Show I I i all By JIM MITCHELL Shorter gunning seasons and reduced bag limits are the common com com- common mon methods employed by conservation conservation con con- agencies in efforts to control the pressure on our wildlife resources No one questions that these eon controls trois do play playa a part in controlling game populations And sportsmen who obey all the rules and regulations regulations regulations regula regula- are participating in the overall program to save the game animals and birds Still there is another important important important tant conservation idea that often often of of- ten is overl overlooked and that is the use of a dog on each trip afield As it often has been said Use a dog get dog get that cripple The number of 01 rabbits or quail or p pheasants that are harvested harvested harvested har har- vested each season by hunters is not the number of birds or animals that go into the game bag but bust the number that Is shot And without a dog to re retrieve retrieve retrieve re- re trieve the losses in cripples and dead birds is stag stag- gering We know actual cases of pheasant hunters without dogs leaving more that 70 per cent of the birds they shot Waterfowl gunners too show a high percentage of ducks and geese So if you shoot four pheasants and only find two or eight ducks and only retrieve four youve you've actually harvested twice your limit Game populations cant can't stand that type of hunting Just compare those figures with the losses shown by hunters hunters hunters hunt hunt- ers using dogs A 10 per cent loss is high and weve we've known hunters to go an entire season without the loss of a single bird Of course that is the exception and they had remarkable dogs Frankly it is better to hunt with a well trained anc an and well- well bred dog for usually the dogs in Jn this class are the best game- game savers Yet weve we've seen six- six old months-old pups find crippled bobwhites outrun a fast ring- ring neck downed dawned by a wing shot and a big mallard making a dash for the weeds Also the breed of dog not al always always al- al ways is important Naturally some breeds are better suited to certain tasks and it is an advantage advantage ad ad- vantage to use them in their specialties But we know of collies collies collies col col- col- col lies that work well on and beagle hounds that will retrieve retrieve retrieve re re- re- re trieve quail Hunting with a dog saves game gaime theres there's no argument about that And too it is far more sport t to take to the field fieldor or marsh with a good dog You will need no more than one trip after quail with a good bird dog or a trek to a march after waterfowl waterfowl wa wa- wa- wa with a retriever to be besoM besold besold sold soM on the merits of hunting with a dog You'll soon learn that its it's as much sport to watch a dog work as it t is to kill game So think i it over brother sportsman and use a dog the next time you go hunting |