FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



369 



North Pole ; the other lay feebly flapping 

 one wing. 



"We got one duck !" cried Pete, not 

 thinking of his light shot. As we expected 

 the other duck would return we reloaded 

 the guns and sat still under cover. Soon 

 we saw him. He circled several times, but 

 always out of range, and finally flew away. 



"We would better see about the one we 

 have," I said. Before we got within 20 yards 

 of her she, too, started for distant parts. 

 W r e gave her a parting salute of 4 shots, 

 but failed to stop her mad flight. Pete 

 looked at me and said, "We hain't got no 

 duck." "So I see," said I. Going home we 

 swore that if we ever wounded another 

 duck, we would keep on wounding it while 

 a feather moved. 



B. B., Little Sandusky, O. 



NO, MEADOW LARKS ARE NOT GAME. 



That charming story of "A Boy and a 

 Grouse," in December Recreation, re- 

 minds me of a certain December afternoon 

 when I sallied forth determined to get a 

 grouse or die in the attempt. The woods 

 were thick, and I was walking along a narrow 

 path with high shrubs and evergreens on 

 each side. Suddenly there was a startling 

 whir-r, and a streak of feathered lightning 

 crossed the path just ahead of me. It was 

 a difficult shot for an expert, to say noth- 

 ing about a novice, as the bird was visible 

 only an instant. I didn't have time to 

 bring the gun to my shoulder, but blazed 

 away with the butt against my biceps, as 

 I had no difficulty in remembering for sev- 

 eral days afterward. The feathers flew, 

 and I rushed into the bushes confident the 

 bird had dropped; but search as I would, 

 I could not find it, and finally gave up dis- 

 couraged I walked on about 200 yards, 

 and was standing on a side hill when I saw 

 something fluttering 25 yards away. It 

 was my grouse, beating the air with his 

 wings in a last effort to rise. He had 

 flown as far as he could after being shot 

 and then dropped to earth to die. 



I saw a lone meadow lark in some corn 

 stubble last winter, notwithstanding we 

 had had 3 weeks of snow and cold v^eather. 

 Meadow larks were plentiful here last fall; 

 I saw one flock of at least 200. I think 

 there should be an open season on these 

 unquestionably game birds. Make it 

 short and late, if necessary, but where they 

 are so plentiful and other game is scarce 

 give us a chance at them. They are 

 larger and more difficult of approach late 

 in the season than any of our game birds. 

 Arthur L. Owen. Cortland, N. Y. 



CRITICIZES THE CLUBS. 



In the earlier days of California a few 

 rich men got the Legislature to pass a bill 



allowing the sale of swamp lands belonging 

 to the State, at a nominal price. Then by 

 procuring fraudulent applications the capi- 

 talists obtained possession of great tracts 

 of overflowed lands. As a result a few men 

 and shooting clubs control all the water 

 fowl shooting in California. 



For their further protection these clubs 

 have joined to have another law passed, and 

 it has already advanced to a third reading. 

 It is an infamous piece of class legislation, 

 and if it becomes a law will convert the 

 State into a game preserve for the exclusive 

 benefit of a small class of wealthy sports- 

 men. Wild game belongs to the people 

 generally, but under this bill only those 

 controlling the game marshes are to be 

 privileged to shoot over them. It prohibits 

 the sale of all kinds of game. Market deal- 

 ers can not offer it for sale without commit- 

 ting a misdemeanor. All game of any value 

 is to be reserved hereafter for the sports- 

 men's clubs and their wealthy friends, and 

 no one else is to have any. 



Under existing laws game of all kinds 

 has been well protected ; whatever benefit 

 was to be reaped from an abundance of 

 game the public have shared in equally. 

 Now all is to be changed if the bill passed 

 in the Senate becomes a law. Poaching will 

 be encouraged. Jurisdiction over wild game 

 is to be taken from the Fish and Game 

 Commission, and the State is to provide 

 game keepers for the clubs at its own ex- 

 pense, through the creation of a Game 

 Commissioner who will have power to ap- 

 point an endless number of deputies. 



I can not afford to be a club member, 

 though I am fond of hunting, yet I have 

 been unable for years to find a place to 

 shoot a duck without being ordered off as a 

 trespasser. The clubs have got the earth; 

 now they want the State to pay to protect 

 their game. 



W. G. Hall, San Francisco, Cal. 



THE GUIDE SYSTEM. 



I am bitterly opposed to the guide system 

 and to big advertised hunts, even for so- 

 called varmints. Both create a desire to 

 kill and to be classed with men who have 

 more money than sportsmanship. Without 

 wishing to hit President Roosevelt in par- 

 ticular, the reduction of cougars in Colorado 

 will result in raising the bounty on coyotes 

 in that section. Make a specialty of coy- 

 otes on a well advertised hunt and some 

 good will be done. 



I have a fair knowledge of so-called guides, 

 having lived with them, hired them, and as 

 often fired them. Have known them to 

 drive game away from each other for days, 

 until the sucker or suckers employing them 

 agree to pay so much a shot at deer, so 

 much at bear, etc. Then the slaughter 

 begins, 



