Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-12-09
Protecting the Does Means
Replenishing Deer Supply

NopIonlshlng Deer supply
(Reprinted from Milwaukee JournaD
There has been great deal of con-
troversy among Wisconsin deer hunters
over the efficacy of any law that pro-
hlbits the killing of does. A one-buck
law enacted by the legislature several
years ago was opposed so strongly that
it was repealed A great slaughter of
does and fawns followed. During the
open season this year, hunters were a.
gain limited TO shooting bucks. to bucks
no smaller than spike horns" at that.
No doubt the controversy will berenew-
ed that it may result in an open fight
at the next session of the legislature
great deal of light is thrown on the
question by George Shiras, Marquette,
Mich, a true sportsman, who has spent
his life in the north woods. He relates
the result of lifelong observations and
experiences in an article recently pub
lished in The National Geographic mag
azine.
1.-The Whitehall DEER" he writes, is
the one big-game animal whose perpet-
uation means more TO the sportsmen of
the entire country than any other ami
NAL.
| 1.-The first and foremost necessity is
buck law To protect the females and
fawns in every state containing any
antlered animal Just let it be under
stood that when buck is shot, the nu-
mber for the following year is essened
| by only one, whereas he who kills doe
destroys, by single shot, potentially
| Isl bucks and 15l does For il has been
shown, upon strictly scientific basis
| and by an accurate mathematical caicu-
| lation, that doe and her descendants
in period of ten years. not counting
out the natural casualties, will produce
| a total of 302 deer, and by the death Of
| this ancestral mother the link is broken,
with one irrevocabe loss stated.
"The same proportion holds true
with larger number, for ten does and
heir descendants will provide lin ten
years) l,5l0 bucks and 1,510does, show
ng that when the female is protected,
more deer can be killed each year. beside
leaving an increased number in the
woods.
Such result is not, after all, so
mysterious, if we keep in mind the
methods of reproduction applicable to
domestic animals; for if a farmer had
as many bullsas cows, as manyroosters
as hens, and killed them indiscriminate-
ly of sex, he would, of course, be class
I'd as demented
Just because our wild animnls bear
their young in remote thickets, we seem
20 think their maintenance is based up
on a different method, and go on kill
ing females year in and out under the
blind assumption that it can make no
particular difference in the future su
pply, whereas it represents the differ
nee between extinction and perpetual
ion
elm my boy hood days it is doubtful
f there were 1000 deer in the wilder
portions of Pennsylvania Last year 3.
900 bucks were killed in that state and
his numb er will increase steadily, the
only limitation beiEg sufficient area
30 abstain such multiplication of the
species But in Michigan, like Vermont
and New York, the second growth in
ough and mountainous portions has
been restocked with game and properly
safeguarded, showing how the older To-
caliiies have already taken advantage
of the favorable change in environment.