Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-25
The Haskin Letter % 1s1 %:41
A PERMANENT GAME SUPPLY
81 EKEUERNK
J. HASKN

Of hunting, and the hunting for the
whole state would be greatly improved
Every hunter in the United States
would profit by these sanctuaries.
This protective measure would cost
little. A proclamation of the secretary
of agriculture, setting aside certain
lands for the purpose, and concurrence
Of the state legislatures, would be the
only procedures necessary, while few
wardens on each sanctuary would con-
stitute the only permanent expense Of
the system.
Birds That Are Dying Out.
Not only would this protective sys-
tenn greatly enrich the supply of all
kinds Of game, but it is the only thing
that will save valuable species in many
sections Of the country. What one
sees everywhere in this country is a
few Of the more adaptable species of
game holding their own at considerably
less than q normal abundance, while
other varieties steadily decrease. The
state of Maryland, near the capital,
where thousands Of Washington sports
men hunt every fall, is typical Of many
of the more settled states. Maryland
has fairly good game laws, with gen.
erous open seasons, and it has greatly
improved it's laws and system of game
propagation in the past few years. It
cannot afford an expensive warden sys-
TEN like that of New York state, for
are an armed and uniformed force. In
Maryland, as in most states, they are
mostly farmers who are paid nothing
and do little. Even so, the game law
is fairly well obeyed, and the common
er species of game hold their own. Be-
sides the excellent wild fowl shooting
Of the Chesapeake region, which brings
q really considerable item of food into
the state every fall, there are still
good many quail, rabbits and squirrels.
Sportsmen get good shooting within
Is or 20 miles of Washington, And
many quail are killed close to the Dis
trict of Columbia line. But many parts
Of the state, especially the large wood
ed areas along the Potomac, formerly
supported large numbers of wild tur-
KEYS and ruffed grouse. Any good
hunter could get his Thanksgiving tur-
key in the woods quarter of cen
fury ago, while the grouse, locally call
ed pheasant, were so abundant that
many hunters paid no attention to the
humble quail.
The story of these birds has been
one OF SLOW uecTtdSc " luE SSI6c VI
determination. Now there are just
few bands of wild turkeys in the larg--
er wooded areas, while the ruffed
grouse is an occasional and surpris-
ing sight.
This decrease has not been wholly
due to shooting. The cutting down of
the woods, together with forest fires.
must have had much to do with it: But
there remains many areas of forest
large enough to support grouse and
not a few where wild turkeys would
thrive if they once got start. Even
deer. which have been extinct in much
of the state for half a century, could
be restored in many places. This was
proved when a few deer were turned
loose near Mt. Vernon, IS miles from
Washington, and multiplied at an as
tonishing rate without protection.
A proper system of game sanctuar-
les would give the American sportsman
a shot at some of the noble game that
his grandfather hunted.