Xo. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 17 



detriment of orchards and gardens. The open season and a 

 law which allows a farmer to protect his crops at all times have 

 done much to reduce this annoyance. More recently there 

 have been introduced the Mongolian pheasant, and this bird 

 has spread very rapidly over the State. Owing to its domestic 

 habits it has increased most rapidly on farming lands, and 

 while opinions vary greatly as to its status on these lands, the 

 most serious menace to the farmer does not seem to lie with the 

 bird itself, as the law has given him a fair measure of pro- 

 tection, in that he may shoot the bird if it is damaging his 

 crops. What threatens, however, to be most dangerous to the 

 farmer, is the ever-increasing horde of gunners who now pursue 

 this bird during the open season, and it is on this question 

 that the farmer should have greater protection. Several 

 remedies are proposed by your secretary. 



1. Whereas the power to fix the open season on pheasants 

 is in the hands of the Fish and Game Commission, that this 

 Board petition said commission not to open the season on 

 pheasants until at least November 1, as then most of the crops 

 are gathered, and there will not be the damage done that is 

 likely to occur earlier in the season. 



2. As pheasants are present in large numbers on land owned 

 by the farmers, and as such pheasants have largely been reared 

 on food obtained from land controlled by farmers, it is no more 

 than fair that the farmer should derive some income from this 

 source. Therefore, would it not be well that farmers lease their 

 land after crops have been gathered to persons who are willing 

 to pay for such privileges, either on a period basis or on a basis 

 of return for each bird killed. This method releases the owner 

 of the land from posting, and puts the burden of keeping 

 trespassers off the land on the lessee. 



It is possible that farmers might lease their land for all kinds 

 of shooting, and certainly such income as may be derived from 

 this source should belong to the farmer. 



3. Few farmers realize that by obtaining a permit from the 

 Fish and Game Commission, pheasants and other game birds 

 reared and released by them may be shot and sold to the 

 number of those originally liberated, and at any time of the 

 year, on land controlled and posted by them. Here is a chance 



