514 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jrax 28, 1881. 



Will - ; 1 than a boy while going ou an errand at bis master's 

 command. Either, when out of sight, and hearing of the 

 master, have it in their power to 'stroll without restraint.' or 

 rove at will ; but neither do so, so long as they continuously 

 and vigorously pursue the thing commanded. Hence the 

 fact that the dog when shot was out of sight and hearing of 

 his master, is not determinative of whether he was "running 

 at large.' If the plaintiff's testimouy gained credit, when 

 shot the dog was in hot pursuit of ihe fox in obedience to 

 the command of the plaintiff, with all his instincts urging 

 him thereto, as each bound brought him nearer and nearer 

 the coveted prize. We do not think such a dog, thus run- 

 ning, is, within the meaning of the statute, running at large." 

 . — ♦, — 



TnE Anti-Pigeon Shooting Bill. — At a special meeting 

 of the Onondaga Co. Sportsmen's Club, held in this city last 

 evening, it was unanimously resolved to petition the "Gov- 

 ernor and remonstrate against the bill of Mr. Bergh, now be- 

 fore the Executive, becoming a law bv his signature. Mr. 

 William E. McMaster, representing the sportsmen or New- 

 York city, was requested to draft the following letter ex- 

 pressive of the sentiments of the sportsmen of Onondaga, 

 which will be presented to the Governor at once: 



"Tne Bergh bill now before you is a usurpation of our 

 chartered rights as sportsmen. The sixty sportsmen's clubs 

 of this State, embracing thousands of our most, excellent citi- 

 zens, whose characters place them above the suspicion of 

 any cruelly to animals, are the natural and most zealous de- 

 fenders of our game laws. This Bergh bill seeks to over- 

 throw the legislative laws which govern our clubs and our 

 annual State Association contests of skill. Therefore, we 

 pray you to protect our associations, formed for the humane 

 and real purpose of protection to animals, fish and game, 

 against any and all fanatical sentiments or measures which 

 seek to interfere with our authorized rights or destroy our 

 usefulness as defenders of our game laws." 



Mr. McMaster, who has the' matter in charge, with ex- 

 . President AM Cook, of New York, and Mr. Murray, of 

 Niagara, President of the New York State Association, with 

 others equally prominent, arc concerting measures to put 

 the matter in "its proper light before the Governor, and they 

 have no donljt that they will be able to show him that they 

 arc the true protectors "of game, and that this hill is a direct 

 blow 7 at the life of their organization, which, without these 

 contests of skill, could hardly exist.— /Syracuse llcrald. 



Minnesota Prairie Chicken SnooriNi;.— Mnnkato, Minn. 

 — There was the usual migration of prairie chickens south 

 last fall ; still, veiy large, numbers stopped with us all winter, 

 notwithstanding its unusual rigor, length and great depth of 

 snow, which we a'l attribute to its early advent and the 

 many cornfields which remainedunharvested. All the livelong 

 winter, as we took sleighrides. out among the prairie farmers, 

 it was a noticeable fact, as well as a most pleasing sight, to 

 observe the large flocks of chickens gathering their provant 

 from the pendant ears of corn in almost every uuharvested 

 field, waddling through the snow up to their waists. Tough 

 birds, these fully developed chickens, but when only two 

 thirds grown how lovingly they go down to the exasperated 

 heart with plenty of newly-made butter and snowflake'taters. 

 Ob, oh! for the I5lu of September, whro by the pefl Ian H 

 is not a sin to take the field with dog and gun in law-abiding 

 Minnesota ; albeit we have many sinners here on the sly. — 

 F. B. H. 



An Austin, Minn., correspondent says: "You can report 

 prairie chickens in this section more abundant than for many 

 years past, which seems strauge. after so severe a winter, but 

 1 will vouch for the statement." 



Illinois Quail. — The Lebanon, III., J,- -tin ml says that 

 quail are plentiful in the surrounding Ileitis, and" adds : 

 ' ' It is a well-known fact to observing agriculturalists that 

 the quail is of incalculable benefit in destroying many va- 

 rieties of ravaging insects. On this account we should 

 expect that, insiead of exterminating them during the win- 

 ter by means of traps, the farmers would insure pro- 

 picillin when most needed. We learn this spring has 

 brought an increase to this vicinity of these birds over 

 last year, and, with favorable weather stud no shooting out 

 of season, we hope when the cool breezes of autumn in- 

 vite the honest sportsman to the field for a day's recreation 

 that his expectations may be realized." 



Wants to GoDcok Shooting. — New York, July 9. — Hav- 

 ing read from time to lime about the nice duck shooting that 

 some of \ our correspondents ha ve written about in the For- 

 est and Stream, I would like to enjoy some of it,-and as 1 

 have never been West I have come to you to aid me with 

 whatever information you can give me on the subject. I 

 would like you to refer me to, or get some of your readers or 

 correspondents to do so, some one who is a duck shooter — 

 one, who has ail the appurtenances of a professional — where 

 I can get some good duck shooting out of a boat among the 

 wild rice fields in some of the streams this side, if possible, 

 or near Chicago. 1 would like to be in a comfortable house 

 or hotel, I do not care which so long as I can be near the 

 grounds. My vacation is limited to two weeks, and I can 

 take it either in September or October. — J. W. B. 



The Kittt Hawk Bav Sportsmen's Club have secured 

 240,001) acres of landin North Carolina, with 170 miles of 

 water front, to be used for hunting and fishing purposes. 

 The twenty-five charter members are: John H. Heed, Bay- 

 ard Dominick, Thomas J. Barbour, Norman Peck, W. G-. 

 Dominick, C. R. Purdy. R. V. R. Schuyler, of Schulyer & 

 Ouane: J. T. Harper, W. H, Be Forest, Jr., E. Everett 

 Pray, B. F. Hunting. Henry Sampson. George Bird Grin- 

 nell, D. G. Elliot, A. N. Beudloston, E. W. Corlies, J. A. 

 Hewlitt, Charles T. Barney, Charles P. Frame, FrederickW. 

 Leggett, John B. Lawrence, Jr., R. H. Robertson, G. G. 

 Munger, Emile Dorler and E. Pope Sampson. 



Chasing Bbtjin. — Messrs. C. Behlow, G.M. Robinson, M. 

 W. Btackpole, F Urban, Charles Drescl and J. A. Rauer, 

 of San Francisco, Cal., have recently returned from a bear 

 hunt in Mendorino County, where they hunted with Mr. T. 

 E. Rawle's pack of bear-bounds. These dogs, like those of 

 Mr. Bauer, are black and tan, and some of them spotted. 

 The paity had a rough-and-tumble time of it, and finally 

 brought a 300-pounder down from tm onk tree, and after- 

 ward a sheep-killing ursus fell before their rifles. Besides 

 the bears the party killed a dozen fine bucks, from a spike 

 up to a sevenender. 



Nebraska Shooting Prospects.— Omaha, July, 1881. — 

 The prospects for prairie chickens in this State are very 

 fair. The lateness of last spring retarded breeding, and 

 young chickens are smaller than usually at this lime in July 

 — 23d. I hear favorable reports of broods, especially south 

 of the Platte River. The season opens August 15. Quails 

 had a hard winter and will bo comparatively scarce in certain 

 localities. — Bon Wnrrs. 



A Saxe of 500 Rifles is wdist Messrs. A\ r . Read and Sons 

 report to us its the residt of their Wesson rifle advertisement, 

 in the Forest and Stream. Moral: If you have a good 

 thing tell people about it in a good paper, aud there will be 

 no difficulty in disposing of it. Scores of advertisers here 

 had the same experience with this paper ; and still there is 

 room for more. 



Sport bob New Orleans Sportsmen.— New Orleans, July 

 18. — There is' pretty good shooting now with "summer 

 ducks." They are very fat and of excellent flavor, feeding 

 in tice fields. There will he plenty of quail (or patridges, 

 as we call them,) all along the Jackson Railroad, a rolling, 

 piney-wood country. — S. 



Pu'roLLESs County— Woodcock Shooting.— The local law 

 in Dutchess County, New York, prohibits woodcock shoot- 

 ing during the month of August. 



The Wedd decoys are an excellent pattern of wooden 

 decoys. They are well made aud httve been used for years 

 with growing favor. 



|of and f$iuer ^inhin^ 



FISH IN SEASON IN JIJMT. 



VBKSH WATBB. 



.Salmon, S«fr»S salnr. 

 Jlrook Trout,, SaheUniui fontinalU. 

 Rainbow TrtJin, Salmo itiAea. 

 Dolly Varden Trout, HaleMnv.it 



tnalma. 

 Grayling, TktmiaUua tricolor and 



it saliniMfUt 



Wasc ice, Btoe mbffidr. 



rt'.'l;erei, h'v.,t r.tjentatua. 

 Pike or Pickerel, Eaoz lueius. 

 Pike-perch (wall-eyed plko) 



Shad, Alotst 8«jrffMSi 



salt water. 



Sealinss, fV)]'/.i,:rk!;» atraritif. U'eakii-.h o 



Sinned liass or Koekltsli, nocctm rcmih 



ti-iieatna. La Fa V 

 Wliile Perch. Wirrmut ameriam 

 Blueilsh or Taylor, JWwitn 



irgle, Stenota, 



argy. 



Mie 



But 



n-ti.-ri 



vhei 



[he water. For Hie prmHnle nf the rod is In reality only 



bo lieu you oan gulOe It and manage it,cast.anddrawui,keopa 

 gentle pressure win. it on Uto honk so Man tiie Bgb sliiU] not rid him- 

 self nf it, ami finally till him Co the landiny net Lei tHeyOUOB 

 angler always remember fflal his, rod is only a part of me Hue. Tiie 

 control whteh a properly constructed rod ems to the angler oyer ids 

 line and over a large tisli on it is wonderful. For ordinary take fish- 

 lug American anglers are accustomed to east from thirty' to Sixty fe I 

 of line from the end or tin- rod. 1 have seen an angler, under tavflra. 

 Die circumstances, east. Cram a seveiionn.e Nonls nut a straight, easi 

 oi nmei.\-f(Hir feet from the end o( the red, or, Including the rod, a 

 hundred and live feet, of line (mm the hand, and repeat t he east again 

 and agatfl without varying the drop 01 the tall ily more than three 

 reel . I hi., Is a 1 1 emeudous cast, and few will he ahle to get out much 

 over seventy feet..— W. c. Prime. 



CHANNEL BASS FISHING. 



IN the last issue of the Forest and Stream I find the fol- 

 lowing -. "If you know of a good place to camp and fish 

 this summer, report it for the benefit of others." 



in reply I can "report " regarding a gootl place in Florida 

 to "fish," and wdiere fishermen can enjoy unequalled sport 

 — I refer to the capture of channel bass, Scuenops aaxlatus. 

 Near the mouth of the St. John's River, twenty-five miles 

 below Jacksonville, will be found two hamlets known as 

 May port and Pilot Town. At Pilot Town fair accommoda- 

 tions can be obtained at -f 8 per week. At Mayport, Bur- 

 roughs furnishes a good bed and fair table at i?l per day, or 

 !$6 per week. At Earner's hotel the charge is ®3 per day, or 

 fS to is H) per week. 



Visitors will not suffer from the heat unless the wind hap- 

 pens to blow from the southwest, which is an infrequent 

 occurrence. When it is calm, which is seldom, mosquitoes 

 and sand flies prove troublesome. The wind is usually from 

 the northeast, aud the climate is enjoyable. Surf or still 

 bathing can be utilized at any aud at all times. Sickness 

 need not be dreaded by visitors. 



A sportsman can leave New York by express train and 

 reach Jacksonville in about forty-four hours. By taking the 

 Savannah steamer on Saturday from New York he will reach 

 Savannah in the morning of Tuesday, and Jacksonville the 

 same Qjght at 8:40. If time is uo object the fisherman could 

 take one of the Mallory steamers on Friday, and reach Jack- 

 sonville about the next Wednesday, stopping at Port Royal 

 and Brunswick. Reaching this city, steamer is taken for 

 Mayport at 4 r. At., and the dock is reached at 6 p. jr.— fare 

 fifty cents. A boat and boatman can be hired at $2 50 per 

 day, but, if the piscator wishes to paddle his own canoe, lie 

 can hire a Whitehall boat in this city at Jones' boat yard, and 

 transport the boat, ou steamer's deck to Mayport — freight 

 for boat, fifty cents. 



The principal points for fishing are the Surf on Pelican 

 Islaud, two miles from Mayport, Shell Branch three-quarters 

 of a mile east of same, and Mile Point one mile west. Time 

 for fishing, the last hour of the ebb, slack water and first 

 hour of the flood. But an occasional fish can be caught at, 

 other times. By referring to the almanac the fisherman 

 could so arrange his visit as to secure the morning and even- 

 ing tides, and escape midday fishing. The best time for 

 fishing is from August 15 to September 15. In the surf on 

 Pelican Island the fish range from twenty to thirty pounds, 



and at Shell Bank aud Mile Point from twenty to sixty 

 pounds. The fish are. good biters, and fight equal to a striped 

 bass. To a Cuttyhunker I am convinced that channel bass 

 lifbing in Florida would prove moie than gratifying. 



To illustrate what can be done, 1 wili'gtvc a few figures. 

 My friend Gen. Ledwithhas fished for bass for years at May- 

 port, and his average catch has been ten fish. Two years 

 since, in company with Augustine Gonzales, they caught 

 thirty-nine bass in two hours, averaging thirty pounds. An 

 old fisherman and friend, Daniel Smith, who has fished each 

 summer for years at Mayport, says that in 1878, in company 

 with Gen. Ledwith, in two hours 29 bass were caught, weigh- 

 ing 000 lbs. Mr. Smith gives Ids average at 8 fish. On 

 Sept. 10, 18711, Mr. Gill and your correspondent, "Al Fresco," 

 caught a basket of hard-hacks (crabs). At "day-crack" on 

 the llth they left the hotel, rowed one mile, anchored and 

 captured bass until fingers failed. We rowed back to the 

 hotel aud arranged our catch on the dock; washed and 

 dressed, aud were ready for breakfast at 8 A. m. After 

 breakfast we examined the result of the morning's catch, 

 and ascertained that G. had caught 7 and "Al Fresco" 11 — 

 average weiebt, 40 lbs._ Your readers may say that this was 

 unusual luck; but such was not the case. With a stout cot- 

 ton line of seventy two threads, and serviceable hooks, the 

 piscator who can enjoy piscatorial labor can find it. I use a 

 hook made by Job Johnson, of Brooklyn ; shank inches 

 long; width of hook from point to shank, U inches. Owing 

 to the rapidity of tide, a sinker weighing from 14 to 20 oas. 

 is a necessity. Some of your artistic fishermen will call this 

 mode of fishing "slaughter aud unprofessional." I admit 

 the mild impeachment, but I am of the opinion that the 

 Outtyhunker would abandon his rod and reel and engage in 

 the "barbarous sport." Those who wish to engage ill rod 

 and reel fishing can find ampio opportunity. 



In addition to channel bass, tarpon ranging from 80 to 150 

 lbs. are hooked almost daily ; but owing to the shortness of 

 the lines and I be tender mouths of the fish, they either part 

 the. line or tear out. The tarpon is the most active and the 

 gnmest of all fish, and if a Cuttyhunker should be so fortu- 

 nate as to hook one, he would "conclude that he was fast- 

 ened to a streak of greased lightning. When hooked they 

 often make a run of 100 yards, and then indulge in a series 

 of leaps from the water that would astonish some of your 

 Northern fishermen. The lines used by fishermen seldom 

 exceed 100 feet in length, and, owing to the weight of the 

 sinker, when these fish indulge, in a jump of six to eight feet 

 the. hook tears out. To caplure them a float should be used, 

 as they generally feed near the surface, and the line should 

 be at least 600 feet long. 



When bass cease biting, the ardent fisherman can proceed 

 lo one of the channels bounding Pelican Island, and can cap- 

 ture sharks until hands and shoulders cry paccavi. At many 

 points near Mayport excellent sheep-heading, sea trout and 

 whiting fishing" can be obtained ; but our fishermen seldom 

 engage in the capture of such small fry. 



The expense attending a fishing I rip to Florida would be 

 moderate, Excursion ticket from New York to Jackson- 

 ville, say $10; fare to Mayport and return, $1 ; two weeks' 

 hoard, jj&10; boat per day," without boatman, $1, or.f!2; for 

 bait, $2 ; or a total of $71 for a pleasant voyage on a palatial 

 steamer and two weeks' fishintr that auMv* h« ~„„ii»a „~ 

 the Kaslern coast. Time occupied, 21 days, at an expense 

 of about §0.40 per day. 11 any of your readers should con- 

 clude to test our bass fishing, and call on me, I will endeavor 

 lo smooth the way for them. Al Fresoo. 



Jackwiir! Mi, Flu., July 19. 



TROUT NOTES FROM VIRGINIA. 



' ' "T71I8HED OUT 1" is the cry that meets the angler upon 

 Jj almost every stream that flows down the eastern 

 slope of the Blue Ridge. The verdict of " fished out, how- 

 ever, as all of us know who are in the habit of resorting to 

 ihe mountains for our sporl — in the mouth of a native more 

 frequently than not — requires considerable qualification, aud 

 should he taken always with a good allowance of salt. From 

 the Blue Ridge to the Alleghanies, through the. counties of 

 Rockbridge, Bath and Augusta, the same tale, with more 

 tuith, perhaps, is told of the few trout-holding streams that 

 have at one time been good. 



On the Piedmont slopes, as far as I can learn from my own 

 experience and that of friends, embracing all the best trout 

 streams in that section, lite supply of trout is fully up to the 

 average; but that they get smaller and smaller every year 

 there is no question. "All the big 'uns are caught out!" is 

 another and certainly a more just cry of the riverside inhab- 

 itant. 1 caught two or three good baskets in May as to num- 

 bers, but the size was little to boast of. That " oldest, in- 

 habitant" has had, indeed, a great time in this part of the 

 world since last summer-the driest fall, the earliest, coldest 

 and longest winter on record, and the most. Unfortunate 

 spring and summer for farmers, gardeners, anglers, and 

 everybody m general that has ever been known. Little 

 streams and springs are dry that have never before been 

 known to fail. Iso rain, but a very occasional and almost 

 useless thunder shower, has fallen since the winter broke up 

 in the district from which I write, which for a mountain 

 country, it will I think be admitted, is carrying the thing to 

 a sensation point. It is an ill wind that blows nobody any 

 good. If it is not a Ii ivolous remark to say that a very plen- 

 tiful supply of birds may be a partial consolation to some 

 people for a most appalling failure in the crops. 



A party of friends from the Old World dropped in about 

 the middle of May and demanded to be taken instantly to 

 those famous trout streams lhat I had been "blowing" about 

 so. They were all novices at the gentle art, aud I knew the 

 verdict that a novice would pass after a day or two's stagger- 

 ing about in the precipitous, bushy and overfished streams 

 that flowed toward East Virginia. I had had tt notice of 

 their coming, and had inserted a query in Forest and 

 Stream as to the best fishing in the two Virginias, but found 

 them a fortnight, before their time at my house on my return 

 from one of (he fishing trips above mentioned. It was too 

 early for Forkst and Stream to come to my assistance. 

 Neither I nor my angling friendB knew anything about the 

 western country, audi was a trifle staggered with only two 

 days in which "to choose a route. I might relate how my 

 agitated slumbere were broken by the vision of the famous 

 Indian princess pointing westward with outstretched arm, 

 and how the name of Pocahontas flashed instantly across my 

 thoughts, but that would be improving somewhat too heavily 

 on au inspiration that was in reality the result of the half- 

 remembered words of an old cattle dealer whom I had come 

 across some two or three years ago. 



However that may be our forces were marshalled without 

 delay, a carriage, a baggage wagon, with tents, etc., and 



