Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-11-09
MAINE HUNTING SEASON
Good Sport Promised In the
Big Game Country.
DEER AND MOOSE BOTH NUMEROUS

Bears Also Seem to Have Greatly Iu-
creased In Numberk-Three Chief
Regions Where Deer Abound Most.
Visiting Hunters Leave About ST.
100000 In the State Each Season.
The lawful season for shooting deer
in Maine, which recently opened, con
tinues through till Dec. IL, says Il Ban
gor correspondent of the New York
Tribune. The moose season opens Oct
10 and continues until Dec. l. Hun
&reds of men and not few women,
mostly residents from other states,
visit Maine during the hunting season.
Reports from all parts of the big
game country say that deer ana moose
are numerous, while bears seemed to
lave greatly increased in numbers.
One bull moose at least one year old
Gnd two deer constitute the legal al
lowance of big game to each hunter.
Cow moose are perpetually protected.
There are no caribou. III Maine. The
penalty for illegal killing of deer is $40
fine for each deer 50 killed, for Illegal
killing of moose Il fine of 500 or 81 900
Or four months imprisonment for each
moose. Nonresidents must pay SO
license fee for the privilege of hunting
big game. They may ship their Legal
allowance out of the state and need
not accompany it if the game bears
tags or coupons detached from the IL
cenSe.
SO many people have been killed or
wounded by reckless gunners in the
woods that the legislature has enacted
this law:
Whoever while on a hunting trip or in
the pursuit of wild game game birds
negligently or carelessy shoots ana
wounds or kills any human being shall
be punished by Imprisonment not exceed
ing ten years or by fine not exceeding
81, coo.
Violations of the game law are be
coming more and more numerous ev-
cry year. and the wardens are kept on
the jump rounding up peachers of al
classes. There are four classes of
Foachers. First there is the man who
shoots merely for the sake of killing
something. it matters not what. 1t
may be Il bird or Il squirrel or just as
likely Il COW moose or deer. and the
WSlnton killer often leaves his same u
rot where it falls. Then there is the
hide hunter. who kills hundreds of
moose and deer in season and ont sim
ply for their hides. The hide hunters
do most of their killing in the far
North woods along the Canadian Dor
der. and it is difficulty and expensive
to catch them.
\ third class is composed of trapperS
who kill deer or moose for meat u bait
their traps with. Then come the SO
called summer hunters who live III the
woods all through the fishing season
and suhsiSt largely upon deer meat 1t
is also claimed that the Iumbermen
kill many deer every winter II supply
the camp tables with fresh meat. bat |
as a rule this killing is exaggerated |
Most loggers care little for vcniSon |
preferring the pork and beef which are
now supplied plentifuily by the lumber |
operators
How many deer has Maine? That is |
a question which no man can answer |
positively. although the llmentcd lock |
Darling of Enfield. long regarded as |
king of Maine woodsmen. used to say |
this state.
How many are killed annually? That |
Is another question difficult to answer
with much accuracy. although there |
is some basis for estimate. Deer are
to be found i'll nearly ali of the six
teen counties of the state. but there
are three principal regions where they
most abound - first and most impor-
tant, the great region north of Bangor,
around the Penobscot river and Moose
head lake; second. the coast counties
Of Washington and Hancock, and,
third. the Rangeley lake region.
Since the construction of the railroad
rom Bangor into the great North
woods an accurate account has been
Kept of the game shipped out of that