FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



291 



park, and was protected. This property was 

 purchased and thrown open to the public, 

 during the season of 1896. The deer, hav- 

 ing been unmolested for 5 years, were very 

 tame and were slaughtered like sheep, by 

 the game hogs. This season, however, the 

 deer were more wild, and under existing 

 laws are bound to increase. 



" I am deeply interested in the efforts 

 being made, by true sportsmen, to protect 

 the deer from extinction, in this state. 



" The prohibition of hounding and jack- 

 ing is the most important step yet taken, 

 and meets the approval of every guide in 

 this section of the Adirondacks. 



" The next step to be taken is to change 

 the season to run from September 15th to 

 December 1st. A deer killed during the 

 month of August, or the first part of Sep- 

 tember, is unfit for food and a loathsome 

 object as a trophy of the hunter's skill. If 

 it be a doe then one or 2 fawns are left in a 

 condition that the first severe winter 

 weather kills them. If a buck the horns are 

 soft, rendering the head unfit for mounting. 

 During the months of October and Novem- 

 ber the deer are in the best condition of the 

 whole year, and the sportsman who kills 

 his buck then can feel justly proud of his 

 skill. Of course this kind of a season would 

 not meet the approval of the ' hot house ' 

 sportsmen; but to the real sportsmen the 

 months of October and November are the 

 ideal. 



" A great cry was raised, a year ago, that 

 none but an expert hunter could kill a deer 

 without the use of dogs. This is not true 

 of the hunters that come here during the 

 season. Not one in 10 are ' experts.' One 

 case in particular. Three young boys, from 

 some little hamlet in the Southern part of 

 the state came, and each killed a large 

 buck; yet neither of them had ever hunted 

 deer, or been in the Adirondacks before. 



; ' They had no guides to assist them. 



" The requirements of a deer hunter are 

 a steady nerve and an immense amount of 

 patience." 



A. H. Thomas, Secretary of the Moose 

 Pond Club, writes from Warrensburgh: 



" Ten years ago we had no deer in this 

 vicinity. Now they are quite plentiful here. 

 I was at our Club house from about June 

 20th to August 20, 1897, and was in the 

 woods, near our preserve, a good deal. 

 More deer were killed in the month of July 

 than I ever knew killed on the same terri- 

 tory, in a full year, and all on account of the 

 present law. I am informed, from reliable 

 sources, that in many parts of the Adiron- 

 dacks the same thing was done — deer were 

 killed for spite." 



From J. S. Kirby, Lower Chateaugay 

 Lake: 



" The law is all right if enforced. Last 

 fall was an exceptionally good one for still 

 hunting; consequently there were more 



deer killed than there will be ordinarily. 

 A good many deer are killed in winter, on 

 the crust. This should be looked after bet- 

 ter, by the State game constables. Not one 

 local game constable in a hundred is good 

 for anything. They don't try to prevent 

 violations, and if they know of any they 

 keep quiet." 



From W. A. Alfred, St. Regis Falls: 



" Deer have been growing smaller, for 

 several years. This is probably caused by 

 their being killed before arriving at ma- 

 turity. 



'* In my opinion the last 15 days should 

 be taken from the open season. This would 

 stop the snow hunting, which is mostly pot 

 hunting. 



" The law against hounding is all right, 

 and if enforced will result in a large in- 

 crease of game. 



" If this law is left as it is, in 5 years there 

 will be plenty of deer, and hunters generally 

 will be satisfied." 



From Robert Kibby, Supt. North Woods 

 Club: 



" The members of this club are not much 

 on hunting, but could kill any number of 

 deer if they wanted to. There has not been 

 as many outside hunters in the woods since 

 they stopped the use of dogs; although we 

 did hear some dogs running last fall, on 

 State lands adjoining the club lands. The 

 law is all right if it were put in force." 



From E. J. Lobdell, Lake George: 

 " The present law regulating the killing 

 of deer seems efficient, and I think will 

 grow in favor with the people, especially 

 the true sportsmen. I think it an act of 

 great cruelty, and inhuman and uncivilized, 

 to pursue and kill deer with dogs. After 

 the lapse of 5 years any true sportsman 

 would be ashamed to be seen hunting a deer 

 with dogs." 



From Fred W. Chase, Loon Lake: 

 " With the law as now stands it would be 

 a calamity to in any way alter it. Senti- 

 ment is generally in favor of it, save a few 

 who always are against law, order or im- 

 provement of any kind. Actual patrons- of 

 the woods do not complain. It is the 

 poacher, market hunter and those from 

 other States beside N. Y." 



From B. H. McCollom, State Game Pro- 

 tector, Oswegatchie: 



" I think the game laws, in regard to 

 deer, are about right if enforced, all over the 

 woods. I should like to see a law to stop 

 the killing of does, for about 3 years. Then 

 I think it would be impossible to kill them 

 off without using hounds, or hunting with 

 jack lights." 



From H. H. Conly, Big Moose: 

 " The law is about as near perfect as it 

 can be made. Were I to suggest any 



