Connecticut western news., 1916-10-26
WHAT TO DO WITH THE DEEa
Supt. Crampton Discusses the Lsw
 and Suggests Remedy.

At a meeting of Excelsior PoIruzm Grange, in Straitsville, Conn.,, Icbm M. Crampton, superintendent os sA~~ State Board of Fisheries and GEmm. gave his views on the deer law nov sm force, and explained a proposed soluts@m of the deer question.
 Everyone is familiar with this lam, and in criticism of it MT. CrampeGm said:
 "In my opinion the first sectiox @6 the law is very loosely drawn, n~ 6 allows too wide a scope of privileges In all probability the drafters of sAw law intended that it should carry the proper amount of protective force, hmk it is the letter of the law, and not sA@ intention of the legislator, that is tAe guiding spirit in the application sf same, which is in this case responsihA@ in large sense for the atrocious crueAsy of those who exercise its privileges
 Another phase of this section whszk illustrates most inhuman aspect m the fact that sex, age, or natural coOusS- tions are not taken into consideratim, and the timid fawn and expectant Ga@ fall victims as we'll us the buck. TAm outright staying of deer is in itself am more merciful than the wounding af them, which, in my personal opirirms covers large percentage of the arxr killed.
 "The closing lines of this sectio oE r~- fer to the reporting of deer to the Oam- missioners of Fisheries and Game withsm twenty.four hours after such killing w ha mi ia aafa fa haf wa..sN about fifty per cent, are reported A@- cording to law. To October first, IGEx deer have been reported killed in ffs~ state since August I, 1915, when shas law went into effect. The actual num- Der killed can be estimated at approxi- mately twice that lumber.
 All illegal deer killing that hmS come within the notice of the Cos~- mission has been properly investigatn1s but Tn many cases sufficient evidezxs has been lacking to bring about oS~- viction. Insufficient support frea judicial authorities in large measms accounts for the lack of proper admins~- tration of justice.
 "As matter of suggestion wish sm state that, after considerable fou~- thought, have reached the conclussam that mutual benefit would be derived by state and people if the deer could A~ conveyed alive to state reservations properly enclosed to insure thaw security. The venison could thau A~ sold at nominal price to the peora@ of the state, thereby offsetting the 1m- orbitant prices of other meats, and in this way making it possible for every- body uo procure very fine viands at am exceptionally low cost, and at the san-@ time reimbursing the state for any en- pense it might incur in the ,conduotinw of said reservation. This featnm would eliminate all reckless and cE1ama staying of deer, and protect the farna.
 "In New York State they have . similar law to our game breeders law, and sell deer for S20 and $50 apia1@A If the deer reported killed under c@T law had been sold under our gszn@ breeders law the total amount realiza at $20 each would be $32. 960. and ~a $50 each would total $49,440.
 "The average number of deer kilie& annually for the past five years in Yer mont is 2, 1869, with & gross weight a6 437, ,3l3 pounds. Figured at l2 oeasaw per pound this amounts to $52, 47G.a& If We add to this the revenue from sMAs of deer carcasses and hides of animsAE illegally killed, winch averages for tAm past two years $93S. 99, the total avex- age annual revenue from deer may ba valued at $53, ,416 55. Figured at tn savings haak rate of i per cent. shLn represents nn annual dividend usGm $l, 325. 4l3.75, which may be regardnd as a very conservative estimate of 1H value of the live deer which are statR property. These statistics are based upon tho actual number of animals rs- ported with the actual weight of s large number reported, and the esti- mated weight of the balance is con. servative one. The price per pound also averages lower than Massachusetts prices. In Vermont they only allow the doe season periodically when the deer become so abundant as to threaten to overrun them entirely.
 "In Massachusetts they estimate thrf they have 6, 900 deer plus, and estimsts their value at $50 each, food vaiuA
 'I am just reviewing these figures given by the other states to show yen what Connecticut might glean by thsns deer reservations, and incidentally ths protection the farmer should and wonh receive under such law"