The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-12-17

year In South Jersey has been Suf-
ficient to repay the hunters for their
efforts, many of them admit they are
disappointed, as they had been led to
believe the country was overrun with
all kinds Of game. The disappoint-
ment began with the opening of the
rabbit season. For weeks prior it was
understood that whole sections were
simply overrun by Dummies. When the
shoot opened, however, it was discoy-
cred that either the same cottontail
had been counted many times oming
and going, or Jerseys crop of fanciful
imaginative optimists, like it's crop of
apples and potatoes, was in the record
breaking class. AS a matter of fact,
rabbit hunters as whole were keenly
disappointed with the results of the
shoot.
Deer Reported Abundant
Deer are reported to be abundant.
Farmers throughout the spring and
summer were driven to all kinds of ex-
pedients in protecting their crops from
their raidings. Since the harvests evil
demo of their being about in large num-
bers is found in the numerous instan-
ces where men have been arrested for
poaching or killing deed out of sea-
son. 1t was not the fact that an &C.
casional buck was knocked down in
this way, but that evidence abounded
to convict the offenders of having done
a wholesale business. In certain To-
calities it was discovered that county
officials were mixed up in the illegal
killing of deer Prosecutions have fol-
lowed in these cases, but the number
apprehended and punished in this way
is said by game wardens and the
fire wardens to be small compared
with the number of offenders who es-
capped by being able to dispose of the
evidence" when they learned the
game wardens were probing around.
To convict poacher it is necessary
either to catch him in the act of kill
ing game illegally, or with the freshly
killed game in his possession or on
premises belonging to him.
A freshly buried buck may be dug
up by a game warden who may have
every reason for knowing the slayer,
but to connect the two in such way
as to convince a magistrate that a
fine is due is another matter. Game
wardens have reported many graves
of deer discovered within the past ten
days. They prove, however, that the
deer are to be found, if the hunter has
the cunning necessary to getting with
in shooting distance.
Bear have been seen in many locali-
ties throughout South Jersey during
the past two weeks. OF course it may
be another case Of counting the same
rabbit too many times, but that bear
are travelling around is proved by the
tracks left by them in the soft ground.
Old hunters who have gone over the
ground say there will be consider
able bear kill this fall and winter" as
Bruin is more plentiful than in any
recent season. He is reported to have
been living well, largely off the late
berry growths, while his root feasts
have abounded on all sides. Then
there are tales of his having raided
barnyards.
A story is told OF one enterprising
cub who last week shipped himself in
freight car partially loaded with bar
relied fish, and who caused the recipi-
emit to abandon his motor truck and
establish, new cross marshland run
record when he backed up to unload
the fish and found cub Bruin tumbling
into his truck. 1t is understood the
cub was captured and will be exhibited
here. Game wardens say the presence
of even single cub proves conclusive
ly that bear are propogating in the
Jersey wilds, and that hunters will
run into them during the season.
But intereste here centers in the as
surance that the danger of forest fires
has been practically. eliminated for the
season, and that with proper precau-
lions the Jersey forests will escape
costly visitations this year. 1t will
mean a saving of hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars to the State in its re-
sources.