THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



THE CHINESE PHEASANT LAW. 



The last Legislature fixed the limit of five male Chinese 

 pheasants a day or ten such birds in any seven consecutive days. 

 During the past month many hunters have raised the question as 

 to whether this law should not be changed so as to allow the 

 shooting of hens as well as cocks. These hunters urge the change 

 for the following reason : 



It is a very difficult matter to distinguish a young cock from 

 a hen pheasant in the field, and as a result many hens are killed. 

 In this way it often happens that a hunter who has good in- 

 tentions, finds he has violated the law by shooting a female. 

 As a general rule the hen is tossed to one side and left in the field. 



Every one admits that it would be better to keep the bird 

 and use it rather than violate a second law for the wanton waste 

 of game. 



Some fifteen or twenty hunters have been arrested for killing 

 hen pheasants. It is rather curious to note that in almost every 

 case the party arrested asserted very strongly that some one else 

 killed the bird and the guilty party really escaped. 



It is a curious fact that during the entire season not a single 

 hunter who has violated this law — and there have been many — 

 has had the manhood to come in with illegal game and report it. 

 It goes without saying that when a person of such honesty does 

 appear some time in the future, his name will be recorded on the 

 roll of honor in the Game Warden's office. He will be given a 

 special permit to enjoy his bird and will be encouraged to go 

 and sin no more. 



Of course, the main point in this Chinese pheasant law is not 

 merely to please the hunter, but to give proper protection to the 

 birds so as to insure a good supply of breeding birds for the fol- 

 lowing season. In the large English shooting preserves, the 

 principle of shooting only male birds has been carried out and is 

 adherred to with splendid results. The question that arises is 

 whether in Oregon the Chinese pheasant mates or whether it is 

 polygamous. In the breeding pens at the State Game Farm at 



Pagfe Two 



