FOREST AND STREAM. 



529 



'■ins difficult to 



i\ there, if there is such a law, as the bay-men 



ew to complain On each other, and as the trial 



a conviction would be very uncertain. 



appeal to you is there no course a sportsman residing, 



say in this city, and in the habit oE visiting: that secttol 



Sionally for a tew days' wild fowl shooting, can take to put a 



trj this nefarious practice? At this rate we shall soon 



have no duck shooting in the vicinity of Gotham. 



Jacobstaff. 

 We editorially called the attention of the authorities to this 

 thing two weeks ago. It rest with thera to correct the abuse. 



Sportsmen's Association op Western Pensbyi.vania.— 

 PilUbwrg, Pa., Jan. 15.— At a meeting yesterday evening the 

 following named officials were elected to serve the ensuing 

 year: President, Robert Dalzell: Vice-Presidents, 13.0. 

 Phillips, Col. B. P. Ruff, F. H. Kennedy; Treasurer, W. C. 

 Macrutn; Secretary, J. F. Wilcox ; Assistant Secretary, 

 Howard Eaton j Naturalist, H. S. A. Stewart; Directors. Dr. 

 W- F. Fuudeuhetv;, J. V. Long, E. A. Myers, John 0. Brown, 

 Howard 11 ai'tlcy ; Elective Committee, John Caldwell, Jr., 

 Edward Greg-, N. M. McDowell, Charles Hays, J. H. 

 hman, B. Bakewell, C. A. Carpenter. 



WILD RICE. 



Janbsvillb, Wis., Jan. 31, 1879. 



Editor Forest and Stekaii : 



You may easily believe that I have been a peculiarly inter- 

 ested reader of the recent communications in your valuable 

 journal concerning the propagation of wild rice, and especially 

 so as 10 the articie of " Howard," copied from the Tart, 

 inasmuch as that gentleman purchased his seed from my 

 brother, and his directions and predictions concerning it were 

 so fully carried out. I suppose we shall now hear from other 

 parties on the same subject. Speak out, gentlemen, and give 

 ■vied, bad or indifferent. We are all 

 comparatively tyros in its culture, and need all the iustruo- 

 e can get. I am not seltish in this matter, for my ex- 

 perience thus far has been that the wild rice trade won't do 

 specialty to be depended upon for the support 

 of wife and babies. The dividends are not enormous as yet. 

 I find others think the same, for Cantwell writes that his 

 stomach is lull and this is his last year in the business. Iu- 

 deed, we were rather forced into it by your- paper referring 

 :?.uy to us as probably being able to procure seed for 

 We b'idu'i. any then, but at, last getting desperate at 

 repeated applications, we ventured in and are still there. Our 

 BSt interest in the matter, however, is that of every 

 sportsman—?', e., " Will it grow successfully and attract wild 

 i| iierwise barren waters?" 

 "Howard's " experience has certainly been remarkably flat- 

 tering, and his account of his success in spring planting fully 

 carries out my own ideas. I always believed that it could be 

 planted in the spring as well as in the fall, and with as certain 

 results. The only reason why others thought differently was 

 because none had ever tried spring planting, thinking that 

 because the seed sowed itself in the fall— as all sell-sown 

 t must be the proper time. There are many ad- 

 vantages in favor of spring as against fall sowing. In our 

 cold climate winter comes on early, and many ponds are frozen 

 by November t, thus preventing putting in the seed until 

 the next fall. Spring sowing not only does away with tins, 

 but it gives everybody plenty of time to secure the seed. 

 Then again, in the spring there are no ducks about to gobble 

 up the seed, as, no doubt, they do in the fall. 



However, I intend to experiment in the matter myself, and 

 I hope those who have already done so will give us, through 

 the papers, the benefit, of their experience. By the way, 1 

 mi. another gentleman — aTennesseean— gives a favorable 

 account of spring planting. He need not. fear the destruc- 

 tion of his tish-pond : in fact, it's the most, valuable plant he 

 ow there, affording both food and protection for his 



Another problem to be solved in connection with this rice 

 culture is : " What is the greatest, depth of water in which it 

 will grow?" Tlie minimum is already known, as it will 

 flourish in only an inch of wnter. It must, however, be cov- 

 ered the year round. This question of depth I shall experi- 

 ment upon in some of our small lakes which now contain no 

 rice. 1 have planted some in my aquarium, and am anxiously 

 waiting for it, to sprout. We have found a great difference in 

 the weight of seed coming from different points — in fact, it 

 might be graded like wheat. Our directions to buyers always 

 are : " Soak the seed until it sinks." But all that we have 

 now will sink without soaking ; indeed, wc have sold but lit- 

 tle that would not do so. Whether the difference in seed 

 will make any difference in the crop, as in other cereals, is 

 also an interesting question. I am inclined to think that light 

 seed wi'l beget light seed, and that being the case, but little 

 increase can lie looked for from such planting, as if the seed, 

 dropping from the stem, floats for any length of time without 

 sinking/ most of it will be eaten by the birds, and thus the 

 wished-1'or result will not be attained. However, no doubt 

 all these points will soon be solved, now that the sportsmen 

 are becoming interested in the matter. Such letters as those 

 of "Howard's" and the Tennessee gentleman (his name slips 

 my mind'; do much toward spreading the good work. 



A. M. Valentine. 



Deki: Si.AroriTEK in Michigan. — We print the following 

 communication, not by any means on account of its literary 

 merit, but to show how abundant deer are in some of the 

 wilds, as well as to expose the wanton persistence 

 with which so-called sportsmen are rapidly exterminating 

 them. The letter is also interesting in its description of one 

 of the favorite grayling streams of Michigan, and of the 

 methods of roughing it in the bush by the hardy but incon- 

 siderate men who seem lo find sport in wholesale slaughter. 



Woosteb, O., January 13, 1879. 



Editok Forest and Stream : 



Having received a very interesting letter from my uncle, 

 giving the particulars of his fall hunt on the Au Sable Klver 



i, I forward it to you for publication, hop 

 be of some benefit to those whu are interested in the dispute 

 going on in the Chicago Fluid between the Battle Creek 

 party and others. Bast year (Nov., 1878)1 was one of a 

 party of four, including my uncle, who made the trip down 

 the river in one boat ia just four days. Stopped about half- 



way down for thirteen days, and killed twenty-one deer, ft 

 is said the distance is 300 miles from Crawford to An Sable. 



C. W. Snidbii. 



East sauihaw, January 1, IST9. 

 ■■■■ m : There werefoui of tjs la the party at drat, but one 

 fellow from Sandujky got scared oat aud left us for home. We built a 

 shaniyoutbe old ground, tint there were no deeron that - It ol tl 

 river. Lynxes had Killedagood mauy.aud drove the rest across en the 

 oilier aide. There we found them thick enough, so wc moved our 

 damp down the river about one mile, and hunted on that side all the 

 time we were there. The deer camt; back on the old ground very 

 ilili-k a. few days before we left. We killed three over there the last 

 doy. Wo left Saglraw on the 6ih of November at six In the morning 

 arrived at. CrawfOTd at one In the afternoon, got rmr lumber and 

 winked 00 our boat ■until bed-time. We had a sail for a tear,. It 

 thundered and rained very hard, but soon turned eold and snowed 

 until morning, After breakfast we went to work on our boat, finished 

 it about e even o'ctock, packed everything in It, and shoved oil' about 

 half-past ten; we ran on until dark, pulled up to the bank, tan led, 

 scraped away the snow, put np our tent, cooked supper, ate and went 

 to beil, slept on our wet blankets, and had wet ones for covering ; got 

 up about four o'clock, built a fire, cooked our breakfast, and as s< 

 as it; was light enough pulled down the river. We began to com 

 the banters along the hanks, and hear the notes of the hounds, and 

 occasionally a deer. We passed West Urnuch. then Big Creek, and 

 about noon came to some of the Battle Creek farly watching i 

 ways, We inquired the number of deer killed. They said they had 

 killed seventy-three, and the party had all left but six. and tiiey v 

 going next 8nnday. Passed the camp, saw the usual number of dogs 

 around the camp, and some deer hanging np. About live miles 

 down we came to another party ; incpiired tho number of deer killed. 

 •' Tiuriy-tive," was their answer. The party was small, but they 

 hunted with dogs. Passing their camp, we saw the Baddies of ion 

 deer in the bottom of the river. Farther down saw two whole dead 

 ones, which had spoiled. We pulled hard to get through before night. 

 Saw a good m any deer signs along the bunk, und some bear signs. 

 About four o'c lock we turned a bend In the river, and spied the e 

 welcome habitation of Mr. CumminB. The banks of the river ^ 

 lined with the boats of parlies Which arrived here ahead of ns. 

 were greeted from the house with a yell. We answered, and passed 

 on about three miles, and came to our camp. Went ashore at 

 found oar old shanty, stove and everything jnst as we had left it 

 year ago. We had Bupper and went to bud very tired, having pulled 

 nearly 100 miles from daylight until dark, lint, in a very rapid si ream. 



Next morning we were ready tor business; Reeves and Barns were 

 camped in Glenney's old camp. They told as there were no deer 

 that side of the river. Brandage and I went hack to tho hills t 

 found deer signs very scarce. There appeared to be nothing but old 

 bucks, and they very wild. We found a good many dead deer that the 

 Lynx had killed. We hunted about a week on that, side, aud theu 

 moved down the river to hunt on the other side, so we built a . 

 cabin ard moved into it. One evening, as T was down by the swamp 

 hunting deer, I shot and killed an old doe and wounded another. .She 

 ran into the swamp, and as it was getting dark 1 concluded to ltt her 

 go until inorring. Next morning I followed her in and found 

 about ball eaten up. A lynx had killed her. no had had a big 

 time doing it, but he had done tne Job better than half tt dossen large 

 dogs. Jess, my son, was with me. We went on down the river 

 about a mile ; found Ave deer tracks going into the swamp. The boy 

 went in, aud I got upon a runway and watched for the deer to eorae 

 oat, but they had crossed the river. The boy turned to come out on 

 the back track, and met a lynx going in after the deer. lie turned 

 and ran. The boy followed him to the edge of the swamp, then left 

 the tracks and came to me. About that time I saw the lynx jump 

 ont of the swamp Into a fallen tree top. He was about fifteen rods off. 

 I drew sight on him aud fired. He gave one awful squall, and that 

 was the lust of him. He was four feet ten inohos from his nose to 

 the end of his tafl-i the tail was about four inches long. He stands 

 almost three feet high, has a very large head, with black tassels on 

 the points of his ears, and a large black raffle around his neck. I 

 brought liim ro Saginaw and sent him to New York. We had very 

 good luck hunting on that side of the river ; killed nineteen deer 

 there In about two weeks. 1 did some very bad shooting, but Brnn- 

 dage did worse. Jiy gun does not shoot powder enough. I shot flye 

 deer that I know I killed, but they ran, and as there was no snow 1 

 lost them. I shot one old buck, the largest deer I ever saw ; shot 

 him through the neck, and he fell. 1 stood watching for another to 

 move into sight, when the old buck began to bawl and kick. At last 

 ho got np and started off. I thought he would soon fall again, but 

 he ran off and I lost him. The Indians found htm. cut, his In si ,n. 

 and sold it to Cummins for $2.00. It had oae prong growing out ou the 

 under Bide of one horn that was oyer a foot long. It stuck straight 

 down. If 1 had tiad my traps witli me 1 could have got borne fur. 

 There are lots of beaver and mink, and now and then an otter". 



I think the most suitable gun is a heavy breech-loader, about ten 

 or twelve pounds, with two sets of barrels, one eight and one twelve 

 gauge. There was a man in there banting who had an eleven pound 

 Scott gox. He told me he saw two bucks fighting, about twenty-live 

 rods oh, and he killed one of them with eacli barrel; they dropped dead 

 In their tracks. We came out by railroad. We hired Cummins to 

 take our stuff out to Eoseommon, There were about thirty of us 

 came out together. Brundage, Jess and myself walked that fifty 

 miles in just thirteen hours, iu from ton to twelve inches of snow. 

 How is that for traveling ? Ate but one meal, and saw bat one 

 house in the whole fifty miles. There were no bear there this fail' 

 bu t up the river at Ball's place they were plenty. Ball killed forty, 

 live boar in that section this fall. There were no acorns where we 

 were, but there were more hunters than ever were before. There 

 were about 150 deer killed at Cummins' place up to the day we left. 

 It is said that 385 deer were shipped from Boscommon, most of them 

 killed down the Au Sable. A. C. Sckanton. 



RUNNING DEER WITH DOGS. 



Queueo, Jan. 52, ism. 



KDITOK FORE8T AND STREAM : 



I see inyoar columns frequent discussion about the practice of running 

 deer with dogs. The place most referred to In these articles is the Adi- 

 rondack range, bnt I Buppose that what experience leaches there will 

 be applicable to other places. Near my old home in Ontario is a very 

 long and wide cedar.swamp, which throughout Its whole length of 

 forty miles or more is seldom broken by roads or clearings, and which 

 a few years ago used to be a famous place for deer and a few bears. 

 There Is no wa^er of any kiud near it with the exception of one small 

 river, whioh is almost dry ia summer, so that running tho deer Into the 

 water to kill is an impossibility. Ia sevoral plaeeB along the edge of 

 the swamp were small numbers of settlers who had tried their ham I at 

 clearing, but who had In no oase managed to make a good farm. 

 Nearly allot these men during the fall and winter did nothing much 

 else than hunt, aud for this purpose each one kept from one to three 

 hounds. They were always in the woods, and any day alter the 1st 01 

 September the cry of their dogs could be heard night and day. They 

 managed to kill a good mauy deer for the market, but thej 

 many more than they killed. After the legal season for killing was 



' >,riug any more to market, but, aftei killing 



to Diihal they took the hide aud as much meat as tbej required [or 



their own use, and the remainder was lelt in the woods. 01 



this kind of thing could not n I ,., ■ ttl I, If they had been ooni •> 



111 it the dimige done would have been bad 



ii. no;, so bid as it has been. '.'■ ittfl attending to their 1 arms 



In the Bpring and summer the deer were loft alone as far as the men 



were concerned, but the (logs were allowed to remain in the woods, 



ne this kind of life they soon became half wild, and 



only came home to ,he hoe i ill erval . '.iter a month of this life 



they were as bad or worse than wolves, and the consequence of their 

 depredations is now easily seen. I have seeu a party or sportsmen go 

 ont from the town for a day or two, and return with from one to five 

 "I now I would .defy the largest party of sportsnoon lo Canada 

 ■ - ole swamp, anttthfs mis- 



erable result has been attained in the short time of about seven years. 

 The deer, from the constant persecution, have been completely driven 

 out, aud this U shown by the fact, tint iu the large tracts of woods in 



linskoka, and aloi .■_■ lorgian Bay, where they are seldom 



hunted, they arc still very plentiful, in spite of all the wolves to be 

 found iherc; and the swamp I have spoken of is ouly an extension of 

 these same woods. The last deer I saw there was two years ago, 

 ■ ding a road through the swamp. One morning, while my 

 men were running out ou ou engine, three deer sprang from the cover 

 on one side of the track, and, crossing It, were soon iosi to sight, ou the 

 ■ :■. Tin- men oarrleo the news to the next village, and the 



ty men turned ont to hunt them; bat I re- 



iltse to say they did not get t.nem, and my best wish for them la— 

 Long may n i, Au Saubij3. 



THE FOREST AND STREAM AND ROD 



AND GUN TOURNAMENT 

 For the Short-Range Championship of 



1879 

 And three team medals, which Will lie awarded to the teams 

 malting the first, seeoud and third best scores. Other prizes 

 will be offered also, to take place at Conlin's shooting gallery. 

 Open to teams from any organized rifle club. 



ns— Teams— Each team shall consist or ten men. The teams 1 

 participating must be composed of members of the various clubs 

 which they represent. Kifles -Limited to ten pounds in weight ; mini- 

 mum pull of trigger, three pounds; 22400 cal. Teams may furnish 

 their own rifles and ammunition, or use thosi at (he gallery, us they, 

 may desire, Number of Shots— Ten by each competitor. Hightlng 

 Shots-Two shots will be allowed each competitor. Position— Oflv 

 hand. Targets— 200-yards targets, according to the regulations 01 i lie 

 N. U. A., reduced in proportion to the range at the gallery. Practice — 

 No pract.ee allowed on the day of the match. Entrance See- 'Jen 

 dollars to be paid at the office of the Forest and Stream and Rod add 

 Gun, No. Ill Fulton street, N. Y. The match to he governed by 

 the rules of the N. K. A. relating to teams. 



The captains of the several learns, entered before 9 o'clock on the 

 evening Of Feb. a, will meet at Oonlln'a Gallery at I hat hour and fix 

 upon tne arrangements for carrying ont the match, choose referees, 

 aud decide iu what order the respective teams shall shoot. The assem- 

 bled captains shad decide upon tho date of opening the matches, and 

 the date at which the entries shall close. The referees shall elect an 

 umpire, whose decision in all cases shall be final. 



The championship team tournament is creating no small 

 discussion, and from the number of letters already received 

 there is evory indication of a large line of entries. These 

 letters come not only from the clubs in town, but from Rail- 

 way, Bergen, Newark and Elizabeth, in N. J., Boston, and 

 even from Chicago, where the team of theThos. Post, G.A. 

 K., are discussing the question of coming on. The South 

 Brooklyn Kifle Club will be represented by a team, aud such 

 clubs as desire to take practice in the gallery may have 

 special practice by writing the gallery master. 



Massachusetts— Boston, Walnut, Hill, Jan. 25.— The 

 bright glistening snow on the range between the winter-shed 

 and the targets did not in any way help the marksmen out to- 

 day. During the afternoon a gray light came on, and good 

 scores were made in consequence. The wind was quite 

 gentle, coming from the west, and the conditions were favor- 

 able to the sport. There was a large attendance of spectators, 

 in fact the largest there has been at any time since the winter 

 Shed was erected, several ladies gracing the range with their 

 presence. In the Maynard rille match at 200 yards there 

 were 104 entries. The leading scores were : 



DKirkwoad 4 5 8 5 5 [> 4 r> 4 fi^tr 



LLHubbiud 4 8 -I 5 I 4 B 5 5 



J A Lowell 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 4 5 5— 48 



IggS 5 4 4 4 5 5 5B 5 i— 40, 



WHJaotaon 6 5 i i r, i s s s 4— w 



JBOSbom 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 5 5— J5 



JBParter r, i -i s 6 6 4 1 5 4— is 



,! Wemyss, Jr t, 5 5 r> r. I II 3 4 4-4& 



ffSHarrta r 55444445 4— m 



.1 W Frost 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 ■ • 



HMJepsOU 4 4 4 4 S 4 5 5 4— 44 



CO] 8 Wales 4 5 4 4 4 5 5 4 4—44 



13 B Soother 5 55544444 4—44 



JNFrye :\ 45545154 5^4 



A. B Archer 4 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 5 4-<S 



H Tyler 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 4-^S3 



I, Saunders 4 54454544 5—43 



WCharlefl -t 35444555 4—13 



terrier 5 44444454 4—42 



Btt 5 5 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 4-42 



UFIIuilt -I 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4-40 



F A Brown 4 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 — 40 



EDavla 2 4 5 6 1 3444 5—40 



JBriggS 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 .4 4 4— 39 



KWAi'Cher 4 4 4354341 4— 3i) 



Mcdford, Mam.— The Directors of the Medford Bifie Asso- 

 ciation derided upon holding rifle competitions every Wed- 

 i I stormy the following Friday), during February. 

 The matches will be classified, and the conditions are as fol- 

 lows : Distance, 200 yards, rounds, seven; the aggregate of 

 two individual scores to count ; off-hand firing i rifles, au\ 

 within the rules ; non-members to be placed in the first class.. 

 The prizes will consist of 50 per cent, of the entire entry fees 

 in each class, divided as follows : First prize, 25 per cent. ;. 

 second, 15 per cent., aud third, 10 per cent. 



C'oNXKOTicuT. — In his recent report to the adjutant-general 1 

 of Connecticut, Major J. E. Stetson, Brigade Inspector of 

 Target Practice, expresses the opinion that, instead of send- 

 ing representatives to Creedmoor, the State should, by the of- 

 prizee or assistance iu some form, encourage the es- 

 tablishment of an annual State meeting on some central range, 



