214 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



Mr. W. S. Brown, Keene Heights, Essex County, N. Y, [Superintendent of Adiron- 

 dack Mountain Reserve Association) — The most favored regions for deer in the town, 

 and at the same time the best place for hunting them, are owned by the Adirondack 

 Mountain Reserve. This Company protects the game and allows no hunting on some 

 twenty-seven thousand acres of forest and mountainous lands, including two lakes and 

 five miles of the Ausable River, and the deer are increasing in numbers thereon from 

 year to year. This protection tends to increase the number of deer throughout 

 the town, but they are more plentiful in and about the boundary of said reserve than 

 elsewhere in the town. There is no better proof of this than that the hunters in this 

 section, whenever out with dogs or on still-hunts, seek to start their game inside the 

 protected locality lines. They hunt right up to the lines and frequently get over them. 



Opinions on desirable changes in the present game law : 



1. Prohibit the hunting of deer with dogs at any time throughout the State. If 

 such a provision cannot be passed, then — 



2. Make it necessary that every dog used in hunting deer be licensed with heavy 

 penalty for violation, and leave time for hounding as it now is, September ioth to 

 October ioth. 



Make penalty for killing deer out of season one hundred and fifty dollars for each 

 offence. 



Prohibit the killing of deer in the night time. 



Prohibit the killing of deer in the water. 



Prohibit the killing of deer on Sunday. 



Prohibit all hunting, trapping and fishing on Snnday. 



As to the report of deer killed here, in the regions contiguous to the Adirondack 

 Mountain Reserve, a great many were killed during the last hunting season. All 

 hunters reported deer plenty. In the towns of Keene and North Hudson, at least 

 one hundred were killed in the lawful time. The most of these were does. They 

 averaged smaller in size than in previous years. At least eight out of ten were does. 

 Some were killed by night-hunting, but most of them by hounding. More deer were 

 killed this year than last year. Dogs have run out of season after deer, in these towns 

 in 1895, both in the summer and fall. 



Mr. A. H. Thomas, Warrcnsburgh, Warren Co.,N. Y, (Secretary Moose Pond Club) 

 — In my opinion the law at present is good enough. We must have a law popular 

 with the guides and inhabitants in the localities inhabited by game, in order to have 

 their co-operation and assistance in enforcing the law. Otherwise, you would have 

 to employ a dozen protectors for each town. A protector can catch a person 

 unacquainted with the forest, but should the guides and woodsmen combine against the 

 law, your deer are gone and no one detected. I have had twenty years' experience 



