Apbil 7, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



191 



BRANT SHOOTING AT CAPE MAXABAR. 



Pkovtdenob, March 30, 1881. 



Editor Foreisl and Stream : 



Thinking it might interest some of your many readers to 

 know how brant ore hunted at Cape Malabar, I will give my 

 experience for one week, commencing tbe 19th of the present 

 month. Our party consisted of four Members of the Provi- 

 dence Braining Club, who were drawu for the first week. 

 We left Providence at 8 a. m. and arrived at Chatham, Mass., 

 about. 1 p. m., aud after a good dinner took a boat with guns 

 and baggage for the Cape, which is about, four miles south 

 of Chatham, and about half way to Mouomoy, on the ex- 

 treme end of Nausett Beach. The Cape makes out to the 

 northwest from Nausett Beach, and is an island at high water 

 There are two club houses on the Cape, one belonging to the 

 Monomoy Club and the other to the Providence Club. 



The shooting boxes arc all located on the west side of the 

 Cape in the Atlantic Ocean. There are probably 500 acres of 

 sandy flats as smooth as a floor aud as level as tbe water that 

 are ail bare at low tide. The boxes which are 7 ft. long, Sh 

 ft. wide, and 3 ft. and 4 in. deep are suuk in the sand not 

 far from deep water, and the tops calculated to be about the 

 height of ordinary high water. The helpers who shoot in 

 the boxes with the members of the club and work the live de- 

 coys commence about the first of March to put iu the boxes, 

 and after they are sunk they begin to wheel sand in barrels 

 to make a bar that will show a little at high water, and after 

 the shooting commences 



They have to repair the bars at every low tide if the water 

 is rough at high tide, and frequently the gunners are driven 

 from the boxes in rough weather and have to wade ashore. 

 The Monomoy Club have three boxes in this season, and the 

 Providence have two. The boxes will accommodate two 

 gunners and one helper. Wooden decoys are set at each 

 box, anil two live ones are on the bar, they are fastened with 

 hopples attached to a long string that will reach to the end 

 of the bar say about thirty yards, and when a bunch of 

 brant come near enough to see the decoys a slight pull on the 

 string will causo the decoys to show wing, and is about sine 

 to "call down the bunch. Great care has to be taken to re- 

 move every sign of human presence, all clothing lias to be 

 about the color of sand, and the slightest motion when birds 

 are near is fatal to the decoying of brant. A single young 

 brant will sometimes lead a large flock into danger, as they 

 decoy much easier than old ones. The gunners take their 

 places in the boxes as soon as the tide begins to come in, and 

 the chances are good till the ebb tide is well down around the 

 boxes, and at low tide yon might as well hunt for brant in 

 Broadway, N. T. 



Evening tides are not favorable as a general thing, as the 

 birds do not fly much after 4 r. m. By watching the live de- 

 coys you can" judge what the wild ones are doing, If the 

 weather is cold and the decoys can reach the water they will 

 stand so it will cover their feet, aud if they cannot reach the 

 water they will squat on the sand to keep their feet warm, 

 and at such limes brant will not fly much unless disturbed. 

 The boxes are named — the two south ones are called the 

 Mud Holes, and the next one to the north is the Gravel Bar 

 and there are two on what is called the North Bar. The 

 north box is about one mile from the club-house, and is a 

 long wade at high water when the wind is blowing hard and 

 the water from two aud one-half to three feet deep. Our 

 party in four days, with unfavorable weather, killed and saved 

 forty-three brant and two black ducks, and out of twenty 

 brant shot down from one bunch, seven were lost thai fell in 

 the water too deep to wade. A boat any where in sight or a 

 floating barrel will destroy all hopes of decoying any birds. 

 Our parly were armed with the Parker guns, and some birds 

 were killed at least 100 yards off. No. 5 shot for sitting 

 shots at short range were used, and No. 1 and 2 for long fly- 

 ing shots. The Monomoy Club killed thirty brant out of one 

 bunch with six guns on the 24th of March. They had a 

 splendid sitting shot, and then took them in the air. A jour- 

 nal is kept at each house, aud tides, wind and weather all 

 carefully noted and all scores recorded. The names of the 

 hunters that occupy the boxes arc kept, and they rotate with 

 each tide so as to give all au even chance. There is general- 

 ly a circus in the evening at one of the club-houses, and then 

 with smoke anil songs between the acta the time passes rapid- 

 ly. A. D. Cot. 



sport, they can perhaps shoot one without much trouble at 

 Currituck. It is only twenty-five miles from our place— just 

 a good half-day's drive. Sportsmen who come to the Sound 

 for the purpose of shooting ducks and can spare a day or two, 

 can shoot a fleer at the same lime. I have a splendid pack of 

 hounds at my command and any person or persons who like 

 the fun of shooting deer next fall or December would do well 

 to communicate with J. B. White, Knott's Island, Currituck 

 Sound, N. C. 



Should any one doubt what I have said about the quantity 

 of deer, etc , they can apply to Josephus Baum, Poplar 

 Branch P. O, N. G, aud numbers of other parties who live 

 on the sound. 



The duck shooting has also been good on the north end of 

 the sound during February aud March. Henry S. Clarke, of 

 Walpolo, Mass., shot fifty ducks and one goose the 2d of 

 March, and his bag has been ranging from twenty to forly- 

 eight every day since. The weather has been so cold this 

 season we expect good shooting until the 1st or 10th of 

 /Vpril. -J. B. Wuitk. 



ExpiiNSES on Doos to Florida.— Baltimore, March 24. 

 — Not as a champion of railroads, but as a fellow and inter- 

 ested sportsman I should be glad if " Ken woe" would better 

 explain his balance sheet, as given in your issue of 17t.h inst 

 Figures, of course, do not. lie, but they can sometimes be 

 set down in error, as, according to my experience, they seem 

 to have been in this case, unless there is some "inside 

 track" between the two points (Charleston and Jacksonville) 

 of which I am not aware, and, in which event 1 think "Ken- 

 woe" ought to make it known far the benefit of the frater- 

 ity. In the first place he charges the account with expenses 

 on three dogs from Charleston to Augusta, #4.50 for 137 miles, 

 ■and from Augusta to Savannah §15 for 132 miles, being 

 $10.50 for 200miles— 7^c. per mile for the three dogs. Now, 

 to this charge he should have added a foot note explaining 

 that the route named is not the regular and direct, one from 

 Charleston to Savannah, the direct railroad route being only 

 115 miles instead of 2G9 miles, and at the same pro rata 

 rate for the dmjs their expense? would have been $8. 34 ( 1 | in- 

 stead of $19.50, showing an overebarce of #11.16. In the 

 second place he credits the account. " My I Un-e first-clnss 

 tickets to Jacksonville (from Charleston), via steamer. $16." 

 This is manifestly an error. There is but one steamer, and 

 she is a good one — the St. John's — plying between the two 

 ports, and Brother Brown, her genial purser, will tell you 

 that he is a "one price" establishment, aud that price is $10 

 for a first-class ticket from C. to J., making #30 for three 

 tickets, equal to an under credit of #15, to Which add #1 

 paid for dogs on steamer ; and 1 think if ' ' Ken woo" will then 

 strike a balauce on this basis he will regret not having kepi 

 his original tickets and thus have saved $13.66. — Turxey. 



W. J. M. wants the pedigree of an Irish setter dog named 

 Buck, brought to Norfolk, Va., by a young man named 

 McFall, who once lived in Brooklyn,. N. Y. 



A correspondent desires to obtain eggs of the sharp- 

 tailed grouse to hatch under a bantam lieu. Can any of our 

 Iowa, Nebraska or Minnesota readers help him? 



|*« mid Miver 



FISH IN SEASON IN APBIt. 



FRESH WATEK. 



Brook Trout, .Siilipo/r.niijuUU. 

 PlCftereL E*<iZ rrilcnUilutt. 

 like or I'ir.tcrel, /■>* iwciu*. 



Eiko-uereb (wall-eved pike) 



SALT WATER. 



Sea BUSS, Centrnprisfi* atrariun. I Pollock, Poltaelnun mrbmiarius. 



Striper! H.is-, K'jcr.ws fiiifflOw. TaulOK " 



Willie t'eieij. Norw. awericana. I onitts. 



Blnekrtsli, Tautaya 



The Armstrong Bin..— You cite with commendation a 



section of Armstrong's Assembly bill, No. 24.2, which off era a 

 State bounty for wolves, panthers, foxes, hawks and owls, 

 and remark that there are other excellent points in that bill 

 which you have not the space to notice. The subscriber 

 would like to know if you approve Sec. 2. which is framed to 

 prohibit the shooting in the waters of Long Island of any 

 wild duck, goose, brant, coot, rail, snipe, plover or gallinule, 

 between the first day of May and the first day of October ? 

 There are a great many gentlemen in this city and vicinity 

 who enjoy a few day's sport with the bay birds at the proper 

 time for shooting tliein, and who would like to know what 

 Mr. Armstrong desires to accomplish. My observation aud 

 information have led me to suppose that their flight back 

 from the northern breeding grounds is mainly over before the 

 first of October. 



If that be the fact is not this propsed amendment an absurd 

 one? I would like to see in your columns full and. reliable 

 information from the baymen and their annual guests about 

 the date of commencement, duration, etc, of the flights each 

 way of the snipe and plover for the benefit of all concerned, 

 ■:■■.<•' i ' mis especially. Let me as a subscriber to your 

 paper from its initial number thank you for the novel and 

 complete statistical report showing the effect of the weather 

 last wiuter on the game in New Jersey. That table alone is 

 worth to me the price of a year's subscription. It is by such 

 enterprises that the Forkst and Stream endears itself to its 

 patrons and long may its banner wave. 

 Mew York, Mareh 2G. II. H. Thompson. 



Deer Hunting at Currituck.— 1 don't believe there is a 

 place in the United States where deer are more plentiful to 

 the size of the woods than they are in a certain spot on Curri- 

 tuck Sound. A party of men, four in number, shot eleven 

 deer at this place in one day. One man shot five on one 

 stand. It is a beautiful little strip of land situated on the 

 east side of Currituck Sound and bordered by the Atlantic. 

 It is only eia-ht miles in length and two and a half miles wide 

 in the widest part. Three of my friends and myself spent a 

 couple of days there in February. We started about twenty 

 deer in the two days and saw ten more ; but not having any 

 experience with that kind of game .before, we were not very 

 successful in bagging many of them. But if any person 

 reads this who never shot a deer and would like that kind of 



Tennessee— Savannah, March 21.— The shooting seaBon 

 just passed has proved the poorest I have ever known. 



Birds seemed to be plenty in October, but the unusual se- 

 verity of the winter drove them to the woods and canebrakes, 

 whence it was impossible to dislodge them. As we have 

 had no heavy snows, the birds have not suffered much from 

 the weather, but large numbers have been trapped and shot 

 on the ground by pot-hunters. 



Ducks have been very scarce this season. They were here 

 in large numbers about the 1st of November, but soon left. 

 A few weeks ago they returned, remaining a week or two, 

 and sonic gCHxfshooting was had. One gun bagged twenty- 

 five mallards in two hours' shooting one evening about two 

 weeks ago. 



Squirrels are reported as abundant, and there are several 

 flocks of wild turkeys in the woods along the river. The 

 wild geese, which had been unusually numerous all winter, 

 left us early in February. A great many were killed by 

 shooting at them from the decks of the steamboats which ply 

 our river. From all appearances there are quail enough left 

 over to insure good shooting next fall, if we cau havo a dry 

 June. We are having considerable excitement just now 

 about mad dogs. Several cases of rabies have now beeu re- 

 ported ; but so far the disease has not attacked any valuable 

 dogs. Up to this time it has resulted only in the destruction 

 of some score or more of worthless curs; and if it spreads no 

 further will prove an unalloyed blessing. Wilt.. 



Snipe Shooting — Torn., Memphis, March 28.— The birds 

 are now coniingon to the Arkansas) prairies iu fair quantities. 

 "Guido" and two friends have just returned from a two 

 day's hunt on Grand Prairie, bagging upward of 200 birds. 

 I learn that Mr. Orgill, of your city, now on a visit here, ac- 

 companied by Judge McDowell, starts to-day for a week's 

 hunt on the prairies.— Scare. 



Minnesota— Sauk Centre, March 22.— Judging from pres- 

 ent indications the chicken shooting will be excellent the 

 coming season. Yesterday, about two miles above town, I 

 saw a large number of prairie chickens on the stubble fields 

 where lhe snow has thawed away trying to get a taste of 

 grain. The ducks and geese are eagerly looked for, aud in a 

 few days at most they will be bere in abundance. Our sport- 

 ing club are ready to make it " pleasant " for them as long 

 as they feel inclined to stay. — Dele. 



Gulp City Gun Ci.ub— Port of Mobile.— At the annual 

 election of tbe Gulf City Gun Club, held March 10, the follow- 

 ing gentlemen were elected to serve the ensuing year : Presi- 

 dent, Frank P. Davis : Vice President, WilUam B. Holt ; 

 Secretary, John F. Summersell : Treasurer, Jas. Alexander, 

 Jr.; Attorney, William Boylcs.' Executive Committee : H. 

 P. Vass, Chairman ; Geo. W. Tunstall, Jas. C. Bush, Chas. 

 L. Huger, Edmund Carre, William S. Goodall, Chas. W. 

 Leslie. 



Wisconsin- Waushara County, March 24.— It is gratifying 

 to know there is even an occasional reminder administered to 

 violators of the game law in this State. Last week a man 

 shot a doe near here which would have increased the tribe by 

 two if allowed to live the proper time. The man was brought 

 before a justice iu Saxcville and fined $4.50 and costs, not a 

 very heavy pleualty, but costly enough to give the poacher a 

 wholesome respect for the law, it is to be hoped.— Badger. 



INFORMATION WANTED. 



Mr. W. Humphreys, formerly of Newark, N. J., will please 

 send his address to this office. 



Can any one inform ub of a fox hound in the stud in the 

 vicinity of Woodbridge, N. J. 



THE ANGLER'S NEW YEAR. 



OK the first day of April it is lawfully permitted to kill, 

 have in possession, and to eat trout within the limits of 

 the State of New York, and on this day the worshipers at 

 the shrine of balvelinus who may have been cribbed, cabined 

 or confined within the city's walls all wiuter, either rush with 

 rod aud reel to Long Island or other adjacent waters, regard- 

 less of the east wiud and its accompanying rheumatism, or 

 they saunter down to Fulton Market to see the display of their 

 favorites which has now become the annual fashion. 



The weather was favorable to the display, being damp, and 

 therefore the flab held their moisture and color, and the dirty 

 old market was invaded by a well dressed and well behaved 

 crowd of people, among whom were several gentlemen noted 

 on the bench, in the pulpit and in the councils of the nation, 

 as well as many ladies. Trout and rosebuds, trout ami lilies, 

 huge bouquets between layers of trout, baskets of exquisite 

 (lowers, Hanked crimson "flecked fishes aud sea anemones 

 which tried hard to rival the floral gems, made it a display 

 worth a journey to see, and for two days Blackford's was 

 crowded from nine in the morning till six by eager sight seers. 

 Other dealers have caugh' the infection and decorated their 

 stands with flowers, and the restaurants did the same andla- 

 blcd their fish with their respective localities — iu fact it was 

 the very apotheosis of trout ! 



The enterprise of Mr. E. G. Blackford in drawing speci- 

 mens from the fishculturists at home aud aboard, and in 

 bringing great specimens from California and other distant 

 sources, which he exhibits until they are past, utilizing for 

 food, at a great expense, makes his exhibit the great attraction. 

 In his office was the famous stuffed specimen of A fo/UiiwHs, 

 of ten pounds weight, from the Kangeley lakes of Maine, 

 caught by Vice President Page of the Fishcultural Associa- 

 tion, some years ago. The old fellow has lost a piece of his 

 tail, but does not seem to mind that as he does Ihefact which 

 casl a gloom over his glns< eyes, that on the wall opposite 

 hung a hated rival of eleven pounds in plaster, cast from a 

 fresh specimen taken las' October ami forwarded to Professor 

 Baird, who had it used as a mould from which the present 

 east was made. The new aspirant for avoirdupois fame was 

 painted to the life, and did not seem to be aware that, he had 

 done anything to provoke envy, but kept his weather eye on 

 a glass case below him, exhibited by Gaston L. Feuardcnt, 

 which contained a lot of pre-historic (ishhooks or bronze from 

 the. lake-dwellers of Switzerland, a bronze "sacred fish" from 

 Ktrypt, whose sauctity he could hardly make out, and some 

 shell lish hooks and a bone pre-historic spear. Once we 

 caught a decided sneer on the face of his eleven-poundship, 

 as he evidently thought what a good time they would have 

 had to take him out of the wet with such implements as that. 

 Prof. Baird also sent a jar of the California "mountain 

 trout," Salmo purpuratm (not the "Rainbow trout" to 

 which the name "mountain trout" has been recently applied 

 in some Eastern States) and "Clark's trout," 8. clarkii, which 

 ranges from California to Alaska and Eastern Asia. Mr. B: 

 B. Redding, of ihe California Fish Commission, sent a quan- 

 tity of the singular "Viviparous porch," Mmbfctvca Uneata, 

 Grd., which contained young; Truckee River and Lake 

 Tahoe trout; "Dolly Varden," Sulmiinu* malma, and 

 "Rainbow trout." 8a%IW irkleee. Messrs. M, T. Brewer A 

 Co.. 30, 32 J Street, Sacramento, sent specimens of the trout 

 from Humbolt and other rivers, one of which weighed eleven 

 pounds. None of the California specimens were under two 

 pounds and from that to eleven; the Dolly Varden weighed 

 four. Of fishes other than trout there, were "pompano," 

 Tracltyiuitm earoUnua, from the Gulf of Mexico; 

 live Hackcnsack River smelts from Mr. Geo. Ricardo, of 

 llackensack, N. J., in aquaria; the first North River shad of 

 the season, taken by N. B. Lent, at Croton Landing ; and a 

 fresh Nova Scotia salmon, while from the New York State 

 hatchery came hybrid quinnat salmon aud brook trout, and 

 hybrid lake and brook trout. 



The following is an alphabetical list of exhibitors of brook 

 trout — the fish were all dead except where otherwise noted : 

 James Annin, Jr., Caledonia, N. Y. the smaller specimens 

 were red bellied and in better color than the larger ones ; W 

 H. Bryant, Hempstead, L. I.; R. Burgess and Sou, Ben- 

 nington, Vt.; G. F. Chichester, Patehogue, L. I., si nail but- 

 nice; Thomas Clapham, Roslyn, L. I., young live trout of 

 three months in jars; Wm J. Cooper, Lancaster, Pa., the 

 best table trout in the collection, high colored, plump and 

 fine; South Side Sportsman's Club of hong Island, plump, 

 handsome, light colored and white mealed, quite, large; Geo. 

 H. Dickerman. New Hampton, N. H., amber beauties; Ceo. 

 W. Etter, Lohmaster's, Pa.; Chas B. Fisher, Spring Valley, 

 N. Y, wild trout, light color, plump and silvery, very hand- 

 some; J. French, Jr., Morehousevillc, Hamilton Co., N. Y., 

 wild trout; W. A. Gilbert, Plymouth, Mass., very handsome; 

 Seth Green, N. Y. State Hatching Works, brook and rain- 

 bow trout of two aud three years; John Gregory, Patehogue, 

 L. I ; M. Hotran, Quebec, very dark wild trout, thin and 

 frozen; M. Height, Elmira, N. Y.; C. A. Hoxie, Carolina, 

 R I , handsome trout, fed on liver and curd; J. W. Hoxie 

 & Co., Carolina, R. I.; H. D. McGovern, Brooklyn, L. L, 

 live trout of one and two years, in aquaria, jdead trout — 

 enemy of trout (Belostomet. (rrandis) and small carp ; N. 

 Clinton Miller, Brookhaven, L. I , large, dark and fine ; 

 Thomas Mowatt, Campbelltown, New Brunswick, wild trout, 

 dark colored aud plump ; Geo. F. Parlow, New Bedford, 

 Mass.; A. Rackon, Foster's Meadows, L. I., live trout in 



