FOREST AND STREAM, 



being shot at. It was doubtful ia my inind whether the 

 fugitive would be overhauled or not. It was rapidly growing 

 dark, arid in such a light it is difficult tor a man to see his 

 sights bo clearly as to shoot well ; besides, if the fleeing man 

 can keep ahead of his pursuers for a few moments he can hide 

 in the ravines and escape duringthe night. At, MediciDe Bow 

 that evening I learned that the wounded man was still alive, 

 and that Wild Texe had been captured and was then in dur- 

 ance. How matters have turned out since then, whether the 

 wounded man died and Texe was lynched, or whether mat- 

 ters were amicably adjusted among the bullwhac era I have no 

 means of knowing. 



An hour after leaving Rock Creek we reach Medicine Bow, 

 the point from which we propose to start on our first trip. 

 East and south of this town are extensive beds of Jurassic age, 

 which have already yielded many tons of fossil bones, and 

 which it is our purpose to explore still further. Then too, 

 there are, on the plains and in the mountains, many species of 

 birds still rare in the collections of eastern ornithologists, 

 while deer, elk, antelope and bighorn are said to be abundant, 

 in and about the mountain ranges through which the Medicine 

 Bow River flows. This country, although it has been traversed 

 by more than one exploring party contains much that is of 

 terest and the labors of a careful observer will not go nre- 

 warded. 



Medicine Bow is situated on a river of the same name about 

 650 miles west of Omaha. Some time spent in the collection 

 of information in regard to it enables me to furnish the fol- 

 lowing statistics : Number of buildings in the town, nineteen, 

 of which fourteen are dwelling houses ; resident population, 

 sixty. The town has been the point from which freight is 

 hauled by wagons from the railroad to Forts Fetterman, 

 McKinney and Reno, and the business brought to it from this 

 source caused it for the time being to assume a certain air of 

 business activity. Recently, however, the shipping point for 

 freight has been changed to Rock Greek, and at present Medi- 

 cine Bow stagnates. 



Leaving the Bow in the afternoon in company with Mr. W. 

 H. Reid, I am driven about twenty miles to the ranche of Mr. 

 J. 8. Jones, whence we shall make short trips of two or three 

 days each into the neighboring mountains in search of game. 

 Mr. Reid, my companion, is an old resident of the Territory, 

 and is thoroughly acquainted with almost every foot of ground 

 in it. As hunter, miner or prospector he has traversed it in 

 every direction, and is equally at home on the plains or In the 

 mountains. A good fellow, an admirable hunter and an un- 

 usually accurate rifle shot, he is the man of ail others whom 

 I should select if ever I should be so fortunate as to make 

 another hunt through Wyoming. He has told me that we 

 are a little too early in the season to find the best hunting, but 

 that there is a lair prospect of our finding elk, mule deer and 

 mountain sheep on the western extremity of the Medicine 

 Bow Range. In this particular section of the country the 

 game, that is elk and deer, commence in summer to work 

 south' into the high mountains which lie between the railroad 

 and North Park, and follow the snow line as it ascends, thus 

 reaching by July or August the highest points of the range. 

 At the approach of winter these animals commence to de- 

 scend the mountains, moving northward, crossing the Laramie 

 plains and the Platte Valley to the Platte Range, which in- 

 cludes Laramie Peak and the Sweetwater and Seminole 

 Kanges, where they pass the winter. The latter range is much 

 lower than those which lie to the southward, and the snows 

 are light and, except on the higher peaks, soon melt. This 

 northward movement of game scarcely begins before October 

 1st while the movement toward the south commences in 

 early spring as soon as the snow softens. 



At Mr. Jones' ranche we were most kindly received by the 

 proprietor, and our stay there was rendered extremely pleas- 

 ant by his hospitality and that of his wife. Although his 

 ranche is not as yet fitted up for the reception of guests, we 

 were most comfortably entertained, and we greatly enjoyed 

 the delicious milk, butter and vegetables with which the 

 table was each day supplied. These may seem commonplace 

 delicacies to those who have never roughed it in the moun- 

 tains or on the p'ains, but those who have will remember how 

 rare and how desirable they are. Mr. Jones proposes this 

 winter to make considerable additions to his house, and next 

 summer will be able to accommodate parties from the East who 

 may wish to hunt on Elk Mountain or in any portion of the 

 neighboring Medicine Bow Range. He has a herd of about 

 fifty head of horses, and will be able to tit out parties with 

 everything: that they may need except arms and blankets— 

 these they should of course bring with them. I feel warranted 

 in Baying that satisfaction will be given at this ranche, and 

 that the charges will be moderate. At the proper seasou 

 game of all descriptions is to be found in the vicinity. Sage 

 grouse abound on the creeks which flow into the river ; ante- 

 lope are numerous on the prairie, and the mountains will yield 

 elk, deer, bear and probably mountain sheep, though the 

 latter are becoming scarce. 



Even were there no game in the country, no lover of nature 

 could wander along the valley of the Medicine Bow without 

 feeling repaid for his journey to this place. The trees and the 

 air are full of rare and interesting birds, whose sweet songs 

 fill the heart with delight. At short intervals along the river 

 we find fresh beaver dams, and, by quietly watching for an 

 hour or two before sunset the artificers of these curious struc- 

 tures can be seen busily at work stopping leaks, gather ng 

 food or clumsily sporting in the water. Make but a move 



en jt, however, and, with a loud splash, some watchful old fel- 

 low signals to Mb mates that there are strangers present, and 



down all dive, not SOOU to reappear. As we push through 

 tlie brush, intent on the new objects of interest which con- 

 stantly present themselves, we are startled by a sudden crack- 

 ling of twigs and a rush through the quaking aspen brush, 

 and, in a moment, we see in a little opening about forty 

 yards distant a fine buck mule-deer, which stops and gazes 

 curiously at us with his soft, innocent eyes. His summer 

 coat is just falling off, and the short, new hair is of a fine steel 

 blue ; his horns are still in the velvet, but are full-grown and 

 now nearly hard. Involuntarily I raise my shot-gun, but 

 lower it again with a smile— it is loaded with dust shot for 

 small birds. Even if it were a rifle I do not think that I should 

 have the heart to take the grand life that so unsuspiciously 

 offers itself. No, let him go ; I shall have other opportuni- 

 ties when the hunting fever is on me. 



After a day or two of bird-collecting, Mr. Reed and I ob- 

 tained ponies and provisions from Mr. Jones and started for 

 the western extremity of the range on a little hunt. As we 

 wish to travel as light as possible we each tie a pair of 

 blankets behind our saddles, and, taking a sack of provisions 

 and a coffee-pot, are soon on our way. The first ten miles of 

 our journey leads us through a country much traveled by herd- 

 ers and hay-makers, and hence destitute of game ; but before 

 long we begin to see antelope in small numbers feeding on 

 tlie prairie, One old buck, which was slowly walking along 

 directly in our path, seemed disposed to investigate us and 

 waited, watching us most intently, until wewere within four 

 hundred yards of him. As I was anxious to try my new 

 Sharps rifle, I dismounted to take a shot at him, but as soon 

 as I halted he ran about one hundred yards away and then 

 stopped again, quartering from me with his head turned back. 

 Throwing up my sights to five hundred yards I fired with 

 great care, and in a moment the buck started and ran Mice the 

 wind, soon passing over a little swell and out of my sight. 

 I turned to mount and asked Reed where the ball struck. 

 Seated on his horse he could see the antelope much further 

 than I could, and he replied, "By Jove, you killed him." 

 And so it was ; for, after riding on for some distance, we came 

 upon our quarry lying on his knees quite dead. The ball had 

 hit him to the right of the tail and had ranged through him, 

 coming out at the shoulder — a lucky shot. The hams were 

 soou transferred to our saddles, and we proceeded on our way, 

 reaching the foot of the mountains about three o'clock in the 

 afternoon. Here, near a beautiful spring, we determined to 

 camp, and, leaving our horses and meagre camp equipage, 

 stalled out on foot to look for deer and elk. Four hours' hard 

 mountain climbing, over rocks, through thick brush and among 

 fallen timber failed to reveal any game or any signs of its re- 

 cent presence, and we returned to camp discouraged. The 

 mountains were lovely where we camped, and would have 

 detained us for some time had we come prepared for collect- 

 ing. The dusky grouse was especially abundant, old females 

 with their half-grown young being started at short intervals. 

 Clark's crow, too, was seen and heard very often, besides 

 many other mountain birds; Bears' tracks and other indications 

 of their presence were seen, but none of the " signs" were 

 fresh enough to warrant our spending much time in looking 

 them up. 



The llnwingday was devoted to a thorough investigation 

 of Codes, Little and Elk mountains, with the same results as 

 before, A few fresh elk tracks were found, but it soon be- 

 came evident, that game was by no means abundant here. 

 Two months later the hunt would have turned out very differ- 

 ently, but the game was as yet far to the southward amid the 

 high mountains that wall in North Park. So we turned our 

 faces toward the plain again and spent several days hunting 

 antelope, which were very abundant. It would be a pleasant 

 task to narrate to you the incidents of these few days, but 

 time and spaco warn me to close this letter. It is enough to 

 say that we returned to Mr. Jones well laden with meat and 

 bearing several fine bucks' heads as trophies of our hunt at the 

 foot of Elk Mountain. Vo. 



Elk Mmintain, Via Medicine B<tu>, Wyoming. 



GAME PROTECTION. 



CLOSE SEASONS FOR FISH AND GAME. 



SEVERAL weeks ago, with the view of preparing for our 

 readers a comprehensive and authoritative compendium 

 of the close seasons for fish and game throughout the 

 country, wc requested of the Secretaries of the several 

 States and Territories anthentic information. To this re- 

 quest the most of them have kindly responded, and we take 

 great pleasure in here acknowledging their courtesy. We 

 give below on abstract of the statutes thus obtained. In some 

 cases, where we have failed to secure the attention of State 

 ac have compiled the laws from other and less re- 

 liable sources. The dates given below we believe to be trust- 

 worthy. It must be remembered that in many States there 

 are special count}' andloca) modifications of the general Stale 

 law. We shall shortly publish this information in the form of 

 a tabulated statement for the use of game protective societies 

 and all others who may desire it: 



Alabama.— Deer, April 15 to September 15 ; fowl, April 1 

 tn October 1 ; quail, April I to October 1 : wild turkey, Apiil 1 

 to September lg, These pixv.isiunj relate only to the counties 

 of Mobile, Choctaw, Monroe, Clarke, Washington, Baldwin, 

 Marengo, Lowndes, Sumter, Escambia. Hale, Dallas, Mont- 

 gomery and Greene. 



i'nia. — Salmon, August 1 to September 15; sale on 

 trout, November 1 to AprU 1 ; shad, April 1 to December 31; 



trout, November 1 to April 1 .- antelope and deer, until March 

 30, 1882 ; fowl and quail, March 15 to September 15, except 

 in Losson, Plumas and Sierra counties ; in San Bernardino 

 and Los Angeles counties, April I to August 1. 



Colorado. — Elk, buffalo, deer, antelope, mountain sheep 

 and bison, January 1 to September 1 ; pinnated grouse, 

 pheasant and prairie hen or grouse, November 15 to Octo- 

 ber 1. 



CoNNEOTCOtrr. — Black bass, May 31 to July 1 (in Connecti- 

 cut and Parmington Rivers may be taken at any time) ; Sal- 

 mon, none taken under nine pounds ; shad, June 25 to March 

 15 ; trout, July 1 to April 15 ; quail, ruffed grouse and wood 

 cock, January 1 to October 1. 



Dklawabe. — Rabbit, partridge and pheasant in Kent and 

 Sussex countieB, February 15 to November 1 ; in New Castle 

 county, January 1 to November 1 ; woodcock, January 1 to 

 July 1. 



Florida. — No law for fish except one requiring non-resi- 

 dents to procure a license : deer, April 1 to September 1 ; no 

 sea birds or buds of plumage may be lulled ; wild turkey, 

 April 1 to September 1. 



Idaho.— Fowl in Ada county, April 15 to September 1 ; 

 pinnated grouse in Ada county, March 1 to August, 1 , quail, 

 April 1 to September 1. 



Ilmnots. — Deer, February 1 to October 1 j geese, May 1 to 

 August 15; pinnated grouse, January 15 to September 1; 

 quail, February 1 to November I j ruffed grouse, February 1 

 to October 1; snipe, May 1 to August 15; wild turkey, Feb- 

 ruary 1 to October 1 ; woodcock, January 1 to September 1. 



Indiana.— Deer, January 1 to October 1 ; fowl, April IB to 

 September 1 : quail, January 1 to November 1 j pinnated 

 grouse, February 1 to < Jetober 1 ; woodcock, January 1 to 

 July 1 ; wdd turkey, March 1 to September 1. 



Iowa. — Black buss, April 1 to June 1 1 salmon, November 

 1 to February 1 ; deer and elk, January 1 to Sept 

 lowland geese, May 1 to August 15 ; pinnated grouse, Decem- 

 ber 1 to September 1; quailj ruffed grouse and wild turkey, 

 January 1 to October 1 ; snipe, May I to August 15 ; .vm.il- 

 cock, January 1 to July 10. No person to kill more than 35 

 grouse, quad, snipe or plover in one day. 



Kansas.— Pinnated grouse, February 1 to July 31 ; quail, 

 January 1 to September 30. Rilling of plover, ruffed grouse, 

 wild turkey and woodcock prohibited at all times 



K>nttjokt.— Deer, March 1 toSeptember 1; squirrel, Feb- 

 ruary 1 to June 15; rabbit, February 1 to October 3Q; fowl, 

 May 1 to September 1; quail, partridge or pheasant, Fcbni- 

 ary 1 to October 20; woodcock, February 1 to A a 

 doves, February 1 to August 1 ; wild turkey, February 1 to 

 September 1. 



Louisiana.. — Deer, February 1 to August 1; quad, April .1 

 to September 15 ; wild turkey, April 1 to September t. 



Maine. — Black bass, April 1 to Julyl; laml-locked sal- 

 mon, September 21 to February 1 ; in St. Croix River and 

 tributaries, September 15 to February 1, and in Moosebead 

 and Penobscot waters, September 21 to Juno 1 ; Salmon and 

 shad, July 15 to April 1 ; togue and trout, see land-locked 

 salmon ; caribou and deer, January 1 to October 1; moose, 

 until 1880; fowl and plover, May 1 to September 1 ; pinnated 

 grouse (possession), Januaryllo September 1; ruffed grouse, 

 snipeand woodcock, December 1 to September 1. 



Massachusetts.— Black bass, December 1 tu July 1; land- 

 locked salmon, October 1 to Aprd 1; sabnon, until April 7, 

 1880; lake trout, October 1 to April 1 ; shad in the Merri- 

 mack, June 10 10 March 1 ; in the Connecticut, August 1 to, 

 March 15; trout, October 1 to April 1 ; deer, until January 

 1, 1880; fowl, April 15 to September 1 , puma; 

 shooting allowed only on one's own laud; i 

 1 to July 15 ; quail, January 1 to November 1 ; run 

 and woodcock, January 1 to September 1. 



Michigan. — Trout,, September 1 to May 1 ; grayling, No- 

 vember 1 to June 1 ; deer in Upper Peninsula, November 15 

 to August 1; Lower Peninsula, December 15 to September 

 15; fowl, January 1 to September 1 ; pinnated grot 

 uary 1 to September 1; quail, January 1 to f> 

 ruffed grouse, January 1 to September 1 ; wild turkey, Jau- 

 uary 1 to October 1; woodcock, January 1 to July 5. 



Minnesota. — Trout, April 1 to September S0j antelope, 

 deer and moose, November 1 to December 15; fowl, Sep- 

 tember 1 to May 15 ; pinnated grouse, August. 14 to Septem- 

 ber 30; quail and ruffed grouse, September 1 to Novembet 

 30; July 3 to October 31. 



Mississippi. — Deer, March 15 to September 1 

 March 15 to September 15 ; dove and starling, April 1 to 

 September 15. 



Missouri. — Deer, January 15 to September 1; pinnated 

 grouse, February 1 to August 15; plover, February 1 to Au- 

 gust 1 ; quail and ruffed grouse, February I to OctObOl IB; 

 wild turkey, March 1 to September 15; woodcock, January 

 10 to July 1. 



Montana.— Pinnated grouse, rolled grouse and quail, 

 March 1 to August 1. 



Nebraska. — Buffalo, elk, mountain sheep, deer and ante- 

 lope, January 1 to October 1. No wild bird* save only water 

 fowl, jack-snipe, sand-snipe, wnders and woodcock can be 

 taken at any time of the year. 



Nevada. — Trout and salmon trout, January 1 to Septem- 

 ber 1 ; deer, ant elope, elk, mountain sheep or goat, January 

 1 to Julyl; pinnated grouse, partridge, pheasar 

 cock, grouse, quad, fowl, geese, sand-hill crane, plover and 

 curlow, April 1 to September 1 ; sage chicken or snipe, 

 April 1 to August 1. 



New Hampshire.— Black bass, May 1 to June 80 ; musca- 

 longe, December 1 to May 31 ; pickerel, March I 

 pike, December 1 to May 31 ; salmon trout ami 

 trout, September 1 to April 30 ; deer, January 1 I 

 1 ; moose, February 1 to October t ; plover. quail and ruffed 

 grouse, February l"to AugU3t 1 ; woodcock, February 1 to 

 July 4. 



NewJkbsey. — Salmon trout and speckled irour 

 1 to March 1 ; blade bass, April 1 to Julyl; pike 

 erel, March 1 to May 1 ; 1 I to October 15 j 



squirrels, January 1 to Julv 1 ; rabbit, Jan hi , ! 

 ber 1 ; quail and pheasant, January 1 to November 1 ; wood- 

 cock, January 1 to July 4; rail, December I to 

 1; Teed birds, December 1 to August 15 5 upland 

 January 1 to August 1; prairie chickens, until 



New Yoaic— Black bass, Oswego bass and mi 

 January 1 to May 80 ; trout, Beptembt v 1 to April 1 ; salmon 

 trout, October 1 to March 1 ; deer and moose, January 1 to 

 September 1 : fowl and geese, May 1 to September 1 ; quail, 

 January 1 to November 1 ; woodcock, January 1 to August 

 1; on Long Island, January 1 to July 3. 



North Carolina. — Trout, October 15 to December 30, in 



Lies west of the Blue Ridge ; partridge, quail, doves 



and wild turkeys, April 1 to October 1. Tlds applies only 

 to the counties of Davison, Randolph, Rowan, Anson, War- 

 ren, GuUford, Rockingham, Orange, Caswell K Mecklenburg, 

 Edgecombe and Carbarras. 





