CHAPTER I 



WHY BREED PHEASANTS? 



In an article entitled "Game Breeding in the United States," pub- 

 lished in the March number of The Field, Illustrated, of New York City, 

 I endeavored to show that the prodigal waste of the country's original 

 profusion of wild life, combined with the almost universal adoption of 

 laws prohibiting or greatly restricting the sale and transportation of wild 

 game, had brought about a state of affairs in which one might reasonably 

 expect a widespread extension of efforts at breeding game in captivity. 

 These efforts will likely be directed both toward stocking depleted covers 

 and meeting the demand for game birds for edible purposes. 



STATES SET THE PACE. The establishment within the past few 

 years of game farms by the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New 

 York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, 

 *Washington and Iowa, and the action of other states in purchasing 

 birds in large numbers for stocking purposes, bear witness to the increas- 

 ing activities in game breeding. A state game farm has been authorized 

 for Michigan. Records of various states show an increasing number of 

 individuals who are taking out licenses which permit them to breed game 

 in captivity and laws are gradually being enacted in the more progressive 

 states which will encourage enterprise in this direction. 



RINGNECK LOGICAL CHOICE FOR BREEDING. In the 



article above referred to, I showed that of the upland game birds the ring- 

 neck pheasant promises most successful results at the present time because 

 for it alone of all the upland species has been evolved a formula for success- 

 ful breeding in large numbers. At present it is the bird most largely pro- 

 duced by both state and private breeding establishments; it has proved its 

 adaptability to the conditions encountered in large areas of the United 

 States; a brace of these birds will furnish an ample supply of splendid game 

 flesh for the average family and, finally, while not the equal of our bob- 

 white, ruffed grouse or prairie chicken as a game bird, it furnishes satisfac- 

 tory sport to thousands of gunners today who must content themselves 

 with this species or nothing. The American Game Protective Associa- 

 tion believes strongly in the bobwhite and grouse and is doing all it can to 

 encourage experiments in the breeding of these species in captivity but, in 

 the present state of affairs, it is convinced that every encouragement 

 should be given the production of the ringneck, too. 



* Washington has established no game farm as a state but its principal county, King, has one 

 tijrns put as many birds as the average state farm. 



