New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-03
DEER ON LONG ISLAND.
THE OPEN SEASON LASTS FOR SINGLE
WEEK.
srxrv xrrrrn THIS YEAR-TIIE DEER ARE IN
CREAsryG IN NUMBERs-cAREFULLY PRO
TFcrrD ny SOME LAND OWNERS.

CRFAsrNG IN NUMBERs-CAREFULLf PRo-
TFcTEp by SOME LAND OWNERS
An eminent authority matters pertaining 10
game and hunting put on record as ms view d II"
wears ago that wild deer to be found in every
State and Territory Of the Union. Inns 10
a statement which many ma ha'u u w
leve. especially when they call to MIND such
States as Rhode Island Connecticut and Delaware
Undoubtedly however 1t comes very near the
truth IL not actually correct, and to one iamliiar
with the conditions under which wild deer eXist on
Long Island does not seem at all impropao'e -.
Long Island is az well settled and as well cult
waited on the whole any of the three States named
and vet there are large number OF deeF 'oa''''"e
its sandy soil to-day with the same freedom from
restraint that they enjoyed before America han
place on the map. Under the conditions '""' 'N''
at present there IL no likelihood OF their ever orco
ing extinct That there are large NUMBER u 'e''
on the island is proved beyond question by the num-
Der killed each year in the open season. WHICH, ny
the way is the shortest season to be found a'hons
the Game law statutes Of any State to-day III lasts
but a week, yet in the season when came " an
end on November 16 sixty deer were killed. l"''
number is carefully compiled from the pest S,'-
tistics obainabe. and approximates CLOSELY 10 '"o
record of former years. n man VINO mas IA" u''
usual opportunities for observing the deer estimates
their total number at 500 and says that about one
half the natural Increase is killed OFF each year III
the open season. What becomes OF the other nan
is a question. The deer slowly Increasing III
number but not at the ratio which might De en-
pected. Undoubtedly many are Killed out OF sea
son. some by boys ostensbly hunting rabbits ana
others by still hunters living in the neighoorhood
of the deer grounds. Some are caught alive ana
others are killed by the railroad, or more oiteh'
perhaps. by starvation n cold winters
The deer-hunting grounds lie along the main Hire
of the Long Island Railroad. between Central lslp
and Ronkonkoma distance OF i've miles. To the
~ inf ccl LAM
dense growth of scrub oak and pine ana pierced ny
a few unimportant roads. Southwark are the andS
Of the South Side Sportsman's club, when are ad-
Joined by those OF Cornelius Vanderbilt ROBERT Nut
ting G. Roberts and others. on these private lands'
which comprise in round numbers 1909 acres no
deer are permitted TO be killed and to this fact as
well as to the short season. must he ATTRIBUTED the
abundance of deer to-day. The South Side CUB
In addition to furnishing asylum for the deer
when pursued by hunters also Looks af,er aeeit
hard one in January 1t put out hay Tor the deer
to feed upon.
annual occurrence In the neighborhood: FROM
Smithtown. Isp. Bayshore. Sayvhie Ronkonkonid
Riverhead. Hauppaugc 81. James, StonybrOOk ana
other towns the hunters turn out. II IS Ike war
time muster. The majority Of ne male popu,a,inh
by sunrise OF the opening day. In some cases
stores are closed in order that the own b spc
long before davbr,ak the roads leading to the
hunting grounds are crowded with wagons. The
tracks Of the deer are found by lantern light.
road they are ohliterated by the hunters and the
place marked 50 as to be itentlhed later ,s
mat Sane BEEN .ne oaad by their ma
at random 10 root out stray deer Sr Almost
as soon as the dogs loosed their music begins.
and then es as nGs f sfy S to Wi h
peaceful locality has altogether chansed ~ Gnnr
OF dogs. packs OF hounds r chase hiiher ana ,
thlther after the fleeing deer linen coni,s 49,
Of guns dying awsy Is IN Jew d'Su''Fy S"o'
IL is wonderful how many shots are fred; and
becomes evident that most OF then are ,b h"c
The favorite arm is the shotgun loaded win PUCK
over the Workmanship Is not good one necI;
during the season just past. ran the gantlet o,
clos" shots and then jumped down into deep
railroad cut A man In the bank above hrel both
barrels oS Of hs shofS h r. rheael dr. then jumped
into n gravel pit used In getting material ior t,s
on the first day Of the season about fifteen deer
were killed The following day, which was Satur-
day. added eleven to this score making tWehty-sN
IONS ~ from ' smithtown and Hauppauee. nine to
Isllp three to SayviNe. two 10 iohSlna wv" y, ~
West sayve and one TO haypoFT rnttr If ,ho.e
TO- iv, ,brr game is credited 10 th" local parties
LIN which they hunted The hunting was not 80
gee, S,'i'r ,nnts Of the south side club which
Guarded during the season by GORDON 81 aticns.
II goes without saying that there are many sports
mon who would not ENJOY the Long lSldnl hraH,l
~ deer hunting IL Il the old story OF too many
cooks There ~ always danger from rechl. sS
shooting, and many narrow escapes are reported
zach wear though there are fewer fatal acchiehtS
than one would expect. Another unpleasant trat.
,ir. connected with these hunts IS the constant
1uarelllng that goes on. II Is iuposSlole wnDh
any game f. killed to get IT away without WIZ
- words with other parties who. on every imas.n-
able pretext lay claim TO the deer CompIonlise
IL fatal because division means pr1ctiral anhhit-
,Ion-fhere are SO many hunters. The only thing
10 do is to get the deer in wagon ana spirit IL
away. -, -, ,..,.. ,.,,, Loo,
The rule OF division Is that the hunter who last
downs the deer gets the head. The dog or dosS
who drive the deer are entitled To- the skill ana
the yenison il divided among the hunters or we
lucky party share and share alike TO MAKE ue
division perfectly impartial one or the hunters
is blindfoIded else turns his back to the meat,
which has been cut into aS many pieces AZ thtIc
are members I'm the party. and, as another hunter
takes up the various pieces calls the names oil
those entitled TO a share. Sometimes the deer are
sold and the cash proceeds dividei one 81 1I, me
a,se Who has lust added the seventy sixth deer to
lis score. He is an old man. but still active