The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-27
Game and Fish In Three States
..-... Show Startling Increase Lately
More Deer In California Today Than
At Any other Time In Past
Fifteen Years.
BY PETER p. CARNEY,
Editor National Sports Syndicate

That game is on the increase we are
Informed by nearly every fish and
game commissioner in the United
States and we have a bunch that a
year or so after Congress passes the
Public Shooting Grounds bill that
! there will be more game in some states
than ever before.
| With the increase in wild game we
are pleased to mention that there has
been a wonderful increase in fishing
| and fishermen. We have it on pretty
good authority that the fishing tackle
business had quadrupeled during the
past year. That certainly means
something. 1t is necessary for the fish
and game commissioners to stock the
streams with millions Of fish yearly.
California recently planted 23,926,O00
trout and Commissioner Shelby said
in announcing the planting that his
great problem is to teach the anglers
to allow the fish time to develop. Most
of the streams are depleted of their
stock by the end of each year, he said.
What Should BE Done.
For a number of years we have tried
to keep in close touch with the Fish
and Game Commissions in an effort to
ascertain the number of people who
fish and hunt, the amount of money
they spend, and the amount of game
taken. It is surprising to learn that
so few states make an effort to ascer-
tain the amount Of game within its
confines. To our mind this is the first
thing a Fish and Game Commission
should do. New York State is find
ing out how much game was taken by
making the person applying for Ii
cense give the amount he took from
the fields the year before. This meth
cd, while a year late, is better than
none at all. Pennsylvania through
county wardens tries to check up every
season and makes a pretty fair job of
it.
Alabama for instance, has no meth
cd Of compiling information on the
game bagged but it is estimated that
8.o4o, 900 quail are taken each year.
That's a lot Of quail to be taken every
season and not deplete the stock. Elev-
en- thousand one hundred and sixteen
people paid $15,948 to hunt In Ala
bama the past season.
Arizona, has no more information on
its game than Alapa1Ild. EoAAV0011 O1A0
sand two hundred and sixty-four peo-
nle paid s22,026.25 to hunt there last
year. Quite a number Of predatory
a animals were shot by Government
hunters in Arizona. H. E. Musgrave
and four others killed 900 pound
black bear that turned cattle killer.
Good Game State.
In California 165, 600 took out fishing
licenses and 155,530 took out hunting
licenses. for which they contributed
s241 900. 1t is estimated that 1,oOo,Ooo
ducks and 100000 quail, as well as To-
400 deer were bagged. There are more
deer in California today than at any
time in the past fifteen years. 1t Is
natural state for deer. California paid
bounties on the pe1ts and scalps OF
3.17o mountain lions. J. c. Bruce one
of the hunters of the commission
killed 1877. These animals kill colts,
calves, sheep and goats, and before
laid low with rifle do considerable
damage to the stock.
It will be interesting one Of these
days to ascertain the amount Of game
killed, in every state, how much that
means in dollars and cents in the way