farmers posted their farms, prohibiting hunting, and the vil- 

 lage sportsmen no longer kept pointers and setters for the 

 chicken season. Then, too, we nave had a number of favor- 

 able years for the hatching and early growth of the young 

 birds. 



The increase in the abundance of partridges (ruffed grouse) 

 has been most astounding. A few years ago it was a difficult 

 matter to go out and secure even a respectable bag. Neither 

 last year nor this year was it any trouble at all to go out and 

 kill the limit in less than half a day. This is true not in one 

 locality only, but practically throughout the forest region of 

 the state. The birds are more numerous, of course, in the 

 more thinly settled districts of Northern Minnesota, but there 

 are plenty of partridges in the hardwood country in the cen- 

 tral part of the state, and fair numbers even south of the Twin 

 City. Many people have tried to figure out the cause for the 

 rapid increase of partridges. It probably is due to a com- 

 bination of circumstances; favorable hatching conditions for 

 a number of seasons, several winters without hard-crusted 

 snow, the killing of "varmints" by settlers, and the recent 

 heavy trapping of weasels, due to a lively demand for their 

 fur. All had an influence, no doubt. 



Sections of the State Where Deer in Greatest Number Are 



Found. 



To the more general observance of game laws is due the 

 gradual increase in the number of deer, and to their spread- 

 ing southward into districts from which they had been driven 

 vears ago. Deer are most abundant on the edges of the set- 

 tlements; they are not particularly abundant away back in 

 the wilderness. The great deer sections of the state include 

 the territory lying north and east of Mille Lacs, the valleys 

 of the Cloquet, Whitefce and St. Louis rivers, practically all 

 of Itasca county, the country between Leech Lake and White 

 Earth, and the territory lying east and south of Red Lake. 

 Judging from present indications there should be splendid 

 deer hunting this fall. 



The moose gradually are concentrating into more restricted 

 territory. They are still abundant in the country north 'of 



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