102 AMERICAN DUCK CLUBS 



In some places, notably in Illinois and California, a 

 prejudice has existed against the owners of duck marshes. 

 Those who have not secured ducking grounds often look 

 with envious eyes upon those who are more fortunate. 

 In the States named there has been much ill feeling in 

 certain localities, and near Chicago some years ago this 

 resulted in rioting and bloodshed on the grounds of the 

 Tolleston Club. The marshes which were a bone of con- 

 tention since have been drained and built up, and, of 

 course, there is no shooting for anybody. Those who 

 are hostile to the duck clubs should remember that the 

 chances are that the grounds occupied by the clubs will 

 be drained before they are opened to the public. 



Common sense must regulate this matter eventually, 

 and I am pleased to observe that the prejudice against 

 those who preserve the ducks has disappeared in many 

 regions. The courts have held, uniformly, that the own- 

 ers of marshes have the right to exclude trespassers. 



In some of the States ponds which contain over ten or 

 fifteen acres are held to be public waters, but they are of 

 little value to the public for duck shooting, since the 

 whole neighborhood would rise up in arms if a duck ven- 

 tured to alight on a public pond in a settled region. It 

 is, of course, an easy matter to scare wild fowl away from 

 such places. It would be far better if the game protec- 

 tive associations would devise some means for stocking 

 such places with fowl and for regulating the public shoot- 

 ing so as not to drive the birds away. The lands about 

 most of the ponds, however, are owned by individuals 

 and not by the State, and in no State can trespassers 

 shoot on inclosed and cultivated lands if the owner ob- 

 jects. 



