FOREST AND STREAM. 



315 



anything like the larije quantities of rabbits; the woods 

 arc cut, up with their tracks; I killed nine in about, two 

 hours one morning last Fall, and this Winter, during n 

 deer hunt, I holed fourteen in a short time; I did not slop 

 to dig Ihem out, or I could doubtless have gotten them all. 

 I went deer hunting with two friends last week; we had 

 splendid luck, if our luck consisted in one of the party's 

 getting a shot at a fine buck and doe, which he missed, 

 and i he rest of us following the deer track all day without 

 another shot. We looked forward to our dinner with 

 great, pleasure, but when we had eaten about half enough 

 we found we Were freezing fast, so we began to dance to 

 keep u arm. My opinion is that if anyone had seen ua then 

 he would have thought us " three, sheets i.i the wind," as 

 wo performed a pirouette with a sausage in one hand and 

 a sandwich in the other. We had a number of shots at 

 grouse and rabbits, but did not take them, for as one of us 

 would get ready to shoot the others would protest, and say 

 that they were certain the deer were in the next, thicket. 

 They may have been there, but we did not find them, and 

 at dark "we started for home, completely disgusted with 

 deer-hunting in such open country, and the next morning 

 we were still more disgusted to hear that a man whom we 

 had told where we had left the track went there next 

 morning and killed the buck. Our hunters hero are begin- 

 ning to improve their dogs, and are introducing various 

 kinds of deer hounds, but do not seem to care for either 

 setters or pointers, although there are some good dogs of 

 both (setters and pointers) breeds in the neighborhood. 1 

 hear that there is to he a grand hear hunt soon which is to 

 last for several days. 



Virginia. — It is said that there are more deer and wild 

 turkeys, and fewer wild cats and lynxe3 in Virginia to-day 

 than there were when Jamestown was settled. 



Kortii Caholina. — During the twenty days the last of 

 November and the first of December the Monkey Island 

 Club, Currituck Bouud, N. C, composed of four Boston 

 gentlemen, shot at that noted resort for wild fowl over 9lX) 

 ducks, geese, and swan. On one occasion one gentleman 

 alone, Mr, Noah Curtis, shot from his stand fifty-two ducks 

 during the day, thitty-one being canvass-backs. 



Tow.v, — RedfieU, Dallas County, Dec. 12. — Chicken shoot- 

 ing over; quails in moderate numbers; a few ducks during 

 last few days; weather warm. O. H. Hampton. 



CoLOiiADO.— Gens. Bela, Bucl, and Saulsbury have re- 

 turned from a successful hunt. They brought with them 

 half a car-load of ducks, geese, elk, buffalo, antelope, 

 grouse, deer, grizzly bears, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, chip- 

 munk, coyotes, meadow starlings, and turkey buzzards.— 

 Central City (Col.) Register. 

 i Thousands of buffalo are coming into the Arkansas Val- 

 ley and crossing the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail- 

 road going north. Trains on the road have been obliged 

 to stop for these animals to cross. The herd is all along 

 the valley from Kinsey to Latin, a distance of 190 miles. 

 There will be grand sport for many hunters. 



Ka.ssa.s.— Lawrence, Dec. 17.— I fear the failure of crops 

 and scarcity of food will make sad havoc among our game. 

 Grons? have nearly all left, and quail can be found dead 

 by the dozens along our creeks. I am feeding quite a few, 

 and am trying to get my neighbor to follow. There are a 

 few deer, " Have killed two lately. G.N. B. 



A letter from an officer of the Missouri, Kansas and 

 Texas Railroad, says: " On that pr.rt of our road passing 

 up and down the Mosho Valley of Kansas is quail and 

 duck shooting not to be excelled by any other valley or 

 portiou of country in the United States. I have been over 

 there lately and made excellent bags of quail, prairie 

 chicken, and duck. Brant ar* also very plentiful, but 

 very difficult to get at on account of the openness of the 

 country." 



Louisiana. — New Orleans, Dec. 15.— Our best sport here 

 is shooting from blinds, although snipe are everywhere 

 plentiful and in some parts of the State, woodcock most 

 abundant, as well as quail. I prefer duck shooting. They 

 fly faster, and as they only approach while hardly ever 

 settling to our decoys, you must take them on the wing; 

 you must have your aim on one bird, too, for they fly so 

 widely scattered "you seldom bring down more than that. 

 It is true that you are generally warned of their coming, 

 but does not the setter warn you just when and where your 

 snipe rise? If the teal or black duck is inferior eating to 

 woodcock or snipe I fail to perceive it. Above all, in 

 shooting duels from blinds you do not become fatigued 

 with marsh wading, and can make yourself quite comforta- 

 ble. Besides, you are not bothered with a dog, and when 

 you kill fifty ducks you have got a pile of meat for use, for 

 sale, or for charity. Southern Louisiana will always re- 

 main the best ducking ground in the country, because it is 

 the principal feeding ground during the whole Winter for 

 fifteen or twenty varieties, and over hundreds of miles of 

 wild celery marshes cannot be converted to any other use. 

 Not far from the Belize, a hundred miles from the city, 

 some hunters kill one thousand ducks in a day, and sell 

 them at five cents a piece. But it is loo far from market. 

 John E. Lbet. 



Florida, Sew Smyrna, Dec. 18.— Winter is upon us. 

 The thermometer was down to 48 on the morning of the 

 8th. Duck shooting was never better; a bag of a hundred 

 can be made in two or three hours; river full of roe mullet. 



Canada.— Oravenhunt, Muskoka, Dec. 7.— A large num- 

 ber of deer have been killed around Gravenhurst this sea- 

 son. Just three weeks ago to-day a friend and myself ac- 

 companied two gentlemen from New-York on a hunt on 

 Gull Lake, where we had the worst possible luck in failing 

 to secure a magnificent buck which our dogs had driven 

 into the water. We were concealed on the shore, and the 

 deer swam directly toward us from the opposite side. 

 When within fifty vards of us I let him have a charge of 

 buckshot, but be only shook himself and turned in another 

 direction. Thereupon Mr. D. let drive at him, when he 

 shook himself again and continued to swim for the oppo- 

 site shore, apparently unhurt. We now jumped into the 

 boat and made after him. When we got alongside D. 

 struck him with the paddle across the neck. No damage! 

 Then 1 gave him my second barrel of buckshot fair in the 

 neck, btill he swam. The dogs by this time had followed 

 up the scent and stood on the shore waiting for him to 

 land, The deer saw them and turned back to the spot 

 where we had first been stationed. On we followed, and 

 presently D. caught up to it. D. then broke a paddle over 

 his neck, all to no purpose. Then he tried the but of his 



gun, but couldn't stop it with that either. Then he caught, 

 hold of it by the ear, but his hands were so cold and numb 

 he could not hold on. Well, we kept close up to the deer 

 all the way across, and we could see where the last shot 

 had slrnckit, as it was bleeding. It was also bleeding at 

 the month and breathing heavily. So we thought that we 

 had it for sure when it would 'laud. When it landed the 

 first time D. gave it another blow or two on its neck as 

 usual, and tumbled it into the water again. Finally it 

 landed, and went up the bank and away from US, to our 

 intense disgust. The dogs by this lime 'had crossed (lie 

 lake and taken up the track 'of the deer, chased it live or 

 six hundred yards down along the shore of the lake, when 

 the deer took the water again. As we never had time to 

 load up until now, we loaded with buckshot again, as we 

 had nothing eWe, and got into our boat for the BGCOfKl 

 chase. When we reached the place where we saw the deer 

 in the water the second lime we could see nothing of it, 

 so we concluded that it must have sunk or got away on a 

 point near by where we saw it the last time. We bat] an- 

 other run in" the afternoon, the dogs chasing a young buck 

 into Upper Gull Lake, where the two Americans were sta- 

 tioned, who succeeded in bagging it. The same day, and 

 about the same hour that Mr. D. and I were Chasing the 

 deer on Gull Lake, the steamer Ni pissing was steaming 

 altera large buck on Muskoka Lake, which, after gelling 

 within range, some one shot it and got it on board the boat. 

 It weighed 340 pounds. Belter luck than we had. 



—The dinner of the Junior Gun Club, recently held in 

 the Rossiu House, Toronto, was one of the pleasantest, 

 affairs ever held in the Dominion. The carte was unexcep- 

 tionable; there was wine r/alore, and the company embraced 

 the chief military dignitaries and citizens of the Province. 

 The President, D. Clifton Shears, did the honors of the 

 table with his accustomed sauvity. 



—Pratt's Hotel, at Rosseau Lake, Muskoka, will be 

 finished next July, and possibly sooner. It is a three-story 

 building, eighty feet in length, with Mansard roof, ami 

 a, wing nearly as large as the main building. Its location 

 is the most picturesque in this region. 



— The next meeting of the Wisconsin State Sportnicn's 

 Association will be held at Madison on the first Tuesday in 

 February next. We feel a warm interest in the success of 

 this assoeiation, and believe thai it will become ere long a 

 protective organization in action as well as iu nature. 



The following pigeon match was shot at Dexter Tark, 

 Chicago, on December 2d, under Kennicott Club rules, 

 50 birds, 24 yards rise: 



J. R. McCorinick-1, 1, 1, 1, l.'l, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 

 0, 1, 1, 1. 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 



0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1,1, 0, 1, 1, 1—41. 



G. C. Sherman— 0, 1,1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 



1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, L 1, 1, 

 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0—40. 



— Messrs. Bennett — James Gordon — and Carroll Living- 

 ston held a pigeon shooting match for §5,000 a side last 

 Friday; fifty birds each, twenty-live yards rise, eighty- 

 yards" fall. The former was (lie victor. An exacting 

 policeman disturbed their sport in one place, so they had to 

 pack up and go to Lorillard's retreat, where they were safe 

 from prying " bobbies." 



— Despite the assiduous attentions of Mr. Bergh, a large 

 field competed for the Bennet Cup at Mr. Lorillard's estate 

 last Saturday. The shooting was regulated according to 

 English rules, from fly traps, with twelve gauge double 

 barrelled breech loading guus, 1| ounce shot, 3(Tyards and 

 under, from traps, the boundary sixty yards: — 



Name. Yards. Killed. 



. J, G. Beretord ....28 1 1 01-11 1 



li. Furdv 89 1 1V"J-1 



A. Clnsou 27 1 1 0)' )0 



IS, Robiusou 27 1 



T. Van Buren 28 1 



A. Rico 28 10 



J. Lowcry 37 1 



C. Palmer 88 10 



C Fellows 38 1 



C. Steward 29 I 



G. ButnwBll 89 



Handicap sweepstakes, $5 each, at one bird, 1-| ounce 

 shot; same boundary and rule as first sweep. 



Name. ' Yards. Killed. 



C. Fellows 88 1 t 1 



A.Cla.on 47 1 1 



L. Towns-end 27 1 1 



A. Post 30 1 



a. Giimsa.. 87 l o 



L. Edwards 38 I 



A. Rice ad 1 



C. Lamson, 29 yards; 15. Robinson, Jr., 27 yards; M. Van 

 Buren,28 vards; B. Purdy, 29 yards; A. Belmont, 20 yards; 

 E. Leavitt, 20 vards; T. Van Buren, 38 yards; P. Belmont, 



28 yards; J. G. BcresEord. 27 yards; E. Stevenson, 30 

 vards; J. Lowery, 27 -vards; C. Palmer, 23 yards; S. S. 

 Howland, 27 yards; G. Barnwell, 29 yards; C. Livingston, 

 30 yards; G. Polls, 28 yards; J. Schuyler Crosby, 28 yards. 

 Each missed their first bird. 



Handicap sweepstakes, §5 each; same rules ftnfl condi- 

 tions as second sweep. 



Name. Yards. KUled. 



E. LeuviU .....Hi 1 1 1 t 1 



T.Van Bnren 58 11110 



A.Rice S3 1110 



.1. Scunyler Crosby 89 1110 



A. Belmont 8li 1110 



B. Robinson, Jr 87 1 1 



A. Post SO 1 1 



L. Edwards 86 1 1 



J. Lowery . .. ....87 1 I 



A. Clason 27 I 1 U 



C. Livingston SO 1 



J. G. Beresford 87 1 



O.Potts 28 1 



(i. Barnwell.. 29 1 



S. Rowland 27 1 



C. Lamson, 29 yards; M. Van Buren, 28 yards; B. Purdy, 



29 vards; A. Grimes, 28 yards; P. Belmont, 29 yards; E. 

 Stevenson, 20 yards; C. Palmer, 28 yards; C. Fellows, 30 

 yards; O. Stewart, 28 yards; I. Townsend, 27 yards; M. 

 "Wight, 20 yards; M. Suyder, 20 yards. Each missed their 

 first bird. 



■ ■♦»■» ; 



Providence, December 13, 1871. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Isendym herewith result of match at pigeons, between Mr. Card 

 Tucker ami .Mr. Ab. Pucker, members or the Curlew Castle Club, being 

 Mr, Card Tucker's lirst experience at trap shooting. 



C. Tucker. . 110111111111'. 11111100111 1—22 



A. Tucker 011001101011111011011011 1-17 



If you consider the above worthy or notice, pleaae give it a place in 

 the Forest AjjD Stream, Sand Fij?ee. 



Booklyn, E. D., Decembers!, 1871. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The membeis of Ihe Stormey lonesome Pigeon club, of B"?l-.wtck, met 

 al Myrtle Avenue Pork to-day for their periodical elioor, and shot at ten 

 birds each. 21 yards rise, 80 yards boundary. The two making die bcBt 

 pcorcatlnst shoot to shoot Bides, viz: W. Bender and Theodore Kinuso. 

 Losing side to pay for birds. Winners to pay for uiuncrs. The sides 

 and scores stand thus:— 



„ Name. Killed. 



vT. Bender 1 11110 11 I— 8 



U. Bender 10 1 111-5 



Mr. Simpson 1 1 1 I 0— 4 



YV. Shoueladden 00011 100 0—3 



Total. 20 



Name. Killed. 



S. Kiause 1 ill 1 1 l 1 o 1 o 



J. JKI112 I 1 ! 1 I— 5 



O. Huber (I I 1 o 1— 3 



n.Sjddlts . 1 10 1 (I 1 1 0—5 



M, Zlngler 00000000 0— 



Total 23 



yours respectfully, A, C. M., Referee. 



TrrE California CnEEDMOoit.— Company E, First Cali- 

 fornia Regiment, the team that is to shoot against Co. D, 

 Twelfth Now York, has secured a splendid range of 1,000 



yards near S;ui Fancisco, and there they practise every 

 Sunday. They held their second and third class contests 

 on the 13lh ult., and from thftir score it will be seen that 

 they have some good shots. Each man tired five shots at 

 200 yards, and live shots at 500 yards. At the former 

 range ihey fire from the shoulder, and at the latter iu any 

 position. The favorite position at the long range is thai in 

 which they prostrate themselves at full length on the 

 ground. Sunday tho second-class badge was won by A. 

 S. Folger, and the third-class by J. F. Croon. The follow- 

 ing i3 the score recorded by the first class competitors: — 

 800 yards. BOO yds. Tnt.nl. 



J. S. Campbell 3 3 3 3 3. ,15 4.4443.. 19 34 



('. I'TuHh 8 3 4 3 3.. 10 4 3 3 4 4.. 18 31 



D. Wat-on 32 3 4 J. .15 383 11 19 ..,.31 



Lieut. Hunt 3 S 3 3 3.. 14 3 8 4 1 3.. Ill .. ..8(J 



Capt. Duma 3 II 3 3 3.. 18 4 43 3 2.. Hi 2° 



\V. Murray 3 3 (I 2 3.. 11 2 2 4 4 3.. 10 28 



J. Steed 3 3 3 3., 12 4 2 3 4.. 13 85 



J. Bapiis 3 3 2.. 8 2 3 4 3 3.,1B S3 



V. C. Post 8 3 8.. 7 4 2 8 4 3. .15 23 



J. Dyson 2 3 8 3.. 10 2 3 4 3.. 12 81 



T. Mnrphv ... .4 4 0.. 8 3 2 3 3 .11 ID 



W. W. McGowen 40 224.12 40 003.. 7 10 



San Francisco, December 14, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Newspaper dispatches have informed us of the acceptance by Co. D, 

 l8tb Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y., or the challenge issued by Co. E, 1st 

 California Regiment. Their formal acceptance bus not yet come lohand. 

 That a match will now come off is beyond a doubt. The news has Al- 

 ready seated a great deal of interest, which will increase as the tlmo 

 draws near for the shootiug. Col. H. G. Sliaw, formerly or New York, 

 now connected with the San Francisco Chronicle, visitei our range last 

 Sunday on the occasion of our monthly match, tried some shots at 80D 

 nndoOOyards, showing himself "no 'prentice hand' at the game. 



Respectfully, Lieut. K. V. IlUNT, 



Co. E, IstRegt. Cat. N. G. 



— The Messrs. Remington have sent us the following 

 memoranda of an excellent target: — 



210 Soutu Third Street, Philadelphia, Dec. IS, 1871. 

 Gentlemen:— 



I have here a target made with ono of your $60 guns, 10 bore, 30 inch, 

 4 drachms powder, 1} oz. No. (i shot; size of paper. 13x20. At thirty- 

 live yards it put 211 pellets of shot in the same. Edwaku Anschutz. 



THE NEW SMYRNA HOTEL. 



Editor Forest and Stream: — 



I notice m Forest and Stream of December 17th, that Maj. George 

 ,T. Aldeu, of New Smyrna, refers lo me as one who knows the. value of 

 his locaiioti on the Hillsburo' River, as a Winter resort for invalids and 

 sportsmen. I consider that Muj. Alden's place has great advantages. 

 The climate of New Smyth* in Winter is, I think, the best in East 

 Floiidu which is available to the invalid, as it is the favlbeet point South 

 where comfortable Suartett can bo found. Mr. Load's hotel at New 



ted. What is needed is a house large cuough to receive from 10,1 to 150 

 persons, with good access to it by a steamer from St. Augustine, the 

 journey across the country from Enterprise being long and fatiguing. 

 The peculiar advantages of Maj. Alden's place, which is abontamilo 

 from Load's, across the river, are these: 



First— From Its elevated position, it always has a flue breeze sweeping 

 over It, cooling the air unci banishing the musqnitos. Second-Being di- 

 rectly on deep water, steamers run come close to ihe house, and bonting is 

 very convenient. Third— The hunting on the beach for deer, heur, &c, 



many Bocks of wading birds, pelicans, and the like. Also good fishing 



pcrs. groupers, pigtish and wliiiing, can be taken from the wharf, by- 

 casting from tho beach into the channel. Many more attractions might 

 be mimed, but I think 1 have said enough to show that a large hotel 

 would pay at this place. 9. C. Clarke. 



■*«♦- 



COOT SHOOTING OFF MINOT'S LIGHT. 



ConA3sET, Mass., December 18, 1874. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



As "coot" or sea fowl shooting is my favorite amusement, and as any 

 sportsman will admit who has ever had the good fortune to shoot them 

 on our New England coast ina mild northeaster, iu Ihe month Of Octo- 

 ber, it is not mean or baby play sport, l.with a number of others, kavo 

 been quite amused by the way the mutter has beeu written up by ihose 

 who can know but very little about it. And I feci bound to say some- 

 thiugiu favor of the only sport uow left lo us In Massachusetts worth 

 the troupe and timespent in pursuit. First. I neve) saw a man coot, in 

 a dory; they are too unsteady, and it would be impossible to manage the 

 decoys and guns in a rough sea without going overboard. Second, in 

 favor of the dory man's opinion, we do sometimes Ufl our decoys to the 

 boat, or that Is, we lie them to the same line our bout is fust lo, aud have 

 our mooring buoy one hundred or two hundred feet from the decoys, ac- 

 cording lo wind and power of gun, of which the former must be so the 

 decoys will tail the way birds are coming, or else it will not answer to 

 lie this way. It saves a grout deal of trouble when lhc sea is vary rough, 

 as you can pull yourdecoys into your boat without going after Lbein. 

 Also we often moor the bow and stern, lo keep her head to the birds 

 and not to the wind. Tins is done iu eaj'd weather, when birds are shy, 

 to show less surface to them, and yon cjin also get down out of sight to 

 heller advantage. When only held by one anchor, your boat is going 

 around iu all directions with the v, inj and tide, unless a strong wind pre- 

 vails. The decoys are managed the same. Canvas or c.rk will race lhc 

 wind, when wooden ones with leaded bottoms will face the tide. You 

 want agood, aole boat, as you will have rough times lo contend with, for 

 when the storm is worst the birds are best, and or course a man, to man- 

 age the boat aud not to snoot, as two gunning in one bout Is always dun 

 gerous. 



