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I am in hopes it will not be necessary to chase the breeding birds here any more, as I have done this season. At least, the report of a gun should be prevented.

HUNTING.

I am informed by the Federal officials at Dulce, and others, that the Indians never hunt at the lakes. They care nothing for the birds, it is said, to eat, nor as sport for the hunting. But white people come great distances to hunt the waterfowl, even from other states, and the vast number of empty shells at the many blinds and along the shores are proof of the slaughter that takes place. 

I desire to embody this thought in this report: The inhabitants rearely, if ever, decrease the game supply where they live. Those in such localities are not generally well supplied with ammunition, so they use judgment, are usually dead-shots and kill only when food is needed; while the man from the city has a supply of ammunition, and shoots at anything, generally, regardless of distance or opportunity, hence usually one half of the game is never gotten. The great number of duck carcasses here is proof of the waste. The hunting, if done in a reasonably way, would not decrease the game supply to any great extent.

The character of the lake and surroundings is peculiarly adapted to killing the fowl, since the lake is chopped and cut by hills and ridges, several hunters having scattered over these, brings the birds to their mercy, which is very scant. There could be nothing worse than this club cabin on the shore with no one for miles to interfere.