






694 


FOREST AND STREAM. 

California Game Fields. 
SAN Francisco, Cal., Oct. 19—Editor Forest 
and Stream: Many hunters who are still out in 
the marshes around San Francisco Bay report 
a varying degree of success. In general the 
birds seem to be scarce, though in some sections 
they appear to be increasing. In the San Joaquin 
Valley around Los Banos and Newman_ some 
limit bags are reported, but on the Suisun 
marshes and on the dozen or so club preserves 
in that locality the shooting has been indifferent. 
Sprig, teal and a few local mallards are the only 
birds seen in any numbers at present, and these 
seem to have deserted many of their old haunts, 
in spite of constant and systematic baiting by 
the clubs. x 
One explanation of the scarcity of ducks in 
this vicinity seems to be that there have so far 
been no severe storms in Oregon, Washington 
or British Columbia, and the migratory birds are 
probably still very largely on their summer feed- 
ing grounds where they will remain until driven 
south by bad weather. 
The Sunset Gun Club, with headquarters at 
Alvarado, whose preserve runs over the Carmen 
Island Salt Works along San Francisco Bay, has 
had considerable success, and several limit bags 
have been secured within the last few days. 
The breaking of the Colorado River levees, 
and the subsequent flooding of the Salton Basin, 
now known as the Salton Sea, has attracted mil- 
lions of ducks to the southern end of the State 
and has probably materially aided in keeping the 
birds from central California. Food is plentiful 
in the Salton region and the young of all breeds, 
except possibly the canvasback, are reared in per- 
fect safety undisturbed by anything except an 
occasional railroad train and an occasional shot 
from a passing section hand in search of. fresh 
meat. As a result the birds do not wander much 
and seldom get further north than the district 
above Los Angeles. The shooting about Los 
Angeles this year is certainly far superior to that 
in the San Francisco Bay section. Crowds of 
sportsmen are staying at the club headquarters 
in southern California, especially in the Imperial 
(Salton Sea) section, and there the limit is 
easily secured in a few hours. 
The quail season opened in California on Oct. 
15, and from various localities comes the news 
that birds are numerous and easy to bag. Al- 
most every hunter who started on the opening 
day bagged the limit of twenty-five birds before 
the day was more than three hours old. Plenty 
of birds, just enough cover to make the coveys 
work well, and ideal weather conditions, mark 
this season as one of the best in the bay dis- 
tricts. The Marin county hills swarm with quail 
and many sportsmen complain that the shooting 
is so good that it becomes monotonous. 
Members of the Point Reys Club had excep- 
tionally fine sport. The Country Club, shoot- 

ing at Olema, had six sportsmen in the field and 
boasts as many limit bags. 
welcome a 
will 

Del Monte also number of 































































































San Francisco quail hunters. Members of the 
Empire Club will shoot over their grounds which 
cover 10,000 acres of fine quail land. More than 
3,500 birds were killed on the preserve last year 
and fully twice as many will; it is thought, fall 
before the Empire guns this season. 
Advices from Los Angeles predict a banner 
year for the quail shooters of the South. More 
quail are reported in the San Fernando valley 
than have been noted before in years. The diffi- 
culty of shooting in this valley is the immense 
amount of underbrush, and, what is worse, the 
cactus. Dogs frequently get their mouths, noses 
and feet so full of cactus thorns in half an hour 
that it is cruelty to allow them to go on. Ex- 
periments have been made with leather dog 
boots, but it cannot be said that the scheme is 
entirely a success. The sharp spines easily pene- 
trate the soft leather and thus afford little or 
no protection. The Verdugo Cafion, however, is 
accessible to Los Angeles hunters and there quail 
are also plentiful; in fact, most of the southern 
valleys are easily reached and a large number 
of sportsmen are out for the game. It is esti- 
mated that south of the Tahachepi Pass 25,000 
men are shooting at present. 
Bears seem to be infesting the mountain re- 
gions of Glenn and Placer counties. Two fine 
examples, one a large black bear of 410 pounds, 
were killed a few days since in the vicinity of 
Placerville, while near Willows four bears have 
been trapped in the last week. The last one 
caught was a big brown fellow which weighed 
580 pounds. 
Cougar have increased in certain parts of Cali- 
fornia in such numbers, and have become so des- 
tructive to sheep, calves and colts, that the fish 
and game commissioners have offered a reward 
of $20 for every scalp and pelt of the California 
lion or panther delivered at the office of the 
commission. The animals are difficult to take 
and it requires time, patience and_ skill to 
do it. 
The Chinese pheasant season opened in Oregon 
on Oct. 1 and hundreds of hunters and dogs are 
out in search of the birds. 
The eighth annual meeting of the California 
Game and Fish Protective Association, of which 
Henry T. Payne is president, will be held at Los 
Angeles, Cal., on Nov. 8, 9 and 10. Sportsmen 
from all parts of the State are expected to be 
in attendance. The members are especially in- 
terested in the distribution of the fund collected 
for gun licenses which is expected to reach $80,000 
for the year. Under the law this can be used 
only for the preservation, propagation and 
restoration of game. The association officials 
framed the law and do not want any of this 
money expended on what they call commercial 
interests, such as the propagation of salmon. It 
is intended to organize for the next session of 
the Legislature, and to prepare in advance such 
amendments to the game laws as may be deemed 
advisable. The members of the Los Angeles as- 
sociation have collected a considerable fund for 
the entertainment of the visitors. A SEADE: 

THE LOUP RIVER VALLEY. 
A part of Northwestern Nebraska. Splendidly adapted to the breeding of Prairie Chickens, which h ywever, 
are shot at all seasons. 


The Prairie Chicken Probler; 
Lincotn, Neb., Oct. 21—Editor Fores 
Stream: All posted shooters and spor| 
know that the day of the prairie chicken is pz 
This season, and its reports of fewer birds, 
to mind that the cry has been the same 
season after season—the birds are passing. | 
causes may be diversified. No one eyil : 
clement thing could have driven their nu} 
down to their present smallness. The ay 
shooter is not a true sportsman. He giv} 
thought to the vanishing game, nor does ] 
in protecting it. His sole concern is in ba 
the limit. 
I have returned from a few days’ shi 
in the sandhills of Nebraska and cannot 
a very bright story of the prospects the f 
chicken has for holding its own. From G1 
Ord and Burwell, Valentine, Bassett and O 
the shooters have departed in droves with a 
nition, good outfits and poor outfits. St 
the 15th of September, saw over one hu 
shooters going or having gone from ac 
town at the foot of the sandhills. A lot of 
probably seventy per cent., came back e| 
handed, for the birds were too scarce. 
This year, for the third season, I have tra} 
over the same breeding grounds and find} 
they are now nearly depleted of birds. WI 
it so? I cannot tell, nor any other man, tt] 
I can give conjectures and theories, both | 
On some strange things seen and experienc] 
the field. From thirty to sixty days befor| 
season opens one can hear the popping of | 
and the crack of smokeless in the hills, and| 
if you could get vp against enough shack] 
kitchen doors you would often detect the | 
of young chickens. That has been my e)| 
ence. 
One rancher, whose 640 acres lie nicely 1) 
rolling sandflats that form a sort of prez| 
to nearby hills, said to me this year: “Bur}| 
you're a fool. Why wait so long for ch| 
shooting? Come out to my place next yee| 
the Ist of August and we'll show you some | 
shooting.” 
If the slaughter keeps up he will have | 
left on his place, nor will there be any or | 
hills adjacent. Three years ago I killed a 
of birds on his pasture land in a half hour,| 
could have shot ten times more than ne| 
Last year I imagined them thin; this ye| 
saw two birds in his pasture of 500 acres! | 
pasture is a grand breeding place, yet he 1) 
off all shooters except himself and a frien} 
two. He is standing, aye treading heavily| 
his own feet. He has never given it a tho: 
He killed fifty birds out of season this fall 
they would have been killed by his neighbo 
he had not! How is that for a state of at 
in the chicken country? And all who live it 
towns and little villages among the hills i 
that the ranchers are shooting out of se| 
They acknowledge it. 
Another reason for the chicken’s vanish 
Every other shooter in the chicken country 
out trying to excel in point of numbers the 
his fellow sportsman makes. He is not cor 
with enough for breakfast and dinner, but 1 
beat his brother. .Chickens will not go bac 
the frontier ahead of the march of the farm: 
they are unmolested. I know I will have 
putants about this, but remember that they 
never had a chance to live in the real fart 
country. Of course, the breaking up of 




pasture and grazing land drives them into | 
tions where more of it obtains. 
The Nebraska season for chicken shoc| 
ought to be cut down to October only. TI] 
days is long enough for their slaughter. Fif 
days’ season each year for five years woulc} 
some good if it was enforced on owners of 
breeding grounds. The nonresident shooter 
the shooter from the city are always watchec| 
the ranchers and ranchfolk. They never gil 
chance to shoot out of season. j 
And the State now becoming alive with g| 
will soon be in the clutches of the farmer, | 
boy and his gun. This is no high sot | 
theory. On the 14th day of September I sa} 
farmer with a big shotgun of antediluvian t} 
his left hand full of small quail; stan(| 

