THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN SPORTSMEN. 
Mr. A. C. Cooper, of Oklahoma, offered 
the following resolution and moved its 
adoption: 
Whereas, The Hon. John F. Lacey has 
introduced in Congress a bill known as 
House Bill 11,584, and entitled “A Bill for 
the Protection of Wild Animals and Birds 
in the Wichita Forest Reserve,’ which 
bill authorizes the President of the United 
States to designate such areas in said for- 
est reserve as should, in his opinion, be set 
aside for the protection of game animals and 
birds for a breeding place therefor, and 
that when such areas shall have been des- 
ignated, all hunting, trapping, killing or cap- 
turing of game animals and birds within 
such areas shall be prohibited; therefore, 
Resolved, That the League of American 
Sportsmen, in annual meeting assembled, 
does hereby endorse and approve the said 
bill, and does hereby urge and implore the 
Congress of the United States to pass said 
bill at the earliest possible date. 
Mr. Ernest Russell seconded the. resolu- 
tion and the same was_ unanimously 
adopted. 
A banquet was tendered the visiting offi- 
cers and delegates, by the officers and mem- 
bers of the Ohio Division, which was at- 
tended by 140 men, including the Governor 
_of the State, a number of members of the 
Ohio Legislature, and the Mayor of the city 
of Columbus. 
Governor Herrick and Mayor Jeffries de- 
livered eloquent addresses in which they 
welcomed the visitors to Columbus on be- 
half of the people of the State and of the 
city, and tendered us every courtesy at their 
disposal. : 
The dinner was thoroughly enjoyed by 
all present, and addresses were made by 
several members of the Legislature and by 
other prominent citizens, as well as by 
League officers and delegates. 

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT. 
The League of American Sportsmen was 
organized in February, 1808, with 147 mem- 
bers. To-day it has 9,815 members, dis- 
tributed throughout all the States and Ter- 
ritories of the Union and all the Provinces 
of Canada. We have also members in 
Mexico, in Cuba, in Porto Rico and in the 
Philippine islands. 
he past year has been one of the most 
eventful in the history of this great body. 
We have made substantial gains in mem- 
bership, in State organizations and in the 
work of securing good game laws for the 
various States. In no single year of our 
existence have we made more gratifying 
progress in this last named work than dur- 
ing 1903. A brief resumé of our work on 
these lines must certaily prove of deep in- 
terest to all League members and all other 
friends of game protection. 
309 
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, 
Minnesota, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia 
and Texas have completely reconstructed 
their game laws. Some of these States 
have repealed existing statutes for the pro- 
tection of game and of song birds, and 
have enacted completely new codes from 
beginning to end, built on thoroughly mod- 
ern lines. New York has lined up with 
Vermont, New Hampshire, Ohio, Michi- 
gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Alaska, 
Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, and 
Newfoundland in prohibiting spring shoot- 
ing of wild fowl. 
Nebraska, Texas and Idaho have passed 
the League bill to prohibit the killing of 
antelope at any time, thus leaving Colo- 
rado, Wyoming and Washington as the 
only States. in which any antelope are to 
be found and which have an open season 
on these animals. Arkansas now prohib- 
its the sale of game of all kinds; Illinois 
that of wild fowl; Washington that of rail 
and plover, and of water fowl with certain 
restrictions. New York has prohibited the 
sale of ruffed grouse and woodcock killed 
within the State. ; 
Texas and Arkansas have cut off the ex- 
port of wild fowl, and Indiana, Montana 
and Texas have established additional re- 
striction on the export of game. 
Illinois, Indiana, Montana, Tennessee, 
North Carolina and New Hampshire have 
passed laws requiring non-resident hunters 
to take out licenses, and Arkansas now de- 
nies non-residents the privilege of hunting 
there at any time. Several States have 
fixed limitations to the number of birds and 
animals that may be killed in a day or a 
season, and others have materially reduced 
the bag limit. 
Virginia has for years had on its statute 
books a so-called game law, but its pro- 
visions varied as to the different counties 
in the State, so that scarcely any 2 coun- 
ties had identical game laws. Many coun- 
ties were excepted entirely from all pro- 
visions of the general State law, and so had 
no restrictions against the killing of game 
- of any kind. During the past winter the 
Hon. L. T. Christian, a member of the Vir- 
ginia Senate and a member of this League, 
prepared a modern, up-to-date game law, 
introduced it in the Senate and pushed it 
through both Houses. It was approved by 
the Governor, and so the Old Dominion 
now has as good a game law as those of 
most of the other States. 
The members of this League may well 
feel proud of the result of their year’s 
work in the securing of good laws. The 
sweeping changes and improvements in 
these State laws are wholly due to the edu- 
cational work carried on by the League, the 
Audubon Societies and the American Orni- 
thologists’ Union. The same great wave 
of public sentiment on behalf of the wild 
