Conservation Commission 29 



ported, it has had bitter opponents, who have left no stone un- 

 turned to discredit it. 



It is a significant fact that the Xew York State Fish, Game 

 and Forest League, which at its annual convention in 1912 di- 

 vided almost equally on the so-called buck law, at its convention 

 in 1913 (after another year's trial), sustained this law with prac- 

 tical unanimity, on its merits as a preserver of the species and 

 as a conservator of human life. 



This Commission has made most careful and painstaking in- 

 vestigation of all facts (and of wild rumors, even) as to great 

 quantities of slaughtered does alleged to have been left to rot 

 in the woods. They were found to be unfounded or much ex- 

 aggerated. 



Our game protectors were directed to report at once and fully, 

 on all hunting accidents in their territory ; and they did so. Prob- 

 ably these statistics were never so carefully, accurately and 

 promptly compiled as this year. These reports show that two 

 men (and only two) were killed through being mistaken for deer 

 this year, out of a total of hunting fatalities, up to the close of 

 the deer season, of 19. 



Nineteen is a heavy death-toll, indeed. It may raise a doubt 

 whether any law can guard the public against reckless misuse of 

 death-dealing weapons. 



But how oddly they reasoned who said that this showed " the 

 buck law to be a failure." 



Out of the thousands killed by railroad accidents, there are 

 some who meet death at crossings where there are gates and a 

 watchman ; but we do not say " this proves that the gates are a 

 failure and the watchman no use; let us abolish all gates and 

 watchmen." Out of nineteen killed during the recent hunting 

 season, two were mistaken for deer. That is two more than there 

 ought to have been, but it is less than there would have been, had 

 there been no " stop, look and listen" sign like the so-called buck 

 law. 



Perhaps there were does killed and left to rot in the woods. 

 Of course, if it were legal to kill the does, there would not be. It 

 is equally true that if it were legal to help yourself to a bank's 

 funds, no one would ever crack a safe and run away and leave it 

 smashed and useless. 



