300 TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



elk, when two or three years old, is of a dark color and may easily be mis- 

 taken for a deer. The hunters, however, stick to their assertion that 

 what they saw was really a black deer, and as all efforts to capture the 

 animal seem to have failed, the incident is recorded for what it is worth. 



Deer in OtI)er States 



For the purpose of showing the conditions which prevail in nearby 

 States, inquiry was made relative to the deer hunting in Maine, New Hamp- 

 shire and Vermont during the past season. Hon. L. P. Carleton, Chairman 

 of the Commission of Inland Fisheries and Game of Maine, replied as fol- 

 lows : " Length of deer season, October ist to December 15th; number of 

 deer killed during present season, at least 20,000; heaviest weight reported, 

 222 pounds; proportion of does and bucks taken, about equal; number of 

 non-resident hunting licenses issued, about 2,400." 



Mr. Merrill Shurtleff, Secretary of the Fish and Game Commission of 

 New Hampshire, stated that the length of the deer season there is from 

 October ist to December ist, and that licensed hunters killed and shipped 

 out of the State ninety-seven deer during the season of 1906. To the 

 questions as to the heaviest weight recorded, proportion of bucks and does 

 taken, and number of non-resident hunting licenses issued, he replied: 

 " Do not know." 



Hon. H. G. Thomas, Fish and Game Commissioner of Vermont, replied: 

 "The length of our deer season is six days; a total of 636 deer was killed 

 during the season. The heaviest weight reported was 415 pounds; only 

 bucks were killed; twenty non-resident hunting licenses were issued." The 

 alleged weight of the heaviest deer was questioned by our Superintendent 

 of Forests, who is an expert on the subject, and Commissioner Thomas was 

 asked if he was sure of its correctness. His reply was : " This was reported 

 as the actual weight and not estimated. Some of the weights given us are 

 estimated, but if they seem 'to be exaggerated the weight is cut down to the 

 average. Most of the deer are weighed on scales at the request of the Com- 

 missioner. One was killed in my own town that weighed 403 pounds after 

 the entrails were removed." 



