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RECREA TION. 



ments as Mr. Borum has, the editors would 

 soon learn that, instead of increasing their 

 circulation by lauding such brutal pictures, 

 they are disgusting their best readers. Then 

 they might possibly quit it. 



A subscriber in Tomahawk, Wis., sends 

 me another clipping from the " Sentinel," 

 showing this same picture and says: 



I inclose clipping showing the mugs of a 

 party of hunters who live here and who 

 are parading themselves as the greatest and 

 mightiest hunters of this section. I want 

 you to give them the best roasting you are 

 capable of, and I know from experience 

 you can do them to a turn. I have watqhed 

 the columns of Recreation, and am heart- 

 ily in accord with your effort to stop this 

 unnecessary slaughter. 



This is only a sample of what has been 

 going on here all through the past season. 

 We who intend to make this our homes 

 will try and have a law enacted by the pres- 

 ent legislature that will at least preserve a 

 few of the remaining deer and grouse. Here 

 are the names of the deer butchers shown in 

 the picture, and who made this shameful 

 massacre: H. J. Sparks. A. A. Chapman, 

 Henry Devonce. Peter Lundeen, Roman 

 Woodzecka and W. H. Chapman. 



I trust these vulgar butchers will not feel 

 so proud now as they did when they stood 

 up before the camera, and when they saw 

 their dastardly work illustrated in the 

 " Sentinel." — Editor. 



GAME NOTES FROM MASSACHUSETTS. 



PE.MIGEWASSETT. 



Here in Central Massachusetts there are 

 confronting us a series of problems which 

 we find extremely difficult of solution. The 

 region roundabout has long been known 

 as a remarkably good bird country, and 

 ruffed grouse, quail and woodcock shoot- 

 ing has been far above the usual Eastern 

 average. But the advent of the portable 

 steam saw-mill and consequent decrease of 

 the pine woods, the increase in numbers of 

 expert shooters and of fine bird dogs, the 

 prevalence of shooting and snaring for 

 market, legalized by statute, all have 

 brought us face to face with the threatened 

 extermination of our local game birds. 



It is possible, such is the nature of our 

 covers, to kill off our grouse more closely 

 each season, and while the remainder strug- 

 gle to repair the inroads made among their 

 numbers, each autumn sees a lessened sup- 

 ply to tempt the shooter. The old cry then 

 goes forth, " Remarkably poor season for 

 birds," as if the cause were far to seek and 

 hidden in mystery. But it isn't. It's most 

 wofully apparent, yet " none are so blind 

 as those who will not see " ; and the work 

 goes on. 



We need a law prohibiting the sale of 



game. The price paid for game birds is the 

 incentive which tempts the local experts 

 to hunt 5 days a week and bring to market 

 5-6 of the entire amount they kill in a sea- 

 son. 



It has been suggested that a shorter open 

 season, say October ist to December ist, 

 would remedy matters; but I cannot see 

 how it would. The dozen local hunters, 

 who kill the bulk of the birds, hunt 4 days 

 a week, as the season is now. Shorten the 

 season and they will hunt 6 days a week, 

 and kill just as many birds; while the man 

 who shoots once or twice a week is robbed 

 of a third of his sport. 



There is a law in this state which per- 

 mits a farmer to snare birds on his own 

 land, and the manifest intention of the 

 framers of the law was that the birds so 

 taken were to be for his own use. Such a 

 law would be fair and just. But unscrupu- 

 lous farmers, tempted by the market man. 

 have gone into the snaring business on a 

 large scale, and have completely cleaned 

 out certain of the best covers in the coun- 

 ty. This practice has been, undoubtedly, 

 one of the factors in the disappearance of 

 the grouse. 



To abolish the sale of game (or, at 

 least, the sale of ruffed grouse) would be to 

 take the most important step possible for 

 the preservation of our birds. Of course an 

 attempt to legislate in this direction would 

 meet with instant and determined opposi- 

 tion; but if everyone interested would 

 work; if the L. A. S.. plus the Massa- 

 chusetts Fish and Game Protective Asso- 

 ciation, plus the numerous local organiza- 

 tions, would confer (which they have done) 

 and act (which they have not done) I 

 haven't a doubt that such a measure could 

 be carried through. Let every Massa- 

 chusetts sportsman join the L. A. S. and I 

 know it will be carried through. It is time 

 to do this thing now! 



I believe your crusade against the game 

 hogs, and the vigorous manner in which it 

 is persisted in, form the only way of keep- 

 ing pot hunting and slaughtering promi- 

 nently before the people as a detestable 

 practice unworthy of decent men. The 

 short-sighted, ignorant attitude of your 

 Vancouver correspondent. Webber, only 

 serves to show how slowly evolution works 

 in occasional cases. His mental caliber 

 might be reckoned at about ".22 short," and 

 almighty short at that; but faith in human 

 nature leads me to believe there are com- 

 paratively few such heads as his to inter- 

 fere with the progress of events, at least in 

 this country. His might pass as an average 

 intellect, say in Spain, where they're only 

 about 300 years behind the times; but in 

 America — well, it's too bad he has lived to 

 call attention to himself. Couldn't Rec- 

 reation start a fund to bring him East and 

 send him through the first 5 or 6 grades of 



