Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-30
ing animals 200; to dealers in skins

The recommendation Of Forest Com
missioner Ring for a law to regulate
the taking of fire-arm into the WOODS
in close season, as we'll as to stop gun
ners from hunting In q severe drought,
is approved.
"The Importance of song and lnsec-
tivorous birds to agriculture is fully
commented upon, and the great slaAgh-
ter of robins during the winter in the
south deprecated. The suggestion IS
made that Congress should enact laws
protecting interstate fight birds.
IAN increase in partridges IS noted.
and a uniform open time on ducks Is
strongly urged and the use of motor
beats in hunting them condemned That
tine law prohibiting the feeding or bed
ding of ducks be. repealed, as well as
the law protecting looms. is recommend
ed Wildcats are fairly plenty
Ne" Sunday hunting comes in for an
extended notice, and it is urged that
the, law either be repealed making that
day il close time on, game and BIRDS, or
else have a new law making it unlaW-
full to have guns in possession outside
ones dwelling on that day
The illegal slaughter of game has
been great: One hundred and twenty
three moose-mostly cows and calves
were illegally butchered.
One hundred and twenty prosecutions
were instituted and $4,000 in fines We're
collected. Thirty-three guns We're SELF
ed and will be sold at auction Jan. at
the State House. Thirty-two regular
and 124 local wardens constitute the
warden force.
Moose show a slight decrease. OF deer
the commissioners say:
1.-THE winter of 1907 and 1908 was ex-
ceptionally favorable to the large herds
of deer still to be found in our north
ern forests None died on account Of the
cold, or starved on account of the
failure to secure feed. 1t was a most
remarkable winter for the safe win
tering of game and game birds. The
deer in the spring We're apparently in
as good condition as in the fall. The
spring months We're warm and dry,
exceedingly favorable for the safety
Of the lambs The result has been
that undoubtedly there was raised q
larger herd of young deer, lambs, than
for many years.
'"This is, to some extent proven from
the exceptionally large number Of lawn
deer Killed during the hunting season
So noticeable was this that stronger,
protest than has appeared heretofore
is, made against the law that permits
the killing of fawns during the hunt
ing season.
ut is indeed a sickening sight to see
a dead fawn, that will not exceed 80
pounds in weight at the transportation
office labelled with the tag from non
resident hunters license that the state
has sold, for shipment to Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, and even to Chica-
go. At cne station at one time during
the early part of October, seven fawn
deer, none Of which would weigh over
35 pounds, were thus labelled.
at is for the legislature to consider
whether this sort of slaughter should
be permitted to continue longer under
the sanction Of the law. There appears
to be a growing public sentiment that
this sort of thing should be prohibited
by law Deer are what may be termed
semi-domesticated wild animals. They
hang, around, to a considerable extent.
civilization: they invade gardens. or
chards, moving fields, grain fields, anh
potato fields, doing to these more or
less damage. The law enacted by the
legislature Of 1905. giving to the farlnc"
the lawful right to shoot a deer when
found doing actual substantial damage
to his growing cultivated crops. an
pears to have been taken advantage ii
to q considerable extent.
I'VE have received reports of the kill
irg of 40 deer for this cause this year.
One man, A. NJ -Currier of Sever Isl
ands. on the st. John River. reports
killing IA deer for this cause Undoubt-
edlly others have been killed of which!
we have no reports.
'The other provision Of this law al
lowing compensation to farmers for
damage the deer do, is, we think quite
generally taken advantage of. We have
received IS different complaints this
year on this account The aggregate Of
the damage asked for or demanded
amounts to s1,53150. with five Other
claims in which no specific amonnt OF
damage was named.
"As to the quantity Of deer-thcir
number as compared with recent years
-opinious differ greatly. even among
some having apparently equal onpor-
to base an opinion, as for instance, the
guides who guide hunting parties.
Certain it is that many more OF our
own people go a hunting from year to
year 1t is estimated that from one,
third to one-half more Of the people OF
the state hunted big game last sea-
son than ever before in single year.
The dull times--workmen out of en-
ployment-accounts for much of this.
Whatever opinion one may have as to
the real facts as to the increase or
decrease in our herds of deer. all are
agreed that the greatest care should be
exercised by all, and by the law-mak-
ing power to protect them, to prevent
their practical extinction or greatly
lessen their number.
THE state Of Maine will ever have
within it's borders wide domain OF
many thousands Of acres of wild land,
unsuited for agriculture, which win
never be occupied for farming purposes,
only the trees, if spared from fires, viii
be there for all time,--th natural home
of the moose and deer-a valuable, pal
atable nutritious food a drawing card