It has been pointed out by competent men, and anyone with 

 a knowledge of the breeding habits of deer may reason the 

 matter out for himself, that in the most favorable conditions 

 in nature, a given number of deer, consisting half and half of 

 males and females, are not likely to increase by more than 

 one-fourth their number annually. In ordinary conditions they 

 probably do not increase by more than one-fifth or one-sixth 

 their number, and even less. The total death rate, therefore, 

 must not be greater than one-fifth their number annually, in 

 the most favorable conditions, if the species is to increase. 



Taking the last ten years as a whole I believe it is near the 

 truth to say that deer have neither decreased nor increased 

 to a distinctly noticeable degree, and it may be reasonably 

 assumed that they have been holding their own. Opinions 

 will differ as to the total annual death rate, but the number 

 before given seems to me fair and may assume at least, in 

 want of more accurate knowledge, that it represents approxi- 

 mately one-fifth, one-sixth, or possibly one-seventh of the total 

 number. 



Much of what has been said for the deer applies also to the 

 moose, but with greater emphasis. The moose, a large animal, 

 requiring a correspondingly larger individual range, does not 

 tend like the deer too seek the regions bordering the settle- 

 ments, nor does it so readily adapt itself to changing condi- 

 tions resulting from man's agencies. It withdraws to the re- 

 moter places. Its great size and strength render is less de- 

 pendent upon the greater security from the wolf afforded by 

 the districts bordering the settlements. 



Opinion on the moose population is probably as divergent 

 as that on the deer. I have seen an estimate attributed to a 

 former state game warden, giving the number of moose in 1908 

 as approximately 10,000. The question as to whether or not 

 the moose have increased in numbers during the last ten 

 years cannot from present knowledge be any more satisfac- 

 torily answered than for the deer, although the problem would 

 seem to involve rather fewer difficulties because of the more 

 restricted territory over which moose range in the state, and 

 their much smaller numbers. 



The total number killed, shipping-tag basis, from 1907 to 



30 



