The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-03-11

A PROTEST

This IS a protest against an il
Illuminating (?) article that appeared
in a recent issue of the Western
News. about the deer and their uc-
predations on the farmers hay
sheds. The inference is that we
should get club and chase them
off, or set the dogs on them, or just
simply shoot them and pile their
pitiful carcasses up somewhere out
of the way! And that is supposed
TO be all in the name of patriotisml
Don't You Believe IT.
| In the first place the deer are
not getting more plentiful. And in
the second place they are not bold
but just plain hungry-some of
! them are near starvation.
The deep soft snow back in the
| hills has driven hundreds of them
down to the lower levels and the
farms. They just can't navigate
through the breast high snow. They
are followed by numerous coyotes
who are ever on the ebert to pounce
on crippled or weak ones. They are
timid, and desperately hungry, and
when they have jumped into the
hay shed they nibble daintily on a
few handsful of hay, and then ale
out again and scrambling gratefully
up onto the security of the noun
tain sides to rest until evening.
| wouldn't call them cute little
beasties,a but | do call them de-
sirable denizens of the great ut
doors-and we'll worth tiding over
this critical time when their nat
ural food is under so much snow
that it won't even hold them up TO
enable them to reach the higher
moss covered limbs of trees to
browse on.
Deer meat is rationed,s sure, but
all the farmers have a chance to
. stock up on it when ii is in its
! prime, and that, in itself, enables
the farmer to sell more of the meat
that he produces. which means more
, money in his pocket and more meat
, for the nation
. My grandson scattered few
\ forks full of hay along the gardef
:, fa.,ae ~ A., I,ae. 80 tt1n Mounts ~
Il side. 1t wasn't long until saw ;
beautiful doe come Warily inchint
her way towards it. She would lool
J all around, especially towards The
house. with ears up, and nose in tnt
9 air, her big mild eyes alert her tai
switching message to couple o
: faWns who followed Later when
q looked again, she and the faWn.
2 were picking daintily on Wisps O
!, the hay. Still later when I looked
Y again, they were gone. | scanned
: the sunsWept mountain side, .ns
! there, on a ledge overhung will
, dark frs for background, was /;
> deer contentedly lying in the If
I ternoon sunshine lazily chewing
her cud, while farther back cou
pie of faWns made passes at eacl
other with their slender front feet
Maybe | am just being senti
mental, but to me, it was an in
spring sight, Yes, I'm d farme
Though not a mani and have live;
! here in this one place for well Owe
40 years, and | still think it is wei
{ to tide my share Chose in my i'm
I mediate neighbormood) over thi
4 tough period To cut down a fey
! moss laden trees on the hill side
! also provides food for them
J However it takes very little ha
i to tide many deer over the DANCE
4 point, and when warm Weatha
j melts the snow, never fear, they
! all be back in their native haunt
with new crop of fawns to ralst
) and looking for no more Chart
"a from us. And in the meantime oil
i "Bossy" won't 60 hungry either.
~ ANOTHER CONTRIBUTOR.
-
), txr "a cnT- nv CADET EccNrEcc