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GAME LEGISLATION OF THIS YEAR Many States Make Migratory Statutes Conform with Federal Regulations. The Bureau of Biological Survey has issued its eighty-page pamphlet, "Game Laws for 1919," a summary of the provisions of federal, state and provincial statutes,, .edited by George A. Lawyer, Chief U. S., Game-..Warden, and Frank L. Earnshaw, assistant, Interstate Commerce in,: Game. This is the twentieth publication of its kind, the object of the bulletin beiug to present the provisions of game legislation in convenient form for sportsmen aiid others and to show the general condition and trend from year to year.- The review of legislation in 1919 shows tiiat legislative sessions were.held in forty-four- states, in forty-one of which more or -less extensive changes were made, in the game laws. While the number of game laws enacted does not equal the total number passed in other years, when most of. the legislatures were in session, the volume compares favorably with records of previous years, owing to the number of states which- amended and -codified their game legislation. Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio Texas and Utah passed general measures revising their game laws. Considerable progress was made along the line of harmonising state legislation with the migratory-bird treaty act and the regulations thereunder. In South Carolina" the federal regulations wore adopted ;is the law of the state. In New York the seasons for Long Island, nnd .in Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas, open seasons or other provisions were made to conform to the federal regulations. BIG GAME LEGISLATION BENEFICIAL. . Sortie highly beneficial legislation for the protection of big game .was enacted, this: year, among the most noteworthy of which was the action of Maine in repealing the provision which allowed residents to export deer. Federal investigations disclosed that residents of Maine and New Hampshire had been illegally shippingliirgo numbers of deer to the Boston markets, and the magnitude of this illegal traffic, as indicated by the convictions secured in federal courts, was doubtlessly instrumental in initiating this legislation. Another most" important provision of the legislation in Maincv alid one of far reaching consequences, was that prohibiting the use of deer and moose in lumber camps. The deer seasons were shortened from five to fifteen days in Maine, New Mexicq, Vermont ane Wyoming. Close seasons- throughout the year were prescribed for does in-Missouri and Wyoming and for all deer in Ohio and West Virginia. The limits on deer were reduced from two to one a season in New York and Ontario. Novo . Scotia lengthened the season on deer one week, and New York, Texas and Vermont repealed laws protecting does. MAINE TO OPEN MOOSE SEASON. Saskatchewan closed the province to elk hunting and West Virginia continued: the close term on these animals until 1927; Wyoming shortened tne open season two. weeks,, reduced the limit from two to one a season- and repealed the provision permitting a resident to kill one additional elk under a special 0 license. Idaho lengthened the season two weeks on elk in counties having an open season, and Montana modified he seasons." . certain counties and opened a few counties to elk hunting which heretofore hao been closed. Mention ljQuld. be .made of the program evolved by the forest service and" the bureau; iofbiological survey for the conservation and maintenance of elk in the Yellowstone National Park, region. Here is found the greatest aggregate of large game now in existence in such a limited area within the Unltoc: States. The program is the result of investigation by these two bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, made with a view to devising a practicable plan to conserve the remnant of this once numerous and widely distributed noble game animal. Maine permitted moose to be hunted during the last ten days of November, the. first open , season on these animals since 1913, arid Novo Scotia shortened the open season two weeks. Wyoming shortened the season on sheep six weeks and extended the term of protection on moose and antelope until 1925. Alberta lengthened .the open season two weeks on mountain sheep and goat. SEASONS ON GAME BIRDS. The grouse season was closed1 in New Mexico, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming; in Maine and Ohio existing open -.seasons were shortened; and in West Virginia .the number of grouse allowed to be taken in a season was reduced from twenty-five to twenty. In Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the seasons on ruf fed. grouse, ,were closed in 1918, hunting is again permitted this year. Alberta lengthened the season on grouse and ptarmigan two weeks. Arkansas and South Carolina each shortened the open season on quail one month, and West Virginia reduced the limit from ninety-six to sixty a season. In Idaho the season on sage hens was opened throughout the State during the last two weeks in August; Wyoming shortened the" season two weeks and reduced the daily bag limit from six to four; and Oregon lengthened by . two weeks the season east of "the Cascades. Wild turkeys were protected until 1921 in West Virginia and the seasons were shortened one month in Missouri and from fifteen days to six weeks in New Mexico. South Carolina lengthened the season two weeks and established a limit of twenty turkeys a season. Missouri provided that 100 petitioning householders may obtain a referendum vote at a general election upon, .the question, of a two-year close season on -quail in any county.
