The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-20
LESS DEER HUNTERS
In ACKNOWLEDGES
War Depletes Ranks Of Gun
ners, Also Of Guides; More
Bucks Than Ever.
WILL BENEFIT SUPPLY

WILL BENEFIT SUPPLY
Reports come from the Adircndacks
that fewer hunters for deer are in the
Adirondacks. where the season has been
open for three weeka This was con-
firned yesterday by John B. Burnhsm,
president Of the American Game Pro-
tective Association. who has q deer park
In the towns Of Chesterfield and VIII.
boro and home At Essex. to which he
commutes regularly. being the long dis
tanoe commuter Of the Empire State.
These trips TO Essex county and his
work for the American Game Protective
Association take him frequently through
the length and breadth Of New York
State and in the hunting territory.
There are certainly fewer deer hunt
ers this year than for q number of yesrs
past" said Mr. Burnham. You see you
can figure that out locally. I looked
over the stubs OF the license books that
are In my section. where there are q
number Of deer hunters, and knowing
the names. I missed q great many ia
nous deer hunters who were not on that
list. The war has taken a number of
our best hunters and our best shots.
"A great many Adirondack guides will
be missed from the hunting army this
AL. and there will be fewer men to drive
deer on deer drives Work is plentiful
md 1t has taken a great many men out
Or the woods Also a large number of
men who went into the woods to get food
Will not 80 in this fall
In slack time men in the Industrial
sections would 60 In automobile trucks
fifteen men at time. When they came
out. usually with deer. other truck loads
" men would 60 in. The high wages
now being pad and the pressure for help
mean limited number of men Of this
ilibre In thu woods. which will give the
teer chance and benent the supply.
More Deer Than Ever Before.
II think the shooting conditions have
steadily improved. There IL no question
that there are more deer in New York
state than there ever were The buck
aw was passed in 1912, so that we have
lad six years prior to this fall Of the
buck law Notwithstanding the fact that
the best available statistics show that
New York's annual deer kill Is about
10000. there are an ample number Of
bucks left, SC that there Ii no argument
Tor any change OF the law at this time
We had winter OF deep snow and
the deer came through better than was
anticipated for the reason that. desplte
the deep snow. the deer were able to get
around. Along about spring the snow
settled and the deer got through It. Feb
ruary and March were the danger
months.
1T Is always a problem in the Adiron-
dacks whether the deer may not exceed
the winter food supply rs the lumber
men have taken out 80 much Of the
balsam. cedar and hemlock which fur
nish winter food. On the other hand
considerable areas are growing up OF tn.
second growth OF the evergreens which
furnish the chief winter food. and this.
OF course. is much better than the orig-
inal growth. because with the first
growth the deer could get only at the
lower bra inches whereas at the second
growth they have a thicker stand of
smaller trees. which In the aggregate
provide much more food.
There are but few sections where the
deer are found In sufficient numbers TO
Kill the smaller evergreens by mere
browsing. and during the summer mist
evergreens replace the branches which
have been trimmed the winter before
The State. OF course. is alive to this
difficulty Of supplying winter feed and
has an appropriation for the purpose
which IL utilized by the game protectors
in the deer sections. Any man who goes
into the woods this fall in this section
ought to be able to get one.
Canada Lynx In Adirondack.
More Canada lynx have appeared in
the Adirondacks in the last two winters
than In number Of years past. They
destroy fawns, The snowshoe rabbit Is |
again increasing and this will draw the
lynx and foxes to the rabbita When a
fawn gets old II can no longer be killed
Most OF the mortality occurs when the
does are dropping their fawps.
There ts an area in the Adlrord aclss
and Catsk'lls double the State OF Rhode
Island belonging to the State lands whsr
The sportsman has the right TO take his |
tent and camp, and 1t includes the best |
o' the deer hunting sections, except some |
IF the large areas in private parks |
There Is ample room for everybody.
"Sportsmen are alive to the value and |
OF veniaon. recall once |
?, len between the Boreas section and |
Port Henry nifty deer were spoiled on |
account OF warm weather. That was |
when the season opened on the fifteenth |
lay OF August. There were also a great |
many deer that were spoiled in those |
lays. when still hunting OF lacking be- |
gan August Is, and hunters were al
owed to hound deer after the first OF
Septenibe
After a hounds long chase the meat
would be black as soon as the deer
vas killed. A great deal OF venison was
Ipoiled In that war. That early hunt
ug Is now a thing OF the past wrote
IN article on New York's uns.lsor able
leer season for Forest and Stream
wenty years ago.
No venison Wasted.
"T do not think you will nnd any meat
wasted In the woods to-day. Even II a
Ioe is killed illegally the meat is used
espite the killing In violation OF the law
;portsmen will recall the controversy
hree or four years ago when I offered
reward OF $40 for every carcass Of n
oe deer found in the woods.
Byron Cameron OF Saranac Lake,
Inspector OF the northern Adirondack
vision, offered a similar reward II
fered my reward particularly in refer
nee TO the southern Adirondacks, for
he newspapers there were printing
tories Of does being killed and left In
he woods. Neither reward was ever
laimed.
Bucks In the AdIrondacSs grow TO