Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-08
mAINEF|SH AND GAME
ASSOCIATION MEETS.
Legislation Recommended Excursion
to kineo June 16-18--- Addresses
by |. 7. Carleton and Others.

Mr.. President. I did not. until forty
eight hours ago, expect to make any
extended remarks on this occasion;
but certain recommendations, il 1 may
so call them, contained in your secre-
| tary's report, together with certain
articles in certain newspapers that have
recently appeared, all Of the newspaper
articles enanating from the same
source, dictated and furnished to the
press by the same authority, evidently,
touching the present supply Of deer in
the State, has inpelled me to beg your
indulgence for brief time.
Not many years ago. our forests were
practically destitute Of deer. The
caribou We're plentiful. and there were
more large heads, mature bull moose,
than there are today. Comparatively
few hunters for big game came to the
State
This association was formed and took
up the subject of fish propagation and
game protection in an intelligent and
enthusiastic way. You had great
obstacles to contend against but you
went ahead resolutely. The COM
| missioners endeavored to cooperate
| with YOU, and you with the commits
| sioners.
The results were soon apparent.
Deer increased in numbers rapidly
| from year to year. Your secretary in
his reports. and the commissioners in
their reports. called attention to this
| fact. Deer increased SO rapidly that
1t was argued by some that it could
| not be due to the natural increase, but
THAT they must have come to Us from
foreign parts--from Canada. And as
deer increased. the hunters increased
also, and We have been doing q
smashing business along these lines
now for several years.
But then, as now, our reports were
sneered at. laughed at, as we'll as our
efforts for new and more stringent
laws, and mostly. If not entirely, by
the same person or persons that now
take issue with us, for calling atten-
/, ton TO what we believe to be the facts
the truth, in relation to the present
supply of deer.
Those who cried out then against
new and salutary laws, against the
guide law sOcalled-against the law
prohibiting the killing of cow moose
against the nonresident hunters Ii
cenSe lawn fact against every adj
vance you have made, are now doing
business at the old stand, and resist
ing by every means in their power,
any and every move you and major
ity of the commissioners try to make
| to further protect our game.
We are even accused of misrepre-
senting the situation in order to get
pet schemes" through the Legisla-
ture. So bitter and unreasoning isl
this hostility that they accuse us of
being not only willing but actually
trying to deceive the public in order
to get more }aWs~upon the statute
books.
For instance, the Lewiston Journal
says. in speaking of an interview CIV
en- 1t, that for some years Mr..
Carleton has urged the enact
nent of law prohibiting the taking of
firearms into the woods in close time.
unanimous statement by the board
of commissioners that the deer We're
growing scarcer would be interpreted
as strong argument in favor Of law
of this character
Ano to another paper it was stated
that majority Of the commission
reported deer less plentiful because
they wanted to get resident license
law"
Some of us sincerely believe that
deer are less plentiful than in recent
years. A majority Of the commission
ers so think. Most of the wardens are
of this opinion. A great many who
have been accustomed to hunt for
years think So A very large percent
age of the guides who guide in hunting
think so. A great many people be-
lieve this to be 80. The interests in
volved are so large, that it behooves
this association and the commissioners
to examine with critical care the situa-
ton and not cry peace, peace. when
there is no peace"
1t is their bounden duty to inform
the people of the facts as they believe
them to be. and the facts upon which
they base their belief
The years 1908, '04-'05 and '06 were
very plentiful in the number of deer
killed. 1t was estimated that in 1906
twenty-five thousand deer were killed
in this State. This estimate for of
course il could be but an estimate) was
based upon the best and most reliable
information obtainable, and was gener-
ally accepted as being approximately
correct.
| Not many believed that the supply
would hold out at this rate. 1t seemed
to many self evident proposition that
| it could not Last year the commits
sioners, or a majority of them, deter
mined TO take especial pains to ascer-
tain if possible whether there was any
diminution. any falling off in the deer
CROP" They adopted all possible
means to this end. Guides We're re-
quired to report their observations.
Wardens were required to do likewise.
The Office of the commissioners CORES
ponded with many persons in different
sections of the State. and with many
non residents who hunted and many
residents who were accustomed to
hunt.
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