The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-27
STRONG ARGUMENT ADVANCED
FOR OPEN SEASON FOR DER
Prominent Upper Peninsula Man
Discusses Shortcomings
OF Laws.
HUMAN LIVES ARE SACRIFICED

e one OF the delegates 10 the judicia
convention last Saturday was r. l.
7 Hammond OF Iron Mountain, one OF tn,
best known and most enthusiastic
sportsmen OF the upper peninsula, sayi
the Marquette Mining Journal Mr.
Hammond has always been an atten'
dant at upper peninsula sportsmen's
meetings. and has been an active
worker toward better and more effec-
tive game laws. After much study, he
has come 20 the conclusion that the
lproper solution OF the much discussed
problem is for the legislature to de-
clare an open season on deer. He
maintains that there would be no
more deer killed than under the pres
ent system. and that the open season
woul6 do away with the annual
slaughter OF men who are accidentally
shot In the north woods. In an in
terview with a Mining Journal repre-
| sentative, Mr. Hammond said:
Since the close OF the open season
for killing men. articles have appeared
IN various papers suggesting changes
in the game laws that will at least re-
duce the number OF fatalities. one Is
70 lengthen the open season, and an
other, 10 compel the wearing OF red.
At the game convention in Marquette
two years ago, l suggested that the
open season run from Oct. to Nov. 10
and when l was turned down on that
/ asked for oct. Is TO Nov. IS, but
was again turned down. If the change
had been made lives would have been
saved. ] advanced the idea last year
Of having a closed season every other
year, and such a bill was voted on and
defeated i'm the legislature That idea
was good then and would also have
saved lives. a condition few people
seem to appreciate is the fact that we
have overshot the ISSUE
Driving" Deer is Murder.
"The time has come when our repre-
sentatives must be made to under
stand that the protection of human be-
ings is of more Importance than the
protection Of deer. We can't save
lives by compelling hunters to wear
i'hs intN Nbil all wear IL, anu lUt
fool hunter will shoot at anything he
sees If it is not red, and excuse his
act by pointing to the red law. The
trouble nowadays is that every Tom,
Dick and Harry who can raise money
enough to buy gun, imagines himself
deer hunter. A big bunch of that
kind of sports will go into the woods
and make what they term a drive
that is, half the crowd will be placed
out ahead, and the rest will come to-
wards them, driving the deer in their
direction. They call that sport but
the deer has no chance to escape.
l cali it murder. and If law was pass
ed prohibiting that kind OF work, we
would have some real protection on
deer and probably less loss of life.
Having arrived at point where the only
question up is the protection OF human
beings on their annual outing. l sug-
gest the following:
"1.-That there be no closed season
on deer.
"2.-That a licinse be Issued To any
person, to expire in sixty days, at any
time of year he chooses.
"3.-That each person be allowed to
Kill two buck deer
"4.-Fine for killing does, not less
than 800 or more than 5000.
"5.-Hunting deer without license, n
fine of SIPS.
"6.-Put the drive hunters in the
same class with dog hunters. The hui
man dogs are the more destructive.
''7.-Revenue from license to go to
county to pay wardens.
Protect Men From Themselves.
you must protect men who go
hunting the same as you do those
prone to gamble. You must protect
them against themselves. The season
is now so short and so late that sew
| eral good men who became lost died
from exposure and cold. Let them GO
into the woods when they choose and
! you will find that not one-half as
many will go. Nine tenths of hunters
would rather go in nice weather. II
you compel them to go in bad wea-
ther they try to get a deer as quick
ly as possible and get out. The result
is they shoot at everything that
moves. There will not be one deei
more killed illegally under this Law
than there is today. People are not
all criminals; many obey the law or
principle. The number of law break.
ers will not increase by adopting This
measure. There Is nothing to prevehl
any person now from killing dsei
whenever he feels like 1t. so there Di.
not be an increase in the number "
illegal killings. and many good FL.
lows lives will be saved. Saving th.
deer at the price OF thirty or fgft,
human lives each season is to 81