The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-09-24
v. S. Halves, Who Has Passed the
Four Score Mile Post, Takes
Out a Hunting License.
HAS KILLED A THOUSAND DEER.
Has Been Hunting in Wisconsin Woods
for More Than Half Century
Still Eager for the Chase.

v. S. HAYES, aged eighty-one years,
called at the Office of the County Clerk
this morning and secured hunting
license for the season which is just
opening. Mr.. Hawes is said to be the
eldest licensed hunter in the State,
and there is little doubt but that he
has hrnted more years in Wisconsin,
than any other living man. His step
is now a little lettering, but none of
the old time fire is gone from him, and
he declares that he will be the first
man in the woods when the deer sea-
son opens.
Mr.. HAYES lives with his son on a
farm in the town of Pleasant Prairie,
and for the last few years he has spent
most of his winters with his dog and
gun either out looking up and down
the O'Plane river for wild ducks and
geese or in tramping through the
Northern woods looking for the big
game. Last season was the first year
since he came to Wisconsin that he
failed to secure all the deer that the
law allows him, and at that time he
was too Ill to go to the hunting fields.
The aged nimrod is rich in the tales of
the chase, and the stories which he
tells of the early days in Wisconsin
make an interesting volume for the
hunters of the State.
A Vermonter by birth, Mr.. Halves
came to Wisconsin sixty years
ago and settled in the country
about Fond du Lac. Only three houses
had been built in Fond du Lac county
when he arrived, and during the win
ter the men gave up most of the time
to hunting and trapping. In those
days there were no laws to prevent the
slaughter of game, and game was so
plentiful that in single season thous-
ands of deer would be killed.
"It was an easy thing" said Mr..
Halves, "for us pioneer settlers to go
out before breakfast and get couple
of deer, and in fact they were so plen-
tifu1 that the hunters failed to follow
them, preferring to get shot at a
wild cat or, even coon. The love in
the heart of an old hunter for the deer
has long since passed away, and the
boys now kill every deer they see.
When the market for deer first became
brisk in Wisconsin sthe deer were
slaughtered by the hundreds, and re-
member on one occasion that brought
in sixty five carcasses IS the result of
one days hunting. Besides the deer l
managed to bag seven wild cats and
any number of prairie chickens.
believe that have killed more deer
than any man in the State of Wiscon-
sin, and think that fully thousand
carcasses have been brought in by me
in the sixty years of hunting"
The old man is a great favorite with
the sportsmen of Kenosha county, and
his age is never barrier to him being
included in the hunting parties. He
can tramp as far as any one of the
party and is as sure shot as is to be
found in the county. During the past
few days Mr.. Halves bought a new
rife. He was offered the new hammer
less variety, but he declined the offer
and said that he preferred to stick by
the old-fashioned gun.
Mr.. HAYES is fourteen years older
than any other man to take out IL
cense in the county, the next oldest
man being Charles Phillips, of Camp
Lake, who is young,in comparison as
he is but sixty-five years of age.