A SUCCESSFUL DEER PARK. 
Goodell, eae 
Editor RECREATION: 
I have read with deep interest of the 
work you are doing for the _ pro- 
tection of game. We see the result of the 
wanton slaughter of game everywhere. I 
have watched the development of the 
West for 35 years. Game of all kinds was, 
for the first 15 years, plentiful; but as the 
country was settled un the game gradual- 
ly disappeared. It was not driven off— 
it was killed off by those who occupied the 
land. 
I live in Northern Iowa, which was 
formerly the home of the prairie chicken. 
Hancock, Gor, 
A BUNCH OF BUCKS AND DOES. 
As the state applied stronger laws for their 
protection the farmers were jubilant, 
knowing that this left them in full posses- 
sion of the game. Morning and evening 
and between showers is a good time to 
shoot chickens, and as game wardens do 
not live in thecountry,and as the owner of 
the land can have a man fined for hunting 
on his land without permission, farmers 
have it all their own way. So, when the 
season opens and a man gets permission 
to hunt on the land, the farmer is through 
shooting. He has killed off all the birds 
while they were young and tame. 
These conditions apply not only to 
the birds alone, but to the larger game as 
well. I have seen deer and elk plentiful 
here on these Iowa prairies; but they have 
all been killed off long ago. I have made 
several trips to Northern Minnesota, in 
the open season, to hunt deer, where they 
are still fairly plentiful in the backwoods; 
but I see that country is being settled up, 
too. The squatters are not doing much 
hunting in the open season, but they can 
show you plenty of skins they have taken 
off in summer. They say they wait till 
the city hunters go and the snow comes. 
Then they can kill plenty of deer. The 

262 

visiting hunters do not kill many deer 
there. They do not average one to each 
man, and they leave in the state at least 
$30 to the man; yet the state makes laws 
to keep them out. 
I leave the prosecution of lawbreakers 
to those in authority, and have been do- 
inaver ahyiolee IL Calin ikO propagate game and 
fish. I commenced raising fish 10 years 
ago. I put down 3 flowing wells for the 
purpose, and have a good supply of water, 
winter and summer. Mine were the first 
fish ponds in this part of the state. The 
result is I have fish to use and some to 
sell. Have stocked many fish ponds, in 
different parts of the state, und have put 
many thousands of my surplus fish in the 
streams. 
I have 4 species of deer, some from the 
North and some from the ‘South, and they 
have all proved hardy and prolific. I also 
raise a variety of wild fowls, but they do 
not breed so well in captivity as the deer: 
My deer park is much admired by the 
public, and visitors are always shown 
through. They :;0 away delighted with 
what they see. 
I have been trying to get some black 
tail deer, but as yet have not succeeded. 
I intend to fence cther grounds and put 
in elk, black tail Ceer and antelope. 
The game laws of several Western states 
are radically wrong, in that they do not 
permit limited numbers of wild animals 
to be caught and shipped to any place 
for the purpose of propagation. Laws 
which pone the tals oh. ‘ive game ig- 
A BUNCH OF FAWNS. 
nore one of the essential principles of game 
protection. 
It would be a good plan for all states to 
have parks in connection with their fish 
hatcheries and to make collections of ani- 
mals, native and foreign, for purposes of 
propagation and distribution. I send you 
herewith photos of a few of my deer. 
J. WeeGripes: 

