The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-03-26
To Save Game Birds.
Dying Breeds to be Defended
Throughout all the Land
Sportsmen Back Audubon
Campaign From State to State
Bird Butchers Opposed
With Big Market Lobby.

New York, March 18th. Until all
the mating birds OF spring may fly
from their winter home to the North
to rear their young, safe from the
pot shots of unsportsmanlike and
market hunters, a anational campaign
against spring shooting will be
carried from State to State, it was
announced here today. Acting on
the protests of sportsmen and the
warning fthe Department. OF Agricul-
ture, the National Association OF
Audubon Societies has undertaken
to make last stand for the existence
of the dying races of American game
birds in every State in which shoot
ing during the breeding season is not
forbidden by law. In Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, New Jersey and Okla
homa a determined fight is today
being carried on against the COM
mercial interests which are organized
To fight the movement.
That the most desperate measures
have been taken by the men who
butcher birds for the market to pre-
vent protective legislation in these
States as we'll as the twenty Others
in which the law still leaves the game
birds easy prey while beeeding. is
known today. Although this market
lobby has always been active in OPP
'osing laws which threatened to
.urtail their gains in any particular
State. the possibility of such a
general protection throughout the
country has aroused them to finance
widespread and unscrupulous fight.
To pit against this rich and selfish
interest, the Audubon workers
have simply the moral support OF
sportsmen and the general unselfish
lesire of the people to save the game
birds from extinction.
From January first on to u reason
able open season in the fall is the
period in which protection is to be
| asked for the mating birds and their
| Young. In fifteen States and nine
Canadian provinces the game birds
ire already shielded by law during
| this critical time. Unless such meas
ures are taken at once by the remain
ing States the Government authori
ties have agreed that game shooting
in this country will soon cease to ex
ist and every species become extinct
| On the Legislatures in the Dakotas
Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, New
Mexico, Illinois. Indiana, Penn
Svlvainia, Texas, Missouri, Kansas
Arkansas and all the Southern
States will depend the life or deatf
# American game when this matter
brought before them this year Ol
next. In each of these States all The
money and influence of the com
mercial bird killers, is always al
work for their short-sighted policy
If exterminating slaughter for to
norrrow's table.
every real true sportsman is be
lind US in the fight for the dyins
game birds of this country" sale
William butcher, president of th'
association at it's headquarters, Ia
Brodway, today. "We will make ou
stand for these game species just al
faithfully as we have worked for th'
protection of the non-game birds
If every patriotic citizen will take hi
| ,lace with us to defend the birds
against rapid extinction. we shall b.
quipped to oppose all the selfish in
terests that money can buy and th
sruesome story of the wild pigeon
fhe heath hen. the Eskimo curlev
md the Carolina paroquest species
xterminated by the wasteful gree,
of man, will not be repeated"