The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
VERM0NTS NEW DEER LAW
AN OPEN SEASON NEXT OCTOBHD
AETER LONG PROTECTION.

Deer Had Hcen Nearly Exterm,n.tedi u. the
Green Mouutnin State Twenty Years
Ago. hat Arc Now so Plenty ana
Tame That They Annoy the
RUTLAND. VT, Dec. l9.-Next October the
arst deer legally killed in Vermont for about
twenty years win fall a victim TO the hunter'e
rifle. Such Is the effect of n Jaw passed at the
recent session OF the state Legislature. Since
late In the seventies. when the first deer law in
the State was enacted, deer hunting haa been
forbidden under penalty OF heavy fines. and the
animals have SO Increased in numbers that By
October, 1907, there probably will be no bss.
ter hunting ground In the East than Vermont
with the exception of some parts of Maiut,
The provisions of the law which has Just
been passed are that the month Of October shall
he an open season for deer, that no huntNS
shall XII more than two deer during the
month, that they shall not be hunted with dogs
or jacks. enticed by salt licKs, or killed ID
yards, and that none shall be taken out Of tin
State unless by the person who shot IL. Va
S"he granting of an open season on deer was
accomplished In the face of q strong opposition.
and has evoked much adverse m 10
was in reality a fight between the farmer and
sporting elements Of the State. which the farms
es won by force Of numbers. When the arst
law against shooting deer was enacted, twen-
ty years ago, the animals were almost extinch
In the State. In the southern part Of vers
mont 1t was about thirty years since q deer
had beon seen, and In the northern and less
thick,y settled portion conditions were little
better. About 1876 q number OF gentlemen Of
this city DECIDED to mako an effort to stock
the Green Mountains again with deer. The
hrst step was TO secure the passage of q law
protecting the animals from hunters. and the
latter end In view Capt. S. L. Burnham OF THE
CITY went TO DanneinorL, prison und purchased
which. were turned out in Chittenden, eight
miles from here. Another herd, about ten In
n nun %" was brought from the Witherbes %.
deer have some most Of the deer Which now
roam over Vermont hills.
IL would be useless, of.course, to try to guen1
how many deer there are in the State at the
present time. but some idea Of their numberS
the fact that the last Legislature had to cons
slider two or three bills for damages done by
THREE. or four deer viii do as much damage
TO q field Of oats as q herd Of COWS would, and
their propensity for mischief was the cause ia
Ing them to be hunted. In addition to this,
protected as they have been, they have had
TRY I,,b f ,ss,4 a.,, report finding them fsedind
in winter in search of totd.
a deer Is sometimes DANGEROUS. as we'll, az
their cost Il 'V was on 81 T ThanR ss Infe !o pas %
ySseaw T s sSo 5hat p tw9 { t%npS g. men %1,a hunting ar around
city city saw a deer ean at t the edge m OF the eo Doad Of dri thie
ing. It seemed to be a good opportunity for
some fun, so one OF them laid down hia gun
Snd. stealing up behind the deer, made h graS
at his l.za. The animal. n fine buck. instead
OF being frightened and trying to get away,
quickly tn 1t the latter was able to save him.
eel only by Selling the bucks horns when they
struck him. He called to his composition TOP
help. The latter. with a wholesome dread OF
e to 1 ii. }r hne cstore him, instead sna do Of shooting ran
Dy tho hind legs. This attnck FROM hahip1
seemed N startle the animal. After one Or
two moro efforts to gore the man who ,lung to
would-be cantors, and ambIei SWAY into the
forest. while tho hunters resolved not to dis.
Many OF the opponents of the law recently
passed believe that in the two open months
pealed. since the State legislature meets bien.
ntally. the deer will be nearly exterm:nated by
tmprobahIe; The deer are at present very
tame and fearless, TO be sure. but a week q
Adirondack deer. and. unlike the Adirondack,
the Green Mountains have no guides. Tho7
stretch from Massachusetts 70 Derby line. no. !
where thickly populated and in n any places I
tent uni roken by the woudman's axe and un.
crossed by roads. eXcept the runways Of the
deer. TIE hunter from without the State
must penetrate these me untains alone. aud un.
less he has II good knowledge OF the habits Of
the animals he wants he stands an excellent
chnnce of.leavtnG them emnty-handed
The pa IT'S Of the state where deer are most
likely to be found a-e probably Essex and Or.
leans counties. bordering on Canada and
reached FROM New York most cas-, ly by way o1
Springfield. Mass, and the Boston and Maine
Raj. and Rutland county. A great
runway for deer in this county extends from
Shrewsbury Mountain across the slopes of XII
%lington. Little Pico. and Big Pico. and past
Pico 'ond. where Senator Proct@r's big game
preserve lies. across Shsrbourne hollow. where
ths Woodstock stage road lies. and to the Chit
tenden meadows aud the meadows lying along
the head waters of white River. In making
this tri the deer 90 completely across the back
bone OF the State. for the waters from Shrews-
bury Mountain now into Otter Creek and Lake
Champlain. aud the White River reaches ~
Connecticut River and the Sound.