BULLETIN NUMBER FIVE 185 



As agencies of slaughter increase in a 300 per cent ratio, 

 the shields thrown around the vanishing game must be 

 increased to the same extent. In the states west of the 

 Mississippi River the one answer to the automobile, the 

 pump gun, and the automatic gun, is the complete stoppage 

 of all killing of sage grouse, pinnated grouse, sharp-tailed 

 and Franklin grouse, and quail, for six years from March 

 1, 1917. By the expiration of that period, if any upland 

 game birds have shown a great increase, and a renewal of 

 shooting is justifiable, then the only basis on which a re- 

 opening of shooting would be safe, sane or justifiable, 

 would be: 



1. A total open season of two weeks only; 



2. A bag limit of 2 grouse per day, or 4 quail ; 



3. No use of pump or automatic guns in hunting, and 



4. No use of automobiles in hunting. 



It is barely possible that these four principles honestly 

 observed would, when the upland game has recovered suffi- 

 ciently, be sufficient to insure that only the natural increase 

 of birds would each year be killed, and the seed stock be 

 placed on a continuing basis. 



Are the American people big enough and resolute enough 

 thus really to conserve their game, and provide for legiti- 

 mate sport on a permanent basis? Are they now ready to 

 put the hunting of upland game birds on a recreational 

 basis, or do they wish it to remain on a meat basis ? 



We await the answer of the western states. 



SEVERITY OF HUNTING CONDITIONS. 



Thus far not one state has stopped the shooting of sage 

 grouse. In Canada, Manitoba has done so; and almost ev- 

 erywhere in Canada the use of automatic guns is prohibited. 

 In the United States the trail of the machine-gun serpent 

 is over us all save in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Idaho. 



Existing conditions are, in the main, fearfully hard on 

 the sage grouse, the sharp-tailed and other grouse ; though 



