Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-07-21
GAME INCREASING
IN PENNSYLVANIA


follows in part:
The increase of song and insectiv.
orous birds is self evident; whereerv
go splendid reports are being Ie-
ceived of game birds Matching in spite
of the cold, wet spring. Quail winter
ed well and appear in increasing num-
bers, especially in the western and
southwestern sections.
Ruffed grouse are reported as doing
well in sections where they are found
at all. Turkeys are increasing rapidly,
flock of six being seen by several in
a game preserve at Mount Alto, Frank
lin county. No birds of this kind have
been seen III that section for years and
it must be that these birds have come
from what is called "the flats" in
Adams county fully 10 miles from
where they were seen. | planted two
hens there two years ago, there being
one wild gobbler left in that section.
For some months past, | might say
years, | have been investigating the
characteristics of the Hungarian quail.
| am satisfied that, in many instances,
protection to our own native birds or
animals means more benefit than the
introduction of foreign species With
this idea in mind, have been collect
ing data relative to the special quail
fications of the Hungarian quail and,
So far / laapn fool SatisfinI
is no better suited to our climate than
our own bob white. believe that ad-
ditional protection to our own native
bobwhite will result in more good to
the commonwealth than will the pu--
chase and distribution of any number
of Hungarian quail.
Deer are increasing rapidly ard
speedily throughout the woodlands all
over the commonwealth. We have had
more reports of deer having been run
by dogs during the past spring than
for several years added together prior
to this date. All this, to my mind ,ow-
ing largely to the fact that deer have
been compelled to scatter and have
gone into the dog country rather than
that the dogs have gone into that sec
tion formerly frequented by deer
1.-The buck law is working admir-
ably and in my opinion should lie con
tinued.
so far as l have been able to learn
not one human being was either kill
ed or wounded in Pennsylvania last
fall in mistake for deer; while in oth-
er states, where deer could be killed
regardless of sex, numbers of men
were killed and many more were
wounded. This condition speaks for
itself
II have had large number of let
tiers of complaint relative to deer feed
ing upon grain fields in the early
springtime. The parties complaining
were not acquainted with the habits
of this animal, otherwise they would
have known that deer would feed upon
grain only when it was young and
tender and also that the early crop
ping, by any animal, of winter grain
is benefit 10 the grain rather than
an injury.
Bear are also increasing rapidly,
and have been seen III sections of the
State far removed from where such
animals have been known TO exist for
many years. Scare stories regarding
the ferocious disposition wrought peo-
pie to the point of organized crusade
against the bear. have yet to learn
where bear has attacked a human
being or done any serious wrong in
the State.
Many people are learning to place
the house-cat at the head of the list
of vermin and bird destroyers, where
it belongs. desire to reiterate what
| have asserted many times, that it
seems to me anything but a display of
good business judgment to say that
men shall kill game in limited num-
bers, by special methods and at pre-
scribed times only, and shall kill wild
O4idSy Olitl IMAM Sdulb DlINS, hOl at
ALL and then stand idly by and see
the same birds or animals destroyed
by vermin. a generous bounty for the
determination of vermiu of all kinds,
it seems to me- is solution of the
problem.
The act passed by the legislature
of 1909 forbididng unnaturalized for
eign-b born residents within this State
to hunt in the commonwealth and re-
moving from their hands the power
and temptation to violate the law
through that feature denying to these
people the right to own, or to have in
possession shot guns or rifles, has
resulted in benefit within the COM
not only to our birds and
game, but also to our people, that can
not be expressed in words or figures. "