90 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 29, 1905. 
were all true sportsmen. If we could eliminate the ele- 
ment of selfishness, it would be very easy to save our 
fast disappearing game, but it is the old story of selfish- 
ness. 
Prohibiting the sale of game was a hard blow to the 
market gunner and practically put him out of business, 
and also has saved many thousands of birds that would 
otherwise have been shot for the market. If our sports- 
men friends of the South would give the migratory birds 
a close season during a part of their winter sojourn with 
them it would be of mutual benefit to the sportsmen of 
both North and South, as they could send us more birds 
in the spring and we could return them more in the fall. 
We know there are a great many true sportsmen in the 
South as well as in the North who^ are not so selfish as 
to wish to see the birds exterminated, either in this gen- 
eration or the generations to follow. The influence of 
Forest and Stream against the sale of our game birds 
and the founding of the Audubon Society for the pro- 
tection of our song and insectivorous birds has beep the 
salvation of a large multitude of our feathered friends. 
George L. Brown. 
Boston, Mass. 
Game Protection and the F rmer. 
The year book of the Department of Agriculture for 
1904 contains a paper by Dr. T. S. Palmer on some 
benefits the farmer may derive from game protection. Of 
the direct financial returns from the game Dr. Palmer 
writes: 
“That the game on the farm has a money value is 
not always recognized, or, if so, seldom receives due 
consideration. Rabbits, quail, grouse, and other game 
taken during the open season afford not only an im- 
portant addition to the table, but may save consider- 
able expenditure for other meat. The value of this 
game is, therefore, not merely the small amount it 
would bring in cash or in provisions at the country 
store, but rather what it saves in the cost of other 
meats; and it is greatly to the advantage of the land- 
owner to utilize the game upon his own table instead 
of disposing of it at the store. It is true that without 
game laws a small number of rabbits, quail, or other 
resident game might be retained on a farm of sufficient 
extent. But on many farms the stock would soon be 
depleted, and in the case of migratory game adequate 
protection both northward and southward is necessary 
to enable anyone to secure birds in abundance, and 
this protection can be had only through the medium 
of State laws. 
“Under some circumstances the game on the farm 
may be made to yield a higher cash return by utilizing 
it in other ways than for market or for the table. In 
the case of quail, dead birds are worth from $i to $3 
a dozen, but live birds for propagating purposes may 
easily be sold at $5 a dozen. In fact, m 1904 the de- 
mand for live quail was so great that some sales were 
effected at $10 a dozen, and even at this rate the supply 
was entirely inadequate. With the increasing scarcity 
of game it is more than probable that the demand for 
birds for restocking covers will show a steady increase. 
At present a supply of from 100,000 to 200,000 a year 
would probably be required to meet needs for this 
purpose; and there is no apparent reason why this de- 
mand should not greatly increase in the future. Still 
better prices may be obtained by the farmer if instead 
of selling the dead game for market or disposing of 
the live birds for propagating purposes he will lease 
hunting privileges on his farm. These privileges may 
be rented by the day or by the season, and may be 
accompanied with charges for board and lodgmg, the 
use of a team, or the time of a boy to act as guide, and 
will thus net a very profitable return. If the number of 
birds killed be limited, to prevent the stock from being 
permanently reduced, such leases may be continued al- 
most indefinitely. 
Indirect Benefits. 
“Reference has just been made to the demand for 
game for propagation. With the increase in private 
preserves and game protective associations it is probable 
that such demands will be greatly extended in the 
future, not only in the case of quail, but of oth^ birds 
as well. The raising of game birds in captivity has not 
yet been reduced to a practical basis in this county, 
except in the case of pheasants, but that such will be 
the result of experiments now being made is scarcely 
open to question. In a few cases quail, prairie chickens, 
mallards, wood ducks, and wild geese have been satis- 
factorily propagated, and during the past season, in at 
least one instance, ruffed grouse were successfully raised 
in captivity. It is claimed by those who have experi- 
mented along this line that prairie chickens and pheas- 
ants can be raised with no more trouble or loss than 
turkeys. When methods have been perfected so that 
some certainty will attend such efforts the rnembers of 
the farmer’s family may find in this branch of game 
protection a new and profitable source of income. 
With pheasants ranging in price from' $3 to lj)l 5 or lt>20 
per pair and wood ducks from $15 to $25 per pan it 
would seem that even with the special care required 
better returns might be received than from ordinary 
investments in poultry raising. _ 1 r 1 
“Indirectly the systematic protection of game and hsh 
m.av be the means of developing resources which will 
ereatly benefit the farmer. Visitors who come to hunt, 
fish or spend their vacations not only bring consider- 
able sums of money into the State, but furnish employ- 
ment of various kinds. They require board and lodging 
which can often be had in country homes to the ad- 
vantage of the boarder as well as the owner Their 
presence may also provide increased home markets for 
noultrv ' eggs, butter, milk, and other farm products 
Ind may render possible the maintenance of improved 
railroad and telephone service in outlying districts. A 
striking illustration of these conditions rnay be found 
in the case of Maine. In 1904 the license fees collected 
from non-residents who visited the State tO' hunt big 
game amounted to $25,365. TJie reports shew that 
I 042 guides were registered, who were employed al- 
tAi^ether 87,785 days, and earned at a fair estimate $3.50 
pef day, or a^total of $307,247.50. Two years ago the 
commission of inland fisheries and game made a care- 
ful investigation of thg nurnber of non-residents who 
visited Maine outside of the seaside resorts and the 
amount of money which they spent in the State. These 
figures showed that in the summer of 1902 the number 
of non-resident visitors was 133,885, that their presence 
gave employment to 1,401 men and boys, and to 2,564 
women and girls, whose wages amounted to $267,934. 
The amount spent for railroad fares and incidental ex- 
penses was not reported, but the expenditures for 
board alone amounted to $1,371,201. The permanent 
financial benefits thus derived by the State from non- 
resident travel has been summarized by Senator W. P. 
Frye, as follows: 
“ Tn all times of business depressions and distress, 
financial panics and consequent unemployment of labor, 
so seriously affecting the country, the State of Maine 
has suffered much less than any other State in the 
American Union, mostly, if not entirely, due to the 
large amount of money left with us by the fisherman, 
the summer tourist, and the fall hunter. — the seeker after 
change, rest, and recreation.’ 
Some Practical Illustratiocs. 
“Several plans have been devised for bringing farmers 
into closer touch with sportsmen and increasing the 
practical benefits which the former may derive from 
impartial enforcement of the game laws. Of these 
plans three may be mentioned to illustrate the different 
methods of reaping the benefits of game protection. 
Illinois. 
“Under the name of the Rockford Township Farmers’ 
Association an organization was effected in 1901 in 
northern Illinois for the purpose of mutual protection 
against indiscriminate hunting on farms owned or 
rented by the members. The constitution and by-laws 
are very simple. By one of the by-laws each member 
is required tO' post notices in five or more conspicuous 
places on his land prohibiting hunting or trespassing, 
and by another to interview any person found hunting 
on the premises whenever it is possible, and in case 
such person persists in hunting after being warned, to 
go before the nearest justice of the peace and cause a 
warrant for trespass to be issued against the offender. 
Each member retains the right to grant to any person 
the privilege of hunting on his farm in his company, 
and undertakes to promote the strict enforcement of 
the game laws of the State. 
“The association has now been in existence for four 
years and numbers about 75 members. It has had under 
its care from 12,000 to 15,000 acres of rich farming land 
lying north of the town of Rockford, 111 . This land is 
rolling prairie planted in wheat, corn, oats, and 
orchards. The association has been remarkably suc- 
cessful in carrying out its objects. Unauthorized hunt- 
ing has been stopped, not only on the farms, but also 
along the highways. Prairie chickens and quail are 
increasing in numbers and non-game birds are abundant. 
The members are personally interested in the increase 
of game birds on their premises, and guard their bevies 
of quail with jealous care. As an instance of this feel- 
ing it may be stated that one of the members, on being 
asked whether game was increasing on his place, 
replied that he now had a large bevy of quail, 
and added that he valued them so highly as in- 
sect destroyers that he could better afford to have his 
chickens killed than his quail. 
“At the outset some trouble was experienced in hav- 
ing the lands properly posted. Difficulty was also en- 
countered in apprehending and convicting trespassers 
on account of the time the complainant had to take from 
his work in case of an arrest, and the additional dis- 
couragement caused by frequent failure to convict or 
small fines. In 1899 a provision was incorporated in the 
Illinois game law imposing a fine of from $3 to $15 for 
hunting with dog or gun on the lands of another with- 
out permission. It also became the duty of the game 
wardens to enforce this law. Each county in the State 
has a game warden, and with the telephone system now 
extended in all directions from Rockford the members 
can communicate at a moment’s notice with the local 
warden. Convictions have been secured with more 
certainty, and these have had a beneficial influence in 
deterring illegal hunting. The change in the law has 
required less active work on the part of the members 
in posting their lands and following up offenders, but 
it has enabled the association to carry out iffi objects 
so much more effectively that the members feel that 
they have a personal interest in the game law and are 
heartily in sympathy with a strict enforcement of its 
provisions. 
North Carolina. 
“The North Carolina laws prohibiting shooting on 
another person’s land .without permission of the owner, 
to which reference has already been made, were first 
enacted in the latter part of the eighteenth century. 
Not until recently, however, have the full benefits of 
these laws been realized. Within the past fifteen years 
a system of leasing has been inaugurated, which seems 
to meet with considerable favor, as it secures to the 
owner a substantial financial benefit. These leases have 
been most numerous in the north central part of the 
State, in the counties of Davidson, Eorsyth, Guilford, 
Moore, and Randolph. It will be sufficient, by way of 
illustration, to describe the system as applied in Guil- 
ford county. The county comprises 680 square miles, 
a little more than one-half the area of Rhode Island. 
It contains two important towns, Greensboro and High- 
point, and its total population in .1900 was about 40,000. 
The farms average about 100 to 200 acres in extent. 
The principal crops raised are wheat, corn, cotton, fruit 
and vegetables. Quail and rabbits 'abound nearly every- 
where; in fact, quail are probably more abundant in 
this part of the State than in any._ other section of the 
country east of the Mississippi -River. This condition 
is due in part to the present .state of agriculture and 
the acreage in woodland or thick^, which furnishes ex- 
cellent cover for the birds. _ At ;|?Tesent about 150,000 
acres, or more than one-third tHe'" area of the county, 
are under ' lease for private' .ga^e' preserves. These 
preserves do not interfere in any way with the cultiva- 
tion of the land or the rights of individuals. In most 
cases they have not resulted in the restriction of the 
ownership of the land to a few persons, nor has there 
been any attempt to restore the lan4 to its original wild 
condition; but, on the contrary, every encouragenient 
is given for its cultivation, while in sonie cases cowpeas 
are freely distributed by the lessees for the purpose of 
improving the soil and at the same time affording better 
food for the birds. These preserves vary in size from 
a few hundred to 12,000 or 15,000 acres each. They are 
sometimes controlled by one or two individuals, though 
more frequently by several persons associated together 
for the purpose. Comparatively little land is bought, 
but nearly all is held under lease. An arangement is 
entered intO' whereby the owners of adjoining farms 
agree to permit no hunting on their land, except by 
the lessee or his friends during the open season, and 
the lessee either makes a cash return for the hunting 
privilege or agrees to pay all taxes on the property. 
The ordinary tax rate outside of the towns averages 
about 7 cents per acre, and the amount paid for rentals 
varies from 5 to 10 cents. Some leases are good for 
only one year, others for five or ten years, with the 
privilege of renewal. 
In the case of one' of the earliest of these preserves, 
near Highpoint, the lessee owns no land, but leases 
nearly 12,000 acres on a cash basis, and his annual dis- 
bursements for rental alone reach $1,200. More than 
one-third of the total real-estate tax of the county out- 
side of the towns is now paid by hunting leases, and, in 
some cases, in which a special township school tax has 
been imposed, this is also paid by the lessees. In other 
words, the farmers, by merely keeping trespassers off 
their lands and joining their neighbors in leasing the 
hunting privileges to certain individuals or associations, 
are relieved entirely from their real-estate taxes or re- 
cei'vfe an equally large or even a larger amount in cash 
each year. Sometimes the lessees hunt very little or 
perhaps not at all during the season, in which cases 
the owners may for .a year or more enjoy immunity 
from hunting as well as from taxation. 
“The satisfactory working of the North Carolina plan 
will doubtless cause it to, be adopted in other States. 
As a simple and comprehensive method of meeting the 
conditions resulting from the ever-increasing number 
of hunters and the growing scarcity of game it has much 
in its favor. It has the advantage of permitting the 
sportsman to enjoy his favorite pursuit, at the same 
time protecting the game from excessive slaughter, and 
it relieves the farmer from the annoyances to which he 
is often subjected by unprincipled or inconsiderate 
hunters. Finally, it brings a substantial return to the 
owner for the use of the hunting privileges of his land, 
and thus equalizes the obligations between the farmer 
and the sportsman.’’ 
In the Northern Adirondachs. 
It was in the fall of 1904 that three hopeful hunters , 
started on an overland trip for the great park region | 
of the Adirondacks, in quest of deer and incidentally i 
any other game that might be found in that region. | 
The party consisted of Owen Johnson, Frank Wilder \ 
and the writer. j 
We established our camp some 10 miles north of j 
Loon Lake. Deer were quite numerous, but the hunt- ; 
ing was difficult, owing to the dryness of the woods. 1 
Fortune did not faVor our efforts to any great extent | 
for the first few days, although Owen did succeed in 
killing one deer. The next day was election, and proved 
to be a lively one for me. I did not run for office, 
but I did run for deer. About two inches of snow ' 
fell during the night, and only a hunter knows -what 
possibilities it brings. I was first to discover the snow, . 
and rousing the others, hastily prepared for the hunt.'i 
Taking a small lunch and making sure I had plenty of . 
cartridges for my repeater, I started out alone for 
whatever luck might come my way. The weather was 
ideal; high clouds hung thick overhead, effectually i 
shutting out the sun and the temperature just above 
freezing, made a fine tracking snow, and not a breath 
of wind stirring. Traveling a southwesterly course, I 
had gone about a mile from camp when I sighted a 
large deer, which, having seen me first, was making' 
for cover at a lively rate. I immediately formed a 
resolution to capture that identical animal, or follow; 
him until night and started to carry it out. I had heard' 
that a man will out-travel a deer in an all-day race. ■ 
Taking the track I found, my game had made a bold 
run for about a mile, nearly straightaway before halting , 
in a dense growth of underbrush, out of which I heard 
him hastily depart at my approach. Different tactics 
were now adopted by him, and I was obliged to keep 
close on, his trail, which purposely led under large' 
clumps of evergreens that had caught the snow, leaving; 
no track. This trick was easily met by rounding the 
whole bunch and taking the track where he came out.i 
Many were the dodges this wily old chap tried in 
order to lose himself, a favorite one being to back-^ 
track himself for a short distance then make a tremen-j 
dous leap sidewise, into a clump of bushes or a large, 
patch of grass. But after about three hours of thi.s, 
cross-tag, evidences of fatigue began to show in his 
signs, and I caught an occasional glimpse of his fine 
figure as he would take a fresh start always now from 
his nest. He would make a run and gain on me, walk 
a short distance and then lie down with his eyes on his 
back track. Resting as long as he dare, 4 ,. he would 
leap about ten feet direct from his nest. This race was 
kept up until about i o’clock, when I saw an oppor-; 
tunity of outwitting my game by anticipating his hiding 
place and half-circling him, forcing him from cover; 
across a meadow, where I hoped to get a fair shot. | 
Not having fired before, my- plan worked and he came’ 
from cover like a rocket, making for the heavy timber 
across the meadow. My repeater spoke three times,; 
the last shot bringing -him ‘down just as he was enter-'- 
ing the timber on the other side. _ I was very glad 
the chase was over, and discovered it had warmed me 
up somewhat, and that my, lunch was small indeed, i 
Preparing my game ■ and- hanging him up consumed 
nearly an- hour. It then suddenly dawned upon me that 
I had been traveling without consulting my compass,; 
which I now discovered had been left in camp. How-j 
ever, not knowing the direction to camp, the com- 
pass would not have been .-of use. How was I to gel; 
back that night? Only one way— back-track myself. 
After traveling for about a mde, I was making a 
