242 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



the West, but the birds were so persecuted that a few 

 years ago it was supposed that this grouse was nearly 

 extinct there. Within the last few years, however, a 

 great change is reported. State Game Commissioner 

 John A. Wheeler wrote : 



"My deputy game wardens throughout the State re- 

 port prairie chickens, pinnated grouse, rapidly increas- 

 ing. Our deputy wardens in Wayne County report 

 3,000 birds in that county by actual count. In Sanga- 

 mon County, from personal observation and reports 

 from the deputy wardens, I am convinced that we 

 have nearly that many birds. From all over the State 

 we are receiving encouraging reports of the increase of 

 prairie chickens." 



Almost the northwestern limit of the pinnated 

 grouse's range is western Minnesota, and of this coun- 

 try Mr. S. F. Fullerton, then the executive agent of 

 Minnesota's board of game and fish commissioners, 

 reported interestingly. It is obvious that unless the 

 cultivation of the land is such as to provide food for 

 the pinnated grouse they will not do well there, and the 

 character of Minnesota farming, which is largely dairy- 

 ing on small farms, is not such as to encourage occu- 

 pancy by the pinnated grouse. In two letters, Mr. 

 Fullerton said: 



"The pinnated grouse, or prairie chicken, is disap- 

 pearing from a large section of our State. It cannot 

 stand civilization, but it is very odd that in new por- 

 tions of the State that have been opened up they are 



