128 



RECREATION. 



hats is in a great measure due to the 

 change of season and not to a change of 

 sentiment on the part of fashionable wom- 

 en. The milliners say spring hats shall be 

 decorated with flowers, and it is done. 

 True, the work of the L. A. S. and the Au- 

 dobon Societies is bringing good results. 

 Thousands of sensible women who form- 

 erly wore bird plumage on their hats did 

 not wear any last winter and have pledged 

 themselves never to do so again. The 

 women will all reform in time, and in 10 

 years from now birds will be as numerous 

 everywhere as they were 20 years ago. 

 What we most aim at now is to induce the 

 women to discard bird plumage when or- 

 dering their hats for next winter. Let us 

 lose no time in spreading the gospel of re- 

 form during the summer months. — Editor. 



A SIDE HUNT THAT FAILED. 



In February Recreation I saw an item 

 that was of interest to me from a local 

 point of view. I refer to the hunting party 

 and the banquet mentioned on page xlvi. 



I desire to state, in justice to the ma- 

 jority of the alleged contestants, that the 

 hunt was a decided failure and that the 

 banquet was never served, only some half 

 dozen shooters participating. The re- 

 mainder of the party refused to have any- 

 thing to do with the shoot. It seems that 

 the idea originated in the minds of one or 

 2 sportsmen, and they, without consulting 

 anyone, proceeded to select those they 

 wished to have participate; but they reck- 

 oned without their host 



I trust you will make some brief ac- 

 knowledgment of the above, as it might 

 lead your readers to believe this section 

 produced nothing but pot hunters, whereas 

 the majority deserve a better classifica- 

 tion. 



Justice, Battle Creek, Mich. 



ANSWER. 



I am delighted to know the side hunt 

 was a failure, and the reason why it failed 

 is certainly a most gratifying and encour- 

 aging one. I am glac to avail myself of 

 this opportunity of clearing up the records 

 of certain Battle Creek sportsmen. I wish 

 all proposed side hunts everywhere might 

 fail as ignominiously as this one did, and 

 from the same cause. The men whose 

 names were used without permission 

 should sue the promoters of the hunt for 

 libel. — Editor. 



L. A. S. NEEDED IN MANITOBA 

 No one regrets more than I do the 

 apathy displayed by some of our most in- 

 fluential sportsmen toward establishing a 

 branch of the League of American Sports- 

 men in Manitoba. Personally, I have not 

 lost hope of assisting to found a strong 



division in Manitoba, confident that, in a 

 short time, these same sportsmen will be 

 the first to fall into line. 



It is quite true we have good game laws. 

 When we hear they have been violated we 

 promptly arrest the offender; but owing to 

 the vast extent of the Province it is im- 

 possible for the few appointed game guar- 

 dians to properly protect its game. This 

 lack could to a large extent be obviated 

 by establishing a branch of the L. A. S. 

 Every member of such division would not 

 only take a deeper interest in seeing the 

 game laws properly enforced, but could 

 and would, on application, be appointed 

 one of the Provincial Government's Game 

 Guardians for his township (6 miles 

 square) or the district in which he re- 

 sides. In the meantime it rests with those 

 who are in accord with the purposes of the 

 League to educate the people to the neces- 

 sity of making better game laws and see- 

 ing that those at present on the statute 

 books are strictly enforced. I see no bet- 

 ter way to accomplish this than to get the 

 people of this Province to subscribe to the 

 official magazine of the L. A. S., and shall 

 do my utmost in that direction. 



G. B. Borradaile, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



THEY HAVE SOME IN NORTH DAKOTA. 



Prairie chickens and ducks were plenti- 

 ful here last season. Jack rabbits are 

 scarce; the severe winter of '96 drove 

 them out. Geese are abundant in the 

 spring. 



My friend Roy P. and I went after 

 them. We reached their feeding ground 

 about 4 a. m. The first flock passed about 

 15 feet above us. I shot once and got my 

 bird. Roy shot twice and got what Pad- 

 dy shot at. It was his first goose hunt 

 and he was excusable. Then we moved 

 40 rods, and 3 brant came along; we got 

 all in 2 shots. Presently 2 more came 

 over us, and we got them. We then 

 moved about a mile East. After waiting 

 half an hour a flock went by us. I let go 

 with both barrels and gol 2, but was sur- 

 prised not to hear my companion shoot. 

 I soon learned the reason. He was using 

 strong language. He did not have his 

 gun cocked. 



We then went home, having shot 8 

 geese in about an hour, and as we are not 

 game hogs we thought we had enough. 



We have game swine here in large num- 

 bers. A paity of 5 shot 125 chickens in 

 4 hours last fall. If they are not game 

 hogs I never saw one. Lots of them here. 

 Dakota, Towanda, N. D. 



PROTECT THE WOODCOCK. 



There are a few bevies of quails here, but 

 the grouse crop is a failure. There are few 



