The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1901-08-29
From the American Fl cid, 4 ug. "a.
The Open Season on Prairie Chickens.

/
| On September L, in Illinois, Wiscon-
stu, Iowa, Minnesota and the two Dako-
tas, it will be lawful 20 hunt prairie
chickens, and while the birds report
ed more plentiful this season in all these
states than for some years past. it should
not be presumed that. except in two or
three Of the states named, and in certain
sections of those states. the birds
plentiful enough to be called abundant.
They more numerous than for several
seasons, yet where twenty years ago
they were very plentiful today they
only fairly
In Illinois there only cOmp para
lively few counties in which the birds
can be found at all, and where they are to
be found they are by means abundant.
In Wisconsin,, Iowa, Minnesota and the
Dakofas the birds still quite plentiful,
but not in every county, they were in
years past.
AS the birds become scarcer they seem
to grow wiser and seek localities for nest
ing where they not SO easily found by
the hunters, and when they found
they fly farther and more secluded
places. At least the old hunter it
seems that way. for when the birds We're
numerous u covey was not followed far,
because it not IA difficult matter
find another, and the hunter paid little
attention to covey that sought a far-on
| retreat. Then, III the early days, i'll the
prairie states, there was considerable un-
cultivated, open land, where the birds
found good cover and felt secure, while
today there is very little tilIable land in
any of the northwestern states that is not
used for agricultural purposes, and there
fore the large corntields the lowlands
| bordering "A body of water about the
MIA 6S
feel that they secure, and to these, as
Il rule, they invariably fly after being dis
rurbed few times, thus making the
hunting more laborious than formerly
and the getting of good bag more diff
cult.
In Illinois and in most parts of Wis
consin and Iowa, if II hunter go out
in the morning and be fortunate enough
| to secure half dozen birds by the time
the is hour high, he should con-
slider himself lucky aud return home sat
isf1ed that he has done better than be
had reason to expect. Half dozen pra-
irie chickens to gun in mornings
hunt. nowadays, is good bag, and
should satisfy anyone for the time being,
who is not hunting for profit In Mime
sofa and the Dakotas one secure a
dozen birds at outing with less labor
than he a half dozen i'll the other
three states named, but unless sportsmen
are moderate in their demands it will not
be many years before the birds are SO
scarce. even in these states, that but few
men will be BILE TO boast of killing half
dozen birds in day
Nearly all the states have better game
laws now than they had ten years ago,
and the laws more respected and bet
ter enforced, and that is why we still
have sprinkling of prairie chickens left
in the states east of the Mississippi river
Were it not for these laws and their rigid
enforcement, the younger sportsmen of
many of the states which used to have an
abundance of prairie chicken would not
be able to say they had ever shot a pin
mated grouse.
Sportsmen of the entire country,we be-
seech you be moderate i'll your demands
hunting, for the recreation you get, for
the joy it gives you to your faithful,
well-trained pointer or setter quarter his
his ground. locate the birds and then
hold them until you reach him; but do
not slaughter, do not kill to excess. do
not permit your companions to do SO, and
when you have killed fair mum Der of
birds, call your dogs to heel, take the
loads from your guns. and say to your
selves. enough is enough for true
sportsman. and with such will L hence
forth be classed.