FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 43 



his own experience or observation in these matters. For the information of those 

 who may wish to make such estimates I would say that in 1895 I arranged with a 

 competent person in each locality to ascertain the number of deer killed that season 

 in his immediate vicinity, specifying the district by definite boundaries to avoid any 

 duplication in the returns. I received, in reply, reports from 247 correspondents, 

 covering the entire northern forest, showing that 4,903 were killed during the open 

 season. While these figures may not have included all, they showed conclusively 

 that at least this many were killed, not including the ones illegally shot before the 

 season opened. 



The statement that 5,000 deer are killed each year in the Adirondack forests 

 may occasion some surprise among sportsmen who have not looked closely into this 

 matter. But in Maine last year 4,529 carcasses of deer — not including heads and 

 saddles — were shipped out of the Avoods over the lines of the Bangor and Aroos- 

 took and the Maine Central railroads, and it is estimated by competent authorities 

 that over 18,000 deer are killed annually in the Maine forests. 



The question arises here naturally as to how m.any deer there are in the Adiron- 

 dack woods. This cannot be answered definitely or even approximately. But if 

 there are 5,000 killed each season, it would indicate that there must be at least 

 30,000 in order to furnish this annual supply. As there are about 6,000 square miles 

 of forest in that entire region, with its outlying woodlands, this estimate would 

 require only five deer to the square mile, on an average, to make it good. True, 

 there are some localities in the Adirondacks in which there is not one deer to the 

 square mile ; but, on the other hand, there are some in which there are many more 

 than five to that area. Given this unit of measure each one is free to make his own 

 estimate as to the number of deer in our northern forests. 



Right here the question may arise whether, owing to the use of hounds and jack 

 lights, more deer were killed under the old law than under the present one. This 

 can be answered definitely so far as the shipments of the express companies are an 

 indication. The number of deer brought out of the woods by rail in 1896 — the 

 last year in which hounds were allowed — as compared with the shipments this last 

 season give the following result : 



CARCASSES. SADDLES. HEADS. TOTAL. 



1896, -------- 849 139 100 1,088 



1900, - - 1,020 89 95 1,204 



This indicates that more deer are now killed by still-hunting than when hound- 

 ing and jacking were permitted. 



A large part of the venison slaughtered this season, as shown by the date of the 

 shipment, was obtained on the tracking snow which fell during the last week of the 



