The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-03
ALABAMA BOASTS IF A WONDERFUL
 CAME PRESERVE
Governor Kilby Heads Happy Party of Nimrods as Guests of E. F. d
 Allison
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU ! THE .tGE-HERALD

tnl& W0ek ana seen tho CArCaSSeS Qt seventeen deer strung to a railing he probably would have thought he had found one section of tho United States where the march of civiliza- tion had not driven the wild life away and where the gun of the poacher had never been fired promis- cuously st each fleeting footstep of the animals of the forests.
 Astounding as it may seem to per sons who now look upon Alabama as a place where the hum of machinery has replaced the calls of the animals. this stranger would have seen an ocular demonstration of the fact that wild life had not entirely dis appeared from the fields and woods of Alabama.
 It was the annual deer hunt on the immense game preserve of 10. F. AL lison of Bellamy. More than two hundred friends of Mir. Allison gathered at Bellamy Monday morn ing for this hunt, which has become an annual event in the state, an event which has become important
  which Is afforded those who partici- pate in the hunt but because of the demonstration of what may be done to increase the wild life of the state even in the center of white mans civilization.
 A few years ago only a few deer were to be found in Alabama. It was then that MT. Allison. head of the Allison Lumber company, which owns and controls thousands of acres of rich pine lands of Sumter and Choc- taw counties, conceived the idea of setting apart large portion of the cut-over lands as preserve where in deer, elk and birds of the forest could find refuge from the guns of the poachers and where they could propagate. At that time Mir. Allison could account for only three wild deer.
 Preserve Protected
 Strict rules were made prohibiting the killing of deer and the other species of wild life. Neighbors and friends in that section joined MT. AL lison and that entire section of Sumter and Choctaw counties took a personal interest in the game pre- serve.
 The result has been the propaga- tion of wild life to such an extent that no one knows how many deer roam the wilds' of that section. No one knows the number of wild turkeys which make their ,home in those woods. No one knows what species of wild life might be found there were one equipped to take a census of them.
 Seventeen deer were killed during the two days. The number which were seen as they sought safety from the guns and dogs were countless. Female deer could be found on every hand, but the bucks, with the seeming realization that an unknown hand was protecting the female and that this same unknown hand was turned against them, sought to keep away from tho sight of the hunters.
 It Is a violation of the game laws of Alabama to kill does and 1t is a violation of the same laws to kill more than one buck day during the hunting season. But the hunters went into the woods at time when it was not violation of the law to kill a buck. The result was that IF fell before the guns which were loaded with buck shot.
 It Is estimated that the Allison game preserve will contain thou sands of deer at the end of five years if the same protection is afforded as they are given now. Persons who have made study of deer claim they propa gate so fast that at the end of 10 years one doe may have more than 1000 offspring. If Mir. Allison's preserve now contains 2.000 does, at the end of 10 years. according to the estimate, the number will have in- creased to 100000. Of course, an allowance must be made for the bucks which will not be protected during the open season, and for those which will stray from the preserve into other counties of Alabama and across the line into Mississippi.
 Successful Demonstration
 MT. Allison established the pre- serve for the purpose of demonstrat- ing that Alabama can bring it's old time wild life back to the state if proper protection is given It. Those who attended the annual hunt were convinced that his theory is work able in practice.
 Those who attended tho hunt were entertained at barbecue at the club house on the preserve Monday. Ad- dresses were made by Governor Kilby, Mir. Allison, Hugh Morrow of mingham. Cliff Williams of Me ridian, Miss; L. Sevier of Birming ham. Senator John A. Rogers of sum- ter county and l. T.. Quinn, state com missioner of conservation.
 During the barbecue MT. Aillison's guests adopted resolutions appoint ing committee composed of Julian Ennis of Livingston as chairman, Daniel Pratt of Prattville, l.. Sevier of Birmingham, I. T. Quinn of Mont gcmery and Senator J. T. Carlton of Thomaston, which will be charged with the duty of seeing that the state gives recognition to the work which has been done by MT. Allison in preserving the wild life of Ala bama