466 The Wilderness Hunter. 



upon the kind of trip taken, and upon the circumstances of the 

 person taking it. The hunting trip may be made with a pack- 

 train, or with a wagon, or with a canoe, or on foot ; and the 

 hunter may have half a dozen attendants, or he may go abso- 

 lutely alone. I have myself made trips under all of these circum- 

 stances. At times I have gone with two or three men, several 

 tents, and an elaborate apparatus for cooking, cases of canned 

 goods, and the like. On the other hand, I have made trips on 

 horseback, with nothing whatsoever beyond what I had on, save 

 my oil-skin slicker, a metal cup, and some hardtack, tea, and salt 

 in the saddle pockets; and I have gone for a week or two's 

 journey on foot, carrying on my shoulders my blanket, a frying- 

 pan, some salt, a little flour, a small chunk of bacon, and a 

 hatchet. So it is with dress. The clothes should be stout, of a 

 neutral tint ; the hat should be soft, without too large a brim ; the 

 shoes heavy, and the soles studded with small nails, save when 

 moccasins or rubber-soled shoes are worn ; but within these limits 

 there is room for plenty of variation. Avoid, however, the so- 

 called deer-stalker's cap, which is an abomination ; its peaked 

 brim giving no protection whatsoever to the eyes when facing 

 the sun quartering, a position in which many shots must be taken. 

 In very cold regions, fur coats, caps, and mittens, and all-wool 

 underclothing are necessary. I dislike rubber boots when they 

 can possibly be avoided. In hunting in snow in the winter I use 

 the so-called German socks and felt overshoes where possible. 

 One winter I had an ermine cap made. It was very good for 

 peeping over the snowy ridge crests when game was on the other 

 side ; but, except when the entire landscape was snow-covered, 

 it was an unmitigated nuisance. In winter, webbed snow-shoes 

 are used in the thick woods, and skees in the open country. 



There is an endless variety of opinion about rifles, and all 

 that can be said with certainty is that any good modern rifle will 

 do. It is the man behind the rifle that counts, after the weapon 

 has reached a certain stage of perfection. One of my friends 



