The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-01-23
SAVE THE QUAIL


Norman, okla. Jan. %, Especial to
the Ardmoreite) Save the quail and
other wild life, the real friends of the
farmers is the plea scientists at the
University Of Oklahoma are making in
an attempt to meet movement among
certain sportsmen to have the open
season for birds heightened and the
bag limit increased The movement
also is seeking to have doves placed
on the non-protected list.
The quail population of this state
is diminishing at an almost unbe-
believeable rate" declares Howard
Cross of the zoology department, who
has made a particular study Of those
birds that are economical saset to the
state. Large areas that once abound
ed in quail now have not enough birds
left for stock"
The university scientist takes par
ticular issue with the president of the
Oklahoma Sportsmans Association,
which has just printed a pamphlet ad-
yocating changes in the game laws
Among other things he asked that
The bag limit for quails be increased
even doubled-and that the open
seasons, already too long, be lengthen-
ed Mr. Cross said "He even went
so far as to suggest putting the dove
in the list on non-protected birds with
the hope that the privilege of killing
this fearless and valuable bird would
induce "sportsmen' to buy hunting
| licenses and thus increases the in
come of the game warden's depart
ment. These funds would then be
used in an effect to restock localities
that had been depleted Of game.
"The meat value of the quail is in
considerable-negigible-when com
pared to the services these birds rem
der to the farm. They prey upon las
different kinds Of destructive insects
and consume no less than 1919 varieties
of noxious weed seeds. They stay on
the job twelve months in the year and
labor continually when weather con
lditions permit. ! do not believe that
the land owners of this state will
permit a multitude of sO-called sports
men to destroy this powerful ally OF
the farmer. even if these gun men are
successful in forcing their pernicious
measures through the legislature.
There were two inexcusable errors
in the pamphlet concerning tn dove
This bird may be migratory for a Ger
tain section of the state, but as ;
species and for the whole state, it is
not Doves stay in Oklahoma the yea
round and the fear that gunner o
Iother states will kill the birds if W.
do not is wholly unfounded, for onl!
a small part of our dove population
passes beyond the boundaries of tn,
state. The thorough protection of thi
bird here, then, will be effective ant
free from the objections usually al
tached to the protection OF migator
birds by state laws.
The assertion that the dove is nc
+ benefit to the farmer is equal
, untrue. A thorough study of the feeC
. ing habits of this bird shows it to b
{ an ally OF no mean importance. True
il does not feed to any large extent o
- insects but as a destroyer of wee
D seeds it is seldom surpassed. Tw
specimens were recently examine
T and the stomach of one containe
4 1916 weed seeds; the other 1900. TIL
S represented for each bird only pal
. of one days work The value {
twenty such birds TO a farm ca
y. scarcely be over.estimated
Y And finally, the principle that viii
~ life can be protected only by the kil
% ing of wild life is not only untenab
a but ridiculous. one might as well AZ
O. Iyocate the closing up Of all orpha
homes that are not sellsupportin
There is only one way to protect tn
%. game of this state and put it on a pc