Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-10-23
THE OPEN DEER SEASON
YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY
IN VERMONT.
Henry Thomas Of Guilford Probably
the First Hunter to Shoot a Buck
Trophy Secured About O'Clock
. Yesterday Morning.

Yesterday morning, on which the
open season for killing deer in ver-
mont began, probably saw more hunt
ers in the woods of Windham county
than have ever before been gathered
together within it's confines. For the
past week men and guns from all over
New England have been pouring into
Vermont, and 1t is estimated that fully
150 nimrods have been distributed
along the line of the Brattleboro &
Whitehall railroad within the past four
days Most of them had very little
idea of where they wanted to go except
that they wanted to be in Vermont
when the season opened. At the ticket
office of the local station repeated re-
quests were made for tickets "up the
narrow gauge" and very few of those
who asked knew at what station they
wished to alight. In these cases the
agent generally sold the hunters tick
cts to jamaica, Rawsonville or Lon
donderry where the best deer hunting
grounds are supposed to be situated.
Although it is too early to get re-
turns of even the first days results
from many of the towns in the county
there is little doubt that Henry Thomas
of Guilford enjoys the double distinc-
ton of being the first man to secure
a buck this season and the oldest hunt
et who has been successful up to date.
Mr.. Thomas, who is nearly so years
old, succeeded in bringing down his
prize about 5 O'Clock yesterday morn
ing after being away from his house
little less than an hour He started
out about o'clock for the Wilder
pasture in Weatherhead hollow, which
he knew to be a likely spot, and had
been there but a few minutes when he
got a shot at large buck He keeled
the animal over with the first ball and
was congratulating himself on his luck
when the deer got up and fled into the
woods. While following this buck he
came across a second one which he
brought down by well directed bullet
from his rife. The animal weighed
about $50 pounds before being dressed,
and had a handsome although not
large pair of antlers. Many younger
hunters will congratulate Mr.. Thomas
on his luck, and ii is more than likely
that some one else will have secured
the buck which he wounded with his
first shot. Mr.. Thomas cannot very
well do any more deer hunting this
year as the law says that no person
shall take, kill or have in his posses
sion more than one deer"
Reports from the narrow gauge
this morning show that more
leer than ever are being killed in that
'egion. George L. Davis, Ellery Boyn-
on and Mr.. Cook each succeeded in |
oaggfng buck within the town of
Londonderry and probably more hunt |
ers have been successful there but |
lave not yet reported their luck. In |
Peru Bernice Moffatt shot buck, and |
\. l.. Wheeler killed one in West |
Townshend. The latter was shipped to |
yesterday afternoon and |
vas a fine buck weighing considerably
,ver 200 pounds. A party of four hunt
RS in Windham came upon a herd of
0 early yesterday morning and by
mistake one of the men killed a doe.
lie Immediately complained upon
himself to the town authorities there
" saving half his fine if any is imposed.
he story comes from Landgrove that
ne man in that town killed buck
Weighing nearly $50 pounds