The morning call., 1892-10-11

TO MEND A loose LAW,
Proposed Action Of State
Sportsmen.
BAD DEER LEGISLATION
The Period of Prohibition Ends at the Begin.
ming of the Breeding
Season.
BAD DEER LEGISLATION.

Crittenden Robinson, president Of the Cali
fornia State Sportsmen's Association. fol
some weeks has been examining into the
operation and results of the act of the Legis.
lature prohibiting the killing of deer. an
telope, elk or doe In the State for a period
| Of two years.
lie has interviewed MANY snortsman nbo
nave just returned from their animal vaca.
| ton outings from all parts of the State. and
| hnds that the prohibition has been yery
beneficial to the propagation of the game
which makes the sport of Kings in the royal
parks Of Europe. Deer are reported to be
very abundant, and sporismen in general
are anyiously awaiting for the expiration of
the two years. which will take place early
next year.
In examining the law Mr. Robinson has
discovered a serious mistake in the act OF
the Legislature which, if not remedied, will
fest roy much Of the good that the pro-
hibiti0n has done.
The act was passed on March 81 1891.
and provides that every person in the State
oil California who at any time for the pc
Rod OF two years hunts, pursues or kills any
deer, antelope, elk, mountain sheep or doe
shall be guilty of misdemeanOr. The act
also applies to anybody having green hides
The act was passed on March q, 1891,
and provides that the prohibition shall ex-
pire two years from the passage of the act,
or on March q, 1893
Now all sportsmen know that from March
10 July IS the great breeding season for
deer, aud this period constitutes the very
time when they should be most protected
But the act will allow hunters to kill and
destroy deer as they list alter March 81
The officers of the State Sportsmen's AS
ISOLATION desire to have this defect in the
act remedied and have taken steps to have
the prohibition extended to July, 1898, or
four months more than the de: provides
This viii be to protect female deer during
breeding season. The destruction of female
deer with young Will be as disastrous as the
results OF peagic sealing.
The association mentioned proposes to
remedy the defect in the act by Offering an
amendment to the next Legislature to ex-
tend the prohibition from March to July
Crittenden Robinson, speaking OF the
abundance Of deer as result Of the act
said:
II think the law has been very generally
obeyed throughout the State. except in the
more remote and mountainous portions
where the settlers killed deer whenever they
wanted venisOn. They had no fear Of de-
lection ana punishment. This individual
killing was on the whole comparatively
small. The preventing OF the sale of deer
meat in the markets. and the making it
misdemeanor to have possession of green
hides and skins. stopped the usual wholesale
destruction of deer which depleted Caifor-
MIA forests Of this noble animal.
From wide and extensive exanlina-
tion l find that deer are really very abund-
ant now, and all good recognized sportsmen
are very glad that the law went into effect.
They Will soon have good use for their
guns.
Hunters and campers report deer plenti-
fttif han
seen TO venture within few miles of San
Rafael This shows how greatly the deer
are propagating. Every year OF protection
brings the game line nearer to the city. A
few years preservation would make this
fine sport possible without expensive ex-
curslons into the remote mountains. 1t is
only the selfish, who do not look TO the
future, who have objected and growled at
this really very bene fetal act"
blow fast DO deer prOpagate?" was
asked.
Deer propagate very fast" was the
answer. a fullgrOwn doe rears two fawns
in year, and as they breed when two years
old, it will be seen that very short time
will double the stock.
what are the best localities for deer as
| found from your investigation?'
THE best sections for deerEunting has
been the Coast Range Mountains, Mendo-
cino, Humboldt Trinity and Shasta coun-
ties. find that they arc especially plenti-
ful along Eel River, in Mendocino County,
where hundreds are reported to have been
seen by hunters and campers. 1t is not
generally known that deer are also plentiful
much nearer than this. At no great dis
lance from the Russian River there are
places where deer exist in great abundance.
There are plenty of deer in the Sierras in
certain localities, but not easily hunted
From the Yosemite to the Oregon line. ex-
cept in the neighborhood of the Central
Pacific, deer are plentiful, but they are
difficult to find on account of the tall pines
and thick forest growth. The same can be
said OF the great redwood belts. There
nature has projected the deer.