The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-22
=
GAME PROTECTION I
IS A 1
GREAT NECESSITY !


ten to twenty birds have been made dur
ing the past week by sportsmen who
have shot on the grain fields adjacent to
Sherman Island at evening and at early
morning, but as a rule duck-shooting has
been very poor since the opening Of the
season. As already stated, the recent
change in the weather may bring about
good results.
a letter TO The Call from a sports
man resident of Carson, Nevada, states
hat market hunters 10 the number OF
fifty ARE camped" on the borders Of
Pyramid Lake and will open slaughter on
the cans just as soon as the weather
shall have become sufficiently cool TO
guarantee a safe shipment OF game TO
the markets.
As quail are very scarce this year, the
Supervisors of several counties are either
closing the season for shooting altogether
or limiting il TO a few months.
In last Saturdays Call statement was
made to the effect that night shooting
was INDUCED in 10 q large extent on the
night prior TO the opening or the season
IL the vicinity of the Alameda CLUB pre-
serve. However, in justice to the mem
bers OF the Alameda Club, IL must be said
that they took no part in the TuSlllade on
the feathered tribe In fact the club has
a rule which makes night shooting BY any
member punishable, and this Is a rule
which all clubs should strictly adhere to,
as moonlight shooting IS more deStruc-
tive TO the sport than anything that can
be imagined, not excepting market shoot
ing in daylight. There are, however, some
market hunters who are located in the
vicinity OF MCGilIS station, who shoot at
all times, and last year they greatly ham
pered the sport Of the true sportsman. II
the Supervisors OF Sonoma ordain that
game must not be shipped out OF the
county q quick stop Will be put to Mr.
Market Hunter ana his indolent ways Of
The following letter on shooting andthe
necessity OF game protection should IN
terest all lovers Of field sports:
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. %. 1898.
Editor OF The Call: Game in California is de-
creasing alarmingly. The decrease Is beyond
the belief Of the people who have not made
the subject a study. I feel that it is safe TO
say that in the bay counties and the country
that is contiEuous 10 railroads where the fares
from this city are cheap, the decrease has
I.es-e I-nIess there is more effeCtive nrotec-
lion there viii be an almost absolute EXTERN
ination of game within a short time.
This question OF game preservation is so
face of the many interests at stake is almost
certain to cause adverse criticism
The many ways and efforts that have been
made 10 legisIate In this direction, and the
suits achieved. show clearly how difficult It Is
It is computed that there are at least 5000
vOtaTies Of the gun in this State whose ideas
they use, and 10 conciliate these various ideas,
do the most good seems to be the
duty OF every true sportsman
The most effective way to preserve game Is
70 curtan its destruction. Different kinds re-
Quire different treatment.
The upland game Of California consists Of
valley quail, mountain quail and grouse. The
trapper is their great enemy. Stop his rascally
work and for the rest the quail Will take care
OF themselves.
For the northern counties the open season
should be FOR the months of October NoveIn-
Der. December and January. for the southern
counties month earlier would be permissible.
but the close season should commence all over
the State on the 1st of February, or at least on
the 18th. A clearly defined law should exist
that no game should be introduced from the
NJ q at
any time that II would be unlawful 10 kill the
For water fowl and snipe I should be in favor
OF opening the season on the LIST day Of Octo-
Der and closing on the last OF February OF
The use of sink boxes. decoys. batting ponds.
netting and other artificial devices should be
prohibited. these simply a system Of
trapping by which some persons can destroy a
greater number Of birds than is necessary for
any reasonable being.
Game. being the property Of the State. should
be utilized for the benefit OF any citizen who
wishes 10 engage in the health-gving exer-
else OF its pursuit without distinction Of class
condition. and person should be allowed
TO acquire property in the same by any subter-
fuge such as leasing the shooting privileges Of
the marshes or any other lands, purely and
simply that wealthy individuals could have ex-
cluslve control OF the game on the most de-
Eirable shooting grounds. II Is this selfish de
sire Of few that has prevented the enact
past. and will do SO in the future until a more
generous sentiment prevails among all lovers
In the destruction Of quail, the country peo-
PIE the ones that destroy bevies and bevles
BY trapping In these traps they catch entire
bevies. whereas the city sportsman goes out
and gives the birds an equal chance with his
gun This season especially is a hard for
quail. owing to the dry season. The birds
have not paired 10 any. extent, and if
regard 70 shortening the quail season this year
quail viii not appear next season in their old
time form.
The destruction Of ducks Is mostly done by
the men OF the big preserves and market hunt
ers- They really destroy more birds than any
other sportSrnen.
However the matter may be taken into con-
sideration in this way: The present laws are
no prt per enforcement Of them as long as the
country people feel as they do now In Fbe mat
ter. Yours truly, W Ct. T.
Among the rail hunters who went out
from this city last Saturday and Sunday,
the first days of the open season in San
Mateo County, one of the most successful
parties was that entertained by the genial
Frank Z. BENJAMIN at his shooting shanty
in Redwood City. Some 200 rail fell to the
guns of the party As a rule, bags were
small, and every one reported rail as very
scarce on the south bay marshes this
year. The Well-knoWn taxidermist and
naturalist, Charles Littlejohn of Redwood
City, who has made collections for the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington,
gives as his opinion that several extreme
high tides last May which completely
flooded the marshes washed out the nests
and destroyed most Of the eggs and young
birds. Those who enjoyed the delightful
hospitality of their generous host, Ben
Smith, Jack Ford, J. F. Lehaney, Arthur
H Crane, r. L. HathOrn and Nick Stur-
liza. O'Brien was high gun, having some
ffty-one rail and two teal to his credit
One of the strangest as we'll as the wis
est provisions of nature is that which pro-
tects doe deer. well as some other
female animals, from enemies of the car
nivorous species during the period when
the offspring is very young. Between the
toes of all the feet will be found a hole,
which extends into the foot about an inch.
terminating in a sack, in which is secreted
a musk or scent of a very strong odor.
Ordinarily, when the deer is walking the
air is forced in and out of this opening, and
leaves enough scent in each track TO en-
able dog or wolf TO follow 1t for several
hours after 1t has been made; but the
foot Of the doe is changed for several
months after the ,fawn is born. The
gIands-if glands they are-dry up, and
there is not a bit Of odor IN the track.
and no dog-not even the best deerhound-
is able to follow the trail. Many good
hounds have lost their regulations by fail
ing 10 follow the trail Of a female bear
with cubs, and perhaps a deer also. and
now that the subject is at hand one
might well wonder If other things are pro-
fected in like manner.
AnUTVU IIQE ON