The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-27
ONE FARMERS VIEW
Takes Up the Question of Posting
Against Deer Hunting

! axes OD inc QuCoLtOn OI FOoliNH
Against Deer Hunting
The following letter appeared in the
latest issue of the Londonderry Stiff
err:
Editor of the Londonderry Sitter
Dear Sir-I received the supple
ment that came with the Sitter which
M. j. Hapgood of Peru sent, in regard
to deer hunting, and | would say That
| am not in sympathy with his idea.
have been bothered with the deer
for twelve or fourteen years. They
have been in my mOwings and gar
dens and disturbed garden stuff and
apples oats, and anything they want
ed. This year we had a nice lot of
pumpkins planted and started nicely
in our corn field and the deer came
there and when we came to harvest
the pumpkins we had none to harvest,
not one. The deer are very often
seer in our gardens or orchards and
of course we must let them alone.
do not believe the state or Nh Hap
good or anyone else has the right to
turn deer into my fields and let them
destroy my crops. l believe it is
stealing just as much as any other
stealing. | think no doubt if some
one should go into Mr.. Hapgopd's
cornfeld and steal twenty-five dollars
worth of corn or go into his garden
and steal or destroy ten or twenty
dollars worth of cabbages and beets
or anything else he would call it steal
ing and it would be- | believe it is
stealing for any man to turn deer
loose and let them run over peoples
crops without their consent and then
say they shall not destroy the deer
without a fine.
have been bothered a great deal
with deer, probably hundreds of dol
lars worth and | never have got one
cent for it. | claim it is the states
business to go and settle these DANA
ges on its own account without put
ting the owner to any trouble or ex-
pense whatever, if they let the deer
loose. Mr.. Hapgood says any land
owner has the right to post his land
against any or all kinds OF hunting
in case they are cultivated or en-
closed / agree with him, we have
right to post our lands from the
deer and anyone that is the means Of
deer being there ought TO be fined
just as much as the man who is the
means Of the deer being taken away
Mr.. Hapgood need not bother to
send me any posters unless the words
are not placed after the word hunt
ing Mr. Hapgood says "let us point
the finger of shame against any hun
ter who brings in a does head" /
say let us all point the finger OF
shame twice at anybody who wants
to steal the farmers rights from him.
would say although do
not believe in salary grab | think il is
no worse than grabbing the farmers
rights from him.
Mr. Hapgood says, If you consci-
entiously believe that our deer are
a standing nuisance and must be kill
ed. shoot there where you have the
right, and let your wife go with you
up to the quivering form after the
shot is fired" | would say | believe
the people who let the deer loose on
our farms are partially if not wholly
to blame for the killing whether the
housewife does see the quiyering
forms of these deer OF not
and | believe they are the ones
or not; and l believe they are the
that ought to suffer the penalty,
not the deer, nor the farmer. If they
had all been killed off the same day
or year that they were let loose there
would not have been so many killed
later, and if they are all killed this
year there will be less suffering than
if they are left to increase But I
have not killed; neither have | stolen
the farmers rights
Yours truly,
+. ID. Clayton
Hartland, VT.