82 



such, is utterly spurious. Yet it is true that the doctrine of conservation, 

 which seeks public good, is in obedience to the laws of nature, and a real 

 and active virtue. 



There can be no doubt that certain men are endowed with a sort of in- 

 herent instinct which leads them to hunting and fishing. There is nothing 

 so satisfying and alluring to them as a day in the open. I think it may be 

 safely said that the true hunter and fisherman is born, not made. I believe, 

 too, that those who by instinct and birthright belong to the sporting fra- 

 ternity are actuated by a genuine spirit of conservation. They are neither 

 cruel, nor greedy and wasteful of the game and fish they pursue, and I am 

 convinced that there can be no l)etter conservators and protectors of game 

 and fish, than those who are most enthusiastic in their pursuit. For it is 

 they who restrain and regulate themselves, showing thereby fairness and 

 generosity which is felt and recognized only by a true sportsman. 



To the Indians and especially to the pioneers the word conservation had 

 but little meaning. Our resources were used by them only to satisfy their 

 needs. There was such an abundance that little thought was given to 

 hunting and fishing for pleasure, or to cutting away the forests for profit. 

 It was largely a matter of necessity with them. 



All this has changed, and we now consider these natural resources from 

 an entirely different angle. This means that a radical change has taken 

 place since the days of the pioneers. Fishing and hunting as an occupation 

 is a thing of the pa^t. The trapping of fur-bearing animals, once a very 

 profitable business, now will require strict regulation. 



The disappearance of wild life in Indiana can be attributed to many 

 things. However, they can all be traced back to the main cause, which is 

 man himself. Nature in lavish fashion originally provided things so orderly 

 that each particle of vegetable, mineral and animal life was put in its 

 proper place. Man was only a minute thing in the grand whole, but, by 

 his superior ix)wers he has put himself in a dominating position. He has. 

 in fact, made himself the possessor of all other things. This has come 

 about through a slow process of evolution. There was a time when man 

 was in the minority. All around him was an army plotting and waiting 

 for a chance to attack and annihilate him. His enemies were all about him. 

 They were the powers that ruled, but in time they were checked and 

 man, assisted by his allies, the birds, became the conqueror. Today, he 

 regards with disdain the army which is an enemy, and is prone to forget 

 his true friends, the useful insectivorous birds. Being endowed with su- 

 perior intelligence, he has been able to secure control over all the lower 

 forms of animal life. This does not mean that his position is secure, but 

 rather how strong his enemies may become, and how wisely he is holding 

 his alliance with his feathered friends. 



It is but natural tliat we should partake freely of the sui>plies of nature. 

 That is what they ai-e here for, but beyond satisfying our real needs, we 

 have no right to destroy them to gratify our passions. For, should that be 

 so, it would lead to the conclusion that one generation has the right to 

 exterminate living creatures and deprive all future generations of their 



