Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-02


/ nv H Chicago has brought together
III EsI a most unique collection of
ia Nh outfits for fishermen and
hunters There never has
been so many devotees of
the rod and the gun as there are today,
and Manufacturers and dealers are
reaping harvest from 1t. A Massa-
chusetts authority estimates that there
| are 10000 hunters and fishermen in
the Bay state, and IL the same proper
tion obtains in other states the number
of mighty hunters before the Lord
in America must run into the millions.
The great problem confronting the
American sportsman today with re-
spect to fish and game is how to "eat
cake and have It," They realize that
the pot-hunter Is cutting down the
supply below the danger limit. The
quail and the pheasant are disappear
ing and in the effort of the sportsmen
to restock the country with these game
birds there has come a new industry
that of quail and pheasant raising.
Young quail have been grown with
only Indifferent success, but pheasants
are comparatively easy 10 rear. A
| Colorado corporation has been organ
lied to raise and sell pheasants, and
, has been receiving orders from every
where. Among the patrons OF this
corporation is President Diaz of
Mexico.
The National Association OF Audu-
bon Societies of America is making
earnest efforts to conserve the game
OF the country. and the protective laws
that are on the statute books of near
ly all the states are for the most part
result of its labors. 1t is now max
ing an effort to have taken a bird
1 nc F,F4 e.
full details as to the destruction that
has taken place and the best methods
of protecting the birds I'm the future.
The association has issued a number
of educational leaflets intended to in
terest schoo1boys, one of which is en-
| titled "The Aigrette Has Lost Caste"
| 1t includes a letter from ex-President
Roosevelt declaring that Mrs. Roose-
Welt viii not wear an aigrette. thus
showing her disapproval Of the saugh-
ter of the beautiful birds which bear
them.
Another work of the association is
the purchase of islands off the coast
of Florida and Louisiana and their
conversion into havens of refuge Tor
the millions of shore birds which in
habit those regions. The year 1908 saw
the extinction of one OF the most
beautiful species of birds America has
ever possessed-the white heron. Along
with the great aux the white heron
perished because of the love Of woman
for its beautiful plumage. 1t is said
that over 100000 robins are slaugh-
tered annually in Louisiana alone, and
the department of agriculture thinks
that the eastward spread of the boil
weevil is to be traced directly to the
destruction of these birds in the Mis-
sissippi country. 1t has been estimated
that the annual loss from insects in
the United States amounts to some-
thing like n half billion dollars, and
that a large percentage OF this sum
might have been saved by the protec-
tion of all soft-billed birds.
One of the greatest natural deer
parks in the world is the Cocodrie
| swamp of Louisiana. 1t has been
overrun this winter by lot of hunt
ers who shot the deer for their skins
alone. More than 500 carcasses al
ready have been found, and this is
known TO be only a portion of them.
The people of the community are up
in arms over this pot-hunter invasion,
and 1t probably will result in some
additional protective action by the
Louisiana legislature. The other side
/ OF the game law question is shown
| in the experience OF the farmers in
| Shelby and adjoining counties in Iowa.
Here the game laws have been en-
forced so rigidly that 400 deer are run
ming at large and annoying the farm
ers by their depredations. The bucks
in some instances have become so fe-
rocious as to attack school children.
| This splendid herd of deer has grown
| from few animals which escaped
| from a private park in Avoca, Ia,
| some ten years ago.
Out of the countless millions of Amer
| lean bison which roamed over this con-
| tinent in the eighteenth century less
| than 5000 now remain as sombre senti-
| nels of a dying species. A bison cen
! sus taken by William Il. Hornaday tive
years ago showed 1141 in the United
! States, $50 In Canada and 1870 in Eu-
rope In addition to these there were
| 345 hybrids called cattaloes-a cross
| between buffalo and cattle. The last
| buffalo which is known to have asso-
ciated with the great herds that roam
! ed wild over the prairies of Canada
was Sir Donald, the veteran bull OF
| the Banff herd. He was killed recent
| ly for museum purposes. This animal
was captured in 1872 by James Mac
| kay. All those which survive Sir Don
| ala were born in captivity. In Alaska