FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



A SYMPOSIUM ON GAME BIRDS. 



Mr. A. E. Pond, chief warden of the 

 New York State Division L. A. S., has re- 

 cently sent out a circular letter to a large 

 number of sportsmen, guides, etc., living 

 in various states, asking for information 

 regarding the game birds of their respec- 

 tive districts. The circular reads as fol- 

 lows: 



" Being desirous of obtaining some au- 

 thentic information regarding the game 

 birds of your locality, and knowing you to 

 be an authority on this subject, I beg to 

 ask if, in your opinion, the laws for game 

 protection are all that could be desired. 

 Please give me, on the enclosed sheet, such 

 information as you may care to impart 

 regarding this matter." 



Accbmpanying this were printed the fol- 

 lowing questions: 



Are game birds, such as ducks, grouse, 

 quail, wild turkeys and woodcock increas- 

 ing in your neighborhood? 



If any of these are increasing, which 

 ones? 



Are any birds killed out of season? 



If so, by whom? Market-hunters, na- 

 tives or visitors? 



Over 30 responses to this circular have 

 been received. I have not room to quote 

 all the answers, but append extracts from 

 a few of them, which show the general 

 tenor of nearly all. 



Jas. Blair, Magdalen, Mont, says, " Al- 

 though there are thousands of ducks, 

 geese, etc., here, yet I notice they are de- 

 creasing. I think the season opens too 

 soon. Many birds cannot fly at that time. 

 Swans cannot fly until the middle of Sep- 

 tember and nearly every young one is 

 killed or caught, and shipped East. The 

 Butte shooters destroy more ducks than 

 anybody else. They kill them by the wagon 

 load, and let them rot." 



August Pache, Gleneyre, Col., says " A 

 great many grouse have been killed here 

 in the last few years. The springs have 

 been so late and cold that the hatching 

 has not been good. Coyotes and other 

 predatory animals are on the increase. 

 Many grouse and sage hens are killed by 

 them. Game birds, in my immediate 

 vicinity, are of only 2 kinds — blue grouse 

 and sage hens. The laws in our state are 

 stringent and good, for big and small 

 game, and for fish; but I am sorry to say, 

 they are not enforced, and in my opinion 

 will never be enforced until wardens are 

 appointed, regularly paid, and held re- 

 sponsible for the enforcement of the laws." 



A. W. Rundle, Eldred, N. Y., says, 

 " Open season for woodcock should not 

 commence till September 1st, instead of 

 earlier, as gunners invariably bag grouse, 



as well as woodcock, while the grouse are 

 young and still in coveys." 



C. L. Farnham, Avon Park, Fla., says, 

 " The natives here have always killed all 

 kinds of game out of season, but simply 

 for their own use, not for sale. They sel- 

 dom hunt it, but simply shoot it when 

 they chance upon it, while cow-hunting, 

 etc." 



Elliott Rich, Bethel, Maine, says, 

 " Grouse are not nearly as plenty as a few 

 years ago; still they are in fair numbers. v 

 The laws are all right, but not enforced as 

 they should be. All other game birds seem 

 to be on the increase — especially wood- 

 cock." 



W. H. Ackerly, Patchogue, L. I., says, 

 " No ducks killed out of season; but 

 quails and ruffed grouse are often killed 

 and snared, out of season. The laws as 

 to this Great South bay are all right. The 

 ducks cannot be killed from punts, but 

 from batteries they can be killed. 



E. M. Reynolds, Alva, Fla., says, 

 " Game birds are decreasing rapidly. They 

 are being killed by so-called sportsmen, 

 and more are killed out of season than in 

 season, by market hunters and natives. 

 Although we have a great many visitors, 

 they do not materially affect our game. The 

 great trouble is that every native, without 

 exception, kills all kinds of game indis- 

 criminately and absolutely regardless of 

 law or season. Venison can be bought 

 every day in the year, in the public meat 

 market of our county seat; and there is 

 not a case on record, in this county, of 

 any person having been punished for vio- 

 lation of game laws, although our laws are 

 fully sufficient for the protection of game, 

 if only enforced." 



F. S. Jarvis, Haslin, N. C, says, " We 

 have no grouse in this part of the state, 

 and but few turkeys in my section. I am 

 near the coast and the country is too level 

 for them. Ducks are hunted by oyster- 

 men, and Northern sportsmen; conse- 

 quently they are scarce. Quail and wood- 

 cock can never be killed out, here, on ac- 

 count of the amount of cover for them." 



W.- B. Webb, Ospry, Fla., says, " Very 

 few ducks come here now; probably not 

 1 to 100 that came 20 years ago. Turkeys 

 have also become very scarce. They are 

 mostly killed by natives. Quail is the only 

 bird that seems to be on the increase. This 

 I think is owing to the destruction of 

 hawks, which every one is anxious to de- 

 stroy. Furthermore quails are not hunted 

 much, except by tourists, in season." 



Leonard Bunting, Greenfield, N. Y., 

 says, " Woodcock are decreasing, because 

 they are easily killed. Grouse hold their 

 own fairly well. Few are killed out of sea- 



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