THE GAME BREEDER 137 



< THE PRAIRIE GROUSE. 



I Third Paper. 



By DWIGHT W. HUNTINGON. 



In my article last month I referred The ground we shot over easily should 

 to the competition between the farmers yield a few hundred birds per diem 

 and the town sportsmen in places where to a party as well equipped as we were, 

 any prairie grouse occur. One of our but, no doubt, there are few if any 

 readers has invited my attention to an- grouse on it today. Many of the fields 

 other competitioir between the local gun- had been made uninhabitable for grouse 

 ners and those who come from the cities by reason of the destruction of their 

 to pursue these most excellent game natural foods and covers. No attempts 

 birds. This reminded me of a shoot- were made to protect the game from 

 ing trip which I once made to Northern its natural enemies and the competi- 

 Indiana. The prairie chickens were re- tion between the gunners of course re- 

 ported to be plentiful and I was invited suited in the destruction of the stock 

 to join a small shooting party of four birds which were left after vermin had 

 guns, one of the number having ar- freely dined. Not a bird should be shot 

 ranged, with a farmer who owned a on such grounds, if we would expect to 

 large farm, to entertain us. see the game perpetuated, until some 



We made our plans to arrive on the of the natural covers and foods are re- 

 ground the day before the shooting sea- stored and until the game is protected 

 son opened and we were met at the sta- from, its natural enemies in order to 

 tion by the farmer, who expressed his make a place for the shooting. It is 

 regrets that we did not come a week very fevident why the shooting of prairie 

 earlier. The shooting' had been very grouse has been ended on vast areas 

 lively he said and he found most of the and it is evident that the laws prohibit- 

 birds had been shot. He was not a ing shooting at all times are necessary 

 sportsman, but said he would go out and will remain so until the grouse are 

 with us and show us the ground and properly looked after and multiplied by 

 his neighbors would give us permission game breeders for sport and for profit, 

 to shoot. Those who wish to restore the grouse 



The following morning we took the and to make and keep them plentiful 

 field with four excellent dogs, my own should be encouraged to do so. The 

 brace being the best dogs I ever owned, grounds must be made attractive and the 

 On the farm owned by our host we natural foods and covers must be re- 

 found one grouse which flushed wild stored. Since the valuable bulletin by 

 but which I fortunately stopped by a Dr. Judd, to which I have referred, is 

 snap shot, and during the day, tramping out of print I shall reprint a good part 

 over many miles of excellent grouse of it in order that those who under- 

 couijtry we flushed several sadly de- take grouse breeding, in the states where 

 pleted covies and a few single birds, the such industry now is legal, may know 

 bag for the day being seven birds. Dur- what natural foods the grouse require, 

 ing the week we explored the county The papers on the food habits of the 

 for miles about, having a wagon at our grouse will be followed by a paper on 

 disposal to move from one likely ground grouse enemies and a paper on how an 

 to another, but the birds evidently had inexpensive grouse club easily can have 

 been shot out and we seldom found more splendid shooting on grounds where 

 than four or five associated, and the bag few, if any, grouse occur, and where 

 for four guns, if my memory serves me, there will be no shooting until prac- 

 did not average a half dozen birds per tical game breeding and preserving is 

 diem. undertaken. 



