403 
FOREST AND STREAM 
}ilARCH 30, 1912 
Progress of the Hunting Season. 
The Secretary of Agriculture has received the 
following report from the Biological Survey on 
the condition of game during the past month : 
Continued cold weather during February has 
had a serious effect on game in many sections 
of the country and has affected the shipment of 
birds to a marked degree. Importations of quail 
from IMexico, which were frequent in the early 
part of the winter, have fallen off, and shipments 
of wildfowl to market have been delayed until 
milder weather. In Southern California a promi¬ 
nent ducking club in Orange county has secured 
the co-operation of most of the clubs in the 
vicinity in refraining from shooting after Feb. 
15 . This action, which might well be followed 
by clubs and sportsmen elsewhere, has had the 
effect of practically closing the season on wild¬ 
fowl in one of the most important ducking cen¬ 
ters in the State some weeks before the date 
fixed by law. 
The quail disease which was discovered in 
1907 has recently reappeared in a shipment of 
birds from the Southwest and has been reported 
from Connecticut. This disease is highly infec¬ 
tious and apt to spread rapidly among all birds 
exposed to it. Sportsmen and others interested 
in introducing quail should report promptly in 
case any of the birds they purchase die en route. 
'hhe hunting season practically closed on March 
I. even in the South. In some States the season 
nominally remains open a month or two longer, 
hut usually only for migratory birds. In a sea¬ 
son like this, when birds are returning north 
after a hard winter, sportsmen would do well 
not to take advantage of the privilege of hunt¬ 
ing in the spring. March i marked the closing 
of the season for sale of imported game in New 
York, and for hunting game in the following 
States: In Alabama, for squirrels, quail and 
doves; in Arkansas for quail; in California and 
Colorado for shore birds and waterfowl; in 
Florida and Georgia, for quail and wild turkeys; 
in Louisiana, for doves, woodcock, woodducks 
and black ducks; in Mississippi, for all game ex¬ 
cept turkeys; in many of the counties of North 
Carolina, for quail, turkeys, doves, larks and 
robins; in Oregon, for shore birds, rail, turkeys, 
doves, larks and robins; in Oregon for shore 
birds, rail, geese and swans; in South Carolina, 
for doves, willets and woodducks; in Tennessee, 
■for upland game birds and meadow larks; and 
in West Virginia, for snipe. 
Plans for propagation are now attracting at- 
itention. The supply of quail-as usual is entirely 
inadequate to meet the demand, and such birds 
as are now on the market are usually Mexican 
birds, ill adapted for Northern covers. Pheas¬ 
ants and partridges are being imported to some 
extent, but the latter bird is not as popular as 
it was two or three years ago. 
The game commission of Pennsylvania has re¬ 
cently secured some of the large deer from 
Northern Michigan for liberation. The elk in 
Jackson Hole have thus far wintered well and 
comparatively few deaths even among the calves 
have been reported. Hay in abundance is being 
fed both by Federal and State authorities. The 
department has arranged for the transfer of 
several small herds of elk to suitable localities 
in adjoining States with a view to reintroduc¬ 
ing elk in several of the Western States where 
they were formerly abundant. Shipments have 
already been made to National forests in South 
Dakota and Utah, and others will follow shortly 
to National reservations in Oregon, hlontana 
and Oklahoma. The plans for 1912 contemplate 
the transfer of small herds from Jackson Hole 
to suitable localities in six of the Western States. 
One new National bird reservation, comprising 
a small island near the mouth of Green Bay, 
Wisconsin, was established by executive order 
on Feb. 21 . 
In nine of the Eastern States whose Legisla¬ 
tures are now in session, interest is concentrated 
on the measures under consideration for secur¬ 
ing greater protection to the game. A bill pro¬ 
viding a resident license in South Carolina has 
failed, as has also a measure providing for the 
establishment of a State game warden or com¬ 
missioner in Mississippi. The bill removing the 
robin from the game list in Virginia and giving 
it protection throughout the year has passed both 
Houses of the Legislature and was approved on 
Feb. 29 . Game commission bills are attracting 
considerable attention in Kentucky and Virginia, 
and the codification bill in New York is perhaps 
the most important game measure under con¬ 
sideration in that State. Bills providing for the 
New York system of tagging game have been 
introduced in ^Massachusetts and New Jersey. 
Crane Lake Preserve Sold. 
Bloomington, Ill., March 23.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: A party of Chicagoans, headed by 
H. C. Lytton, have purchased from Chauncey 
Powers and his brothers, Thomas and Frank, the 
famous Crane Lake game and fishing preserve, 
located in Mason county. The preserve com¬ 
prises a tract of 1,515 acres and is located near 
the Illinois River opposite Beardstown. The 
Powers brothers purchased the tract in 1899 . 
They erected a comfortable lodge and have em¬ 
ployed wardens to look after the property. Tres¬ 
passing has been frequent and many clashes 
occurred between the wardens and irresponsible 
hunters and fishermen who disputed the owner¬ 
ship of the Powers to the marsh and lake. Al¬ 
though the owners have always been successful 
in various court proceedings in dealing with 
these trespassers, they finally tired of the warfare. 
Crane Lake preserve has long been famed,as 
a duck and goose resort. Corn was cultivated 
on the preserves, and as it was never harvested, 
it furnished food for the birds in the fall and 
spring. The owners discouraged spring shoot¬ 
ing and never molested the birds on their North¬ 
ern flights. In addition, a portion of Crane 
Lake was reserved, and no shooting permitted 
upon that section. The birds appeared to recog¬ 
nize the protective order, and what were thought 
to be the same flocks appeared at the resort each 
spring and fall for many years. Crane Lake was 
noted as a feeding ground for wild geese, and 
at some portions of the season thousands fed 
there. Possession has been given to the new 
owners, and they will make certain alterations : 
and otherwise improve the property. The club’ ! i 
house will be enlarged and preparations made 1 
for occupancy when the Northern flight o’f birds ! 
cofnmences. ! 
The second round-up arranged by the sports- i 
men and farmers of Menard county to destroy ! 
the wolves, which have infested that locality, ■ 
took place this week, but like its predecessor i 
was fruitless. A wolf and a fox were sighted, 
but both escaped after a long run. 
All game wardens of Illinois have been in¬ 
structed to secure the membership of sportsmen 
of their vicinity in a proposed State game club, ^ 
the object being to co-operate with the State ’ 
Game Commission in protecting and propagating : 
game and assist in the prosecution of those who -I 
violate the law. It is desired to form a State . ; 
association and later organize county branches. ' 
Due to the unusual amount of snow in Central • i 
Illinois this winter, ski running has become popu- S 
lar, and a large number have participated in the : 
sport. 
Does a game warden require a license to hunt? | 
This question has arisen in Central Illinois, , 
charges being filed with the State civil service 1 
commission that Joseph Wimmer, of Barry, a i 
deputy game warden, has been hunting without ; 
a permit. So far as known, wardens have never 
been required to take out a license. 
Milder weather attracted a few ducks to the 1 
feeding grounds of the Illinois River this week. 
The spring flight this season is the latest in 
years. Mallards and sprigs are the most nu¬ 
merous. E. E. Pierson. 
Virginia Game Laws. | 
Richmond, Va., March 23.— Editor Forest and | 
Stream: The Virginia Legislature convened on 
Jan. 9 and adjourned on March 9 . 
The Virginia Audubon Society’s legislative i 
committee, not being satisfied with several meas¬ 
ures which provided for the establishment of a 
State game commissioner with a resident and 
non-resident hunters’ license tax. drafted a bill, 
following as nearly as possible the Alabama game 
laws. 
Jennings C. Wise, who is an attorney and a 
well-known sportsman and game protectionist, 
was put in charge of the measure, and with the 
assistance of the other officers and members 
of the Virginia Audubon Society, got the meas¬ 
ure through the State Senate and only lacked 
six votes of having a two-thirds majority in the 
House. Had the measure been two days earlier 
in getting to the House before its dying hours 
and the two-thirds majority rule not needed to 
dispense with the constitutional reading, it would 
have passed this session. 
Those who fought for the measure with Mr. 
Wise feel highly encouraged, and never before 
have Virginia sportsmen had a more striking , 
illustration of the worth of such organizations 
as the National Association of Audubon Socie¬ 
ties and the American Game Protective and 
Propagation Association, both of which assisted 
with money and also had their officers come here , 
and present the real need of Virginia game pro¬ 
tection to members of the Assembly. 
Already a movement has started under the 
auspices of the Virginia Audubon Society which 
will be engineered by IMr. Wise, practically as¬ 
suring the passage of the measure twm years 
hence. M. D. Hart. d 
'y* 4»i 
