296 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[Feb. 20, 1909. 
Proposed Wyoming Game Law. 
Cheyenne, Wyo., Feb. 5 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: A bill has been prepared by the joint 
game and fish committees of the Legislature, 
being a thorough revision of the game laws of 
Wyoming, and has been introduced in the Legis¬ 
lature. The bill makes some vital changes, pro¬ 
hibiting the killing of antelope until I9IS- The 
cost of hunters’ and bird licenses is increased 
fifty cents and special licenses for aliens at $20 
are provided for, non-resident game licenses at 
$50, and special elk license for residents at $17.50. 
The big game season is extended. 
The first provision of the bill declares that all 
game is the property of the State. It provides 
for appointment of a State game warden for a 
term of four years, giving him power to cap¬ 
ture game or birds for exchange with other 
States, and to appoint assistant wardens with 
ample power to protect game and make arrests. 
Open Seasons. 
There will be no open season on moose or 
antelope until 1915. Other large game may be 
killed from Sept. 25 to Nov. 13. Bears are 
protected by requiring a license from non-resi¬ 
dents. The open season for snipe, plover, etc., 
is from Sept, i to April 13. Grouse and doves 
may be killed from Aug. i to Oct. i, and in 
Albany, Carbon, Laramie and Sweetwater coun¬ 
ties from Aug. i to Sept. 15. In Sheridan county 
not until the open season of 1915- Ducks and 
other waterfowl may be shot from Sept, i to 
April 13. 
Cost of Licenses. 
Every hunter over fourteen years of age, who 
hunts with any gun larger than .22 caliber, must 
procure a license. Resident bird licenses, en¬ 
titling the hunter to shoot eighteen game birds 
in one day, but not more than twelve grouse, 
cost $1.50. The resident hunters’ license, en¬ 
titling the hunter to shoot game birds, two deer 
and one male mountain sheep each year, cost 
$2.50. A gunner’s license, allowing a non-resi¬ 
dent to hunt game birds, costs $5, and a non¬ 
resident hunter’s license for big game costs $50. 
A special license for non-residents who wish 
to hunt or kill one elk only costs $50 and the 
same for a resident costs $17.50. The game limit 
on elk is two for one hunter each year. Aliens 
who wish to hunt must pay $20 for a gunner’s 
license and take out the elk license in addition 
if they wish to hunt elk. 
Shipping Game. 
The new law makes it unlawful to ship out 
of the State any head, hide, tusk or part of the 
carcass of any big game, unless sa*me was legally 
killed and tagged with special metal tag of a 
game warden. Game birds cannot be shipped 
out of the State in excess of twenty, and in 
this case the hunter must accompany his game. 
It is also unlawful to sell, barter or to have in 
possession game not lawfully killed in the State. 
Licensed Guides. 
Hunters’ guides are required to secure a 
license costing $10; they are commissioned as 
assistant game wardens and must report all game 
killed. Non-residents in hunting are required to 
employ guides. 
Taxidermists are required to make public 
notice of all heads or hides of big game received 
for curing. The use of dogs in hunting large 
game is prohibited and dogs taken into the game 
country to hunt bear or other predatory animals 
must be licensed and registered. 
Beaver are protected until September, 1912, 
except where owners of dams can prove that 
beavers are destroying their irrigation systems. 
Buffalo are protected by closed season. The 
proposed law prohibits the mutilation or waste 
of wild game. Game carcasses must be properly 
dressed and cared for by the hunter. 
Those who wish to enter the game country 
and procure pictures must secure a license from 
a game warden or justice of the peace, costing 
$1, but they are prohibited from harassing game 
and must be accompanied by a guide or game 
warden, who must be paid at least $3 a day for 
his services. 
Capturing Game. 
It is unlawful to capture game, except under 
permission of the game warden, and for pur¬ 
poses of propagating or taming them, in which 
case three young male and six young female 
elk, deer or antelope may be caught, or three 
male and three female mountain sheep. These 
cannot be shipped out of the State, but the 
captor is entitled to all property privileges of 
their natural increase while in his care. 
Under the provisions of the new law justices 
of the peace are entitled to draw fees ranging 
from fifty cents to $2.50 for each hunter’s or 
gunner’s license sold. Wm. A. Bartlett. 
Connecticut Fisheries and Game. 
The report of the Commissioners of Fisheries 
and Game for the two years ending Sept. 30, 
1908, has just been published and distributed. 
Fish. 
In old times the shad fishery was a very im¬ 
portant matter in Connecticut. Great quantities 
of fish entered the various rivers of the State, 
and some of them still visit the main Connecticut 
and spawn in the Farmington River. Each year, 
however, less and less shad are caught and the 
efforts to conduct artificial propagation of shad 
on Farmington River are not at all encouraging. 
In 1907 at the stations on this stream only eighty 
ripe shad were stripped, giving about 1,200,000 
eggs, while in 1908 only thirty shad were strip¬ 
ped, giving less than 500,000 eggs. Alewives are 
still abundant, as are also menhaden. 
Another important industry is the lobster fish¬ 
ery, but lobsters have been growing scarce owing 
to the usual wasteful way of catching the young 
ones and destroying the mother. At present 
8,000 to 10,000 lobsters are annually planted in 
Connecticut waters by the Federal Government, 
and there is some reason to believe that lobsters 
are increasing. Many trout, pike-perch and 
black bass have been distributed from the State 
hatcheries. 
Game Birds. 
The commission has tried the experiment of 
trapping quail and confines them until they show 
evidence of mating, when they are liberated. The 
birds so treated seem to have bred. During the 
spring of 1908, 320 pairs of Hungarian par¬ 
tridges were purchased at a cost of $2,640. They 
were liberated in bunches of ten pairs in about 
every county in the State. Some of them have 
bred. It is said that they live in perfect harmony 
with other game birds and will not drive away 
the quail. Some pheasants have been liberated. 
and it is believed that some broods were hatched 
in the wild state. 
The law prohibiting spring duck shooting has 
given excellent results and is believed in by al¬ 
most everyone. Many wildfowl bred in the 
State, something which heretofore has been un¬ 
usual. The hunters’ license law has been suc¬ 
cessful, but more licenses were sold in 1907 than 
in 1908, the total revenue being more than 
$25,000 in 1907, while in 1908 it was less than 
$17,000. 
The position of warden is difficult and dan¬ 
gerous. State wardens should be paid salaries 
and persons resisting them should be severely 
punished. Fish and game clubs are increasing 
throughout the State to the great benefit of the 
protection of fish and game and the better im¬ 
provement in behalf of the law. A few small 
game refuges have been established, but the law 
at present is not satisfactory. The commission 
calls attention to the sad case of Warden Ed¬ 
wards, at Beacon Falls, who was shot twice in 
the face and blinded while trying to arrest an 
Italian who was shooting song birds without a 
license on Sunday. The commission requests the 
State to contribute a sum of money toward Mr. 
Edwards’ maintenance, something that certainly 
should be done, since the man was hopelessly 
disabled in the discharge of his duty. 
It is interesting to note in this connection that 
some people in Connecticut are talking about 
asking the Legislature to repeal the law prohibit¬ 
ing spring duck shooting. Birds have greatly 
increased since this act was passed, and now 
these shortsighted people are ambitious to kill 
them off again. 
On a Moose Lake. 
Boston, Mass., Feb. 12.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Last fall, on Sept. 17, I was watch¬ 
ing for moose at Southeast Lake, New Bruns¬ 
wick. An old cow moose had been feeding 
about 200 yards distant all the afternoon. I 
had seen this same animal here several times 
before. She was evidently very old and was 
easily recognized by her ugly shape, gray color 
and exceeding tameness. 
Three other cows came in to feed that after¬ 
noon. Two of them went out. The third, a 
sleek, handsome animal, perhaps a three-year- 
old, walked up to the old cow and nudged her. 
Thus urged, the latter started toward the shore, 
then began feeding, when the same thing was 
immediately repeated. 
The young cow apparently urged the old one 
on by pushing and coaxing her along until 
finally both landed and entered the timber. The 
older animal was very reluctant to leave the 
water, a fact I had noted on previous occas¬ 
ions when I had disturbed her. On the present 
occasion she was only made to leave by re¬ 
peated efforts on the part of her companion. 
Neither animal was aware of my presence. 
Now, this looked like a purposeful action on 
the part of the younger animal, and outside the 
ordinary feeding, mating and material instincts, 
was the young cow a daughter of the old one 
and her action the remains of her family in¬ 
stinct? Was it a useful action or was it an 
accidental one? To these questions I have no 
answer, but the old moose seemed to be in a 
senile condition and worthy of attention. 
J. C. Phillips. 
