The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-07-10
ENEMIES OF GAME
BIRDS ARE NUMEROUS
BIRDS OF PREY AND PREDA-
TORY ANIMALS ARE MUCH
WORSE THAN HUNTERS.

|
The first expression you hear when
game becomes scarce in a locality is
that it has been KILLED out by the
hunters" In some cases this is true;
but the clearing up of covers, close
/ farming, which leaves no weed and
briar patches, the draining of marshes
and swannps has wiped out certain
species of game that would easily
have been perpetuated in spite of
heavy shooting had not the physical
conditions OF the country been chang
ed. ..
In many instances where certain
species of game have become scarce
and shooters have been blamed for it
the responsible cause has unquestlon-
ably been predatory birds and ami
mails.
Many state game departments real
! ize game cannot be protected merely
by controlling the shooter, Such states
encourage warfare against vernir.
Pennsylvania, for instance, pays bour1-
| ties on all 4-footed enemies OF game.
And even Uncle Sam, peeved at the
loss of 20 to 80 million dollars every
| year through the slaughter of domes-
tic stock by predatory animals, has
directed the bureau of biological sur
vey to kill, trap or poison such var
mirts" as the mountain lion, timber
wolf, coyote, bobcat and the stock
killing bear. Last year the bureau
employed 1000 men to do this, and 1t
is estimated they killed eighty thous-
and predatory animals.
| 1t is conservatively estimated that
one mountain lion kills at least one
deer a week, in many instances two
or more: that wolf will kill ten to
twelve, and that coyotes will certainly
average one deer each in a season,
while the lynx or bobcat preys heavi-
/ Nv upon the fawns.
The wildcat, both the grey and the
red fox, the mink and the weasel are
small mammals that are classed as
vermin. When fur prices are high
the trapper helps to keep most OF
these animals in check. However, it is
especially important that bounty be
offered for the weasel; his fur is never
sufficiently valuable to pay Tor trap
ping him alone, and great percent
age of his food is game.
Whenever "vermin" is discussed
among sportsmen, the half wild house
cat is apt to monopolize the CONVEX
sation. Once the sleek, well led do
nestle cat is thrown upon its own
resources and learns to make its own
living in the wild it becomes one OF
the worst enemies of bird life.
Birds of Prey.
Vernin is by no means confined to
| 4-footed species. Certain birds OF prey
are enemies of game birds. Prin-
cipally among these are the groshawk,
the Coopers hawk and the sharp
| Skinned hawk. These birds rarely ever
soar, as is the habit of other hawks,
but instead they dart through the
woods and over the fields with quick
flv tapping wings. The mature males
are of slatish blue, while the female
is brown bird. These three species
of hawks should be killed on every
occasion.
Red-tailed hawks are supposed by
ornithologists to be more beneficial
! than detrimental. In other words, the
/ bulk of their food is rodents and they
are. therefore, classed as beneficial
birds not to be killed. 1t has, how
ever, always been the opinion of the
writer that abstinence from game is
through necessity, not choice. Having
an extremely large wing spread and
comparatively slow flight they can
not dart into the covers and kill quail
and ruffer grouse so successfully as
they can catch meadow mice and go
x1arc 1,1f IN ffa omen fields
The great horned owl is the one
| member of the owl family that scent
lists and sportSmen agree should be
placed on the black list and killed
upon all occasions. There is vari-
ance of opinion between sportsmen
and scientists as to the value of other
species of owls. The barred owl, by
many, is considered fully as destruct-
i've as the great horned owl.
"No Bag Limit"
One of the most common species
of winged vermin and one of the most
detrimental is the common American
crow. His fondness for eggs and his
ability as prairie chickens and water
| fowl where they are nesting on the
prairie in the neighborhood of prairie
lakes and sloughs. If crow cannot
dislodge the hen from the nest once
he has found her, this black thief sets
up a cawing that soon brings others
to his aid. Then it is only a question
of seconds until they have crowded
the setting bird off the nest and are
gorging themselves on the partly in
cubated eggs.
Many reptiles are also classed as
vermin and their depredations as egg
thieves are we'll known among game
breeders. Swapping. turtles are very
destructive to young waterfowl, often
ILL.,. 49,, ..ndar- tlne 1.rataf without