Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-09-13
RULE or SAFETY.


/ BOA1 w 0AE NJ 10
One Sure way TO Prevent esSsistakeu
for Deer'' Accidents.
ssThe time 10 near ct hand when tn
woods will be full Of hunting partiss,'
said an old-time hunter to the New York
Sun, "men and boys with rifles and shot
guns, and it won't be locg after the in
vasion begins before the newspapers will
give up their usual amount Of space "a
announcing the killing OF this, that and
the other guide, hunter or innocent out
side by eager and inexperienced gunners.
1.-THE amateur hunter has become such 4
menace in the woods that to the real
sportsman the pleasure OF the chase ID
greatly marred. he doesn't know o. he
breasts the ridges or steals along among
tho small growths or treads the maxes Of
the laurel swamps what moment he will
Be bored through BY . rifle bullet or
lacersted with shot.
ut has got q. that guides are reluctant to
70 out into the woods with parties on &C.
count Of the uncertainty Of life In them
daring the hunting season, In such uni-
versai evidence 10 the amateur hunter and
his fool methods nowadays. There was
fscetiousness but ct the same time . sug-
eestion OF seriousness in the reply an
Adirondack guide made last season to an
inquiry - to what luck tho party he had
been induced TO take out one day had had.
"'Not. very good said he, but had
flne luck. None Of EN- shot me-
"rwenty three persons shot, i've Of them
fatally, 10 the record, believe, Of the fool
hunters who turned themselves loose In
the Adirondacks alone last year-a small
percentage Of winging, perhaps, when va
consider the big army OF the wingers that
invaded those woods, but quite enough.
The small area OF Sullivan county itself
yielded Ave to the gunners who shoot
whenever they see anything move. As
near ~ can be estimated from the returns
collected for last season the amateur
hunters throughout the country bagged
20l persons, counting - persons those
from the ranks OF those hunters who were
themselves winged. And yet, for they
learn nothing BY experience and example,
these Dangers away At every leaf that stirs
will be on hand this season a. free handed
- ever.
"1n no instance is the killing or wound
ing of . person in the woods while hunt
ing sxecusable or in anyway to be con-
donsd unless 1t 10 BY accidental discharge
Of gun. And II mon who 90 into the
woods would but observe . very simple
rule the newspaper would never Be called
upon to record the killing or injury OF 10
person BY these occidental mistakings OF
him for game. That rule ic: Never fro
Of anything presumably game until you
can ses enough OF il to assure you beyond
all question that it Is the object you sup
pose 1t 10 b and not human being other
than yourself being anywhere within gun
shot range IL Of the remotest kind.
"rhis is . very simple rule and easy to
follow, and the wise and experienced
hunter will never fail to observe it strictly,
although he may have every reason to be-
lieve that not another soul is in the woods
within miles Of him. Forty years ago 1
got my lesson under that rule. was hunt
ing in Maine. My companion was Nat
Moore, one of the most famous OF the St.
John river guides. We were after moose
We had stopped on the edge OF thick
spruce swamp and Is We sat there We
heard the sound Of something coming
tearing through the bushes.
ave listened to the sound. The guide
III k.t kat.& A.,
either . moose, . bear or caribou, he
wasn't sure which, and we awaited its
approach, our rifes ready and l so eager
that my heart thomped so could hear 1t.
Presently we saw the bushes moving with
the approach OF the creature and heard
the dead sticks breaking under its fest.
We couldn't get even . glimpse OF it, and
- 1t paused . moment in the brush within
easy gunshot became afraid that it had
winded US and would be tearing away
back into the swamp and we would lose
the prize, so raised my rife to fire at the
spot where the expected game had
stopped, but Nat Moore restrained me.
"'It's bear he whispered, but don't
ever shoot till you see the nose or the eass
or the feet or something or other OF an ami
NAL. Then you won't ever kill q man in
the woods
"'But there isn't man within ten miles
OF herep whispered back.
"'No,' said Nat, but it's always best
to-
THAT was as far ~ he got, for that in
slant out OF the bushes half sprang, half
tumbled man, . man that would have
bored with rifle bullet, IS sure a. fate, II
Nat Moore had not lived up TO the rule he
himself had made years before and re-
strained me. When I realised the full
horror Of what my sassrnsss would have
brought upon me dropped to the ground
- limp - reg.
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