Letters <€sS> R?ad@rsi 



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£5-3 



ON THE WRONG TRACK. 



Editor Recreation : 



I believe the Game Protective Association 

 is on the wrong track — the conditions are 

 about this : While the West and East are 

 protected, the Central and Southern States 

 are slaughtering the ducks and geese by the 

 car loads. Over 300,000 birds were marked 

 in Louisiana and Texas in less than two 

 months, and nearly as many in several other 

 States. A number of professional game 

 hunters from this point have moved to the 

 South, and report a great business. These 

 hunters often killed a wagon load of ducks 

 in a day. Seven geese at two shots, and 

 fourteen ducks are actual records. Stop the 

 sale of game in the South and get rid of the 

 crows, skunks and minks and complete the 

 work. I believe the crows and other vermin 

 of our Northern States destroy more eggs 

 and young game than the hunters. 



A friend of mine protected a small tract 

 of cut-over land from all hunting, and ex- 

 pected a great increase in game, especially 

 quail, pheasant and rabbits. After three 

 years we examined and found it was cleaned 

 out, not even its rabbits were increasing. In 

 tfooking for a cause I found tracks of 

 vermin, and when we had a burrow dug out, 

 one pit contained twelve female skunks and 

 one male. There were many more such 

 burrows. C. J. Gibbs. 



AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE. 



Editor Recreation : 



In your November number I see an ar- 

 ticle on "Must the Quail Go Too?" by Max 

 Pattison. Here is something that may in- 

 terest many readers. 



In the fall of 1903, the Wisconsin over- 

 flowed its banks to such an extent that much 

 damage was done to the property of people 

 living near. Before the water fell the ducks 

 were coming down and a fellow had about 

 as much chance of getting one as he had of 

 finding a needle in a hay stack. 



About this time I took the boat, and get- 

 ting on a good point, waited the evening 

 flight, not expecting to get any, but to see 

 what was really in the air. 



I sat there possibly an hour when a large 



flock of quail flew across the slough and lit 

 in some thick timber a few rods behind me. 

 They spread considerable and soon were 

 busy calling to each other. I noticed that 

 some were answering from the other bank, 

 but didn't think much of it. Within a short 

 time I heard something go "plump" and a 

 flutter, but soon all was still. I turned 

 round quirklj expecting some kind of a duck 

 to make its appearance, but I heard nothing 

 more for some time, when 'plump" I heard 

 the same thing in another direction. I heard 

 this a few times and thought it about time to 

 investigate, but it was growing dark. I 

 couldn't see very well and the boat wouldn't 

 go in among the thick growth of trees, so I 

 started home. 



I passed under the trees, where I had heard 

 the quail, and hadn't taken ten paces when 

 something fell within a few feet of me. I 

 walked over, and examining the leaves, found 

 a quail which had fallen from the branches. 

 It seemed numb, but the weather wasn't cold, 

 so I placed it into the limb above me and 

 started on, when I heard another fall from a 

 neighboring tree. I lit a match to see if ii 

 was disabled, and as soon as the light struck 

 it, away she flew. 



I found four within 15 minutes. Now 

 could someone tell what was the matter with 

 those birds? I know that the fluttering in 

 the water on the other side was nothing other 

 than quail falling from the trees. All the 

 old hunters around here know of no similar 

 circumstance. I'd be thankful to hear from 

 someone that can answer this. 



Louis Neuhersil, Spring Green, Wis. 



A most interesting experience. Can any of 

 our readers offer an explanation? — Editor. 



TANNING HIDES. 

 Editor Recreation: 



I go out hunting quite often and like to 

 keep the skins and hides as trophies of the 

 day, and if you will, please print in Recrea- 

 tion a good process of tanning the hides at 

 home. L. P. Schultze, Pomona, Cal. 



I asked Mr. Nicol, of Lake Chelan, Wash., 

 how he prepared skins, and he replied as 

 follows : 



"Put the dry skin in water to s<?ak, leave 



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