THE ORDGON SPORTSMAN 41 
coyotes will run in a circle for hours and seldom ever go to the water. 
I spent ten days in December running down a bunch of hounds reported 
to be running deer, and finally found them scenting a coyote, which 
they never quit until they captured and killed. 
The present snow over Jackson County is working a hardship on 
all wild life. The Chinese pheasants bunch together, usually fifteen to 
twenty-five in a bunch, in the most sheltered places, and after the second 
or third feeding become more like domestic fowls than game birds. 
Too much credit cannot be given the farmers of Jackson County 
for the interest they take in caring for the birds during the winter 
months. 
GAME CONDITIONS IN SHERMAN COUNTY 
By Wiarpen JAMEs Stewart, Moro, Oregon 
As I have not written you anything on this subject for some time, 
I thought your readers might like to know how we get along here. 
Our game consists mainly of ducks, geese, prairie chickens, grouse 
‘and quail. On the latter, however, there is no open season. We also 
have some Chinese pheasants, of which a good many were I[iberated in 
1915 by the State Fish and Game Commission. Unfortunately, however, 
the winter of 1915-16 was one of the most severe we have had in years, 
pnd, despite all we could do to save them, many were lost. The sur- 
vivors have done well and have raised broods this past season over a 
considerable portion of the county. 
We have a number of fishing streams in Sherman County, of which 
the Deschutes River is the best, and, as there has been an end put to 
the practices of blasting and netting fish in our creeks, we have been 
trying to restock some of them. This last season (1916) the Fish and 
Game Commission and Mr. Clanton, Master Fish Warden, sent us the 
fish car ‘‘Rainbow’’ with about 60,000 steelhead and rainbow trout, 
which we divided between the lower part of the Deschutes River and 
some of our best creeks. 
This coming season we hope to be able, with the assistance of the 
Commission, to do something towards stocking the John Day River with 
some variety of fish suited to it, as it has too much sediment in it 
during the greater part of the year for trout to live in. In consequence 
of this there is about 150 miles of this river which is devoid of food 
fish of any value and is, therefore, an economic waste. 
We now have four live rod and gun clubs in this county, one at 
each of the following places, Rufus, Moro, Grass Valley and Kent, with 
a membership aggregating over 350, which is steadily increasing, All 
of these clubs are quite active and game protective sentiment is strong. 
We also have a supscription list of over 300 for this county to the 
‘*Oregon Sportsman,’’ which is increasing weekly. 
Notwithstanding the fact that the receipts for hunting and angling 
licenses showed a falling off of over $14,000 for the State in 1916 from 
the amount collected for same in 1915 (which was caused mainly by the 
late, cold season and high water in the streams), I am glad to report 
that the receipts for this county showed a substantial increase for the 
same period. 
Considering the population and the small amount of hunting country 
in Sherman County, I believe it will compare favorably with, if not beat, 
any county in the State in the matters enumerated above, which proves 
conclusively that we have ‘‘some sportsmen in our midst.’’ 
