288 



RECREATION, 



do not enforce those laws very strictly. 

 or I should be in trouble quite often; yet 

 1 do not class myself a game hog. 



W. S. Herron, Haileyburg, Ontario. 



Law-abiding sportsmen will not endorse 

 your good opinion of yourself. By your 

 own confession you have been robbing the 

 people of Canada of game they are trying 

 to protect and increase for the future good 

 of all. If you continue the practice, I 

 trust you may meet trouble in plenty. — 

 Editor. 



A GOOD WARDEN IN MICHIGAN. 



Game Warden Morse, of Michigan, says 

 in his monthly report that the work of his 

 department in December was more active 

 and effective than was anticipated. Few 

 violations of the fish laws were reported. 

 Violations of the game laws increased, 

 mostly from attempts of market hunters to 

 ship game out of the State. Many market 

 hunters, however, were arrested and con- 

 victed, or have cases pending against them. 

 During the month 168 cases were investi- 

 gated, and 114 suits prosecuted. 78 being 

 for violation of the game law and 36 of the 

 fish law. Convictions resulted in 50 cases. 

 There were 4 acquittah and 12 dismissals; 

 48 cases being still in the courts. The sum 

 of $622.30 was assessed in fines. Fish, game 

 and fishing apparatus valued at $436.49 was 

 confiscated. "Reports from nearly every 

 county in the State." says the warden, 

 "confirm my statement made in November, 

 that we have more game in store than we 

 had a year ago." This, coupled with a 

 steadily growing sentiment for game pro- 

 tection, makes the future look brighter for 

 our sportsmen. The hunters who went 

 from here to the upper peninsula last fall 

 did not average over one deer each. A 

 few got their 5 deer. Game was plentiful, 

 but as there was no snow it was difficult to 

 find it. Ed. Blossom, Otsego, Mich. 



THE RIGHT KIND OF SIDE HUNT. 



Enclosed please find a clipping from 

 the Cleveland Press: 



Upper Sandusky, O., Jan. 2. — A sparrow shoot took 

 place in this city Jan. 1, 12 men on a side, and resulted in 

 a victory for the side captained by County Surveyor A. 

 F. Schoenberger. Over 1,300 birds were killed.' The 

 1 >s"i-s, captained by ( ounty Recorder A . ave 



tie winners a banquet. 



Is it right to kill such harmless birds? 

 Even the sparrows do some good. If you 

 think they should not have done this give 

 them a good roast in Recreation. If not, 

 let the matter drop; but I think it is 

 wrong and that these men should be in 

 with lb'- swine. 



Sub .< 1 iIm'j Akron, Ohio. 



ANSWER. 



The English sparrow is an unmitigated 

 pest, as has been frequently shown in 

 Recreation, and any man who kills one 

 is doing the country a service. Any party 

 of men who kill 1,300 of these birds is 

 entitled to the gratitude of every lover of 

 our native American song birds. I wish 

 all the gun clubs in the country might 

 hold weekly side hunts on sparrows. It 

 would be much more manly and sports- 

 manlike than to shoot tame pigeons from 

 traps. — Editor. m 



THE CHAUTAUQUA BUTCHERS ARE AT IT 

 AGAIN. 



Later and more complete reports from the fishing 

 operations on the lake Thursday, the second day of the 

 1900 spearing season, show that the catch was very 

 light. As far as learned, the largest fish brought in 

 did not weigh over 15 or 20 pounds, and there were not 

 many that large. Even the smaller ones, weighing 

 from one to 5 pounds each were few in number. 



In Dewittville bay, one of the best fishing points on 

 the lake, only 15 fish were taken, the largest one having 

 been speared by Samuel Case. It weighed 19 pounds. 

 C E. Hawley secured one that weighed 16 1-2 pounds, 

 S. T. Scofield one of 6 1-2 pounds, Harry Arnold one 

 7 1-2 pounds, Orville Casselman one weighing n 

 pounds and Reuben McCaul 2, the largest 51-2 pounds. 



From all parts of the lake the water was reported 

 as quite roily and in many places the swollen streams 

 overflowed the ice, making the conditions anythir.g but 

 agreeable for spearing. — Jamestown, N.Y., paper. 



Thus it appears the men who murder 

 muscalonge with spears are rapidly finish- 

 ing their occupation. When they get the 

 few remaining big fish out of Chautauqua 

 lake they will have a chance to spend their 

 winter days sitting around in the saloons 

 and groceries of Jamestown, spitting to- 

 bacco juice at cracks in the floor, and tell- 

 ing what great fun they used to have be- 

 fore the summer visitors spoiled the fish- 

 ing in the lake. — Editor. 



DEFENDS HIS CLUB. 



In January Recreation I noticed an 

 article signed B. J. Shaver, West Superior, 

 Wis. This man has accused every member 

 of the Lake Superior Gun Club with 

 slaughtering deer all the year round. 

 Now, the fact is nearly every member of 

 that club is individually interested in the 

 better protection of game, and through 

 their efforts much good work has been 

 done in the Northern part of Wisconsin, 

 although there is still plenty of game be- 

 ing killed out of season. In regard to the. 

 shooting of the snipe he wrote about: it 

 occurred on the 27th of August last. We 

 were trap shooting. A squad was at the 

 score. A flock went past. Three of us 

 look a shot at them. Not many fell, but 

 what did were taken home and not left 

 where they fell, as stated by Mr. Shaver. 

 1 have learned since that it was the closed 

 season on ihose birds, so of course it was 

 wrong to Shoot them; but as Mr. Babcock 



