The sun., 1919-03-16
LEGISLATIVE BILL
REPEALS BUCK LAW
Belief of COnscrvatiOnists That
Passage Would Mean
Backward Step.
HOW STATUTE OPERATES

ALBANY, March 15.--The annual re-
pealer of the buck law is again before
the Legislature. Assemblyman Edward
A. Everett OF ST. Lawrence being it's
author at this session. The bill would
permit the taking of deer Of either sex
other than fawus. and 1t reduces the
bag from two TO one deer.
Conservationists believe that New York
would take a backward step II the buck
law is scrapped. or the thirty-two States
in the United States which have an open
season for deer fifteen of them permit
only the taking of bucks. Even far off
Alaska has a buck law. The number
Joining the procession of buck law States
has been steadily increasing.
The neighboring State o. New Jersey
had an experience with killing both
species. New Jersey by propagation and
tho buck law built UP, after the deer
had been practically eXterminated,
new supply Of deer that spread over the
northern and southern counties. The
demand went forth that the supply was
so great gunners should be permitted
to kill animals OF either sex.
Experience of NeishborinR states.
The New Jersey Fish and Game Com
mission through it's president Ernest
Napier, protested vigorously, but the
legislation went through SO many deer
were killed that the sportsmen, fearing
the game would be eXterminated entirely
and their sport cut off, welcomed the
return to the buck law. New Jersey
has now four days of deer hunting and
there is a bill before the General AS
sembly to increase 1t TO FIVE days.
The experience OF another neighbor-
ing State Is not without interest YER
mont has given tho longest test to the
buck law. twenty-five years. Persistent
hunting had exterminated the deer Then
sportsmen raised money and purchased
from the Adirondack section OF New
York seventeen deer. which were re-
leased in Rutland and Bennington coun-
ties.
\ close season OF nineteen years found
deer so numerous that an open season
was permitted. and has 80 continued
every year Indeed in 1909 and 1910
deer had become so plentiful that IL
was deemed eXpcdient to reduce their
numbers by permitting the killing OF
both bucks and does. In the first ten
years OF the twenty year period sports
men killed about 5000 deer and in the
second period more than 10000 deer.
That is an example Of how the buck law
increases the supply.
Buck LAW saves Human Life.
Last year in New York State under
the buck law there were two fatal acct
dents and two nearly so. The four cases
we're due entirely TO the fact that the
men who did the shooting disregsrded
the buck law. They did not see what
they aimed at. The two big things the
buck law does Is to protect the breed
ing deer. and when 1t is properly oh
served 1t is the greatest safeguard to
human life.
Just what It will do in tho protection
Of the hunter when observed Is seen in
a startling way from Wisconsin Stats
tics. For the four years between 1911
and 1914. when deer OF either sex could
killed in mistake for deer ranged from
twelve to tweuty-four annually and the
number injured from fourteen to thirty
one. Eighty-one deaths and ninety-six
injuries were duo entirely to the prac-
tice Of shooting at anything that moved.
The first year that Wisconsin became a
buck law State no one was killed or IN
jured by being mistaken for a deer"
Law Based on Common Sense.
The buck law Is based on common
SENSE principles tnat OBTAIN on every
well conducted farm. say those who have
studied the question. Several years ago
DIR. A. X. Fisher and Prof. F. e. l.. Beal
OF the United States Biological Survey
prepared a table showing what would
result with twenty-four pairs OF breed
ing deer taken as a basis for compari-
son. The accuracy of the figures has
never been successfully challenged.
Each doe is estimated to produce on
the average one and half fawns an
nually. Under the theoretical Increase
under close season in ten years the
breeding stock would total S.l20 ami
mails. Under buck law one-hait
horned bucks killed each year the num-
Der killed would total ISL and the breed
ing stock 2,344 animals. with no pro-
lection of does and one-half of all the
animals killed arSually 155 animals
would be killed and no breeding stock
LETT
Conservatlonists believe that without
the buck law New York's deer supply
of $4,000 animals, n target for its 81. 900
hunters "a number Increasing annually
II would be only a matter OF years be-
fore deer would follow ths moose and