Q;ame Protective z/fssociation 
 
 
4. 
 
 
planting can be done in the spring. No 
better use can be made of sportsmen's 
funds, either through state departinent 
activities or sportsmen's clubs, than in 
devoting a substantial amount each season 
to the restoration of attractive food con- 
ditions for waterfowl. 
         REDUCE THE CAT 
            POPULATION 
 T HE New York City Division of the 
     American Society for the Prevention 
 of Cruelty to Animals reports the elim- 
 ination of 322,279 cats in a period of 
 eighteen months. It would appear that 
 this society is alive to the importance 
 of radically reducing the number of do- 
 mestic cats in the interest of increasing 
 the bird population. 
   Mr. James Sheldon, writing in this 
 report, says that along the beaches near 
 New York last year a multitude of cats 
 were left behind by vacationists. They be- 
 came ravenous and actually fought with 
 the fishermen for the fish brought ashore. 
 They climbed porches at night and en- 
 tered homes in search of food. 
 It is the unwanted, homeless, hungry 
 cat that is the menace of bird life. What 
 is true in the environs of Greater New 
 York is equally true in every part of 
 the inhabited United States. The number 
 of birds devoured by the stray and home- 
 less cat is beyond computation. The house 
 cat gone wild and foraging in the country 
 for its own living is by no means a 
 helpless, puny animal. Its extraordinary 
 growth and strength indicate an abun- 
 dant food supply, a great part of which 
 is birds. 
 One who is keenly interested in the 
 conservation of useful wild life writes the 
 American Game Protective Association 
 urging that cats should be licensed as 
 dogs usually are and that the money so 
 obtained should go into the conservation 
 funds for the maintenance of game farms, 
 fish hatcheries and game patrol. He also 
 discounts the claim that a large cat popu- 
 lation is necessary to control the increase 
 of rats and mice, and he urges that the 
 proper care and storing of foods which 
 are attractive to rodents and the avoid- 
 ance of scattering loose food around 
 stock or poultry will do more to discour- 
 age the breeding of undesirable rodents 
 than can be accomplished by any number 
 of cats. 
 Systematic and persistent cat-elimina- 
 tion campaigns might well be a part of 
 the program of every sportsmen's organ- 
 ization. 
 GAME IN EASTERN STATES 
 C ONTRARY to the general opinion, 
    it is not necessary to journey to the 
far and wilder portions of America to 
find game in reasonable abundance. As 
a matter of fact, some of the best oppor- 
tunities for   shooting  certain species 
of game are found in the older and 
more densely settled   portions of the 
country. 
  Conspicuous examples are the states 
of New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl- 
vania. These three    states, embracing 
102,544 square miles, have a total popu- 
lation of 25 million people, or 243 to the 
square mile. They constitute the most 
densely populated portion of the United 
States. Notwithstanding this fact, there 
is probably better deer hunting and more 
 
 
deer are killed in these three states than little fault can be found with
conditions. 
any other corresponding portion of the      The last biennial report of the
Game 
United States. This seems like an exag- Commissioner of the province of Sas-

geration, but here are the figures for the katchewan discloses the information
that 
last shooting season, the fall of 1928: the supervision of game in that great

New York reports 7,029 and New Jersey     province and the enforcement and
admin- 
1,415 adult buck deer legally killed, and istration of its game laws devolve
upon 
Pennsylvania 25,097 adult female deer, ten permanently employed field protectors

bucks having been protected during the    and six additional men employed
for 
past season on account of an over-popu- temporary service. In addition to
these 
lation of females,                        salaried men, there are 450 volunteer

   Probably the only other state in the   wardens who serve without salary,
and a 
 Union to approach this record is Califor- very high compliment is paid to
the un- 
 nia, which reports a kill of 21,515 deer: selfish service of many of these
voluntary 
 but California has an area of 158,297    guardians. 
 square miles, which is 50 per cent greater Mr. F. Bradshaw, the Provincial
Game 
 than the area of the three states of New Commissioner, says in his report
that the 
 York, New    Jersey  and   Pennsylvania  one hope of the future of the great
wild- 
 combined.                                life assets of the province lies
in a vigor- 
   Wisconsin reports a slightly greater   ous educational campaign     unceasingly

 kill of buck deer than New York, but it prosecuted, and every worthwhile
citizen 
 has 7,000 square miles more area than    of the province should feel called
upon 
 New York and nine million fewer people. to have a part in this much needed
work. 
   It would be well for game administra- The provincial police are credited
with 
tors everywhere to study the methods excellent and efficient co-operation
in the 
used in New     York, New    Jersey and   enforcement of game laws. 
Pennsylvania whereby this remarkable        The game branch of the government
in 
population of deer is maintained. It is   Saskatchewan was recently transferred

done by means of protection of the brood  from the Department of Agriculture
to 
stock and immature animals; by efficient the Department of Railways, Labor
and 
game law enforcement and by the main-     Industries. 
tenance of sanctuary. More attention is     Detailed reports on the status
of various 
now being given in these states to the    species of game in Saskatchewan,
com- 
maintenance of adequate    food supply, piled by Commissioner Bradshaw, indicate

which is one of the prime necessities. Of a slight increase in wild ducks,
but a de- 
course, as has been the case in Pennsyl- crease in all other species of game
birds 
vania, protection of females can be car-  except the Hungarian partridge,
which, 
ried too far. There should be maintained  it appears, has spread easterly
from Al- 
a suitable proportion of vigorous male    berta until it has reached the
borders of 
animals for breeding purposes, which sug- Manitoba and occupies the entire
southern 
gests the wisdom of an occasional open    portion of Saskatchewan. The advance-

season on females.                        ment of this species of its own
volition 
                                          over such a vast area in a short
space 
    GAME     ADMINISTRATION               of time is a remarkable circumstance.

             IN  CANADA                   Mr. Bradshaw also discounts the
claim 
                                          made by some that the Hungarian
exerts 
   SPORTSMEN of the United States any harmful influence on native species,

S   are vitally interested in the efficiency  such as the prairie chicken.

of game administration in the Canadian      A comparative sttement of   
    -birds 
Dominion and in the provinces. This is    ki"'.                  IS
erein quo 
particularly true as affecting migratory  i part from 'Mr. Bradshaw's report:

birds, and it is a matter of congratula-t 
tion  that game management is being         GAME BisS KILLi'D       1924
    1927 
developed  in  the  Canadian  Province    Ducks . .......................
............... 618,000  530,716 
which compares favorably with the mo      Geese .......           . ..22,000
7,996 
                                          Prairie chicken ........... .....180,000
 70,132 
advanced and approved methods i vog e     Ruffed grouse (partridge) . 54,000
13,828 
in our own  country. There is, as wou  Hungarian   partridge ...........................
 10,948 
naturally be expected in a new countr     Number of returns made  .. 5200
   4,100 
                                          Estimated number of shooters...
20,800  16,400 
a lack of finances for employment of a    Estimated total season bag of 
adequate personnel, but othlerwise very    all birds per shooter ............
 42  38 
 
 
43 
 
 
                   SUBSCRIPTION CO        MB-'N 
American Game Protective Association, 
2273 Woolworth Building, New York City, N. Y. 
    Herewith find my remittance of $3.00 for membership in the Associa- 
tion including subscription to "AMERICAN GAME" and "FIELD
AND 
STREAM." 
Membership in Am. Game Prot. Assn.                     Combination Price

Subscription to AMERICAN GAME               .......................... $3.00

FIELD AND STREAM                     I 
    If you are already a subscriber to "Field and Stream" and wish
to renew 
for one year from the expiration of your subscription please mention that
fact. 
    Add 50 cents for Canadian postage; $1.00 for foreign postage. 
 
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