THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                  1279

since they adequately express the reasons for my veto of Senate Bill
110, I have summarized the objections as follows:

(1)   The bill, as introduced, only affected Talbot County. There
was no knowledge of the amendment and thus no opportunity
to advise legislative delegations of the strong opposition
to it.

(2)   It is impossible to know what a dog pursuing deer started
out to hunt, and at what distant point it broke away. Thus,
as a practical matter, dogs, in the counties excepted in this
bill, can chase and kill or wound deer, without hindrance.

(3)  Exempting hounds from restraint leaves them free to run
at a time when crops are growing and game are rearing
their young, so that there would be greatly increased
damage. Dogs are the chief predator of deer, particularly
during the gestation period and for several months after
the fawns are born.

(4)   Dogs which will pursue deer will molest livestock.

(5)  Rabbit, bird and 'coon dogs can not run or otherwise hunt
game animals from March 1st to September 9th, and there
is no reason to exempt fox hunting during this period,
which is the vital time for protecting the newborn of almost
every kind of ground nesting bird and animal.

(6)   It would promote and invite violation of the game laws by
many persons hunting deer with dogs under the pretense of
fox hunting.

(7)   Game wardens have resorted to killing dogs only when
necessary actually to save deer, and there is no evidence of
any abuse of this authority, without which they would
regard themselves as helpless to protect deer.

(8)   In a number of counties, particularly those without dog
licensing laws, packs of stray, homeless mongrels are beyond
control and live on poultry, small livestock and game. They
are particularly prone in the spring and summer months
to destroy deer. Few would risk shooting even such dogs
if this bill became law, because of the uncertainty of one's
right to do so, and the distinct possibility that someone
would claim that a half-wild cur was a valuable hound.

(9)  .The danger of a foxhound being shot is a greater incentive
to fox hunters to keep their dogs away from deer, than a
fine would be, since running hounds are impossible to
identify.

(10) Many more people are interested in deer, both as game
animals and as a subject of observation, than are interested
in fox-hunting. This great majority of people have no
desire to harm dogs, but feel strongly the need for adequate
protection of deer as an equally humane objective.

Respectfully,

(s) THEODORE R. MCKELDIN,

Governor
TRMcK/tk