The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-08-15
CHICKEN SEASON
CLOSING DEBATED
Sentiment of the Minnesota
SpOrtsmen on Proposal is
Widely at Variance
ACTION IS DEFINED
Survey of Game Wardens is
Being Made and Governor
Will Be Informed

Sentiment varies among Mime
sofa sportsmen concerning the
proposal to close the prairie chick
en- shooting season by executive Or
der this fall.
No recommendation is to be
made by the game and fish COM
missioner until a survey conducted
by wardens and sportsmen thru
out the chicken range is completed.
Numerous reports received thus far
indicate differences of opinion as
to the advisability of closing the
season, which under the provision
of the law, would be open from
September 16 to October LIST.
1t has been suggested by several
sportsmen's organizations that be-
cause of a scarcity of chickens, the
season be closed and in lieu there
of, an open season be decreed on
ringnecked pheasants in the
southern section of the state. The
law provides for an open season on
chickens in oddnumbered years and
on pheasants in even-numbered
years.
While chickens are not plentiful,
generally over their range in this
state, the hatch in many western
localities was good this season and
an encouraging increase is noted.
In these localities sentiment favors
an open season. Pheasant have
had a favorite season particularly
in the southern section of the state
and there many sportsmen would
welcome an opportunity to hunt
them this fall, but such proposal
is less popular in localities where
the introduced game birds are not
so well established.
Thousands of pheasants Matched
early in the summer will be liberat-
ed this fall. With the closing of
the old game farm at Mound all of
the eggs obtained by the game and
fish department this season are
distributed among chapters of the
Izaak Walton league, sportsmen's
clubs and farmers interested in the
propagation of game. They were
incubated under domestic fowl and
it is the practice to keep them in
captivity about two months after
Matching before releasing them in
the wild state.
While best results have been at
tanned thus far in the southern
section of the state, the endeavor
to introduce them farther north is
meeting with considerable success.
Counties in the northern part of
the state were closed to pheasant
shooting last fall, with a graduated
system of open season extending
southwark which allowed the full
number of hunting days, where the
birds were most plentiful.
Monaghan pheasants have been
added this year to the hybrids
which have been distributed here
tofore. Approximately from 1000
eggs, it is planned to keep the
progress of the Monaghan strain
under close observation and if
found practicable the species will
be raised extensively at the new
state game farm near st. James.
1t is planned also to devote
greater attention at the new farm
to the study and propagation of
native game birds, such as ruffed
grouse and prairie chickens.
While the introduction of ring
necked pheasants in Minnesota has
met with success, the Hungarian
partridge has yet to prove it's
adaptability to habitat conditions
in this state. Many of these birds
have been liberated but the success
of the experiment has not been es-
tablished. 1t appears they have
not increased in any considerable
numbers or if they have, they are
adept in escaping observation.