Putnam patriot., 1913-10-17
Hunters are in the Woods
Birds Plenty but Wild

Last Wednesday the open hunting season began and few men with guns on shoulder took to the woods. But the real old hunter has not begun to get in his work as yet. He Is too wise. Long experience teaches him that there k nothing doing for week CT two In the first place the leaves are too thick on the trees, In the second the birds are still in the big woods and will not come into the runs for some days And thirdly game is always wild when the echoes of the guns first resound on the hillside and along the brooks in the valleys. But the older huntsnen, who look over the ground before tne season opens and size up the possibilities, are authority for the statement that there will be some good shooting before the season closes.
 The same old cry comes up this sea son from property owners regarding the posting of land Not the real hunter we may say mphatieally, but the amateur who goes about popping at everything in sight and without re- gard for the land owners right, bring about a more and more limited aren over which one may hunt ind.eace and comfort without fear of arrest or vita out being confronted with a sign of warning to keep ofi.i
 Signs are printed nj this office for bidding hunting and with the order often comes the reason, which Is as sci forth in the following, and which ac companied the Inst order for such signs; A man entered our office mad clear through. "l want six signs for bidding hunting on my land, v he said "I always said that never would post my land but they have driven me to II Why, saw two fellows tear down corner of my wall to get rabbit ana then go of and leave it with the stones all scattered around, They even carry cutters 10 cut wire fences. l don [ care how much my land K hunted, but l can't stand this sort of thing any longern Now can any fair minded man blame this farmer9 Certainly not He k willing any decent person should hunt on his land, and said If they came to him for permission il would be freely granted, but he cannot anord to spend his money every season l. repair damage done by such mean- ness and no one viii hlame him, X large percentage of men who post their land tell the same story
 For these acts .of vandalism the old hunter, who has all of his life roved shont al will putting up bars behind him, replacing any stone he may have knocked from the top of wall, must suffer, but he will hnd that If he will go to the farmers house and request permission to hunt the land it will seldom be denied him.
 There are of course instances where the farmer wishes to protect the game birds and squirrels. This is wholly within his rights. We know Of one instance where there are flock of phensants and several tlocks ot quail on farm. The farmer and his family have taken care of these birds and tn The winter have fed them so that they have become tame, almost pets, and roost in cold weather underneath his sheds. He doesn't want to see them killed oil. But for all this there k plenty of ground 10 cover for the true sportsman who enjoys shooting and he will have no trouble except thai which is made for him by others who have no regard for the rights of those 10 whom they are beholden for their priv iege which they seem 10 claim, not as privilege, but as right.