The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-17
EaqIe'S Silver Statue
lOc Cigar
AT ALL GOOD DEALERS
{ ALL GOOD DEALERS

prairie chicken is decidedly easy to
shoot until it is three-fourths grown.
A coVey can be flushed, and the young
will fly slowly and not very far ere they
alight again. The hunter can mark
them down. proceed to the location,
and by the aid of the pump gun Ca
very popular shooting iron for chick
ens) get the entire covey, perhaps the
m other bird alone escaping. But, let
the birds be more mature. and the
covey disturbed by the shooter, they
will whir up, take one OF a half dozen
methods of flight, and the skill of the
man behind the gun is put to the test,
which after all should be the real
pleasure of the sport; and 1t Is with al
true SDortSmen. So am in FAVOR O.
the present open season. just because
the birds have the chance of maturity,
or rather more practice in taking care
of themselves, in their favor and sides
are then less unequal Even then the
limit of the bag, as made by law is
not very hard to obtain; but the fact is
the majority of shooters in the field
pay little attention to the limit if birds
are young, plentiful and ammunition
holds out
I'm my observation of the prairie
chicken, they are immune to all dis
eases except 'ptomaine poisoning,
superinduced by gunshot wounds. So
far as have ever learned, no disease If
any nature has ever been the cause OF
loss among this feathered prairie fowl.
And they are extremely well prepared
to Withstand severe winters, unless
long period of deep snow, or billiards
deprive them of shelter and food, a con-
dition that rarely exists on the western
plains of Kansas. The greatest cause
for the continual disappearance, from
wear to year of the vast numbers of
birds is the early open season; which
permits the merest novice with gun to
bag large numbers of. young, unsophis-
ticated birds. That has been demon
Strated in past years.
I'm this section of Kansas, comprising
say five counties, the prairie chicken is
certainly not SO plentiful as. to be
menace, as your article claims, to the
farmers crops Nor do the farmers
welcome hunters with open arms in any
part of the state hereabout Real fact
is that each succeeding season finds
more farms posted No hunting than
were thus placarded the year previous
for the farmer is beginning to note
what a friend he has in the prairie
chicken. G1asshoppers ore a menace
to corn alfalfa, etc, after wheat is har-
vested, and the hopper and other In
sect life is the principal diet of the
prairie men. The birds seldom modest
crops unless it is crop that is left
shocked in the fields late in fail, and the
proportion of grain that even \ flock Of
800 birds can consume is very small
compared to the great good they can
do earlier in the season. Some western
Kansas counties have Ave year closed
season and no shooting is permissible
bv law. Before being convinced that
an open season beginning September 1
would be much favored by hunters
doubtless, yes)) and farmers CD, /
would prefer to see a full vote from all
farmers and male residents of the state;
an unbiased opinion, mind you.
1.-THE crop of birds this season is not
abundant in this county. The late
spring freezing weather caused a late
mating and Matching season and just
recently chickens no larger than full
grown quail have been seen on the
reservation at FIT. Hays. Perhaps IN
other counties they are more abundant.
But from this, it is apparent that ar,
open season this year, beginning Sep
TENDER l, is certainly not conducive TO
perpetuating some members OF the
species.
Here follows some points overlooked
by our law makers when preparing sta-
tutes governing our game birds. Do
depl1ty Wardens properly police the ter
ritory where game abounds to preveni |
the proniscous shooting before season |
opens. the field training of dogs and It's
often CONSEQUENT shooting of birds In |
that training before season, and are
hunting parties checked up to see that |
the bag limit is not exceeded? II
ct believe in tax assessment for |
every shotgun, outside a show case. in |
the state large tax on every bird |
dog. A still higher charge for nom
resident shooters, and some process to |
.ciYtch' their. being nonresidents. Pro-
bfbitfne all shipping of game, but al
ruling that will permit a hunter taking