A FEDERATION OF OUTDOOR CLUBS 



91 



like problems. Those who deal with trees are essentially 

 interested in trees. The field is of such scope that one 

 man or even the whole group of men interested in it find 

 enough to wholly engage their attention without going 

 outside of its limits. 



But here is a typical example of one field of work being 

 very closely allied to the other. Wild game of all kinds 

 is very materially dependent upon the forests. Without 

 a good forest cover much of the game is lost. A barren, 

 dry waste is not a place for game. A forest guarantees 

 against such a waste and gameless tract. 



In another particular the forester and the game en- 

 thusiast are vitally mutually interested. That is the fire 

 problem of the forests. Fire kills forests. It kills game 



The reverse is true. Undoubtedly the foresters, working 

 in the presence of wild life, have information that would 

 be of value to the men working on problems of game 

 protection. 



Looking at this particular example from the view- 

 point of the game enthusiast we find that there is a de- 

 cided lack of understanding on the part of sportsmen as 

 to the work of the foresters bearing on game problems. 

 Foresters are responsible as a profession for the greater 

 protection given our forests. They have been instru- 

 mental in conserving them and turning the tide from irra- 

 tional cutting and wastage to a well organized policy of 

 rational use through true conservation. Immense quan- 

 tities of game have been protected by and are dependent 



NATURE LOVERS 



Nature lovers surely have a lot for which to thank the workers in other fields. The forester, geologist, entomologist, botanist, 

 and in fact, practically all specialized fields of outdoor work contribute directly to his knowledge and enjoyment. 



at the same time. The enemy of game is also the enemy 

 of trees. It is to the interest of both the foresters and 

 the game protective organizations to fight forest fires. 



In the past there has not been the meeting ground 

 that should be common to these divisions of outdoor 

 work. The foresters have known of game problems and 

 have in many instances taken deep interest in and gone 

 far towards solving them. But there has not been the 

 contact that there should be on the part of the foresters 

 with the work being done by the game protective clubs. 

 It is wholly probable that much of the information that 

 has been amassed by the game clubs would be invaluable 

 to the forester in the studies of game conditions. If such 

 an exchange of ideas would have been possible a great 

 amount of past useless effort would have been prevented. 



on these forests. It is probably true that the bulk of the 

 big game of our nation is now within the borders of or- 

 ganized forest units. 



If it were possible to bring home to the game protec- 

 tive clubs that they are vitally interested in the forests, 

 their administration, protection and proper conservation 

 there would be a direct move on their part towards the 

 full accomplishment of such a constructive program. Be- 

 cause of their interest in trees ? Not especially, but rather 

 because the work in the forests has a direct relationship 

 to the game problem. Trees mean more game. Forest 

 work means more and better trees. Game protective so- 

 cieties are therefore interested in forest work. 



Up to the present time there has been no meeting 

 ground of these two great divisions of outdoor activities 



