Great Blue Heron, Coons Rips, Kennebec
River, Augusta, Maine. June, 2004.
The following article is copied verbatim from the June 20, 1826 edition
of the Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine. The first part of the article
is an account reprinted from the Oxford Observer newspaper published
in Oxford, Maine. The second part in brackets is an editorial comment by
the editor of the Kennebec Journal.
"On Wednesday, the 31st, part of the young men of this town, and Buckfield,
who had been engaged in what they denominate a Squirrel Hunt, met
to count their game. The following is the number and kinds of animals brought
in and counted:
Skunks -- 21
Rackoons -- 142
Foxes -- 10
Woodchucks -- 649
Squirrels -- 190
Bobbolinks -- 624
Crows -- 115
Hawks -- 54
Owls -- 42
Woodpeckers -- 272
Brown Thrashers -- 50
Black Birds -- 36
Cat Birds -- 32
Blue Jays -- 39
Making in the total two thousand two hundred and seventy-six. -- Oxford
Observer.
[He who would kill a brown thrasher (or rather thrush, we believe) has no
'music in his soul.' It inhabits the thickest shades; there is more melody
in its notes than in those of any other bird in our forests. We are glad
to see no robins returned among the slain. The shooting of small, harmless
birds cannot be sport to a benevolent and refined mind. The object of the
hunt in Buckfield, however, we suppose, was to destroy animals which injure
the crops of the farmer.]"
Source: Kennebec Journal newspaper, edition of June 20, 1826, available
on microfilm at the Maine State Library, Augusta, Maine.
What makes the above article from 1826 of particular interest today
is that in February, 2005 the State of Alaska Board of Game reported that
more than 87
wolves have been successfully shot and killed from airplanes during
that state's 2004- 2005 airplane
hunting season for wolves. Like the editor of the Kennebec Journal 180
years ago, we wonder if the killing of wolves from airplanes in 2005 can
be considered "sport to a benevolent and refined mind."