An Interesting Note by a 
California Sportsman 
WILD DUCKS CAN’T LIVE ON AIR 
In urging the necessity for restoration of marsh 
areas in California for use of wild waterfowl 
J. P. Cuein uses the following impressive state¬ 
ment in the San Francisco Examiner: “We have 
reached the stage now where we must do more 
than merely talk about providing breeding, feed¬ 
ing and resting grounds for our ducks and geese 
—we must act at once. Ducks can’t breed in the 
air, they can’t feed in the air and they can’t rest 
in the air, and we have passed the stage where 
we can count on badly overworked nature to as¬ 
sist the hunters. Some duck shooters seem to 
have the idea that without the restoration of 
marsh areas the present supply of ducks can be 
maintained, but this class of hunter has evidently 
given little thought to the subject. A few figures 
may enlighten them. Nine years ago there were 
174,291 hunting licenses issued in California. At 
that time there were 697,560 acres of marshland 
in the concentration points of the ducks in this 
state. At the present time there are more than 
253,000 hunters in California and the marsh area 
has been reduced to the insignificant size of 
77,000 acres. 
Here is an 
increase of 
more than 
78,000 hunt¬ 
ers and a de¬ 
crease in the 
duck grounds 
of 620,560 
acres.” What 
is true of 
California is 
true of every 
other state 
where water- 
fowl congre¬ 
gate. It is 
gratifying to 
find some of 
the states 
taking active 
steps to do 
something. 
1 
