The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-02-08
Ew TRAINS BROTHER BASEBALL CAREER
State Game Birds Nearing Extinction
Says Commissioner In Annual Report
DROUGHT and Lack Of Shelters
Reduce Numbers Of
Wild Fowl

An alarming situation facing up
land game birds and migratory wa
terfowl in North Dakota has brought
the prairie chicken almost TO the
point of extinction and waterfowl to
a frantic quest for water, according
to the annual report Of .Thoralf
Swenson, state game and fish COM
missioner.
For a number of years upland game
birds have been constantly diminish
Ing in number until our prairie chick
en- or pinnated grouse has almost
reached the point of extinction"
Swenson declared. "Other members
of the grouse family have not Jared
50 badly but have been so greatly re-
duced in number that an alarming
situation faces these feathered
friends"
Scientists find these birds live and
die in cycles occurring approximately
every ten years." the commissioners
said. 1.-THE past year found US at ap-
proximately the peak of this cycle.
which accounts for q much larger
number of members Of the grouse
family than has been seen for years"
This led many sportsmen to believe
the prairie chicken and grouse arc
staging comeback, he said, but from
now on the grouse family will show
decided decline in number.
Another factor contributing great
" to the diminished number Of prairie
chicken and grouse is the intensive
cultivation of what was at one time
a haven Of refuge to game birds. Cul-
tivation destroyed the cover and the
natural environment. with the result
that many of these birds migrated to
sections where cultivation is less In
tenSive and farms more scattered,
Swenson reported.
Foreseeing the situation, the state
game and fish department few years
ago imported uplsnd game birds
which adapted themselves to the new
environment.
To-day we have In the southern
half of the state thousands of Chin
csc pheasants which are multiplying
very rapidly" Swenson said. In many
localities pheasants are becoming 50
numerous q large number will be
trapped this year and moved to less
populated sections.
Another game bird, destined to
become the pride of our state, Is the
Hungarian partridge which origin
ally was imported from Czecho-Slo-
vakia. It was money well expended
as coveys of these birds can now be
found In every county. Last year 108
more pairs were added in trade with
Canada-partridge and wall-eyed pike
eggs for phesants trapped In North
Dakota"
The situation, as it concerns migra-
tory water fowl, has been going from
bad to worse for a number Of years,
Swenson stated. Several causes have
contributed to bring about this con-
dition, the worst being natural
drought and artificial drainage, in
the opinion of Swenson.
Last spring it appeared waterfowl
were going to stage a comeback In
ASVA VA DuAOo0S WV Ii ON1y C4ll0 VNte
look was blasted as slough after
slough went dry. Many nesting ducks
were forced by lack of water to aban-
don nests. Water in many small
lakes or sloughs last year evaporated.
This situation caused ducks to con-
gregate In the deeper bodies Of water
and the few bodies Of water that
withstood the drought were greatly
over populated. resulting in lack Of
food.
There does not seem to be any
hope for migratory waterfowl In
North Dakota until we are more
blest with rainfall than we were this
past summer. Until sloughs and lakes
are again filled with water, we can
not look favorably to q healthy con.
dition of migratory waterfowl.
North Dakota Is squarely behind
q program which has reached ma.
tional prominence, and which would
restore waterfowl, If given favorable
recognition Of the national govern
ment-the Missouri river diversion
project"