FOR A LEAGUE OF AMERICAN SPORTSMEN. 



4i 



flicting and outrageous game laws. Game 

 in the public markets, during close season, 

 leads the uninitiated to believe it can then 

 be hunted and killed. Woodcock in July, 

 ruffed grouse in September, quails and rab- 

 bits in November (vide New Jersey laws), 

 are perplexing to the honest sportsmen, and 

 a loophole for the unscrupulous man with 

 a gun, who shoots all that flushes before 

 his dog, in any of these months, be the sea- 

 son open or " close " for it. And who is 

 to detect him? 



Connecticut's law, October 1st for every- 

 thing, is a good one. I suggest that the 

 parallels of latitude be taken into considera- 

 tion; say from here to some point in the 

 West, and uniform laws made for certain 

 parallels. This has long been my hobby. 



I could elucidate this and go into further 

 details, but time does not permit. I trust 

 this movement will meet with all the suc- 

 cess it deserves, 

 A. Clinton Wilmerding, 165 B'way, N. Y. 



I have read with deep interest the article 

 in October Recreation, looking toward 

 the formation of a Sportsmen's League, and 

 cannot see why the idea is not practicable. 

 It is certainly good in theory; and I for one 

 would be glad to join in any movement 

 looking toward the protection of game. 



I liye at Upper Montclair, N. J., where 

 a few of us organized the " Heights Fish 

 and Game Association, of Essex and Pas- 

 saic Counties." Our idea was to get the 

 farmers, who occupy desirable land, to join 

 the Association, without fees, their contri- 

 bution being the posting of their cover. 

 Other members pay small annual dues with 

 which we bought and put out some quails. 



This has worked well. I believe many of 

 our members would join a National 

 League. I sincerely hope the plan may be 

 put in concrete form and followed up. 



F. S. Hyatt, 



Cashier Clinton Bank, New York City. 



I am very fond of Recreation, and ad- 

 mire the noble stand you take for protec- 

 tion of game; but it is almost like locking 

 the stable after the horse is stolen. Ducks 

 are nearly annihilated, in this state, and we 

 formerly slaughtered them by the thou- 

 sands; never giving a thought to any ques- 

 tion of their growing scarcer in future. So 

 it is with other game. But after reading in 

 Recreation your tirade against the game 

 hogs I am ready to quit. 



I like Mr. Lydecker's idea of a L. A. S. 

 Let us have such a League, by all means. 



In Colorado we are limited to 20 ducks 

 a day. Twelve should be the limit. Twenty 

 is too many. Twenty jack snipe is also the 

 limit; yet one man came here the other day 

 and shot 40, in half a day. Such a slaughter 

 of game birds is infamous. Hurry up with 

 the League or it will be too late. 



Robert Harris, New Windsor, CoIq. 



I am heart and hand in favor of a L. A. 

 S., and any action taken by such a body 

 of sportsmen will receive my hearty sup- 

 port and co-operation. I have been read- 

 ing Recreation for 2 years past. I love 

 honest sport, and deplore a fish hog or a 

 game hog. I visit the Adirondacks every 

 season, where I come in contact with men 

 who call themselves sportsmen; yet they 

 kill as long as they can see anything to 

 shoot at. They fish to see how many fish 

 can be caught. One man caught 225 trout 

 in one day; and some of them rotted in the 

 sun; as he could not eat or give them away. 

 He kills grouse on the same scale, and God 

 only knows where the game is to come 

 from, at this rate of destruction. 



Clinton A. Smith, East Albany, N. Y. 



The suggestion for a L. A. S., as out- 

 lined in October Recreation, meets with 

 my hearty approval. In fact, the conditions 

 of the country demand such an organiza- 

 tion, before the cry of " too late " is 

 sounded as a death knell to our game. 

 Now is the time to act. No one can deny 

 the pressing demand for better laws, in 

 some sections, and more strict enforcement 

 of existing laws, everywhere. Do not cease 

 to*agitate the question until the organiza- 

 tion is perfected. Then the rest is easy 

 and the movement will spread to every 

 portion of the U. S. Brother sportsmen: 

 Awake to this important question and soon 

 every state will be represented. 



B. F. Jones, M. D., Idaho Falls, Idaho. 



The L. A. S. is what we all want. It 

 certainly can do a great deal toward game 

 preservation, by holding in check the so- 

 called sportsmen whose object is to get 

 game, " honestly if he can, but to get it." 



There is a growing inclination among the 

 sportsmen of this country to look out for 

 the game of the future, and it should be 

 cultivated. The L. A. S. would be an effi- 

 cient and cheap means to this end. I have 

 spoken to a number of my friends about it 

 and they all favor such an organization. 

 It will, I am sure, have a large member- 

 ship in a short time. 



H. C. Keneu, New York City. 



The proposed L. A. S. is a good scheme 

 and I don't see why it could not be put 

 through. We have practically no game to 

 protect, here, and if something is not done 

 soon, the time is not far distant when the 

 whole country will be in the same condi- 

 tion. There is only one way to proceed, 

 and that is for the sportsmen all over the 

 country to organize and insist on the leg- 

 islatures of the various states passing laws 

 to protect the game, and then providing 

 means for the enforcement of such laws. 

 You can do a great deal of good by work- 



