The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1913-10-04
DEER PLENTIFUL
assessor NEARS
State Wide Open Season Policy
Ii. Massachusetts.
MANY HUNTERS EXPECTED.

nivai Expected Hunters Must Se-
cure Licenses and Report to Game
Warden Every Time Deer is Killed.
Springfield. Mass.-The state wide
open season for deer in the week be-
ginning Nov. II will be notable
hunters carnival. Deer have been rig
idly protected in Massachusetts. and
the Grst open season, three years ago.
was restricted to the five western coun-
ties. In spite of three open seasons
deer are now more numerous in the
hill towns than at the time of the Rev
dictionary war. in which period they
were unprotected. Farmers complaints
OF the depredations of deer were deftly
turned to advantage by hunters as an
argument for state wide open sea-
son, which will be given a trial this
fall,
The greater" part of the 10000 or
more deer in the state are in the five
western counties. but in the open sea
son, when the woods and hills resound
with the report of firearms, the fright
ened animals fee eastward in droves
This year the fight of the deer, unless
it be over the borders of another state
will not avail. and it is expected that
the slaughter will be much greater
than last year. when about 1000 deer
were killed, w.t. -
The law requires that all hunters
shall be licensed and that report
shall be made to the fish and game
commission of every deer killed. The
penalty is so severe that the pro-
visions are generally observed
Notwithstanding that deer in parts
of Massachusetts are almost as an
proachable as cows in pasture, and,
u M many towns by the exercise of a
little patience they can be prevailed
upon to eat from ones hand. the open
season has a fascination for thousands
OF hunters In Springfield alone last
year more than one thousand hunters
licenses were issued. This year a
small army Of hunters from Boston I
and other cities in the eastern part of
the state will participate, not to men
ton New York and Philadelphia hunt
ers. majority of whom are stock
brokers. Game wardens are of the
opinion that there will be hunter for
nearly every deer, and that when the
1914 legislature convenes the surplus
deer population will be the least of it's
troubles
The principal restrictions of the open
season are that no hunter shall kill
more than one deer. that the meat shall
not be resold. that there shall be no
resort either to traps or salt ticks and
that no weapon other than a shotgun
shall be used. To minimize the danger
which attends the presence of so many
hunters in the woods a special statute
has been passed which prohibits hunt
ing for birds or quadrupeds with rifles.
pistols or revolvers during the open
season for deer In former years a
arge number of deer hunters have used
rifles. and if detected would insist that !
they were bird or rabbit hunting and
that the deer was killed accidentally.
The new law eliminates this excuse
Candor -compels the statement that |
deer hunters are guilty in too many |
instances of unseemly depredations, I
and the utter disregard of the rights
Of others by comparatively few hunt
7rs has led to. the posting of thousands
IF acres of land by indignant farmers.
Some idea Of the increase in the
1umber Of deer in Massachusetts, may
De gained from the damages which
he state has been called upon to- pay
% farmers. AS it is unlawful to kill
1eer except under great provocation.
he state has found it necessary to
compensate farmers for damage to
orchards, gardens and growing crops.
IN 1903 the state paid 1927 to settle I
leer damage claims. In 1908 .the
mount bad risen to $4.37O. Last year
Massa chusetts farmers collected j$16.- /
700 for the .depnedat lions Of deer.