94 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 19, 1907. 
Propagating Game Birds in Illinois. 
Illinois, the grand old State of the Middle 
West, that has for years offered magnificent 
duck,’ prairie chicken and quail shooting, now 
that its natural preserves have became im¬ 
paired, again comes to the front and leads 
many other States in the Union in the propa¬ 
gation of game birds. The entire credit for 
this condition of affairs is due to the pro¬ 
gressive leadership and wise management o 
Dr. John A. Wheeler, the State Game Com¬ 
missioner. Since his appointment seveia 
vears ago, he has been instrumental in secur¬ 
ing the adoption of much important legisla¬ 
tion for the protection of game, and has revo¬ 
lutionized the workings of the department 
until it has become a model of its Kind. 
Scarcely a day passes but that outside States 
ask for information concerning the workings 
of the Commission. . , 
A competent organization has been effected 
throughout the State, vigilant wardens now 
patrol every county, and the activity of these 
officers in arresting violators of the law has 
had even more far-reaching results than had 
been hoped for. 
Many delegations from sister States have 
visited’ the remarkable propagating farm in 
Sangamon county, near Auburn, where nearly 
five thousand of the most beautiful varieties of 
quail, prairie chickens, partridges, pheasants, 
turkeys, geese, ducks and other game birds are 
on exhibition. 
On the farm of 215 acres leased by the State, 
the Commission is engaged in raising these 
birds for distribution to every county of t-he 
State, and among farmers who will promise 
to feed them and otherwise to aid in their in¬ 
crease. The work commenced two years ago 
on a small scale, and without any blowing of 
horns, owing to Dr. Wffieeler’s modest meth¬ 
ods and the uncertainty of results, has now 
grown to extensive proportions. 
Each year thousands of birds and also eggs 
will be distributed, and it is confidently be¬ 
lieved that in a few years not only will quail 
and prairie chickens be found as numerous as 
in days gone by, when the pioneer first blazed 
his way through the wilderness, but that the 
gaudily colored ring’-necked Mongolian pheas¬ 
ants will be as numerous. The efforts of the 
department in propagating these handsome 
birds have been successful beyond anticipa¬ 
tions. They are verv hardy, and very 'prolific, 
laying about forty eggs annually, and given 
reasonable protection, will, it is believed, in¬ 
crease rapidly at this rate. Dr. Wheeler bases 
his deductions on the remarkable increase of 
the bi-rds in Oregon. Twenty years ago they 
were unknown there, until Charles Denby, 
Minister to China, imported twenty pairs of 
the birds and liberated them in Oregon. They 
have increased until there are now millions, 
a record of one day’s shooting during the open 
season recently showing that 50,000 were killed 
by sportsmen. 
Dr. Wheeler has at the game preserves 1,000 
laying pheasant hens, and will keep these birds 
especially for their eggs. Next year he will 
introduce a new plan of propagation. Instead 
of the birds, he will send a setting of eggs to 
any farmer who will promise to place them 
under a hen of the ordinary poultry variety, 
and then liberate the young pheasants upon the 
fields or in adjacent timber. He believes that 
the farmers who raise the birds from the eggs 
will naturally take greater interest in their de¬ 
velopment and assist them to maturity, when 
they will be able to take care of themselves 
and then commence to rear families of their 
own. By distributing 20,000 eggs a year and 
also many thousands of the young birds raised 
on the State preserves, he hopes soon to in¬ 
crease the game in Illinois beyond what it ever 
has been. _ 
The State preserve furnished an interesting 
sight for the visitor. Hundreds of individual 
coops are distributed in long rows, each coop 
containing a hen and a setting of eggs. There 
is a square wire-covered runway for the birds 
after hatching period. After a series of ex¬ 
periments, Dr. Wheeler has found that the 
bantam buff cochin was the best species of 
poultry to raise the young quail and pheas¬ 
ants. He secured a large number of these 
birds, and they hatched a considerable propor¬ 
tion of the young quail and pheasants distrib¬ 
uted during the past year. 
From a small beginning, these game pre¬ 
serves have grown to be the most extensri 
of any in the world. In addition to the hur 
dreds of small coops, there are an equally larg 
number of breeding pens, 8 by 12 feet in siz 
in which the birds are confined while develo] 
ing. They are especially adapted to the wi 
and timorous nature of many of the specie 
giving them hiding places upon the approac 
of strangers. 
While it is posible that other varieties w 
be given some attention, the efforts of the d 
partment will be principally centered upon tl 
propagation of the English and Chinese rin 
necked pheasants. There are six varieties 
these birds, as follows: Golden, silver, Lai 
Amherst, Swinhoe, Japanese, and Reeves. T. 
first two will be given the most attention. / 
are magnificent birds of rgrely beautif 
plumage. There are also six varieties of qu; 
upon the farm, comprising the native 
White, the Alabama Bob White, Mexican bit 
California valley, California mountain pa 
ridge, and the Hungarian partridge. T 
native quail and those imported from t 
south will be given the preference in the prc 
agation. The Mexican blue quail is a.hai: 
some bird, the head being surmounted by 
top-knot, while the odd bluish tint makes the 
very noticeable. 
Among the rare birds on the preserves £ 
three fine specimens of the Hungarian cap' 
cailzie, a very large black grouse. They 
habit the pine forests of Europe, and but f 
of them have been brought to the Unit 
States. The English black game is anotll 
imported bird that Dr. Wheeler is experime 
ing with. The male is black with a ly 
shaped tail. The southern quail have be 
very successfully raised and have multipl 
numerously wherever distributed. 
Dr. Wheeler has found the three great 
sentials to the successful propagation of ga 
birds to be cleanliness, plenty of water a 
plenty of feed. The birds on the State p 
serve are fed twice a day, but never more tl 
they will eat up cleanly. There is no dan; 
in over-feeding, but to insure perfect heal 
they must have plenty to eat. Oats, Kal 
corn, sorghum, buckwheat and millet is j 
food used. The Illinois farmers have b 
asked to sow buckwheat and millet in 
corners and out-of-the-way places of tl 
fields to furnish food through the winter ; 
summer to the birds. A little thoughtfuln 
in this direction will save the lives of th 
sands of birds annually. Illinois has set a p 
for the propagation of game that will be dl 
cult for other States to follow. 
Michigan’s Wolf Nuisance. 
A press dispatch to the New York Tit 
dated at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Jan. 4, says 
“Charles H. Chapman, State Game War 
has written to the Russian Minister at Wash 
ton asking under what conditions he may ini 
Siberian wolf hounds. He wants them to 
him rid Michigan of wolves. Warden Chap 
has used every method he can devise to drivel 
the destructive pests, but they seem to mulll 
far more rapidly than they can be killed. I 
State’s offer of $40 a head for wolves has broil 
in thousands of pelts, but still the vicious I 
mals roam the woods and pastures, killing tl 
sands of sheep and deer and other animals. 
“So much has been said regarding the rem 
able ability of the Siberian wolf hounds to 
terminate wolves in badly infested territc 
that Mr. Chapman believes that a few of thet 
Michigan would save thousands of dollars 
farmers and prevent the total exterminatioi 
deer.” 
ENGLISH AND CHINESE PHEASANTS FEEDING TOGETHER ON THE ILLINOIS PROPAGATING FARM. 
