Our Vanishing Wild Life Part 53

NORTH DAKOTA:

In 1911, this sovereign state enacted a law _prohibiting the use of automobiles_ in hunting wild-fowl; also rifles. North Dakota was the first state to recognize officially the fact that the use of automobiles in hunting is a serious menace to some forms of wild life. Beyond all question, the machines do indeed bring an extra number of birds within reach of the gun! They increase the annual slaughter; and it is right and necessary to prohibit by law their use in hunting game of any kind.

In Putman County, New York, I have seen them in action. A load of three or four gunners is whirled up to a likely mountain-side for ruffed grouse, and presently the banging begins. After an hour or so spent in combing out the birds, the hunters jump in, whirl away in a dust-cloud to another spot two miles away, and "bang-bang-bang" again. After that, a third locality; and so on, covering six or eight times the territory that a man in a buggy, or on foot, could possibly shoot over in the same time!

North Dakota has done well, in the pa.s.sage of that act. On certain other matters, she is not so sound.

For instance:

The killing of pinnated grouse should be stopped for ten years; and it should be done immediately.

The killing of cranes as "game" should stop, instantly and forever.

It is barbarous.

Fifty dead birds in possession at one time is fully thirty too many.

The game cannot stand such slaughter!

All sh.o.r.e birds (_Order Limicolae_) should have at least a five-year close season, before they are exterminated.

The use of machine guns in hunting should be stopped, forever.

It is to the credit of the state that antelope are absolutely protected until 1920, and an unlimited close season has been accorded the quail, dove and swan.

OHIO:

I think that Ohio comes the nearest of all the states to being gameless.

With but slight exceptions her laws are about as correct as those of most other states, but the desire to "kill" is so strong, and the majority of her gunners are so thoroughly selfish about their "rights"

that the game has ruthlessly been swept away _according to law!_ Ohio is a striking example of the deplorable results of _legalized_ slaughter. The spirit of Ohio is like that of North Carolina. Her "sportsmen" will not have an automatic gun law! Oh, no! "Limit the bag, shorten the season, and the gun won't matter!"

To-day, the visible game supply of Ohio does not amount to anything; and when the last game bird of that state falls before the greediest shooter, we shall say, "A gameless state is just what you deserve!"

It is useless to make any suggestions to Ohio. Her shooting Shylocks want the last pound of flesh from wild life, and I think they will get it very soon. Ohio is in the area of barren states. The seed stock has been too thoroughly destroyed to be recuperated. I think that Ohio's last noteworthy exploit in lawmaking for the preservation (!) of her game was in 1904, when she put all her sh.o.r.e birds into the list of killable game, and bravely prohibited the shooting of doves _on the ground!_ Great is Ohio in game conservation!

OKLAHOMA:

For a state so young, the wild-life laws of Oklahoma are in admirable shape; but it is reasonably certain that there, as elsewhere, the game is being killed much faster than it is breeding. The new commonwealth must arouse, and screw up the brakes much tighter.

Recently, an observing friend told me that on a trip of 250 miles westward from Lawton and back again, watching sharply for game all the way, he saw only five pinnated grouse! And this in a good season for "prairie chickens."

Oklahoma must stop all spring shooting.

The prairie chicken must have a ten-year close season, immediately.

Next time, her legislature will pa.s.s the automatic gun bill that failed last year only because the session closed too soon for its consideration.

Oklahoma is wise in giving long protection to her quail, and "wild pigeon," and such protection should be made equally effective in the case of the dove. She is wise in rigidly enforcing her law against the exportation of game.

The Wichita National Bison herd, near Cache, now contains forty head of bison, all in good condition. The nucleus herd consisted of fifteen head presented by the New York Zoological Society in 1907.

OREGON:

The results of the efforts that have been made by Oregon to provide special laws for each individual shooter are painful to contemplate.

Like North Carolina, Oregon has attempted the impossible task of pleasing everybody, and at the same time protecting her wild life. The two propositions can be blended together about as easily as asphalt and water. The individual shooter desires laws that will permit him to shoot--_when_ he pleases, _where_ he pleases, and _what_ he pleases! If you meet those conditions all over a great state, then it is time to bid farewell to the game; for it surely is doomed.

No, decidedly no! Do not attempt to pa.s.s game laws that will "please everybody." The more the game-hogs are _displeased_, the better for the game! The game-hogs form a very small and very insignificant minority of the whole People. Why please one man at the expense of ninety-nine others? The game of a state belongs to The People as a whole, not to the gunners alone. The great, patient,--and sometimes sleepy,--majority has vested rights in it, and it is for it to say how it shall and shall not be killed. Heretofore the gunning minority has been dictating the game laws of America, and the result is--progressive extermination.

First of all, Oregon should bury the pernicious idea of individual and local laws.

She should enact a concise, clearly cut, and thoroughly effective code of wild life laws, just as New York did last winter.

Her game seasons should be uniform in application, all over the state.

Every species of bird, mammal or fish that is threatened with extermination should be given a close season of from five to ten years.

It is now time to protect the white goose and brant. Squirrels, band-tailed pigeons and doves should be perpetually protected.

The State Game Commission should have power to close the shooting seasons on any species of game in any locality, whenever a species is threatened with extinction.

The sale of native wild game, from all sources, should be permanently stopped, by a Bayne law.

The use of automatic, "autoloading" and pump shot guns in hunting should be perpetually barred.

PENNSYLVANIA:

As a game protecting state, Pennsylvania is a close second to New York and Ma.s.sachusetts. She protects all native game from sale; _she has the courage to prohibit aliens from owning guns; she bars out automatic shot-guns in hunting_; she makes refuges for deer, and feeds her quail in winter, and she permits the killing of no female deer, or fawns with horns less than three inches in length. Her splendid State Game Commission is fighting hard for a hunter's license law, and will win the fight for it at the next session of the legislature (1913).

But there are certain things that Pennsylvania should do:

She should stop all spring shooting. She must stop killing doves, blackbirds, wild turkeys, sandpipers, and all the squirrels save the red squirrel.

She should give all her sh.o.r.e birds a rest of at least five years, for recuperation.

She should enact a comprehensive Dutcher plumage law, stopping the sale of aigrettes.

She should provide a resident license to furnish her Game Commission with adequate funds to carry on its work and exterminate game-killing vermin.

RHODE ISLAND:

Little Rhody needs some good, small bag limits; for now (1912) she has none!

She should enact a Bayne law, a Pennsylvania law against aliens, and a New Jersey law against the automatic and pump guns.

She should stop killing the beautiful wood-duck, and gray squirrel.

She should stop all spring shooting of waterfowl.