After long years of successfully hunting and selfishly killing game, James Oliver Curwood had at last ceased, and suddenly launched a campaign by which he hoped to stop “game hogs” from taking wild life from the forests.

This campaign was also an attempt to stop “ordinary hunters for the time being, until the game had ample time to replenish itself.” He founded the first conservation movement in the state of Michigan and remained as its head for several years.

Jim pleaded through his books and his articles for the public to stop the slaughtering of innocent, wild and untamed animals, to preserve the natural resources and not to dynamite the streams in which fish abounded.

Slowly the public began to take heed, but not quite soon enough, for already a number of species had been all but destroyed. Many of those species of animals and birds that were killed off then, have not been able to recreate themselves even to this day. Jim realized that this was not fair to either wildlife or mankind. “It must stop and it shall stop.”

On January 1, 1927, Jim Curwood was made chairman of the “Game, Fish and Wildlife Committee of the Conservation Department of the State of Michigan,” and later was in charge of the activities of the entire conservation commission. He was held in high regard and esteem by many thousands of people who firmly believed and were convinced that he was doing something fine and worthwhile. Others hated Jim with a vengeance. They believed, as there are so many who do today, that James Oliver Curwood, and the so called conservationists, were meddling into other people’s business. Likewise Jim hated the “game hog” who was attempting to destroy the very thing which God had intended to live and to make the world more beautiful for mankind.

Since James Oliver Curwood was born and raised within the heart of the timber country, and lived most of his life in it, he could respect and love it more readily and naturally than people of large metropolitan cities. As a boy he had gone into the deep forests unescorted many times when it was known to be dangerous. Often he did not even carry a rifle for protection, for even as a small boy he believed in a mutual feeling between animals and men. Jim believed that he could make friends with the animals and make those creatures understand him. He did just that. Many of Jim’s friends who have been fortunate enough to accompany him on one of his trips into the wilds, still describe how they saw him make friends with the most fierce of all North American animals—the Grizzly.

Because of his wanderings and explorations throughout the whole of the Dominion of Canada, Jim developed what he chose to call a “Creed of the Wild!”

“To hunt and fish is the first great law of nature. Everything ‘hunts and fishes,’ from man to the weakest of the creatures and things which he destroys. It is ordained that the ashes of destruction shall give birth to life, and that in killing, if it is within the immutable bounds prescribed by nature, there is rejuvenation; but to adventure beyond those limitations, until killing becomes a lust, is to invite destruction of the balance of those laws of nature which makes existence possible.

“I believe that many generations, if not centuries, will pass before man arrives at a point where he will view all manifestations of life as so nearly akin to his own that he will cease to slaughter for pleasure.”

This alone was Jim Curwood’s “Creed of the Wild,” as well as his creed of life. He loved everything and hated nothing save the “game hogs.”

When Jim Curwood assumed his position on the conservation commission on January 1, 1927, he immediately set to work to make adjustments. For one thing he immediately began clamping down on the capturing of certain species of birds. In some cases he closed the season long before it was to have officially closed, or else set the bag limit very low. Many people objected to this as they did not understand the real purpose behind it.

Jim took several trips around the state, entirely on his own initiative, and issued “official communiques” with great abandon regarding the closing of seasons on certain types of wildlife. The conservation commission felt that he was not justified in these actions and believed that he was causing the commission undue trouble. As a matter of fact one of the members of the original commission had this to say of Jim:

“He took a trip around the state, entirely on his own, issuing official communiques with great abandon, and getting the department into hot water. I recall particularly the decidedly vexing problem of an open season on birds (perhaps deer, but I’m pretty sure it was birds). Curwood said that his survey had shown beyond the shadow of a doubt that the birds were scarce and therefore the season should be closed. I believe he gave newspaper interviews declaring the season closed in certain sections.”

Jim Curwood’s policy of riding roughshod over the statutes and his fellow commissioners, plus the fact that he had his great reputation as an out-of-doors expert to live up to, was becoming very serious and embarrassing, or so certain members of the conservation commission felt, for what he believed in he fought for, regardless of how the rest of the commission felt or thought. So intent was he upon his ideas of conservation that he had to have his way in everything which was undertaken. And as another fellow commissioner once said of Jim:

“If I were to write a chapter on Curwood’s activities as a member of the commission it would be in the section of the book devoted to wild life, sub-classification, ‘stormy petrel.’ I recall that he simply had to have his own way, and so perhaps if one were to look him up in the index it would be in the list of fauna, under lone wolf.”

Despite the fact that some so-called conservation experts felt that Jim Curwood was radical in his ideas, and beliefs concerning conservation movements, he proved conclusively that he was right in most of his ideas at some time or other.

“Jim was almost exclusively interested in protecting wild life from man, shorter or no, seasons; reduced bag limits, banning of spears, etc., were items for which he would fight. He had an academic interest in fire, a sentimental leaning toward the planting of trees, no time for research or land acquisition. Jim was just too starry-eyed for the others to get.” So spoke another fellow member of the original commission on which Curwood served and directed during 1927.

Because of his short term on the conservation commission it was impossible for him to carry out many of his ideas. Had not the mighty hand of the Great Reaper struck, the conservation movements today would be much stronger and more firm than they are. He was the first and in reality the last man to start such a movement which carried over such a widespread field.

During this time with the Department of Conservation of the State of Michigan, Curwood was made a head of the Izaak Walton League. This is the largest organization on the conservation of natural resources in the world today. During a stormy meeting held in Chicago Jim almost resigned. At that meeting Jim drafted a plan whereby thousands and thousands of animals might be spared from the hunters’ guns. He was promptly informed that this plan would not work and could not possibly materialize. He arose and spoke with bated breath as he informed the large gathering that despite what they thought, the plan would and could be used effectively. He further stated that either the plan would be put into operation immediately or else his resignation would be forthcoming.

Many members of the Izaak Walton League could not as yet understand Jim and hesitated to vote. Eventually Jim Curwood had his way and his plan was put into operation. It worked better than even he had anticipated.

Today Jim Curwood stands as a typical example of righteousness in the halls of the State Conservation Department of Michigan. Even though many have felt that his work for the preservation of our natural resources was in vain, his work alone speaks for itself.

“One’s work is the voice that is heard most clearly and is most enduring.” Jim proved his belief that “it is the work that counts” only too well. His experience and intimate knowledge of the outdoors were his guides on all matters.

The first book to appear from Jim’s pen after the completion of Curwood Castle, was the widely read novel, “The Alaskan.” This book had an exceptionally large advance sale.

In the early spring of 1924, two short years after his studio had been constructed, Jim and Ethel returned from another one of his famous expeditions into the North. It was then that Jim released to his publishers his newest work entitled “A Gentleman of Courage,” a book which brought him still more widespread fame and glory. People were growing more and more each day to love this writer of the wilderness. He wrote undeniably about a land that seemed so wonderful and far off, and yet in reality so very close. Prompted by Jim’s writings many people have journeyed into the Dominion of Canada to make their homes.

The following year Jim published the first of his historical novels, “The Ancient Highway,” the locale being around old Quebec and its plains. Many critics praised this new type of work Jim had put out, but as he often remarked:

“A novelist of romance and adventure can never become a successful historian.”

Jim spoke those words, but it doubtless did not occur to him at the time that he was probably the greatest of all romantic historians on the Dominion of Canada. Through his novels of romance and history he painted a picture of the Canadian Northlands not only as they used to be years ago but as they really are today.

James Oliver Curwood was both a novelist and a historian even if he did not believe himself to be a recorder of both ancient and modern history. It was said of “The Ancient Highway” that this story of modern Quebec takes you down the old world highway of romance, while woodland beauty brings nature near in that communion which Curwood lovers find a healing and tonic force. “The Ancient Highway” is truly a fine piece of historical work and deserved the praise which it received.

It was about this time that Lewis Galantiere reported that James Oliver Curwood was by all odds the most popular of American writers among the French people. Where it once had been Jack London and Upton Sinclair it now was Curwood. Edith Wharton had attempted to establish herself as our literary ambassadress to France, but she had failed.

In England, Germany, Denmark, Norway and numerous other countries, Jim Curwood had built for himself a great reputation and his fame among the various peoples of the world was definitely assured.