Again, Duckshooting

"When a biological entity like the wild duck is the innocent bystander in the great American game of politics, it's no joke!"

Thus snorted handsome, Harvard-bred John H. Baker, the banker-trained executive-director of the National Association of Audubon Societies when, last fortnight, the U. S. Biological Survey announced through President Roosevelt that this year, like last, there will be a 30-day open season for duckshooting. Using the Drought as his prime argument, Director Baker had been trying to have duckshooting suspended entirely until the birds can breed up to their oldtime numbers. Using reports from its field agents as evidence, the Survey had concluded that while U. S. breeding areas were affected, Drought had not touched the ducks in their vast northern Canadian nesting grounds this year. It would therefore be safe for U. S. wild-fowlers to shoot into this year's migration under rigid restrictions similar to those imposed last year. Again there may be no baiting, no live decoys, no sink boxes or batteries, no guns larger than 10-gauge, or carrying more than three shells. But there will still be duckshooting.

Sportsmen across the middle of the U. S. complained last year that their season (Oct. 21 through Nov. 19) was too early. This year the Survey took heed and divided the U. S. into three zones instead of two, setting dates as follows: Northern (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana) : Oct. 10 through Nov. 8.

Intermediate (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania. Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming) : Nov. i through Nov. 30.

Southern (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia. Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland. Mississippi, New Jersey. North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) : Nov. 26 through Christmas Day.

Three other changes made by the Survey were certainly not calculated to win the Roosevelt Administration votes on the Atlantic seaboard. To the list of protected birds it added Atlantic brant, canvasback and redhead ducks. Daily bag limits for 1936 remain as in 1935 -- ten ducks of all species and four geese or brant -- with only one day's bag allowed in possession at any time.

U. S. gunners were gratified to learn that this year Canadian gunners, though allowed two months to shoot the birds which breed in their country, are limited to a daily bag of twelve ducks, five geese or brant.

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