FOREST AND STREAM 
652 
Pleasant in 1912, and of the 16 lb. fish taken from 
Manasquan Beach in 1913; but the writer, who 
has fished this section steadily for the past five 
years, knows of several other bluefish taken here 
nearly as large as those mentioned which never 
found their way into the public prints. A curious 
fact connected with the capture of all these large 
specimens is that they seemed to be hunting 
either in pairs or alone—not in schools. One 
fish on being dressed—a ten pounder—was full of 
worms. All of these large surf blues were taken 
on natural squid, mossbunker, or shedder crab 
bait. 
We usually look for schools of bluefish in the 
surf about the last of July, and, in good years, 
the run should last through August and Septem¬ 
ber—the latter being the best month. In 1909 the 
run began about the last of July and extended 
into the middle of October, and in 1911 I took 
my last bluefish on November.10. 
We have had no large run of bluefish in the 
North Jersey surf since 1911. Of course a few 
are taken each year, but not since 1911 has there 
been a noteworthy run, and even that could not 
compare with the great run of 1909. Last year 
the run at Topsail Inlet, N. C., was very large, 
but from Harvey Cedars, N. J., northward it 
amounted to practically nothing. What this year 
will bring forth no one knows or can guess. 
In planning a surf-fishing campaign it is very 
desirable to ascertain the character of the beach 
you intend to fish before making your hotel ar¬ 
rangements. A beach may be an excellent fish¬ 
ing beach one year and worthless the next. A 
preliminary visit is well worth the necessary 
time and money. If you have any doubt as to 
your ability to “read water,” get some experi¬ 
enced surf fisherman to go down with you. If 
he says: “That beach is no good,” look some¬ 
where else. In my humble opinion more depends 
upon choosing a good fishing beach than any¬ 
thing else. 
People’s Fish and Game Protective Association of California 
Again Busy 
By Golden Gate. 
The People’s Fish and Game Protective Asso¬ 
ciation of California, formed last fall by com¬ 
mission men and hotel keepers of San Francisco, 
held a meeting recently in the Palace Hotel and 
decided upon a campaign for the passage of a law 
to permit the sale of all kinds of wild game. An 
idea of the protective features of the proposed 
law, as far as the game of the State is concerned, 
may be judged from the fact that the meeting 
was called by the managers of the Palace and St. 
Francis Hotels, a commission merchant and the 
publisher of a daily newspaper opposed to the 
California Fish and Game Commission. The 
object of this organization is clearly known to 
those who are keeping in touch with it, and 
should the proposed initiative petition be favor¬ 
ably acted upon by the voters of the State next 
November, years of constructive work on the 
part of the Fish and Game Commission would be 
swept away. 
In 1915 San Francisco will hold the greatest 
Exposition of all time, and immense crowds are 
expected to throng the city. Hotel keepers real¬ 
ize that very large profits will come to them in 
case game can be served on their tables, and are 
willing to see all forms of wild life sacrificed to 
secure these profits. The present law practically 
prohibits the sale of game, the sale of ducks be¬ 
ing allowed for one month, with a limit set on the 
number that anyone may have in their possession. 
The proposed law has been framed solely in the 
interests of restaurant keepers and permits them 
to serve any game they may desire during the 
open season, with no restrictions as to quantity. 
The association of restaurant and commission 
men has compiled a number of lists of the 
changes that are proposed, the latest one being 
appended. It will be noted that some of the rec¬ 
ommendations are identical with the laws now 
in force, the intent being to make the measure as 
benevolent as possible. Sportsmen interested in 
the preservation of game will have no difficulty 
in detecting the jokers in this initiative measure: 
1— Abolish hunting and fishing licenses for citi¬ 
zens to hunt and fish in the county in which they 
reside. 
2— Forbid the baiting of ponds for luring wild 
ducks and other water fowl and use of nets and 
traps for hunting game. 
3— Permit transportation companies, dealers, 
hotels and restaurants to have in their possession 
any game known to have been legally killed. 
4— Closed season for five years for elk, ante¬ 
lope, female deer, spotted fawn, mountain sheep, 
rail, grouse, sage hens. 
5— Reduce bag limit on desert and mountain 
quail, snipe, plover, curlew from 20 per day to 15 
on quail and 10 on others. 
6— At least one Federal forest reserve in each 
game district to be made a State game preserve 
for refuge and propagation. 
7— Remove restrictions as to use of nets for 
fishing in the ocean within three miles of shore. 
8— Stringent regulations regarding the pollution 
of bays and rivers by means of escaping coal tar, 
petroleum and like substances. 
9— Hold county supervisors responsible for pro¬ 
tection of fish and game and for the enforcement 
of laws regarding bag limits. 
10— Permit the sale of game under rigid regu¬ 
lations so that those whose circumstances do not 
permit of their killing the game themselves will 
be able to get a share of it by purchase. 
It will be seen that a covert attempt is being- 
made to take the protection of game and the en¬ 
forcement of the law out of the hands of the 
Fish and Game Commission, a body of practical 
experts whose time is devoted exclusively to work 
of this kind, and place it in the hands of county 
officials who have had no experience along this 
line. 
The disquieting feature of the present agitation 
is the fact that a large fund has been raised by 
the hotel men to secure signatures to the initia¬ 
tive petition and to influence voters, through a 
publicity campaign, while the Fish and Game 
Commission, against whom the attack is directed 
has no funds for a campaign of education and 
would not be allowed to use them if it had. The 
publicity work that is to be done in the interests 
of conservation must be carried on largely by the 
various associations of sportsmen and the press 
that cannot be subsidized. 
In order to have the proposed initiative petition 
placed upon the ballot at the November election, 
it will be necessary for the hotel owners’ organi¬ 
zation to secure the signatures of 30,857 voters, 
or eight per cent, of the total vote for Governor 
at the last general election. The first petition 
must be filed by July 6th, but supplemental peti¬ 
tions may be handed in up to August 15th. A 
majority vote is all that is necessary to cause the 
initiative measure to become a law, and if this is 
secured it becomes effective within five days. 
DEFENDS BEAVERS. 
H. E. Peck, of Minot, N. D., president of the 
Kenmare gun club, recently recommended that 
an open season be arranged for beavers, because 
of the damage the animals were doing in some 
parts of the state. E. B. McCutcheon stated 
that he had investigated a number of cases where 
beavers had done damage, but most everywhere 
he found that they were doing more good than 
harm. He believed that with an open season for 
beaver, it would be but a short time before these 
animals would be extinct. 
HINTS FOR CAMPERS. 
There is a legend that if melted pork fat be 
sprinkled over the ground, snakes will keep away 
from the camp. Perhaps this is because snakes 
recognize their enemy the pig. Whether or not 
the legend be based on fact, it is true that snakes 
will keep away from the odor of chloroform 
liniment, and the most vicious copperhead will 
show evidence of mortal fear, lose all his vicious¬ 
ness, and endeavor to get away from this odor 
when it is presented to him. 
LORNA. 
EFFECT OF FEDERAL GAME LAW. 
Bricelyn, Minn., April 10th, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
The benefit accruing from the new Federal 
game law was apparent in the large quantities 
of wild fowl passing over this section, North 
bound, during the past few days. 
Geese and ducks by thousands. Many rested 
in the ponds and stubble fields and had shooting 
been permitted, hundreds could have been killed. 
Never since the good old days has so much 
game been seen in Southern Minnesota. There 
was a little puddle in the center of Lake 
Ozatanka, the “Vanished Lake” which was so 
full of ducks it didn’t look as if another one 
could crowd in. 
If the present wise laws are continued in a 
few years we will get our shooting back again. 
L. L. F. 
