The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12
FARMERS AFTER DEER.



This Is tho season when the farmer OF
the Northwest grabs his rifle and goes out
to break the game law with pride In his
heart and a desire that he had a game.
warden tied somewhere 80 that he could
shoot between his toes. The farmer is
after deer now and he is after the deer be.
cause the deer are after his corn.
| Scattered through the woods in the
Superior country are many small farms
| that have been cleared within ten years
past There has been q considerable
though quiet immigration to that region
| and q majority OF the immigrants have
| been men Of agriculture. The deer is to
them a very serious animal. They regard
him as a peril and, outside OF liking to eat
him, shoot at him as duty.
| The strongly protective laws Of some
of the Western States have resulted In a
enormous increase Of deer While there
| are many hunters in the woods each fall,
there ia a huge amount OF thickly timbered
territory, and the hunters can not begin to
| account for a 1.-THE OF the animals.
| Many more of them are slain by wolves
than by human beings, but they continue
| to increase and probably will continue
| to do so until there u a change in the law
which permits the killing Of only two animals
| in a year and limits the time Of the killing
| to November.
There is nothing deer likes better than
young standing corn and 1t will exercise
| considerable wit and do some tall Jumping
| TO get it. It Is the farmers purpose TO pre-
serve the corn at all hazards and he will
break the law in order to do II.
1t il no trick at all to kill the deer under
such conditions. The only thing the farmer
tries to do Is to avoid being caught after
the killing Is done. That may give him
some trouble II the wardens are active.
The field shows in the morning that a
deer has visited II during the night. Unless
the farmer has been inexcusably careless
the animal got in by jumping the fence,
Its impact will be plainly marked, and it
will be certain to return on the next night,
jumping the fence at the same place and
keeping this up until it Is killed or has enough
OF corn.
The farmer has a choice of lying in wait
in the field at night near the point Of entry
and shooting the deer as 1t comes inf
the night Ia to DO Of bright moonlight land
deer do most Of their feeding on such
nights) he will probably adopt this COURSE
or he may follow the deer's track outside
OF the fence. find what runway II used
coming to the field and wait for the robber
there.
Or he may wait near to the trampled part
of the corn, knowing that the deer, once
inside, will approach 1t much less suspi-
ciolIsly than Il will approach the fence.
Or he may leave his gun hanging on its nail
and set sharp stake inside the fence at
the point OF entry. waiting for the deer
to fall on 1t when he leaps.
Any one Of these methods Ia apt to be
fatal II the farmer knows anything about
the business, and he Is apt to know good
deal about it II he has taken up home
stead in the woods and made his clearing
on it. He will not use headlight to shine
kLo o,nos, NJ Tho raaT haCAilaa hp IOpa mt
know whether or not he may shine&the
ewes Of game warden, and Of dark night
In July the headlight is conspicuous mile
There are hundreds OF deer slain each
summer In this way, and they are in better
condition now than at any other time OF
| year. They have been feeding upon the
lily pads and soft wet grasses Of the lakes
until entirely recovered from their winter
fast, and the young corn they have been
eating has hardened their flesh and put q
singularly delicious taste to it.
II the deer simply took such corn as 1t
could eat, and went Oh about it's business,
arrest, trial, hne, and disgrace to square
accounts with 1t. He would be willing to
lose 40 much and say nothing about It.
But IL il the habit OF the deer feeding in
q cornfield first TO flll Itself with corn and
fodder and then to break down and trample
Ave times as much az II has eatsn. The
deer In this manner will destroy q quarter
are repeated--as they will DO unless some-
thing happens to it-the incursionA bsoome
q weighty matter to the poor man.
So ths shooting Of dcer BY farmers IN
July goes on rnerrily and, since the farmers
s.ss .s. n p: al 81 sSss Ss, nj
change The isw whsnsver The wal wsrdsns grow
lnuuiSitiv0