Life — December 5, 1912 — page 68: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon about woodpecker hunting, presented as a humorous "sport of all nations." The image shows three men in a forest attempting to lure woodpeckers using what appears to be a potted plant as bait. The joke plays on the term "bird's-eye maple"—a type of wood with distinctive spotted patterns that resemble bird eyes. The satire mocks both the absurdity of the hunting method and likely pokes fun at commercial exploitation of nature. The men's formal attire and serious demeanor while engaged in this ridiculous activity adds to the humor. This reflects early 20th-century Life magazine's characteristic style of lampooning human folly through whimsical scenarios, blending nature observation with social commentary about commercialism and resource extraction.