for breeding purposes than at the close of any season during the past 
five years. I am making this statement advisedly and conservatively, 
and if weather conditions during the present winter and coming 
spring and summer are favorable I look forward to the best hunting 
season in a decade for game of all kinds in 1920. 
DEER. 
The rapid increase of these animals in all suitable sections of the 
State is very gratifying. This increase is especially marked in the 
vicinity of our Game Preserves and in the counties which were 
re-stocked and closed for a number of years. Early information 
reaching me while this report is being written indicates that there 
are from 60,000 to 75,000 men hunting with rifles or shotguns loaded 
with bullets in the deer territory of the State. Because of the work 
of the Department thousands of men will again enjoy deer hunting 
in territory near their place of residence where only a few years ago 
these animals' were no longer extant; in many cases old firearms al¬ 
most forgotten because of disuse will be pressed into service and men 
of advancing years will again be thrilled with the pursuit of the wary 
buck which in their several communities had long since passed out 
except in memory, and if the sportsmen in these portions of the Com¬ 
monwealth where we have again brought back the deer will only be 
careful to observe the law these animals will continue increasing from 
year to year. In one county recently stocked the sportsmen felt the 
season should be closed, but feeling that the game preserve created 
in that section prior to stocking with deer would supply a haven of 
refuge and the deer continue increasing under the protection we are 
now able to accord, such action was discouraged. Knowing that there 
are not less than twenty legal bucks among the deer released last 
winter I am rather anxious to learn just how many of these bucks 
will fall before the fire of the host of riflemen who intend hunting in 
that section. 
Reports relative to damage done to growing crops of various kinds 
by deer continue to reach us, and I am afraid that ere many years the 
Legislature must provide some method for reducing the number of 
female deer or life around the headquarters of your Commission 
will not be all sunshine. Quite a number of sportsmen recommend 
placing in the hands of the Game Commission such power as may be 
necessary to declare a close season on male deer with horns two inches 
or more above the hair and provide a short season, say a few days, 
for the killing of female deer in counties where the does become too 
plentiful. In this manner they argue the ratio of buck to does will 
be changed very materially in one short season and at the same time 
make it entirely safe for the sportsmen. Others are disposed to per¬ 
mit the females to die off of old age rather than kill them in this or 
any other manner regardless of the damage they may do, but this 
vill in many cases impose hardships upon landowners adjacent to 
deer territory that would be entirely unfair and, therefore be con¬ 
trary to the tenets of true sportsmen. I mention this phase of the 
deer situation in order that the matter may be given careful con¬ 
sideration prior to the next session of the Legislature, at which time 
I apprehend bills dealing with this question will be introduced at 
the instance of persons interested. 
19 
ELK. 
From data collected during the past year I am positive that the 
elk are increasing nicely in several sections of the State without 
being likely to annoy landowners for many years to come, while in 
other portions of the Commonwealth less extensive in area these 
animals are a constant source of annoyance. If conditions in the 
meantime do not become unbearable, I am hoping that the killing of 
legal bulls in 1921 will have a very desirable effect upon the balance 
of the herd in such instances where they are somewhat out of place. 
BEAR. 
Authentic reports reaching us as well as investigations on the part 
of our officers and myself convince me beyond question that these 
animals are more plentiful in Pennsylvania today than for many 
years, and numerous complaints relative to damage to livestock and 
bees have been investigated. In many of these alleged depredations 
to livestock, especially sheep, by bears, investigation showed that 
dogs were chiefly responsible, but a number of cases investigated in¬ 
dicate conclusively that bears were the culprits. While the kill¬ 
ing of livestock is not a customary trait of black bears it is evident 
that certain individuals develop a mania to kill livestock, and in 
Potter County especially a number of farmers have sustained losses 
while many others have disposed of their entire flock of sheep be¬ 
cause they fear inroad from bear. As a result a petition has been 
presented to the Board asking that the county be opened for a 
period to the killing of bears except through steel traps and dead¬ 
falls. 
Because of the dense underbrush in many parts of the bear ter¬ 
ritory these animals are reasonably secure from extermination by 
hunters with rifles, and I am confident from the increase made dur¬ 
ing the past three years that such hunting will not keep the bears 
in check in many sections of the State. Because of this condition 
many of our best sportsmen are recommending that the use of pens 
under restrictions as deemed necessary again be legalized, the thought 
being that not more than one bear should be taken in one pen during 
any one season. This question merits careful consideration prior to 
the meeting of the next Legislature. 
RABBITS. 
♦ 
While rabbits were apparently unusually scarce during the season 
of 1918, the kill so far for 1919 has been very satisfactory in most 
sections of the State and I am confident we will have many more 
rabbits left over for breeding purposes than we had last year. There 
is, however, a continuously growing sentiment in favor of reducing 
the daily bag limit for rabbits to five or six, also to limit the season 
to the month of November. It is claimed, and justly so in many cases, 
that ten rabbits per day is more than the average sportsman desires 
to kill or can consume in the average family within a reasonable 
time; that if a smaller bag limit were fixed good rabbit hunting 
could be had practically all through the season, instead of killing 
most of the rabbits the first two or three days of the open season as 
