FOREST AND STREAM 
464 
small game is increased and conserved. But in 
spite of these facts, in point of protection, every¬ 
thing has been subordinated to the deer. 
One feature of deer protection has made the 
hunting of vermin with the fox dog a serious 
risk—namely, liability to a fine of one hundred 
dollars or the possibility of having one’s dog shot 
by the game warden, if found on the track of a 
deer. The hunting dog having been thus practi¬ 
cally withdrawn, there has resulted a marked in¬ 
crease in vermin—the fox, lynx, etc. It is here 
that we find deer protection a menace to game 
birds, since vermin are their natural enemy when 
young and unable to fly. Of what help is it to 
have a closed season on birds if at the time when 
they most need protection they are, as a matter 
of fact, exposed to an ever-increasing number of 
their foe? But that is not the limit of the in¬ 
justice. In addition ito the indirect protection 
thus afforded vermin, some New England states 
have set a closed season on the skunk, coon, 
mink and fox. 
An occasional change, usually forced by practi¬ 
cal necessity, indicates the need of thorough-go¬ 
ing reform. For example, Vermont, having rec¬ 
ognized the devastation effected by the lynx, has 
moved to take the bounty off bear in order to in¬ 
crease it upon the' ,ynx. Massachusetts has 
already found her deer-protection policy too ex¬ 
pensive. Under .a recent statute, property owners 
may shoot, or give permission that deer be shot 
when they are' doing or threatening damage. But 
it is time for more positive effort. Why should 
we not co-ordinate our game laws as much as 
possible to the end that great areas of New Eng¬ 
land be-restocked with small game? No other 
single measure would do-more untimately to pro¬ 
tect small game than the reduction of game de¬ 
stroying vermin. And nothing else would make 
for that more effectively and quickly than the 
removal of present restrictions upon the use of 
hunting dogs. Deer would still receive the pro¬ 
tection of the closed season, with the possibility 
of injury from dogs constantly lessening; for it 
stands to reason that no hunter would allow his 
dogs to run game he could not shoot. Further, 
there is the possibility of training dogs in a com¬ 
paratively short time so that they would not run 
deer at all. 
In any event, the present policy is wrong. On 
the one hand, we have the menace to birds occa¬ 
sioned by direct protection of vermin in the in¬ 
terests of an insignificant fur trade. On the 
other hand, we have that solid sport which should 
be the privilege of all who wish to engage in it 
sacrificed to a few pseudo-romantic deer hunters. 
The plain fact is, in our section of the country 
where there should be an abundance of small 
game for everybody there is practically none—far 
less than in other countries centuries and cen¬ 
turies older than our own. Why not honestly 
face the evils of our present short-sighted policy, 
so evidently the child of arm-chair hunters and 
pink-tea enthusiasts, and seek at least to make 
future game legislation democratic rather than 
strictly commercial—or in the interests of a 
sentimental minority? And why not have such 
legislation now? 
ANSON O. HOWARD. 
WISCONSIN TO HAVE ELK HERD. 
Through the activities of Congressman J. J. 
Esch of La Crosse and State Game Warden John 
A. Sholts, Wisconsin is to have a herd of elk 
assigned to its state forest preserve by' Secretary 
Lane of the department of the interior. The 
elk wi 1 be taken from the big. Yellowstone Park 
herd, which has, been zealously guarded by the 
Government to keep the species from becoming- 
extinct. A 2,000-acre tract has been set aside in 
the Wisconsin forest tract as a game preserve. 
MIDLAND BEACH FISHING CLUB. 
The annual tournament of the Midland Beach 
Fishing Club was held September 20, 1914, and 
is the last tournament that will be held by any 
of the Surf Casting Clubs in the vicinity of 
New York this year. 
Dr. Carleton Simon again added to his 1914 
epoch surf casting record by sending the notch 
a trifle higher in making a new record for long 
distance and for an average of five consecutive 
casts- In the Open Event he made a cast of 
349 feet 1% inches, and in five consecutive casts 
an average of 31 feet 1 1-5 inches. 
Thus at the close of the 1914 casting season Dr. 
Simon has established and has to bis credit four 
world’s records, viz: 
349 feet 1V2 inches for the longest cast. 
318 feet 1 inch for the longest cast in a 30 
foot lane. 
306 feet 1 9-10 inches for an average of five 
consecutive casts in a V shaped lane. 
331 feet 1 1-5 inches for an average of five 
consecutive casts in open field. 
All of these casts were made with four ounce 
lead on turf officially and accurately measured 
and in competition. 
LE ROY KURTZ, Secretary. 
GETTING A GOOD HABIT. 
Philadelphia, April 26, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Enclosed please find $3 as per bill rendered. I 
became acquainted with your publication over 30 
years ago, got the habit and never tried to break 
it. To an ex-country boy Forest and Stream, 
each week, has helped to smooth off the rough 
edges of city life and remind one of well-spent 
hours out of doors. Aside from some typo¬ 
graphical mixups I think it is quite as good now 
as ever—surely I could not say more in praise 
of a clean outdoor journal. 
W. H. EDDY. 
He Tempted Me and I Did Sell. 
