Yes, it is coldly and incontestably true, that even after such winter slaughter as Mr. Webber has reported above, the very next season will find the quail hunter joyously taking the field, his face beaming with health and good living, to hunt down and shoot to death as many as possible of the pitiful 25 per cent remnant that managed to survive the pitiless winter.  How many quail hunters, think you, ever stayed their hands because of “a hard winter on the quail?” I warrant not one out of every hundred!  How many states in this Union ever put on a close season because of a hard winter?  I’ll warrant that not one ever did; and I think there is only one state whose game commissioners have the power to act in that way without recourse to the legislature.  This situation is intolerable.

Thanks to the splendid codified game laws enacted in New York state in 1912, our Conservation Commission can declare a close season in any locality, for any length of time, when the state of the game demands an emergency measure.  This act is as follows; and it is a model law, which every other state should speedily enact: 

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  THE NEW YORK CLOSE-SEASON LAW.

  152.  Petition for additional protection; notice of hearings; power
  to grant additional protection; notice of prohibition or regulation;
  penalties.

1.  Petition for additional protection.  Any citizen of the state may file with the commission a petition in writing requesting it to give any species of fish, other than migratory food fish of the sea, or game protected by law, additional or other protection than that afforded by the provisions of this article.  Such petition shall state the grounds upon which such protection is considered necessary, and shall be signed by the petitioner with his address.

2.  Notice of hearings.  The commission shall hold a public hearing in the locality or county to be affected upon the allegations of such petition within twenty days from the filing thereof.  At least ten days prior to such hearing notice thereof, stating the time and place at which such hearing shall be held, shall be advertised in a newspaper published in the county to be affected by such additional or other protection.  Such notice shall state the name and the address of the petitioner, together with a brief statement of the grounds upon which such application is made, and a copy thereof shall be mailed to the petitioner at the address given in such petition at least ten days before such hearing.

3.  Power to grant additional protection.  If upon such hearing the commission shall determine that such species of fish or game, by reason of disease, danger of extermination, or from any other cause or reason, requires such additional or other protection, in any locality or throughout the state, the commission shall have power to prohibit or regulate,