BY TIIE WAYSIDE 
35 
year as the semi-annual migrations 
took the birds out of the state wherein 
this species of “ protection ” was 
granted. 
Needless to say, such a course was 
worse than no protection at all, and the 
one possible good that it can now do is 
to prevent other states from following a 
like course. From a consideration of 
the problem of Statutory Protection 
and of past experiences, the following 
are evident deductions. All spring and 
summer shooting must be stopped, and 
a closed season for a term of years is 
often not only desirable, but imperative 
to prevent the extermination of individ- 
ual species or even groups of species. 
All birds whose flesh is not eatable or 
whose carcass does not afford more 
than a tidbit should be declared non¬ 
game birds and should be absolutely 
protected at all times. Furthermore the 
sale of game birds, and the possession, 
sale, and importation of the bodies or 
parts of bodies, plumage, nests and 
eggs of all non-game and absolutely 
protected game birds should be forbid¬ 
den except for legitimate scientific pur- 
j poses. 
Provision for the establishment of 
sanctuaries, that is the reservation of 
lands on which all forms of life may 
multiply unhindered and unmolested, 
should be made. The methods of hunt- 
•> 
ing, the issuance of licenses, the number 
fj 
of birds which may be lawfully taken 
in a given time are all subjects which 
! the legislatures may properally deal 
with and have dealt with. Above 
r all, if the past means anything, it means 
that scanty and vacillating protection 
are of no avail. If need for protection 
arises, it is always better to give the 
species in question the benefit of the 
doubt. For a species once extinct can¬ 
not be brought back to life; in fact the 
case is not unlike the truism that a 
scrambled egg cannot be unscrambled. 
But the cardinal point in the matter 
of Statutory Protection is that all laws 
are effective only to the extent to which 
they are enforced. So, too, a state may 
have the very acme of game legislation, 
but the whole is worse than unrestrain¬ 
ed slaughter unless these law's have the 
hearty support of the citizens and of 
the officials whose duty it is to enforce 
them. Wisconsin has achieved much 
in legislation and in the enforcement of 
the enacted laws. Let us strive to the 
end that we may have an even better 
set of statutes and a much better com¬ 
pliance and enforcement. 
OUR ATTITUDE 
While the Wisconsin Audubon So¬ 
ciety has always striven for the 
enactment of good legislation for 
the regulation of hunting and the pro¬ 
tection of game, that has not been its 
chief aim. We have believed and be¬ 
lieve today that a person can get more 
real pleasure in studying wild life alive 
than by hunting it. Furthermore, w r e 
have realized how acute the present cri¬ 
sis is and have advocated the same 
measures which enlighted sportsmen 
have, for of a necessity our present avi¬ 
fauna must be conserved if future gen¬ 
erations are to enjoy it. Hence it is 
that we have often supported the pro¬ 
jects of hunters even though we con¬ 
demn hunting. 
