FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



281 



many geese nesting in trees. When we first 

 came to Snake river, a few miles down the 

 stream was a large grove of cottonwood 

 trees rilled with nests used every year by 

 geese. 



I notice that B. M. Webster says there are 

 bands of sheep over nearly all the country 

 around the head of Salmon and Payette riv- 

 ers, in Idaho. Ten years ago that was as 

 good a place to find sheep and black bear 

 as any in Idaho. There were also many 

 deer there and some antelope. Great sport 

 is had here, on moonlight nights, by shoot- 

 ing jack rabbits. They do much damage 

 to fruit trees and shrubbery. 



W. L. Winegar, Egin, Idaho. 



A CENTER SHOT. 

 When I returned to civilization after 5 

 months of climbing and scrambling in the 1 

 Rockies, my first occupation was reading 

 up my back numbers of Recreation. In 

 so doing I noticed a communication from 

 W. F. Chalmers, Lander, Wyo. He says: 

 " I took a 6 weeks' outing last summer." 

 Note the season. One of the party kitted 

 an elk which furnished all the meat they 

 were in need of. The other member and 

 Mr. C. went in search of antlers. What do 

 you suppose they did with the meat of the 

 2 elk they killed to secure the antlers? 

 Certainly they killed them. One was 

 brought down with a .303 Savage, the other 

 fell to a shot from a .25-35. These men, 

 who are sportsmen, did not leave all that 

 meat on the ground to waste. No; cer- 

 tainly not. Sportsmen never commit such 

 an act. Now this was in the summer. 

 Warm weather. Three large elk for 3 men. 

 Surely a plenty in warm weather. And 

 they were after antlers! Well, I must ac- 

 knowledge I am a tenderfoot. I have been 

 chasing myself among the Rockies for 20 

 years and as yet have never seen an elk 

 bearing antlers in the summer season that 

 I would care to take as a trophy. Now, 

 Mr. Editor, if we are going to carry on this 

 crusade against game wasting, we must 

 each and everyone of us, who has espoused 

 the cause, keep close watch and not miss 

 any shots. Kritick, Leadville, Col. 



THEY DON'T LIKE RECREATION. 



A subscriber of Audubon, la., writes me 

 under date of August 1st, as follows : 



" There are a few men here who like Rec- 

 reation, and a few others who do not. I 

 think you know why. It is because you 

 roast them. 



" Here is an instance. Tom Wilhetm, a 

 druggist, and N. H. O'Connell, a jeweler, 

 are out nearly every day shooting everything 

 in sight. They seldom go out during the 

 legal open season, but in close season, and 

 as soon as the poor little quails and chickens 

 are out of the shell, they are after them. 

 Now, Shields, I want you to give them a 

 roast" 



It would seem that if there were a place 

 on the earth where men should feel some 

 respect for game laws, and for the preserva- 

 tion of birds, it is in that beautiful town of 

 Iowa, named in honor of the great or- 

 nithologist, Audubon. Yet these shameless 

 wretches, residents of the place, go into the 

 field and murder fledglings when too small 

 and too weak to escape the aim of even 

 a novice. I regret the days of ghosts have 

 passed. I wish the spirit of the great 

 Audubon might haunt these men every 

 night, as long as they live, and deprive them 

 of ever having an hour of rest. No wonder 

 such men dislike Recreation ! I am glad 

 they hate it. 



I want these game and fish hogs to under- 

 stand that the fight between them and Rec- 

 reation is to be to a finish. Either these 

 men must quit their illegal slaughter of 

 game, or be disgraced forever in the eyes of 

 all decent people. 



I am aware I make enemies of the game 

 hogs ; that I have lost some subscribers on 

 account of my war against them; but I would 

 rather have the ill will of such men than 

 their good will. On the other hand, I have 

 made thousands of friends among decent 

 sportsmen, naturalists, and other educated, 

 cultivated people, because of this warfare. I 

 want the game and fish butchers to under- 

 stand that Recreation can live without 

 them, and that in time it will become such a 

 power that it will drive them off the earth, 

 unless they stop their infernal slaughter. 



HE SHOT A PLOVER. 



Sportsmen all over the state will be interested in 

 the outcome of a complaint which was made before 

 the Justice court yesterday by Deputy Game War- 

 den Brewster against John A. Marks, of Detroit, 

 charging him with killing a plover on June 7 in 

 violation of our state game law. 



Marks is one of the crack shots of Detroit who 

 came here to attend the trap shooting tournament 

 of the Valley City Gun club. Lie represents several 

 sporting goods houses, who pay him for the records 

 he makes for their guns, shells and other stock. 

 On the afternoon of June 7 he was waiting for his 

 turn to shoot, when a plover flew past. He threw 

 up his gun and said: 



" This is the way we do in Detroit." He then 

 fired and the bird fell dead. His act was a delib- 

 erate violation of the law, and it was committed in 

 the presence of the very men who are interested in 

 having the game laws enforced. 



A few of the local sportsmen have endeavored to 

 have prosecution stopped, simply because Marks 

 was, in a sense, their guest at the time of the of- 

 fense, but most of the members of the local organi- 

 zation, and practically all of the visitors, have in- 

 sisted that this is all the more reason why he should 

 be prosecuted. Ben O. Bush, of Kalamazoo, came 

 to the city yesterday and swore to an affidavit 

 setting forth the facts in the case, and upon the 

 strength of this a warrant was issued. Mr. Brews- 

 ter will go to Detroit and bring Marks here to 

 answer to the charge. 



Grand Rapids (Mich.) Evening Press. 



Marks plead guilty and was fined $17.63 

 including costs. 



The plover, which had its nest in ad- 

 joining fields, came flying over. There 

 were cries of, " Plover! Don't shoot! " 

 which Marks did not heed, but fired and 



