The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-02-07
VISIT DUGWAY
DEER HERD WITH
WARDEN CHASE
Experiences of Three Nature
Takers in POwnaI Mountain
SAW NEARLY THIRTY DEER
Four Were Observed from a Kitchen
Window of a House Near Broad
Brook Reservoir

Arthur r. Rickert, Charles Free
mont Barnes and a representative of
the Banner were the guests Sunday
of County Game Warden Harry
Chase on short expedition into the
"Dugway' section of Pownal where
the warden, under instructions from
the state fish and game commissioner
has been guarding from poachers
the large herd of deer that has been
frequenting the locality ever since
the first heavy fall of snow.
The party started from Bennington
on the S:45 car which they left at
the Dugway switch and during the
few hours that the four were in the
woods they discovered % deer and
only a small portion of the territory
was visited The party carried
cameras and made several attempts
to obtain photographs of the deer
but were probably not very success
full although several snapshot ex-
posures We're made The light was
not of the best and as the deer have
been more or less frightened by hui
man visitors during the last few days
they were more than usually nerv-
Gus,
The deer have not "yarded" as
they are in the habit of doing in
some localities for the reason that
| the snow has not at any time been
deep enough on the slopes of the
mountain to hamper their actions.
They have gathered there for this
reason and also because they find ex-
cellent shelter in the deep ravines.
The slopes of the mountain also
make an ideal winter pasture being
covered with small birch trees and
sumac
Besides the unusually large mum.
| Der of deer seen there was sufficient
evidence that the herd is a big one
The woods and the open pastures
look as though a large flock of sheer
had been turned out on the mountain
There are deer tracks in every direc
ton and some instances beaten
| paths have been made.
As the party was crossing the first
ridge a large deer was seen standing
in little opening between two pine
trees and 1t was. still there on the
lookout when the party passed ovel
the hill A little later five more were
started from the slope of a small ra
vine. Four of them broke away anC
dashed through the timber but the
fifth stood on the bank OF the small
stream at the foot of the stream fol
some time while the camera manip
ulators We're endeavoring to sneal
within snapshot range The fou
were tracked for a short distance an(
the largest. buck, was again put up
From II o'clock until 80 the part.
stopped at the home of II. Il. Murphy
the custodian of the Broad brook res
ervoir, and from the kitchen window
watched four deer browsing on tn,
hillside back of the house. On tn,
return trip to catch the o'clock ca
for Bennington a bunch of nine dee
were seen. Three went over a Low
ridge out of sight but the other ST
trotted leisurely away in single fill
down into the Broad brook ravine
A few minutes later three more wer
seen standing in small openin
close to the wood road over whic
the party was travelling. They wer
probably the three which broke ava
from the bunch of nine.
County Warden Chase is maxim
every effort to protect the deer fror
! poachers. He has had a deputy o
guard continuously and almost ever
day goes over a section of the teri
tory himself.
The bucks have completed tn
shedding of their horns and all tn
deer look much alike. A young DO
living near the Dugway has gathere
3 eight horns in the woods near hi
, home, In one instance he was fortl
nate enough to pick up both sides {
a set, the buck having rubbed off bot
horns on the side of the same tre
This is an unusual occurrence for
most instances the horns are she
one at a time ard long distance
apart.
g Some of the deer. just how man
0 cannot be determined have been shi
by poaching hunters from across II
Massachusetts line. The warden
a making every effort to protect Il
: animals and with the aid of his a
sistant will continue to guard the !
cality as long as conditions requir
The fine for killing a deer out of Sc
) son is 800 and the warden won
y like nothing better than to lay han,
/. on one of the poachers He has ma,
an unusually good record in app
hending criminals of this nature al
9 is determined to add to 1t during I'll
+ present winter unless the poache
Il keep out of the "Dugway" ~