Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-27
Eursttug 0qat

Officers of the State Game Com
mission say that not only will the
states Issuance of hunters licenses
TINS year run over 100000, but that
IT may. possibly go beyond the $685.
600 mark established in 1911 and
they are awaiting with great inter-
est the returns of the county treas
urer which will be made shortly
after January l. The county returns,
predict men at the game headquar-
ters' Will show some big changes in
the interest in hunting. Philadel-
phia will show an increase but not
as large as expected, but Lancaster,
Berks, Lehigh. Lackawanna, Lycom-
ing, Blair, Allegheny and northern
tier counties will show gains. Some
OF the counties not only exhausted
the supplies of licenses sent to them
based on the sales of the last three
years. but in some cases asked from
100 to 1900 additional licenses and
at last accounts some of them had
sold all of the licenses The number
OF hunters in the field was unusual
ana counties like Greene, which are
largely agricultural and where far
| mers hunt on their own lands, re-
turned larger sales than ever before.
| The hunters licenses will yield u
substantial sum of money to begin
the new years work of propagation
and reserve establishment.
DR.. Joseph Kalbfus, the Secretary
of the Game Commission, saws that
ne is receiving some gratifying re-
sponses from his circular urging peo-
pie to feed the birds, especially the
insect destroying varieties, during
the hard winters. DIR. Kalbfus points
out that the SHOWS have come early
ana heaVy and that in the depths of
the woods where the birds have
their homes there are probably sup
pHes OF FOOD, but that near cleared
sections where quail are to be found
the food is hard to find IF the farm
ers and the sportsmen will only take
some thought as they go along the
roads ana throw out some food for
the DlrdS 1t Will not cost much. but
VIII De worth lot next summer.
The quail are the greatest insect
eaters and save farmers many thou
sands of dollars worth of vegetables
a year" says the Doctor
Speaking of DR.. Kalbfus' efforts
tIi tn Denait OF game protection during
the winter, Col. Harry w. Shoemak-
er, writes in the Altoona Tribune:
DR.. Kalbfus, Pennsylvania's Good
Grey Game Protector has sent ont
q timely notice to feed the birds
The unusual severity of this early
winter is bound to take a heavy toll
of our feathered friends unless we
in
| tfemty. Quails especially need food
and plenty of it, as they are almost
nelpless to obtain living amid the
huge snowdrifts which engulf their
| feeding grounds. These are among
the most valuable of our insectiv
erous birds and we owe them a tithe
of help at this time. According 20
our venerable friend, John Fl. Chath-
am, the poet-naturalist of Clinton
county, there are fewer winter birds
| this year in Central PENNSYLVANIA
than formerly. This is not wholly
due to the rapacious hunter, but to
! the fact that the birds .eVidently
| foresaw long and severe winte;
and hied themselves to the south.
! Chicadees, jays and even grouse
seem to have betaken themselves
out OF the danger zone of arctic con-
| ditions. The grouse is said to be sta
tionary in its habits, but it's unwont-
ed scarcity hereabouts would lead
one to think that perhaps these
noble game birds have at least flown
! to the southern tier of countieS
! where winter is less severe. If than
is the case the tragedy of the loss
of our grouse or "pheasants" as they
| are commonly called can be happilN
explained"
John $. Speer, of st. Marys. .the
| State Game Commissioner, carries
his interests in game into his Christ
| mas cards He sent some to this cit,
| with three little bears, all standin.
in a row, at the top of his greet
ings of the season.
The Harrisburg Rife Club which
! is doing considerable work in thi
| community in the way of real pre-
| paredness, will have its annual meet
ing on January 5. There are nu
merous members of tho Rife Clu
now in the United States Army VIII
are thanking that organization 70
| the training received at its ranges.
Sergeant 7. p. Moran. sergean
in ordinary and publicity man extra
ordinary at the United States Arm
recruiting headquarters, met II
with n man the other day ant
wanted to know why he had no
Joined the Army. The man stale
around a while and is declared
have finally told the Sergeant tha
he would. He asked him to wal