166 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Marhh 25, 1886, 



when put out for sport often overtake and destroy game 

 without the hunter's knowledge; and in the close season 

 they hunt and kill deer on their own account. This destruc- 

 tion is inseparable from the maintenance of hordes of ill -ted 

 deer dogs in a deer country. 



Statement of Gen. R. U. Sherman: "A strong effort wiLl be made 

 at the present session of the Legislature to open a season for hound- 

 ing, a season not as long as the old law provided, but yet one that 

 will warrant guides and camp keepers in keeping hounds; and while 

 hounds are kept it is not to be expected that very close adhesion will 

 be made to seasons." (Letter of Jan, 19, 1886.) [Ex. 11.] 



Statement of O. A, Batckeller, Commander U. S. Navy : '"The own- 

 ers of hounds * * * as a rule make no attempt to keen their dogs 

 confined during the closed season. * * * Any one who knows any- 

 thing of the bound knows that they will hunt by themselves. The 

 result is too often shown bv carcasses found rotting in the woods." 

 (Letter of Jan. 29, 1885.) [Ex. 16.] 



Statement cf R. M. Shutts, of Franklin county: "Hounds are 

 allowed to run the year round. There is not a month in which you 

 cannot hear the hounds baying; if not with a hunter, they are on their 

 own hunt " (Letter.) [Ex. 15.] 



Statement of R. M. Shutts, of Franklin county [supra]: "To-day 

 (Jan. 15) I was shown the carcasses of two deer that were frozen in 

 the ice near Ralph's Hotel. * * * They had been driven in by the 

 hounds. * * * Three years ago I saw an immense buck driven 

 into the lake three times in one day * * * in May. The last time 

 he was led ashore by Col. Nichols, of Plattsburgh,'ran through the 

 hotel yard at Ralph's and into the marsh where I could not get to 

 drive him to dry land. He died in less than an hour."— (Letter as 

 above.) [Ex. 15.] 



Sworn statement of Elijah Simonds, near New Russia, Essex county; 

 has hunted deer 40 years: has kept hounds and used them: 'Tn travel 

 ing one-half mile on Cold Brook, I counted nine deer killed by hounds 

 in March. Another time my dog got away from me, and in two days 

 killed seventeen deer; this was in March. ' In my trapping excursions 

 I have seen huudreds of houuds after deer in the winter and spring. 

 These hounds were mostly hunting on their own hook. * * * As a 

 general rule, after the lakes are frozen over the dogs catch and kill 

 most of the deer that they start. Owners of hounds that tie up their 

 dogs have to let them loose odcc in a while for exercise. As soon as 

 they get out they generally start for the woods and loak for deer, 

 Some men make no pretence of tying up their dogs in winter or 

 sp ing. I have found dead deer killed by dogs in North Hudson, 

 Elizaoethtown, Blue Mountain Lake, Raqu'ettes, North Elba, Trap- 

 per's Lake, Lon* Lake, Saranac. Boreas kiver." (Sworn to before A. 

 K. Dudley. N. P., March 13, 1886. [Ex. 21.] 



Sworn statement of Sam Dunning, New Russia, Essex county: 'T 

 have been in the woods gui'ling and hunting since 1840; have owned 

 a pood many hounds. I once got a hound tnat * * * caught and 

 killed five deer wiciictany help. I followed on and got every one 

 of them, there being about one inch of snow on the ground at the 

 time. Before I got him he had a habit of staying in ibe wocds and 

 hunting on nis own hook. * * * 1 have owned several different 

 hounds that would very of ten catch their deer before they got to 

 water, even in September. * . * * That night the dog came back. 

 In the morning I took lis back track and found the deer dead on a 

 mountain. Tue uo.r had eaten what he wanted fiom the hindquarters. 

 Some dogs will eat a meal from the hams of a live deer. I have 

 cauiiht tnem at it la the spring.*' (Sworn to hefore Stephen B. Pitkin, 

 Justice of tue Peace, March 12, 1886.) [Ex. 2.] 



Extract from Gouverneur Free Press, March 3: "Last Wedne*- 

 da.v at lernoon a hound drove a two-year-old deer through the out- 

 skirts of the village and succeeded in caching it near tne St. Law 

 reuce Marble Co.'s quarry." (Vouched for ov Prof. M. R. Sacke 

 [Ex. 42.] 



Statement of Bainbridge Bishop, Eisex county [supra] : "I found 

 three eareas-es of deer tnat were drivea into a small stream in March 

 and April. I have seen doss after deer at all times in the spring and 

 winter. Mo>t of the pe ople who keep hounds in this part of the Adi- 

 roudacks make a practice of letting them run loose in the winter and 

 spring." (Letter, March 12 ) [Ex. 8.] 



Statement of A. C. Clifton, of Warren county [supra]: "Last week 

 [in Feb.] a neighbor, of mine, while visiting bis fox traps, came upon 

 the trail of a bleeding deer which had evidently been followed by 

 two dogs. Taking the trail he soon found where the final struggle 

 had occurred. * * * Near the center of the circle was the half de- 

 voured carcass of a large doe. * * * I would like to show to every 

 member of our Legislature the frozen body of this doe, as it lies with 

 its two little fawns disclosed through the gaping wounds, already 

 half way on their road to life. I would willingly rest my case on 

 their mute appeal for protection." (Letter of March 2.) [Ex.!).] 



Sworn statement of Sam Dunning, Essex county [supra]: There is 

 a set of irresponsible persons *hat own hounds, and some of them ex- 

 pect them to get most of their own living in the winter, and let them 

 run loose for this purpose." [Ex. 2.1 



Statement of Squire Wilcox, an old resident of Indian River, Lewis 

 county: "Have lived in border of wilderness for over 40 years, and 

 while traveling through the woods in different parts, we have found 

 numerous carcasses of deer that have been killed in this waj' of hunt- 

 ing with dogs * * * My sons * * * come across two dogs with 

 a deer in the road; the dogs had eaten the deer's hams nearly all out 

 and the deer was st'U alive. * * * A short time since we found a 

 large, noble buck * * * that was killed by dogs, lay rotting." 

 (Li tter of Dec. 29, 1885, in Lowville Republican, vouched for by Ed. 

 Rep, [B-x. 17.] 



Statement of J. H. Rushton, Canton: "The still-huuter kills deer, 

 the jack-hunter kills deer, the bounder kills deer, but neither jack 

 nor gun will go hunting on its own account, at any and all seasons 

 of the year, if not securely chained. Only the dog does that; only 

 the dog eats his victim alive. (Letter of March 1, 1886). [Ex. 5.J 



The numerous deer thus sacrificed to feed starving hounds 

 arc not the only ones that are wantonly wasted. Scores of 

 carcasses of "run" (i. e., hounded) venison are necessarily 

 thrown away as unfit for food because of the diseased and 

 poisonous character of the meat. 



Sworn statement of Samuel Dunning, of New Russia, Essex county, 

 New York: '-When deer have been runhard, the venison won'tkeep." 

 [Ex. 2.] 



Statement of Mark Smith, of Number Four, Lewis county, New 

 York: "I have witnessed large parties in the woods who were taken 

 sick from eating hounded venison, and one man from Syracuse said 

 he would give $500 if he could be at home where he could see his 

 friends ODce more and physician." (Letter of March 1, 1886.) [Ex. 38.] 



Statement of William Hulbert, of Petrie's Corners. Lewis county, 

 N. Y : "Deers drove by dogs and hit, the meat is dark colored and is 

 not so good as still-hunted venison ." (Letter of March 4, 1886.) [Ex. 

 80.] 



From a report by Dr. H. M. Detmers, member of the American 

 Society of Micro^eopists, read before the society, August, 1885, report- 

 ing on beef, the eating of which had proved fatal. Extract: "Cases 

 of frenzy occur quite often among cattle driven from the stock yards 

 to Archer avenue., but the health officers seem to pay no attention to 

 frenzied cattle, although they ought to know that the meat of a 

 frenzied animal is sometimes— not always— exceedingly poisonous. 

 So, for instance, there are many cases on record in which venison 

 from a deer chased to death by dogs has proved to be poisonous." 

 (Proceedings of the American Society of Microscopists, eighth annual 

 meeting, Cleveland. O., Aug. 18-21, 1885, pp. 57-8). 



THE ARGUMENTS ADVANCED FOR THE LAW'S 

 REPEAL. 



The arguments advanced to justify the repeal of the anti- 

 hounding law are here alluded' to for the purpose of sub- 

 mitting such considerations as, we suggest, afford a sufficient 

 answer to each. 



The "Sportsmanship" Argument, 



a. Advocates of hounding urge that it is "the historic and 

 most sportsmanlike method of hunting deer." 



Deer hounding, as conducted in the North Woods, is not his- 

 toric; and the general sentiment of American sportsmen con- 

 demns it as unsportsmanlike and indefensible. A discussion 

 of this point is out of place here. The economic, phase of 

 the subject is of graver importance than its ethical side. 

 The law does not concern itself with a consideration of the 

 sportsmanship or unsportsmanship of any mode of capture; 

 it does concern itself with the preservation of an unimpaired 

 deer supply, of which the citizens of the State, now and in 

 the future, may eDjoy the usufruct. It wisely provides that 

 there shall be deer to'hunt in such methods as may be com- 

 patible with the preservation of the parent stock. 



Hie "Pot-Hunter'" Argument. 



b. It was alleged that the general sentiment of sportsmen 



was in favor of hounding and that it was objected to only by 

 those pot-hunters and still-hunters who desire to kill the "most 

 deer in the shortest possible time, for the few paltxy dollars 

 that their flesh and hides may bring. (Dr. Samuel B. Ward, 

 in pamphlet sent to the Legislature, p. 5.) 



Those who at first advanced this argument have since 

 found ample reason for its withdrawal. If any doubt as 

 to the character of the opposition to hounding still exists it 

 may be removed by reference to the subjoined list of indi- 

 viduals and societies who hold the conviction that the repeal 

 of the anti-hounding law will insure the early extirpation of 

 the deer of the Adirondacks. [Exhibit 44.] 



A canvass of the members of the Eastern New York Fish 

 and Game Protective Association of Albany has shown that 

 the members of that society regard hounding as follows: 



Have no opinion 6 



Uncertain . 1 



Decline to vote 1 



In favor of hounding 6 



Opposed to Hounding 58 



Total number of replies received, 72; total number of 

 members, 123. For mode of conducting canvass and for the 

 returns, see Exhibit 27. 



The "Shy" Argument. 



c. That hounding was necessary to make the deer shy so 

 that they might not fall into the hands of market still-hunters. 



This position also has been abandoned. The facts are 

 that the deer is naturally shy, that the use of dogs makes it 

 not more, but less, shy of man ; that in a country where deer 

 are hounded, still-hunting can be practiced more successfully 

 than in a district where dogs are not employed; and that pro- 

 fessional market-hunters hound in the hounding seasou and 

 then still-hunt on the same ground in the still-hunting 

 season. 



Statement of M. L. Fenton of Jamestown, N. Y.: "My camp Liu 

 the Adirondacks] was surrounded lastNovember by men that, hounded 

 all summer long and had taken out of the. woods several loads of deer 

 driven to water by their dogs and killed. But they all stayed and 

 still-hunted through the last montn just the same for all that. * ** 

 Tney were good still -hunters aud bagged as many deer as the best of 

 hunters. That is just the mode adopted by the hounding fraternity 

 years ago by tliosa that followed it years ago iu the Stale of Pennsyl- 

 vania. They always hounded through the summer and fall months, 

 claiming that it was the only way 10 get a de^r, but they also came 

 in for their bbare of the balance left upon snow, and usually succeeded 

 in obtaining it. (Letter in Forest and mream.) [Ex. 36.] 



John Dean Caton, L.L D : -The great characteristic of the Virginia 

 deer is its natural wildness." ("Antelope and Deer of America," p. 

 302), Dr. C Hai t Merriam : "A deer U always on the alert; his eye- 

 sight is good, his hearing acute, and his sense of smell developed io 

 an unusual degree." ("'Mammals of the Adirondacks." p. 112.) J. J. 

 Auaubon: "The timidity of the deer is sucb that it hurries away even 

 from the sight of a chUd." ("Vivapanms Quadrupeds of North 

 America." p 222.) Charles Hallo k: "Deerstalking is simply man 

 vs. brute, and requires ah the strength, craft and coolne.-s of the 

 man before he can lay_ low the deer, who i3 possessed of a much 

 keener sense of smell, immense speed, excessive nervous organization, 

 and is ever on the aiert to circumvent its human foe. ("Sportsman 's 

 Gazetteer," p. 86.) 



Sworn statement of Elijah Simonds [supra]: "I don't think that 

 hunting deer with dogs makes a deer shyer or more difficult of ap- 

 proach by the still-hunter." [Ex. 21.] 



Statement of Hon. Geo, W. Palmer: '-Now let me tell you a little 

 incident that happened to me. * * * A party of four or five gen- 

 tlemen went to the upper Chateaugay Lak^; oh a little island in the 

 middle we camped. We had half a dozen dogs, half a dozen boats, 

 and half a dozen guides. We spent the whole week there with our 

 dogs, every day striking a fresh track— for six long days, and not a 

 deer did we get. The guides said to us, 'Put your dogs in the ken- 

 nels, and to-morrow we will have some sport and you will have some 

 deer.' We followed their advice, the dogs we shut up. The next 

 day we went to the shores of that lake still-hunting, and before noon 

 we bagged seven deer." (Speech before the Assembly.) [Ex.25.] 



Statement of John D.Collins, Esq., Utica, N. Y.: "I found two 

 persons who think dogs are good for deer preservation. * * * 

 They both seem to think that deer merely trot along in front of the 

 dog, quite unconcerned. * * * Such is not the case here, where a 

 cross of the bloodhound is used. In such cases it is only a question 

 of the life of the deer, or the dog. whether there be a hunter along or 

 not." (Letter of Feb. 24, 1886). [Ex. 23.] 



Statement of Chas. H. Smith, Petrie's Corners: "I hear they claim 

 deer are made sby by hounding. Once when I was driving the dogs 

 drove a fawn into the water. The dogs swam after the fawn. I 

 rowed up to it and caught, the fawn and put it in the boat, and T drove 

 them off and [went] to shore with fawn. I let the fawn on the shore 

 and kept back the dogs. The fawn instead of running away followed 

 me to camp. The dogs were put awav. and after a while the fawn 

 left. (Letter of March 13, 1886 ) [Ex. 6J. 



Statement of Bainbridge Bishop, New Russia, Essexcounty: "I have 

 spent most, time still-hunting, but I killed double the number before 

 dogs that I did still-hunting. There is not more than one year in 

 three in which still-huaters can work to advantage, and only a few 

 days in that year at the most." (Letter of March 12, 1886.) [Ex, 3.1 



Sworn statement of Sam Dunning, Essex county, guide and hunter 

 since 1810 [supra]: "I do not think that dogging deer makes them 

 more shy or difficult to be killed by the still-hunters. * * * It 

 is a good time to still-hunt when the hound is in the woods, because 

 the ueer are watching for the dog and do not notice the man. " [Ex 2.J 



The "Market of 1885" Argument. 



d. To support the "shy" argument it was alleged that an 

 unusual number of deer were sent to market last season, so 

 that the markets were glutted and the price was lower than 

 usual. 



This argument also has been pei force abandoned. The 

 carefully ascertained facts are that the supply of Adirondack 

 venison'in market last season was less than usual. 



Utica.— The 8 leading dealers received 59 saddles in 1885 against 82 

 to 92 in 1881. [Ex. 26.1 



Syracuse.— Andrews Bros.' coutract price Adirondack venison in 

 1884, 10c. per lb.; in 1885. l'ij^c. Thos Whiibread & Co. report "no 

 material difference in prices" for 1884, 1885. W. J. Fage paid in 1885. 

 15c. [Ex. 12.] 



New Vork.— D. Kearr, Washington Market (largest dealer in venison 

 in city), not more than ^ the amount received in former years. 

 Drohan & Powell, 214 Washington street, received in former years 

 Adirondack venison in lots of 25 to 50 saddles; received at no one 

 time in 1885 so many as 5; total receipts very small. The firm would 

 gladly see a law passed forbidding absolutely the transportation to 

 market ana sale of any venison killed in New York State at any time. 

 French & Co., ISO Reade street, received no Adirondack venison at 

 all in 1885, Knapp & Van Nostrand, 208 Washington street, report 

 "none on the market this season to speak of, and we never want to 

 see any; we would like to see the law forbid the killing and sale of 

 New York meat." E. G. Blackford (State Fish Commissioner), Fulton 

 Market, reports as his observation, less in market than ever before. 

 (Ex, 13.] 



Weekly venison quotations, New York market, as given by the 

 Producer's Price Current, for month of December, 1883-'8J-'S5; prices 

 are those paid by dealers to commission merchants; venison de- 

 scribed as Western meat, or in some cases, is undesignated: 



First 



Saddles. Week. 



1883 13©l4e. 



1884 13©15c. 



1885 



12@13c. 

 First 

 Week. 

 8t> 9c. 



Whole. 

 1883.... 

 1884.... 

 1885 



Second 

 Week. 

 12G»13c. 

 ll@15c. 

 12©14c. 



Second 

 Week. 



M »2. 

 8® 9c. 

 b@10c. 



Third 

 Week. 

 12@l4c. 



Fourth 

 Week. 



14@l6c. 

 Third 

 Week. 

 8® 9c. 

 t@ 9c. 

 10@l2e. 



l4'/,]5c. 

 13@14c. 

 Fourth 



Week. 



8@ 9c 



10@12-t.' 



Saddles iu 1885 lower than in 1884, higher than in 1883. Whole deer 

 in 1885 higher than in 1884 and 1883. The only quotations of "State" 

 (or Adirondack) meat, given by the Price Current,tor 1888-'' <&-'&> are 

 as follows: ' . - 



Second Third Fourth 



Werk. Week. Week. 



December, 1884 13@14c. 13@14c. 18@14c. 



October, 1885 14©15e. Ii@l5c. .. 



For verification of above and for quotations of venison for whole 



Season- August- January, 1888-'84-85 -see file of Producer's Price 

 Current, herewith. [Exhibit 14,] 



The "Crusting, Jacking and Still-Hunting" Argument. 



p. Much stress has been laid upon the alleged great destruc- 

 tion by crusting, jacking and still-hunting. 



Crusting is now forbidden by law; its illicit practice will 

 not be detected and punished by restoriug hounding. Jack- 

 ing will not be stopped by restoring hounding; neither will 

 the dogs diminish the killing by still-hunting, save by the 

 number of deer first killed by hounding. 



The way to check destruction by jacking; and still-hunting 

 is to stop those two practices, not to add a "third. 



Your attention is invited to the significant fact that the 

 bill now under consideration provides for greater license to 

 destroy, but it makes no such compensating restriction. It 

 does not contemplate the abolition of jack-shooting nor of 

 still-hunting. Whether the bill does or does not become a 

 law, the jacking and the still-hunting will continue. 

 The numbers killed by these modes will not be decreased. 

 To the deer, then, certain to be killed by jacking and still- 

 hunting in 1886, the repeal would add those killed by hound- 

 ing, i, e,, it would double the destruction. 



The "Guide, Hotel and Invalid" A rgument. 



f. That hounding is necessary for the support of Adiron- 

 dack guides, in the interest of hotel keepers, for the diversion 

 of invalids who sit on logs and listen to the dogs. 



In no part of the North Woods are the auides dependent 

 upon the revenue to be deiived from hounding. They can 

 find employment in other ways. The profit to them of 

 hounding would at the best be temporary, for hounding 

 would not last. The only reason why dogging parties now 

 engage more guides and dogs than formerly is because the 

 deer are so scarce that the doggers have to scour over more 

 ccntry to find them. 



Hounding is not ess ential to the interest of the hotel pro- 

 prietors; the tourists who frequent the North Woods, ex- 

 clusively for hounding, are few in comparison with the total 

 number of visitors. The only hotel keepers who ask lor 

 hounding are those in distiicts where the deer are so scarce 

 that they can be secured in no other way. The use of hounds 

 would enable these men to secure for their few rich city 

 guests (who are at the bottom of this movement for a, repeal) 

 the last deer in their region. 



Deer drives are not organized as medicine for invalids. 

 Pew invalids take part in dogging. Were deer dogging any 

 essential dement of the merits of the Adirondacks as a resort 

 for invalids, not even then would it be wise economy to 

 license hounding. After a few years of hounding there 

 would still remain consumptives to be cured, logs for them to 

 sit on, guns for them to hold, but no dogs to hear because no 

 deer to drive. 



Nor can we reasonably overlook the fact that other in- 

 valids and overworked professional men — lawyers, physicians, 

 clergymen, teachers, business men and others— annually re- 

 pair to the ISorth Woods, attracted thither partly to find recre- 

 ation, recuperation, and renewed health in the pursuit of 

 deer by modes other than hounding. There will always be 

 such visitors, so long as the game remains. Their claims 

 for consideration— not less in future years than in the im- 

 mediate present — outwpigh the demands of those who ask 

 extraordinary and temporary privileges, speedily ruinous in 

 their operation. 



The "Number of Participants'' 1 Argument. 



g. It is alleged that more persons may participate in the 

 hounding of deer than in the capture by any other method. 



This is true in some case.3; in others it is not true. For 

 it should be remembered that the practice of deer 

 hounding is not confined to any one class of hunters. It 

 is followed by professional hunters, and in many instances 

 the number of deer killed is very large in proportion to the 

 numbers engaged in it. 



Sworn statement of Sam Dunning, New Russia. Essex county 

 [supra]: "Stephen Maruu and I killed i2 deer at Clear Pond in one 

 week with two dogs. They drove the deer into the water and we 

 killed them there. In this joint hunt we divided over 80 deer skins 

 that we got with dogs." [Ex. 2.] 



Sworn statement of Elijah Simonds [supra] : "I haw hunted deer 

 for market. 1 and another man and three hounds killed ninety-six 

 deer in one fall's hunt. We killed them by dogging near Scott's at 

 North Elba. Two of us with two dogs killed forty deer at Schroon 

 Kiver in one month."— [Ex. 21.] 



In the summer it is true that, when the woods are 

 full of tourists, it is the custom, upon hearing the 

 hounds, to mau all the waters in the vicinity with hunters 

 armed with such weapons as may be provided. In this way 

 many individuals do take part in the dogging. But under 

 such conditions the capture of the game is assured ; no water 

 is unwatched; and it is manifest that just in proportion to 

 the numbers engaged must be the speed with which the 

 ultimate ruin wiJl be accomplished. 



At the very highest estimate, those who would be benefited 

 by bounding, for the short time that the scramble for the 

 game lasted, would be few compared to the hosts who will 

 now and in future years be benefited by the permanent main- 

 tenance of the game supply. 



Statement of E. L. Richards, ot Yale College: "The men who gen- 

 erally kill the most deer with dogs are the men who live near the 

 woods and who bring very little money into the woods and do very 

 little there but to destroy deer and drink whiskey. That is the result 

 of my observation of the men hunting deer with dogs. * * * Let 

 the law against hounding: continue aud a man can go into the woods, 

 if he is anything of a sportsman, and kill what he wants to eat and 

 have enough trouble to do it if he does it legitimately and not out of 

 season, and the meat will be good. The men who brine: money into 

 the woods will come and the whiskey driukers and the slaughterers 

 who spend as little as they can and get all the deer tbev can without 

 regard to their real wants, will stay away and New York State will 

 be better off." (Letter of March 6.) [Ex. 1.] 



The greatest good to the greatest number demands that 

 the destruction of game be restricted withiu a bound com- 

 mensurate with its power to recuperate. To that end hound- 

 ing must be forbidden. If other modes must be stopped too, 

 prohibit them as well, and stop all hunting for a term of 

 years. That is the position held by the defenders of the 

 anti-hounding law. 



' From the Utica Herald, March 19. 

 It is not easy to make a sportsman accept the arguments 

 of the pot-hunters who are trying to create a sentiment 

 against the anti-hounding law. There is not even plausi- 

 bility to the theory that the use of hounds would be more 

 preservative of game than still-huuting. Any one knows 

 that more birds can be shot with a good bird dog to start 

 them out or tree them. Any one should know that a deer 

 can be started and secured with a dog when he could not be 

 reached without one. It is not the intention of the law to 

 make the huDting of deer impossible, but to make a wise 

 restriction so as to guard against extermination, which the 

 selfish sportsmen and pot-hunters disregard. The cut, which 

 represents the very unsportsmanlike taking of the game with 

 the aid of boats and hounds, is really no exaggeration. It js 



