2l6 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



The only change needed in the law would be to commence the open season the 

 first of September and let it run until the first of November ; and allow people to run 

 hounds, or kill any way they can, during the time. I don't think hounding does any 

 more harm than any other way of killing. If hounding were stopped it would be a 

 great injury to this country, as well as the people who come here sporting; for there 

 is no other way at that time of the year that many deer can be killed. There is no 

 still-hunting during the open season, and even an expert hunter can kill but very few 

 deer on bare ground. People who come here from the cities would get no deer if they 

 could not hound them. 



Mr. Charles H. Bennett, Raquette Lake, N. Y., [Hotel Proprietor, and formerly a 

 Gicide.) — Open and close the season, allowing everybody to kill a deer, in whatever 

 manner he chooses. But I would not open the season until September 15th. This 

 would do away with night-hunting. Deer are not fit to use before September 15th. The 

 idea of dictating how a person shall kill a deer, once the season is open, seems to me, 

 and always has, absurd. Open the season when the animals are fat, and let each man 

 kill a deer in whatever manner he chooses, provided he does not use traps or salt-licks 



Mr. Philip Studer, White Lake Corners, Oneida County, N. Y., (Postmaster.) — Jack- 

 ing and hounding should by all means be prohibited. 



■ Mr. Martin B. Hosier, Wells, Hamilton County, N. Y, (Lumberman}) — Unless the 

 hounding is stopped, within five years there will not be a deer in this part of the 

 Adirondacks. Fifty years ago there were lots of moose in this section, but in late 

 years there has not been one here. Th*e reason is they were killed when the snow 

 was so deep that they could not get away ; and they had just as good a chance of 

 getting away in the deep snow as the deer have in the hounding season. I have 

 known that for ten miles on the river* there was a man on every runway, and in many 

 places two and three on a runway. The only chance the deer have of escaping is by 

 the men not being able to shoot them. I know of twenty-seven (27) dogs being put 

 after deer in one locality, where the deer would come in the river, within five 

 miles. What chance has the deer got ? 



I am not a hunter, but would like to see the deer protected so that there will be a 

 few left. It is safe to say that half of the deer killed this season spoiled before they 

 were used up, as they were killed in such warm weather and after they had been run. 

 In warm weather they will not last more than a day or so. 



I think the law ought to be changed and the hounding stopped. During the 

 month of November permit still-hunting. There ought to be no floating allowed ; 

 for the deer that are killed mostly by floating are does, and a good many of them 

 have fawns, which die after the old deer are killed. 



Sacandaga River, Hamilton County. 



