The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-11-27
GAME IN NEW ENGLAND
Marvellous Conditions That Existed
When America Was Discovered

North America is naturally the
greatest paradise for game in the
world. 1t has not maintained within
recent geological periods such giant
game as still exists in Africa but
when America was first discovered it
had a variety and quantity of edible
game animals and birds, unequalled
anywhere else on earth. Bison,
muskOX, moose, elk, deer, caribou,
mountain sheep and mountain goats
roamed the continent in uncounted
numbers. Antelopes swarmed over
the great plains; bears of various spe-
cies roamed the forests. Legions of
hares rabbits and squirrels possessed
the land.
The United States, Canada and
Mexico are the native home of that
king of all game birds, the turkey.
What country was ever so well sup
piled by nature with grouse and part
ridges of many species? From Green
land and Alaska on the north to the
Gulf of Mexico on the south the land
was one great summer nursery for
such myriads of wild fowl, pigeons
and shore birds as the world never
saw.
The greater part of these birds
nested in all the country between
what is now the central part of the
United States and the northermost
lands of America. When the sum
mer was but half spent the first strag-
glers of the great wave Of fall migra-
ton began to move towards the south.
These were followed by ever increas-
ing hordes on their way from chilling
Arctic wastes and boreal barrens to-
ward the sunny South. The confor-
nation of the continent is such that
these southwark moving myriads Of
birds must have constantly converged
and crowded in upon each other.
From the farthermost chain of is
lands west of the Alaskan Peninsula
to the eastermost lands of Greenland
and Newfoundland is nearly 5000
miles, while from lower Georgia TO
lower California is not half that dis
lance. The great focks of wild fowl.
shore birds and pigeons that streamed
southwark in migration over the whole
width Of the continent crowded into
the face of the globe. No such con
gestion of species and individuals
could ever be possible elsewhere. ex-
cept perhaps in India, Indo-China or
the Malayan Archipelago
New England had its full share of
this great concourse of game birds.
Bear moose elk, deer and caribou
were abundant in their localities.
Squirrels were so numerous that they
were sometimes obliged to migrate in
large numbers to find sufficient food.
The common rabbit" and the white
hare ahounded in the forests and
swamps Wild turkeys noeked in
the woods so that the Indians spoke
of seeing a thousand in day. Three
species of grouse were very plentiful
and as many as sixty quail were seen
In a flock. Woodcock and snipe
swarmed in the lowlands. Wild pig.
cons We're found in larger numbers
than those of any bird in any other
country. Their fights darkened the
entire sky and shut out the sun for
hours and their nesting places ex-
tended for miles through the woods.
Wild fowl nested on pead and stream.
In the marshes and along the shores
OF. the sea. The bays, harbors and is
lands of the New England coast were
alive with water birds which bred up
on the rocks and sands. With the ap.
proach of winter the bays, lakes, riv-
ers and shore swarmed with water
fowl and shore birds from the north.
New England is 50 situated that mi
grants from the Maritime Provinces.
Labrador and Greenland poured dir.
ectly into her territory or along her
coasts, while many species from the
west of Hudson Bay reached the
coast here. Others from the far
northwest came down to the Hudson
river, and from there spread along
our shores. No section was better
supplied with game in its seasons.
Edward Howe Forbush.
Agent National Asso. of Audubon So
cieties.