hunting wantonly and striking down many ducks during a 

 chase through the air, without stopping to eat them. 



The larger owls are fond of game birds and often kill young 

 wild turkeys and other birds roosting in trees. Turtles destroy 

 many young wild ducks and there is a list of many other enemies, 

 all of which do some damage and some of which do great 

 damage at times. Crows are persistent destroyers of young 

 game birds and eggs and I have observed them taking young 

 poultry. Skunks do far more damage, I am sure, than some 

 naturalists are inclined to admit. Farmers, who have observed 

 these animals taking poultry, know that they can take wild 

 birds and their eggs even more easily. The shotgun and 

 many traps are the remedies used by most game-keepers. 

 The traps used are the ordinary steel traps used to catch minks, 

 weasels, skunks, and other animals, and small round steel 

 traps called pole traps, which are as easily set on poles as the 

 common ground traps are set on the ground. The pole traps 

 should be set on high poles and on the higher branches of the 

 trees which are frequented by hawks and crows. On no account 

 should they be set on low fence posts and in small trees, since 

 they may destroy song birds and I even have known them to 

 kill bob-whites when so placed. The traps can be procured 

 from any hardware store. Some favor the use of poison, which 

 is very fatal, of course, when used with tempting baits. Valuable 

 animals and even people have been killed by poisoned eggs, 

 and the use of poison is no longer approved by many keepers 

 and in some places its use is prohibited. 



The cutting down of briars and other protecting covers for 

 the game birds exposes them to their enemies, and in some 

 places the game cannot survive even when shooting is pro- 

 hibited. Cats, dogs, and rats are added to the list of enemies 

 and tend to upset nature's balance in populous regions. It 

 is very evident that something more than laws limiting the 

 bag and shortening the shooting season is absolutely necessary 

 if field sports are to be perpetuated in America. 



Often people may be heard to say that game was abundant 

 when no vermin was destroyed. This is quite true; immense 

 numbers were produced in order to supply the needs of vermin. 

 The birds left were intended to restock the fields and woods. 

 It does not follow that an army of guns can safely shoot these 

 stock birds. The game can stand the losses due to vermin 

 or the losses due to shooting, but not both. In the older 

 countries it survives tremendous losses due to shooting because 

 the vermin is controlled and the birds are properly looked after. 



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