200 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



proval of the people of that proposed state, and the mil- 

 lions of people who will soon inhabit that great common- 

 wealth will enjoy the benefits of this wise measure of pro- 

 tection. If the proposed bill should become a law, the 

 small band of elk in Olympic Forest Reserve in the state 

 of Washington could be saved from menaced extermina- 

 tion. 



Deer have become quite plentiful in the woods and 

 mountains of Vermont and an overflow has migrated into 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut and they have even 

 reached the shores of Long Island Sound. 



Such results in an old settled country like Vermont 

 show what could be done by a fair degree of protection 

 in our national forest reserves. 



In the state of Vermont the writer has been informed 

 by Senator Redfield Proctor and Game Commissioner H. 

 G. Thomas that in 1878 deer had been practically ex- 

 terminated in the state for many years. 



A syndicate of public spirited gentlemen secured the 

 enactment of a closed season for deer and imported and 

 released seventeen of these beautiful animals for prop- 

 agation. In 1897 an open season for bucks only, during 

 October was permitted, and afterwards for the last ten 

 days only of each October. The possibilities of deer res- 

 toration have been shown by the results. In 1897, 103 

 were killed in the open season ; in 1898, 131 ; in 1899, 90 ; 

 in 1900, 123; in 1901, 211; in 1902, 403; in 1903, 753; in 

 1904, 531. In 1905 the open season was reduced to six 

 days and there were killed 495 in that short period. A 

 good many animals were illegally killed during these 

 years as there were reported 357 thus killed, and no doubt 

 some were killed without being reported. 



Ex-Congressman Billmyer of Washingtonville, Penn- 

 sylvania, recently reported to the writer remarkable re- 



