Side hunts had their origin in a beneficial custom obtained in pioneer days, when the power of a town or county sallied forth to kill bears, wolves, wild cats, etc., which were a menace to the whole community. The choosing of sides and the competition thereby engen­dered, stimulated each man to kill as much as he could, so they began competing against one another for the price of a supper, or some other modest wager. These side hunts were often advertised in newspapers. The hunts promoted social intercourse, more than sport, among members, and competitive elements were prominent. In these side hunts, long popular in most areas of the U.S., the members of the hunt assigned points in relation to their desirability and scarcity, and competing teams went into the countryside and along the shores after the highest point total—so many for a grouse, quail, duck, crane, deer, etc. Once gun clubs made their appearance, side hunts were conducted, where each member strove to kill as many birds as possible, that his side might win, and that the other side had to pay for and prepare a gala dinner which followed. Barrels of game birds and big and small game were killed, no longer just the “vermins” in these hunts. Nothing tended more to exterminate game birds and large and small game than these contests, as the contestants were out to kill all they could. On the Gulf Coast at Mobile, the valuation of game adopted by the Gulf City Gun Club, for their annual two-day hunt in November 1882, was: “bear 300, wildcat 150; deer—buck 125, doe 100; fox 100, rabbit 12, squirrel 7, goose 75, turkey—gobbler 60, hen 50; chicken hawk 25, owl 20, sparrow hawk 10, woodcock 20, quail 7, wild pigeon 10, Wilson’s snipe 5, plover 5, papabot 10, dove 4, robin 1, lark 1, rail 1, poule d’eau 1, king rail 2, gallinule 2; ducks—canvasback 25, black mallard 20, mallard 10, pintail 8, widgeon 8, redhead 8, teal 5, other ducks 5.” During a Christmas side hunt in 1902, the citizens of Wisner, Nebraska held a one-day side hunt as reported in the January 3, 1903 Recreation magazine. They “killed 150 quail, 225 rab­bits and more than 200 ducks.” At Albany, Oregon in 1885, two sides of 30 hunters each killed 21 geese, 31 mallards, 39 teal, 13 pheasants, 162 snipe, 10 killdeers, 55 yellow hammers, 4 coons. Following the hunt, a game dinner was given at the Revere House by the losing team.