FOREST AND STREAM 
479 
Fur, Fin and Feather 
Nubbins of News From “Forest and Stream’s” Duffle Bag for the Information and Pleasure of Readers 
Wants Constant Protection. 
Discussing the proposed close season on partridge for 
two years, a writer in a Providence, R. I., paper ex¬ 
pressed the opinion recently that an absolutely close 
season is not necessary at present. 
“Partridges are gradually becoming more numerous, 
both in Massachusetts and in Connecticut, but are de¬ 
creasing in Rhode Island,” he said. “There is no hunt¬ 
ing allowed in either Massachusetts or Connecticut dur¬ 
ing the month of December, but in our state the entire 
month has been open for some years. Previous to this 
time the season closed December 15; lengthening the 
season to December 31 was a step backward and a grave 
mistake. There are many more -birds killed during De¬ 
cember than in any other month. Having a long open 
season and nearly exterminating the birds, then having 
a close season to repair the damage, is an example of 
the mismanaged game legislation in our state; even the 
laws we have are not enforced in this section. 
“It seems to me that it would be far better to follow 
the example of the neighboring states and conserve the 
birds from year to year than to change from one ex¬ 
treme to the other. 
“I advocate an open season on all upland birds from 
the middle of October to the first of December, and this 
is the opinion of all the sportsmen that I have talked 
with in this locality. The leaves will protect the birds 
during October, so we will have about one month’s real 
hunting instead of two, as at present.” 
Tax Question in Maine. 
The discussion that is now going on in Maine over 
the matter of a resident license for hunting is bringing 
out all sorts of ideas both pro and con. Many persons 
think that residents of the state should not be placed 
on a par with city sportsmen from other states and ob¬ 
ject to a tax for hunting even though it be small. Thus 
far this class have seemed to be in the majority and 
their objections have been growing louder. 
Chairman J. H. P. S. Wilson of the fish and game 
commission is in favor of such a license. He says: 
“Yes, I believe in a small resident hunting license 
and the reasons for this are to my mind absolutely con¬ 
clusive. 
“At the annual conventions that I attend, men come 
to me and say that they are more than willing to pay 
a license fee for such rare fishing as they have in 
Maine. This matter will be brought before the next 
Legislature and I am in hopes that a fishing fee of five 
dollars will be charged to all non-residents. That would 
help us stock the lakes and relieve our own taxpayers. 
“I notice that one of our critics says that he shall 
hunt all he wants to on his own land. It must be that 
the gentleman in question knows nothing of the laws 
of our state. If he did he would know that he could 
do nothing of the kind. All wild life of every kind be¬ 
longs to the state. This question has been settled by 
not only the Supreme Court of Maine but also the 
Supreme Court of the United States. The ownership 
of land does not carry with it the ownership of wild 
game. 
“It is now known that Maine leads all America as 
a game resort, and if we wish to keep it so we must 
adopt laws that will protect and conserve our wild life.” 
Wardens Incognito. 
A list of fifteen men in Pennsylvania has been 
forwarded to State Fish Commissioner N. R. Buller with 
the recommendation of the Johnstown Camp, No. 76, 
United Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, that they be ap¬ 
pointed deputy fish wardens for Johnstown and all the 
territory embraced within a radius of twenty-five miles 
of the city. 
The idea is to keep their identity unknown so that 
they will have an easier time in capturing violators of 
the fish laws. The deputies will get nothing for their 
services, but they have agreed to look after the fish 
in the interests of good sportsmanship. 
Thousands of Trout Drowned. 
Game Warden Barnett, of California, estimates that 
100,000 young fish were killed by the recent freshet. 
This was from the spawn of the present season. The 
tiny fish were numerous everywhere in the stream, but 
when the last flood came these little fellows, unable 
to buffet the swift and muddy current, were carried 
out to sea or stranded in the breakers where the river 
waters empty. Thousands were found piled up at the 
mouth of the rivers. 
Australians Protect Birds. 
A petition in favor of the plumage bill to be presented 
to the British House of Commons has been signed by 
21,585 persons who visited the bird court of the ex¬ 
hibition of Australian manufacturers last fall. So strong 
is Australian opinion in favor of the bill that it is 
stated in official circles that had the petition been cir¬ 
culated publicly it would undoubtedly have been signed 
by 95 per cent, of the population. 
This intense feeling is due, apart from humanitarian 
reasons, to the conviction that systematic slaughter of 
buds for the plumage market is having a most detri¬ 
mental affect upon agriculture. Public opinion is also 
incensed by the fact that prohibited skins and feathers 
are smuggled out of the country in spite of the vigi¬ 
lance of the authorities, and it is recognized that only 
the closure of the home markets can effectually put an 
end to the traffic. 
New Way to Cure Fish. 
A revolution in the fish industry wherever carried on 
to an important extent is foreseen by Vice-Consul Gen¬ 
eral E. M. Lamb from the new fish-curing method 
brought out in Halifax, N. S. It is supposed that early 
putrefaction of fish cured by the old methods is due 
to bone taint from partly leaving the animal heat with¬ 
in the fish, and the new process completely removes 
the animal heat. 
The fish, instead of being salted, sun dried or shipped 
in refrigerator cars, are dumped into a tank of sea 
water that has been filtered through willow charcoal. 
Brown sugar is added to destroy any organisms that 
may be active at freezing temperature, and the tempera¬ 
ture is then lowered to 14 degrees F., 16-1 per cent, of 
salt being added to prevent ice and to cause the forma¬ 
tion of a protective coating over the fish. After two 
hours the fish are removed, and barreled for shipment. 
Demand Better Moose Laws. 
In reply to a circular letter recently sent to the mem¬ 
bers of the Maine Sportsmen’s Association there were 
one hundred responses, which seemed to indicate the 
prevalence of the following opinions in regard to game 
in that state: 
There should be a period of close time on all moose 
for four or five years. 
There should be a hunting license for residents, but 
at a small cost, preferably $1.00, and possibly costs of 
issuing in addition. 
There should not be a restriction to one buck deer 
a season as has been suggested. The present limit is 
small enough. Natural conditions, such as feed and 
climate, and possibly illegal shooting from lumber camps, 
and by others, have as much to do with any scarcity of 
game which may exist, as does the legal hunting. 
The non-resident fee of $25 is too high—certainly so 
if there is to be close time on moose. If moose hunting 
is to -be allowed, a great many favor a graded license, 
charging a higher price to hunt moose and deer than 
to hunt deer alone. 
In reply to the question, “Do you favor a close time 
on moose for a period of years?” eighty per cent, were 
in favor, and fully ninety per cent, of these favored four 
or five years. A few wanted ten. 
Uses Auto for Fox Hunting. 
A man at Canaan, Me., is reported to have amassed 
a small fortune in a short time in hunting and trapping 
foxes. After he had found several gray foxes in his 
traps and sold them at a good figure, he decided to 
start a fox farm and breed the animals. He accord¬ 
ingly stocked his ranch with red foxes, and in about 
a year, report says, he had made enough profits from 
his venture to invest in an automobile in which to 
visit his traps. 
Saratoga Club Active. 
The Saratoga Lake Association, of Saratoga Springs, 
N. Y., stocked the lake during the last year with 3,000,- 
000 black bass fry, 9,000,000 wall-eyed pike fry, 250 black 
bass for breeding purposes and 50 cans of fingerling 
perch. In addition the association placed 90 cans of 
brook trout in the streams of the towns of Saratoga 
Springs, Greenfield, Milton and Wilton. The president 
reported the condition of the lake as far as pollution 
is concerned, as greatly improved. 
An Efficient Warden on His Rounds. 
