| We need to identify the future impacts of the | | | | forest and open areas meet, and food conditions |
| extinctions of this precious animal from this earth. | | | | determine the size of the local herd. |
| There are vested interests of the hunters in the | | | | At one time I was able to spend some time in an |
| ways to implements the stringent restrictions for the | | | | area where the forest conditions were practically the |
| protection of these animals. But there are some | | | | same as they were in the days of the Indians. It was |
| costs involves as well in hunting deer that are not | | | | an area of virgin timber that had never seen an axe. |
| always fruitful. | | | | The deer were around the natural clearings that |
| The conditions of the forests play important parts in | | | | were made by "burns" and windstorms and I could |
| locating deer. The deer are located in place where | | | | travel for miles through the untouched areas without |
| the food conditions are best where the forest and | | | | seeing as much as a track of the animals. |
| open areas meet, and food conditions determine the | | | | The clearing of the forests of the United States has |
| size of the local herd. The deer can be found in clear | | | | made some of the areas nearly ideal for the welfare |
| forests. | | | | of deer, while in others, clean cutting and thick |
| Travel expense is one item that determines the cost | | | | settling by men have driven the deer out. Deer are |
| of a hunting trip. The man who lives in a state where | | | | very adaptable to different food and range |
| the deer hunting territory is near his home does not | | | | conditions, but they must have food and shelter in |
| need to pay as much as the man who must travel | | | | order to survive. In most sections man has done |
| many miles in order to hunt. I have often shot deer | | | | more harm than good. |
| at almost no cost except for my license. I have lived | | | | They have an amazing vitality and are apparently |
| in a farming country where deer were plentiful and | | | | immune to many of the diseases and parasites that |
| easy to find, after I had learned their habits. I have a | | | | are detrimental to most domestic animals. Practically |
| rifle that I paid nine dollars for (with a box of | | | | all of their natural enemies have been controlled and |
| cartridges thrown in) and I have often killed my deer | | | | man is their most serious menace. With the control |
| in an afternoon of hunting. Others have traveled | | | | of man's depredations and with their ability to adapt |
| many miles from other states, have stayed at some | | | | themselves to quite heavily populated agriculture |
| of the better hunting camps at a cost of more than | | | | areas, the deer herds have been able to increase to |
| a hundred dollars a week, and have returned to their | | | | the point where, in some cases, they have become a |
| homes empty-handed or have paid some poacher up | | | | nuisance because of the damage that they do to |
| to seventy-five dollars for a deer. The cost of deer | | | | agriculture projects. This damage is largely offset by |
| hunting can be almost any amount that a man wants | | | | the revenue that their presence brings into such an |
| to spend. The enjoyment is the same to a real | | | | area by the sportsmen. |
| sportsman, regardless of the cost. | | | | Traveling to hunt deer from long distances can be |
| In the days of the Indians, the white-tailed deer | | | | stressful and expensive exercise. But people like me |
| were found in practically all of what is now the United | | | | who are living in the farming country can always |
| States east of the Mississippi River as well as in | | | | enjoy the advantage of the plentiful deer to hunt |
| some sections of the west. According to available | | | | whenever you are ready. There are fewer threats to |
| records, these deer were not concentrated in any | | | | deer from other animals because of other animals' |
| one area, but were spread over the entire range. | | | | slow extinctions, but man has become their greatest |
| Their actual number was probably less than it is | | | | threat. And many of us may not be aware that the |
| today. The forest conditions at that time were not | | | | deer are also immune to many diseases and parasites |
| favorable to large concentrations of deer. They are | | | | that are detrimental to most domestic animals. And |
| "edge" or "fringe" dwellers rather than virgin-forest | | | | at the same time they can damage the agricultural |
| animals. The food conditions are best where the | | | | crops as well if not kept under control. |