The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-12-05

Monday night drew the curtain down
on the deer hunting season Of 1903 and
despite the fact that little OF no snow
was had during the entire time, it ID
stated that thsre were as<many deer
killed this year - there had been in
previous ones.
According to = statement made by
Travelling Auditor Mcintosh, Of the ex-
press company. we are informed that
more deer were shipped below the
strsits this year than ever before.
This was the outcome of the enor-
nous influx Of nonresident hunters who
visited this section Of the country dur
ing the season.
It is generally conceded that the
hunter il making great inroads on the
slaughter Of deer but there 10 still =
more serious enemy Of the animal, and
one which should be given more than .
passing thought, namely the wolf. Il
Only last week the writer had m op-
portunity to see = sample Of the terri
BILE devastation which is being done
through the agency of the wolf, and
while it is generally thought that Bara-
ga county il practically free from the
pest, it is one one of the most mistaken
ideas which could be harbored.
As an idea Of what curse the wolf
is to the deer and viii eventually be to
the hunter, it is not an uncommon sight
to find in one days tramp through the
forest the carcasses Of five or six deer
half eaten in some instances and wholly
destroyed in others. That it is the
wolf which does it is made plain by the
footprints Of the brute surrounding and
leading to and from the carcass.
That an effort to exterminate the
wolf is being made is true enough.
but to the mind Of the writer it is not
being done with the system and precis-
ion which. if let 60, it will require.
There are men who are spending days,
weeks and in fact the entire time in
the loneliness Of the forest, risking life
and limb in this hazardous practice, in
an effort to capture and kill the var
mint. They are making some slight
progress, but the rapidity with which
the wolf breeds and advance Of one
county over another in the bounties Of
fered is gradually drawing the hunter
to other locations and thereby leaving
the county with the smallest bounty to
suffer.
Another drawback TO the profession
al trapper and wolf hunter IL the petty
thefts which he is subjected to At
times.
The usual outlay Of the imam Of the
woods" averages from two to three
hundreds dollars. OF this the most i'm
portant factors are his traps. To have
them stolen or molested either with or
without the game in them is no small
item to the hunter. and not only dis
courages him in his enterprise but COM
pels him oftentimes to cease his efforts
to extsrminate the troublesome prowl-
ers Of the forest ~
The average hunter and trapper il -
sincere in his work - the banker or
grocer and any one who would stoop to
impede his progress should, upon ap-
prehension and conviction. be given the
full extent Of the law.
It 10 gratifying to note the small list
Of fatalities which were reported dur
ing the season. This we can attribute
to but two things, namely, the care Of
the hunters to guard against having to
spend his remaining days behind prison
doors, and the discretion which ID being
manifested in the wearing Of bright
colored clothing. Both are sensible and
productive Of good and We trust they
will be yearly maintained.