The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-07

| open season in that State.
OF the deer reported in to my Office,
| III weighed $50 lbs. to 420 lbs. and in
most instances these weights were
| verified There were 1886 deer re-
ported at weights less than 100 lbs.
| Probably the actual number of deer
weighing less than hundred pounds
was much larger as reporters are apt
| to over-estimate in weight
I believe it is conservative to
figure the average weight at 125 lbs.
which means the harvesting of at
least 10000 lbs. of venison or more
than lbs for each man, woman and
child in the State. At the beef price
of SC per pound, it means $6750O.O0
worth of Venison.
/ have not spoken boastiully of the
large deer crop-it is probably the
largest ever to be recorded in Yer
mont unless the legislature adopts q
policy of extermination-bu it dem
onstrates what can be accomplished
in breeding deer and il partially
answers those who say that the game
laws are not enforced
In the enforcement of the deer law,
the section protecting fawns was
found impracticable. Few fawns re-
tain the distinct markings OF fawn
so late in the season as the middle
of November and efforts to prosecute
persons who killed fawns weighing
from forty to sixty pounds were una
vailing In other words, no jury
would penalize the hunter who killed
n fawn when there was no external
mark TO distinguish it from a yearl
ing except its weight. 1t is thought
and as many OF hem actually weighed
UP to one hundred pounds each, it
would not be surprising il we had
drawn on our future resources TO the
number of one thousand fawns.
The legalizing OF the killing OF does
for one season was eXpedient. Agri-
culture is of first Importance in Yer
mont and the efforts of horticultur-
lists to establish large orchards here
must not be discouraged. Most of
YOU are doubtless familiar with the
depredations of deer in young or
chards. It may be deemed by the
legislature expedient TO authorize the
Commissioner to establish zones in
the vicinity OF newly planted
orchards where deer hunting will be
permitted nnAer proper restrictions
at other periods than the regular
open seasons. Without legislative
action the law for next season per
mits the killing of bucks only and, as
the bucks must have horns at least
three inches long. fawns OF both
sexes are protected.
have been requested to explain
our transportation laws for Wild
game. \ hunter with a nonresident
license may take home with him a
days bag of game of any or all kinds
including deer A resident hunter
may transport or ship to any point
within the State days bag of any
or all kinds of game or q deer, but he
cannot ship any Wild game, including
deer, across the boundary into anoth-
er State. The object OF this provis-
ion is TO prevent market hunting and
it is especially applicable in refer
ence to deer.
Deer hunters are not necessarily
sportsmen. Many of them are after
the meat only Some of them would
go after herd of cattle in a back
pasture with the same zeal if they
could obtain a license to shoot and
take home fat COW or steer II
such men can market the deer outside
the State the temptation to kill more
than the limit will be too much for
some of them.
The multiplication OF the States
herd Of deer from q introduced in
1873 to the thousands in our forests
today, and that Notwithstanding the
annual harvest of the last eighteen
years, suggests what may be accom-
plished on private ranges when prop
erly fenced The fencing OF unpro-
ductive areas of recently numbered
forests should make such lands pro-
ductive while the new forest is grow
ing and the cost OF fencing is the on
ly important expense,
The leasing of wild and unproduc-
tive lands by Clubs for nominal
sum and the maintenance of game
keeper to kill the vermin and breed
introduced varieties of game birds
suited to the covers will give sport
TO the members of Club, who can
afford an annual outlay of from
S25.00 to $4,000 in such luXuries, and
will increase the amount OF game in
adjoining covers which are open to
the public.
The posting of Il cover against all
hunting without the employment of 4
game keeper or guardian to kill off
vermin is detriment because it will
permit the increase of vermin-by
which, mean the animals which
prey on all small game--in numbers
sufficient to more than Off set any in.
crease in game. | would not have
you think that ! favor anything which
will tend to diminish the public hunt
inp I1Odar tho uplicv cnUcaStad ibo