FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



123 



game association will take care of the Vir- 

 ginia counties, but much of the spring 

 slaughter is done in Delaware and New 

 Jersey meadows bordering on the seacoast. 

 Henry E. Byrd, Temperanceville, Va. 



Why don't you and all other good sports- 

 men in Virginia join this League? It is 

 strange that you should call on us for aid 

 in amending your game laws when only a 

 handful of sportsmen in Virginia belong to 

 the League. I have spent hundreds of 

 dollars of my own money in trying to in- 

 duce Virginia sportsmen to join the League. 

 I could have written thousands of letters 

 to Virginians and have sent probably a ton 

 of printed matter into that State in the 

 interest of this League's work. Now you 

 come to me and want me to do more of 

 this, yet have failed to put in your dollar 

 toward it. Consistency is a jewel. Let me 

 see a sample of your money. — Editor. 



FOR OUR WILD CREATURES. 



It is sickening to read the daily ac- 

 counts we see of the ruthless waste of ani- 

 mal life by so-called sportsmen. Much as 

 I love field sports I have been so utterly 

 disgusted with the wanton slaughter 

 wrought under the name of sport, that I 

 have been tempted to sell my guns and wash 

 my hands of the whole business. Yet as that 

 would not aid in protecting the game I de- 

 termined to do what I could to save our 

 wild creatures and joined the League of 

 American Sportsmen. I hope every sports- 

 man in this country will do likewise. 



The L. A. S. is working to secure effec- 

 tive laws throughout the United States 

 and appoint capable wardens who will see 

 that they are enforced. We must all do 

 our part in the protection of game if we 

 expect to have any to hunt in the years to 

 come. The game butchers must not be per- 

 mitted to continue their high handed de- 

 struction of God's creatures, slaying every- 

 thing they can put to death just for the 

 sake of killing something. We are now 

 face to face with the fact that some species 

 of animals and birds that were created for 

 all to enjoy are being completely wiped out 

 of existence by thoughtless people. 



Through the efforts of the League I hope 

 we may see in a few years, instead of a 

 list of several extinct species of game, a 

 history only of the extinct game hog. The 

 best way to hasten that day is to re- 

 spond immediately, to the call of the L. A. 

 S, and enroll your name at once with the- 

 army that is to protect our wild creatures. 

 Orrin D. Bartlett, Arlington, N. Y. 



Ed C. Dieter and H. E. Maxson, who opened 

 the dove season near Fernando in the hills, had 

 a good shoot, both getting the limit. Dave Llew- 

 ehyn, Frank B. Harbert and 2 others were also 

 shooting. They killed 200 birds, all the law 

 allows for 4. There was a terrific cannonading 

 going on. 



The early train on the Santa Fe going out 

 toward El Monte will be used by a party who 

 expect to get the limit. Kent Kane and his party 

 are shooting at Etiwanda with every prospect of 

 getting the limit. Count Jaro von Schmidt and 

 several friends have been killing big bags of 

 doves. Good reports of sport at Gardena are 

 coming in, and those who opened the season 

 in that vicinity made limit killings in short time. 



I not only agree with you that the bag 

 limit on doves should be reduced, but I 

 go farther and claim, as I have frequently 

 said editorially, that the dove is not a 

 legitimate game bird and should not be 

 killed at any time. It is a beautiful and 

 harmless creature, too pretty and too inno- 

 cent to be regarded as game. Thousands 

 of the best sportsmen in the country agree 

 with me in this and there are few States 

 in the Union where sportsmen continue to 

 kill these birds. I hope to live to see the 

 time when the Legislatures of these few 

 States will pass laws prohibiting the killing 

 of doves at any time.— Editor. 



GAME NOTES. 

 I do not believe there is another spot in 

 the Rocky mountains where game is more 

 abundant than here. December 3, '99, W. 

 C. Stickly, Corporal Watson and I fel- 

 low-members of E troop, First U. S. Cav- 

 alry, left Fort Washakie for a morning's 

 shooting on the adjacent prairie. In half an 

 hour we killed 9 mallard ducks and a jack 

 rabbit weighing 18 pounds. At Bull lake, 

 30 miles North from the post, big game is 

 plentiful. While with a party in that 

 region I saw several mule deer, also ante- 

 lope, mountain sheep, and bear. Far- 

 ther up we succeeded in killing an 

 elk. At Bull lake we caught any num- 

 ber of mountain trout, and fresh water 

 ling. Six miles West of the post runs 

 Little Wind river. There . I once caught, 

 in less than 2 hours, 35 mountain trout 

 running from i { / 2 pounds up. Of course 

 one has to abide by the game law of the 

 State, arrtl that law is somewhat strict. 

 Each party must have its guide, and no 

 party is allowed to kill more than 2 elk 

 during a season. 



Clark J. Rainey, Fort Washakie, Wyo. 



DOVES SHOULD BE PROTECTED. 

 I enclose clipping from the Los Angeles 

 Herald. Do you not think the bag limit 

 should be reduced from 50 a day to 15? 

 C. I. Harlow, Danby, Cal. 



I am much interested in Recreation as 

 its sentiments about game hogs coincide 

 with mine. Game about here is scarce and 

 has been for 3 or 4 years. The true sports- 

 men of Ihe section appreciate a man who 

 has pluck enough to voice their sentiments 

 publicly, as you do. There is one thing 

 which I should like to bring to your at- 

 tention. A hunter will go through the 



