The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-09-20


amendment of last fall reads as fol.
lows;
No person during the open sea.
son shall take, kill, destroy or
have in his possession more than
one deer, and any person who dur.
ing the open season takes, kills,
or destroys a deer shall report the
fact to the nearest deputy fish
and game warden and exhibit to
him the head Of such deer.
This section, it will be noted, says
nothing in regard to deer with horns,
but 1t fails to repeal the former sec.
ton which stipulated that only deer
with horns were lawful quarry. When
the amendment was passed last fall
it seemed to be understood in many
quarters as giving hunters the right
to shoot one deer of either sex, and
men who were at Montpelier at the
time say this was the intent of the
legislature. However this may be the
law as il stands now, though ambigu-
Gus and conflicting, does not seem to
give this right, and hunters who wish
to be on the safe side will point their
rifles at nothing but bucks with
horns. As a commentary on the light
in which the game laws are looked
upon by hunters hereabouts the fol-
lowing letter is of interest:
Editor Reformer:
There seems to be some doubt
among the deer hunters of Vermont as
to the length of the open season for
deer this fall, and as to the kind of
deer that may be legally taken. The
official posters of the fish and game
commissioner, purporting to be the fish
and game laws of Vermont, state that
the open season for deer is "from
Oct. q to Oct. 26, which would be
only four days.
This is apparently a deliberate at
tempt to deceive the public as to what
the law really is. Act. No. l29 OF
the laws of 1904, which is the law as
it now stands, reads as follows:
"The open season for hunting deer
in this state shall be the last week in
| October of each year containing SIN
working days, Sundays excepted,
This is not four days or five days, as
some have been led to believe, or from
Oct. 81 to goth, as given out by au
thoritv of the state of Vermont
through its fish and game commits
sioner, but is one full week of six days
not including Sunday.
As to the kind of deer that may bt
killed in the open season, whether
with or without horns or both, n
would puzzle Philadelphia lawyer tt
figure it out, as amendments have oeeI
made to amendments from session t'
session of the Legislature until they
have become complicated.
1t would appear that Sec. OF Ac
No. l52 of the Acts of 1906 whlci
reads as follows is the law as 1t nov
stands:
"No person during the open season
shall take, kill or destroy or nave II
his possession more than one deer, an'
any person who during such open sea
son. takes, kills or destroys dee
shall report the fact to the neares
deputy fish and game warden and ex
hibit to him the head of such deer.
This is stated as an amendment o
Act No. "a of the laws of 1896, a
amended by Act No. los of the laws 0
| 1898, but Act No. los of the laws o
| 1898 repeals Act No. "a of the laws Q
1896. Therefore this law, Act NO 10
of Acts of 1906, is an amendment TO
law which is repealed and does not ie
gally exist 100
Act No. 131 of the laws OF l9v
again repeats Act No. "a laws OF lSV'
and then goes on to say that II is d
amendment of Act No. "a, laws {,
| 1906. which would make it an amend
ment to law that has been twic
repealed. 4;, tho
| On the other hand, granting ina
these defective laws have been
force the question arises whether Ae
No 1872, laws of 1906, by the clause
IAN acts or parts of acts incons sIAs
with this act are hereby repeated
repeals Sec. /, Act No. l3l, of laws o
1904 in regard to killing only uee s
with horns not less than three meme
|