Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-06
OYA SPORTS IlLk.
A Few of the Many Reasons
Why Man Loves to Kill
Wild Game
is AN INSTINCT
Prehistoric Men Hunted Of Necessity,
the Savage for Partially the Same
Reason, and Civilized Man Retains
the ImpuIse-Two Waterloo Game
Hoss-Iowa Game Bird Almost Gone.

| The person, to whom the joy Of pur-
suing wild game has no charm is often
heard to ask what is the alluring in
fluence that tempts men to quit the
comfortable surrounding Of home in
order that they may spend days, and
often weeks under the most vile wealth
er conditions for the mere pastine
of killing few wild fowls or bringing
tie truth in the theory advanced in reply
to this question that the desire, at
certain times in the year to go forth
and slay something is with many al
most an instinct.
Prehistoric man was a hunter from
necessity. With him the killing of wild
animals was in large measure COM
pulsory. He must do SO or so without
food and clothing. The savage was
also compelled to go thru life under
very similar circumstances, altho he
possessed in rudimentary way the
knowledge of filling the soil for sus-
finance.
One of the many blessings that come,
with civilization is the condition that
makes it possible for civilized man to
exist without the constant pursuit of
game as means of livelihood. In a
large measure civilization is after all
but a thin covering, and in mans heart
there still dwells certain of the savage
desires and emotions. Probably one
of the first among these is the instinct
to hunt. At least it is more generally
manifested. Few there are who do not
have at certain times an impulse to go
slough, and STAY something; to take
up gun and tramp thru woods or stub
bles; to hide among the rush.
es and take the life of any bird OF
beast so unfortunate as to come his
way. The open season is the time for
the hunter and 1t has no longer be-
come matter of mere slaughter, but
to be successful requires the highest
development of the woodcraftman'>
art Savage man would in a short time
starvelto death We're he put under sim
ilar conditions.
To him who loves to hunt, not for
the mere sport of killing, but for the
pure joy of the excitement of the
chase holds, the approach of open sea-
son brings with it an influence that is
hard to resist. The low scurrying
clouds of a November day that run be-
fore hard storm from the north
causes every lover of duck hunting to
cast his eyes skyward in search of
southwark migrating flocks. The
wind calls to him and he sees the
reeds bending in the gale, reckoning
him to the border of the old lake or
slough ever which he has brought
down many a bird. AS September
draws near and the open season for
chicken Is about to commence, the
rolling hills of dew stepped stubble
rise in his minds eye before him. He
sees himself going forth in the chill
of early dawn, and calling dog to heel
is off before the day has broke. These
influences and impulses are hard to
beat back, and come again and again
as the recurring seasons pass. These
are some of the reasons why the city
man, accustomed to the luxuries of
business and home life is willing for
a time to leave both and undergo the
rigors of hunting under it's worst con-
ditions.
Can you blame him? He hunts, not
for the mere pleasure of seeing ruffled
and broken birds brought down, or four
legged prey writhe in the agony of its
last struggle, but for the wholesome,
pure joy that is his as a bird or beast
passes before the eye leveled along the
gun barrel, as he notes the effect of
each well held shot. The true sports
man is never slaughterer. There is as
much difference between the pot hunt
err or market hunter, and the sportsman
as there is between day and night One
makes killing his business, to the other
it is his pleasure. The one Stays for the
money the chase brings him, the other
brings down his game for the simple al
lurement the sport affords. When the
sportsman has gathered few he is
content to leave the rest that others
may do as he has done, and enjoy the
pleasures that have been his. To the
average hunter of this sort no more dis
reputable character carries a gun than
the man who hunts for the market.
If the story sent out from Waterloo
is to be believed, sportsmen of that city
must indeed be proud of two sef-con-
fessed market shooters who are said to
have boosted of the fact that While on
a recent trip in South Dakota they
slaughtered 1000 ducks in a weeks
time. OF this number the are report
ed to have placed on the market 900,
from the sale of which they realized
enough to pay the expenses of the trip.
1t is not stated what was done with the
remaining 400. AS they could not pos
sibly have devoured them, it is not be-
yond probabilities that such men would
cast them away to rot and decay. Such
gourmand hunters as these explain the
principal cause of the rapid decrease of
waterfowls turnout the country. Not
only did they, in thier one week of ruth
less, inexcusable slaughter squander
flocks that would have furnished sea-
sons sport for a dozen, but they low
cred themselves in the estimation of
every true lover of clean sport, and
plainly by their actions branded them
selves with the undeniable stamp of the
game hog.