Washington telegraph., 1910-07-15
increase or GAME
Interesting Pamphlet Issued by
the Department of Agriculture.
Several important Changes Made In
Game Laws in Several States
DIscouraging Predictions Made
as to Quail.

partment of agriculture entitled
- Progress of Game Protection" 1t is
the work Of T. S. Palmer Henry Oldy
nd c. q. Brewster, assistants in the
illogical survey.
LAST year is summarized from the
1e standpoint in these words,
n form the introduction" to the
nerphlet:
4Tka zIa 100 r#= 55-
2zaaId eEa,-5l.1g IN INC novar ant
J. I the incro7se 1855. =.. l. n.
riments in propagation and in the
establishment of game refugees and
private preserves. Several states
made provision for the establishment
of state preserves Or farms, and Min.
nesota and Ontario set aside adioin,
ing tracts comprising altogether more
than 100000 acres. The demand
for game birds for restocking, as in
former years, was much larger than
the supply, and imported pheasants
and European partridges seemed to
be the only upland species which
could be obtained in sufficient mum.
5ers to restock depleted covers.
'dn general, game wintered well, ex.
cept that the elk of Wyoming and
Idaho suffered for food during the
cold weather, and it became necessary
in Wyoming for the state to provide
hay in some localities. The hunting
season as a whole was fairly success
iul, but weather conditions proved un.
favorable in certain sections, partfeu.
larly in the case of deer hunting In
Michigan and Wisconsin and duck
hunting on the Pacific coast In most
parts of the country duck shooting
was considered above the average.
The hunting season was marred, as
in 1908, by a large number of hunt.
ing accidents, the fatalities reported
being nearly 30 per cent. more than
those reported in any previous year.
In the administration of the game
laws important changes were made in
several states. IN New York, New
Jersey and Wisconsin civil service
methods were applied to the warden
service. In Kansas and Oklahoma the
game departments were handicapped
by lack of funds through defects in
Stlfe appropriation bills, and in North.
Carolina the responsibility of enforce
ment was divided between the board
of supervisors in some counties and
the Audubon society in others.
"In legislation the record of the
year was very large, owing to ses-
sions of the legislatures in all but half
a dozen states and the wide interest
manifested in game protection. Thk
number of game cases appeal to
the higher courts was smaller than
usual, and few novel or important
points were decided, but 1t is interest.
ing to note that several game laws
were declared unconstitutional"
Taking up various kinds of game in
detail, the book states that the killing
of deer. showed a decrease last year,
returns from the states east of the
Mississippi showing $500 deer killed
in 1909, as against 10000 in 1908.
In the two states where moose may
gbe .hunted-Maine and Minnesota
these animals still are plentiful, the
report says The antelope of Mon.
tana, Nevada, oregon and Wyoming
are now eliminated from the game
list, says the government report.
Rather diseouraging predictions for
certain sections Of the country are
made in the r2r%t on quail, which
reads as follows:
Quail. have been unusually abund-
ant in their normal range, and along
its northern limit, in states like Penn
sylVania, Connecticut, Massachusetts
and Wisconsin, they showed much in
crease over last year The breeding
season was favorable and in many
localities two broods to the pair were
raised At the opening of the shoot
ing season, however, some scarcity
was noted in various sections in
New York, Illinois and Virginia, and
even in Oklahoma and Texas, where
the birds had previously been report
ed as showing abnormal abundance
Toward the end of the year heavy
SHOWS and cold weather proved de.
structive and 1t is probable that next
season will witness unusual scarcity
of quail IN the region of heavy snow
fall"
The statement is made that prairie
chickens are decreasing in number in
Illinois despite the protection of the
law. OF ducks the pamphlet has this
to say:
Ducks are reported as plentiful in
all the large ducling centers. The
season seems to have been favorable
almost everywhere and securing the
days bag limit has been common and
easy. Prohibition Of spring shooting
IN North Dakota caused a large f-4-
oraasn Il, tho nur,,har Op l-,,I,- -,.--4