Page 27 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

Wild Ducks, sea and river Coots
Geese and Brant
Snipe, Sandpiper and Plover Quail (Bob-White)
Doves
Wild Turkeys
3,176,000 280,740 202,210 606,GSf)
1,140,750 310,660 2,219
5,719,214
5,470 690,270
695,740 1,971,922
2,667,662 8,386,S76
FORMER A B UNDA NCE 5
here by President Frank M. Miller, we set forth this remarkable exhibit of old-fashion6d abundance in j^ame, a.d. 1909.
Offical Record of Game Killed in Louisiana During the Season (12 Months) of 1909-10
Total numl:)er of game birds killed Mammals
Deer
Squirrels and Rabbits
Total of game mammals Fur-bearing mammals
Total of mammals
Grand total of birds and mammals
y
Birds
Of the thousands of slaughtered robins, it would seem that no records exist. It is to be understood that the annual slaughter of wild life in Louisiana never before reached such a pitch as now. Without drastic measures, what will be the inevitable result? Does any man suppose that even the wild millions of Louisiana can long withstand such slaughter as that shown by the official figures given above ? It is wildly impossible.
But the darkest hour is just before the dawn. At the session of the Louisiana legislature that was held in the spring of 1912, great improve- ments were made in the game laws of that state. The most important feature was the suppression of wholesale market hunting, by persons vvho are not residents of the state. A very limited amount of game may be sold and served as food in public places, but the restrictions placed upon this traffic are so effective that they will vastly reduce the annual slaughter. Inotherrespects,also,thecauseofwildlifeprotectiongained much; for which great credit is due to Mr. Edward A. Mcllhenny.
It is the way of Americans to feel that because game is abundant in a given place at a given time, it always will be abundant, and may there- fore be slaughtered without limit. That was the case last winter in California during the awful slaughter of band-tailed pigeons, as will be noted elsewhere.
It is time for all men to be told in the plainest terms that there never has existed, anywhere in historic times, a volume of wild life so great that civilized man could not quickly exterminate it by his methods of de-