The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-01-14
DOGS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTER-
MINATlON OF GAME.
Are Terror To Poultry RaIsers-
Game Warden Urges Legislation
Against Worthless Ours.

We have been requested to publish the
following extract from the Baltimore Sun
of Jan. 2, by one who is not only in
terested in the preservation of game but
| of poultry as well
Mr.. Edward Reynolds, deputy game warden
and vice president of the Baltimore County As
ISOLATION for the Protection of Came believes the
Legislature should lake some action to stop the
ravages of game.destroying dogs. In an inter
view, he said:
There is general complaint all over Mary
land about the scarcity of game--partridges,
pheasants. woodcock and rabbits-apd the lovers
of hunting and sport are trying to make game
laws, form game reservations and purchase and
set free game bought in other States They have
been doing thissfor years. yet every year game is
becoming less and less.
ssThe reason is they do not strike the real
causes of the fast disappearing game-the worth
less cur dogs that are allowed to roam over every.
ones property, in season and out of season, day
or night and3see what they can devnur
Mature has created the dog the most deadly
enemy of game. All the game referred to have
their nests and raise. their young on the ground:
the dog with his wonderful nose can detect a bird
or rabbit many feet away tat times several hun.
bred feet away, and go straight to where the
bird or rabbit has its nest If it stays there what
is its fate? fit leaves what is the fate of the
eggs or young?
with about 100000 dogs and 100 900 cats al
lowed to run at large in the State of Maryland
the wonder is that ethere is a single partridge
pheasant rabbit or turkey in the whole State.
Living on farm Is miles from Baltimore, I
have tried my utmost III 40 years to protect the
game on it. / have shot from 10 to II dogs each
year when they were in pursuit of game on the
farm. in trying to little game; yet in three
days hunt this hall on $50 acres of land got but
three shots at rabbits.
II have carefully counted the dogs owned (and
allowed to RIM at will s65 days and nights year.
by neighbors and find there are57 OF them. Now
how much game these 81 dogs have killed no one
canItell.
10 .'ln the last two years my sister has raised to
the isize of frying chickens and turned out 140
youhg turkey. and out OF this number the dogs
have left her four Another lady know had %
youbg turkeys that she fastened up in yard
eyety night. One morning she found small cur
had squeezed in under the gate. he was then
too Imuch extended to squeeze out and every
turley was dead and many partly eaten.
years ago when the worthless cur backed by
the worthless yoter) did not seem to have such
absolute possession of this fair State nearly all
the 1eighbors that had any size farms raised from
II TOGO turkeys each year Now nearly all have
givenfup raising them, because they say when
the turkeys get haltgrown they disappear With
800, 0OOf dogs and cats hunting them is it any
wonder they disappear
Conditions aronnd here are the same as in
most other parts of Maryland. It it about i'm.
possible 10 raise turkeys chickens and ducks in
inclosed places, as it is their nature to roam
about. In this way the young ones fall an easy
prey to dogs.
'.When man kills dog on his own land.
when the dog is in pursuit Of game or sheep or
calves Il hate had four calves killed by dogs or
turkeys is cdpsidered cruel, and the owner OF the
worthless cur killed wishes to do the man bodily
harm or some other injury. few months ago
heard this threat IF he kills my dog even on
his own landl will burn down every building he
has on his pidce.'
Gland owners should not be inundated by
such threats. but carry good insurance policies
and kill every worthless cur seen providing
around their properly. Judging from this neigh
borhood. the dogs are increasing more rapidly
than the inhabitants and II they are not half fed
then they hunt their own living by killing game
and poultry. which is simply exterminating the
game and making poultry higher and higher
Something should be done during this session OF
the Legislature to tax or otherwise stop the in
crease of these gamed destroying. disseminators of
hydrophobia before the little remnant of game is
entirely destroyed in Maryland.