THE GAME BREEDER 175 



THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN— DESTRUCTION BY MAN. 



L. P. Turner 



At a glance, therefore, it is- plain that tivated fields bordered by grasslands, 

 the prairie chicken has had an unusually holds his ground or flees from one open 

 heavy struggle for existence during the tract to another, until no longer able to 

 past few seasons. This struggle has been avoid the encroachment of the increas- 

 constant for at least two years. But if ing army of hunters, he succumbs to 

 the birds' natural foes have increased the vanishing point or entirely disap- 

 and combined to besiege it from all sides pears. Except in very severe weather, 

 to such a degree as to render its repro- the pinnated grouse rarely seeks refuge 

 ductive powers and protective instincts in the thick woods, as does the sharp- 

 temporarily futile, these are nothing as tail. Thus, the pinnated grouse is in far 

 compared with man's unremiting on- greater danger of being exterminated in 

 slaughts. ' his chosen haunts, if subjected to heavy 



Under normal conditions grouse show pressure, than is his sharp-tailed cousin 



a rapid natural increase. By normal con- of the wild and wooded country. And it 



ditions is meant that perfect balance would appear that the only panacea when 



which undisturbed Nature maintains in birds become abnormally scarce in the set- 



the animal and vegetable kingdoms, tied districts is an occasional period of 



When Nature's laws, in this respect be- immunity from all hunting to enable them 



come disturbed, the results are usually to become re-established. Under such 



injurious or fatal in one or more of her protection, and it must be absolute, the 



many spheres of organic life. And man pinnated grouse, if not overpowered by 



is usually the great disturber. a preponderance of natural foes, or con- 



A growing scarcity of wild game must tinuous adverse weather conditions, 

 ibe expected in close proximity to inten- should increase ; but the sharp-tail will 

 sive settlement and, increasing centers of not likely come back in any great num- 

 population. Adverse conditions stem the bers from the borders of his beloved 

 reproduction of wild life. As the haunts wilderness to districts whose growing un- 

 of game become encroached upon and congeniality drove him out. 

 hunted more and more each year, and as In spite' of stringent laws to the con- 

 the characteristics O'f the country become trary, a price hung above the prairie 

 changed, many forms of wild life are chicken's head for many years in this 

 pushed back, and move to more congenial Province. Only the scarcity of the birds_ 

 retreats, or become exhausted. And here in the past two years has closed this 

 we have, beyond a shadow of doubt, the market. Not long since, grouse by scores 

 direct solution of the chicken scarcity and hundreds flowed through the chan- 

 in many thickly settled districts. Being nels of a secret traffic. Hundreds of 

 a bird of thinly wooded country and homes in Winnipeg and elsewhere an- 

 small prairies interspaced with scrub, and nually enjoyed their quota of, bought 

 being inclined to hug the wild tracts in birds ; and only in the last few years has 

 preference to the cultivated lands, the it been impossible to purchase them in 

 sharp-tailed grouse gradually retires as the restaurants, hotels and club.s. Whcr- 

 the country is subjected to the axe and ever the birds could be killed in i)rofit- 

 the plough. For this primary reason, able numbers there were men to do the 

 the sharp-tails are not found as plcnti- killing and spirit them by devious ways 

 fully in many districts as formerly, nor to the always-ready purchasers. Hun- 

 is it likely that they will ever be. On dred upon hundreds of prairie chicken 

 the other hand, the pinnated grouse be- and partridge succumbed annually to this 

 ing a lover of the open country, the tree- illegal hunting and marketing, and the 

 less prairie, and above all, the wide, cul- authorities were practically helpless to 



