The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-24
OPEN DEER SEASON is
ADVOCATED BY HUNTERS
Believed No More Deer Would Be
Killed Annually and That Many
Lives Would Be Saved--At Present
All Hunting is Done at Once and
Danger of Accident is increased.


Speaking of the shortcomings Of the
present deers laws, several Marquette
spOrtsmen expressed themselves yes
terday as of the opinion that the an
nual loss OF life would be greatly re-
duced and that no more deer would
be killed, il there were an open sea-
son all the year around says the
Marquette Mining Journal That the
present laws have not worked to in
crease the number OF deer in the
upper peninsula and that the short
season. bringing "a horde OF hunters
into the woods at once, Is taking an
immense toll in human lives each year
is evident To all who have made any
thing like a careful study of the sit
uation.
Years ago when IL was legal TO kill
deer at any time of the year, it seems
to me that fewer of the animals were
slaughtered than now" said "A promin-
ent Marquette man yesterday. IL can
remember when comparatively few
local hunters went after deer more
than one or two days i'm the year at
the most, and when lower peninsula
hunters in this locality were practically
unknown. There wasn't any talk about
deer being scarce in those days either
and it was rarely indeed that a hun
ter was shot by another
Principle is Wrong.
1T strikes me that the principle of
restricting the slaughter OF deer to
few days each year is a mistake.
Granting that the shooting could be
restricted to that season. It strikes me
that as many if not more sportsmen
go into the woods during that season
than would the whole year round, If
there were no restrictions. The time
of the deer season is advertised all
over the country. the railroads offer
special rates TO the upper peninsula
and the result is that there are be-
tween 5000 and 5000 hunters north |
Of the straits at the present time. in
addition to the resident hunters. |
What chance do the deer have, with
camp OF men every few miles i'm all
parts of the woods. one hunter chas-
ing them right into the rifle range
of another?
1T is a good deal the same as an /
invitation to a big party. 1t takes
place on certain night and we know |
that if we do not go then there will /
be no party to go to. The result is
that everybody goes and there is an
immense crowd. on the other hand |
If people knew they could go TO that |
party any night i'm the year. many !
would put it off from one night to an
other, would take little interest i'm the
affair, and perhaps would fail to go
at all. That is exactly the way il was
with deer hunting a few years ago
Hundreds of men are now going into
the woods during the deer season that
never thought OF hunting deer. when
they could be hunted any time and
venison could be had in the butcher
shops almost any day.
Fewer Non Resident Hunters.
Were there an open season, COM
paratively few non resident hunters
would come here to hunt as there
would be no particular time TO come
and the fact that there We're deer
here would not be advertised Most
OF the deer killed would be killed by
resident hunters and farmers, who
hunted because they wanted meat, not
merely for the so-called sport Of kill
ing. AS it is now there are probab-
ly as many deer killed out of season
as i'm season. some by farmers and
woodsmen who think il their right to
kin what they please on their own
property (and there is some justice
in that argumenD. others by persons
who have no regard for craftsmanship
or laws.
"'That shortening the season viii not {
help matters any has been demonstrate ,
ed In Vermont this year. where approx {
imately 5000 deer were killed I'm
season Of six days, nearly as many as /
are killed in the entire upper peninsu 3
Ia I'm twenty days.
"But the greatest objection Of all ,
10 the present closed season law is
the number of human lives that are
sacrificed to the sport every year. We (
had great deal better have no deer
here at all than TO have so many per-
sons shot as this season. In my opin ,
ion. one mans life is worth more than
all the deer in northern Michigan.
With an open season there would be
very few accidents, as what few hun
ters there were in the woods at any