Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-22
THE WEATHER AND THE BIRDS.
Terrible Destruction of Game I'm the
South and West.
From me Ne,o York Herald.


fluctuations Of temperature as in the
United States. This not only applies to
migratory fowl but to birds of the gallina-
ceous order. We're it not in the nature of
the grouse aud quail to hatch out large
broOds these birds, which are rapidly be-
coming depleted in the East, would ere
long be exterminated. The most strin-
gent game laws, enforced to the letter,
are found to be Intellectual in protecting
the birds when they are subjected to such
rigorous winter weather as we have
| recently had. In the East, where farm S
are continually increasing In value, neces-
stating the clearing of swamps and
thickets and clean farming up to the
fences, the quail no longer has a harbor
in which to hide from hawks or to resort
to when the snow begins to fall. The re-
suit is that even artificial stocking will
not Keep these well-cultivated sections
supplied with game for any length OF
time. 1t is, therefore, in the West and
South that the sportsman in these day S
looks for his shooting.
There is no comparison between the two
sections, the West beng vastly superior.
No true lover Of his craft who has shot
November quail and prairie-chickens in
Kansas ever wants to go "monkeying'
about Virginia and North Carolina again.
For, while these States will fill the bill for
spOrtsmen OF Mr.. Winkle's persuasion,
and the one bird provide ample shooting
for years to come, yet it is really in the
West where the shooting OF the future
will be had and where shooting men will
be forced to go.
| Now, it is not enough that the poor
! quail has to contend with many enemies /;
that its nest may be chilled by late spring
rains, that even escaping the dangers of
foxes, hawks and floods, and running the
| gauntlet of a too prolonged shooting sea-
son, at last, at one fell swoop, to be frozen
with all its pretty ones is most mourn
full fate for this pleasure giving bird. Still,
such has been the case this year. not only
in this section, but throughout the great
er portion of the West and in the north
erly Southern States.
WHAT KILLS THE QUAIL.
In the warmer ATTITUDES, below that
rather vague and uncertain boundary
called the snow line, the birds are less
hardy than their Northern and Western
| brethren, Their food consists OF easily
dIgested seeds and insects. AS long as
the weather is mild these birds hold their
own, and after a sequence of dry springs
and open winters thrive and multiply in
astonishing numbers. Yet, let severe
cold weather invade their territory, and
these tender birds starve and freeze to
death in thousands. and it takes many
seasons before the district is naturally
replenished agaid. The same is the case
in the " Test, only under conditions of
more extreme cold. Accllmated TO
low temperature, the birds are natural
ly hardy. Their food is chiefly In
dian corn and grain, which is not
readily digested, especially if water
10 full
kernels Of corn will keep life in the little
quail for over two days, during which
time il can cling to its sheltered nook. Il
is only when compelled to leave its hiding
place in search of food and wade through
the deep snow. which frequently becomes
attached to the feet in ice balls as large
as hickory nuts, that the quail suffers
most. At such times food is diticult to
find, The supply of seeds on the stalks
is quickly disposed Of by the small song
birds. Tie quail hunts for food in vain.
1t is weakened from long fasting and drag
CLING through the snow, and often in the
West when the mercury falls suddenly
the quails become so chilled that they
cannot fly. In this deplorable condition
il falls the easy prey OF all sorts OF ami
mails. even the hogs killing great many.
Yet, to make the destruction Of ground
game complete, there must be a com bna-
tiOn OF intense cold, with deep SHOWS, the
SHOWS being crusted by heavy sleet to-
ward nightiall. Following mild even
weather this is destructive. AS rule all
birds can anticipate the changes OF tenn
perature and approach OF storms, but the
clever clerk OF the weather out West has
a way of raising a cold deck without the
slightest intimation that he IS in the game.
On such occasions everything of lie goes
by the board, and no Eastern sportsman
knows anything about billiards. Until be
he is caught out on prairie in one, vita
a pair of Nankeen trousers on. Now.
just two such combination storms have
been pepperiDg the life out of the game
this winter, and It will be years before
birds are as plentiful as they were last
autumn. Owing to the terrible destruc-
tiOn OF the game In Kansas, and its actual
extermination in many localities. an at
tempt will be made to pass law to make
it criminal otfense to kill over y quail
and prairie chickens in one day, TO offer
for sale either birds in the State and to
ship them out of it. Other States are
quickly falling into line, and it is prOba-
BILE that several OF them will pass laws
prohibiting the shooting of quail for
periods extend ng from two to five years.
There is much to be said against such
wholesale prohibitory laws. At prese mt
there are more birds being protected tor
cats, hawks, snakes and trappers than
for honest, law-abiding sportsmen. AS 1t
will be difficult To arrange for warm win.
tiers for tine next few years. and as the
allotted period Of mans lie is but a scant
three score years and ten, Ruch close sea-
son laws are backing an uncertainty
against a most positive certainty. The
gentleman sportsman is certainly handi-
capped enough as things now exist. A
number OF severe winters may follow this
one, and in the end, even after ban has
been put upon legitimate shooting for
several years, the billiards may still con-
tinue 10 have things their own way, and
the only creatures benefited will be the
owls and the cats.
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION.
From number OF sections reports
come that the game has suffered greatly
over very wide area. The vicinity OF
Abilene. Kan, was the finest quail ground
in America. There the birds have been
almost destroyed, especially those on the
exposed table lands. At Council Grove.
ia the same State, great many quail
were killed. Al Usage Mission and
Wichita they were nearly eXterminated.
AT Mcpherson and Delphos whole bevies
we're found frozen stiff. But few birds
escaped. At Cottonwood Falls many
birds were found dead after the blizzard.
At Fort Scott the prairie birds were all
killed. AT Seward, Hooper, Hastings,
Raymond and Liberty, Neb., fOrty-nlne
out Of every hfty quail perished. Flock
after flock were found dead along the
hedges az these places.
In tho yfpfnftU ~ Mauaphfa uuv,