The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-13
WHO DUCKS SCARCE
Geese and Swans Are Being
Rapidly Exterminated.
MAN IS THE SOLE CAUSE
With the Hoe He Has Wiped Out the
Breeding Places and With tho
Gun Has Slain the Birds
Which Have Been Bred.
Special to The Evening Times.

with the blunderbuss and the man with
the hoe the department of agriculture
ascribes the early extinction of the
wild geese. ducks and swans in the
United States. The astounding rapid
ity with which these wild fowls are
disappearing from the American con-
tinent has led Prof. Wells W. Cooke.
an expert of the biological survey Of
the department OF agriculture. to make
an investigation into this subject.
a remedy is at hand fer the protec-
ton of the birds against the man with
the gun. namely. prohibition Of market
hunting and spring shooting. but while
Prof. Cooke goes eNhaustively into the
subject of destruction OF breeding
grounds through the progress of the
man with the hoe, he offers no solution
for this source OF destruction. but
holds out the consoling information
that few isolated breeding places will
continue to exist fer some time to
come. and that as long as they do
exist there will he some wild fowl
left On this very interesting subject
of destruction of wild fowl breeding
places. Prof. Cooke has much to say.
He points cut that the principal
causes of the diminished number of
waterfowl have been market hunting,
spring shooting and the destruction
OF the breeding grounds for farming
purposes. Previous to twenty years
ago market hunting was the principal
factor in the steady diminution of
waterfowl. Since 1885. however. the
problem OF duck preservation in North
America was entirely changed. accord
ing to Prof. Cooke. The prairie dis
tricts of central Canada, comprising
large portions of Manitoba. Saskatche-
wan and Alberta. are the ducks para
disc" Within the United States this
favored region extends to the north
eastern part of Montana. the northern
half of North Dakota and the north.
western corner of Minnesota. The
whole vast region is dotted with lakes,
ponds. slOughs and marshes that fur
nish ideal nesting conditions AVID I'M
limited food. Forty years ago every
available nook was crowded with
waterfowl, and the hole region. 200
miles wide by 400 miles in length. was
a great breeding colony. and num-
bered its inhabitants by the hundreds
of thousands. To the northward the
forests formed partial boundary; TO
the southwark the general absence of
suitable breeding grounds was the con-
trolling factor. restricting the breed
ing waterfowl to the lakes and
marshes within the territory named.
Breeding Places Limited.
The number of breeding ducks de-
creased rapidly from central North
Dakota southwark. until the outpcsts
were reached in the lake region of
southern Wisconsin, the Kankakee
marshes of Illinois and Indiana, few
favored spots in southwestern Mime
sofa and the lakes of north central
Iowa. In southern Wisconsin in 1864
every pond. hole and damp depression
had its brood of young ducks. During
the next fifteen years the farming Of
the region changed from grain raising
to dairying. the marshes were drained,
the former duck nurseries became
grazing grounds, and duck hunting
there was sport of the past.
An article written in 1877 on the
birds of northeastern Illinois enumer-
ated twelve species of ducks as breed
ing commonly in the vicinity and three
others as found there occasionally in
the summer. At present young brood
of ducks in this region is rare. In 1855
some fourteen species bred near Clear
lake. Iowa. and sixteen species at
Heron, lake, Minnesota. Now scarcely
any ducks breed at either place.
But the places just mentioned were
merely the outskirts of ducks para
disc AS great change has taken
place in the very heart of the breeding
grounds. The Northern Pacific railroad
cut across it's southern border in Min
nesota and North Dakota and this was
soon followed BY north and south
line to Winnipeg. Other short branches
were built later. but the final doom
OF the ducks was apparent when the
Canadian Pacific railroad crossed be-
tween Winnipeg and the Rocky noun
tains. the finest duck breeding grounds
on the continent. During the past de-
cade the last stronghold of the water
fowl has been invaded, and soon the
great breeding colonies of Alberta and
Saskatchewan will be of the past. The
population of North Dakota increased
many fold from 1880 to 1900, and dur
ing this same period the vast prairles
Of central Canada were changed to
wheat fields.
United States and southern Canada in
few years there will be no great
breeding colonies OF the ducks most
valued for sport and for the table.
The future supply must come from
isolated pairs and small colonies
scattered in favorable localities over
Canada and the northern quarter of
the United States. Fortunately such
favorable places exist and will con-
tfnue to exist for many years.
Open Season should be Limited.
Prof. Cooke suggests that the open
season for ducks be during the fall mi
grafton, and the game be not per-
mitted to be harassed all winter
through. While protection during the
breeding season sould be the very least
that sportsmen and naturalists should
demand for the duck, 1t is pointed out
that nothing short OF absolute prohibit
ton of spring shooting will check the
rapid diminution of water fowl. Many
species of ducks pair before they reach
the breeding grounds. 1t is found, for
instance, that the blue wing teals, pin
tails. shnv"'lers. mallards and other
species begin mating at Currituck
SLunu, NLIth CarOuna, as early as
February IS.
Some interesting instances of what
effective protection will do are cited In
the report of Prof. Cookies investiga-
ton. In San Luis valley, Colorado, pro-
lection afforded ducks within an in
closure about an artificial pond has
caused the birds to resort to the pond
in INCREASING numbers each winter. At
Palm Beach, Fla, where no hunting
Is allowed within mile of the town,
ducks have become so tame that they