FOREST AND STREAM 
167 
LUCK IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 
Elmira, N. Y., February 4, 1915. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Your monthly magazine is certainly O. K.—the 
best out. Am sending you a small photo of my¬ 
self and brother sportsmen, showing our luck last 
fall in the Adirondack mountains. From left to 
right: G. H. Allen, C. O. Geiger, M. H. Dunbar, 
C. A. Washburn, H. M. Weigle, C. F. Artley 
and G. F. Blair, all from Elmira. Success to 
Forest and Stream. G. F. BLAlIR. 
Jersey where the season extends to February 1. 
In most of 'the southern or wintering zone the 
season closes February 1, but extends to February 
15 in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. These 
regulations were proclaimed on Ootoher 1, 1914. 
No change has since been made in them and no 
change is likely to, be made until the constitu¬ 
tionality of the law has been passed on by the 
U. S. Supreme Court. As a matter of fact, the 
law provides that all changes in the regulations 
must be considered for a period of 90 days, and 
then must be approved and signed by the Presi¬ 
dent, before they become effective. It is thus 
evident that there is no possibility that the pro¬ 
hibition of spring shooting will be in any way 
modified this year. 
The officials of the U. S. Department of Agri¬ 
culture 'who are entrusted with the enforcement 
of the law are anxious that these facts be im¬ 
pressed upon the people because it is the inten¬ 
tion to investigate carefully all reports of viola¬ 
tions made to the department’s inspectors and 
wardens and to prosecute all such violations in the 
Federal courts. In this connection it is pointed 
out that prosecutions may be instituted at any 
time within three years of the offense. 
THAT ARKANSAS DECISION. 
Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 12, 1915. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have read your editorial about the migratory 
bird law. I can understand your feelings about 
the law for I am a firm believer in it and hope 
it will be upheld. But you are wrong in your 
denunciation of the Arkansas decision. It was 
made by Judge Trieber of the United States 
Court. Judge Trieber is a learned and upright 
judge and personally in favor of the law. The 
decision is his opinion on the constitutionality of 
the law and not his opinion as a man. The law 
will be held unconstitutional by other United 
States judges and will not be finally binding till 
the question is settled by the Supreme Court of 
the United States. That Court has held so often 
that the game is the exclusive property of the 
State that it is hard to get any logical reason why 
the United States has anything to do with it. 
Personally I believe it is the greatest game 
law ever passed and I want it upheld. As a 
lawyer I am bound to say that following the de¬ 
cisions of the Supreme Court it can hardly be 
held constitutional. It will take some very tall 
wabbling from their other decisions to uphold 
the law. 
But the way to get it upheld is not by abuse 
of the judges who try to follow the law as they 
In the February issue of Forest and Stream an 
article appeared that was intended to support the 
Federal law, and, at the same time, “call down” 
in a nice way, the hunters of the Middle West, 
who are said to be more or less in revolt against 
the law, because it placed them in the wrong 
zone, and, therefore, deprives them of all shoot¬ 
ing or at least any shooting when ducks are 
thickest. 
The writer of the above article did not have 
a clear understanding of the conditions in the 
Middle West, and it is not at all surprising, as 
certain writers in the East have been free users 
of pen and ink, and let their minds run riot, 
when they start to write on their pet hobby. 
They would like to deny to others even the right 
to think, much less to express an opinion that 
does not accord with their radical views. This 
was illustrated only last week, when Dr. W. 
Hornaday replied in the Sportsmen’s Review to 
a letter received from Mr. L. M. Gietzer of 
Columbus, Nebraska, written under date of Jan. 
12th, 1915. Mr. Gietzer explained the hardship 
the Federal law placed on hunters in Nebraska 
and asked for help to have the law properly 
see it. It is to carry a case up and fight it in 
the Supreme Court with good counsel and try to 
reverse the circuit courts. 
The law is needed. Only this morning I read 
in the Gazette about one man who killed 800 
robins on the roost, and no state law to prevent it. 
But we can’t win out by abusing the courts. I 
congratulate you on the fine appearance of your 
journal. J. M. ROSE. 
amended, and that, in return, the hunters of 
Nebraska would see to it that the law as amend¬ 
ed would be properly enforced. 
Let us review the situation. When the lead¬ 
ers in the Migratory Bird Law were seeking aid, 
to have this law passed, they did not solicit the 
help of the Arkansas or Louisiana market hunt¬ 
ers, but they did appeal to the sportsmen who 
had been instrumental in having game laws put 
on the books in the states of the Middle West, 
It was only possible to get help from people 
who favored a limit on the game bag, and a 
short open season. It is hard to get a good game 
law on the statute books, but the work is noth¬ 
ing as compared with trying to enforce that law. 
The Migratory Bird Law promoters used this 
as an argument to the hunters of the Middle 
West, to secure their co-operation, “that the laws 
of the states are attacked every two years, but 
with Federal regulation, we will put a shorter 
season, and stop spring shooting, and when the 
season closes, the Federal authorities will see to 
it that the season will be actually closed.” 
According to the American Cyclopaedia, 
“spring” is defined as follows: “Spring, in as- 
,States and Provinces which required residents to obtain hunting licenses in 1914. 
Resident hunting licenses are now required in 40 States, in 8 Canadian Provinces, and in Newfoundland. 
In New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec these licenses are required only for hunting big game, and in 
Tennessee only for hunting on land without written permission of the owner. Nova Scotia and 
Newfoundland require resident licenses for hunting caribou only. 
In Michigan, _ Minnesota, New Mexico, and South Dakota separate resident licenses are required 
for hunting big game. 
In 30 States, following the 'French method, landowners are permitted to hunt on their own property 
without license. (These 'States are indicated on the map by black lines inclosing their names.) 
In 10 States, mainly in the West, following the English method, everyone who hunts is required to 
secure a license. 
In 'Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island 
an additional fee varying from 10 to 25 cents is charged for the issue of the license. 
Licensed Hunter and Migratory Bird Law 
