FOREST /Ml) STREAM. 



in: 



doubtful. The Digger Indians buty the patient neck deep, 

 in river mud. 

 I luwe already wearied your readers, and will bring this 

 inly saying, thai ii' a brother 



■ i ■ • ■ i n to the haunts that knew 



ten let his mind revert with pleasure to the 

 mg tho bills. Vebd Mont. 



For Fvrcst and Stream. 

 MY FIRST DEER; 



Oil, TWO DAIS' HOOT AT BBAHDY POND, KB. 



A 



BOOT the first of November found me at North Mil - 



ford, where I had gone for a month's sport, also i« 



I stopped, "and was at home," at Mr. 



James Fdtfaerg 

 hunter, nshern a i a 16 

 and guide in most of 

 antiy situated, for one 

 and his son take pleasi 

 imr, be fortunate enou 

 been guide and hunter 



The" first few weeks 

 woods and streams, gv 

 plenty but the dense" w 



i -,' ting on the 



shots over my poj 

 Several times reoon 

 to mo, " the first del 

 shoes, ^e will havoi 



e had "a heavy fa! 



wno; I may Bay, 

 ' stand " 



ing, vet I u 

 pr, While 



out" 



an experienced 

 my companion 

 rfch rgil] i a pidBs- 

 lie country, and he 

 ith any parries who 

 ir services. He has 

 twenty years. 

 Bryaalf about the 



ramadeltvexj hi '" 

 I to get 8i vera) line 



.ui I - 



like to kill adi 

 so mikJOOg aw; 



eouple day's 1 

 trait. Our kit 

 and my 1'arki 

 Then atrappi 



of deer, and my guide said 

 ) snow that comes, so -we can use snow- 

 good deer hunt." In less than a W< ek 



't snow, and as it cleared up, James 

 ■ning, ••Charlie, I suppose you would 



Id'nt youV " Notliing suited' me better : 

 nts, and packing up, we started for a 



id, about 



sdis- 

 sdell rifle 

 aud-slod. 



nd fork 



tome, "Well, 

 afternoon V lb 



took 



lit at Brandy Pi 



insisted of, 'first, our guns, a Ec 

 breech-loader, and a good sized 

 on our suow-shoes, spreads, i 

 tt'.e. trypan, plates, slippers, fcni 

 i rafficient grub for three da. 

 td having a very good road most of the way, 

 r stopping place ( an old lumbering camp at 

 lake ) about 11 o'clock. Building a roaring 

 t hearty meal, we stretched out for a good 

 pie hours' rest. About '2 o'clock James said 

 y boy, dp you feel like trying the deer this 

 e we are right in the deer country, and, 

 what is fortunate for us, they are close at hand." Although 

 we had traveled nearly twenty miles, and, I must confess, I 

 was somewhat tired, yet, the idea of deer being about 

 us put new life in me, and I was eager to got away. As I 

 could use snow-shoes quite well, and as the snow was deep, 

 and good snow-shoeing, we did not anticipate a very hard 

 hunt. 



James knowing the country well, wo struck out for the 

 " 13ig Buffalo," about one and a half miles distant, and in 

 less than a half an hour we had found a deer yard. Following 

 it up, Jamas pointed to a fresh track in the yard, and says 

 tome, "No*, Charlie, look sharp and go easy, for they are 

 right here. 



Big Buffalo empties into Brandy stream, which is an outlet 

 of the lake, and a branch of Union River. A little ways 

 further on wc saw where they had started, and deep as t he 

 snow wns, the leaps those deer made was on. f. afire, and 

 fifteen feet apart. " They can't do that long," said James, 

 "so we will go easy and let them run it out." Ai'ter trailing 

 them for half an hour, one old fellow, probably the loader, 

 turned one side and struck out for himself. Thinking that 

 he was getting a little tired, and that I should soon come up 

 to him, I followed after his track as fast as I could make my 

 way through the brush. Bellowing him some fifteen minutes, 

 I found he was making for the stream, which was open in 

 several places, and I expected he was making for the open 

 water. But, on arriving at the stream, I was surprised to 

 find that he had run down aways, and then turned and was 

 Doming directly back in the same tracks. Seeing me, he 

 turned and crossed to the other side, and made through 

 the woods toward the lake, that was about a mile distant. 

 On 1 went, "pluck well up, and considerably excited," for 

 this was my first deer, and I knew I should get him, sooner 

 or later, and my ambition was to get him alive. I could have 

 shot him as he crossed the stream, but felt more like " giving 

 him a chance," as my companion had told me he would 

 give up and fight it out. Coming out to the lake, I saw the 

 fine fellow out on the hard snow resting himself. There he 

 had the advantage, as the snow was hard and gave him 

 a good chance to run, yet he did not improve it, as I ex- 

 ported, 'fairing off my snow-shoes, I tried to head him off, 

 and again run him info the deep snow ; but he was wise 

 enough to keep the lake, so I drove him directly across the 

 head of the lake, and, fortunate for me, in a line of our camp. 

 Running him into a lagoon, I drove liim up the bank, and 

 once more into the deep snow, then putting on my snow- 

 shoeB, which I had carried under my arm, I once again 

 started for him. Now, old fellow, thought I, you are my 

 deer; I was within seventy-five yards of him, and could see 

 that he was pretty well bickered ( like myself ). In less than 



fifteen minutes 'i had him— but not without a e h 



Jumping, and making tremendous leaps, he went about 

 seventy -five rods, then stopped, and faced me. As I come 



up to him, I sav 

 meant to fight. 

 that by jumping 



s I imagined," that he was an old buek and 

 My companion had previously told me, 

 into him, I could easily get him down, and 

 an easy matter to handle him. I re)jlem- 

 ugh it bad just been told me ; so getting as 

 made a jump at his head, but the Old fel- 

 quickei than I. even in the deep snow, that 

 linrl-legs. and bringing his front-legs and 

 nocked me over, and easily got away ; tun- 

 >ds, he turned and again faced me. Getting 

 a little to one side, i jumped onto his 

 ig him by the eat anil one front-leg. I man- 



ng to have ttutt i-:u fooled with," he got 



to camp— I was alone and nearly a mile from camp, and had 



nothing to tie my deer with. 



Was I tired? I had only traveled a little over twenty-five 

 miles that day, and run that old buck nearly three miles 

 ihrom/li , v , ; i n [ -, end across the lake. Thinking that Jumes 

 might be within hearing 1 called and hallooed until I was 

 n .i .in ;i i reply, As I was wet with perspiration, I did 

 not dare to remain long, especially in the uncomfortable 

 position I was in, Suddenly a thought struck me ; I 

 eould take the thongs otf from my snow-shoes and tie the 

 deer's legs together ;' no sooner thought of than I was at 

 work. As the leather thongs were strong and about a yard 

 Jong, they answered the purpose well. Then faking off my 

 Cardigan jacket. I brought both fore and hind-legs together, 

 and tied them securely. Seeing that my game was safe for 

 the present, I shorted, in my shirt sleeves, and with my snow- 

 shoes under my arm, and made tracks for camp. As I got on 

 the lake, I met' James coming after me. 



"What's up now, Charlie 1 win-re's your coat, and what's 

 the matter with your snow-shoes ?" As I was chilled through, 

 and in a hurry to get back to camp for my over-coat, I did not 

 stop long to give the particulars, but told him I had caught 

 that deer, and had him tied, ready for camp. So starting 

 back, we readied camp, and after a cup of hot tea and a 

 lunch, we started back with ropes and hand-sled for our 

 game. 



It was but short work to get the deer on the sled and back 

 to camp. Then came, the particulars of the chase after I 

 had left James, and a hearty laugh, on the part of my com- 

 panion, at my getting "lusted " by that buek deer. 



Nest morning. we took an early start, and arriving at the 

 "yard," and where the other two deer had kept on, ■■ e nn . 

 more commenced our hunt, Before 1 o'clock, we had both 

 deer, which made three large bucks in less than a day's 

 hunting. Getting our Sled, we got these two bucks to camp, 

 and felt well paid for our hard tramp, by having killed two 

 thrce-VLur-old bucks, and captured one four-year-old buck 

 alive. ' Getting a horse and sled from a neighboring farmer, 

 we hauled our game and luggage back home, and though 

 somewhat sfiffin the legs, and pretty well tired out, yet wefelt 

 satisfied with our hunt, and I well pleased at having caught, 

 alone, my first deer. Chas. E. Woods. 



Xorlh itilfw-d. JA., Mmnber 29, 1876. 



ide fo 



lip. 



nd 



fine fall 



sudden 



hud huu 



THE KANKAKEE MARSHES. 



N 1875 I followed the advic 

 _ heads, and obeyed bhe 

 man;" and having already bee 

 and enjoved many a merry t 

 California, and having friends 

 prosperous days I had bei 

 bent my stops from Ne 

 inly in pursuit of plei 



IN 1875 I followed the advice of older and would-be-wiser 

 heads, and Obeyed Ike popular cry, "Go West, young 

 West of the Rocky Mountains 

 nping and hunting frolic in 

 . Indiana with whom in more 

 terms of boyhood intimacy, I 

 York City in that direction, not now 

 re, but of that, very necessary essen- 

 tiafto happiness— occupation -it being at the commence- 

 ment of the wide-spread and prolonged panic in all kinds of 

 business ventures. I was not long in finding out my mistake 

 and vain hope of success, and I would here say — young man, 

 lot no delusive hope beguile you into obeying the cry — "Go 

 West," but rather dig and delve in scenes with which you are 

 familiar, where fond and loving hands can administer to 

 your necessities, and where there is a field for your energies 

 of man's invention, and not that alone of nature's own. 



But I forget; it is 1875, and I am already in the West and 

 with my friends, three brothers, with a widowed mother, Our 

 meeting was both sad and joyous, as each had by death been 

 deprived of a loving link, the helm that was to have guided 

 us to a haven of prosperity. We talked of the past, when 

 life with dazzling promises was just opening to us, of our 

 later experiences in the rebellion, in which two of us had 

 Dome our part in the federal forces, and of all our hopes and 

 fears for the present and the future; but of this we soon 

 wearied, and our efforts for employment proving fruitless, a 

 proposition that we make up a camping party met with a 

 ready response. Our first study being economy, combining 

 some degree of comfort, the next in order was a congenial 

 party. This being accomplished, and the geography of the 

 country examined, we found all things favorable to the 

 Kankakee River or swamp, which was easy of access, and by 

 inquiry we learned that game and fish did there abound; so 

 this we. decided should be our happy camping-ground. And 

 now we must arrange for the kind of habitation best suited 

 to our purpose. A board-house being given the preference 

 over a tent (though some contending that it would seem too 

 much like home life), we proceeded to put our plans into 

 execution. Our lumber purchased, it, with stove, camp 

 chairs, bedding, cooking utensils, boats, and provisions, we 

 Saw carefully stowed away in a freight-car, which left our 

 point of debarkation at 11 o'clock a.m., arriving at Kankakee 

 bridge at G i>. m. On the 3d of October a party of five, 

 Capt. H., the three 0. brothers, and myself, might have been 

 seen with our guns, dogs, higlj boots, and baggage innumer- 

 able, embarking on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago 

 R. R:, on pleasure bent; and here let mo say, we found the 

 Road employes courteous, poUte, and accommodating. Arriv- 

 ing at the Kankakee bridge in about four hours, there we. met 

 Capt, S., of the Crawfordsville Club House, who kindly in- 

 vited us to take up our quarters with him for the night, 

 dogs, guns, and all, which we. accepted, being willing for that- 

 night to realize the sweet visions of home in a good bed at a 

 comfortable house. This bridge is crossed by the L. N. A. 

 and 0. R. R.; there are four club houses at this place, Craw- 

 fordsville, West, Williamson, andjHuyden, and in the shooting 

 season there will be from twenty to thirty hunters stopping 

 at these houses, who make it pretty lively for the birds. As a 

 general thing they (each member) have their own boat, de- 

 covs, etc. This point is about ten miles from English Lake 

 (another point of interest, but of this further on) by river, and 

 half that distance by across-country. We were astir early, 



here from the prominent cities on the line of this road. The 

 duck shooting at. this point is good in the spring and fall. 

 The hotels furnish boats, decoyB, and a pusher, a man who 

 pushes the boat,, for which you pay, board $2.00 a day, a 

 boat pusher and decoys, $3 a day extra. Their boats are made 

 double bowed, flat bo'ttom, very wide, and can go anywhere, 

 from two inches to a fathom 'of water. Our household ar- 

 rangements completed, and some of our party out fishing 

 with trolling line and pole, and as the day and wind are 

 favorable they will doubtk-ss have good luck; but what have 

 we been doing, but prospecting ancl making ourselves known 

 to friend and foe. We have been up to Engbsh Lake and 

 visited our friends at the Bridge, and now it is time to com- 

 mence business operations ; it is only an hour to sundown, 

 and we have just discovered that the land on the opposite 

 side of the river has been overflown, and our practiced eyes 

 discover traces of woodcock. "What do you say, Frank, to 

 our trying our little game for an hour before dark over 

 there, and see if we can put any up. We will leave L. to look 

 out for camp and finish his letter to the only one he ever 

 loved." We loaded half a dozen shells with No. 10 shot apiece, 

 and with dogs in boat pushed over. We no sooner landed 

 than the dogs came to a stand. While Chick, the youth, was a 

 little too fresh, and flushed his bird before we could get out 

 of the boat Steady, steady, Chick -come in here and down 

 charge. Well done' Shot, 111 have to walk this bird up; he will 

 stand here until doomsday if I don't go in ahead of him and 

 llnsh it. Up he got, and 1 let him have the left barrel, which 

 dropped him, Bead bird. Shot; dead bird, good dog. Frank, 

 you look out for Chick, and take that thicket at the left, 

 while I strike out to the right. I heard Frank talking 

 to his dog. We could not work them together, as wo had not 

 the time, before dark, and we wanted birds for our supper. 

 We managed to bay in less than an hour three brace, I having 

 missed two and Frank one, all we raised; and, our appetites 

 sharpened, we returned to the wiekie to cook them; and such 

 a supper! woodcock (not on toast), fried potatoes, coffee, 

 biscuit, which, Frank 'said, if there was anything he could 

 make it is biscuit, which tasted pn-tiv good lil lelmit; and 

 we did not know the merits of the oven; it baked like a 

 charm, and we immediately christened it (the lively baker). 

 Caption and J. arrived with four black hiss, averaging four 

 pounds apiece, and a salmon, which I afterward learned was 

 the name, but at the time called pickerel, and are considered 

 the gamest fish in the river. We finished our supper, and 

 of course the "Durham" followed, and sat down to a game of 

 whist, after which wc loaded our shells, preparatory to the 

 morrow's tramp, which we intended to take, having heard 

 from Hunt, our neighbor, that about a mile west of us was a 

 slough, and that he had never failed to see ducks there. We 

 retired early that we might be up with the early bird. Ai'ter 

 partaking of our morning meal, and each one providing him- 

 self with a lunch, we headed for the "slough." We had no 

 difficulty in finebng it, as it covers about a mile square and ia 

 covered with wild rice. Frank and I separated from our 

 party, and were walking through the rice in about two inches 

 of water and six of mud, when we stumbled upon a small 

 pond, when, quack, quack, from about two hundred mallards 

 were heard; up they got, and we let them have four barrels. 

 We picked up nine, taking our stand at this place, and keep- 

 ing the dogs "Down charge," and ourselves out of sight, 

 thinking they might wheel and come back, as this was evi- 

 dently a favorite feeding ground of theirs. We hod not been 

 long in our blinds, wheii they commenced to come in by twos 

 and throes, and I tell you it was bke the 4th of July there for 

 a time. We heard occasional shots from the other party, but 

 were too busy with our own sport to know anything but 

 ducks. We shot there until dark, and with the help of the 

 dogs, bagged forty-five mallards, and returned to camp the 

 best way we could, with our loads, to find the others had also 

 made a good day of it, the three having brought in twenty- 

 five, making our total bagged seventy; pretty good for a 

 starter,I thought. Of course', 'Frank and I had the cream of the 

 shooting. We all devoted our time mostly to ducking, with 

 an occasional change to hook and line, but we never got up 

 to our original number on ducks, averaging only about thirty 

 a day. The woodcock we tried again, but found them few 

 and far between. And for the benefit of those contemplat- 

 ing a trip there, let me say, that by all means take your own 

 boats and camping utensils, and camp out; and go in the 

 month of March, or now, if you go for ducks. If you stop 

 at English Lake, do not fail to see Dr. Geo. "x'eakel, who 

 will be pleased to give you all needed information, and 

 whose latch-strings are as long as he is. o. 



gnrs, jfte* mid §el{l 



INDIAN TANNED SKINS. 



id afte 

 'atk 



partake 



[electing our ground, which was a high point of 

 r two towering oaks and sloping banks on the 

 r, and getting our lumber, we all went to work 

 t would have done credit to a more remunera- 

 and by night we had tk habitation;. yes, and 

 with rosewood bedstead, but with bunks i 



limine bev, an . now BTtI guns on their re- 

 nd ii pis !e made for "Chick," a red Irish settler, 



ad the stove already 



.rk. 



id 



already tc 



illy dee 



yon or I. 

 jumped ' tei 



.in. '.-. Lie i i. strength I 

 ing just then ) 1 rdanaged by e 

 head, to bum him ovm, 

 ;ot Ilia hind and fore-leg together, and 

 -, how was I going to get him ' 



were' mul'. ; ' ' " " , the friendly trapper) who 



-■- - bythi novel pp ranee of our 



.'. ibieoii tin a- v.-;i.\ ap and down. the river 

 i . :i small station on the I II I sbvi rgl snd 



two good hotels at this place for 

 the acoQimnodatiou of hunters and their families w'ko como 



Htdai/k), Texas, Maroh 12, 1877. 

 Editor Fobest and Stkkam. 



In your issue of February 23d, you quote instructions for 

 curing skins, and allude to the Indian method. Though no 

 secret here, it may be new and interesting elsewhere. 



The skin is stretched either on the ground or on poles, 

 and all fat or flesh removed. When well dried it is washed 

 in soap and water to cleanse the fur; tho brains of any 

 animal are then taken and mashed into a paste with hot 

 wuter, and this paste is thoroughly rubbed into the flesh 

 side, and the skin hung out to dry. When dry it is scraped, 

 and exposed to the dew for one night, and next morning 

 rubbed and pulled until soft. 



Buckskins are made by rubbing off the hair with a horse- 

 rib, while the skin is fresh, or, after soaking in a weak lye; 

 then dressing with brains, and staining a reddish color in a 

 decoction of Wasatchie bark. Alum and salt are very good, 

 but alum is rather scarce in the chapparal, and also are 

 doors and boards. Some stretch skins on the ground. 



Core should be taken, by the way, not to use too much 

 salt, as advised by "The Ploughman," as it causes the skm 

 afterward to absorb moisture too readily. Sinoking a skm 

 is done by first dressing with brains, sewing it up into a 

 funnel-shape, and suspending over a slow lire of buffalo 

 chips, or dry prickly pear, built in a hole in the ground. 

 The. tips of 'the funnel being pinned down close around the 

 hole; a clem-, calm day, is selected, and the smoking reonires 

 about two hours. It gives a velvet-like finish, and the skin 

 never shrinks or gets stiff from wetting, but washes bke cloth. 



What I!t.i,aiion to a T'.i'TiTiiiFr.y is a MrrJMB ? — Ans, The 

 miller makes the Hour— the flour makes the hot-roll— the 

 hot-roll makes the butter-fly. 



. -»■» 



—A great deal of this world's sympathy is much like 

 standing on the bank, and asking the poor drowning man if 

 he is wet. 



