Forest and Stream 
Terms,UJ13 a Year, 10 Cts. a Copy, ^ 
Six Months, $1.50. * 
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 , 1910 . 
VOL. LXXV—No. 22. 
No. 127 Franklin St., New York. 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL. 
Copyright, 1910, by Forest and Stream Publishing Co. 
George Bird Grinnell, President, 
Charles B. Reynolds, Secretary, 
Louis Dean Speir, Treasurer, 
127 Franklin Street, New York. 
THE OBJECT OF THIS JOURNAL 
will be to studiously promote a healthful in¬ 
terest in outdoor recreation, and to cultivate 
a refined taste for natural objects. 
—Forest and Stream, Aug. 14, 1873. 
THE PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK. 
The returns from the recent election affecting 
the Harriman and other gifts of land and casli 
for the enlargement of the Palisades Interstate 
Park have been slow, but it is now conceded 
that the proposition to appropriate $2,500,000 
through the sale of bonds was approved by the 
people of New York; State. The people of the 
five boroughs of New York city, comprising a 
majority of those interested, polled 218,020 votes 
for and 74,541 votes against the proposition. A 
careful study of the election results in general 
shows that a large number of men 'did not vote 
on the question at all, perhaps for lack of in¬ 
formation as to its character, while many of 
those voting against it evidently lacked interest 
in the plan. 
The bonds are to be sold at not less than par 
and will bear interest at not more than 4 per 
cent. Real and personal property will be taxed 
at the rate of 125 /iooo of a mill on each dollar, 
the proceeds to go into a sinking fund to redeem 
the bonds at the end of fifty years. The money 
will be used in improving the great park. For 
this purpose, and for the purchase of lands addi¬ 
tional to the 10,000 acres given by Mrs. Harri¬ 
man, there is now available more than $5,000,000. 
WYOMING GAME LAW. 
The elections are over. Some candidates have 
been elected and some snowed under. The 
smoke of the battle is drifting away. We may 
begin to think of needed legislation. 
In May, 1909, we called attention to the extra¬ 
ordinary contradictions in Sections 25 and 26 of 
the Wyoming game laws. The former protects 
antelope, moose, elk and mountain sheep until 
the open season in 1912, at least; while the latter 
permits the killing of certain animals protected 
in the preceding section during the usual open 
season, from Sept. 25 to Nov. 30 of each year. 
It would appear that it was the intent of the 
Legislature to omit one of these sections, but 
that through some blunder both were left in the 
law and became a part of it, thus nullifying the 
measure. 
When the matter came to the attention of the 
State authorities they construed the law accord¬ 
ing to their own ideas, and big-game hunting 
has been permitted in Wyoming for two seasons 
past. The uncertainty as to what the law really 
is has no doubt prevented many parties from 
going to that State to hunt. A correspondent 
in another column tells of two Eastern parties 
who changed their plans for this reason, and 
we have known of others. 
The Wyoming Legislature owes it to the State 
to draft a game law which shall be simple, com¬ 
prehensible and enforcible. Its big game con¬ 
tinues to be a great asset for that State, and 
each year should bring into the treasury and dis¬ 
tribute among the citizens of different localities 
many thousands of dollars. If, however, the 
laws are so badly drafted that intending visitors 
cannot feel certain as to their meaning, many 
people who wish to avoid trouble for themselves 
will shun Wyoming, and visit hunting grounds 
in other States, or will go over the border into 
Canada. The Dominion is making a strong bid 
for hunting parties from the United States, and 
many men are going there and having success 
which encourages them to go again, and to ad¬ 
vise their friends to go. 
It will be a piece of shortsightedness on the 
part of Wyoming if she does not put her game 
laws in better shape and do it as soon as may 
be after the Legislature assembles. 
THE NEW YORK STATE LEAGUE. 
The attention of all sportsmen of New York 
State is called to the fact that the annual meet¬ 
ing of the New York State Fish, Game and 
Forest League will be held in Syracuse Dec. 8 
and 9. The League is composed of a large number 
of protective clubs throughout the State, and is 
a power for good, but it should be made still 
more effective through the affiliation with it of 
other clubs, and its influence extended to coun¬ 
ties not now very strongly represented in its 
councils. Broadly speaking, the northern and 
western counties have greater representation in 
the League than the southern counties. 
On Dec. 10 the New York State Sportsmen’s 
Association will hold its annual meeting in the 
same city. Topics of vital interest to sportsmen 
will be discussed. These are referred to in an¬ 
other column. 
A change of State officers will occur in Janu¬ 
ary, and the greatest vigilance and effort in be¬ 
half of desirable legislation will be required of 
these organizations. The interests to which they 
are devoted should be kept prominently before 
the lawmakers and the new officials. 
The present force of fish and game protectors 
is better organized and is accomplishing more 
good than ever before, and every effort should 
be exerted to keep the office of protector free 
from political influences. Their present efficiency 
should be maintained in the face of any de¬ 
moralizing political influences which may be 
brought to bear against them and their work 
during the unsettled weeks that will follow the 
changes in the State administration. 
These meetings occur at a propitious time. 
They should have the support of every sports¬ 
man's club and of individuals as well. 
THE MASSACHUSETTS DEER SEASON. 
It is too early to give the results of the Mass¬ 
achusetts deer season in this issue of Forest and 
Stream. For the first time in a dozen years the 
men of that State are hunting deer this week; 
the six-day open season closing to-night. Only 
five of the western counties are affected. 
Three phases of the situation are prominent: 
The large number of persons who, through the 
purchase of licenses, have signified their inten¬ 
tion to take part in the shooting; the feverish 
haste on the part of landowners to post their 
lands; and the probability of a long list of acci¬ 
dents. 
Every license holder is entitled to kill one deer, 
provided he uses a shotgun, but the law does not 
specify that shot must be used. The range of 
a solid ball fired from a shotgun is considerable, 
and its power is tremendous. It is likely much 
of this ammunition will be used. 
It is estimated that, in two of the five counties, 
25,000 acres of land have been posted during the 
past week. The farmer generally does not favor 
the open season, nor the protection of deer. He 
regards the deer as a pest, although it is ad¬ 
mitted that the damages paid by the State to 
those who are alleged to have suffered from 
raids on crops by deer have gone far toward 
reconciling the farmer to the presence of the 
deer. 
B. Frank Wood, superintendent of the Marine 
Fisheries branch of the New York Forest, Fish 
and Game Commission, was asked by Commis¬ 
sioner Austin to resign, and last week his resig¬ 
nation was submitted and accepted. Mr. Wood 
has filled the position with great credit to him¬ 
self and the department since 1901, his previous 
connection with the commission dating from 1899. 
Under his management the Marine Fisheries De¬ 
partment, instead of being an expense to the 
State, has returned a handsome surplus. The 
vacancy will be filled temporarily by O. L. Dixon, 
deputy superintendent. 
There were merry days in Vermont the first 
week of November, when the postponed deer 
season attracted the interested attention of her 
sons. Estimates have been made which place 
the total bag at 3,000 or more, and for the time 
being, at least, Vermonters have forgotten to 
grumble over the high cost of living. To many 
of the successful hunters the cost of the two 
deer allowed by law was high, if estimated in 
pounds and dollars, but we fancy that many a 
good Vermont sportsman secured his pair at a 
very small expenditure of cash, energy and wear 
and tear on shoe leather. 
