Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-08-13
Game and Sportsrnen.

LINDEN, Aug. 9Th, 1876.
EDTog CHEoNicLE-Deur SRI wrote
an article for your paper, last summer. in
favor of the protection of game, land for the
beneitof farmers. &c., with the hope. that
+some talented sportsman would take it up
and enlarge on the subject. But having
seen nothing of the kind, and having late
ily met with an article in the Fancier's Jour-
nal and Poultry Erchange which suited
my'views, send it to you with the hope
that you will be able to find time and
space to publish such well written and
valuable article in your paper.
r19 Yours truly, nWM. B. HARRIS.
| From the Fanciel' IS Journal. it
I To him, to whom the works OF nature
are pleasant and agreeable study, as well
as to him who is eager and skillful in
craftsmanship, the subject of game preser-
walton is one of interest and importance;
nor is. the imortance confined alone to
these, but lis more generally so than
| it appears at first sight and is easily de-
monstrated. Some of the wisest and best
of scholars and statesmen of the past
have given it their attention and ad-
mitted it's Importance. In the United
States its usefulness and necessity are
more apparent and discernible in most re-
spects than in other countries. The de-
fence OF our country rests not upon nu-
merous and expensive standing army, but
almost entirely upon the readiness of the
people at large in the use of the gun, and
in the revolution the accuracy and precis
ion of the American rihemen more often
conquered the British troops than the
skillful manoeuvers and discipline of the
trained regulars. This accuracy and pre-
cision are acquired most certainly in almost
daily exercise among the woods and fields
in pursuit Of game and Drawing toll and
danger, living in secluded spots where they
could indulge the appetite for sport and
excitement, and served, moreover, to exer-
cisei the powers of endurance and develop
their capabilities. But, even now, the
larger species of game are extinct, or
nearly so, in the State Of New York, and,
as consequence, the rifle, once favorite
weapon in American hands, has nearly
fallen into disuse, and the fowling piece
is used in its place; and with the extinction
of the winged game, (which may yet be found
among US, follows that also, and that gone,
one of the most delightful outlets where
on to expend the animal spirits and pros
pensit;es of youth takes its departure.
Followed at the proper time and season,
sporting imparts health and robustness
sught for in vain by city jewellers at fash.
ionable watering places, and furnishes
most agreeable relaxation to the follower
of sedentary pursuits or occupations. Nor
does the practice tend, as has been claimed,
to brunt or brutalze the finest sensibili-
ties; on the contrary, he whom close OBJ
servance and intercourse with nature, not
ing the habits and instincts of the game he
pursues, the docility and genius ofthe dogs,
the diversity and beauty of the scenery.with
the thousand and one incidents attendant
upon hunting, after mingling among such
things, if his thoughts be not raised from
"nature up to natures Goo" then he may
safely follow any pursuit or employment
without fear of dulling sensibility which
he may pretend to, but assuredly has not.
But do not propose to defend the field
sports, properly followed, because there is
no necessity of doing SO among liberal and
unprecedented men, bat to urge the necessi-
ty of protection. 1t is most palpable
fact that winged game, especially the quail,
fridge OF pheasant ARE rapidly and surely
becoming extinct, and this fact is mainly
due to an ignorant, careless, reckless MUIR
der of those noble birds out of proper sea-
son. The growing scarcity Of these birds
has been wrongfully ascribed to the ad-
vance Of civilization and the upspringing
| of new and large places and thoroughfares.
The entire reverse of this is the truth, for
they follow in the tracks of man and are
found only after his hand has cleared the
forests and admitted the sunshine upon
meadows and fields of grain. The surest
finding place of ruffed grouse is in some
woodland skirted by fields of waving
grain or cornfields. The advance Of
improvements, ETC., except as they in.
crease the numbers and facilities for
loafing, pc Hunting va gabonds to stroll
| about the woods and fields and do their
contemplate work of murder, does
not in the least diminish the numbers of
these birds. 1t is nothing more or less
than a criminal disregard of the proper
time to hunt and kill this game that causes
the growing scarcity. Take the example
of pair offemale ruffed grouse killed the
after part of April, or early in May, and
the effect upon numbers of the bird in the
ensuing fall amounts to from twenty 10
thirty less,for this bird lays from ten to
fifteen eggs at laying. Nor is this al, as
the bird is, during the spring, wretchedly
poor, andespecially after severe winters their
flesh is rank and bitter from being kept by
deep SHOWS from their usual food, land feed
ing from necessity upon laurels and other
unwholesome and unnatural esculents.
The severity of the past winter has, be.
Iyond doubt, destroyed thousands of
quail in almost all sections of the country
where they abound, and the few that have
survived are now busy nesting, and it is
easy to see, that unless they are unmoles-
ted in so doing, this little favorite will be
very scarce another fall. My correspon>
dents in the West all combine to mention
the great destruction of this bird, being
often found frozen to death in large hocks
upon the prairies. Indeed the habit of
the quail in gathering into circles during
| the prevalence Of storms is frequently Ia
ken advantage of by things (not men,
armed with some cast-iron fowling piece
or musket,who steal upon them unawares
and pour murderous charge of slugs, or