The sun., 1919-05-25
DETERMINATION OF
DEER IN 5 YEARS.
Belief Of John B. Burnham as
to the Effect Of Repeal
of Buck Lay.
DOE TEST NOT NEEDED
Expert Says "None Of Us Will
Live Long Enough to See Z
Stock Replenished."
DOE TEST NOT NEEDED.
ny JOHN ID. BuRNHAM.

have Just received a mirneograph
letter from Gov. Smith headed state.
ment on the bill to amend the so-called
buck law" in which ehe Governor gives
his reasons for signing the Everett bill
which removes the protection given doe
and fawns by the State since 1911
Gov. Smith states that in a conferences
arranged between those favoring the
measure and those opposing II all
parties agreed that the proposed meas
ure should be given a test and that
therefore he has signed the bill
desire to take exception to this and
to some other statements Of the Cover
nor.
At the hearing held Immediately be-
fore the conference referred to all the
important bodies of eportsmen In the
State opposed the Everett bill. Those
opposing the measure included spokes-
men from the New York State Fish,
Game and Forest League. representing
10000 organized sportEmen: the Camp
Fire Club. the Permanent wild Life
Protection Fund. the American Game
Protective Association. the New York
Association for the Protection OF Game.
the American Humane Society. the Ma
tional Educators Conservation Associa-
ton, &C.
The only representative of these or
Eanizations who talked with the Gov
ernor was DR.. William T. Hornaday.
No New Test Needed for Deer.
The State of New York had a good
many years OF experience In exterminat-
ing Its deer under a doc law and no
further test Is needed I therefore OBJ
sect TO the Governor saying that 'ft waa
agreed by all parties that the proposed
measure should, be approved"
The Governor says: Under the pres
ent law (buck law) as many does as
bucks have been slaughtered" and that
the does. although not taken from the
forests were destroyed and permitted to
remain there"
The Governor certainly did not get
this information at the hearing. Tor
am very sure no one gave this wholesale
Indictment Of lawlessness against the
oeer hunters of the State. Such a state
ment would involve practically every
hunter who goes into the woods, because
bucks would he killed by preference and
does only killed when a buck could not
be obtained.
There is no question but that there
are lawless hunters. but to say that
there are none who observe the law is
not believable
As to destroying does and leaving
them in the woods the statement Is
equally unfortunate. The advocates OF
repeal dropped that argument years ago,
after several Of US had offered rewards
OF $40 apiece for all does found in the
woods that had been shot. 'e
This reward in no way involved Grim
NAL prosecution of the killers, as 1,
would have been impossible to have con.
victed them. It was never claimed In
IN ENxrn-- 70
the subject knows that the illegally killed
does are shot for the purpose OF eating
the venison and that the carcasses ars
% consumed.
Not one word does the Governor bay
IN his statement about the most impor.
tant reason for existence of the. bucl
law. the protection 1t affords human life
This fact was mentioned In pointed
terms by many of those who appeared IN
opposition to the Everett bill Men who
are shot by mistake for deer are shot by
hunters who shoot first and look after
ward If compelled. to see what kind
OF deer they are shooting at, to see it,
horns, they are at least less apt to kill
men.
Statistics were presented the Cover
nor showing that in Wisconsin, Tor ex
ample, from 1911 to 1914, when any dee
could be shot, eighty-one men wer'
killed and ninety-six wounded by beini
mistaken for deer, while in the frs
year OF the buck law in that State 9th,
only year for which statistics are avail
able) no one was killed or injured
What has the Governor to offer IN ex
change for this loss Of human lifef
Sees determination I'm 1922.
As test the Everett bill will amour
q cipher with the rim cut OF. Thos
who want to get deer easily will repor
fine hunting season and argue that tn
unfortunate shooting of men was inev
liable. In three years OF doe law tn
deer OF the State will be extermlnate'
and none OF US will live long enough t
see the stock again replenished.
For years the sportsmen and conserva
uonlsts OF the State have worked for In
teligent legislation. and under this leg
s!auon the deer supply has been main
tained and augmented despite the con
SANITY increasing number OF hunter
and the increased facility for eettin
INTO the woods provided by the automo
bile.
To-day New York takes more tina
niteen thousand deer per annum an
PROBABLY leads all other States In TIL
respect, The annual bag in other grea
hunting States, much less densely popl
La1ed, without a buck law has droppe
from thousands to hundreds It
therefore particularly bitter pill 70
Ihese men that the accumulated exper
ence has been ignored by both Legisia
ture and Governor.