May I, 1909] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Stocking Indiana with Game Birds. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
For twelve years I have been engaged in an 
effort to propagate game birds in Indiana. I 
began by introducing the English ring-neck 
pheasant. I supplied a pair or trio to landown¬ 
ers who were interested, and during the year 
1899 distributed several hundred pairs through¬ 
out the State. This effort was attended with 
only a fair measure of success. Various causes 
worked against it; one was the close farming 
over most of the State; another the destruction 
of the birds wherever and whenever found by 
violators of the laws. Two years ago, on the 
reports of my deputies, and information ob¬ 
tained from others, I estimated that there were 
four or five thousand ring-neck pheasants run¬ 
ning wild in the State. 
I have imported a number of bobwhite, and 
they have thriven fairly well, but the deep 
snows and the severe cold are great enemies to 
little Bob, and there are no more quails in the 
State to-day than there were eight or ten years 
ago. 
Two years ago I conceived the idea that im¬ 
ported birds needed more protection than could 
be given them by a single land owner, and I en¬ 
deavored to organize game preserves consisting 
of not less than four thousand, nor more than 
ten thousand acres, lying as nearly in a square 
body as possible and well watered and sup¬ 
plied with food. 'I'he farmers were asked to 
sign a contract which read as follows; 
“We, the undersigned land owners and ten¬ 
ants, enter into an agreement to form a game 
preserve of our united lands lying adjacent to 
each other. We agree to allow no hunting 
upon this preserve for a period of four (4) 
years after it has been stocked with game by 
the game commissioner, except that land own¬ 
ers and lawful tenants may hunt rabbits and 
squirrels upon their own lands only. We 
further agree to report all violations to the 
game commissioner and will co-operate with 
him in all reasonable ways, for the protec¬ 
tion, propagation and preservation of the,birds 
that he may place upon this preserve.” 
At first the farmers looked Upon this measure 
with suspicion. They thought it a device f?f the 
Fish and Game Commission to entrap them in 
some way, and it was with difficulty that I 
could find communities where the land owners 
would sign up territory sufficient to form a 
preserve. I succeeded, however, in establishing 
twenty or thirty .such preserves in the State and. 
stocked them two years ago. This was suf¬ 
ficient to fully advise the farmers concerning 
the merits of the proposition. Applications im¬ 
mediately began to come in from all parts of 
the State, and I now have over a hundred game 
preserves well stocked with Hungarian par¬ 
tridges, numbering from forty to one hundred 
birds to each preserve, and I have an equal 
number of game preserves contracts on file 
awaiting future distributions. I find that stock¬ 
ing a game preserve invariably creates a senti¬ 
ment in favor of enforcing the law in the com¬ 
munity. T know of no better way to educate 
public sentiment than by placing a few game 
birds on a preserve. 
I append a few letters which I have received, 
which convey a fair idea of the general public 
sentiment of the State. 
From the Superintendent of the Indiana 
Foresti'}^ Reservation; 
Indiana Forestry Reservation, September 26, 1908.— 
I know that the birds have done well and multiplied, 
by the size of the coveys I see here. I see as many 
as six pheasants at a time and a large number of the 
Hungarian quail. Claytok Carter. 
From Hon. James Garrard; 
N'incennes, Ind., Sept. 4, 1908,—I have heard of sev¬ 
eral coveys of birds, and feel safe in saying that we 
have fifty to seventy-five birds. The farmers are pleased 
to have the birds. They report seeing them almost 
every day. We have a fine prospect for quail this 
season; seems to have been a good year for them. 
. James Garrard. 
From Hon. W. C. Duncan; 
Columbus, Ind., Sept., 3, 1908.—By your favor we 
turned loose in this preserve thirty-two, or sixteen 
pairs, of English ring-neck or Mongolian pheasants 
last spring, and have reason to feel encouraged with 
the result. Many nests were observed and numerous 
broods of young pheasants have been seen, and we 
have reason to believe that the beginning of the laying 
season next year we will find one hundred pairs of these 
fine birds nesting in Brown county. The placing of 
these birds aroused the greatest interest among the 
landowners, and was received with uniform good will, 
and we think it will give a general impetus to the, 
movement for the protection of all birds in the interest 
of added natural beauty to the country and great 
benefit to agriculture. W. C. Duncan. 
From Senator Wood; 
Lafayette, Ind., Sept. 8, 1908.—The number of par¬ 
tridges received alive was eighteen. I put them in the 
custody of Mr. D. B. Gushwa, of this county, who 
turned them loose this spring along the Wildcat. So 
far as we know, all of the old birds are alive, and 
Mr. Gushwa estimates that there are at least one 
hundred young ones. There is one covey containing 
twenty-five nearly full grown. These birds have the best 
of protection, and we feel highly gratified because of 
the increase that they have made. 
Will R. Wood. 
From the President of the Laporte Fish and 
Game Protective Association; 
La Porte, Ind., Sept. 7, 1908.—Senator Crumpacker 
received twelve Hungarian partridges and eight Mon¬ 
golian pheasants, which he turned over to me as 
president of the La Porte Association. I also received 
twenty Hungarian pheasants direct at a later date. 
One bird was dead when received and three were so 
badly injured that they died, leaving us thirty-six birds. 
These were all released on the game preserve. As near 
as I can learn, the bulk of the birds have remained 
within a mile of the place where they were liberated. 
These birds have apparently done very well this season. 
I should judge from the reports that are constantly 
coming in that there are as many as one hundred and 
fifty birds now. Fred R. Liddell. 
From Hon. H. G. Read; 
Tipton, Ind., Sept. 12, 1908.—The preserve was stocked 
with ring-necked pheasants last spring, there being lib¬ 
erated eight male and nine female birds. It is be¬ 
lieved that all the old birds are living, and the number 
of young is estimated at from 100 to 125. The birds 
seem healthy, and the farmers are much pleased to have 
them. The males are comparatively tame, and during 
the spring plowing follow quite near the plowman in 
search of food. H. G. Read. 
From ex-Senator Guthrie; 
Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 8, 1908.—They received seven 
males and twelve females of what they called the ring- 
neck pheasants. In turning them out they could not 
keep the location of all of them, but have seen four 
broods, and say they will average twelve young birds 
to each brood. The people in that vicinity are very 
much pleased, and will be pleased to co-operate with 
you in this enterprise. W. A. Guthrie. 
Not only is this game preserve idea popular 
697 
with the farmers because it gives them protec¬ 
tion from hunters, but it is also popular with 
the hunters themselves. They realize that the 
State can never place more than 5 per cent, of 
its territory under preserve restrictions, and 
that the preserve is only a center from which 
the birds will radiate over the entire commun¬ 
ity. The preserves are carefully posted with 
large cloth posters, arranged about a quarter 
of a mile apart, which reads as follows; 
“Game Preserve! No hunting allowed. Z. T. 
Sweeney, Commissioner.” 
I secured the passage, by the Legislature 
which has just closed its session, of a bill which 
makes it a fine of from twenty-five to one hun¬ 
dred dollars to shoot any of the birds which 
I have imported into Indiana for a period of 
six years. Also, to hunt or to attempt to hunt 
upon any game preserve in the State. The fol¬ 
lowing remarks from the editor of one of our 
leading daily newspapers illustrates the harmony 
existing between the hunters and the farmers 
and the unanimity which characterizes their ef¬ 
forts to assist in the propagating of game upon 
the game preserve; 
Huntington, Ind., April 10, 1909.—About March 20 the 
partridges separated into pairs, and they are now 
scattered over considerable territory. A telephone mes¬ 
sage to the men in the preserve brought the informa¬ 
tion that the birds are in splendid condition, and are 
being cared for during stormy weather. The sportsmen 
in this city have joined in with the farmers by pledging 
themselves to give all the aid possible in seeing thav 
the birds are protected the required time. They have 
volunteered to assist in prosecutions of any hunters 
that violate the rules of the preserve. I can assure y.ou 
that the people of that section will take every precau¬ 
tion to follow out the rules and instructions of the 
department. Morton Stults. 
Since the first of January, I have distributed 
more than 7,000 Hungarian partridges through¬ 
out the State, and the reports everywhere in¬ 
dicate that they are thriving and prospering. I 
think that the game preserve idea has solved 
the problem of propagating, not only imported 
game, but also the native birds as well. My 
last report contains full instructions for con¬ 
structing artificial shelter without any material 
cost. The burning of our brush piles, the.re¬ 
placing of the old worm fences with barb wire 
and other methods of “close farming” have de¬ 
prived our native birds of their natural shelter. 
As soon as artificial shelter is provided, they 
will, multiply and thrive as in former days. 
Z. T. Sweeney, 
Commissioner of Fisheries and Game, 
for Indiana. 
The Grease Enemy. 
Highland Mills, N. Y.—April 20 .—Editor 
Forest and Stream: I was very much interested 
in an article in your issue of April 17, entitled 
“The Grouse Enemy.” While aware that cer¬ 
tain hawks preyed upon the grouse when oppor¬ 
tunity offered, I did not know that they were 
as serious a factor in the destruction of the 
game bird as “B.” believes them to be, nor did 
I know that the hawk was easily trapped. As 
I have seen evidence of the destruction of not 
only grouse, but a good many chickens in this 
locality, I would be very much interested to 
learn what method “B.” uses in trapping hawks, 
as he certainly has been wonderfully successful. 
Any information “B.” will furnish on this 
subject will be very much appreciated. 
Chas. S. Wray 
