The daily Gate City., 1913-12-08
GAME WARDEN SAYS
QUAIL GO CRAZY
Student Of Bob Whites Habit. Finds
That the Birds Lose minds"
for Month Each
Year.
BIRDS NOT MIGRATORY
Impression Prevails Among Many
Hunters-says Quail More
Plentiful Than for
Years
!. 4 i \ p. IT, ~. s. + q
BIRDS NOT MIGRATORY
Especial to The Gate City.1

Especial to The Gate City.]
MACON. Mo-, Dec. 8.-W. w. Hen
derson of LaPlata, game ward en- for
the first congressional district, was
in Macon this week lcok 'ng after
some matters connected with his posi-
ton In speaking of quail the game
warden said:
Judging from my exp srience 'of
some fifteen years there are more
quail in northeast Missouri this sea-
son than there have been at any tim )
during that period.
There was some little complaint
among few hunters because OF what
looked like an inconsist sncy between
their licenses and the law. Those
who obtained hunting licenses about
the first of January were authorized
by those licenses to shoot quail dur
Ing November and December. But the
legislature, in March, passed new
law, curtailing the quail season to the
month of Dec smber. Some confusion
resulted, because of the licenses IN
the possession OF the hunters stating
they could shoot quail beth in No
vember and Dec amber.
Il took the matter up with Attor-
ney General Barker, who stated the
legislature had right to change the
law. and that hunters must conform
to the change.
Once the matter was made clear
| had very little trouble. There were
no violations of consequence. The
huntsrs throughout my jurisdiction
acted very nice about the matter.
Places to hunt? There are lots OF
them. know that farmers have post
ed notices, but when the hunter Is
the gentleman, and goes to them with
a polite request nine times out of
ten he will be given permission. or
course farmers object to having
strangers come on their places and
go to hunting around, shooting around
without asking anybody's permission.
A gentleman would no more think Of
doing that than he would OF gong
into strange house and seating him
self, unlimited, at the dinner table.
The real sportsman understands the
proper thing to do in matters of that
kind, and does it.
There is an impression among
many hunters that quail are misra-
! tory, like some other birds. have
devoted some study tc the habits Of
| the quail, and find that during the
month OF October they seem to go
crazy wander about anywhere
without any particular reason-have
no place of destination-just moving
about. While in this state of min II
thoy will invade town, run about the
yards, on porches and everywhere.
I've Seen them during October on
| the Missouri river banks, trying to go
south, and many of them drowning In
the effort to cross the strsnm. On
the south bank the quail will be in
! the same excited condition trying to
go north-any pace. That is at once
peculiar thing, and yet natural. 1t
keeps the quail family stirring about
and thus prevents their inbreeding.
1 which would be destructive. While in
this unsettled shape the quail mix up
with strange families Of quail, and
then separate and run about in flocks
OF from ten to fifteen or more.
About the first OF November the
quail settle down to their normal con-
dttion, and quit frisking up. They
find their new mater congenial, ant,
the family lives happy ever after
unless the hunter comes"