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NEW MIGRATORY BIRD LAW Government Restrictions on Hunting Which Every Sportsman Should Enow. Some birds, such as wood and eider ducks, are wholly protected by the new federal migratory bird law. j This protection is the result of a treaty between the United States and Canada making certain birds in most of the North American continent immune from shot or bullet. Recent ratification by the Senate gives effect to the treaty. , For the most part there are but slight changes in the law as it was established by the Weeks- 1 McLean bill several-years ago. Some of the main features of the regulations as they have now become effective are: No spring open season at all. The fall open season throughout the country is made more uniform than before. In a general way this is betyeen September and January 31, with a period of not more than three and one-half months for individual species. There are;,sbme exceptions; for example, the shore bird season in certain New England and middle Atlantic states, which open August 10 and closes November 30. All states in the country have the right to enforce their own indlvdual laws, provided these do not intefere with federal rulings They are not permitted to extend the federal open season. Uniform bag limits are set for the whole country; a hunter Is not allowed to ship more than two days bag limit in any one week. The daily bag limit for one person are as follows: Ducks except wood and eider, twenty-five in aggregate of all kinds; rails- coots and gallinules, twenty-five in aggregate of all kinds; black-bellied and golden plovers and greater and lesser yellow-legs, fifteen in nggregate of all kinds; Wilson snipe or Jacksnipc, twenty-five; woodcock, six; doves mourning and white-winged, twenty-five in aggregate; of both kinds. No night hunting is allowed. This prohibits the hunting of migratory birds between suuset and a half hour before sunrise. The sale of migratory birds is prohibited unless a permit Is issued by the secretary of agriculture. In cases where migratrory birds become injurious to agriculture, permits may sometimes be issued to kill them. The propagation and sale of migratory waterfowl on game farms and preserves is not only allowed but encouraged. The birds wholly protected by the law are all insectivorous birds, band -tailed pigeons, cranes, wood ducks and elder ducks, swans, curlews, upland plover and all shore birds with the exception of black-bellied aud golden plovers, Wilson snipe or Jacksnipe," woodcock and the greuter and lesser yellowlegs. Certain non-game birds are also wholly protected. These are auks, gulls, grebes, guillemots, herons, loons, puffins, terns and the like. As an example of the manner in which the open seasons for individual species vary in different states, but are within the outside time limits set by the new law, take the case of waterfowl with exceptions mentioned, coot, gallinules and Wilson snipe or jacksnipe. The open season for these birds is from September 10 to December 31 in the following states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York except Long Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada "and the portion of Oregon and Washington east of the summit of the Cascade Mountains. From October 1 to January li is the open season in Rhode Island, Connecticut Utah and the portion of Washington and Oregon west of the summit of the Cascades. In Alaska the open season for these birds is from September 1 to December 15. In the following states it is from November 1 to January 31; -Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana. October 1G to January 31 is the open season on Long Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In the same manner as above the open season for plover and woodcock vary according to locality. Information about local game which are not specified in this information can learn full details from the- Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
