FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



367 



TWELVE HEAD OF SMALL GAME THE 

 LIMIT. 



I greatly admire your fearless methods, 

 and it gives me pleasure when you rebuke 

 men for their wanton killing of game. 

 Have been afield when opportunity offered, 

 more than 30 years, and consider one doz?n 

 head of small game the limit a day for any 

 true sportsman. My largest bag was ] \ 

 quails, made in '78, and not since then have 

 I bagged as many as 12 birds in any one 

 day. 



If every boy fond of the gun would read 

 Recreation there would be more real 

 sportsmen at the end of 5 years than this 

 country can now hope for. 



If more men would but be thankful for 

 the privilege of roaming the woods and 

 fields, and not think it is all of hunting to 

 kill game, they would be the better and 

 game would increase. If they would study 

 the habits of our wild birds and animals 

 it would greatly lessen the desire to kill. 

 The growing love for the camera, in place 

 of the gun for hunting, is a sign that may 

 well give us hope for the future. 



During a visit to my old home in New 

 Jersey, in July last, I took a walk to my 

 favorite meadow. In 2 hours 27 species of 

 birds were seen, among them being a pair 

 of woodcock. Quails were piping all about 

 the village, and I have recently learned they 

 are plentiful now. 



The market hunter is a scourge in any 

 community, and the only remedy is to stop 

 the sale of game everywhere and repeal 

 the laws allowing spring shooting. By re- 

 moving these 2 evils, game would soon be 

 plentiful. Keep up your good work of flay- 

 ing the bristlebacks. 



E. H. Goodnough, N. Y. City. 



FOR A LATER SEASON. 



December Recreation contains an article 

 by W. H. Tallett, of Watertown, N. Y., 

 advocating a close season of 2 years on 

 black and gray squirrels, grouse and wood- 

 cock. He closes by saying, "the average 

 representative at Albany is satisfied with 

 his job. He wants to go back. If 200 or 

 300 sportsmen write him, that is different. 

 He may need those votes next fall. The 

 sportsmen of each county could control 

 their representatives ; but they never will 

 as long as there are so many 2-cent sports- 

 men." Conceding this to be true, would 

 that mend the matter? Last winter our 

 representatives from Chautauqua county got 

 a bill through to prohibit the shipment of 

 ruffed grouse out of the county. The bill 

 was vetoed by the Governor, thus leaving 

 our grouse swine free to continue the 

 slaughter. 



I can substantiate the statements of C. 

 B. W., of Utica, N. Y., relating to the kill- 



ing of deer in the Adirondacks during close 

 season. From observation 1 am of opinion 

 that fully as many deer are killed during 

 close season in the Adirondacks as during 

 the open season. The President of the Fen- 

 ton Preserve says there were more deer 

 killed after the close season in 1901 in Her- 

 kimer county than were killed lawfully. I 

 doubt not that such will prove the case in 

 1903, for the reason that there was little 

 snow during the open season. Therefore 

 many will have waited to bag their deer on 

 snow, when it can be done in less time and 

 the venison kept till they can consume it. 1 

 consider our present game laws, in trying 

 to force all the killing in warm weather, 

 the main incentive for much violation of 

 law. T. J. F., Jamestown, N. Y. 



FROM OVER THE BOEDER. 



You ought to be proud of your mag- 

 azine, as it seems to have roused those who 

 are fond of shooting and fishing, as well as 

 those who take an interest in our birds and 

 fishes, to take up seriously the question of 

 their protection. As forests are cleared 

 and land cultivation increases, many birds 

 lose their protective covers and offer a 

 greater and easier temptation to greedy 

 shooters. 



In the United States the game laws are 

 different in each State, and are more diffi- 

 cult to enforce than if there were one gen- 

 eral law for the whole country. In Canada 

 our game laws are slightly different in each 

 Province, but are better observed apparent- 

 ly than in the States. In Ontario our game 

 is well protected and violations are few. 

 We have no publication such as yours to 

 encourage us to keep up to the mark or 

 to air our views. We are a law abiding 

 people ; there are not many game hoge, 

 though there are a few sneaks. Their dep- 

 redations are confined to remote and limit- 

 ed localities and do not" greatly disturb 

 the general increase of game. 



As for fishing, except with nets, there are 

 no large catches to be had in the bass 

 haunts ; and the unpreserved trout streams 

 are far away from home, which renders it a 

 difficult matter to bring fish home from a 

 fishing trip. I congratulate you on your 

 manly undertaking to promote the preser- 

 vation and to decry the wanton destruction 

 of game of all kinds in your part of Ameri- 

 ca. You are making your influence fell 

 from Florida to Maine; and that you will 

 ultimately succeed I do not doubt. 



C. O. D., London, Ont. 



DOES GATES BELONG IN THE PEN' 

 'Enclosed I hand you clipping from the 



Los Angeles Record of February 10, which 



speaks for itself. 



John W. Gates, the millionaire barb-wire fence 



