The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-07
OPEN SEASON IS
 ADVOCATED FOR
 KILLING OF DEER
MANY ARE HEARD BY LEaIsLA- TIVE COAGNAITTEE-DAN
 TO CROPS IS INCREASING.

Hartford, March 6-The deer in the state had no friends Wednesday. Bills providing for an open season came up for hearing before the committee on person, who appeared, who wanted anything except a change which would permit of deer being shot some time each fall. There. was nothing like unanimity of opinion as to how the new order of things would come about, some being in favor of having a season of only five days, while oth- CTS were so radical as to wish that the committee might recommend for passage a bill which provided that the deer could be shot at any time in the year, regardless of whether there was damage being done to crops. Then too, there was a variety of opinion as to what should be allowed in the way of guns. Many wanted to use rifles, while others thought the shot gun was the best. in view or the thickly populated conditions in most parts of the state.
 There was complete argument on one point, however, and that was that the deer are doing an increeHing amount of damage each year and that this cost is reflected in the state ments which are given out by the comptroIIeE's office Frank O. Davis, one of the fish and game commis- sionerD, said that the people were sufr fering greatly from the deer in the rural sections, particularly where or charding is carried on to a large ex- tent, and he further remarked that it was impossible for the state to ade- quately repay the damage done He was heartily in faver of an open sea- son, saying that the sooner it could come, the better would be the result.
 When it was all summed up all of the men present before the comEaittee
 thought there altogether too many deer in the state and that they should be eliminated by some means.
 The question of whether it should
 be rifle, or shot gun, was debated at somewhat in favor of the rifle Those who believed in allowing the use Of the rifle, pointed out that it was next to impossible to kill a deer at any
 distance with a shot gun, but that on
 the other hand it might be wounded
 seriously enough to die in suffering, with nobody benefited. This was call ed inhuman. Those who wanted a
 shot gun the legitimate weapon ar
 gued that the use of high power guns would be menace to people Wher- ever there was any hunting and that there would be many killed. Those supporting the use of the rifle replied to this that they did not want the use of high power rifles, but that small caliber guns, such as .32 using black powder, would be effective, and at the same time not dangerous, and they seemed to place limit in ca1iber at the 25-50 as the largest that could be | used. Many, however. thought that a
 rifle of any caliber would be danger ous, partly from the fact that the
 hunting season would be a novelty in the state and that people little used | to guns would rush out from the cities and blaze away at everything they i saw. One man said the average city | person would not be able to tell a Jer- l sey calf from a deer.
 Frank o. Davis, member of the | fish and game commission, said, in | speaking for himself, that he was in | favor of the open season and remark | ed that he should hesitate a long time | under the present law before he fined l a man who killed a, deer on his land, l even though it was not destroying | crops He said the deer had only one | object in being on the land and ap- I peared to think that was ground for killing the deer, but he did not say | he would advocate quite that extreme | He told of the damage being done and | that there ought to be some check l placed.
 There was some dispute among the | people present as to whether there | should be limit on the number o1