170 



THE GAME BREEDER 



the amount of game which should be 

 shot and to apportion it among the 

 members. 



A few guns can make up shooting 

 parties for two or three days at a time 

 during a long open season and a good 

 rule is that where there are several ap- 

 plicants for the same date that those who 

 have not shot during the season shall be 

 entitled to the ground. 



Since the game shot is a valuable food 

 the sportsman who pays from $25 to 

 $100 per year for his shooting is not 

 much out of pocket, provided he obtains 

 food equal in value to the amount of his 

 dues or nearly so. 



The trap shooters pay for their targets 

 and for the rent of the trap shooting 

 grounds and after the shoot they have 

 nothing to show for their money. Am- 

 munition is expensive and the cost is the 

 same in both cases, provided, of course, 

 the game be kept plentiful and the same 

 number of cartridges are used. If for 

 every few shells used a game bird, worth 

 from $1 to $3, is secured the sportsman 

 who belongs to a game shooting club 

 certainly gets the more for his money 

 than any trap shooter does. 



In order that men of moderate means 

 can have good shooting at a very small 

 expense- it is important that some of the 

 game and game eggs can be sold. 



Captain Oates, a retired English offi- 

 cer, said in his excellent book on wild 

 duck breeding that his good sport cost 

 nothing since he had ducks to eat and 

 he sold enough to pay a good part of his 

 expenses. Wild ducks and in fact all 

 game is very much cheaper in England 

 than it is in America. 



The area suitable for shooting in Eng- 

 land is very small compared to the vast 

 areas in America where little or no game 

 occurs today and the cost of good shoot- 

 ing can be made much smaller in Amer- 

 ica than it is in England. 



The important matter to be consid- 

 ered by sportsmen is, that as matters 

 now stand, most of the farms are closed 

 to sport and by combining to share the 

 expense of good shooting they easily can 

 deal fairly with the farmers and can 

 have excellent shooting in places where 

 there is none and where there never will 



be any shooting until the sportsmen get 

 busy. 



. A fair price to pay for the shooting 

 is the amount of the taxes on lands and 

 buildings. In many places shooting clubs 

 pay 10 cents per acre or $64 per year for 

 a square mile. This amount divided 

 among several guns makes this item of 

 cost small indeed. Where the grouse 

 and quail are bred wild some one should 

 be employed to look after them and to 

 protect them from their natural enemies, 

 to feed them in winter and to see that 

 they have suitable cover and food at all 

 times. 



All over America ther,e are numerous 

 duck clubs which own or lease desirable 

 duck shooting grounds. Now that the 

 law permits the trapping of wild fowl 

 for breeding purposes and the sale of 

 the game all of these clubs should breed 

 many wild ducks., The advantages of so 

 doing are that the clubs can make their 

 own open seasons for the shooting of the 

 ducks they produce ; they can make their 

 own bag limits and if they wish to do so 

 they can sell some of their game when 

 properly identified. They also can sell 

 eggs and the sale of some game and eggs 

 can be made to pay a good part of the 

 expenses of a skilled game keeper who 

 will surely make and keep the shooting 

 much better than it ever has been. 



Often there is a prejudice against these 

 duck clubs because they exclude others 

 than members from shooting on desirable 

 grounds. This prejudice can not exist 

 against a club which produces wild fowl 

 and which sells some of the food. There 

 is no prejudice against those who pro- 

 duce beef, mutton and poultry on lands 

 which they own. It is important for the 

 perpetuation of sport in America that all 

 of the people shall be in favor of it. 

 They will be when the clubs supply them 

 with some cheap game. 



Where a good lot of ducks are hand- 

 reared on a club ground they will attract 

 and hold mr try migratory fowl. All club 

 men should consider the fact that they 

 should be producers as well as destroyers 

 and that when it is known that they do 

 produce game they will be popular on ac- 

 count of their industry. 



One thing is certain that American 



