The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-08
MAY BUY GAME PRESERVE
Massachusetts May Purchase October
Mountain in the Berkshres.


shires and the sighting here and there
of moose, elk and bear, the project is
revived OF having the state acquire
and it is believed 1t can be done--the
1900 acres Of forest land known as
October mountain once the summer
retreat of the late William c. Whit
ney Fifteen years have passed since
the New York multimillionaire fitted
up here in the Berkshires his celebrat
ed hunting lodge, and after fencing in
eight miles Of forest lands. gathered
there large collection of elk, buffalo,
moose and deer which he turned loose
to roam over the great enclosure OF
wooded mountainous country
The animals multiplied AS the
years passed and Whitney reserVat-
ion was given up as family resort
on the death OF Mr.. and Mrs. Whitney,
and the greater portion of the animal
collection was removed TO govern
ment reservations, October mountain
has been left TO its former isolation
and primitive wildness. Some OF its
former palatial buildings that served
for the retirement OF William Payne
Whitney and his bride have gone TO
decay. Rarely is the place visited by
present members of the Whitney fam
ily though for some time a caretaker
was upon the estate.
Net all the big animals, however,
were removed when the exodus took
place. Some of the elk and moose and
deer had found a gap in the eight
miles Of wire fencing, cut through, 1t
is claimed, by hunters who had tres
passed on the reservation, and
through this gap some of the big ami
mails escaped into the most inaccess'
able parts OF the mountain and re-
turned to their native wildness.
Such is the condition of affairs on
the October mountain reservation at
the present time 1t lies there in prac-
teal abandonment, save for the wild
animals that roam over it. OF pleas
ants the country Is most generously
stocked and notwithstanding the
slaughter of these birds during the
open hunting season their number
does not seem to materially decrease.
Partridge are still found in the Berk-
shires. but these are not as numerous
as they were before the pheasants
came, for the latter drive the partrid-
ges to the highlands, while they mon
opolize the ground and covers former
~ frequented by partridge. stin they
are to be found more or less plenti.
fully, in certain fayorites haunts,
when one knows where to look for
them.
With quail the Berkshires do not
seem to be so well stocked. Several
attempts have been made TO breed
them here by turning loose bevys OF
quail in the covers, and while they
have continued for a while aud to
some extend multiplied, the attempt
cannot be said TO have proved really
successful This IS duo TO the severi-
ty OF our Borkshire winters, by which
quantities Of game birds have been
killed off annually.
Thus will be seen that the Berk-
shires are natural asylum for about
all kinds of wild game, both great and
small, though the game laws protect
the elk and moose all the time, and
the deer, with exception of week
open season is also protected.
To-. como tfr,o 4t,a 10 nb %
fish and game commission has had an
eye on October mountain and the de-
sire has been very strong to secure 1t
as a state reservation and there util.
iize It for raising wild game.
Thre has been considerable revi-
val Of late Of the project CT state own
ership OF this property and it may re-.
suit in bill being introduced in the
legislature looking toward its pur-
chase.
There has been very decided
movement Of late for the stocking Of
the streams and ponds OF this county
with edible fish by the fish and game
commission. This has been brought
about through FISH and game clubs in
the county which have looked after
the distribution of the fish in the
streams. Game wardens Sargood Of
Southern Berkshire, Ziegler of Cen.
tral Berkshire and Nichols of North
ern Berkshire have co-operated in
the movement with the result that
the past two years have witnessed
the stocking Of Berkshire waters
with thousands of trout, perch, bass,
salmon wall eyed pike, white perch
and bullheads.
In the southern part of the county
numbers of Mallard ducks have been
turned loose sby the state in places
most desirable for their propagation,
and the efforts of the state In raising
pheasants have been materially
helped by citizens on large estates.