2 Bl'LLETIN KHiJ, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



from 3'ear to 3'ear and is now approximately 6 per cent of the total 

 population, indicatinfr that 1 person in ever}^ 16 hunts game of 

 some kind. 



With the information at present available only rough estimates 

 of the value of game as a national resource are possible. By the esti- 

 mating methods followed the annual value of the wild-life resources 

 of the whole United States may be placed at several hundred million 

 dollars. 



The im.portance of game resources to any region is indicated by the 

 extent to which they are advertised bj- transportation lines and b}' 

 local interests in regions fortunate enough to possess game. The 

 needs of sportsmen in the way of weapons, ammunition, special cloth- 

 ing, and other equipment form the foundation of business enterprises 

 of considerable magnitude. The investment in shooting preserves 

 owned by individuals and clubs runs into large figures and makes of 

 productive value many areas otherwise of little or no use. 



The objects of this bulletin are to discuss briefly the value of gam^ 

 as food and as an asset to the individual and to the State, to review 

 the various methods by which estimates of such values are obtained, to 

 point out some of the causes of present depleted conditions and some 

 of the methods by which game resources may be preserved and in- 

 creased, and to consider the expense involved in w^ork of tliis kind. 

 Many details must be omitted. All that is possible is to present a 

 summary of present information on some of the larger questions of 

 game conservation, with references to sources wdiere further data may 

 be found. It is hoped that this presentation may result in the sys- 

 tematic collection of statistics and data of a kind now available only 

 in fragmentary and unsatisfactory form, and suggestions for such a 

 survey of game resources are included. 



PRINCIPAL KINDS OF GAME IN THE UNITED STATES. 



The variety of North American game animals and birds hunted 

 for sport, for recreation, or for food is large; but as some of the 

 kinds are rare or local the number of species killed in any quantity 

 for food is relatively small. Of these the most important are deer, 

 rabbits, quail, and waterfowl. 



BIG GAME. 



More than one-fourth of the States now have no deer hunting, 

 either because the animals have been exterminated or because they 

 have become so reduced in numbers that it has been necessary to 

 close the season for several years to allow them to recuperate. (For 



