| One of the things, which a hunter must realize when | | | | permission of the landowner, direct or implied. The |
| he go for hunting, is that he must respect some | | | | fact that the owner has not posted his land is usually |
| restriction given by the land owner where he hunt | | | | an implied permit to hunt. |
| the deer. | | | | We cannot continue to disregard the rights of these |
| In other states, where the snow is not so much of a | | | | owners and expect them to continue to permit |
| problem, the food supply might support a greater | | | | hunting on their land. Many of them will overlook an |
| number of deer, but there is a limit. I am sure that | | | | occasional flagrant violation with the thought that |
| the Pennsylvania herd has passed its peak and must | | | | such action is not typical of the hunting fraternity as |
| decrease in numbers as time goes on. Perhaps there | | | | a whole, but when hunter after hunter commits |
| will not be a sudden drop in these numbers, due to | | | | minor acts of vandal- ism, which are a constant |
| starvation, but in many areas of that state, there is | | | | irritant to the property owner, he is apt to bar all |
| insufficient food to maintain the present deer | | | | hunting on his land. The effects of widespread |
| population. | | | | posting of land may be seen in many of the farming |
| The feeding of starving deer would be expensive | | | | sections of the various deer ranges. |
| and would only delay the inevitable. They cannot be | | | | There are many other things which we should watch, |
| driven or persuaded to move to other areas, as this | | | | such as the forest-fire danger that can cause a |
| is against their nature. They prefer to remain on | | | | tremendous amount of damage to the deer range as |
| familiar ground until the last bit of food has been | | | | well as to the property owner, and the possibility of |
| consumed, and once this food supply is exhausted, it | | | | hunting accidents which cause public opposition to all |
| requires years for a new crop to develop to the | | | | hunting. If we wish to see the sport of deer hunting |
| point where it will support any large number of deer. | | | | continued indefinitely, we must be careful in our |
| There is not much that the individual hunter can do | | | | conduct in the woods and must examine all proposed |
| about this situation except to aid the officials in their | | | | laws that would restrict the sport. We should be |
| study of the problem and to support any legislation | | | | appreciative of the effort of those who have |
| which will limit the deer herd to the food supply. | | | | developed and preserved this heritage for our use; |
| One of the most serious threats to hunting, as we | | | | and, as sportsmen, we should de-sire to preserve it, |
| know it, is the growing breach in the relations | | | | in turn, for those who will wish to hunt in the future. |
| between hunters and landowners. This situation may | | | | Deer hunting is an American institution that deserves |
| not be entirely the fault of the hunters, but it can | | | | perpetuation until the inevitable advance of civilization |
| only be healed by the hunters' action. Each of us | | | | demands the use of the last of the deer ranges. |
| should lean over backwards in an effort to establish | | | | There's a four-pronged buck a-swinging in the |
| and maintain friendly relations with these landowners. | | | | shadow of my cabin, And it roamed the velvet valley |
| Otherwise we will find an increase in the private | | | | till to-day; But I tracked it by the river, and I trailed it |
| hunting preserves where we are only permitted to | | | | in the cover, And I killed it on the mountain miles |
| hunt for a fee. This is against the American principle | | | | away. |
| of equal rights for all. | | | | Hunters must remember that we are, in effect, the |
| Many hunters seem to think that a license issued by | | | | guests of the landowner and should conduct them, |
| the state gives them the right to hunt wherever | | | | as guests should, if we expect to be welcome to |
| they wish. This is far from a fact. The license is | | | | hunt there at some future time. It costs nothing to |
| merely a permit to hunt the state-owned deer on | | | | ask permission to hunt on private land and the very |
| land which is open to hunting. The landowner has | | | | asking is an acknowledgement of the rights of the |
| complete control of his land and he has the right to | | | | owner. Such an acknowledgement should establish a |
| forbid hunting if he so desires. The hunter has no | | | | guest-and-host relationship, which will imply mutual |
| right to hunt on private property without the | | | | obligations beneficial to both parties. |