June 21, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
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Massachusetts Fish and Game League 
J OHN B. SMITH appeals to the sportsmen of 
Massachusetts for thorough State-wide or¬ 
ganization as the only means of obtaining 
constructive legislation essential to the timely 
and adequate restocking of our depleted lakes, 
ponds, streams and covers. 
To the Sportsmen of Massachusetts: 
It is time to stop mourning over the fail¬ 
ures and follies of the past and to get into line 
for present and future action. The Massachu¬ 
setts Fish and Game League is organized for 
the accomplishment of purposes dear to the, 
hearts of every fisherman and hunter in the 
Commonwealth, and it will effect its aims and 
objects with your own personal co-operation 
only. 
You all want more fish and more game for 
Massachusetts. The old saying, ‘ Money makes 
the mare go,” is as true to-day as it ever was. 
In order to adequately restock our depleted 
waters and covers, the construction of a num¬ 
ber of first class fish and game hatcheries should 
be started at the earliest possible moment. Be¬ 
fore our commissioners can begin the building 
of these hatcheries, a large sum of money must 
be forthcoming yearly. 
The State pleads poverty and economy, and 
the average legislator sees nothing especially 
attractive in measures calculated to better con¬ 
ditions pertaining to inland fisheries and game, 
backed neither by powerful lobby interests nor 
united voting constituencies. Perhaps through 
the force of habit alone he has come to regard 
them as being of very secondary importance. 
At the present session a bill was introduced, 
known as the combination hunter-fisherman li¬ 
cense measure. No more logical, economic, con¬ 
structive and meritorious bill ever graced the 
legislative halls of a free and enlightened State. 
This bill petitioned the Legislature to grant 
sportsmen the lawful right to pay into the Treas¬ 
ury of the State the aproximate sum of $200,000 
yearly, to be used by the fish and game commis¬ 
sioners for the building and maintaining of fish 
and game hatcheries in order that we might 
soon realize a return of the “good old,” and 
also that future generations might be insured 
against a recurrence of the deplorable condi¬ 
tions existing to-day, with regard to inland fish¬ 
eries and game. 
How was this sane and much needed meas¬ 
ure treated? It was smothered in committee, 
without being given the right of debate, as you 
all doubtless know, and I would respectfully 
submit that a greater injustice was never in¬ 
flicted upon the sportsmen of the State. 
Do you suppose that had this bill or one 
of equal merit been introduced by the Massa¬ 
chusetts State Grange, it would have been turned 
down? Not on your life! Its 30,000 members 
constitute a united voting constituency, ready at 
all times to back up just and meritorious legis¬ 
lative measures calculated to advance its in¬ 
terests, and sportsmen have none but themselves 
to blame for not having an organization equally 
as strong. 
We sportsmen are remiss in our duty in 
compelling our commissioners to go before our 
legislators on bended knees, begging for a paltry 
$10,000 with which to build an isolated hatchery. 
It is not the function of our fish and game 
commissioners to raise money. It is their func¬ 
tion to outline, and to wisely and economically 
expend, for the propagation and distribution of 
more fish and more game and the proper pro¬ 
tection of the same, such funds as our legisla¬ 
tors shall appropriate, or empower sportsmen to 
contribute; and it is the bounden duty of sports¬ 
men to organize and to place ourselves in a 
position where, if necessary, we can demand the 
enactment of constructive legislation that will 
give us the legal right to provide the funds es¬ 
sential to the adequate restocking of our too 
long depleted lakes, ponds, streams and covers. 
The State of New York hatched and planted 
730,000,000 fish last year, consisting of thirty 
varieties, and will increase the output materially 
this year. This output cost the State about 
$60,000. It has one game farm. Last year they 
raised and distributed about 12,000 pheasants’ 
eggs and 2,500 pheasants. This year they ex¬ 
pect to hatch 25,000 eggs and 5,000 pheasants for 
distribution. 
Compare these results (especially as to the 
output of fish) with the miserly policy of Mass¬ 
achusetts, and it spells immediate State-wide 
organization. 
The Massachusetts Fish and Game League 
is a worthy organization, with worthy motives. 
Its officers are men who deserve the confidence 
and co-operation of every true sportsman. 
Let every sportsman who wants a square 
deal get busy. Not only should he join the 
league, but he should reach out among his friends 
and fellow sportsmen and call their attention to 
its merits and the importance of their becoming 
members thereof. 
John B. Smith, 
Sec’y-Treas. Massachusetts Fish and 
Game League. 
Game Animals in Nevada. 
Reports from the mountainous country 
about Caliente and Elgin, Nev., indicate a fine 
opportunity for mountain lions, cougars, deer, 
wildcats, ’coons, coyotes and bear shooting. The 
southern spur of the Sierra Nevada Mountains 
is a rough country profuse in sage brush and 
spruce and with mountain streams abundant with 
gamy trout. 
Omaha is the largest range horse market 
in the world. 
Fish and Game Laws of Vermont. 
BY JOHN W. TITCOMB, STATE FISH AND GAME 
COMMISSIONER. 
FISH—OPEN SEASON—WHEN LAWFUL TO TAKE SAME 
(Open season includes the first, but not the 
last date given.) 
Trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout or longe 
in brooks and streams, April 15 to Sept, i; in 
ponds and lakes. May i to Sept. i. May be fished 
for from one hour before sunrise until two hours 
after sunset. Trout less than six inches in 
length not to be taken or possessed. Not more 
than five pounds of trout to be had at one time. 
Not more than fifteen pounds of landlocked 
salmon, lake trout or longe to be had at one 
time. Black bass, June 15 to Jan. i. Bass less 
than ten inches in length not to be taken. Not 
more than twenty-four bass to one person in a 
day. When two or more are fishing from the 
same boat, thirty-six to the party. Muskallonge 
(except Lake Champlain), June 15 to April 15. 
Pickerel, pike-perch (wall-eyed pike), except 
Lake Champlain, May i to March i. Pickerel 
less than twelve inches in length not to be 
taken. Pike-perch less than ten inches in length 
not to be taken. It is lawful to fish through the 
ice, except in waters inhabited by trout, with 
not more than ten tended lines to a person. Not 
more than twenty-five pounds of pickerel to a 
person. See special laws for Lakes Bomoseen, 
Morey, P'airlee, Silver Lake, Chittenden Dam, 
Elmore Pond, Joe’s Pond, East Long Pond, 
Greenwood Lake, Sabin Pond and certain ponds 
in Bennington county. It is unlawful to take 
any of the above fish in any other manner than 
by angling, to take any fish by means of ex¬ 
plosives, by shutting off water, by the use of 
lime, creosote or poisons; by the use of a net, 
set-line, spear, snare, fish-trap, jacklight, fishing 
otter, trawl or any electrical device for killing or 
stunning fish. Exception: Pickerel of lawful 
length may be shot in the waters of Lake Cham¬ 
plain by persons having hunting licenses from 
March 15 to May 15. Angling is permissible on 
Lake Champlain throughout the year, having due 
regard for the close season on black bass. 
GAME—OPEN SEASON—WHEN LAWFUL TO KILL 
SAME. 
Moose, caribou and elk, protected at all 
times. Deer, with horns not less than three 
inches long, Nov. 10 to Dec. i, both dates in¬ 
clusive, Sundays excepted. Not to be taken 
between 5 p. m. and 5 a. m. ; nor by the use 
of a snare, trap, salt lick, artificial light or a 
dog. A hound in the woods, hunting or logging 
camp, or club house during open season for deer 
is presumptive evidence of its unlawful use. 
Not more than one deer to a person, and per¬ 
son killing deer must report fact to game war¬ 
den and exhibit to him deer’s head. Hounds 
not to be permitted at large in forests inhabited 
by deer. Rabbits or hares. Sept. 15 to March i. 
Not more than five rabbits or hares to a per¬ 
son. Not to be taken by use of ferrets, except 
