CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



37 



licensed hunter legally as well as cli- 

 matically, the vast army of wildfowlers 

 who are unattached to any clubs find 

 themselves favored indeed by the con- 

 tinued delay of storms, which, although 

 making better shooting, render the 

 grounds difficult of access to the motor- 

 ist who is willing to travel 150 or more 

 miles for his week-end outings. The 

 growth of the "good-roads" movement in 

 California has greatly inci'eased this 

 class ; until today, considering the com- 

 parative ease of access to the vast open 

 shooting-grounds of the interior, the 

 charge no longer rings true that one 

 "must belong to an expensive gun-club 

 to enjoy duck-shooting in soutliern Cali- 

 fornia." There never was a time that 

 men could not find better shooting away 

 from the clubs, but it was not so acces- 

 sible as now ; and this year the clubmen 

 have had a bad deal indeed from Nature. 

 The scarcity of food in the extreme 

 south where none of the clubs appears to 

 have attacked the problem from a duck's 

 point of view, has been accentuated by 

 the increase of beet and bean farming 

 which largely ha.s replaced the barley- 

 growing which used to provide sprig and 

 wigeon with their principal staff-of-life 

 hereabouts ; and the clubmen have failed 

 to provide any practical pond-growing 

 substitute to take its place. Over-shoot- 

 ing and under-feeding are an impossible 

 combination especially when coupled 

 with mild weather, which offers no rea- 

 son for ducks leaving the favorable feed- 

 ing conditions of the great interior val- 

 leys, which have become more attractive 

 since rice-growing was proved practi- 

 cable, and now constitute such a paradise 

 for wildfowl as probably can not be 

 equalled anywhere else in the world. 



California long since became famous 

 among wildfowlers who watch their 

 favorite sport in a broad, nation-wide 

 way. From the days of '49, the vast 

 inland waterways of this state have 

 ranked as immense producers of wild 

 game for food and sport. Today, despite 

 a winter of typically Californian mild- 

 ness, the entire interior of the state is 

 swarming with ducks and geese of every 

 coastal variety. The demonstration of 

 formerly waste overflows as the best of 

 rice land has added an enormous pulling 



power to the already proved attractions 

 of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, 

 Owens and Imperial valleys. Sports- 

 men well may be proud of their state, 

 and glad to cheerfully contribute their 

 license-dollars toward keeping up its gun- 

 ning attractions, which draw the interest 

 of their fellows of like mind with a mag- 

 netic power only to be appreciated by 

 those in whom the love of wild life and 

 healthful sport in the great outdoors 

 still surges with primitive enthusiasm. 



In the day of our National need, when 

 this vast plenty of choicest wild meat 

 lies open to the people free to whomsoever 

 has the energy, experience and ability to 

 "reduce to possession" these assets which 

 belong equally to all until the superior 

 prowess of some has rendered them per- 

 sonal possessions, the state's game has 

 developed a peculiar and direct value, as 

 a thing to be used wisely like an invest- 

 ment, its taking limited to the annual 

 increase, lest a day of direr than present 

 need develop when a greater than present 

 supply must do its first duty by the peo- 

 ple in the replacing of shipable meats. 

 To this end exist all our restrictive laws ; 

 and those whom the limit seem to hit 

 hard must not forget the reasons under- 

 lying it; nor the liberal privileges they 

 enjoy when compared with the all but 

 gameless states of the east, whei'e drastic 

 closed-seasons and small mess limits 

 have utterly failed to stay extermination 

 in the face of advancing agriculture and 

 closer, more intensive farming methods. 

 The game is given us to use wisely : 

 not to set up on a pedestal of affectation 

 as a monument to posterity ; but for the 

 best and widest present use compatible 

 with maintaining the supply on a busi- 

 ness basis for the future, exactly as any 

 business man aims to handle his work- 

 ing capital. — Edwin L. Hedderly. 



HOW TO DYNAMITE A STREAM. 



Newspapers have been one of the most 

 powerful forces in crystalizing sentiment 

 in some of the states for the protection 

 by proper laws of fish and game as 

 important resources of the common- 

 wealth. 



A New Jersey editor, a thorough 

 sportsman, recently received from a 



