The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-31
THIRTEENTH OPEN
SEASONFORDEER
BEGAN TODAY
Hunters Already in the Woods
and Prospects Good
WEATHER is FAVORABLE
Postponing of the Season for One
Week Has Improved Chances
Of Sportsmen

Vermont's annual open deer sea
son of six days begun with the rising
of the sun this morning and the hun
tiers have already made their camps
in the numerous log cabins on the
mountains. The number of men who
go into the woods each year has in
creased ever since the open season
was established in 1898 and it is es-
timated from the additional number
of licenses granted that all records
will be broken during the next six
days.
Whether or not the season viii be
as successful as that of last year
from a hunters point of view re
mains to be seen. The legislature OF
1908 removed the restriction preyl-
ously placed on doe and during the
last six days Of October last 4I36
deer Of both sexes were killed in Yer
mont. In 1908 when only bucks with
horns six inches iong could be leg
ally shot, the number was 2l3T. The
results of the season which opens to-
| day should determine TO some eX.
tent whether or not the claim OF the
opponents OF the doe law as ii is
called, that the enactment OF that
statute would decrease the size OF
| the deer herd in the state, are cor.
rect II there are as many deer IN
/ Vermont at the present time as there
were a year ago at the time Of the
opening OF the season there are rea
sons to believe that The number that
will be killed between this morning
and next Saturday night viii be the
largest in the history OF the state
Governor Mead's proclamation which
moved the open season this yeaI
along one week later has brought II
C ose to the nutting period and the
bucks instead OF keeping in seculsior
are on the move In 1895 Governor
Proctor suspended the season until
the second week in November be
cause OF the danger Of forest fires
and the number Of buck deer killed
was more than double the figures re
ported to the fish and game depart
I ment In 1907 The weather condit
ions too, favor the hunters. Tn,
higher mountain slopes are already
covered with snow and tracking vii
be easy.
The presence Of deer in a state 81
small as Vermont in such numbers
that several thousands are annual!
killed In a single week is a singular
demonstration OF the remarkable In
crease OF wild lie under favorable
conditions. Previous 20 1873 dee
had practically become extinct in th'
state. In April of that year a her,
of ten animals was liberated In Rui
land and Bennington counties. II
May OF the same year seven NOR
were turned loose in the same local
tiles. The deer were protected b,
law until 1888 when an open season
OF a month was created This wa
later reduced to 10 days and then 4
six. According to the reports receiy
ed by the state fish and game de
parunont there We're 1873 bucks killel
during the first open season. Ii
1909 they dropped to SO; In 1900 /
was 1923; in 1901. 2ll; 1902, i0S
1903, 1853, 1904, 5Sl; 1905. 497; 1906
Goa; 1907, 99l. The figures for tn
past two seasons have already bee
given. From reports sent to the fisl
aud game department by wardens tn
commissioner has records TO shoN
that fully 2000 deer are either illega
ly shot, run down by trains or killc
by dogs in Vermont every year. An
this big herd and also the deer In tn
western counties OF Massachusett
which have become so numerous tia
an open season has been establshe
for that section are undoubtedly a
the descendants OF the is animal
with which two counties In this stat