THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 41 



The causes of the present wicked and foolish destruction are by no 

 means obscure, (i) The slaughter of game is ordered and regulated by 

 a very small minority, always consisting of hunters. (2) The many 

 millions of good men and women who do not shoot, and do not kill 

 "game," are as a mass ignorant, or heedless, or deadly apathetic. (3) 

 Of the 5,500,000 men who annually kill game, about go per cent are 

 heedless of the rights of wild creatures, and merciless toward game to the 

 full extent of the law and of their ability to kill. (4) The other 10 per 

 cent, consisting of humane and conscientious sportsmen, either try to 

 lull their own fears to sleep by cultivating optimism (of a deadly kind), 

 or else they do not feel impelled to become active reformers. 



The non-migratory game species, — bob-white, quail, grouse, prairie 

 chicken, wild turkey, squirrels, and deer, all are going to hell, through 

 wicked engines of destruction, deadly bag limits and outrageous open 

 seasons, aided by much illegal shooting. Now the deadly automobile has 

 added fifty per cent to the perils of the game! 



If you cannot awaken and arouse the millions of American voters who 

 do not kill game •, then we may as well give up this fight; for a majority 

 of the hunters never will voluntarily give up 50 per cent of their killing 

 privileges so long as killable game remains. 



— William T. Hornaday. 



News From Lake Decatur 



RESTRICTIONS of boating to certain parts of the lake which will 

 * be reserved for the undisturbed possession of the ducks and geese 

 when they start the fall migration to the south and stop at Decatur on 

 their long journey, are being planned by the game wardens and others 

 interested in having the wild waterfowl protected and made welcome on 

 Lake Decatur. Five teal were seen on the lake Friday. 



The open season on ducks and geese starts Sunday, September 16, 

 and runs until December 31 and the need of reserving a section or so 

 of the lake as an undisturbed resting grounds for the birds is being 

 considered by those who take particular interest in having the wild 

 waterfowl stay here as long as they can be induced to stay. 



BOATING NEARLY OVER 



"Boating as such will not amount to anything from this time on," 

 said a man who is connected with the lake activities. 



"Just as soon as the temperature drops here, boating interest lan- 

 guishes. We are not acclimated to cold days on the water." 



For this reason it is not believed that any rulings about reserving 

 sections of the lake for the exclusive play and resting grounds of the birds 

 will cause much inconvenience. 



