WATERFOWL loST NEBRASKA. 5 



breeding grounds, although the other groups of lakes already men- 

 tioned, as well as many scattered bodies of water throughout the 

 entire sandhill region, form the breeding ground for comparatively 

 large numbers of birds. The settling up of this region opened the 

 lakes to sportsmen, and they have made good use of their oppor- 

 tunity. Other things being equal, water birds do not thrive in 

 thickly settled sections, and with the laying out of the country into 

 farms they have a natural tendency to disappear, owing to the drain- 

 ing of the lakes and the elimination of their breeding grounds, and 

 also to frequent disturbances during the breeding season. Therefore, 

 one can not reasonably expect large numbers of resident ducks in a 

 thickly settled farming region, for their protection becomes more 

 difficult with the increase of population. 



In the sandhill region the early settlements were made chiefly 

 by cattlemen, who took large holdings, and not until the Kinkaid 

 law went into effect was there much general addition to the inhabi- 

 tants. This law permitted the homesteading of an entire section of 

 land after only three years' residence, and resulted in the taking up 

 of practically all the land in this region, as well as in a great 

 increase of population. A continued increase in the population 

 would seriously menace the future of the breeding waterfowl in this 

 region. Only a very small proportion of the land, however, is 

 suitable for farming, but it all is an ideal cattle range, since the 

 sandhills aflPord good pasture and the hay meadows of the valleys 

 furnish an abundance of winter feed. Thus, not only is the small 

 landholder usually unable to make a living at farming, but his 

 holdings are likewise too small to make stock raising profitable. 

 Consequently, he is sooner or later constrained to sell out and 

 move elsewhere. From this cause title to the land is gradually 

 drifting into the hands of the large landholders, who in a compara- 

 tively short time will probably obtain control of the entire area 

 available for grazing in the sandhills. It naturally follows that 

 the population during the past few years has been growing smaller, 

 and will probably still further decrease; and as the land is not so fit 

 for anything as for stock raising, it is not likely that much change in 

 this respect will take place in the future. Thus a possible menace to 

 waterfowl in a great increase of human population is definitely and 

 doubtless permanently removed. Furthermore, there is here practi- 

 cally no danger of the destruction of the grass from overstocking 

 of the grazing ranges. 



In some places, however, other difficulties of greater or less moment 

 are arising. At the group of lakes in Brown County, where the 

 character of the soil is considerably better for farming than in other 

 parts of the sandhills, there is apparently a larger permanent popu- 



