JUroh 31, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



169 



Stations. 



Gnylord 



Otsego Lake 



Forest. 



Grayling 



lo eeuiiunon 



Cheney 



St. ileiens 



Beaver Lake 



ogemaw . 



West blanch 



sum mil 



wells 



Dunham aud Sterling 



Standfetl 



rtneonnlng ,.,... 



TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF DEER ft? MICHIGAN. 



SECRETARY RONEY, of the Michigan Sportsmen's As- 

 sociation has recently been engaVjad in celleclijg stalls 

 tics in regard to the killing of deer in that state. These sta- 

 tistics were presented to the State Legislature March 15. and 

 are of startling interest. Their importance will be especially 

 appreciated by the residents of Michigan. The following 

 abstract gives the main points of the report : 



A prominent railroad man says: After careful investigation I 

 find there were 9.O0Q deer and saddles shipped over the MaokinaM 

 division during the open season last fall. More than half of this 

 amount was shipped ont of the State to other markets). In addition 

 to this number 1 saw four bates of hides, a great number of them 

 in tbe red coat, that had been killed on the An Sable Brvei ont of 

 season by " shinning" and dono by persons hunting for the hides 

 who threw away the fore quarters, Having oulv the baddies bv jerk- 

 ing. These bales contained about 400 skins. The deer that were 

 kilted at that season of the year left fawns to die of starvation. 



It has got to be a common thing to have venison upon the total 

 tables at Grayling aud Forest during the summer mouths, furnished 

 by persons who do nothing else except linril and linn at, all times of 

 the year whenever they can find sale for their venison red grayling. 

 A party told me that he bad killed four deer one night by '•"shin- 

 ning"' on the Manistee Hivor. 



The estimate of 9,000 deer shipped on tliu Mackinaw division of 

 the Michigan Central during the fall of 188U is based upon toe fol- 

 lowing statements of venison shipments from stations north of Bay 

 City, and which, being copied from the shipping bills, are neces'- 

 santy correct- : 



Pounds 

 Shipped. 



12,580 



Si,500 



2-2,500 



75,000 



250,000 



47,U00 



....... 12,500 



121,500 



15,000 



187,500 



100,000 



'28,000 



-•' 50,000 



» 00.000 



12,500 



Total.lbs i~o^oo 



Averagiug 11-2 poundB to a deer, which is not too small consider- 

 ing that a large portion were fawns and saddles, gives na in round 

 numbers 10,000 deer shipped from the. fifteen stations above with 

 ten stations on the road yet to hear from. 



As to the shipments oil the Flint & Pero Marquette and the 

 Grand Biver & Indiana Bauroads it is perfectly safe to phi. e, ,: 

 number at 5,000 from each road. 



In reference to lumber camps and the shore. S. A Van Duzeii 

 propiietor of the Fraser House, Bay City, writes me February 10 



188l : "As to the shore, Mr. , of Oscoda, told me to-day he 



consumed 125 deer at his lumber camp this winter, and that there 

 was not leas than 1,000 shipped from Oaeoda by steamer." 



There ate in northern Michigan at least 1,'00U lumber camps. 

 Taking only ,100 of these and averaging nod v ,;, ..•; lolisd ,, ,„ lv ,, 

 each camp gives 12,1100 killed for this purpose alone. 



11' 1,000 were shipped from Oscoda alone, 1,000 is certainly a 

 moderate estimate for the entire east shore. According to the An 

 Sable and Oscoda AVies, there »ere killed in that section for 

 " home consumption"— which moans largely "for tbe hides, "- 

 4,000 deer, and 2,000 shipped by rail and steamer is considered a fair 

 estimate for the west shore. 



To closely estimate tho number of deer killed for then- hides in 

 the Ted coat is a more difficult, matter ; but knowing persounilv of 

 2,500 deer go killed, and in view of the seeresv with which this Khjd 

 of slaughter is conducted, I consider 7,000 'deer a reasonable cal- 

 culation for tbe number so killed. 



The number for home consumption in the lower peninsula I have 

 placed at 5,000, and by this term 1 include all deer killed by Bettlers 

 for food purposes, which you will remember occurs every day in the 

 year ; also the large number taken on the trains bv resident binn- 

 ing parties as extra baggage but of which no record is had in most 

 cases, the game being returned free. 



The upper peninsula is allowed 7,000 as its quota, which includes 

 all deer killed for any purpose— for the hides, home eonsieupt ion 

 lumber camps and shipment by rail and steamer, yon will ploauc 

 observe that no calculation has been made for tbe largo ouinljci of 

 suckling fawns which have of necessity starved to death dm me the 

 spring and summer months when deprived of their mothers 'Imllr 

 by the bullet of the insatiate '-hide hunter." 



The grand summary of deer killed for ah purposes in Michigan 

 during the year 1880 is then as follows ; 



Locality. 



West Shore, shipped 



East: Shore, shipped 



Oscoda County 



Flint £Pere}hrcmttte Railroad.,,. 



Grand Kaplds & Indiana Kallroatl 



Home Consumption . . 



Smut.:,- of 

 tlr,:r killed. 



'-\ijijO 



..... 4,000 

 ..... 4,000 



4,000 



5,000 



5,000 



7,0110 



Klfied mr hides alone 



Mackinaw dh1s;onoi r.lie .Michigan tvmrsi Inn In red" '..'.',' "." "loom) 

 Killed for lumber camps "muoo 



Grand total of deer. . 



-,C0,0:ni 



This ib about 7,500,000 pounds of venison destroyed in the single 

 year of 1880. At this rate how long will it take to ext< rmmiiie 

 tho species in Michigan? And when the present supply i, gone 

 where can the next come from ? Certainly noi from the North 

 East or West, for that is a geographical impossibility , while liven 

 the south it cannot be expected. Unlike other St'ttcs ehieh Ins-dor 

 upon vast wildernesses, out of which a new supply comes to rc- 

 plendish the disappearing race, the Lower Peninsula" of edichimam 

 when it has once permitted this noble animal to be externa mated 

 between Lakes Michigan and Huron, has forever lost a great, source 

 of wealth and valuable food supply, which, if now wisely pre- 

 served, will last for generations. 



The immense increase from 21,000 deer killed m 187S to 60,000 

 killed in 1880 is due in part to the cold weather win. t f.nw ei i 

 and continued steadily throughout the fall, but pnnriinaUv to the 

 prohibitory export laws of surrounding Slates, which are' driving 

 into Michigan ail the professional market hunters of the cnuri'm' 

 Can it, Legislature which is , egoieaiit, of these facts ie.,e. ommi' 

 that very protection which is the first law of nature, as 'if is" of 

 ishrtes and of nations? 



Of the 60,000 deer killed in M ichigan in 1880, 45,000 were shipped 

 from the State or destroyed for tho hides How long can' the 

 Slate stand ibis dram before the last relic, of the whole" race, dis- 

 appears V Just about live years ; they will become- scarce in twelve 

 mouths more. 



The remedy is plain. Doc.laro the killing of game for other pur- 

 poses than consumption as food within this V U . , 1 

 recommended by our " Committee on Laws for the protection' 61 

 gamo animals of fur and feather and insectivorous mi 1~ " Then 

 all game shipped from the State will be prfjfia en ■■ iti led in vio- 

 lation of the law. This will save 20,000 to 28,000 dsci yearly 

 Then declare it a misdemeanor or crime to kill de»r in tbe'rtd' m' 

 spotted coat, or have in possession such red or spotted coat In b .: 

 aud the killing for hides will almost wholly cease, and illegal kill- 

 ing for lumber camps will be greatly restricted, saving lioild to 

 17, hid more deer yearly aud reducing the annual desimm: ton from 

 60,000 to about 12,000 to 15,000. 



At the highest estimate there are not more than sixty resident 

 hunting parties in this State who hunt with doga foi- pleasure 

 Averaging twelve deer to each party of twelve men upon each 

 lr p of two weeks, ami two snob hunts a, year girts 1 440 deer out 

 ot the (10,000 which were killed by Urn tax-paying citizens rit this 



.State during 1SS0. The writer knows of lint one party ('of three 

 men; of resident hunters for market who limit with dogs, but there 

 may" bo others. These partiea are always small in numbers. 

 Granting that there mav be ten such parties in the State, and that 

 each takes Qfty deer yearly, »f haw 500 deer as the aggregate of 

 the carcases killed for the mark. 1 with dogs. Then wo will con- 

 cede that there may he foijv uomresi. lent parlies v,ho .on," to 

 Tith dogs" for p 



pa. tie 

 for e 

 shipp 



Alio 



the i 



of : 



ratli 



lent 



itb thy aid of doge and 

 id in the families of our 

 It ho prevented bv the 

 o can of 2.000. Adding 

 i, and 1,000 moro to that, 

 uidispuiable fairness, and 

 what is the result V Four thousand deer killed for all purposes 

 with the aid of dogs in Michigan during 1880. and 50,000 killed hv 

 still-hunters for all purposes during the same sear. Cau any san'e 

 person now ask that deer hunting be restricted solelv to still- 

 hunters by passing a law to prohibit citizens of this "State the 

 pleasure of hunting with their dogs ? 



to til 



tat 



the a 



halls i 

 time 



THE FLIGHT OF RIFLE BALLS. 



Cleveland, O., March 14. 



MR. T. S. VAN" DYKE, in his interesting; arlitle pub- 

 lished in the Forest asd Btkkatm of March 10, pro- 

 poses ("just for fun") to demonstrate that a rifle ball does 

 not begin to fall the instant it leaves the muzzle, that as re- 

 gards si falling motion although driven at great velocity for- 

 ward it is in a stale of inertia. He appears to claim (for fun, 

 presumably, lie is full of it) that during a certain space of 

 time unknown of that state of inertia a rifle ball will be 

 "driven on a level line." To show how far his ball would 

 be projected on this "level line " he sighted bis rifle of a cali- 

 bre of .05 "to cut at ten yards the lower edge of an inch 

 bullseye (so as to get the line of sight, and the centre of the 

 line of fire parallel), aud could detect no drop at fifty yards. 

 At seventy-five yards the ball was in the. lower edge of a 

 two-inch bullseye ; at 100 yards at the lower edge of a four- 

 inch bullseye,." 



Now, it is believed that Mr. Van Dyke's position is not 

 tenable on philosophical grounds nor on correct practical ex- 

 periment. And to convince him that Mai. Merrill is right 

 when he declares: "It is as mathmctieally certain that the 

 ride does not carry straight for ten yards as that it does not 

 for 1,000 yards. Gravity is always pulling the ball down, its 

 efforts commence at the muzzle of the gun, and no velocity 

 of the ball cin cancel it," he has only to leiuember that an 

 ounce ball or any ball tired from a rifle placed say ten feet 

 above and exactly parallel to a horizontal plane, and the same 

 size and weight of ball dropped from the same height at the 

 same instant the ball fired left the muzzle of the gnu, both 

 balls will strike tbe plane below at the same instant ol time, 

 or if he blow a ball through the gun ten to fifty feet or drop 

 another at. the same time both willsfrike the ground together. 



Taking this for an undisputed fact, there could be no time 

 ball fired to be "driven on a level line" and si like 

 iml at the same time the dropped ball does. Both 

 ml begin to fall at once, aud continue to fall all the 

 id exactly alike, to reach the same distance at the same 

 instant of time. The same force of gravitation nets exactly 

 equally on each ball no matter how great the velocity of one 

 may be; and if one ball lost anytime in traveling on a 

 "level line," and the other kept on dropping all the time, 

 and both at the same rate, thev could not both strike the plane 

 at the same instant. 



The atmospheric retardation of lead ba 1 Is and shot is said 

 to he as the stpiare of their diameter. The diameter of an 

 ounce ball is .66307 of an inch: its fall in one second of 

 lime by gravitation is 15.990 feel, and if unobstructed it will 

 fall with au increasing speed (inversely as the square of 

 the distance) until it acquires an ultimate velocity of 207 28 

 feet per second, and forever after continue at that speed. As 

 the fall increases very rapidly until the ultimate velocity is 

 reached, the initial velocity and time of flight per second be- 

 comes very essential in arriving at the true fall of any given 

 diameter and weight of ball aud shot. It is difficult to as- 

 certain the exact highest initial velocity that can be given to 

 any projectile by Hie expansion of gunpowder. It may 

 range from 800 to 4.000 feet per second, but in rifle and shot- 

 gun shooting from 1,000 to 2,500 will not be far out of the 

 way. 



If you could give an ounce ball (diameter .0020) an initial 

 velocity of 4,000 feet per second it would be projected up (a 

 Utile more horizontally as then there would be no gravitation 

 to pull it back) 31)59. 4 feet in 9.4o5 seconds, while atau initial 

 velocity of 1,000 feet per second the total distance would be 

 2,109 feet in 8.400 seconds, and in one-eighth of a second it 

 would he projected 124,9 feet, and at 4,000 feel muzzle veloci- 

 ty 439.92 feet in one-eighth of a second ; at 2,000 feet muzzle 

 velocity 237.85 in one-eighth second. And if you give No. 6 

 shot (diameter .10131 of an inch) an initial or muzzle veloci- 

 ty of 4,000 feet per second it would be projected 800 feet in 

 3.754 seconds; at 3,000 feet muzzle velocity 741.20 feet, in 

 3 738 seconds; at 2.000 feet in, velocity .058.31 feet in 3.700 

 seconds, and at 1,000 feetin, velocity 51.4.54 feet in 3.548 sec- 

 onds. Thus it will be seen that while an ounce ball at an in- 

 itial velocity of 4,000 feet per second will travel 3959.4 feet 

 in 9.405 seconds a No. shot at the same initial velocity will 

 only travel 800 feet in 3.754 seconds. 



Hence it appears that although there be a constant parabol- 

 ic fall from the instant a projectile leaves the muzzle to the 

 end of its flight there is a great difference in the trajectory 

 of au ounce ball at 4,000 feet initial velocity and one at 1,000 

 feet, initial velocity and a still more marked difference be- 

 tween the ounce ball and No. 6 shot at tho same initial ve- 

 locities of 4,000 and 1,000 feet per second. 



Mr. Van Dyke himself explains in the last paragraph of 

 his ingenious article the real cause of lii s (real or assumed; 

 mistake as to the actual fall of any projectile from the muz- 

 zle to the target, no matter what the distance maybe, by 

 showing a diil'eience of six inches in the fall of his .05 inch 

 round ball shot from his ten pound rifle, at 175 yards, charged 

 with five drams of mixed powder (always the best), and 

 six drains of the same powder. His rifle is unquestionably 

 a good one. Its weight allows him to load heavily and not 

 kill at both ends, and yet acquire au extraordinary initial 

 veh ici i y. The great velocity' and great weight, of his ball and 

 his six drams of mixed powder undoubtedly give him a re- 

 markably flat trajectory iu the first 150 to 200 yards, and this 

 may have led him to fall into the error (if he is not in fun) of 

 suggesting that there might possibly bo a space, and, there- 

 fore, a time when a ball could be " driven on a level line." 

 It cannot be done. D. W. CrQSS 



OUR DETROIT LETTER. 



LIGHT begins [o break in the sportsmen's east, and ducks 

 are becoming- plentiful hereabout. One day this week 

 Dr. B. C. I'Vnnklin, of Michigan University (who is not only a 

 learned and eminent and grave professor,' but an enthusiastic 

 sportsman all round), accompanied by Justice Walter 

 Schwcikcrl, of this city, went down to Turkey Island, in 

 Detroit River, where limy stayed two days and captured a 

 rousiug bag of ducks eacli. In looking around town to-day 

 I find that redheads are selling at thirty cents and bluebills 

 at twenty-five cents a pair. They stick close to the river, 

 for the reason that the marshes and bays above and below 

 Detroit River are yet unbroken ice fields. The Huron River is 

 breaking up, however, and the note of preparation at Point 

 Moni lie is heard "like clink of armorers closing rivets up." 

 Several enthusiasts, including M. P. Neff, of Cincinnati, are 

 going down next week, big with hope of immortal achieve- 

 ments. 



The bill now before the Michigan Legislature passed the 

 Senate yesterday with the clause prohibiting night shooting 

 stricken out. There is every reason to believe that it will 

 have a safe and peaceful passage through the House and se- 

 cure the Governor's signature. 



There is a deal of indignation manifested by Detroit 

 sportsmen at the reckless and criminal neglect of the game 

 laws now in vogue in Michigan — at least in respect of killing 

 deer in the northern counties. A gentleman who has been 

 very active in the matter of game legislation informed me 

 yesterday that Indians and whites have gone to the extreme 

 of killing animals with knives — like common assassins— 

 merely to obtain the skins, leaving the slain carcasses lying 

 on the show. The worst instances that have been reported 

 occurred along the extension of the Jackson, Lansing and 

 Saginaw Railroad, north of Gaylord, and in the vicinity of 

 Mullet Lake. As I get it, there were fifteen deer killed in 

 one yard— not Bhot, but brutally butchered like hogs, and 

 several of the does were heavy with young. The ouly arrest 

 that has been made, so far as I know, was that of an Indian 

 who was fined the ridiculously inadequate sum of f 2. The 

 only way to put a slop to this is for genuine sportsmen to 

 organize a merciless crusade agaiust these criminal butchera. 



Detroit, March 20, 1881. Vmoc<*, 



Fi.oiuda— Monficcllo, March 24, -The English snipe have 

 alj gone north,— W, % T. 



LIFE IN THE WOODS. 



Hyde Paek, Feb. 2?. 

 Editor Fon-it and Stream : 



Capt. Barker delivered a rixlh and last lecture on Friday 

 p. m., and I had taken notes prepara'ory to sending the clos- 

 ing portion of his lecture, which was remarkably ~good, but 

 as I found it reported in the Boston Ucfalcl, I clip it out and 

 semi it to you, as a specimen of a vivid and thrilling de- 

 scription of one phase of a hunter's life ; and considering lhat 

 it is in the language of a man who i, a simple, honest hunter 

 and who claims not to be a man of education, I think it 

 reimi'kahly good. He is to be with us next winter, and 

 will llicn be proposed to give our boys another course of lec- 

 tures, which will, in all probability, be superior to those 

 given this winter, as he has now learned what is expected of 

 a lecturer, and has lost that embarrassment which necessarily 

 accompanied his first appearance before an educated audi- 

 ence.— E. VB. M. 



The lecture, as reported, was as follows : 



Imagine yourself trapping off in the woods in the month of De- 

 cember. There is a foot of light snow on the ground. Von aro 

 just leaving camp iu the morning : you have another camp twelve 

 or fifteen miles away on the mountains : von have two lines of 

 traps leading to this carnp : one goes to the right over the hard- 

 wood mountains, where there is good ground ~ for tbe sable and 

 fishereat : the other goes to the left' up a brook and around a small 

 pond, where tho otter, beaver and mink work : then up another 

 brook valley to camp, You take vour axe, rifle, bag of bait and 

 lunch, and follow the mountain hue, while vuur pariner takes tho 

 valley hue. Yen both expect to meet at 'the other camp before 

 dark. It begins to snow by 10 c'elock. but vonr partner litis no 

 trouble in following the valley line. He gets 'to camp an hour be- 

 fore dark and cute the wood for tho night, gets it in, builds a fire 

 and gets supper, expecting to bear vou eonimg every minute, but 

 things have gone differently with yoii. There is more snow on the 

 mountain than in tho valley : the traveling is hard ; the traps 

 want a good deal of setting over and living"; a fisher has got into 

 one of them and dragged it off a little navs, and it takes quite a 

 while to t,od Idiii. A light wind dcic, r:.i,. fa-t-0illiog d:nin 

 snow against the trunks 'of the trees. It sticks there, and by 2 

 o'clock you cannot see the " blazes'' on the trees until you have 

 hi'ustied away the snow, ion dud one, and ilitn loos aloud and 

 make up your mind which tree the next one is on. You brush off 

 the snow— there is no blaze there. Then you go to a tree, a little 

 way to the right, and brush again ; no blaze there ! then vou go 

 to the left aud brush again ; still no blaze ! but vou keep hunting, 

 and, after a while, vou find it. Then, perhaps, yun have to go 

 through the same luaiueuvre tu find the nest one". This all taken 

 time, and before yon are aware of it, it is growing dark. You 

 have lost: the lino altogether, now ; you do not know whether it is 

 to tbe right or left of you ; yon know that you are still a long way 

 from camp, and you don't know the course, so your compass is of 

 little use to yon. You think there IB a good chance of your having 

 to lie out, and you slip your baud into your pocket to make sure 

 that your match-box is all right, but vour match-box is not there. 

 It has slipped out of your pocket in the berth the night, 

 before and you have never realized the importance of 

 alwayi bcin.? sure that yon had vour match-box before 

 leaving camp in the morning. Your situation is not 

 pleasant now; the damp snow through the dav. to- 

 gether with the perspiration yen have raised bv vuur hard walking, 

 has wet your clothes through aud through. It has stopped snowing 

 now. The wind lias shifted aioiud into the northwest and is 

 blowing a gale. Tbe snow comes piling down from the trees upon 

 you. The fast-llymg clouds look white and fleecy, and you occa- 

 sionally see a. cold looking star up through them. Tho mercury is 

 liable to creep down to 25 or SO below aero before morning. It is 

 no uso to think of lying out. it, in— Qui to camp or die. You are 

 struggling on through tho snow and darkness, fully conscious of 

 your situation, nlitm maidenly you bear the dim report of a rifle— 

 a. id, boys, you have no idea how good the report of a rifle can 

 sound, and what a change it can make in your feelings in an in- 

 stant, uutil yon hear it under some such circumstances. At first 

 you find yourself rushing on in the direction from which the sound 

 came trying to make yourself believe that it was not tbe report of 

 a rifle that yon -heard, but you hear it again. "There," you 

 say to yourself, '■ that's my old partner's rifle sure, and I am all 

 right once more." Yon then fire your rifle to let your partner know 

 that he is heard, and then vou pull out toward camp again, guided 

 by the occasional report of the rill... and when vou get iu sight of 

 .p how good the spsiks look shooting out of the smoke hole 1 



thi 



Tho While He 



ingoing Preai 



has tofhehu 

 worked tbe h 



o<l„ 



looked more pleasant. to (... 

 i than tho rough log csrnp 

 ice as this. The men who 

 r thanked with 



s f o 



lstf 



? "P 



to a knoll aud firing his rifle. The finest dinner that wai 

 served at the Parker House, with all its rcasts and nines, could not 

 taste half as good to those that were honored with it as the hunt- 

 er's supper of deer moat, spider cakes, or slapjacks and black tea, 

 With neither milk nor sugar in it. The finest bed that was ever 



