Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-26
HUNTING TIME.
Deer and Moose Season Will
Open on Thursday a~
As Much Game as Ever in Maine
Woods.
Out of the State Sports Won't Have to
Identify Game.

Never in the history of Maine has the
opening of hunting season found
such diversified opinion as to its ulti-
mate success or failure as will that
which begins next Thursday. Not
only are the old croakers, who assert
with great positiveness that there is
scarcely u deer or moose left in the
woods of Maine, but this year finds d
new class of kickers. These are the
opponents to the hunters license law,
passed by the Legislature last winter
after a long and somewhat tempcstn-
Gus contest. These people claim that
scarcely a hunter from out of Maine
will be found within the State this
year. On the other hand there are
those who insist that there is as much
game as ever in Maine and that as
many hunters as in previous years will
be found here during the coming fall
and winter months. The conditions az
reported by wardens, guides and 9th.
ers, who have been in the northern
woods this summer, would indicate.
however, that there is an abundance OF
game, not more. perhaps, thar last
year but probably fully as much.
1t hardly seems, in view of the grea:
slaughter of last year, especially
where so many lamb and doe deer We're
killed, that the increase would be
sufficient to give a greater number Of
these animals than existed on October,
1902. Last year the moose killed in
Maine were greater in number than
in any previous year since records
have been kept. This is including the
100 known cases of moose Illegally
killed. Reports received within a
mouth from wardens who have been
patrollng the northern border indicate
that at least. another hundred We're
illegally killed, as witnessed bY the
finding of carcasses. AS most of these
moose We're COWS, it is but reasonable
that there can have been no great in
crease in these animals. In fact there
is a general impression in the moose
section of the State that these big game
animals are even fewer than for MANY
years.
Much has been said in regard to the
license law: that it would keep SPORTS
men out of the State and. on taa whole
"ould be disadvantageOu3 {, Maine.
Time alone can show the truth or
falsity of this claim. At Crescent the
only data unon which judgment can be
based are the records Of other states
which have tried license laws.
Most conspicuous of these at this
time is Wisconsin, Last year the re
ceipts in that state from licenses to
hunt game were s75.S69.77. The total
kill OF deer recorded there for the wear
was 1890. no moose being killed. Maine.
last year. or rather the so-caled Ban-
@or region of Maine had a recorded kill
of $3.50 deer and 1911 moose. If II
sufficient number of sportsmen will
travel to Wisconsin. where there are
no moose and fewer deer than in Maine.
and pay $4,000 for killing 1900 deer it
seems certain that few at least VIII
CONF to Maine where for SIS license
deer and moose.
OF course at first thought It seems
rather reasonable that the law will
keep sportsmen out; that it Will not
keep the desirabl class OF sportsmen
away is plainly indicated by the many
letters received by Chairman Carleton
of the game commission from sports
men all over the country. These men
say that they appreciate the benefits
which they will derive from this form
Of protection. That it will keep out a,
certain class of sportsmen, the most
enthusiastic supporters OF the law do
not deny, but these sportsmen are Of
the class that come from certain west
ern states for the sole purpose CT
slaughter and taking home all the game
possible. with a minimum OF expense.
Their absence will be benefit rather
than q loss to Maine.
Some unfair statements have been
made in regard to nonresident hunt
ers license law and, while Maine has
not been especially mentioned, there is
no question but that the new law was
meant. One prominent sporting Jour-
nal said recently on this subject:
Such laws do not protect game. and
never were intended to. They bar out
the men who are genuinely and vitality
interested in game protection and
propagation. and leave free rem 10
every pot hunter and market gunner
who may be in the employ of the cold
storage companies or restauranters.
commissioned to destroy by wholesale
1t is only necessary to examine the
game laws of Maine to find that the pot
hunter has no chance in this state. NO
game except deer and moose are al
lowed to be sold, and they Only uiioer
certain restrictions. investigator WIZ