The Tragedy of Western Waterfowl 
 
 
the acre. We spent days at this work, 
until the utter uselessness of it all became 
apparent. The margins of the ponds and 
lakes soon became dotted wxith mounds 
of dead birds resembling rat dens in a 
marsh. 
  Great numbers of migratory birds con- 
tinued to arrive, and almost immediately 
were stricken and died. The lakes from 
which we had cleared the birds were 
again filled with them. We were all sick 
of the terrible job, and gave up in utter 
despair. The stench of the place was un- 
bearable. Our task, already unpleasant in 
the extreme, was made more objectionable 
by  certain  stories which   immediately 
gained circulation with reference to the 
spread of the disease to do- 
mestic fowl and livestock. 
Even humans were said not 
to be illnunne. 
 
0     ' E farmer, who had 
    kbeen working with us. 
used the pitchfork lie had 
carried to the duck marsh for 
 
 
feeding his pigs and chick- 
ens. The story ran that ie 
had spread the disease amon,, 
them, with the result that all 
had died. The hawks and 
gulls feeding on the dead 
birds were reported to be 
dying by thousands. Ilumans, 
feeling indisposed, were sup- 
posed to be suffering from 
the malady. Many such sto- 
ries gained wide circulation. 
  Although the facts will 
never be known, I think it 
safe to say that nearly two 
million birds plerished that 
 
 
year in the Utah marshes.       Mud que 
At that time the Bear River 
Bay was an isolated section. Perhaps less 
than one hundred men visited it annually, 
and these men saw only a few shooting 
points near the mouth of the river. There 
were many thousand acres, never visited 
by men, upon wxhich a million birds or 
more may have perished unknown to 
any one. 
  The malady had come on so suddenly 
that no one talked straight about it; every 
one had his ownti story and his own theory. 
The duck season opened with all the 
marshes full of (lead or dying birds. Nat- 
urally, there was no interest in shoot- 
ing under such conditions. 
  D)uring  this  and   subsequent years 
when the malady was at its worst, duck 
clubs failed to olpen. The few hunters 
who attempted to shoot found it neces- 
sary to clear away the dead and sick 
birds in front of the blinds. E.xei then, 
 
 
it was difficult for a sportsman to be 
certain of picking up the bird he had 
shot. Under such conditions, it was ni- 
possible to relish even a healthy bird as 
food. 
  As the season wore away and the cold 
weather covered the marsh xxith ice, the 
cemonant of migratory waterfowl moved 
ott in their southerly migration. Thus 
ended the ravages of the first year of 
the malady of which there is any rec- 
ord. Naturally, the  sportsmen looked 
forward to the return of the birds in the 
spring with a good deal of apprehension. 
The disease was a mystery. l)id the birds 
carry it with them     to the wintering 
g-rounds, thus spreading death and destruc- 
 
 
en. This type of boat may be used in one inc 
 
  tiot there? Or, if the disease was local, 
  would they continue to die on their re- 
  turn flight in the spring as they had in 
  the fall.? 
    It was estimated by many sportsmen 
  that between 50 and i 85 per cett of the 
  ducks which came to the Utah marshes 
  that year had perished. Nor was the ital- 
  ady confined to ducks alone. Esver)y species 
  of waterfowl or shore bird which fre- 
  qtents the marshes was affected. The avo- 
  cet, which nests in the niarshes in great 
  mnilbers, w'as all but exterminated. Calt- 
  ada geese, herons, gulls and other birds 
  died in considerable numbers. 
    With the return of the birds in the 
  spring, normal conditions again obtained. 
  There was no recurrence of the mialady. 
  \'hile, as alxa) s, a considerable number 
  of clead birds were found ott the muarshes, 
  intcludinig snow geese and Canada geese, it 
 
 
is generally believed that this was not due 
to the same cause which had exterminated 
the ducks in the fall. 
  During the years that followed, there 
was considerable loss of birds each fall. 
WVhile the number was not so great as 
in 1910, yet conditions were far from 
satisfactory. The number of birds pass- 
ing through the Great Salt l.ake ba- 
sin had beent greatly reduced, and conse- 
(luently tie losses could itot have been 
so great. 
  In 1914. Dr. Alexander Wetmore, un- 
der the direction of the Bureau of Bio- 
logical Survey, be-an an investigation of 
conditions in the Utahi marshes. Most of 
his activities were confined to the marshes 
            surrounding the Great Salt 
            Lake, but they also extended 
            into other sections of the 
            state and   into California, 
            Oregon    and  other  places 
            "shere the disease had been 
            noted. During this investi- 
            gation  D)r. \'etmore dis- 
            covered the fact that from 
 
 
          75 to 90 per cent of birds 
          affected with disease could 
          be saved if they were care- 
          fully  collected during  the 
          early stages of development, 
          placed in cool surroundings 
          a td supplied with plenty of 
.47       fresh water and food. From 
          Ihis investigation Dr. XXWet- 
          more also gave as his opinion 
    .-   that tile disease was caused 
''       by alkali poisonintg, the ex- 
          act nature of which had not 
          yet been determined. 
             D)uring the period  from 
          1916 to 1920, the disease oc- 
 
 
h of water    curred each year, but the 
              losses which were experi- 
 enced in 1910 and 1914 were not again 
 equaled durinig that period. Consequently. 
 there was a great increase in migratory 
 waterfowl, especially ducks. The shore 
 birds also came back iii considerable nutt- 
 bers. The presence of many avocets ott 
 the marshes indicated a satisfactory con- 
 dition among this species. 
 
 O    BSERVATIONS during the niestitg 
      season of 1920 seetmed to indicate 
 that almost a normal number of birds 
 were again nesting in the marshes. With 
 the coming of late stimiter, the migration 
 of a greatly increased number of birds 
 into the state began. It looked like old 
 times; birds xyere ever x ywhere. 
   About the middle of September, con- 
 ditions were fully as bad as during ally 
 previous year. At the close of the season 
 I determined to (C'otimt'd on page 108) 
 
 
Marshland after the wcater has receded 
 
 
Bear River marsh that has been reclaimed 
 
 
31