Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-12-24
GAME BADLY PROTECTED.



better small game country on the
continent than the territory Of the
southern states. They have . rare,
favorable climate. plenty of cover and
plenty of game food. Only ordinary
care Ia needed to preserve the game
and to increase II slight addition OF
stringency to the laws and their en-
forcement. Thirty years ago there
was no southern state from Virginia
to the gulf in which excellent shoot
ing and fishing were not to be had for
the trouble Of seeking them. Even
in the most thickly settled portions
deer, wild turkey and quail were album
dant in season. At present, If the
sportsman wishes full bag, he must
In general seek those parts OF the
land which are timbered and in which
the farms are sparse, says Outing.
The upper classes Of the whites re-
spect the game law. but the lower
classes do not, and the negroes pay
no attention to 1t at all. The cheap
ening of firearms and explosives has
resulted in bringing weapons and am
munition within reach Of the blacks,
and in and out Of season they are
tireless pursuers. The negro who
shoots upon the wing is rarely seen,
yet the race as o whole IL learned in
the ways of bird and beast and is fatal
to both. The white man Of the south
10 good natured. II is not often that
he will take the trouble to bring to
Justice the violator of the law. He
will, indeed, watch complacently
through season after season the IL
legal netting or trapping of quail and
never lift finger, though the theft
Of q two-dollar sheep from his fold
makes him talk darkly Of lynching.
He has been used always to plentiful
provision Of game, and it is the hard
est matter in the world to bring him
to look upon II a. property.
So great has been the demolition OF
wild things within the past two dec
AIDES that the end is plainly in sight.
Unless southern legislatures pass laws
of stringency and make provision for
their enforcement the southern states
will come in time-and in compare
lively short time--to be no better
grounds than Connecticut or
In Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana. Florida, South
upper Arkansas and eastern
Texas the past ten years has seen
decrease in quail and deer OF quite
50 per cent. In those commemorative
it used to be no trick at all to bag q
dozen brace of quail in morning or
to stop a deer on three-mile drive.
Now taking bag of birds means
days hard, close work, and a deer
hunt Is much more often fruitless
than fruitful. The treatment Of the
game supply Of the section has been
by splendid wastefulness.
1t is repetition Of the story to be
written of every other part of the
United States. 1t seems that Ameri-
cans will never learn to treasure the
bountiful things with which nature
gifted their country.
The crime of dynamiting fish is also
common in the south, nor is there evil
dence anywhere of determination to
put it down. There is scarcely q
bayou or creek in the far south that
is free from it. The perpetrators are
not, in general, negroes, because
negro knows nothing Of dynamite and
cannot be brought ordinarily to use it.
The native whites are chargeable with
this. Use of a violent explosive In q
stream not only Stays pounds Of fish
that are not recovered, but IL drives
nninjured fish to seek other grounds.
It is an offense for which confinement
1t hard labor in penitentiary would
not be too severe punishment. but
here is evidently no disposition to
treat the perpetrators as they deserve
10 be treated. In Louisiana and Ar
KANSAS are several streams once
'ecund Of bass and white perch which
nave been ruined in this manner, and
he men who rnined them are simply
.iding further aneld in the effort to
ind other streams.
There can be no question that any
yame law can be made TO stick II 1t is
,acked by a few determined sports
men. Three men, acting together, are
,nough to do the work in any com
nunity. Indeed, in most of these COM
sportsmen merely wait for
ome one to take the initiative. They
ire ready enough to support any man
With enough temerity to bell the cat.
This was once demonstrated In south
western Texas. q wonderful country
or quail. 1t was the habit OF farm
RS and oilers to trap or net the birds
md expose them for sale in open mar
ret, where they retailed alive at 10
ents a dozen. The men were vio-
ators of the law, Of course. but no
me seemed disposed to take action.
)ne sportsman caused the arrest Of
hree Of the vendors. They were tried |
nd promptly fined.
Thereafter the supply of quail in
market did not decrease, but only |
cad birds were offered. Examined,
hey showed no shot marks, and the
ellers were once more fined. Then !
he hundreds of birds on sale all
bowed shot marks. Examination