Don’t Be A Game Hog

Only a few days intervene before the opening of the bird hunting season in West Virginia, and from all reports a rich treat awaits those who enjoy the sport, but the State Journal desires to say a word to the man with the gun and the dog, and that is, don’t be a hog.

Hunters should not be greedy, not go in blood mad to kill off everything in sight. If each man will be content with a modest number of birds there will not be the wholesale extermination which pays no heed to the future.

There will be many instances where it would be comparatively easy to flush a covy and follow it up until the last one falls, but the man who does this will be doing next year’s sport that much harm.

No man should go out, either, with a grim intent to secure birds enough for his entire neighborhood or to put in cold storage for an all winter supply.

The main things are the sunshine, the fresh, keen air and the touch of nature, and it takes little killing to give you all of these and the zest of the hunt besides.

Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Oct. 29, 1904

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Ferrets Are Used

Sportsmen of the city are considerably wrought up over the reports coming from various sections that ferrets are being used to hunt rabbits. It is said that hundreds of rabbits are coming into market which have no marks of gun shots about them, and the inference is that they are being caught by ferrets in violation of the law. Complaint has been made to the game warden, and he, along with a number of assistants, is keeping a close watch for offenders. The penalty for hunting with ferrets is a fine to which imprisonment may be added, and it has been decided to use the very strictest measures to break up the practice.

The possession of game unlawfully caught is prima facie evidence that the possessor violated the law and the game warden is authorized by law to inspect any game which he may have reason to believe was killed in violation of law. A strict observance of the statues related to hunting is required and any violation is likely to lead the violator into serious difficulties.

Parkersburg Daily State Journal,

Nov. 2, 1904

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TRIP WAS A SUCCESS

Merchants Policeman Samuel Emerick returned to Parkersburg last night after enjoying a several days hunt along the Ohio River. He brought back a big bunch of game with him.

Mr. Emerick had been out with Lieutenant of Police Smith and night clerk Buckley, but the latter will not return to the city until tonight or tomorrow.

Mr. Emerick says that game is plentiful and that the members of the party enjoyed great sport.

Parkersburg State Journal,

Nov. 5, 1904

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BOTH MEN WERE HELD For Dynamiting Fish In The Ohio River

Pat McConnell and a young man named Galvin, who were arrested a few days ago at the instance of D. W. Heaton, on a charge of dynamiting fish in the Ohio River, were given a preliminary hearing late Saturday evening by Squire Thomas.

Four witnesses were examined and their evidence was very strong as they testified that they had seen the two men in the act, saw the explosion and saw the dead fish, which were afterwards picked up, lying in the bottom of the boat in which the accused were rowing. The offense was committed near the head of Blennerhassett Island on the West Virginia side.

Both men were held to answer before the criminal court grand jury and bonds were fixed at $200. Neither being able to give bond, they were remanded to jail to await trial.

Several of the witnesses say that these two men are not the only offenders in this respect in that locality, but that others use explosives and on one morning recently, he said that fully three barrels of dead fish were lying on the beach, where they had floated after some Parkersburgers had spent the night in that vicinity using dynamite.

Parkersburg Semi-Weekly Sentinel,

July 28, 1905