Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-02-14
SAVE LIVES oF HuNrERs.
Protection of Does, Says Dover Man,
Would DO IL.


town OF Monson, advanced an idea to the
members of the North American Fish and
Game association, at meeting held in
Portland, for the prevention OF that class
OF hunting accidents known as "mis-
taken for deer" cases. His idea was the
enactment in Maine of law making q
perpetual close time upon doe deer.
III the thought was not actually sneered
at, 1t certainly did not meet popular APP
proval. Many men who claimed to have
the best interests OF the sportman and the
game at heart laughed at it. A few
espoused the cause. Apparently it stopped
there. No determined effort has ever been
made to secure the enactment OF such a
law, but to-day there is a growing ap-
proval OF the plan, and there are, more
over, facts to strengthen Mr.. Sprague's
argument that such law would result in
the reduction Of hunting accidents.
Some recent correspondence which the
Dover gentleman has had with the bureau
OF biological survey of the United States
department Of agriculture puts forth this
idea with sustaining figures.
7. 8. Palmer, assistant chief Of that de-
partment, tells Mr.. Sprague that this line
OF research has only attracted the atten-
tion Of the bureau for four years, and
that the records for that period are not as
complete as is desired, but these statistics
do show some interesting information.
In the work of the bureau no record is
kept OF accidents in which the victim re-
covers. In the very beginning of his let
ter Mr.. Palmer says:
"very few fatal hunting accidents are
reported in states which prohibit the Kill
ues, ''show that in the past four years but
nine fatal accidents occurred in the seven
teen states which protect does, while in
the four leading ststes-!daine, Michigan,
New York and Wisconsin-which do not
protect does, thirty-three have been re-
ported"
Since receiving this information, Mr..
Sprague has felt that his position assumed
in Portland in 1904, has been vindicated.
In the address referred to Mr.. Sprague,
among other things, said:
'.Now we have for long time had in
Maine heavy penalty for killing the COW
moose. The hunter goes into the woods
in quest of moose, knowing that he must
stop and determine before he free whether
it is bull, a COW, spike horn, or a calf,
and he pauses long enough to ascertain
and seldom mistakes moose for man.
"Why is thise l cannot satisfactorily
answer the question, neither can you.
We know only the fact. His mental pro-
cesses must have unconsciously led him
moose which he is a stranger to when
hunting the deer. The normal man when
he enters upon chase for either deer or
moose, is possessed OF no idea whatever,
that he may kill fellow being. Such
calamity is not, consciously or uncon-
sciously, any part OF the workings of his
mind. The excitement of the chase is in
tense with him, especially if he is be-
ginner in the sport.
This undue aud abnormal excitement
subjects hin. to distorted visions, mental
and perhaps optical illusions. In his un-
natural vision he sees something. The
bushes move, the color Of the animal is
guide to be on yonder mountain side, far
from the spot, and no latent mental forces
suggest the possibility OF a man being
near. He has not that unconscious and
mysterious incentive to be deliberate
which he might have were he looking for
4 moose. In his mental vision he sees a
deer. 1t is real to him, as actual as are
A. - 81, hro
yet it is only an illusion. He fires, and
alas! The one awful thing which be was
SO positive the other day that he could
easily and certainly avoid when he was
indifferently reading of the the last acci-
dental shooting, is done. The fatal shot
has ruined a home, desolated a Preside,
made a widow, made orphans, embit-
tered and saddened his whole life and
filed his heart with tears OF bitter and
eternal remorse. II he had been hunting
moose, he would not have stopped
and looked before firing because he ap-
pretended that he nigh. see man. That
fragment of thought would be absent
from his mind in either event.
sis it not possible that the COW moose
law has served to draw from the moose
hunters background OF consciousness an
impulse at the right instant to be deliber-
ate which is SO much needed in all modes
OF hunting?
81 do not assert that the moose hunter
has always been exempt from these acci-
dents, but believe it is undisputed that
usually they occur among hunters for
deer.
s'Cannot you bring to pass some more
rational and thoughtful mental con-
ditions in the deer hunter by simply for
bidding by law the killing OF does? This
idea been somewhat exploited in the
meetings of the Maine association and by
members privately. The answer has gen.
orally been that it might not be practical,
because there is more OF similarity be-
tween the COW and the bull"