FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 22, 1909. 
8 r6 
The Michigan Game Laws. 
Detroit, Mich., May 6. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The present constitution of Michigan 
recently adopted prohibits special legislation, ex¬ 
cept for matters that cannot be covered by a 
general statute. This will require a general re¬ 
vision of the fish and game laws of the State, 
and its leading sportsmen have already submitted 
a number of recommendations to the Legisla¬ 
ture which, it is hoped, may be formulated into 
a law and enacted prior to the adjournment of 
the current session. Prominent among these is 
the change of the trout season, which would then 
open May 15 and close on the isth of Septem¬ 
ber. The change made two years ago, opening 
the trout waters on the 15th of April and end¬ 
ing the season on the 15th of August, was un¬ 
reasonable and generally unsatisfactory. The 
proposed season is a desirable concession to the 
increasing rainbow trout, which as spring spawn- 
ers really need more protection than they are 
now getting, while the fontinalis do not begin to 
“trade” very much till after the first of Sep¬ 
tember. 
Black bass are to be properly cared for, and 
the season, which now opens May 15 in the 
midst of the spawning time, is to remain closed 
till June 15, but these fish are not to be taken 
in any way after Nov. i until the June follow¬ 
ing. This will do away with (possible) hook 
and line fishing or spearing bass through the ice 
during the winter. 
But perhaps the most marked innovation is 
that which proposes to levy a license fee of $2 
a year on all non-resident fishermen, which will 
entitle the holder to all privileges under the 
laws regulating the taking of protected fish. 
This will, however, give the licensee the right 
to take out of the State the equivalent of one 
day’s catch of any of the protected fish; that 
is to say, one day’s limit for a single rod. The 
license is to be procured from the county clerk 
of any county in the State and is good for the 
entire State. The fund thus raised is to be 
used in strengthening the corps of fish and game 
wardens and in securing a more efficient enforce¬ 
ment of the fish and game laws. 
If these recommendations are adopted by the 
Legislature, the resident hunter will hereafter 
be required to take out a license for shooting 
any kind of protected game, and the payment 
of $1.50 will entitle him to that privilege at any 
time in the open season during one calendar 
year, the license to be dated Jan. i. The non¬ 
resident hunter will be asked to put up $25, 
whether he wishes to shoot ducks or deer; in 
other words, any kind of protected game. The 
most commendable reform is the proposed abo¬ 
lition of spring shooting of ducks and wildfowl 
of all kinds, and the open season for this class 
of game v/ill be from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31. It 
will then be unlawful to kill more than twenty- 
five of all kinds of wildfowl in one day, or to 
have more than fifty in possession at any one 
time. It will also be unlawful to kill more than 
ten grouse, quail or woodcock in one day, and 
a hunter may not kill more than twenty-five in 
one season. 
The only change contemplated in the deer law 
is that which would allow the non-resident 
holder of a $25 license to take one deer out 
of the .State. The non-resident license holder 
rrould also be permitted to take out of the State 
“the equivalent” of one day's legal bag of any 
of the protected game birds, which means 
twenty-five ducks or wildfowl of all kinds, ten 
grouse, quail or game birds of all kinds, etc. 
Of course it is to be expected that there will 
be opposition to some of these contemplated 
changes, notably that which establishes a resi¬ 
dent hunting license, but in the main they are 
so excellent as to deserve the commendation 
and support of the intelligent, game-loving 
sportsmen of the State. Jay Beebe. 
To Protect the Birds. 
Utica, N. Y., May 10. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The Utica Fish and Game Protective 
Association has elected the following officers for 
the ensuing year: President, Thomas W. John¬ 
son ; Vice-President, W. E. Wolcott; Secretary, 
W. S. French; Treasurer, George L. Bradford; 
Directors, Thomas W. Johnson, Dr. J. G. Kil- 
bourn, W. E. Wolcott, FI. J. Cookinham, Jr., 
Harry Lancaster, C. W. Keeler, N. L. Hayes, 
George L. Bradford, W. S. French; Executive 
Committee, Messrs. Johnson, French and Wol¬ 
cott. The executive committee will appoint com¬ 
mittees of five members each on membership, 
entertainment, legislation and violations of the 
game laws. It has been decided to hold meet¬ 
ings of the association in July, October, January 
and April. 
The annual report of the secretary was very 
interesting. The membership increased 122 dur¬ 
ing the past year. Special Game Protector W. 
R. Floyd, who was appointed at the request of 
the club, made sixteen arrests during the year 
and had twelve convictions. The directors have 
instructed the secretary to distribute among the 
school children of Oneida county several thou¬ 
sand attractive folders, with picture in colors 
on the cover of the Balitmore oriole. These 
pamphlets contain statistics concerning our song 
birds and the great necessity for their protec¬ 
tion. The secretary in his report says: 
“Entomologists tell us that without insectivo¬ 
rous birds it would be impossible to raise crops 
of any character, and any fruit grower will tell 
you that it is impossible to raise any perfect 
fruit in this vicinity, due mainly to the enormous 
numbers of noxious worms and insects which 
infest our trees and which a plentiful number 
of insectivorous birds would keep in subjection. 
The protection of these birds we believe to be 
one of the most important matters we can take 
up, and we believe the distribution of these 
folders will be conducive of much good along 
this line.” 
It has been decided by the association to 
also have pamphlets in the interests of song 
and insectivorous birds printed in Italian for 
distribution among the school children of that 
nationality. 
One of the subjects in which the association 
is interested is the conservation of the State 
park in the Adirondacks. In referring to this 
matter the secretary said: 
“You all know there are many greedy eyes 
turned toward what is left of the magnificent 
forests of the Adirondacks and also the many 
beautiful streams, and if no one were watch¬ 
ing, how long would any of it last as a natural 
park? Let us all remember that in our excur¬ 
sions in pursuit of fish or game we are in most 
cases trespassers, and let us take this for our 
motto and live up to it, too, that we will never 
leave the property of another in any worse con¬ 
dition in any particular than we find it. You 
all know that there are some careless people 
who leave gates open, bars down, tramp on grow¬ 
ing crops or grass, are careless in getting over 
or through fences, and are generally careless in 
respects where they ought to be more careful, 
especially in shooting in the vicinity of houses 
or cattle. Sportsmen are sometimes blamed for 
things of which they are not guilty and this re¬ 
minds me of instances in my own experience. 
Twice that I remember on shooting trips have 
my companion and I found where cattle had 
recently broken fences and got into growing 
crops. In both instances we drove the cattle 
back where they belonged and mended the 
fences. Probably the owner never knew of the 
good turn we did him, but had we been seen 
in that vicinity, and later the cattle had been 
discovered where they did not belong, he might 
have thought quite naturally that we had broken 
the fence in getting over, and in consequence 
been prejudiced against all shooters. Do in all 
cases, when on the lands of another, as we 
would be done by, and do not let it be honestly 
said of any member of this association that he 
has done otherwise.” 
The annual report of the treasurer showed the 
association to be in a gratifying condition finan¬ 
cially. W. E. Wolcott. 
Wyoming Big Game. 
Cheyenne, Wyo., May 15. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: It will be good news to the readers 
of Forest and Stream to learn that elk, deer 
and antelope may still be hunted during the 
open seaso'n this fall. The error that crept into 
the law, and which for a time seemed to pre¬ 
vent the killing of big game, has been passed 
upon by State officials, and the decision has been 
sent out that big game may still be hunted. The 
State game warden is going on with the issu¬ 
ance of game licenses, which are printed and 
issued with permission to kill large game in sea¬ 
son. Other sections of the law showed its true 
intent, and the questionable section will not be 
considered. Any hunter having a license will be 
privileged to hunt and he will need no other 
authority. W. A. Bartlett. 
Big Bags. 
New York City, May 13. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In your issue of May 8 Edwin L. 
Hedderly states that during last season his six¬ 
teen and twenty-bore guns “accounted” for 1,003 
ducks. 
If this statement is true and he alone shot 
the two guns, he killed about ten times too many 
birds for any one man in a single season. 
In the latter part of his article he writes of 
firing at ducks passing over from ninety to one 
hundred yards from the ground. Of all wicked 
tricks, firing at ducks over sixty yards from 
the gun is the worst. For every bird secured 
many others die a miserable death from wounds 
not severe enough to immediately disable them. 
I am surprised that you print such an article 
without editorial comment. 
Joseph E. Bulkley. 
