74 



the farmer; gave instances of getting very small reimburse- 

 ment for large damage. 



Various speakers corroborated Mr. Butterfield. 



Ex-Representative W. J. Sessions, of Hampden, gave his 

 reasons for thinking the deer laws unsatisfactory; compared 

 them with the laws protecting gulls and game birds ; stated 

 that when the laws were made there was no thought, prob- 

 ably, that they M^ould develope into a nuisance and source 

 of damage to farmers; that the same protection should be 

 given against deer as against domestic animals doing 

 damage ; that a farmer should have the same right to protect 

 himself from deer that he has from human trespassers ; that 

 by the present law many men are made lawbreakers ; that 

 the hvnting of so many deer is placing human lives in 

 danger, many times; that he hoped it would be brought be- 

 fore the House of Representatives. 



In answer to a question, Mr. Sessions stated that doe 

 with young should not be killed, but they could all be killed 

 as soon as the young were old enough to take care of them- 

 selves. 



A speaker advocated the use of round slugs instead of 

 the shot now used, since shot will spread too much and some 

 times only wounds the deer slightly, causing him to go off 

 and suffer and die in pain. 



Mr. Herrick stated that at a meeting of the State Board 

 of Agriculture, the Governor had stated that he would do all 

 he could to help the farmers in this regard. 



Mr. A. R. Jenks of Springfield stated that something 

 must be done to lessen the number of deer in the state ; 

 stated that many men who were working for a close season 

 were not farmers; that the Hampden County Improvement 

 League had appointed a committee of eleven to take up the 

 subject; that they had advocated an open season the year 

 around except during the three months when the deer are 

 breeding; that the legislature must at least be asked for a 

 longer open season; that they had modified the requested 

 law to call for a six-weeks open season, from, say, the middle 

 of November to the end of December ; that the bird hunters, 

 fox hunters, and the automobile people are with them ; that 

 it would be well for all who are interested to get in touch 

 with their Representatives and Senators and push the bill. 



