The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1909-11-18
ABOUT MAINE DEER
Results If Census Could
Be Taken
Hunters New Spend But Short Time
In Maine Woods.

In the last number Of the Maine
Woods. Herbert W Rowe has the
following interestin, article touching
the supply of Maine dec and moose:
In the record of the past week,
indeed, perhaps | ought to say the
past ten days, one fact stands out
with startling emphasis from all
others There has been a tremendous
increase In moose shipments, consid-
ering the length of time Moose
have been so numerous in the lists
of game carcasses shipped into and
/ through Bangor that 1t has become
quite the popular thing for the un-
thinking of those who look merely at
/ the surface of conditions, there are
actually more moose in the woods
than there are deer. Just think of
it," and they hold up their hands in
/ fgurative horror at the enormity of
the crime" that has pushed aside
/ the deer for the moose. They will
i sometimes eyeen go SO far as to de-
nounce the men no have been SO
shortsighted and killed off all the
deer, so that there are only moose
left to kill. And the men who have
been into theh woods in time when
hunting conditions have been keep
! tionally bad who have only had good
deer hunting when it was altogether
too wet for any but the most enthus-
iastic hunter, impervious to personal
discomforts, to travel the trails and
watch the runaways.
Yet there is enough of the element
of truth in what they say" to help
in the attempt of the pessimist, and
the calamity bowler, who is here
Just the same as when it required
an expert at forest tracking and a
man with a magni!ying glass that
could see long distances ard around
corners to find game animels in the
Maine woods. In the days following
the disappearance of the deer, after
the wolves had driven them out Of
| Maine, there were two or three wise
mon more or less) who said Il told
you SO" and then entirely forgot to
expend their wisdom on the wonder
full favor which the dear old Pine
Tree State should acquirein lateryears
IS a big game preserve. So today
| because some men can no longer find
! IN la 70 thnV
hunted for so many years. or because
the accidental interference of war
| den with their accustomed habit of
"dogging" the game prevented their
getting shot from the comfortable
and lazy "cinch' of floating canoe,
there are no deer left"
| shall probably be contradicted
but | will venture to state that, ii
there were way to prove my state
ment census of the deer in Maine
would show from 100000 to 100000
live deer. of desirable size, in the
Maine woods
But to return to the moose. There
1 is another feature of the moose hunt
ing, which is singular and probably
never, in the history of the game
belt of this state, matched. 1t is
that the majority of theh moose Kill
ed and brought out, are shot at, COM
paratively short distances from set
Element. instead of deep in the for
est Businesses, where his majesty the
moose is supposed to hold court
To be sure, he does still hold court
there, but whereas the moose was,
few years ago, only found in fair
abundance, deep in the woods, came
out to the clearings in the forest but
seldom and needed but the scent of
human flesh to start him on a 50-mile
Range" across the line into Canada,
like a fleeing bank cashier or boodl-
ing alderman, he is today driven Tor
drawnO within easy distance of the
settlements which indicate the abid-
ing presence of man and he is no
longer afraid. His COW meanders
serenely and fearlessly into the barn
yards of civilization and, soothed by
the appearances of safety, his senses
dulled perhaps by his wooing, the
lord of the forest too ventures within
easy reach of the deadly rife, whose
metal patched ball tears great rents
in his vitals and brings him. suffocat-
ing for breath that follows his life
blood to the ground.
No longer do the visiting hunters
all take the time that was once con-
sidered an essential, but almost on
the wing, they may come into camp
one day, hunt the next and, If I'M
usually lucky or blessed with an eX-
ceptional guide, they may start for
home on the third day with their am
bition satisfied, for they have secured
moose Always with an ambition
to do little better than the acquain-
lance who has boosted of remark
able deeds, such hy-by-night hunters
too often find In an impecunious and
irresponsible woods pilot just the
tool they are looking for; promise
or some good coin of the realm
change hands and their trip comes to
glorious finish. When the moose
were a hundred miles into the woods
when it took from three days to a
week to even reach the hunting
ground, the moose were all killed far
in the woods and there was far less
of shooting with silver bullet. What
ever the cause, 1t has not been a re-
suit that has uplifted craftsmanship
| in Maine.
Some sections, even those in which
! there have been hunters treading the
thickets ever since the partridge law
went off-and 1t may be, before
have furnished more moose than the
others. In the single town of Brad
ley, there have been three moose
brought into town within the past
/ tap dove Two uoro shot nv fa11ou,