The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-13
MONTH OF OCTOBER UsHERs IN
THE BEGINNING OF THE
SPORT.
WOODCOCK SHOOTING
DEER, QUAIL AND OTHER ANIMALS
AND BIRDS WILL AFFORD
HUNTERS Pleas
IRE.
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT,

ana Woodcock In the majority OF states
where this kind Of game abounds
While many states open the dudk sea-
son IN September In several shooting
is deferred until october. and in Mary
land and North Carolina until Novem-
Der.
Maine. New York, Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota are the principal
erhuntinE states in the Nortn. In
Maine the season opens on the hrst
of October, in Michigan on the 18th
and in Minnesota and Wisconsin in
November, 10th and 18th. respectively.
The Michigan season ends on the 3lst
OF November. New Hampshire opens
it's deer season October LIST. while Yer
monts does rot open until Novem-
Der 18th, and New York's opens Sep
TENDER 10th. In the South. Louisiana.
which furnishes the best deer hunting,
opens Its season on october L. and the
same is true of Montana, one OF the
chief deer-hunting states OF. the West.
Woodooek Shooting.
OF the states where the best ruffed
grouse or partridge shooting may be
had. majority opens the season in
October. In New Hampshire. New
York. Minnesota shooting begins ON
the LIST, In Massa chusetts and Michi-
gan on the l5th AS Maine Vermont
and Wisconsin opened their seasons in
Septembert it is now lawful TO hunt
rurfed grouse anywhere along the
Northern border pennsylvania Is the
only importan rurfed grouse State
which delays the opening Of its season
until November.
Woodc0ck shooting commences in
October In seven states-New Hamp
| shire. Massachusetts. Rhode Island,
| Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey. The season Is al
| ready open. In Maine, Vermont. Mary
/ land. West Virginia. South Carolina
| and Indiana. and viii open later in
/ Delaware, Virginia and Louisiana.
/ This month. therefore, woodcock may
] be shot In practically all the region
in which it is an object of sport.
! Ducking begins this month on the
| shores of Long Island, and in the
waters and marshes Of Virginia. Lou
isiana, California. Oregon. Utah, Colo
| RADIO and Michigan,
As to Quals.
/ Quail shooting generally does not be
| Gin until November. except in the West
/ where California and Oregon permit
/ hunting after the middle OF October
! Statistics of the number of deer
! killed are important for comparison
with those OF previous years. in order
\ to show the abundance or lack of
! deer from year to year. Several states
now provide for gathering this infor-
| nation.
! 1t has been less than forty years
since the first national park was es-
tablished and less than ten years since
the National Congress made the first
appropriation for game preservation,
by authorizing tho purchase of a small
herd OF buffalo. From the creation
OF the Yellowstone National Park in
,ata
ton of wild life has made steady, and
In recent years. rapid progress.
Within the last ten years special res
ervations have been created to in
sure preservation OF big game; inn
portant breeding grounds for wild
water fowl have been set aside al
reservations. and SOME reservations cs-
tablished for other purposes have been
utilized as refugees for both birds
and game. These refugees have been
developed. little by little, which
though small in area, compared with
some of the large parks in Canada
.and in some Of the British colonies
In Africa, compare favorably in other
respects with most OF the reserva-
tons of any foreign country These
refugees vary greatly. The manner
OF their creation and administration
is also different
National Preserves.
The national game preserves. which
are administered generally by the de-
partment OF agriculture, comprise the
Wichita and Grand Canyon preserves
in Oklahoma and Arizona, and the
national bison range in Montana, and
were set aside by special acts OF
Congress. As indicated by their names
they are esta blished primarily FOL
game protection. The Wichita gam,
preserve has an area Of approximately
} 5000 acres. 10000 acres Of which
is fenced buffalo pasture. and abou
10000 acres are enclosed by a sub
stantial wire fence.
The executive departments OF thu
government have been doing thei
best. with appropriations made b.
Congress. TO preserve the game o
the United States, with a view no
, only to numbers but to variety. Sine,
1908. fifty national bird reservation
!. have been set aside by executive Or
der and placed in charge Of the de
, partment OF agriculture. Congress ha
passed a special law for their pres
. ervation, and they are maintained b.
! the biological survey In cc-operatio'
! with the National Association OF Au
. dubon Societies.
, These reservations are generall
: small. but two in oregon and one II
| Alaska. each contain more than 100,
, 900 acres. and one In Hawaii include.
mum Der OF islands extending through
/ five degrees of longitude in the INsd
. Pacific The bird refugees are. scat
tered in seventeen States and terri
/ tories from Porto Rico and Michigan
) to Alaska and Hawaii. They compris
: chiefly 4nAll rocky or marshy islands
or narrow strips Of land surrounding
: reservoirs on some Of the reclamation
projects. They were selected eithe
: because Of the presence OF large nest
: ing colonies Of water birds. or becaus
r they AFFORD favorable resting place
+ for water fowl In migration. Oths
l bird colonies which happen to be 10
I Gated on or noar naval stations q
I. lighthouse reservations are given pro
! lection through the cooperation g
: the navy department and the depart
: ment OF commerce. and labor.
Except in a few OF the nations
parks comparatively little has bee
! done to develop the ar lal and Dir
9 resources Of the VARIOUS reservation,
As far as animal and bird life !
: concerned these resources are a. sc
J scarcely known and their valu,
when fully developed. can hardly b
estimated. The numerous refugees ar
: destined to serve not only ~ center
for teh perpetuation Of desirabl
species. but rs reservoirs from whic
supplies may be drawn for othe
a reservationa---public, national, state d