68 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



protection of the existent species of game and bird life will be all 

 that is necessary to fully restock this area. 



►Sentiment of the local public is not favorable toward this idea of a 

 game refuge, as it is believed by most of the people that there really is 

 not need for closing any area to legitimate hunting. They believe 

 that all that is necessary is to exterminate the predatory animaLs, to 

 enforce the game laws in general and particularly to curtail the 

 killing of more deer than is permitted by hunters who travel by auto 

 from county to county, killing their full quota in each. 



THE CASE OF THE SPORTSMAN vs. THE CASE OF 

 THE FARMER. 



[The following contrasted opinions 

 regarding the relation of the farmer to 

 game are of peculiar interest. Both quo- 

 tations are from Eastern men. Fortu- 

 nately, California is practically free from 

 this conflict of interests which complicates 

 the cause of game conservation in Eastern 

 states. Those who never carry a gun have 

 here actively espoused the cause of game 

 protection and are taking part in bringing 

 about the proper kind of laws. And the 

 sportsman is sacrificing his own immediate 

 good for the perpetuation of the game 

 supply. The farmer is as a rule cooperat- 

 ing in preserving wild life, even to the 

 extent of artificially feeding it. Only 

 occasionally is one found who takes the 

 same point of view as Mr. West. The 

 cause of game conservation demands a 

 harmonizing of all purely individual 

 points of view and a wider outlook which 

 shall encompass the benefit of all — not of 

 any single class. The sportsman and the 

 farmer must ultimately meet on common 

 ground and work together for a common 

 end — a policy of conservation which shall 

 ensure the greatest good to the greatest 

 number. — Editor. ] 



Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, E.xecutive Officer 

 of the Pennsylvania Fish and Game Com- 

 mission (Bull. No. 2, Pennsylvania Fish 

 and Game Comm.), defends sportsmen 

 thus : 



"The necessity for additional protection 

 to our wild beneficial birds is beyond ques- 

 tion, yet, strange to say, those from whom, 

 because of their professions, we expect the 

 most (churchmen) and those who derive 

 the most from the life work of birds 

 (farmers) have up to this time done com- 

 paratively nothing for the birds. 



"Fortunately for the birds, as well as for 

 the state, there are certain people taking 

 an interest in tliis matter, and strange to 



say, those who have up to this time done 

 most for the birds are those who in the 

 public mind are supposed to be bird 

 destroyers, and known as sportsmen. In 

 tlie face of this opinion, I assert without 

 the fear of successful contradiction, that 

 every law upon our books today giving 

 protection to wild birds, either game or 

 otlierwise, was put there at the instance, 

 or through tlie influence of sportsmen. 

 They are the men who have said tlirougli 

 legislative enactment that certain birds 

 known as song and insectivorous birds, 

 because of the value of their life work, 

 shall not be killed at any time, and that 

 birds known as game birds shall be killed 

 only during certain periods and in re- 

 stricted numbers, and they are the only 

 men who have insisted upon and assisted 

 in tlie enforcement of the statutory pro- 

 visions relative to these subjects. They 

 are " tlie men who today are supplying 

 through the Resident Hunters' License Act 

 the sinews of war through whicli protec- 

 tion is given not only to game birds and 

 animals but also to song and insectivorous 

 birds, and without the lielp of which the 

 labor of the farmer would, in the majority 

 of instances, be profitless. In addition to 

 this, tliey (the sportsmen) are providing 

 the fund through which the farmer is paid 

 a bounty for killing a weasel or other 

 vermin that may be found destroying his 

 poultry. They are the men who today are 

 providing the cash to pay for grain used 

 in feeding game and other birds during 

 severe winter weather ; in many instances 

 tliey are paying for the labor necessary to 

 place tliis grain where the birds may get 

 it. Some few farmers are feeding birds 

 during the winter time, or are at least 

 permitting the birds, such as quail, that 

 happen to come into their barnyard, to 

 partake of the grain scattered for their 

 poultry, but the great majority of farmers 

 are not feeding or caring for the birds in 

 any way. I have been collecting statistics 

 regarding this matter for years, and know 



