BULLETIN NUMBER FIVE 
185 
As agencies of slaughter increase in a 300 per cent ratio, 
the shields thrown around the vanishing game must be 
increased to the same extent. In the states west of the 
Mississippi River the one answer to the automobile, the 
pump gun, and the automatic gun, is the complete stoppage 
of all killing of sage grouse, pinnated grouse, sharp-tailed 
and Franklin grouse, and quail, for six years from March 
1, 1917. By the expiration of that period, if any upland 
game birds have shown a great increase, and a renewal of 
shooting is justifiable, then the only basis on which a re¬ 
opening of shooting would be safe, sane or justifiable, 
would be: 
1. A total open season of two weeks only; 
2. A bag limit of 2 grouse per day, or 4 quail; 
3. No use of pump or automatic guns in hunting, and 
4. No use of automobiles in hunting. 
It is barely possible that these four principles honestly 
observed would, when the upland game has recovered suffi¬ 
ciently, be sufficient to insure that only the natural increase 
of birds would each year be killed, and the seed stock be 
placed on a continuing basis. 
Are the American people big enough and resolute enough 
thus really to conserve their game, and provide for legiti¬ 
mate sport on Oj permanent basis? Are they now ready to 
put the hunting of upland game birds on a recreational 
basis, or do they wish it to remain on a meat basis? 
We await the answer of the western states. 
SEVERITY OF HUNTING CONDITIONS. 
Thus far not one state has stopped the shooting of sage 
grouse. In Canada, Manitoba has done so; and almost ev¬ 
erywhere in Canada the use of automatic guns is prohibited. 
In the United States the trail of the machine-gun serpent 
is over us all save in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Idaho. 
Existing conditions are, in the main, fearfully hard on 
the sage grouse, the sharp-tailed and other grouse; though 
