The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-03-12

nntil now. our mountain sides art
not the same shade of perpetual
roe, they once were and some oi
gha high peaks are not as peaked
hut we have the deer. 40 hot
wish 10 he construed as making ue
rogatory reflections or underFaluliis
n. faithful and efficient service
~ tho commissioners, Titcomb aho
,,,homas whose administrations cover
ed the period of this marFelou
.ho,qa for deer increase in Vermont,
hut / do cont nd that with the fofef
Conditions remaining as they vert
ay up to 1861, and without thh
.valutjon brought about by TINS
intensive lumber and chaccoal IN
d,uytry, all the laws that have o.
,ou,d be enacted or the most vigof-
,us enforcement of those laws couid
lot have produced this increase OF
deer.
I will take up the case OF small-
r game animal whose existence u
dependent upon its special taVofea
conditions. and its determination Gel
tain with adverse changes, and leg
islative regulation can do but ilttie
IN DELAY or relieve and certainly can
NOT rehabilitate its existence once
its necessary dependence for life mas
peen removed. The gray squirrel
which. when we were boys seemed
to he i'm every tree in certain favor
ed localities, but since the big trees
where he had his home and resort
for protection and the Old nut pear
ing trees have both been cut down
he IL no longer to be found an thal
lot NOT because he has been eA-
terminated by the man or boy with
/, gun. hut that the conditions neces-
sary for his life and well being hav,
been taken away. DO you think pro
tectiye legislation can bring him
back to that locality? No Only
the restoration of those conditions
.an effect his return in his former
numbers, not legislation alone.
The gray" is resourceful little
animal and can readily adjust him
self TO conditions that confront hiin,
and will resort to rock and hole
dwelling and subsist on buds or mos
tnything that viii sustain him when
necessity compels him. but under
such forced conditions he does nor
become as numerous, or Us not the
same big gray as when he had
his home and protection In the hol-
lows OF a big tree and fed upon
nuts.
There is much talk in Vermont
and throughout the country about
game protection, and the first and
only resource is legislative enact
mems. with punative measures at
taehed for violation, but do not
know Of a single instance when Il
reached out to the most destructive
source causing game depletion,
against the proving, sneaking, carni
yorons invader, the predatory wing
ed assailant and smaller pestilential
yermin vampires Of the night, ,preyinf
upon the objects specialized for this
legal protection. Legislative prohi-
bition often with ridiculous inconsis-
tency, causes me to refer 10 the
"ruffed grouse" commonly called
In Vermont. and conceded
by all TO be the best and truly game
bird OF all in the whole world. In
Vermont as also in many other
aates there are laws forbidding the
Of this bird which |
il well aud good. for the laws forbi6<
ding shipping and selling Of game
are the most effentual game laws We
have, and have done worlds of good
and Tor the reason that they can be
info cei 10 the very letter. az the
eiogator has 10 come out into the |
,pen and very sure Of apprehension
and conviction, but on the other
siese--what does Legislation do IN
lagrani. ridiculous. ignorant incon-l
sistencyg II institutes laws pro
.ecting the most destructive enemies
d thla bird. all for the greed Of