6 



THE GAME BREEDER 



usually have been attended only by the 

 officers and one or two game law enthu- 

 siasts who never have seemed to notice 

 that as the number of laws was increased 

 the number of game birds diminished. 

 There was nothing of scientific impor- 

 tance, nothing about game production 

 which would be likely to attract men of 

 ability to the meetings, except of course 

 those whose duty it is to execute the 

 game laws. 



This year there was considerable in- 

 terest in game breeding, and a resolution 

 was adopted providing that all States 

 which had not done so should amend 

 their laws so as to encourage game farm- 

 ing, as advocated' by The Game Breeder. 



Professor Pearson, Secretary of the 

 Audubon Association, read a report of 

 his investigation of the damage done by 

 pelicans in the Pelican State and in 

 Texas and other Gulf States, in which 

 he claimed very little damage was done 

 by these birds. 



The papers which interested the few 

 people present who are interested in 

 game breeding were a paper on the "Im- 

 portation of Quail" from Mexico, by Mr. 

 Ward, the Kentucky State warden, and a 

 paper on "Game Farming" by Mr. 

 Roualt, the New Mexico game warden, 

 which is printed on another page. 



There was much discussion about the 

 numerous regulations under the migra- 

 tory bird law, and many State officers 

 evidently were trying to discover how it 

 would affect the people of their States 

 where there was a conflict between new 

 regulations made by the committee which 

 now provides game laws for the U. S. 

 Biological Survey, and the State laws. 

 Mr. Adams, of Massachusetts, pointed 

 out the difference in the open season for 

 'wood-cock and wished to know how the 

 State law was affected by the U. ,S. reg- 

 ulation. The chief of the new United 

 States forces expressed the opinion that 

 the States could do about as they pleased 

 within the limits of the long open season 

 provided by the national regulation, and 

 that in case of the wood-cock the United 

 States was perfectly willing to have it 

 shot in October in Massachusetts, but 

 that the State evidently was not willing. 



or vice versa, we find it impossible to 

 keep up with one full set of State game 

 laws without trying to master two at a 

 time. It is to be hoped the States will 

 amend their laws so as to make them 

 conform to those of the Biological Sur- 

 vey, and that the last named will not 

 make so many changes that the States 

 cannot keep up with them. ' The United 

 States statute has a stabilizing clause 

 protecting those who protect game, and 

 the simplicity of the law protecting game 

 farmers and preserve owners is note- 

 worthy. 



We predict that as the State officers 

 become interested in the game farming 

 and preserving by the people which now 

 is encouraged, and in the economic ques- 

 tions relating to game as a food supply, 

 discussion of these subjects may in the 

 future largely replace the discussions 

 about shortening the season for a few 

 days or for a few years and the reduc- 

 tion of the bag from three birds to two, 

 etc. We can readily see that vast areas 

 will always remain which must be looked 

 after by the State, and that to keep any 

 game on the lands open to the public 

 restrictive laws will be needed, often 

 closing the season for terms of years, 

 until such time as many farms produce 

 abundantly, when we hope there can be 

 the same freedom in America as there is 

 in all other civilized countries, and that 

 all who shoot on public lands and 

 waters will own the game after they 

 shoot it. 



Enthusiasm for Prohibition. 



We were amused at the enthusiasm 

 of a man from Pennsylvania who, wav- 

 ing a paper in the air containing a list 

 of the counties in his State, claimed they 

 had just secured the prohibition of 

 ruffed grouse shooting in every county 

 for a period of two years. We can 

 imagine the delight of the Pennsylvania 

 foxes, hawks, crows, and snakes, could 

 they only hear and understand the result 

 of efficient protective game laws. We 

 look forward to shooting ruffed grouse 

 with the quail next November on popu- 

 lous Long. Island, N. Y., and we are glad 

 to know that anvone who wishes to try 



