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108 THE GAME BREEDER 



THE STATE GAME DEPARTMENT 



Article V. Kansas. 



By The Editor. 



Kansas is naturally one of the best He informs us, in a communication 



States in the Union for prairie grouse, printed below, that he made the plans 



It has become, also, a good State for for the largest and best equipped pond 



quail since the prairies have been, fish hatchery in the country, 



planted with grain. Kansas is an agricultural State, and 



In the Amateur Sportsman, many we believe a law permitting the farm- 



of our readers will remember, I print- ers to profitably breed prairie grouse 



ed letters from readers in nearly every and quail would result in making these 



county in Kansas, giving accounts of desirable foods tremendously abundant 



the uniform disappearance and, in and cheap in Kansas, provided the 



many counties, of the extirpation of commissioner would issue some bul- 



the grouse. Some of the writers re- letins telling the farmers how to prop- 



ferred to the great abundance of quail erly look after the birds and to pro- 



in their counties ; others deplored the tect them from their natural enemies, 



fact that the farms to a great extent Sport need have nothing to fear, since 



were posted against sportsmen. syndicates of sportsmen always can ar- 



In "The Game Breeder" last month range with the land owners for the 



the great loss of quail throughout the right to shoot. 



State during the winter of 1911-12 and There is no danger of the land all 



the draining of McPherson basin, one being preserved by sportsmen or farm- 



of the best duck shooting grounds in ers ; the area is too big. It is well 



Kansas, were reported. known that game birds "overflow" 



The State Game and Fish Depart- from places where they become abund- 

 ment is in charge of a State fish and ant and that they quickly restock the 

 game warden. Professor Dyche, a bi- surrounding country. There is always 

 ologist of ability, who knows, of fair quail shooting in the vicinity of 

 course, why the game and game fish all of the quail clubs, and it was after 

 must continue to vanish so long as enjoying a good day with the quails 

 these foods are taken for sport, pro- outside of a preserve near New York 

 vided the supply of game and game that the writer became thoroughly con- 

 fish be not kept up in some way. verted to the more game movement. 

 Heretofore Kansas has relied on re- The quail are in no danger of extinc- 

 strictive laws, shortening the season, tion on many grounds near New York 

 limiting the bag, preventing sales -and and never will be until laws are enact- 

 export, etc., and it must be evident to ed making it not worth while to look 

 those who are familiar with the causes after them properly. They are tre- 

 which regulate Nature's balance, either mendously plentiful in many places in 

 that the restrictions must be increased the South where there are big quail 

 as the number of guns is increased or preserves in charge of competent game 

 game breeding must be encouraged, keepers. Although thousands of quail 

 As the farms are being posted more are shot every year on some of these 

 and more and as marshes are drained places, the birds remain plentiful. I 

 the shooting area becomes smaller and have seen more quail on the grounds 

 smaller and the guns become far too of a quail preserve just after 1,800 had 

 numerous for the game supplied nat- been shot than I ever saw in Kansas 

 urally. on a similar area, when quail were most 



Professor Dyche has given much at- plentiful in Kansas, 



tention to the restoration of the food The abundance of any food birds is 



fish and has published a number of evidenced by the market. The State 



bulletins about the breeding of fish. Game Department of Kansas, like 



