Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-02
The Great Outdoors
PUBLIC SHOOTING GROUNDS
BY Richard T.. Holland
yicc-President American Game Pr

Just recently a man who writes
outdoor articles for the magazine
made the prediction that In twenty
years there would be no open shooting
in this country. This prediction Will
meet with the same fate as the proph-
ecy made by Frank Forester.
Free game shooting Is the inner
tied birthrlght of the American sports
man and such prophecies Will never
be indicated. The sportsman of to-
day is too fa~r-sighted to sit idly by
and see his sport either ruined OF
monopolized by a few
by both national and state legisla-
ton the sportsmen of America nave
repeatedly demonstrated that they
know right from wrong, n that
| knowing what should be DONE, they
do Ii. The market shooter has been
| ruled out of legal existence; the man
who slaughtered ducks from boats
| propelled by power Is also outlawed
by practically every state In the Union
and by the Federal Government; and
the spring sIlooter Is no longer toler-
ated. .
Just as surely as these enemies OF
game havo been outlawed, just as
surely as the night shooter, the pot
hunter and the snarer or game are
pronounced guilty by both law N
| sportsmen-so will free shooting con-
tinue In existence in the United States
of America for all time.
Many State Owned Grounds
When the writer first began to hunt.
he was told by the older gunners that
the "rich men" would soon control
all the shooting grounds. Ever since
/ the same line of talk has been heard
in nearly every section of this country.
The swan-song about no shooting UNI
less you belong to an exclusive club lS
still heard, but in spite of this fact.
good free sport is available in almost
all sections OF the land today.
In the name of the rank n file OF
| the American sportsmen. may 1t al
ways continued After having seen
twenty-five years roll by since the
| alarm was first heard, we refuse to
| become excited. Today In many states
the public shooting ground Is a reality.
State-owned and state-controlled. 1t Is
furnishing shooting for the citizens
| of those states equal to the brand
furnished by the dreaded exclusive
club"
These public shooting grounds
should In no q interfere with the
clubs. Many of tho men who oppose
the clubbing of certain property for
the control of the shooting privileges
by a group of individuals are unfair
4 IN U0eiF ClIllClSllS II luty lOOhtu
thoroughly into the matter, they would
find that often they are really in
debted to the club-owners for the
shooting they get in the entire sur
rounding territory. This Is especially
true of wild-fowl shooting.
Some years ago the writer enjoyed
some very successful uck and goose
shooting in California. When and
where? On the days which the lex
l n1,HtxA a1,LafB aIazCA1 n- c1Aot 10 ~
on the tide-water bays which were
public-shooting territory. 1t would
have been impossible for the outside
shooters to have condemned the club
owners in any stronger terms than
they did through this entire section
around Los Angeles. The club own
ers were also liberal in their condem-
nation of the outside or 'road-hunter."
as he was called.
Exclusive Clubs a Help
These clubs shot two days a week
five days were rest days for both
ducks n gunners. On a rest day
the outside shooter might set his de-
coys and patiently wait for the birds.
but unless weather conditions made
them restless, his days bag was apt
to be light. For this reason the man
who did not belong to a club was bit-
ter in his attacks on the club member
va 49, oAJ
ing.
On shoot days when the club men,
bers stirred the birds up, If you knew
how to set decoys and a few of the
| other necessary points of the game,
you could secure excellent shooting.
In reality these clubs were acting as
refugees for the birds for five days a
week, and without them, In a oun
try as thickly populated as the coast
country south OF Los Angeles, every
bird would hav been either killed or
driven out of the country In a very
short time. The outsider was thus
indebted to the clubs the shooting he
secured.
This same situation exists in many
sections in perhaps a less decided de-
gree. Where states do not maintain
refugees or preserves, such clubs fur
nish the only chance the birds get to
rest. Likewise, the adjacent free
shooting territory is nearly always
stocked with upland game from
shooting clubs that patrol and pro-
tect their properties.
Shooting is far from being a thing
Of the past, as it should long ago have
been according to the prediction of
Frank Forester. 1t is not difficult to
two hours, automobile ride north of
New York City. We have seen this
demonstrated several times during
this last season. Think Of it-free
shooting within forty miles of the
heart Of the largest city in our coun-
try. Free shooting worth while is
there for the gunner who cares to
avail himself of the opportunity.
When a stranger to the shooting ter
ritory can go out and in a day put
up half a dozen ruffed grouse and a
dozen woodcock and never see a tres
I pass sign. 1t is certainly the fact that
free shooting Of a fine brand still
exists.
The American Game Protective AS
sociation believes the most important
subject before the spoFtsnlen today is
the establishment of public shooting
grounds. We have escaped the fate
predicted for us, but this is all the
more reason why we should take heed
and prepare not only for our future
but for the sport of these who will
follow. The refuge idea should be
worked hand in hand with the public
shooting ground, in order that the