February, 1918 
F O R E S T A N 1) STREAM 
93 
A DISGRACE TO THE NATION 
HE only place in the whole United States where the 
sale of a'll kinds of game birds is now LEGAL is 
the District of Columbia. 
All of the States and Territories forbid the unre¬ 
stricted sale of native wild game birds and almost uni¬ 
versally forbid the exportation of game to be sold else¬ 
where. 
The reasons for this position are obvious, for game 
birds have great aesthetic, economic and food value, and 
have been diminishing in numbers at an alarming rate 
under a custom that permitted their indiscriminate 
slaughter and sale; and wherever such unlimited de¬ 
struction and sale have been ended an increase in game 
has regularly followed. .Along with other States, those 
relatively -close.'fo-the District of Columbia have enacted 
conservation legislation, but in the practical absence of 
its enforcement, the-full measure of benefit has not fol¬ 
lowed, since it is from these sections, Maryland and 
Virginia especially, that most of the game birds sold in 
Washington come and not from the District itself where 
almost no game birds exist or stop in migration and al¬ 
most no. shooting is permitted. 
The solution of the .problem is easy and evident, for 
with a rigidly enforced law prohibiting the sale of game 
in the District of , Columbia, exportation of game to this 
market from other States would cease at once and a 
corresponding decrease iii game killing in these States 
would occur with a commensurate increase in game. 
Moreover, if only for the sake of consistency and ex¬ 
ample, legislation of this sort should be enacted for the 
District, under the absolute control of the Federal 
Government. 
No hardship to any set of citizens could follow such 
legislation because the pot hunter now plies his nefarious 
trade in violation of the principles of conservation and 
since the general adoption of laws prohibiting export of 
game for sale, he is necessarily a violator of the law and 
deserves no more consideration than any other law¬ 
breaker. 
Nor should it remain within the power of those willing 
to buy wild game at prices entirely out of proportion to 
its vakre as food, to promote lawlessness and the pro¬ 
gressive destruction of the game supply yet remaining. 
THE DOG AND THE DEER 
HERE are still many of the older class of sports¬ 
men in the South and Middle West that clamor 
for permission to hound deer with dogs as they did in 
former years. Their arguments ring something like this: 
At their age it is not fair to ask them to undergo the 
arduous work of still hunting; the hounds save many 
crippled deer that would otherwise be wasted. There is 
no doubt but that stalking deer in almost any country 
is no child’s play, but it is hard to see how, through any 
other manner than by the elimination of the dog, or 
stopping the killing of deer entirely, that the game can be 
preserved. Truly, now and then a hard hit deer—one, 
in fact, that has been mortally wounded—-will pull off 
and defy the amateur to follow its trail, but the saving 
of a few can hardly recompense for the other evils re¬ 
sulting from chasing deer with dogs. At the best shoot¬ 
ing deer from stands savors none of true American 
sportsmanship, and look at it in any light that is con¬ 
genial, the chasing of does that have only recently under¬ 
gone the trials of the breeding season, can only result in 
a large proportion of barren females that year. The 
other wrongs of this so-called sport come into existence 
the closer this subject is studied. Suffice it to say, no 
game has responded better to real protection than deer. 
Ahd in every community where a healthy increase is 
noted the abolition of hounding has been in force for 
some time. The old timer must not lament; he must 
suffer the consequences of his shortsightedness. In time 
he will surely see the reason, and the increase will be 
positive proof of the justice of the new order of pro¬ 
tection. 
BLAMING IT ON THE GUN 
NE of the fair sex had just made a perfect score, 
five clean misses, and the coach proceeded to hold 
an inquest for the purpose of discovering the cause of 
this consistent performance. Like most beginners she 
blamed it all on the rifle and refused to believe her hold¬ 
ing was at fault. The coach thought otherwise and 
continued his questions. 
Finally the lady became irritated at not being permit¬ 
ted to continue firing. “I tell you the rifle is no good, 
so you can just get me another gun. Every time I fired 
I saw the bull’s-eye through that foolish little peep hole 
you make me use. It’s not my fault if the bullets wander 
all over the mountain.” 
“I’m not so sure about that,” the coach persisted, “are 
you positive you lined up the front sight correctly?” 
For a moment the fair one was puzzled, then with a 
gesture of relief she settled the matter for all time. “If 
you mean that lump on the front end of the barrel that 
is always getting in the way, I certainly did not, and if 
there is any way to remove the thing, I want you to take 
it off immediately.” 
EFFECT OF WARNING POSTERS 
I 
A HAPPY feature of the hunting season in the Adi- 
rondacks was the absence of fatalities through hunt¬ 
ers being mistaken for deer. There was only one accident 
, of this kind. The game protectors explain this absence of 
accidents by the wonderful effect of the posters, warn¬ 
ing hunters to look before they fired, which were placed 
in many conspicuous places in the Adirondack region. 
These posters, which were a constant reminder of the 
necessity of caution, were designed by the Conservation 
Commission and distributed by all employees of the, com¬ 
mission. The game protectors here were enthusiastic 
over the splendid results of the posters. 
BIRDS IN OREGON 
I T is interesting to note the appearance in some 
1 ' abundance of three eastern birds in the State of 
Oregon. Among these is the cat bird, a species 
supposed to be confined to the country east of the 
Mississippi River. Another is the bobolink, which may 
have followed cultivated fields west across the plains, 
while the third is the" common bobwhite of the east, 
introduced some years ago on the Pacific slope. Ap¬ 
parently these birds are rapidly increasing and it may 
be hoped that they will continue to increase. 
AN APPALLING SCARCITY 
P'REQL t ENTLY the California Fish and Game Com- 
* mission and its deputies receive amusing letters. A 
complaint recently received by Deputy Harris, Yreka, 
California, reads as follows: 
“G. W. Harris, the so culled “white-Injins,” are kill¬ 
ing a way over their limit. 
Pretty soon no more Deer aller same Hen’s teeth. 
Black Klamath injin.” 
