The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
QUAIL IN DANGER.
Hard winter Likely TO Kil Many OF Wis
cosin's Much.prOtected Birds.

ELRoY, Wis, March i.-More than five
years ago the Legislature Of Wisconsin
made a law forbidding the killing of quail
on any day Of the year. The supply had
dwindled to only n few birds.
Thousands of pairs were imported from
Oklahoma and freed in the southern
counties. They multiplied prodigiously.
For two wears past. in the southwestern
counties especially. they have been in
credibly numerous.
The farmers did not shoot them, or trap
them; no visiting sportsmen were permitted
to aunt them. Every resident constituted
himself a sort Of deputy game warden.
That Is an agricultural region with good
cover. Quail were everywhere, practically.
All spring and summer they took dust
baths In the roads, or whistled from the
orchards or the fences. Skunks, foxes.
wildcats and such predatory fauna had
been almost exterminated.
In the winters bevies came into the back
Yards OF farmhouses and fed with the
chickens. They trotted about the barns
undisturbed. In Grant, Lafayette, Craw-
ford, Vernon or any one of the nearby
counties a fair shot last fall wnh n decent
dog could have bagged 200 quail in a day.
The iye-year law would have expired on
Sept. 1 last, but the Legislature, which
met at Madison In January, 1901, was com
Dosed in largo part OF farmers and the
total protection quail statute was extended
for three years more.
The snow In western and southwestern
Wisconsin Is deeper and harder than II had
known to be in a long time. Just what is
10 become of the quail, or rather how they
will survive, no one knows.
They are not under the care OF any game
nL--. l. M ANA 10 aAId mon
into the woods TO brush the nov from
certain spaces and strew them with feed,
as IL being lone In New Jersey. Thousands
of these birds, which would have furnished
three months. legitimate sport, must starvo'
The quail cannot get down through deep.
| crusted snow rs can the more powerful
grouse. II does not feed upon ironwood
buds like the grouse. II a heavy snow
| catches II while asleep and buries II, and
| then freezes, Il cannot beat It's way to the
| outer air and freedom with Its bill as the
grouse does.
Here and there farmers are leaving grain
around their barns, but this action Is not
general, and there are hundreds OF beyies
which never come near n farmhouse, The
position Of the Wisconsin granger shortly
stated IL that he cannot, or will not, shoot
Quail for himself and family; the gun license
| OF 81 a year is an imposition; powder and
shot cost too much; he cannot spare the
money for a gun, therefore nobody else
shall shoot them.
It's the opinion OF most Wisconsin sports.
men that there Is such a thing as too much
| protection; they assert that quail was
made for man, not nan for quail. The
chances are that next year there VIII he
comparatively few quail In this State.
That, in general, has been the process
| and result OF rigid quail protection In the
Northwest. The birds are guarded from
hunting for al unconscionable TIME, then
| This has been true Of States as far south
/ as Indiana, not TO speak Of such Common,
woalths as Wisconsin. Minnesota and
| Michigan.