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nuisance to be abated than as a benefactor. 
OK * ok 
My greatest difficulty has been with the 
class of people who keep dogs that chase deer, 
also those who kill deer out of season. 
I think the popular sentiment is in favor 
of my work and is growing more so every day, 
but I do not realize much help from local 
sportsmen. 
The State should appropriate more money 
and require the county wardens to devote most 
of their time to the work, looking after the 
fish and game, and bring to justice all law- 
breakers. 
I should recommend a small license for 
resident hunters of deer, for unless we do this 
the nonresident license will not be effective. 
The hardest job I have had as warden was 
last winter when hounds chased a doe into a 
wire fence here in the village and caught it in 
the presence of three or four persons and had 
eaten up nearly one hind quarter before they 
could be driven off. All these people knew 
whose dogs they were, but would not admit 

HARRY CHASE 
Warden of Bennington County 
RECREATION 
anything that would lead to the conviction 
of the guilty party. The suspected party was 
not arrested, as the witnesses banded together 
and swore that the dogs did not belong to 
this party. 
I believe implicitly in fish and game as assets 
to the State, and think the organization of 
fish and game leagues a good thing in every 
county, and all good and true sportsmen 
should join these leagues or associations and 
cooperate in the protection of all fish and game 
and also in the enforcement of the laws. 
* * * 
I find it very difficult to protect deer during 
closed season, it not being unusual to find a 
man hunting during closed season with a 
repeating rifle, and when you inquire for what 
purpose he carries it his reply is always: 
“T am hunting woodchucks.” 
Another difficulty which I have encountered 
is the illegal use of set-lines, and it is very 
difficult to catch these offenders, as they operate 
in the night and not two nights in succession; 
so that it means a great deal of hard work 
to finally land them. Another difficulty is the 
illegal use of more than two tended lines in 
fishing. And moreover, it is not the poorer or 
middle class of people that give the most 
trouble or break the fish and game laws most 
often, but it is the wealthy and well-to-do that 
seem to think they have a special privilege 
to take the fish and game of the State by 
whatever means they may see fit. 
From my observation and experience as a 
warden I consider the popular sentiment to be 
opposed to the enforcement of the game laws, 
and it is nearly an impossibility to get men to 
testify in prosecutions against offenders, even 
if they were eyewitnesses to the offense. I 
might say that the sentiment in the town of 
—, where there is a fish and game 
club of about one hundred ‘members, is in 
‘favor of the enforcement of the laws, and from 
-this club I get more help than from any other 
‘ source.., 
The thing that is most needed in the enforce- 
ment of the fish and game laws is sufficient 
men who will accept the appointment for 
deputy wardens from a sense of duty to see 
the laws enforced, men that you can rely upon. 
I have found it very hard to get proper men 
to accept these appointments. With the right 
kind of men as wardens, and then carry out 
the law to the letter, it would not be long 
before illegal hunting and fishing would cease; 
if not entirely, to such an extent that offenders 
could be quickly brought to justice. 
The law relative to the minimum length 
rainbow trout.can be legally taken should be 
