| There are laws to protect the deer but some | | | | dogs and who use them occasionally, but as |
| of them are not implemented properly. In | | | | the penalty is usually death to the dog and a |
| Maine it is allowed to take a deer for so | | | | fine to the owner, no man who values a dog |
| that the herds are prospered. There are some | | | | will use him for this purpose. |
| laws that already banned the hunting of these | | | | |
| deer so that their populations are | | | | I have watched a few of these dogs in action |
| maintained. | | | | and I can see where there would be a certain |
| | | | amount of sport in this type of hunting, if |
| We had no regular hunter as some of the camps | | | | it were legal and if the dogs were properly |
| had, but one of the men had made a salt lick | | | | trained. Slow-trailing dogs that do not drive |
| a short distance from camp and, as he worked | | | | the deer out of the country would seem to be |
| all day, the only time that he could visit | | | | the best deer dogs. The deer circle ahead of |
| the lick was at night. I went with him one | | | | these slow dogs arid the sport would be |
| night when he killed a deer. We were equipped | | | | similar to fox hunting. Most every one will |
| with a miner's acetylene lamp and a .45-90 | | | | admit that fox hunting is considered a good |
| rifle. We waited on a platform in a tree | | | | sport. |
| until a deer showed up and then he shot the | | | | |
| animal. There was no pretense of sport in the | | | | I knew of one poacher who owned two dogs that |
| killing. It was simply the killing of an | | | | he had trained to hunt deer. They were very |
| animal for its meat in the surest and | | | | fast dogs and they were trained to drive deer |
| easiestway. Since then I have seen many | | | | to the man's house where he waited to shoot |
| refinements added to this type of hunting. | | | | them. This man's boys would take the dogs by |
| The acetylene lamp has been re placed by the | | | | a circular route to a point some distance |
| electric spotlight. The tree platform has | | | | from the house and then turn them loose. If |
| been replaced by the mobile, cushioned seat | | | | there was a deer between the dogs and the |
| of a car and the old .45-90 is only a relic | | | | man's house, that deer had very little chance |
| beside the guns of today. Only the poor | | | | of turning back past the dogs and it usually |
| bewildered deer is the same as it stands in | | | | ended up hanging in the man's shed. He didn't |
| the light, waiting to be butchered. | | | | consider this as sport, only an easy way to |
| | | | obtain meat for his family and to supplement |
| The use of dogs as an aid to deer hunting, | | | | his income during the deer season when he |
| while permitted in some areas, is forbidden | | | | sold a few deer to unsuccessful sportsmen. |
| in most states. | | | | |
| | | | When a hunter goes for hunting, he has to use |
| Here in Maine, the use of dogs has been | | | | the equipments for his safety. Nowadays the |
| outlawed for a long time and as a result I | | | | equipments used in hunting have so much |
| have had little experience with this type of | | | | improvement. |
| hunting. We have a few poachers who have deer | | | | |