NATURAL HISTORY. 



MONGOLIAN PHEASANTS IN INDIANA. 



Raleigh, Ind. 

 Editor Recreation: 



One day in December, 1898, my friend, 

 C. H. Burr, and I, were hunting. We 

 had covered the ground in every direc- 

 tion within a radius of 5 miles of Middle- 

 town, and my Llewellyn setter, Daisy, had 

 worked fast and ranged wide, but she 

 had not even a scent of feather. While 

 we were resting on a rail fence we fell to 

 discussing the condition of affairs and 

 wondering why our State game warden 

 didn't stock the country with game as he 

 did the streams with fish. Then came 

 the subject of Mongolian pheasants. The 

 idea occurred to us that at least our part 

 of the country could be profitably stocked 

 with them. As the day was well on we re- 

 newed our tramp through corn and stub- 

 ble, with nothing in sight but an occa- 

 sional farmer to call out, "Hey there, you 

 town fellers! Get right off this farm. 

 We don't 'low for you town fellers to kill 

 all our game." 



Our only answer was that we were get- 

 ting off as fast as we could. Being dis- 

 gusted with our luck, however, and to be 

 yelled at by the farmers, we finally took 

 the road for home. 



We tried our luck again in a few days 

 with only a few scattered birds in a place. 

 We then decided that if we were ever to 

 have any shooting we must take it in our 

 own hands to propagate the game. As we 

 had heard the Mongolian pheasant was a 

 hardy and prolific bird we wrote the Edi- 

 tor of Recreation, asking where they 

 could be had. In a few days he answered, 

 giving us the address of a breeder in 

 New York State. I also wrote the pub- 

 lisher of another sportsmen's periodical 

 asking the same question. He replied that 

 for a consideration of $5 for an ad. in his 

 journal our wants could be supplied — not 

 the information Recreation was willing 

 to give gratuitously. We wrote the New 

 York breeder, also one in Ohio, and one 

 in Wisconsin, of whom we had heard. 

 Their answers were that pheasants were 

 worth $6 a pair. 



This blow came near paralyzing the 

 pheasant business. However, our last 

 Legislature had passed a bill protecting 

 Mongolian pheasants in Indiana for o 

 years. That was in our favor, and gave 

 us courage to continue the good work. 

 We had thought of several plans to inter- 

 est everyone, but none seemed as plaus- 

 ible as to solicit subscriptions. A paper 



was prepared stating our purpose was to 

 arrange for the propagation of Mongolian 

 pheasants, to be liberated on farms within 

 2 miles of Middletown. Heading the list 

 with $5 each we went to all our sportsmen 

 friends first, and in every case we got 

 $1 to $3. We were much elated to find 

 on adding our subscriptions, after 2 hours' 

 work, that we had $45. This seemed smooth 

 sailing. 



We soon found, however, that we had 

 exhausted the list of those willing to give 

 liberally. There were many obstacles in 

 the way, and it would be no easy task to 

 get the amount we had started out to 

 raise. We kept right at it, soliciting every 

 man and boy in town and the farmers 

 and their boys in the country. By that 

 time the subscriptions had become much 

 smaller. Twenty-five to 50 cents was the 

 limit. Many farmers, when we would ask 

 them to subscribe, would say they did not 

 care to give money for the town hunters' 

 benefit. We put the facts of the case 

 in the best possible manner, told the farm- 

 ers it would be to their benefit to have 

 these birds on their farms, as they were 

 great bug destroyers and the State law 

 protected them for 6 years. Sometimes we 

 would get 25 cents and more times we 

 would get nothing. 



We commenced in December and fin- 

 ished our canvass in March, '99. We had 

 by that time thoroughly called on every 

 man in our locality and every one of the 

 arms companies and powder and shot 

 companies. We did not get a cent from 

 any of them. Our total collection was $81. 

 That would buy 13 pairs of pheasants and 

 pay the express charges on them. A New 

 York draft was sent, and the birds came, 

 nicely crated. They were all good, strong 

 ones, and everyone was delighted to see 

 such beautiful birds. We were congratu- 

 lated as much as the birds were admired. 



The next day after they arrived we gave 

 them to the farmers that we knew would 

 protect and feed them and no town hunt- 

 ers were allowed. The pheasants were 

 liberated in thickets where there was 

 plenty of water. Every hen has raised 12 

 to 20 chicks, and all grew to maturity. 

 They are now the pride of the farmers 

 and woe unto the man who molests them, 

 as the fine is not less than $50. Figure 

 the increase in 1905 and try our plan in 

 your locality. We can testify you will 

 have an abundance of the hardiest and 

 most prolific game ever known. 



W. V. Loder. 



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