THIRD BIENNIAL STATEMENT 127 



THE GROTESQUE BUT DEADLY BAG "LIMITS." 



We now come to the second factor in the extermination 

 of American shooting sport, the so-called bag "limit." In 

 view of the enormous number of hunters, all the game- 

 killing privileges available under "the law" need to be 

 scrutinized. 



If we really must exterminate our sport with gun and 

 rod, let us do it with our eyes open. 



With very, very few exceptions the bag limits on game 

 to be killed have been fixed to satisfy or to please the sports- 

 men. The objections to bag limits that I have heard during 

 the past five years I can count upon the fingers of one 

 hand. The limits fixed usually represent the utmost num- 

 ber that a good shot can find and kill in one day, and the 

 hunter usually gets the benefit of every doubt. 



Now, why should a duck hunter be permitted to load 

 himself down each day for 91 days with 8 big fat geese 

 or 25 ducks — eight times more than he and his family can 

 consume? 



Do American sportsmen now hunt for meat, to "beat the 

 beef trust," or for gentlemanly sport? 



Do they hunt to keep the Hunger Wolf from their door? 



Is it from the bloody love of slaughter? 



That is the spirit of the mink, the weasel and the skunk. 



Well, then ! Why should they kill so MUCH ? 



In the reprehensibility of state bag-limit laws, all the 

 states of our glorious republic are in the same boat, and 

 they have been tarred with the same brush. Their bag- 

 limit laws are, as a rule, rotten alike. I shall not stop to 

 show them up in detail; because it is not necessary. One 

 Horrible Example will suffice for all. 



