take advantage of the eased regulations, said Meredith Gorfein.

take advantage of the eased regulations, said Meredith Gorfein.

Representing 16 members of the L. Huntly Hunt Club, Bert Gilkey asked for the bag limit to be increased to three deer, one a doe, but opposed any shortening of the season.

‘Til be the first to admit that the county has a deer problem,” said John Clark. “We gave up raising apple trees a long time ago (due to deer damage),” reported the Rappahannock farmer. “There are people right now who can’t even raise a garden.” He pointed out that deer are nocturnal animals who feed at night and then return to safety in Shenandoah National Park and “the private parks and preserves scattered all through this county.”

“I’m a hunter from the word go. I never thought I’d recommend a shorter hunting season but that’s what I’m doing,” Mr. Clark continued. He proposed that the season begin at the same time it currently starts but with both does and bucks permissible from the outset. Then after two weeks, the season should close, reopen the day after Christmas and continue until Jan. 5, again for both does and bucks, Mr. Clark said.

Sean Kilpatrick called Mr. Clark’s suggestion for a split season “a marvelous idea.” He also asked that the permitting system for farmers and orchardists who suffer deer damage be liberalized. Currently, those permits issued by the game warden allow only the landowner or his tenant farmer to kill deer; that should be broadened so “the farmer and the orchardist can farm that hunting out,” Mr. Kilpatrick said.

Mr. Foster noted that with a damage permit from the game warden, he can slaughter 10 or 20 deer. “But then what am I going to do with them? Throw them in the woods to rot? That’s good meat going to waste. Somebody would like to have that meat. ”

“We’ll make our decision (on what to propose to the Game Commission) at a public meeting,” said Supervisor Chairman Hubert Gilkey. “And we’ll do it in time to have it in Richmond by January.”