THIRD BIENNIAL STATEMENT 125 



In 1911 we ascertained that 1,486,288 hunting licenses 

 were issued by 27 states, out of our total of 48 states. Com- 

 puting by averages the allotment of gunners for the 27 

 states then not issuing licenses, the total arrived at of sure- 

 and-certain hunters in 1911 was 2,642,194. The number 

 of other men hunting without licenses and contrary to 

 law was believed to be sufficient to bring the total up to 

 at least 3,000,000. Some competent authorities long ago 

 estimated the total as high as 5,000,000. 



Since 1911 there have been some very great increases 

 in the number of licensed hunters. 



Here is one index of that increase : 



In 1911 New York issued 150,220 hunting licenses 

 In 1915 New York issued 188,216 hunting licenses. 

 In 1918 New York issued 230,000 hunting licenses. 



This means an increase of 80,000 since 1911, not counting 

 the farmers and tenants tvho notv may legally hunt game on 

 their own farms tuithout licenses. 



In 1919 Pennsylvania issued 400,000 licenses. Now, it 

 is estimated that 200,000 Pennsylvania farmers hunt on 

 their own lands without licenses, but according to law, 

 making a total of 600,000 active hunters in that one state. 



I believe that noiv there really are 5,000,000 men and boys, 

 licensed and unlicensed, annually in the field in the United 

 States, well armed and equipped, hunting and killing game 

 of any and every kind open to shooting. 



For stories and pictures of what they are doing to Amer- 

 ican game, watch the narrative columns of the sportsmen's 

 magazines, and the daily newspapers that devote space to 

 shooting and fishing. A few sample pictures, of perfectly 

 legal killings, in widely separated localities, are shown here- 

 with and left to carry their own comments. Why waste 

 words on the obvious? 



