Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-01-21
COUNTY GAME wARDENs REPORT
Law and That open Season for Hunt
ing Does Be Continued.

Mr.. Frost Recommends FiVeInch Trout
Law and That open Season for Hunt
ing Does Be Continued
County Fish and Game Warden Roswell
L. Frost has completed his special report
on the conditions of the fish and game
in Windham county in 1909 and it win be
embodied, with the reports of other
county wardens, in the annual report of
Henry G. Thomas of Stowe, state COM
missioner of fish and game. Mr. Thomas
recently sent to the various county war
dens asking them for a special report,
and in response Mr. Frost has taken up
various matters relative to fish and game
protection and discussed them from
county standpoint, In drawing his con-
illusions he has used his own investiga-
tions, the reports of the deputy waTdens
and the information he has gained from
various hunters and fishermen through
out the county, II all the county war
dens make as full reports, based upon
such accurate information, the annual re-
port of the state commissioner will have
an important bearing on the fish and
game legislation in the next legislature.
Mr., Frost's report indicates a general
satisfaction with the present laws, the
only radical change which he advocates
being the bringing of the legal length for
trout down to five inches instead of six
inches as at present. He reports that
the fishermen in general throughout the
county are in favor of this change as 1t
will leave them some discretion as TO
what trout to save Many trout Of five
and one-half inches are heavier than
some siX-inch trout No fisherman wants
to save trout less than five inches in
length. Mr.. Frost believes that most of
the five-inch trout that are thrown back
die but that few of the small fish are
injured as they do not get hooked SO
badly. Most of the trouble and i'll feel
ing between the wardens and fishermen
arises over trout just little short OF six
inches and Mr.. Frost reports that the
work of the wardens would be much
easier and the fishermen would resort to
fewer subteruges If a five inch law
was enacted. The number of fish in
the brook would not be affected materially
by the change, He strongly advocates
stocking with fingerling trout instead OF
trout fry
In regard to the deer law Mr.. Frost ad-
vocates keeping the doe bill" in effect
until the fall of 1912 at least. By that
time the tame" deer, which do the
greater part of the damage to the far
mers, will have been thinned out suffi-
GENTLY to give the farmers satisfactory
protection. He notes that the slaughter
of the last open season hardly affected
| the number of deer seen about the farms
| and he estimates less than 10 per cent.
| decrease from the previous year. He also
| reports a general dissatisfaction among
| the farmers at the inadequacy OF the
awards they receive from the state for
| the damage done by deer. The award is
made on the basis Of present value while
the true loss is the setting back Of the
| profitable crop several years. In one case
| where he awarded damages of SITS the
| actual loss to the farmer was probably
$1,000, The only right solution OF the
problem is a great thinning out OF the
tame deer