Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-04-04
WORK IS PlEAsMG|k|LuhG OF DEER
Slaughter Likely to Exterminat.
Species in Arizona.
Closed Season for Two Years the on,v
Thing That VIII Save It From
Extinction 10 the Declare.
tion OF Expert. Il

So great has been the slaughter ~
deer In Arizona and New Mexico tbs
past season that . movement ia on
foot 70 have q law enacted by tho
next legislature In both states clos.
ing the season for hunting deer 70,
two years. w. p. Geary, chairman a,
the Arizona corporation commission
who recently returned from HIM,
OF month In the Grand Canyon di,.
trict, declares that II the killing I,
not stopped deer will be almost e1.
tinct in this state within a ,ev
years.
Il am most emphatically in favor O,
closing the season on deer for tvo
years." says Geary. Not only hava
the hunters, who ought to know bet.
ter. availed themselves of the remota
ness Of the hunting grounds to exceed
their rights In the number killed bur
the animals have been poached to a
frightful extent. There are some
white men in that section who have
been doing this. and the Indians IN
there have been doing it con.
stantly.
80 great have been the ravages in
that section on deer that there are
few bucks remaining, and those left
are Of the scrub variety. The great,
big-antlered beasts that used to lead
the herds seem to have disappeared
entirely. l am told that there are a
few In the almost inaccessible reaches
Of the Canyon Country, but failed to
see any on my trip.
= There are large number of does
this season, and If the deer are left
alone for two years am sure they
will increase so rapidly there will
b. plenty for hunters within the
bounds of reason. One advantage Of
a closed season on deer for two years
is that 1t would be a comparatively
easy matter to convict poachers. The
possession of deer meat would then be
regarded as prima facie evidence that
it had been illegally obtained. 1t is
a matter, of recent history that elk
and antelope were put inside an EN-.
barge SO that they may not now be
hunted, Unless something is done to
protect the deer they certainly are
doomed to determination"
Arizona this year has been the
most popular hunting ground of the
southwest. Hundreds have come from
Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Colo
RADIO. Kansas and California. Some Of
them have gone into the fastnesses of
the furthermost regions and found
deer almost innumerable. One of the
largest Of these parties was that head.
ed by Robert Dunlops, state treasqr.
er of Oklahoma, who is said to be
training for q big hunt in Africa IN
der direction Of the Smithsonian In.
stitution. His party wen. into the
mountains $50 miles from Holbrook
They were probably the most scientific
hunters Of the season, and their bag
was we'll within the limits of the state
law. ..,ss
Reports from the Naciminto noun
tain country Of northwestern New
Mexico are to the effect that the Pu- y
eblo Indians have slaughtered deer
and other game without regard to law.
They have literally combed the woods
for their quarry, butchering every
thing they found. The Navajos for
merly gave the authorities consider
able trouble in this region, but they
have not hunted in these mountains
this year.