Now the first thing to consider is that over ninety per cent. of the people in America don’t want to shoot. They want to see the birds alive. They take nothing from the shooter, but the shooter takes all from them. Which should control, the ninety per cent. or the ten? I say there can be pleasure for both, if properly managed; but the shooter must be considered last, for the fall of one bird out of the air from his deadly aim gives pleasure to one only, while thousands are deprived of the thrilling enjoyment of seeing that bird alive. God says, “In any wise let the mother go and take the young to thee;” yet some of our people want to shoot the mother before she lays the eggs to hatch the young that He says we can have. Yes, a man may be a good, shrewd business fellow, but when he gets a gun in his hands he appears to lose all self-control and does not expose enough brains to give him a headache.
Government game wardens are usually a bunch of men appointed by pull and favor, and don’t know a bit more about game protection than I know about the price of pork grease in Jerusalem. If called by its right name it would be “political protection,” and I don’t have to lie to tell the truth about it. However the less said the better, and it is of no use to us to look back at the past. We must remember Lot’s wife stopped and looked back, and she turned into a pillar of salt; Pat’s wife stopped and looked back, first over one shoulder and then over the other, and she turned into a beer saloon.
Personally I don’t like to hear any one complain unless he has a carefully thought out suggestion for improvements. Therefore I will proceed to give you my plan, which is based on twenty years’ intense interest and careful study.
First of all, every county in America should organize a real live, wild-life conserving association.
Delegates from each county should meet in annual State or Provincial convention with our Parliament members present to hear the discussion.
Appoint our game keepers by right, and not by favor.
Compel them to give an itemized account of every day’s proceedings.
During the spring and early fall months let them go to the schools and give half-hour talks to the rising generation on the value and enjoyments of our out-of-door life. During the winter months this same game keeper could often take a bunch of school boys with him as he goes on his visits, carrying feed, and building shelters for the birds in time of need. This would prevent a game keeper from having to make an eagle out of a gnat fly in order to hold his job. Yes, the fellow who dissected the baby hawk’s crop and found it contained crickets and grasshoppers, he could attend such a convention and demand the privilege of airing his views; but hawks and owls that live in Canada during the months of December, January and February do not live on grasshoppers during those months, therefore such questions might open up something higher than a grasshopper discussion.
Every gun should be licensed high enough to pay all expenditures, but no State or Province in America should be allowed over one month’s open season on migratory birds until they are more plentiful.
No person or persons should be allowed to feed artificial grain to birds for the sole purpose of slaughtering them. This would encourage the replanting of more natural duck and goose foods, and make our marshes more productive.