FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



*33 



they gained strength until the troop, as a 

 whole, lifted, at the end of the trip, one ton 

 more than when it set out. 



The possibilities of the condensed ration 

 are almost infinite. A cavalry regiment 

 can now move long distances quite inde- 

 pendent of the slow-creeping wagon-train 

 — which is the hostile Indian's best friend! 

 The independence of the soldier, in a hot 

 campaign, would certainly be doubled. 



The hunter and the explorer can now re- 

 duce their packs very considerably; and if 

 the condensed ration is soldered up in alu- 

 minum boxes, to protect it from damp- 

 ness until consumed, it may even enable 

 him, with the aid of the sustaining kola 

 nut, to reach the North pole, or to cross 

 Borneo, from side to side. 



WHAT CONSTITUTES A REASONABLE BAG? 



The greatest duck, squirrel and quail 

 shooting to be found anywhere is in Posey 

 county, in the Southwestern part of Indi- 

 ana. The year 1896 was a grand one. 



During the shooting season of that year 

 Mr. Seth Leavenworth, of Mt. Vernon, 

 killed over 300 squirrels. He is a hunter for 

 the love of the sport, and never took more 

 than he could use. He was frequently ac- 

 companied by his wife, on his shooting 

 trips. She is also a good shot and killed 

 many squirrels. 



The quail shooters enjoyed a lot of fine 

 sport. The best record made, in or , day, 

 was that of Mr. John F. Kight, of Indian- 

 apolis, who, in company with Sam Stall- 

 ings, bagged 105 quail in a 10 hour hunt, 

 last November. The birds were flushed by 

 Stallings' famous setters, and were all killed 

 on the wing. Most of them were used by 

 Mr. K. who sent them to his friends. 



The best duck ground is Hovey's lake, 

 where Mr. Charles J. Hovey has built a 

 club house. Shooters from Louisville, 

 Chicago, Indianapolis, Henderson, and 

 Owensboro belong to the club. 



The prospect is good for 1897. The 

 squirrel law expired on June 1st, and shoot- 

 ers who have been out report them numer- 

 ous. The number of young quails is said 

 to be greater than ever before known. 

 Great sport is expected next fall. 



P. W. Roche, Mount Vernon, Ind. 



Mr. Roche writes me a personal letter, 

 in connection with the above notes, in 

 which he says, " The men mentioned are all 

 expert hunters, and not game hogs; so 

 do not be mistaken and take them for 

 such." 



I have a high regard for Mr. Roche, and 

 for his opinion; though I cannot agree 

 with him in his estimate of these men. I 

 claim that the killing of 300 squirrels by 

 one man, in one season, is excessive. It is 

 out of all reason, and out of all proportion 



to what any ordinarily high minded sports- 

 man would have the time, the opportunity 

 or the desire to do. 



I claim that the killing of 105 quails by 2 

 men, in one day, is also extravagant and 

 unjust. In many states, there are laws 

 which limit the killing of game, to each 

 man, in open season. In the other states, 

 and among sportsmen at large, there are 

 unwritten laws which say only a reasonable 

 number of birds or animals may be killed 

 in one day, by one man. The consensus of 

 these statutes, and these unwritten laws, is 

 that 15 to 25 quails, or one dozen ducks, 

 prairie chickens or squirrels, is enough for 

 any decent man to kill, in one day. When 

 any man goes beyond these limits, he is en- 

 croaching on the rights of fellow sports- 

 men. He is killing more than he is entitled 

 to; and as game is gradually decreasing 

 everywhere, at all times, he is helping more 

 rapidly than he has any right to help, to- 

 ward the total extermination. When a 

 man makes such a bag as provided by the 

 laws above cited, he should be ready to 

 quit, even though the day may still be 

 young, and plenty of game yet in sight. 

 He should be content to sit in the shade 

 and commune with nature, or with his com- 

 panions, and to enjoy the results of his 

 reasonable day's work. 



Suppose a man spends one day each 

 week after squirrels, during the 3 autumn 

 months. That would be 12 days of shoot- 

 ing, and would certainly be enough for any 

 but a game hog. Suppose he kills his full 

 quota of 12 squirrels each day. He would 

 then have, to his credit, say 150 squirrels. 

 Mr. Leavenworth is credited, in the above 

 report, with over 300 in one season. I 

 therefore submit, to the readers of Rec- 

 reation at large, the proposition that he 

 has killed at least 150 more than he is en- 

 titled to, or than he could reasonably wish 

 to kill. 



Let me hear from my readers, on this 

 subject. I should like a frank and free ex- 

 pression on the question as to what really 

 does constitute a reasonable bag, for a day's 

 shooting, on any kind of game, in states 

 where the law does not limit the number to 

 be killed. Editor. 



PLENTY OF GAME. 



Jackson, Wyo. 



Editor Recreation: I came here 3 weeks 

 ago for recreation, and find lamentable evi- 

 dences of an unusually severe winter. The 

 decaying carcasses of elk are to be seen 

 everywhere. The natural supposition would 

 be that elk are being exterminated: but 

 from careful investigation I am satisfied 

 they are increasing, rapidly. More elk have 

 been seen the past winter than for years. 

 This is no doubt due to the better pro- 

 tection resulting from the enforcement of 



