The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-11-18
Oklahoma Quail to Suffer
Bombardment Wednesday

Guthrie, Okla, Nov. 14.-only two
days remain until the opening Of the
quail season in Oklahoma and the
sportsmen all over the state are getting
their hunting equipment in order so as
10 lose no time in getting into the
field after the season opens.
In territorial days, the quail season
in Oklahoma opened on October Is,
but under the new game Law now in
force It commences on November IS
and ends February 1. or rather it be-
gins on November 16, as the Attorney
General has ruled that the provision
defining the open season as being be
tween those two dates excludes both
OF them.
From all reports the quail viii be un-
usually plentiful this year. The wealth
er has been dry and severe transforms
which are most destructive TO the
young birds. have been lacking. The
more rigid game laws have also given
them greater protection, and the ille-
gal capture or shipment Of quail has
now been reduced almost to the mini
mum
Under existing conditions the birds
have become so tame that the Bob
White whistle can be heard around
the outskirts Of any town. and the
sight OF quail sounding its call from
telephone pole or chimney top in the
heart Of the towns Is not unusual.
Quail shooting in Oklahoma is con-
sidered by devotees Of the sport TO be
the acme OF life in the woods or field.
In Oklahomas mild climate the air
is Just cool enough to set the blood
a-tingle without being cold enough to
cause any discomfort to the hunter,
and the thought of following brace
OF well-trained dogs through the brown
fields and hedge rows, where the little
brown birds are easy to find and fat
from their feasting on grains and ber-
ries, causes the city man, who has ever
felt It's exhilaration to lose interest in
Office or store during the season when
others are afield.
Prairie Chickens Scarce.
In the earlier days prairie chicken
shooting was the great sport all over
Oklahoma, but with the advent of
civilization they have been pushed on
west, so that it is necessary now to go
to the sparsely-settled counties of
western Oklahoma to find them, and
even then they are by no means plenti.
full.
To assist in preventing their exter-
mination the game law has shortened
the season from September 1 to No.
yember ], and fixed a bag limit to fif.
teen in one day or 100 in season.
Even at that, however, they are
rapidly disappearing. 1t happened that
they were the most numerous in the
sections where it was hardest to en-,
force the game laws and in part OF
the state where in addition to native
gunners, pot hunters from other states
poured across the border to assist in
the destruction.
Two hunters recently secured the
prairies of Harper county for two days
and got only forty chickens. A few
years ago that many birds could easily
have been killed in half a day In fact
the birds were a pest to the few farm
ers who were then living in that part
of the state and they welcomed the
hunters who came TO kill them Otter
as many as 400 or 500 birds would rise
from one field.
Even without quail, the hunters have
had plenty of chance to keep theil
guns from getting rusty The season