42 



RECREATION. 



BELGIANS INCREASING. 



The Belgian hares, or common English 

 wild rabbits, burrow in the ground. They 

 dig their own burrows and do not have to 

 use old prairie dog or coyote holes. They 

 come out to feed in the early morning and 

 about sundown ; the rest of the time they 

 are underground. These rabbits have in- 

 creased here enormously of late years, al- 

 though che occupier of a piece of land, as 

 well as the owner, has the right to shoot 

 them. The coyotes, which possibly might 

 keep rabbits from increasing too quickly, 

 are killed for the bounty. While the rabbit 

 is a novelty they may command fair prices, 

 i. e., 25 cents, dressed ; but when they are 

 numerous I don't suppose they will bring 

 more than 5 cents each. Common rabbits, 

 i. e., Belgian hares, retail at 12 cents in 

 England. To get any sport with them fer- 

 rets must be used to drive them out. I 

 fully expect the time will come within 15 

 years when this rabbit will be a pest in 

 California. R. L. Montague, 



Oroville, Cal. 



Until that time no one should use fer- 

 rets on them. The ferret is the servant 

 of the game hog, and no decent sportsman 

 should ever go into partnership with 

 either. — Editor. 



L. A. S. STOPS ILLEGAL SHOOTING. 



I am happy to say that owing to the 

 untiring, eternal vigilance of sportsmen 

 throughout this country illegal bird shoot- 

 ing has been stopped. Have heard of only 

 one breach of the law. Reliable persons 

 tell me that certain aforetime market 

 hunters did no shooting last summer, be- 

 cause there was no market for birds at 

 Saratoga. The boys have gone at the 

 root of the matter, and by frightening the 

 club houses and dealers, have put a quietus 

 on hunting. This result the State Fish 

 and Game Commission was never able to 

 accomplish, and, in my opinion, never dared 

 try. The credit is due entirely to_ L. A. S. 

 members and a few other men "who are 

 not, but ought to be, members. Among 

 the latter is D. H. Hall, owner of the 

 Oaks,Cossayuna lake, who, although across 

 the river in the next county, is interested 

 in game protection" here. He keeps a house 

 patronized by wealthy bass fishermen and 

 bird shooters. He rigidly observes the 

 game laws and requires his patrons to do 

 the same. If we can continue the present 

 condition of things 2 or 3 years, ruffed 

 grouse will rapidly increase in this sec- 

 tion. J. D. H., Schuylerville, N. Y. 



would increase rapidly. We have game 

 wardens here, but they are not of the right 

 kind. They allow certain people to hunt or 

 fish in close season. Our trout law is wrong. 

 It prohibits catching any trout under 6 

 inches, and this year the open season is 

 May 1 to September 1. Instead of the 

 6 inch clause the season should have been 

 shortened ; lots of the short fish caught are 

 so much hurt by the hook that they die if 

 put back in the water. 



There are game hogs here as well 

 as in other places. I showed one a copy of 

 Recreation a short time ago and he hap- 

 pened to turn to a page on which one of 

 his kind was roasted. After reading he 

 said there was nothing in the magazine he 

 cared for-. He said, "We have such damned 

 game laws a man can't shoot any game, 

 and if he does he can't sell it without get- 

 ting pinched." W. H. Turner, 



Monroe, Mass. 



ALASKAN BEARS. 



In July Recreation, which reached me 

 at Nome, I find a request for information 

 about the bears of Southeastern Alaska. 

 There are found the common black 

 bear and the large brown bear, commonly 

 called cinnamon bear. I know of no others 

 on the islands. On the mainland near 

 are found what local hunters call silvertip 

 and baldface bears. I believe them va- 

 rieties of the cinnamon. Over the glaciers 

 near Yakutat roams the blue, or glacier, 

 bear of the Mt. St. Elias region, an animal 

 smaller than the black bear. 



I shall spend 2 months collecting 

 curios along the coast between Yukon and 

 Kuskkokwim rivers. Having a phonograph 

 with me I hope to obtain records of the 

 songs and _ stories of an interesting but 

 fast vanishing people. 



L. L. Bales, Alaska Guide, 

 St. Michales, Alaska. 



GAME INCREASING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

 Game is plentiful here. I saw several 

 deer last summer. The law protects them 

 until 1903. Grouse, rabbits and foxes are 

 alpo plentiful. There should be a bounty of 

 50 cents to $1 placed on foxes and game 



GAME NOTES. 

 Recreation is the best sportsmen's 

 magazine published. I live in Yonk- 

 ers, 15 miles out of New York 

 City, and although so short a dis- 

 tance from town game is plentiful. I do 

 a good deal of shooting; that is, I shoot 

 whatever I think is worth while and law- 

 ful. Within 10 minutes' walk from one of 

 our streets there is a swamp and there, a 

 week ago, we killed 6 woodcock in 2 

 •days. How is that? Does it not speak 

 well for game protection? I am much in- 

 terested in all sorts of sports and read 

 every word of your valuable magazine. 

 There are also several trout brooks around 

 here. Last summer one of our club mem- 

 bers caught a trout weighing 1 pound and 

 10 ounces. I hope you will continue to suc- 

 ceed in your fight against game hogs. 

 Samuel G. Cooper, Yonkers, N. Y. 



