Jan. 31, 1914. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
139 
of April and May these deer were liberated in 
the Green Mountain forests of Rutland and Ben¬ 
nington counties. 
Well these sportsmen knew, however, that only 
half of the problem had been thus solved. Care, 
watchfulness and protective legislation were nec¬ 
essary to afford these deer an opportunity to es¬ 
tablish themselves in their new homes, so the 
solicitude of the donors never abated until they 
had obtained a close season which continued for 
19 years. During this time public sentiment was 
aroused in favor of protective measures, a pen¬ 
alty of $100 fine was exacted from anyone who 
killed one of these animals and all of the leading 
sportsmen of the state made it their individual 
duty and obligation to see that this law was en¬ 
forced rigidly. The result, as the figures will 
show, seems astonishing to the uninitiated. 
In 1897 an open season was declared for the 
entire month of October. Only bucks were al¬ 
lowed to be taken, but each hunter was permitted 
to kill two deer. No serious attempt was made 
by the game officials to secure statistics for that 
season, but it was apparent to all that this law 
did not furnish an adequate measure of protec¬ 
tion, so at the next session of the legislature in 
1898 the open season was changed to the last 10 
days of October and only one buck was allowed 
to each hunter. These provisions continued until 
1905, when the legislature of the previous year 
had changed them to the last week in October 
containing 6 working days, Sunday excepted, and 
this open season of 6 days was in force until 
1911. In 1908, however, the deer had become so 
numerous in the state that a persistent demand 
was made on the lawmakers to permit the kill¬ 
ing of does as well as bucks. The demand came 
principally from the farmers who complained 
that the deer were destroying their crops, so the 
measure was approved and allowed for two con¬ 
secutive years—1909 and 1910. The legislature 
of the latter year, however, changed the open 
season to allow the killing of bucks only from 
November 15 to November 25, both days inclu¬ 
sive, but this act did not become effective until 
1911. During the session of 1912 the open season 
was again changed for bucks only from Novem¬ 
ber 10 to December 1, both dates inclusive. 
Now, let us see what the figures show for this 
period. The old saying is “that figures don’t 
lie,” and in this case they speak volumes. The 
early figures are undoubtedly too small, but sub¬ 
sequent to 1902 they are conservatively accurate. 
In 1906 a statute was enacted requiring each 
hunter who killed a deer during the open season 
to report the fact to the nearest warden and ex¬ 
hibit to the latter the head of such deer. For 
the years 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901, 555 deer were 
reported killed; for 1902 and 1903, 1,513; 1904 
and 1905, 1,322; 1906 and 1907, 2,234; 1908 and 
I9°9. 7,5i9; 1910 and 1911, 6,787; 1912 and 1913, 
3,816 deer. This makes a total for the period 
when open seasons have been permitted since 
the sportsmen above named liberated 17 deer in 
1878 of 23,746 deer, or in round numbers about 
25,000. Unquestionably, this estimate is conser¬ 
vatively low, for it is impossible to keep track of 
every deer that is lost to a state. Estimating 
that each deer possesses an average Market value 
of $10, here was an asset to Vermont of one- 
quarter of a million dollars. 
Not only was the state practically overrun 
with deer in I9 o8-’o 9 and To, but the overflow 
drifted extensively into the states of New Hamp¬ 
shire on the east, New York on the west, and 
Massachusetts on the south—the latter state be¬ 
ing particularly fortunate in this respect, its 
counties of Berkshire and Franklin being well 
stocked from Vermont deer. 
Here, then, is certainly an object lesson to 
other states, and a warning to Vermont itself 
not to again become careless and indifferent re¬ 
garding this valuable state asset. And in that 
respect it is alarming to note the falling off in 
the figures of the last two years and at the same 
time extending the open season. The tide is 
turning and Vermont should not permit such a 
long open season at this time. 
The specific lessons we learn from this history 
with respect to game legislation are these: 
1. —Only full grown bucks should be permit¬ 
ted to be taken in the open season. In order to 
accomplish this, and at the same time protect 
human life, the law should provide that only deer 
with horns a certain specified length may be 
killed. 
2. —Not more than one such deer as above 
should be allowed to each hunter. The time for 
wholesale slaughter of deer is past, and at pres¬ 
ent only short open seasons can be permitted if 
the deer supply is to be conserved. In such 
cases who but a game-hog or mercenary butcher 
wants more than one deer? 
3. —Require by law that each person killing a 
deer shall report that fact to some designated 
official or game officer. This is absolutely essen¬ 
tial in order that the game department may rec¬ 
ommend proper legislation affecting deer. 
4. —Make the open season comparatively short 
and base the length of same on the official fig¬ 
ures as above obtained. If such figures show a 
steady increase the season may be lengthened 
with safety; if a falling off, then it should be 
shortened. 
Vote Against the Webb Bill 
Scenting a scheme to bore a loophole in the 
law by which Uncle Sam has just been enabled 
to protect wild bird life by prohibiting importa¬ 
tion of aigrettes and other plumage, officers of 
the National Association of Audubon Societies 
has issued a call to fight the Webb bill, recently 
introduced in Congress, which they declare will 
serve the interests of the professional bird 
butchers of the millinery market. By amending 
the tariff law to admit plumage held here before 
its enactment and taken abroad by residents of 
this country, this measure is sure to open to the 
feather hunters an easy way to defy the Federal 
ban which the people of all the country demand¬ 
ed of Congress last year, it is asserted. Mil¬ 
lions of mother egrets and other wild birds are 
being saved from butchery for their nuptial 
plumes as a result of the successful operation of 
the new law, it is shown by the Audubon agents, 
who have watched the millinery market and be¬ 
lieve the proposed amendment would render its 
further enforcement a farce. 
That scores of scouts for the great feather in¬ 
terests could be dispatched abroad with bundles 
of aigrettes that might be swelled by thousands 
more on the return trip, is pointed out by the 
men who know that the milliners are secretly 
rejoiced over the quiet introduction of the Webb 
bill. Though this proposed “loophole” legislation 
provides admitting such plumes “upon their iden¬ 
tity being established under appropriate rules and 
regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of 
the Treasury,” any adequate identification of a 
feather is pronounced absurd and impossible by 
ornithologists who have just been consulted here. 
With the customs men helpless to prevent it, the 
Webb amendment would legitimatize a wholesale 
smuggling of plumage that would soon restore 
their old market to the men who massacre the 
birds of the whole globe to supply the costly 
millinery plumes, it is believed. 
With dainty “Audubon hats,” trimmed with 
flowers, ribbons and embroidery and labelled in¬ 
side “Save the Birds,” now meeting a large de¬ 
mand from the women in this city, and ostrich 
and barnyard fowl feathers being adopted by the 
milliners more and more, the Audubon agents 
declared to-day that the enforcement of the 
feather clause in the tariff law had thus far 
proved a distinct success and had met with the 
approval of the press and public of the entire 
land. From their agents in London they have 
just learned that in anticipation of the passage 
of a similar law now pending in the British par¬ 
liament, the English milliners are already busied 
in designing new styles that exclude wild bird 
plumage. Though they regret the inconvenience 
caused to the ladies in the process of the neces¬ 
sary customs house enforcement of the new law, 
the Audubon leaders point out that, behind the 
thousand seizures of plumes already made, mil¬ 
lions of mother birds are being spared from 
butchery by plume hunters to raise their broods 
that would otherwise be left to starve. 
"While the successful carrying out of the pro¬ 
visions of the new American feather law marks 
a milestone in bird protection among the peoples 
of the whole world, its amendment according to 
the Webb bill would destroy much of its bene¬ 
ficial effect.” 
Ask your Congressman to vote against the 
Webb bill. 
Sympathy Shown by Animals 
Statesville, N. C., Jan. 15, 1914. 
Editor Forest and Stream : 
Few things in nature are so interesting and 
delightful as the quick sympathy that runs 
through animal life and the readiness with which 
so much of it responds to the cry of distress. 
Perhaps all men reared in the country have seen 
fastened in the fence a pig whose squeals 
brought all the swine on the plantation running 
to its rescue and giving great grunts of sym¬ 
pathy on the way. The cry of a wounded bird, 
or of one whose nest has been invaded, quickly 
brings together all the birds within reach of its 
call. They will go closer to their enemies at 
such times than under any other circumstances, 
except when they conceive their eggs or young 
to be in danger. When a bird returning to its 
nest finds a snake there swallowing its nestlings 
and utters its note of distress, birds of other 
species will assemble at the scene as quickly as 
those of its kind. In such instances, it is not 
unusual to see birds of a dozen or more species 
collect within a few minutes. I once heard the 
cry of a bird caught by a snake concealed in 
honeysuckle vines. The snake held it by its wing 
while it fluttered and struggled and cried 
piteously. I hastened to the spot but when 1 
arrived, the vines were alive with various kinds 
of birds that had rushed in I recall a little 
incident that was not nearly so serious. A 
Carolina chickadee started down in a hole in a 
sycamore when it discovered a screech owl that 
had quarters there. It speedily backed out and 
made such hue and cry that it got together a 
small bunch of birds that took turns at peeping 
down in the cavity at the owl and scolding it for 
being an owl and upsetting the chickadee. I 
was much impressed by a little occurrence a few 
days ago. I drove out with my boys to where 
they had set a rabbit trap on my place in the 
country. There was a rabbit in the trap and as 
we were taking it out it gave the usual yell. 
This was answered instantly by the voices of 
two crows in the woods, a short distance away. 
The rabbit repeated his cries and in a few 
moments the crows were hovering above us caw¬ 
ing loudly. This is the first time I have seen 
birds come to the call of a quadruped. 
RICHARD B. MCLAUGHLIN. 
