Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-21
DENIES CHARGES.
ManIy Hardy Says Ohio Man /
Ignorant of Game Matters.
Noscd Brewer Sportsman Replies to
Letter of N. n. Wright.

| IL ~ ti ll'ii PuDilSIltd lew udNS
aSD y letter written by N. III. Wright
of Selma, Ohio, to Chairman Carleton
of the fish and game commission, in
| which the gentleman from Ohio
| charged Maine residents with slaugh-
te, ing game in winter and in summer
as well. Manly Hardy of Brewer, wide
! ly known as an authority on Maine
| game matters, has written the Bangor
Commercial a letter in answer to that
of MIR. Wright, in which he says:
| THE assertion that our lumbermen
| kill all winter is one often made but
one maliciously untrue. In nine cases
out of ten, it is made by non-residents
WHO were never here in winter and in
tEc tenth by some one who was never
| in lumber camp when the crews were
at work. Only a few years ago l took
pains TO go personally to most of the
| large operators in the Penobscot and
. ask them. The invariable reply was
that they allowed no game to be killed
by their men in close time.
"One of our largest operators who has
numbered over so years, said he had
never known any of his men in all these
years to kill either moose or deer more
ever was in lumber camp knows that
the crews are a mixed lot of men of
several nationalities, some of whom
would be sure to inform the operator
if any game was eaten in camp. No
operator would run the risk for what
it would save him.
"A few years ago l was in the camp
of Gil Davis and Rand Sutherland on
Rocky Rips and Brandy Brook. There
were 60 men in the two camps. There
were two moose yards within less than
three miles of the camps. There was
four feet of snow. The men had snow
shoes, and / saw rifle in camp. /
knew certainly that those moose were
| not killed, and l saw beef in quarters
which had been hauled from Blanchard
over so miles by the tote road.
Il also knew that the next fall two
| moose were killed at Rocky Rips by
| nonresident named Kitchen, who re
| fused to sell the meat at less than 10
cents pound to one of those same
| lun,bermcn. who tried to buy it, as he
had salt and barrels at his camp close
by, and this meat was all left to rot
with the exception of a small quantity
saved by the guides.
Il am glad to be able to state that
Mr.. Kitchen was made to pay fine for
| killing one of the moose. | have been
among lumber camps for some 80 years
and have often eaten at them, but so
far have yet to see the very first piece
of venison of any kind in or around
one. It seems about time for non-resi-
dents to stop slandering a class Of men
who have allowed them such privileges
ana whose camps they have 50 often
abused in the fall before the crews were
in Now as 10 his statement about the
fawns and deer killed in breeding time.
My father was large buyer of skins,
and | also was for some 30 years.
Il have handled from 5000 to 10000
deer skins. During many years it was
perfectly legal to kill a deer at any
time For some 60 years / do not re-
member ever having spotted fawn
skin brought in by any of his or my
buyers. our people are not such fools
as TO kill n nursing doe or q lamb if
they can get buck; in summer time
rs all know that the buck meat is the
best. Now as to those with the hair
rubbed off in breeding time as he
quainted with Maine deer, he would
know that the rutting season is late in
the fall. and any deer killed then are
taken in the open season, but besides
this there is no such thing as the hair
being rubbed off in this way at any
season.
.In all the thousands Of moose and
deer skins | have seen / have never
seen one, and no one else ever did. as
such skins only exist in the imagina-
ton. l have handled the skins of sew
eral hundred thousands Of all kinds of
fur and hair bearing animals ever
taken in Maine. and have yet to see the
firsl one CT this kind. Some foxes show
worn patches on the rump, and this is
done by rubbing against some stone OF
root IN going into their holes. The same
projection will rub one side in going in,
and the other in coming out.
Pears when in trap sometimes
wear off their fur, but these are the
only cases i ever knew where hair or
fur was worn off when the animal was
alive. Hair is often worn off by drag
ging the animal when dead. If Mr.
WTight's Ohio friends do not have any
better success in shooting than he does
lin telling the facts / will believe him
when he says that 80 per cent of them
never kill anything"
II
4 Iin- Co. No. 4. u. r.. X. of p.