168 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Feb. 28, 1903. 
than 12,000 deer are annually killed in the Province. A 
few years will determine whether the natural increase of 
these heautiful animals will equal the demand, without 
further legislative restrictions. The past open season for 
moose and caribou, being the first open season — with one 
exception — for these animals for many years in the 
Frovince. I am glad to say that many of those taking 
advantage of the open season succeeded in securing very 
fine heads; the Dominion Express Company report hav- 
ing carried 40. Indians and settlers in unorganized dis- 
tricts being allowed to kill one moose each for their own 
use during the open season, would no doubt increase the 
number killed to at least 100. Many of those successful 
njport killing moose in close proximity to railway or 
water transportation facilities, and with little work or 
trouble, nearly all of the moose hunting being done on 
the mere fringe of the moose grounds of the Province, 
few of the hunters going far enough back to caribou 
grounds. With the completion of the various railways 
under construction, in connection with the present facili- 
ties, moose can be procured with less expense and trouble 
in Ontario than in any other portion of the great Ameri- 
can continent. 
The Game Commission is badly handicapped in the 
protection of thf: king of all game animals, to which the 
following lines have been so aptly written: 
TO Ills LORDSHIP. 
Deep in the silent forest where oft I've chanced to roam, 
The monarch moose inhabits, it is his woodland home; 
T?y silent lake at morning, by calm at night. 
Majestic stands his lordship, stands motionless in sight; 
The north wind to him is music, the tall pines are his friends, 
The rivers madly rushing o'er the rocks and round the bends, 
Seem to him a heavenly blessing, seem to him the work above, 
Of a kind and thoughtful father, and His beings lie doth love. 
The Government kindly allows Indians and settlers, as 
before stated, living in unorganized districts of territory, 
to kill game at all seasons, for their own use. Instead of 
this leniency having the desired and intended effect of 
benefitting their families, it has resulted, with few excep- 
tions, in creating a worthless class of loafing poachers 
whose services are utilized by unscrupulous owners o* 
timber camps, and hotel keepers, to supply them with ille- 
gal game. There is not much satisfaction in sending In- 
dians and half-breeds to jail. The fines for illegal posses- 
sion are so light that owners of camps can well afford to 
pay fines and continue to feed their men on moose meat 
instead of beef. While Northern Ontario, with its im- 
mense stretch of woods, lakes and rivers, its invigorating 
and bracing c'imate, seems to have been specially pro- 
vided by an all-wise Creator to be a breathing place for 
the inhabitants of the pent up and overcrowded cities and 
towns of the United States and the Dominion, I regret to 
say that manj' of the so-called tourists to whom the privi- 
lege of enjoying this great health-giving country are so 
fieely extended are a disgrace to the country from which 
they emanate. Several cases were reported to me by 
deputy wardens during the past tourist season of finding 
many carcasses of both moose and deer that had been shot 
in sheer wantonness and spirit of destruction, no portion 
of them being taken or utilized by those doing the miser- 
able and illegal work. I allude to this matter at some 
length for the purpose of procuring the active assist- 
ance of all respectable tourists in suppressing such van- 
dalism in the interests of all concerned. If in conse- 
quence of the abuse of these privileges more restrictive 
measures become necessary, those obeying the laws wiil 
be punished to the same extent as those causing further 
restrictions. The p'lhibiting of tourists and guides hav- 
ing firearms in the woods during close seasons and mak- 
ing it imperative for all guides to be licensed will be the 
most effective. 
■Wolves. 
One hundred and eighty-one wolves were killed during 
the past year in Ontario at a cost to the Government and 
municipalities of $2,715. The $15 bounty, I trust, will be 
effective in the near future of ridding the Province of 
these destructive pests, with the exception of the extreme 
northern portion of it. 
Acclimating Foreign Game Birds. 
The more consideration I have given this matter the 
less sanguine I become. English and Mongolian pheas- 
ants may be well adapted for private preserves, where 
they can be fed during the winter. The fact of them be- 
ing ground feeders, and to some extent semi-domesti- 
cated, makes it impossible for them to become a factor in 
the game supply on public lands. Pheasants would have 
a poor chance in farming districts depleted of woods; in 
fact, pheasants require similar grounds to those suitable 
for wild turkeys. Wild turkeys some years ago were 
found in large numbers in western Ontario. They have 
disappeared with the woods, and so would the pheasants. 
The experiments with capercailzie and black game in 
Maine have not been successful. No other game birds 
can be introduced, suitable to our climate, that will com- 
pare with our ruffed grouse and quail, and certainly no 
other game birds so able to take care of themselves. But 
even these hardy birds cannot hold their own in the fight 
with nature in her angry moods. A severe winter with 
the snow crusted or an unusual wet and cold breeding 
season these pluclcy birds are unable to contend with. It 
seems to me we should pay more attention to the material 
we have suitable to our respective countries than to 
waste time and money on foreign birds. 
I am not aware that the propagation in captivity of our 
native game birds has been undertaken to any large ex- 
tent or in an itUelligent way. I am not sure this can be 
done to any large extent, but feel convinced that the es- 
tablishment of quail breeding farms on a large and intel- 
ligent plan would do much to insure a supply of breeding 
stock after bad breeding seasons, and be a prolific source 
of profit to those engaging therein. K Tiksley. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
K Tak^ inventory of the good things in this issue 
K of Forest and Stream. Recall what a fund was 
5 given last week. Count on what is to come next S 
K week. Was there ever in all the world a more ^ 
^ abunilant weekly store of sportsmen's reading? ^ 
Horrible Destruction of Duck Egg. 
Certain of the daily newspapers of Chicago were yes- 
terday very much exercised over the story which 
comes from St. Paul, where some fifty earnest young 
men have been meeting with the purpose of saving the 
American game. The chief feature of this story, and 
that which most worked up the daily press of this city, 
was the report made by Dr. Harry Lee, of Chicago, to 
the effect that the destruction of the ducks of the en- 
tire Northwest was threatened by reason of certain 
nefarious practices of Chicago and other sportsmen 
who annually go into that country with the deliberate 
purpose of collecting duck eggs. The dispatch states 
that these gentlemen bring back duck eggs from the 
Northwest in all sorts of packages, it being even stated 
from one source that suit cases are sometimes used for 
this purpose. "These men, for the most part," states 
the dispatch, "are disguised as traveling photographers, 
and their camera cases are used for carrying the eggs. 
One of the gang, the smoothest and most successful, 
travels as an evangelist, and makes Devil's Lake and 
Sweetwater Lake his headquarters, lie inquires so- 
licitously after the spiritual welfare of the farmers, 
and, like his companions, is armed with a fake camera. 
This, when filled, he takes to the railroad depot, where 
the eggs are shipped to Chicago, labeled 'negatives, 
handle with care.' " 
Methinks that not since the days of Chops and 
Tomato Sauce has anything so startling as this come 
to the notice of the public. It is to be regretted that 
we are not advised what use is made here in Chicago 
of these illicit duck eggs surreptitiously removed from 
the far Northwest. Are they perchance used for the 
purposes of albumen, or are they devoted to the ignoble 
function of the omelet in these days of high-priced 
hen products? We should be glad to have further in- 
formation upon this head. I trust there is no truth in 
the report that Chicago sportsmen, evangelical or 
otherwise, are in the habit of carrying eggs in their 
suit cases, at least at the time said cases are occupied 
by their evening or other clothes. I am sure that the 
leaders of society in this city will indignantly repudiate 
this assertion. 
Illinois Game Law. 
Mention has been made of the different game law 
bills presented at the present session of the Illinois 
Legislature. Of these, that introduced by Mr. Wheeler 
on Jan. 21, has been printed and referred to committee, 
and seems as likely as arty others to become a law in 
part or in whole. It is not known who franted this 
bill, but Representative Castle is represented to be in 
favor of it, and as Mr. Castle is known to be a sports- 
man, it is possible that he has had something to do 
with some of the suggestions. This bill, as one or 
more introduced earlier in the session, makes an open 
date on woodcock and doves on the first day of Sep- 
tember. This means no woodcock for Illinois, and 
some shooters oppose it for this reason. The matter 
would seem unimportant, as that particular bird cuts 
small figure here. The chicken date, Sept. i, nominated 
in this bill is the one which is apt to prevail in Illinois. 
The writer would be glad to see all upland shooting 
begin in this State on Oct. i, but one is apt to be a 
good deal older before he does see this state of aft'airs. 
A very bad feature of the Wheeler bill is that it 
offers one or two loopholes. For instance. Section I, 
relative to wildfowl, says it shall be unlawful to hunt 
any wildfowl, "except coot or mud hen," between sun- 
set and sunrise, or to hunt any wildfowl, "except coot 
or mud hen" at any time between the 15th day of April 
and the 1st day of September. Of course, to any 
thinking sportsman acquainted with the practical con- 
ditions of the country, it would be obvious that this 
means to have no duck law whatever. The man \Vho 
will hunt coot or mud hen all through the summer and 
far into the night is apt to shoot almost anything else 
which comes his way. This is the worst feature of the 
Wheeler bill. 
There is to offset this blunder the very wise pro- 
vision of Section 2, which includes wild ducks and all 
other wildfowl in the clause which prohibits the sale 
of Illinois game. Of course this does not prohibit the 
sale of game from other States, and of course also a 
good deal of Illinois game will sneak in under cover of 
other States; yet we have never before stopped the 
sale of ducks in Illinois. So much for the outcry raised 
over the Powers boys' butchery on their private marsh. 
There is little doubt that they have done sportsmen a 
good turn in thus beginning the movement to stop the 
sale of ducks in this State. 
The Wheeler bill advances some good law when it 
declares in Section 11 that the "ownership of and title 
to all wild game and birds in the State of Illinois is 
hereby declared to be in the State," etc. This may be 
hard doctrine for the gentleman who has been in the 
habit of believing that the wild game and birds be- 
longed to himself whenever and however he could get 
them. 
This bill provides for a State Game Commissioner 
under salary. It further provides for ten game wardens 
to be appointed by the commissioner, under approval 
of the Governor, who shall have no employment or 
business except that of their warden's duties, and 
who shall be appointed "for efficient service only, re- 
gardless of political influence." This sounds very ideal. 
In addition to this executive staff of the game warden, 
a deputy warden is to be appointed for each county. 
This part of the law is wise, practical and good. We 
need a bigger and stronger executive arm for the eti- 
forcement of our laws. A poor law well enforced, is 
better than a good law left unenforced. 
Of course this system of paid wardens implies the 
principle of hunting licenses. Section 25 of this bill 
makes it obligatory for any resident of Illinois who 
shoots in the field to take out a shooting license which 
will cost him $1. All non-residents will pay a license of 
$10. This law appeals to some of those who consider 
it class Iegislatir>n to chartre a Qon-re§id?iit license 
unless a resident license is charged. The discrepancy 
between the prices of the two is something which we 
do not hear mentioned in this objection of discrimination. 
I think it hardly need be said that if the $1 shooting 
Hcense clause remains in the bill, it will certainly fail 
of passage in the Illinois Legislature. Country mem-' 
hers will hardly dare vote for that $1 shooting license. 
It would set too heavily on that well-known factor in 
game legislation known as the "poor country boy." 
The quail season provided in this bill runs from Nov. 
I to Dec. I, and I believe that it is wise in so far as 
it stops the quail season at Dec. i, which is the closing 
date on other sorts of game. A more ideal quail law 
from the sportsman's standpoint would be one begin- 
ning Nov. 15 and ending Dec. 15. There is much vir- 
tue, however, in uniform shooting dates. If we cannot 
have a shooting season of thirty days in the fall, or 
sixty days, then let us confine it to ninety days; and 
I think a few years later we shall not regret having 
done so, even if we do curtail a few of the pleasures in 
one or other of our favorite forms of field shooting. 
Most of this comment has been advanced earlier in dis- 
cussion of our outlook in legislation. 
It is not known at this writing just what chance the 
Wheeler bill has of passage, but the impression here 
is that it is as well backed as any. I have written Mr. 
Castle, urging his immediate attention to the clause in 
regard to coots and mud hens, which surely ought not 
to be left in any game bill. In one or two particulars, 
as may be seen by reference to the above, this is a 
loophole law, and as such faulty and deplorable; but 
perhaps it is rot yet too late to mend one or two of 
these loopholes. The measure repeals the game laws 
of 1889, 1885, iSpij i899> and all amendments to these 
laws made at its date from 1885 to the present. It 
would therefore, if passed, represent the game law of 
this State. Upon the whole it would be a distinct ad- 
vance over any game law we have ever yet had. It 
does not dare to come out and recommend the abolish- 
ment of spring shooting, but closes the season on 
wildfowl April 15, and on the plover family and snipe 
April 25. 
Wisconsin Fish Laws. 
Feb. 14. — Wisconsin is discussing all sorts of things 
in regard to the game and fish laws in the present ses- 
sion of the Legislature. The market fishing element 
is well represented. Another sort of fishing is also repre- 
sented in a bill which would permit the use of nets for 
catching carp, suckers, etc. It is true that the net 
must be "used in the presence of a warden," and that,, 
under the terms of the bill, any game fish found in the 
net would have to be "returned to the water." As it 
happens, I have in a late issue of the Forest and 
Stream mentioned one instance of how a precisely 
similar law would and did work in Illinois. The fine 
specimens of game fish do not always find their way 
back to the water, but to the table of certain interested 
parties of more or less political pull. I venture the 
assertion that this might be the case in Wisconsin. It 
would be impossible for all the wardens in the State o) 
Wisconsin to watch one-tenth of the nets which would 
be put in operation under the terms of this law. It 
is a loophole law, the same as no law at aU. 
Another matter taken up in Wisconsin by this Leg- 
islature is the question of our friend the carp. It seems 
that Dr. Bartlett, Mr. Ravenal, of the U. S. Fish 
Commission; Mr. Lydell, of Michigan, and other ex- 
perts are quoted in friendly terms as to this much-hated 
nuisance of our Western waters. Dr. Bartlett's warm 
personal friendship for the carp is too well known to 
need repetition, but these are his words, quoted to 
members of the Wisconsin Legislature: "Small sun- 
fish and minnows I have found do more to destroy 
young bass than anything else in the world. I took 
occasion when carp were first brought upon the mar- 
ket to be present while hundreds of carp were opened, 
to see if I could find in their stomachs anything which 
would indicate that they took the fry or spawn of other 
fish. I cannot say that I have never found the spawn 
of other fish in their stomachs, but when I have found 
such spawn it has been of such nature as led me to 
believe that it was such as floated to the surface of the 
water, and that the carp took them in in that sucking 
motion that it has going around on the surface of the 
water. The voracious habits of the black bass requires 
a large quantity of coarse fish as food, and I believe 
as firmly as I am standing here that had the carp not 
been introduced in the State of Illinois that the bass 
would have been gradually taken out entirely from our 
list. As it is now, I want to repeat the statement that 
we have more black bass than ever, and our carp 
certainly have increased in a greater ratio than ever 
before." 
The Wisconsin anglers will do well not to be misled 
by these enthusiastic and apparently well grounded 
statements of Dr. Bartlett. It is not the case that we 
have more bass all over the State of Illinois than we 
had before the introduction of the carp. The contrary 
i? true. This fish has nearly ruined the bass fishing in 
such streams as the Kankakee and other tributaries. 
The black bass are perhaps more abundant than ever 
along the Illinois River, and some of the lakes and 
bayous of that district. This fact is due to the continual 
seining and planting of young bass, and not to the 
presence of the carp themselves, as can easily be seen, 
and as Dr. Bartlett ought to be shrewd enough to guess 
without aid or suggestion from an outsider. The simple 
truth is that this imported nuisance will ruin our 
streams and ruin the fishing unless eventually ineas- 
ures are taken to counteract the destruction which it 
creates. As to its eating spawn of game fish, that is not 
the charge laid against it. The charge is that it rnulti- 
plies from its own spawn so rapidly that it practically 
takes possession of a stream. Swarms of these scav- 
engers keep a bass stream continually stirred up, mud- 
dy, roily and distasteful, so that the game fish simply 
leave it as completely as though their spawn were eaten 
up. The habits of the carp are more hke those of a 
hog than of a fish. We don't need him, and we don't 
want him, and Wisconsin will do mighty well to do 
everything to keep the carp out of her streams, and 
not tP tolerate the thought of its ever being: introduced 
