50 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
drifted among the gaunt arms of the trees and the hordes of clamoring 
geese were black against the dark water. The geese did not begin to leave 
until well after seven o’clock, but they were uneasy, many flying up from 
the water and then dropping back. Finally, several hundred birds raised 
with a roar of beating wings, their wild voices echoing and mingling with 
the calls of swimming birds. “They headed southward and were lost to 
view in the snow as other birds tegan to rise from the surface of the lake. 
Soon there was a barrage of gun fire and for the next several hours guns 
were heard on all sides as hunters fired into the hungry fowl. Geese 
began to return to the Sanctuary; bands of badly frightened birds which 
had been routed from the feeding pens where they had fed in security 
during the previous days when no shooting was allowed. Occasionally 
an old honker would fly overhead, circling and calling anxiously to a lost 
mate. Is there any call more lonesome, more forlorn, than the distress note 
of one of these grand old fellows whose life partner has just been shot? 
[ know of none. 
Owing to the weekend shooting allowed in Illinois during the past 
season, the geese had five days in which to become accustomed to the feed- 
ing grounds away from the Sanctuary. Saturday was the big time for 
hunters, and the majority of birds were taken on that day. All the shooters 
mentioned how wary the birds were on Sunday, and consequently, few 
were killed. ‘Vhere can be little doubt that the staggering of the season 
over twelve weeks caused the birds to suffer unusual punishment. 
The state of Illinois is particularly fortunate to have such a wonder- 
ful congregation of Canada Geese as is found on the Horseshoe Sanec- 
tuary. As I saw the thousands of birds resting in security on the lake or 
in the wheat field, I could not help but try to visualize our great middle 
west when there were thousands of like areas where hundreds of thou- 
sands of geese massed during the spring and fall flights. And so, while the 
birds of the Sanctuary present a marvelous sight to one interested in wild 
fow!, it is well for us to remember that these are just a few birds, after 
all, in comparison with their numbers a short time ago, and that they 
should be jealously cared for. There can be no question that wild fowl 
hunting is a sport which is engaged in by men in all stations of life, but 
the day of the big bag and the long season is gone forever. If we are to 
continue even in a small way, we must watch to see that these few thou- 
sands of birds are given a chance to go back to their nesting grounds in 
increasing numbers, if possible. And. that can be done only by shorter sea- 
sons and smaller bags. After all, the average sportsman will admit that 
getting afield is the main thing; he is not a game butcher as over-enthusi- 
astic conservationists are apt to term him. I believe that a sane program 
which treats all parts of the country alike will be welcomed by the ma- 
jority of the outdoors fraternity, even to alternate closed seasons, if neces- 
sary, In order that an adequate breeding stock of all species of ducks and 
geese may be maintained. 
