The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-04-26
Conservation Society Reports
Breeders Are Renewing Sup:
ply of Birds.
WILD DUCKS At 81 EACH
Il Is Suggested That New Industry
OF Raising Game May Reduce
Cost Of Meat-Encouraged in
IS States.

game" is a comparatively new indus
try in this country, but has been maxi
ing remarkable strides in the past IL
MONTHS according to the report of the
Game Conservation society, which re-
Gently held its annual meeting here.
The society's membership includes
many breeders who have established
game farms for the purpose of renew
ing the country's supply of game fowl
for table consumption. This supply,
according to members Of the society,
was rapidly diminishing until a year
or so ago, and many Of the most delec-
table forms of wild food that had
formerly been plentiful in this country
had become are dishes even for cpl
cures.
Wild ducks and p%heasants are
among the varieties of fowl that are
being raised by the breeders at the
present time, and according to the So
ciety's report the former have become
so plentiful through this method in
some states that they have appeared
on the market at prices which place
wild duck within the range of the pub
lie generally instead Of the rich alone.
In Minnesota, the report states, wild
duck sold at 81 each this year. 1t is
suggested in the report that at the
present rate wild duck and other form
erly rare fowl may actually tend to
lower the cost of the more common
place meats Of daily consumption.
Many States Permit Breeding.
"Thirty-five states now have laws.
permitting the breeding and sale of all.
or certain species of game, and many.
game farms have been started in other,
states in anticipation Of laws encour-
aging the industry" the annual report
says. reports coming to the society
indicate that all of the states and some.
Of the Provinces of Canada soon will
permit and encourage game breeding.
"Reports coming to our game census.
indicate that our members have over
a million game birds-there were few
er than 100000 reported last year.
and that they have several times as
many deer and elk as they had last.
year. The membership of the society
has doubled during the year, and our
list shows a very rapid increase.
"The breeding Of quail and grouse
has been started in the western states.
and there is much interest in quail
breeding in the southern states, which;
are well adapted to the production of,
quail in big numbers" !
Despite the fact that hundreds of
thousands Of pheasants have been
raised by the breeders, the report says,
the prices have continued to rise be-
cause importers have been prevented
from bringing these birds from foreign
countries. The report also states that
the breeding Of game fish is beginning
to attract widespread attention and
to prove highly profitable.
ut is evident that comparatively
little of u vast territory will be need
ed to make America the biggest game
producing country in the world, since
game overfows from the many breed
ing grounds and restocks large areas
where it has become extinct, the
sportsmen in all localities find they
are benefited and all prejudice against
the industry seems to have disap-
peared.
Benefits Are Shown.
ut is highly important that as game
becomes plentiful much Of it should
be eaten. and the sale and eating of
game must be relied on to keep up the
industry, especially when it is under
taken by popular clubs with small
dues, which should sell some of their
game and eggs to help pay the cost Of
production. The Game Conservation
society is especially interested in clubs
of this character and Is constantly at
work to help these organize.
"A notable example Of the benefits
of game breeding has occurred on Long
Island. The clubs report that mallards
are plentiful not only on club grounds,
but also on public waters, where hun
dreds of birds have BEEN shot recently.
Before game breeding was undertaken
the m0llard was seldom seen on Long