INTRODUCTION 5 



United States as far North as Alaska. Parks, or breed- 

 ing reservations, in the Western ducks' paradise should 

 be created, where the birds can find safe nesting places 

 for all time to come. 



Individuals and clubs should rear many of the most 

 desirable ducks locally, so that they can have excellent 

 shooting before the migratory ducks arrive from the 

 North. The markets in this way should be kept full of 

 wild ducks during a long open season at prices surpris- 

 ingly small. 



No game can survive when its breeding places are de- 

 stroyed, unless other breeding places are provided, no 

 matter how many laws may be made for its protection. 

 The time has arrived to encourage the propagation of 

 game and to make it worth while to preserve suitable 

 places for its profitable increase. 



It was only a few years ago that the discovery was 

 made in England that the wild duck could be preserved 

 and made abundant for sport and for profit by the hand- 

 rearing process, which was known to work well with 

 pheasants and other game. Prior to this important dis- 

 covery every one thought that the wild duck was too 

 wild to be handled successfully and that any attempt to 

 preserve it would result in producing sport for others 

 and not for those who reared the ducks. Some simple 

 experiments, however, made by gamekeepers proved the 

 contrary to be true, and in a very few years after the 

 experiments were made nearly every small water in Eng- 

 land had its wild ducks. Scores of English wild duck 

 farmers now make a good living by selling their ducks 

 and eggs. Many individuals and clubs, or syndicates, 

 as they say in England, also rear thousands of ducks for 



