QfcpUSE: 



I HE prairie grouse or "chicken," including 

 the somewhat smaller form which is found 

 in Texas and Louisiana, still occurs, in sadly 

 diminished numbers, from Manitoba, Mich- 

 igan, and Indiana to Texas and westward to the great plains 

 where, as in the Dakotas, it has extended its range with 

 the advancement of civilization. When I first went to North 

 Dakota, to shoot the sharp-tailed grouse, the common prairie 

 chicken was scarce, but later it increased in numbers in some 

 parts of the state and it could be kept plentiful on most of the 

 open ground as far west as the Rocky Mountains. 



The prairie grouse weighs about two pounds and its flesh 

 is tender, juicy, and delicious. Some prefer it to the flesh of the 

 ruffed grouse and I am inclined to side with them. It certainly 

 is a magnificent wild food bird and well worth preserving. 

 The way to save it from extinction, paradoxical as it may seem, 

 is to keep the markets full of grouse during a long open season. 

 The money received from the sale of some grouse will enable 

 sportsmen of small means to meet the expenses of looking after 

 the birds and dealing fairly with the farmers who have posted 

 their lands. 



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