Oct. 26, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
527 
Shooting Conditions in United States 
and Canada 
Compiled by W. G. BEECROFT 
A FTER a careful canvass of game and fish commissioners and wardens, we are able to give the 
following data on the actual conditions throughout the country. The object of this summary 
is to enable Forest and Stream readers to select their shooting territory with a thorough 
knowledge of possibilities after the season has opened. Space in this issue compels briefness, but 
the complete reports from those in authority will be published in later issues as space permits. 
It is mighty interesting reading, explaining as it does, reasons for game conditions as they 
now are found. Any reader desiring details as to town, hotels, etc., in territory herein described 
may obtain same by writing Information Department, Forest and Stream. 
splash, a low “Honk" and a single goose dropped 
into the cove. 1 stood up and killed her as she 
rose against the silvery sky. Twice more this 
happened, though the second time two Canadas 
came to bag. Then I heard the hoarse clamor 
of a big bunch of geese as they came in from 
the sea to feed. The noise grew louder and 
louder as the birds came into view. As they 
approached they came down out of the air, set 
their wings on the further edge, and started to 
sail over the water for the decoys. I was plan¬ 
ning how many I could get with my two guns, 
the “eight” and the “twelve,” when “Mike," who 
could stand the strain no longer, leaped over the 
front of the stand toward the approaching fowl. 
The noise was deafening as the frightened birds 
turned to escape, and all I killed was one big 
gander, which had come too close before my 
canine companion put in an appearance. 
The old dog certainly deserved a whipping, 
but I didn't have the heart to administer it after 
his faithful retrieving of the other birds. He 
had been at the club for many years and had 
never before been guilty of such actions. 
It was a pretty sight to see him after a 
wounded duck. When the bird dove he would 
paddle around where the duck had gone down 
to pounce on him the instant the tip of his bill 
appeared. He was a wonderful swimmer, had in 
his younger days swam down a wing-tipped swan 
in broken ice, and one day when Jesse Waterfield 
had sailed over to Cedar Island,' leaving “Mike,” 
as he thought, tied up, the old dog swam the 
three miles after his master. 
After the catastrophe I had several more 
shots at singles, pairs and once at a bunch of 
five, out of which I killed three. When the flight 
stopped I had thirteen of the big fellows set up 
on stick to help out the decoys. I had heard' 
several shots from Cooper, and as he didn’t seem 
to be coming, I sat back in the stand and dozed 
off. I woke with a start. It was as dark as 
a pocket and the moon had disappeared. There 
were no heavy clouds in the sky, and for a few 
minutes I tried to puzzle it out. Then it occurred 
to me that there was an eclipse of the moon 
due that night. The “plash” of a paddle sounded 
and Howard pushed ashore. He had six geese 
in the skiff which, together with mine, made a 
pretty respectable bag. The moon came out again 
to view our luck before we reached the landing, 
and it was a tired pair that it lighted up the old 
plank walk to the club house. 
VIII. 
It was the rule to determine the choice of 
points, guides and dogs for the following morn¬ 
ing by cutting the cards the evening before. 
Once I cut with Leroy Davis, the president of 
the club, and “Old Bob” Smith, the clerk of the 
county court. Davis tried first and got a queen. 
“Old Bob” caught a king and I topped them both 
with an ace. I also won choice of guides and 
took Howard, reserving choice of points till 
morning. Davis had choice of dogs and took 
“Old Mike.” In the morning the wind was to 
the southwest, and on Howard’s advice I chose 
South Point, as great strings of redheads had 
been trading through the pass between this point 
and Cedar Island. I made this decision rather 
against my will, as the day before I had killed 
the first “canvas” of the season at Gordon’s 
(Continued on page 546.) 
Alabama. 
BY JOHN H. WALLACE, JR., STATE GAME AND FISH 
COMMISSIONER. 
Alabama has always been a great game State. 
Deer are found in more than fifty counties. 
These animals are fairly abundant along the 
rivers in the southern portion of the State. 
Black bear occur in the counties of Baldwin, 
Mobile, Washington and Clarke. 
Wild turkey have been seen within the last 
year in all of our counties. 
Squirrels are to be found everywhere. 
Doves are quite plentiful. 
Duck shooting is fine along the rivers and 
in the bays. 
Wild goose shooting is enjoyed in the Ten¬ 
nessee River that 'runs through the northern por¬ 
tion of Alabama. 
A few woodcock are killed each year. 
Snipe and plover, during the spring, are very 
abundant. 
The most popular game bird of Alabama is 
C. K. CRANSTON, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER, 
OREGON. 
the quail. These birds are found in great abund¬ 
ance in every section of the State. 
Arizona. 
BY CHAS. M. BLEDSOE, MARSHAL. 
The northern part of Arizona being moun¬ 
tainous, bear, deer and turkey are plentiful. 
Mountain lion, timber wolves and bobcats 
are too plentiful for the stock interests of the 
country. 
Quail, dove and white wings are very plen¬ 
tiful in the southern part. 
Delaware. 
BY EDW. G. BRADFORD, JR., BOARD OF GAME AND FISH 
COMMISSIONERS. 
I am happy to report that game conditions are 
more favorable this season than for years past, 
there being a great abundance of quail, rabbits 
and other game in Kent and Sussex counties and 
particularly in Sussex. 
Our new board of game and fish commis¬ 
sioners, which has only been in existence a little 
over a year, has done much already, and I am 
confident will do much more in the immediate 
future in the way of securing greater abundance 
of game and better sport for our own as well 
as visiting gunners. 
Georgia. 
BY J. E. MERCER, COMMISSIONER. 
Never in the history of the State have game 
birds been so numerous, particularly quail. For 
two seasons past the hatching conditions have 
been ideal. 
Ducks are plentiful along the coast, but they 
come in spasmodic flights, and the sport is often 
disappointing on that account. 
Deer are not numerous except on the islands 
of the coast, although some deer may be found 
in almost every county in the State. 
Wild turkey are plentiful in some of the 
swamps in South Georgia. 
The wire grass section of Southern Georgia 
is now the greatest quail shooting field in the 
Union, the quantity of game and the forest con¬ 
ditions considered. 
Indiana. 
BY MABEL WHTSNER, SECRETARY TO GEO. W. MILES, 
COMMISSIONER. 
The condition of the game in our State is 
very good. We have quail in abundance. The 
