Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-01-06
CHINESE PHEASANTS NOT GAME
BIRDS.
To Shoot Them Is About As Exciting
As killing Chickens.

AS hlllInS CnlckenS.
Hunters throughout Iowa are
looking forward to the time when
there will be an open season on Chi
nese, English, and Ring-neck pleas
ants, anticipating rare sport when it
is lawful to shoot these birds. So
far as the sport is concerned, they
will find that pheasants that have
been liberated and have multiplied
will be so tame that the shooting of
barnyard fowl would be of the same
interest A writer who has made
this a study knows whereof he speaks
has the following to say on the sub
ject, which should be read by every
sportsman:
I'm 1896 there was introduced in
to Massachusetts a number of ring
neck" or Chinese pheasants. The
idea was to provide a game bird for
the hunter. From 1896 to 1906
they increased with considerable
rapidity. In 1906 an open season of
one month was granted in which to
shoot them. 1t is estimated by the
fish and game commission that dur
ing that month 5000 cock pheasants
were killed by licensed gunners. In
1905 a closed season was established.
Since then they have multiplied quite
beyond expectation. Thousands have
become almost as tame as chickens,
freauenting door-yards in many sub
urbs of our cities and eating with the
hens and other poultry
Meanwhile, it has been discover
ed that they are destructive of many
insect pests like the gypsy and
browntail moths, cutworm, elm bee
tie, tent caterpillar, potato beetle
land cabbage worm. The report on
them, made by the U. S. department
of agriculture is that "22 per cent
of the total food (of large number
of stomachs examined) was grain.
The evidence was pretty clear that
this was waste, except in the case
of one bird. Twenty-one per cent
consisted of green and ripe toma-
toes"
THE summary is that the weed
seeds and insects. together 81 per
cent, count in the pheasants' favor
The tomatoes and corn found, in all
some 81 per cent, are against the
bird. The remining SO per cent was
neutral, roots, etc. A state repofi
denies the common claim of certain
hunters that the pheasants driV@
away the quail ard ruffled grouse.
This year, after being protecte,
and tanned, and bred in many case:
on private estates for six years, al
open season was declared, beginning
on Columbus day, holiday. Thii
!, meant an army CT hunters let loos
) upon these beautiful, almost domes
: ticated birds. (They weigh from 2 !:
: to Az pounds. Thousands wer
/ slaughtered. Immediately from al
: over the state a cry went up prayin
that the fish and game commisslo
: would close the season and save tn
, birds that were left. At last tn
f governor was led to call a hearin
: on the subject Saturday, October
c the friends of the pheasants and tn
r hunters presented their argument
for and against stopping the destrut
ton of the birds. The governor sal
he had no power to act He coult
however, confer with the fish an
game commission, which has flu
/ power in this matter, and he did ne
doubt they would be glad to act o
his advice. Meanwhile, the phea!
ants are at the mercy of the $500
: licensed gunners of the state an
: the daily slaughter continues witt
out Interruption