Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 51

by

Joe

Ko s a c k

Roaring
Rabbits
and Better Protecting
Cottontails in the 1920s

Pennsylvania Game Commissioner John M. Phillips recognized the pressure being put on
the Commonwealth's rabbit
population in the early 1900s,
and the need for changes. But
in the agency's formative years, it wasn't easy
convincing the General Assembly that seasons
or bag limits needed to be dialed back, particularly now that hunters were paying for the
privilege through the purchase of their hunting
licenses. But Phillips stumped for reform at
every opportunity.
One of his more-descriptive accounts of
Pennsylvania rabbit hunting came in 1921
at the 13th International Association of Fish,
Game and Conservation Commissioners
Conference.
"Here in Pennsylvania, we are sort of a
settled community," Phillips reported. "Our
people look forward to the hunting season, and
they get ready for it. This great army of ours
is mobilized every year. The railroads put on
special trains; the street railway companies run
special cars, to get them out into the country.
It is a great army that you will see on the first
few days of the season. On the first morning
of the season I have gone into a baggage car,
and it was nothing but a great crowd of dogs.
Everybody was taking his dog out, and they
had to put on separate baggage cars for the
dogs.
AUGUST 2020	

"This great army starts out," Phillips noted.
"We allow a bag limit of 10 rabbits, and every
man who goes out with his dog wants his
limit. The consequence is that in 10 days the
rabbits disappear. The poor fellow who went
out on the second or third morning did not get
any rabbits. So, the sportsmen said to us, 'It
is not fair to kill them all in 10 days by this
great army. Instead of having a bag limit of 10
rabbits, make it five, so that the early fellows
won't kill them all. We are afraid to go out the
first few days, because we may get killed, but
we want some of the game saved.'
"We today have 600,000 men scouring
these hills of Pennsylvania," Phillips continued. "A brush pile, in the beginning of the
season may be as high as my head. At the end
of the season, you can hardly find two sticks
together from the tramping it has received. I
have seen ten men on one brush pile in one
hour on the first day of season, hunting for
the rabbit that the first man had chased out of
it. As ... we said to our legislators, 'We have
600,000 men, armed with modern guns, who
have automobiles to climb hills. We must
restrict our hunting seasons.'"
Through Phillips' convincing, the daily
bag limit on rabbits was cut from 10 to five
in 1921, relieving some of the pressure on
the resource and allowing the harvest to be
distributed more equitably while maintaining
the pursuit's popularity.
51



Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020

Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Intro
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 2
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 3
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 7
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 10
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 14
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 16
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 19
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 22
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 26
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 28
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 31
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 32
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 34
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 39
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 41
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 42
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 43
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 44
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 45
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 46
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 47
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 48
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 49
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 50
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 51
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 52
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 53
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 54
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 55
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 56
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 57
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 58
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 59
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 61
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 62
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - 64
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - August 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/annualreport2008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200809
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com