250 Game Survey of the North Central States 



central region, without even an attempt to influence agricultural practices on their 

 watersheds. The engineering personnel in charge of navigation and flood control 

 seem either oblivious to the biological mechanisms which help determine the be- 

 havior of rivers, or else take the attitude that because unsound claims have in 

 times past been advanced as to their effects, that therefore they have no effects. 

 It should be realized that more sound research has been accomplished on water- 

 sheds in the past five years than in the preceding fifty. 



One of the most far-reaching changes which the game conservation move- 

 ment in this region could advocate would be the addition of a competent ecologist 

 to the Mississippi River Commission. 



GAME LANDS 



Posting. Many estimates of the per cent of lands posted against hunting in 

 various counties were gathered during the survey, but these data are so 

 voluminous that it seems best to here present only a general summary by states. 



In Iowa in 1928, 50 to 75 per cent of the riverbreak farms were posted, but 

 few upland prairie farms were posted, apparently because there is no game on 

 them. The pheasant district in northwestern Iowa prairie is an exception to 

 this. The most recent condition in this district is not known. 



In Ohio in 1928, 10 to 50 per cent of the till plain farms were posted. The 

 condition in the hill country was not determined. 



In Illinois in 1929, 60 to 90 per cent of the farms were posted. Unlike 

 Iowa, posting seemed to prevail on the prairies, as well as in the river breaks. 

 Around Chicago posting is practically complete. 



In Indiana in 1929, 30 to 70 per cent of the farms were posted, including 

 the marginal farms in the southern part of the State. Around the industrial dis- 

 trict of northwest Indiana posting of farms was complete. 



In Missouri in 1930, 20 to 50 per cent of the more valuable farms were 

 posted. The Ozark farms are not usually posted, but owners expect hunters to 

 ask permission. Forest lands in the Ozarks are not posted. 



In southern Wisconsin in 1929, 30 to 90 per cent of the farms were posted. 

 In the pheasant district of southeastern Wisconsin, entire townships are posted by 

 action of the township board, highway signs indicating points of ingress to and 

 egress from the township. In the Forest Belt, unfarmed areas are not posted, 

 but the Edward Hines Lumber Company proposes to post its extensive holdings 

 of cutover lands during the deer season. If this is successful, the precedent may 

 bring about a change in the present open condition of the deer and ruffed grouse 

 hunting grounds. 



The posting situation in Michigan and Minnesota was not determined by 

 the survey, but a relatively accurate size-up of posting on wild lands in upper 

 Michigan was made by the Conservation Department as of July 1, 1929. The 

 status of 37 counties north of Town 20 was found to be: 



