PUBLIC PARKS OP IOWA 255 



As I have indicated above, I do not advocate abolition of shooting. The 

 improvident hunter does that by his actions. I advocate such restrictions 

 in hunting as are necessary to preserve our Wild life. These restric- 

 tions are made more stringent with the settlement of a country and the 

 disappearance of the game. We cannot expect as good hunting as in 

 the days of the Indians and Lewis and Clark. Some of the principles 

 necessary for such restrictions are: 



1. Absolute prohibition of spring shooting. 



2. Reduction of daily bag limit. 



3. Prohibition of the sale of game (now in force in Iowa). 



4. Establishment of protected highways of migration. 



5. Birds should be allowed a daily resting and feeding period. 



6. Removal from the list of game birds of all birds which are rare 

 or of special value to the farmer. 



7. Prohibition of the use of automatic and machine guns. Only by the 

 incorporation of such principles into our state laws, and their adequate 

 enforcement, can we possibly hope to save from extinction many of 

 our game birds. 



I also suggest to the people of the state that the fish and game com- 

 mission has many advantages over the single warden system. Such a 

 commission should include a representative of the sportsmen and of the 

 bird conservationists. 



Then all the deputy game wardens should be placed on a civil service 

 basis, as they now are in the state of Wisconsin. Every deputy game 

 warden should be an educational officer as well as a police officer, just 

 as they now are in Wisconsin. The deputies should be advance in rank 

 and salary on the basis of efficiency. In Wisconsin five factors govern 

 the promotion of deputy game warden, viz: Faithful service, reports, 

 compliance with orders, sentiment created in favor of game protection, 

 and impartial enforcement of the law. And "immediately preceding the 

 examination for promotion the state game warden will hold a school for 

 deputies at which technical and administrative problems will be dis- 

 cussed." Report of Iowa Park and Forestry Association, 1913, pp. 460-4. 



GAME PROTECTION IN IOWA. 

 By T. C. Stephens. 



The subject assigned to me on this occasion is "Game Protection in 

 Iowa." It occurred to me that this subject might be treated very much 

 like the school boy treated the subject "Snakes in Ireland." However, as 

 our efforts should be constructive, it will be better to avoid a considera- 

 tion of the history of this problem in Iowa, and endeavor to accomplish 

 something in shaping a policy for the future. 



If, as a state, we have not done all that should have been done to 

 prevent the extermination of our wild life, we may charge it to the 

 past, and to a general lack of appreciation of the importance of action. 



