362 



RECREATION, 



nearly all the birds are driven to the non- 

 inhabited regions of the Northern United 

 States and Canada. In that country the 

 summer is so short that many birds which 

 would breed twice, farther South, can 

 breed only once. If their nests should be 

 destroyed the summer would be too short 

 for them to raise a second brood ; and thus 

 the number of young birds raised would 

 be materially decreased. 



A few years ago, when Minnesota's pro- 

 hibition of spring shooting went into effect, 

 I had exceptionally good opportunity to ob- 

 serve the effect of this law in Southern 

 Minneapolis. On one lake I found, in the 

 later part of August, by a careful estimate, 

 800 young redheads, raised on that lake. 

 There were also large numbers of blue- 

 wing teal, mallard, canvasback and pintail 

 ducks that had been on the lake ; but as 

 these kept more in hiding, it was not pos- 

 sible to make a definite estimate of their 

 number. The observing sportsmen of the 

 region were unanimous in the opinion that 

 if spring shooting had been permitted not 

 one-fourth the number of ducks would have 

 been raised in that region. 



In spring the birds are lean and unfit to 

 eat. Most of them are already mated and 

 the females are full of partially developed 

 eggs. To shoot birds in that condition is 

 as unsportsmanlike and as barbarous as to 

 shoot a doe that is with a fawn. 



Our game should remain as abundant as 

 agriculture will permit. If spring shooting 

 is prohibited the sportsman will be able to 

 secure a reasonable bag of birds, even if 

 he can not go after them more than a day 

 or 2. If spring shooting is allowed game 

 will become so scarce that only the wealthy 

 can afford to get any by going after it a 

 great distance. The prohibition of spring 

 shooting is a truly democratic measure, be- 

 cause the majority of people can not afford 

 to go hunting hundreds of miles and to 

 drop their daily work for weeks at a time. 

 Only market hunters and those allied with 

 them can possibly have any interest in the 

 repeal of the prohibition of spring shooting 

 in Wisconsin. It would be of only tempo- 

 rary benefit even to them, because this very 

 law they desire repealed would soon an- 

 nihilate their own trade. 



The strongest efforts should be made 

 and are being made by all true sportsmen 

 and true game protecting societies to pro- 

 hibit spring shooting everywhere. In the 

 Legislature of Minnesota the repeal of the 

 prohibition of spring shooting would not 

 receive a moment of serious consideration. 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana prohibit all 

 spring shooting, and Utah, Wyoming and 

 Colorado will pass laws to that effect this 

 session. While nearly all the States are 

 moving in the right direction, Wisconsin 

 should certainly not take such a fatal step 



in the wrong direction. Spring shooting 

 must be prohibited everywhere ! 



D. Lange, 



Supervisor of Nature Study, St. Paul Pub- 

 lic Schools. Chief Warden, Minnesota 

 Division L. A. S. 



THE GOLD RUSH AND THE GAME. 



I spent all summer in the mountains of 

 Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado, and trav- 

 eled 1,300 miles with pack horses in the 

 Thunder mountain mining district. It was 

 pitiful to see the slaughter of does and 

 fawns. About 5,000 men went into that 

 rush and every one carried a gun. The 

 district being 175 miles from railroads, it 

 was necessary to kill game for food, but 

 there were bucks enough for all. Does 

 were shot in June, and many tiny fawns 

 were left to starve. 



A doe accompanied by 2 fawns often 

 came to a spring near our camp on Monu- 

 mental creek. She had one front leg 

 broken off at the knee, the lower part 

 swinging, but she was faithfully looking 

 after her family. One evening, in camp in 

 heavy timber, I was playing the flute while 

 the boys sat before the fire, when out of 

 the darkness stepped a large doe. She came 

 within 15 feet of the fire. We drove her 

 back into the timber several times, but at 

 the first sound of the flute she would re- 

 turn. 



In Yellowstone park bears tore down our 

 tent and scattered our provisions, including 

 a sack of flour, all over the woods. We 

 chased one rascal up a tree ; then climbed 

 an adjoining tree and got a good snap at 

 him. The soldiers had previously killed 

 a large grizzly that persisted in tearing 

 down their mess tent. They fired a volley 

 of 30-40's, killing him instantly. Bear are 

 so plentiful in the park that there is talk 

 of killing the older ones. 



In Jackson's Hole the game wardens ar- 

 rested a fellow with 52 pairs of elk teeth 

 in his possession ; all from elk killed out 

 of season, for the teeth only. 



We carried 25-35 Winchester carbines 

 on account of their light weight, and suc- 

 ceeded in killing all the game we needed ; 

 yet as hunting arms, they are too small. 

 The lead used in the soft points is so soft 

 that it goes to pieces on impact. In every 

 case, the ball tore a large hole where it 

 entered, but lacked penetration. I shot a 

 buck in the rump ; the external wound was 

 the size of a teacup ; the ball penetrated 6 

 inches of flesh and stopped against the hip 

 joint, without injuring it. Only once have 

 I seen a 25-35 go through a deer. The 30- 

 30 is no better. The .303 and 30.40 are good 

 game guns, but the new 35 comes nearer 

 being what is wanted. Any old gun will 



