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THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



game protection is to prevent the general public 

 from the enjoyment of the health and recreation 

 of taking, and the nourishment of partaking of 

 wild game. Without pretending that sportsmen 

 are possessed of more disinterested benevolence 

 than the rest of mankind — without asserting 

 that they labor more assiduously for the public 

 good than those who do not enjoy the healthful 

 recreation of forest, field, and stream sports with 

 rod and gun — it is an unquestioned fact that the 

 accomplishment of the objects for which game 

 protection and sportsmen's associations are or- 

 ganized will promote the welfare of all classes 

 of the community. Our object is to treat the 

 wild game with which our State was once liber- 

 ally supplied, as a wise husbandman would 

 treat his domestic animals, so as to continue 

 and increase the supply, that as population 

 increases there may be an occasional full meal 

 for all. We desire to prevent the destruction 

 of game during their breeding and rearing 

 seasons, and to prohibit all murderous systems 

 of slaughter. We wish to prevent the killing of 

 all kinds of animals when their flesh is unclean, 

 unhealthful, and therefore not fit to eat. As a 

 sanitary measure, this object of our Association 

 should commend itself to every well-wisher of 

 our race. It is impossible to tell how many of 

 the insidious diseases that invite death to our 

 dwellings, and clothe the people with the weeds 

 of mourning, are produced by eating of the flesh 

 of animals killed when they are unclean. Yet 

 that sickness is so caused is patent to every 

 one who has given this subject careful atten- 

 tion. It is a question worthy of consideration 

 whether further legislation to prevent the 

 sale and use of unclean meats is not de- 

 manded. 



Again, as & food supply measure, the protection 

 of game, quadrupeds, birds, and fishes, is one 

 of vast importance. I do not need to read 

 you, gentlemen, statistics to prove the point. 

 The annual product of field and stream, 

 lake and forest, provided tree of cost by a 

 bountiful Creator, is so important an item of 

 the food of the people that an immediate stop- 

 page of that supply would almost, perhaps 

 quite, cause a food panic. During the open 

 season (would it were only then) there is hardly 

 a table in the land that is not frequently fur- 

 nished with healthful nutritious game and 

 fish food. How to continue and increase that 

 supply is the question before us — the problem 

 to be solved. 



Then there is another reason why we should 

 so manage as to increase rather than diminish 



our stock of game and fish scarcely less impor- 

 tant than those mentioned. And that is the 

 healthful recreation enjoyed in its pursuit and 

 capture. Everybody needs recreation — rest ; 

 and everybody will have it in some shape, and 

 it is right, for nature demands it. Now, as 

 there is no recreation more beneficial, and less 

 harmful than true sportsmanship, or the pur- 

 suit of field sports with rod and gun, are we not 

 engaged in a humane work while seeking to 

 maintain the suppty of game animals so as to 

 make such sport possible ? Mere out-door 

 exercise without some intelligent pursuit, 

 something in itself innocent to stimulate the 

 mind, is of but little value as a recreation. All 

 these are supplied in the pursuit of sportsman- 

 ship. The sportsman has to study the natural 

 history of his quarry, and is frequently called 

 upon to make the best use of his reasoning 

 powers, as well as skill, in order to compass 

 the capture of the wily object of his pursuit. 

 I believe if there were no other reason for the 

 protection of wild game than the incentive it 

 gives to healthful out-door exercise, this alone 

 would be sufficient to demand the most care- 

 fully considered legislation on this subject, 

 and the most strict enforcement of the laws. 

 These are but few, and perhaps not the most 

 important, of the reasons that might be 

 mentioned to show that the object for which 

 sportsmen's association are organized — if 

 accomplished — would promote the welfare of 

 the people of the whole State. The mission of 

 this association is to educate the people as to 

 the habits of game animals of " fur, fin and 

 feather," the best time and manner of captur- 

 ing them, the correct names — both popular 

 and scientific — by which they are, and should 

 be, known ; to teach the value of game birds 

 as insect destroyers, as well as the usefulness ' 

 of insectivorous birds that are not classed as 

 game, in preventing the destruction of the 

 crops of the husbandman by noxious insects ; 

 also to teach the farmers that true sportsmen 

 are their best |friends, for the above-named 

 reasons ; and to show by our actions as 

 well as by precept that there is a vast dif- 

 ference between sportsmen and poachers, who 

 slaughter with gun, trap and net, at any 

 and all times, not only game but any other 

 useful animal that may come within their 

 reach. 



The true sportsman is engaged in a work 

 of benevolence and good will. Let us all be 

 careful to so conduct ourselves at all times 

 as to command the respect of all our fellow 

 citizens, 



