Conservation Commission. 129 



Deer. 



Through the protective force, the Department has ascertained 

 that the supply of deer in the Adirondacks is greater than at any 

 time during the past twenty-five years. From every section of 

 the Adirondack region the protectors report a great increase in 

 the number of deer — the increase no doubt being due in a great 

 measure to the light fall of snow during the winter of 1911, 

 which did not force the deer to yard up as in past winters ; and 

 due also to the experiment which was tried of cutting and stack- 

 ing the marsh hay, on which the deer could feed during the more 

 severe weather. This experiment has proven a marked success, 

 and the Department has gone into it rather extensively this year. 

 One of the State game protectors reports that in the vicinity of 

 Long Lake West there was a very heavy fall of snow, and the 

 deer died in great numbers; but on one marsh where hay was 

 cut and salted, fifteen deer wintered at the three stacks of hay, 

 and came out in the spring in fine shape. 



The new law relative to the taking of bucks with horns not 

 less than three inches in length has been tried in other States 

 with success. Under this law a person is more liable to hesitate 

 before shooting at a moving object, determining first whether it 

 is a buck or a doe, thereby no doubt lessening the danger to human 

 life. Statistics show this to be a fact. In States where does may 

 be killed, the mortality is far in excess of that in those States 

 where only bucks may be killed. Further it stands to reason that 

 the does are the breeding stock, and should receive the most 

 protection. 



Tagging of Foreign Game. 



As required by section 373 of the Conservation! Law, the 

 tagging of foreign game has proven a wonderful success, and is 

 being considered by many other states as the means of designat- 

 ing between the native game reserved for the sportsmen and the 

 game that may be used for market purposes. Under the tagging 

 system the State of New York receives fi\ T e cents for every tag 

 used, thereby having a considerable income as well as supervision 

 of the industry. When game is imported, upon its arrival in this 

 country a metal tag is immediately attached thereto, with a con- 

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