The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-01-15
The Game Situation in New England

fNS OaA''S VI WV -fS't''N
Our stock of game birds has be
come so reduced and the number of
hunters has so increased that If we
have very severe winter, followed
by poor breeding season, the woods
and field are almost destitute of game
birds when the next shooting season
opens, and the birds recover slowly
Nevertheless there has never been so
much interest taken in the protec-
ton of birds in this country as now:
nor has there ever been so much
money spent for purposes OF game
! protection Verify, it is time for us
to examine carefully into the causes
of depletion, of our game. 1t is time
/ for us to examine carefully into the
causes of depletion of our game. Ii
/ is time tc find and apply the rem
! edy, lest the remaining game birds
and animals are to be known to ouc
I descendants only from preserved re-
mains in museums, colored plates,
/ or books written by naturalists.
II soon becomes evident to any one
/ who looks into the history of game
in this country, that game decreased
rapidly soon after the beginning Of
settlement. This was to be expected
for every settler had a gun as a nee
essary part OF his equipment He
mus protect his family from Indians
and other marauders and his farm
animals and poultry from wild beasts
and birds. Naturally the gun used
to supply the table and every set
tiers son became hunter. Most of
the male population hunted more or
less at all seasons of the year AS
a result, deer. wild turkeys and other
large game soon became scarce. The
Indians had always hunted game at
all seasons but they were few in
number compared with the whites,
and the bow and arrow were not
nearly so destructive as the gun and
rife, therefore the game had suffered
no general decrease from the inroads
OF the Indians. AS settlements in
creased and markets for game were
established in the cities, the war OF
determination began. All that is
necessary to make any game animal
scarce is to put price on its head.
There were no laws for the protec
ton of game, and had any been en-
acted they would not have been OBJ
served because of the spirit of free
dom prevailing among the settlers
The laws in regard to game tina
were passed during the first centur!
! OF colonization were mainly such a!
: would protect the hunter in the pur
suit of game, by giving him a mon
opoly Of destruction within certain
! bounds Regulations were enacted
forbidding any one to disturb o
z shoot pigeons near the nets of Thu
pigeoners. Gunners were given eS
: elusive rights to shoot on certain is
lands. The owners of certain sal
= marshes were given the sole priyil
eye to shoot on those marshes Tn
, rights of the individual were guard
I ed but the game was not protected
t The eggs of birds were taken war
+ tonly for food, without any though
: or care as to waht would be the rC
t suit of such wasteful methods. Fac
4 gunner purposed to get his shar
T. while the game lasted, There wa
no thought of protecting II or II
) creasing its numbers.
n This selfish spirit is shown b
@ many hunters today. 1t is a perfec
n ly natural manifestation of the no
s. NAL greed handed down to us frol
e primitive man. 1t shows the survi'
q al of the instinct of self preservi
s. ton which laughs altruism to scori
VI The policy of protecting the gunnt
D ha produced so marked an effect
e killing off and driving away the will
IS fowl during the 18th century that
e l7l0 Province law was passed
e Massachusetts which prohibited II
Is use, In fowling, of boats or canoe
1t with sails or of any kind OF disguise
'e craft This was to prevent the di
At turbng OF wild fowl on their fee
ID ing grounds In the bays and harbo
" of The towns along the coast TIL
IS was the first statute of which | ha'
IN record, which shows any evidence
a disposition to conserve the bird
X This act expired by limitation b
tn was re-euaoted from time to tin
or until the Revolutionary period, VIII,
" II lapsed Edward Howe Forbus
81 New England Agent, National AssC
iation of Audubon Societies.