

 action of hundreds of indignant sportsmen who are liable 

 to offend the farmer members, of whom there are forty- 

 five in this Legislature, but, to their credit, all these 

 absurd bills are evolved by a different element, lawyers, 

 book-keepers, etc. The farmers of the State have been 

 outrageously imposed upon by so-called sportsmen, pot- 

 hunters, etc., and of late years have posted their lands, 

 formed protective associations, etc. Most of them, how- 

 ever, will permit reputable business men to hunt on their 

 premises during the season, if a previous arrangement is 

 made, and a few words by this class of sportsmen to the 

 farmer legislators will have the desired effect. 



One bill has been introduced, as an opening wedge, to 

 make the large canal reservoirs of the State public parks. 

 It is generally believed that this bill will become a law. 

 It specifies the Licking Reservoir, a good fishing and 

 shooting resort, about thirty miles east of Columbus. 



Rep. 



