The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-27
BOB WHITE.
Many Are Killed, hut There Are More
Quail in Ohio Than Ever.

Cleveland Leader.
The open season for killing game birds,
with its rush of sportsmen to the woods
and fields, it's activity of men and dogs,
and its quick harvest of pretty feathered
trophies displayed in markets and restau-
rants, always brings no little regret on the
part of lovers of wild creatures which do
no harm that the pleasure of hunters must
be won at such a price in the destruction
of denizens of the forests, marshes and
farm lands. A large number Of women
and not a few men, both constantly in
creasing. deplOre the slaughter of birds
and animals which are slain merely for the
love of killing.
Some of these friends of the many varied
forms Of animal life grouped under the
head of game are especially troubled by
what seems to be the inevitable thinning
out and possibly the ultimate extinction of
beautiful and interesting creatures which
and hard enough to Kill TO be attractive 10
spOrtsmen. Ii seems to such persons that
the vide and eager search by sunners eyI
and the partridge must soon make them
very scarce and hard to find.
All who are apprehensive on this account
ought TO take comfort in the knowledge
that at least one familiar and very fine
game bird of North America is undoubt-
eddy far more common now than ii was
before white men OCCuD1e the country. II
a census could be taken of the wild life of
Ohio. for instance, 1t would be found that
there were many times the number of
quail in the State than existed there when
the first white men began to cut down the
forests and plant their crops. Brave little
Bob White" not only holds his ground,
taking a large view Of the fluctuations in
his numbers from season to season, but
multiplies where and when civilization dis
places the wilderness.
One hundred years ago there were few
quail in Ohio. These birds of the open
fields. the orchards and the pastures follow
the pillow rather than flee before 1t. They
like the grain and the fruits Of the white
man well enough to offset and much more
than balance his annual carnival of de-
structiOn. The heavy timber of the prim-
eval forest does not greatly attract Bob
White His natural enemies. with their
unceaSlng pursuit, In nesting time as We'll
as in the fat days of late autumn, seem to
nave been harder to escape than the dogs
and gunners, trained and unframed, who
began their campaign early Monday morn
ing.
So at the close of the season. when the
killing of game birds is allowed by the
statutes of the State, Notwithstanding the
great number of quail certain to have been
shot, there Will be more OF them than used
to race the coming of winter in the days
when white men had hardly disturbed the
States. Therefore, no one need fear that
the spOrtsmen and the pothunters who Kill
for money rather than for pleasure will
Bob White in Ohio.
He Will continue TO show his bravery
now and then by lying close In the stubble
until the dogs almost put their noses on
him, or he has to rise to keep out from
under the shoes of hunters. In hard win
tiers. when wild creatures are sorely
pressed for food. he will sometimes come to
barnyards TO take his chances with the
farm poultry, and his mate will occasion
ally rear her pretty chicks in orchards and
meadows close to the buildings where men
and dogs live.
There is some comfort in this certainty
for those Ehn are sorry TO know that tens
of thousands of quail will be shot In this
State in the next few days. Enough will
survive this fall and every succeeding year
TO make the clear call which gives the bird
it's familiar name remain one of the pleas
ant common sounds of the summer through
the farms of Ohio.