FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 207 



Unless some change is made in the law, the deer in the Adirondacks will soon go 

 the way of the Indian and buffalo. 



Mr.Alonzo Wood, Old Forge, Herkimer Co., N. Y., [Fulton Chain Guide.) — The best 

 change that could be made in the law would be to prohibit the killing of any deer 

 until September 1st. Allow one month's hounding as at present. Stop all floating 

 with jack, and make the season fifteen days later. 



Mr. George Norton, Chases Lake, Lewis Co.,' N. Y., [Guide and Hotel-keeper at 

 Stony Pond.) — Deer should be better protected during the months of January, February 

 and March. All through the Adirondack forests but very few deer will die from 

 starvation or hard winters, if allowed to remain in their yards unmolested by "crusters." 

 Nature has provided sufficient food and a heavy coat adapted to their wants. The old 

 reports of deer dying from cold and hunger is all bosh. Put men into the forest that 

 will look after them during the months mentioned, and look after the lumber camps 

 and "crusters," and the deer will increase in numbers. It is not what are killed during 

 the open season, but in the winter season. Teach men to obey the law as it now 

 exists, and it will be good enough for all the sports. 



In my section there are scores of streams and ponds that are well inhabited by 

 deer. Along the Independence River deer hounding is carried on quite extensively, 

 and this is one reason for the large number being killed there during the hounding 

 season. 



But we take into consideration that all along these streams there are thousands of 

 acres of forest land where hounding is not carried on to any extent, and where the 

 deer breed and rear their young unmolested by any one. My idea is that if- deer are 

 all killed off in certain districts during the open season, they will close in from more 

 remote places, providing it is natural deer ground. 



I do not believe in stopping either hounding or floating altogether, simply for this 

 reason : the true and legitimate sporting man that takes his vacation annually from the 

 cities and towns will have no chance to kill a deer himself, while the lumberman and 

 pot hunter will alway get his share of all kinds of game, regardless of law or anyone. 

 Then why should we fix the law so that the better class of men cannot kill one. Then, 

 again, the continual fighting over the game law causes wealthy people to buy up 

 whole townships and put them into private parks, thereby shutting up our forest com- 

 pletely from the public. The lumberman or pot hunter thinks that every change 

 made in the law is done by the wealthy people ; and naturally they resist the change 

 and keep up a continual slaughter at all seasons of the year. 



Dr. E. A. Carpenter, Cambridge, Mass., [Manager of the Vilas Game and Fish 

 Preserve, St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, N. Y.) — In discussing the question of 



