Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-15
IS. It WORTH WHILE
TO KILL ALL the OEEh?
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birds that are fat and wild-it takes
concentration. stealth. and cunning
there's 4 thrill I'm the actual taking.
but they must be wild. stealthy and
cunning themselves. else the sport IL
cheapened. Certainly there IL
thrill in stalking and killing a wild
deer. the writer has killed his share.
but now that they are so scarce. and
are so trusting OF man. 1t Is time to
hang the Winchester on a peg-put 1t
in glass case over the fireplace.
Morally, we have no right to ex-
terminate any species Of wild game
that runs our hills. 1t is just as sure
ly the property and rightful heritage
of our children as the forest itself
as our own Colorado. and our own
America. Few OF our children will
see a buffalo; they will never see
one wild. So far as the children of
today are concerned, they can forget
the antelope which swarmed these
prairies so years ago. Too bad, isn't
IT?
The deer OF our region must pass
through two periods of great danger
to them twice of every year. entire
ly innocent OF any wrong though they
may be-the hunting season and the
time. from March first to May first.
deer are weak and poor. At this time
all elements seem opposed to them.
The snow is crusted hard and they
cannot dig feed from beneath 1t which
has retained a portion OF its strength
and grcenness through being covered
with snow. hence. they are forced into
open south slopes where they subsist
wholly upon winterkilled sage and
leaves OF buck-bush and aspen. The
female deer 10 at double disad-
vantage in that she is heavy with
young. Any interruption OF the bands
whore they are feeding. means that
and plunge into the deep, crusted
mows of heavy timber where, in
wallowing, their strength is severely
taxed. 1t Is no trick at all to catch
. deef in deep snow in tho spring
with a good horse. A half hour,
sometimes less. OF constant bucking
deep snow will result in breaking the
come what may. Even when captur-
ed thus. they will rarely show fight,
such 10 their harmless. innocent ma
ture.
Every spring the lion. coyote and
cat feast nightly. It takes but little
slaughter as they choose. Next to
man. they may be considered as the
most deadly enemy Of the deer. 1t
is reGrettable but never -the-leAs nee
esaary to charge man with being the
most destructive Of the two because
Of his habit of teaching tho deer to
trust him and then killing It. and fur
ther. taking only the male deer which
deprives tho female OF economic value
save for few years OF her barren
life in adding picturesqueness to her
NATURAL surroundings. The predatory
animal - deadly and wasteful. we are
glad to place a great deal OF blame
I..A
NAL does teach the deer to fear It:
Furthermore. the deer is endowed
with natural sanses which assist it In
avoiding the predatory animal. The
deer knows just about in what man
ner. and at what time. tho predatory
animal 10 going to strike. but not so
with the man.
Any old hunter will readily admit
II Is difficult to kill a deer nftcr
watching 1t for a while in its natural
habitat and haunt-it must be killed
on the spur Of the moment or not at
all. Any old time hunter who kills
a deer. will kill 1t In the fall when
fat and wild: and to find an old
hunter who wastes meat or hide.
would be an impossibility: It IL ira
ditional among them that they will
never give up the trail OF a wounded
animal until It has been put out OF its
misery by killing.
CnQueetionably. the deer has q
homo Just as the human, and we do
not know but that their home Is every
bit as dear to them. An old buck
will bed day after day within a hun
dred yards OF some point that. for
some reason. appeals TO him. The doc
deer goes back to the same haunt
year after year In bringing forth her
young. In fall and winter, after
banding up, they will feed the famil-
lar slopes and valleys that they fed
In former years. using tho identical
runways and lookout points that they
used before. In the band. young deer
are as playful as children, often in
dulging in hide and seek" games.
races. and log jumping. we do not
know but that they are just as fond
of one another as humans, enjoying
life Just as much, and holding ic
just as precious.
When we have killed a deer we do
not know but that we have left a
sorrow behind that VIC cannot COM
pensate. We do know. surely, that
we have detracted from the heritage
OF our own children. and for little
more than to satisfy in a mcagre way,
the lust to kill.