Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-09-01
GAME PLENTY In MICHIGAN.
MORE SO THAN FOR THE PAST
FIFTEEN YEARS.
Deer are Destroying Crops Quail
Have Increased Return of the
rioose a Surprise Crossed
From Stringent
Game Laws the Cause.

Game IS more plentiful II Michigan
this year than at any other time during
the last ID years, according to Chas. $.
Osborn, former state game warden of
Michigan, says tn. Chicago Inter
Ocean
"All forms of animal life are on the
increase in Michigan" said Mr. Os-
borr. deer are becoming so pleuti-
ful that there are frequent complaints
from farmers in the wilder parts of
the state that they are destroying their
crops. The prospects for the I'LL shoot
ing were never better, for not o ly
the deer but al! the game animals and
birds native to the state are plentiful
this season
Quail has increased remai kably in
the southern peninsula, although un-
known in the northern peninsula a
few years ago quail were very scarce,
but they are now 50 plentiful that it Is
possible to make a bag of 100 a day in
many localities. rhey are not seen
north of Mackinac island, and but one
lone bird mas been seen there.
The cause Of this great increase in
game in Michigan is the passage of
stringent protective laws by the legs-
Iaturc and the cultivation throughout
the state of sentiment in favor Of
the protection and preservation of
game. No state in the union has bet
ter game laws and many OF the newer
western states are copying them,
Deer can be shot only from Novem-
Der to December /, and partridgcs
from October TO Nomber ID. While
| cannot say that partridgcs have in.
creased they are holding their own in
the state. They are the prey of pred
atoly animals, such as the lynx, mink,
martcn and weazle, and the last sea-
sons have not been favorable for them.
Their eggs have been wet bs rains dur
ING the breeding season and have fail
cd to hatch, and the natural increase
has been retarded
"Pcrhaps the most interesting fact in
regard to the animal life OF the state is
the return Of the moose. -Four Of them
have been killed contrary to law recent
ly, one by Il 13.year-old Chicago boy.
Until this year moose had not been
seen in Michigan for 40 Yeas. got
track Of seven that crossed the ice from
Canada last winter, but would hardly
believe the information until ! began
to hear OF them beng killed 1t is
against the law to Kill moose in Michi-
gan at any time now, and the moose
VIII probably increase along with other
animal life
Beaver have become plentiful again
in Michigan. While l was game war.
den ! saw they had become almost cx-
terminated, and | secured the passage
OF law protecting them at all times
The result is that while they were as
scarce as buffalo in the west at that
time, they have multiplied rapidly un-
der protection, They seem t. realize
that they are protected, and can be
seen now building dams beside railway
embankments and roadways.
Even the bears are protected in
Michigan. The black bears are harm
less, and it is against the law to shoot
them except when their fur is prime.
A bear pelt is worth from $40 to $50,
so that some one gets a benefit every
time one is killed.
The large gaunt timber wolves are
also plentful--entirely too plentiful.
The legislature has increased the boun-
ty to help eXterminate them.
ducks are about the only game not
on the increase Ducks seem to be on
the decrease in Michigan, as well as in
all the states of the union. The Mich
igan law allowed them to be shot only
in the fall until last year, when a law