Mahch 1, 1888.) 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



87 



ChriciiH 1 think, took up their abode within n short distance 

 of the famous old grounds 



They probably Bad "shooting without sacrifice" to the full 

 extent, for ClerieUS when lie "does get the trigger fever, is 

 the most ferocious of sportsmen. "I could a tale unfold." 



Does "Olericus" speak for the entire body of professional 

 wen? 1 bad supposed this matter of .summer shooting was 

 agitated for tie benefit of market gunners and their wealthy 

 patrons, with perhaps a Grassy trigger-puller now and then. 

 Here at the top of Connecticut we' know how It work,,, and 

 out of forty or fifty sportsmen in this little bOrOUgh, 1 doubt 

 that one vote emild lie had tor summer shooting. To lie 

 sure most of us are workingrneu, hut. speaking from obser- 

 vation again, the mental process is as active and Wearing in 

 many of our mechanics as il is in our so-called "brain- 

 workers," They also find resl refreshing, nature heautiful, 

 find sport delightful. Sometimes. a1 rare intervals, a white 

 day dawilfi for them, so with dog and gun they start for field 

 aud cover, too often to find the pleasure all in anticipation . 

 the summer shooting of years ago and the '•brain-worker" 

 "knitting up the ravel'd sleeve of care" leaving but a small 

 margin on which to realize. 



.Is a whole. 1 do not think the "brainu orkeTfc" are .mi 

 titled to special privileges over the rest of us. 



They seem to have a pretty good time of it, generally 

 Speaking, and what they cannot help themselves to 'is hardly 

 worth having. 



I might, perhaps, be wiling to make an exception in favor 

 of "Clericns" himself. For after a tremendous contest with 

 the powers of darkness, what could he nearer a perfect rest 

 than a wrestle with a July woodcock? Othekcus. 



Onneoticxt. __ 



LARGE GAME AND SMALL SHOT. 



rHAVE been reading in the Fokekt A&D Stream week 

 after week "Deer and Small Shot," and the wonderful 

 exploits accomplished with these tiny specks of lead by the 

 "craft" at sundry times and divers" places, especially Dr. 

 Sterling's experiences as recorded in your issue of Feb. 15, 

 which reminds me- of similar achievement* in the "long- 

 ago" of my own hunting life. 



1 was once crossing from what is called "West Arm" of 

 Mollychunkemuuk ! ake to Cranberry Bog, in the month of 

 June. The path or blazed line passed over a high hill of 

 second growth woods, and when about half way'over this 

 ridge, as 1 stepped up on to a laige flat ledge of 'rock over 

 which the path led, a midd ling-sized bear stepped upon the 

 other cud, some three feet, up, and each of us was greatly 

 surprised, as you may suppose. 



T stopped when I 'saw the hear, aud the bear stopped 

 when he saw me; and we each of us stood stiff a moment to 

 catch a thought of what w r a.s the next best to do. We were 

 about three rods apart, and we both wished we were further, 

 for I had only a partridge charge in m> gun; aud the bear 

 soon showed signs of uneasiness, for alter eveing me a mo- 

 ment he tunica his head half wav around an'd limbered up 

 his forward legs in the act of getting down; he had been 

 standing ou his hind legs all this time' 



On the impidse of the moment 1 raised my mm and tired 

 at his ear. The bear dropped; the No. 6 shot had pene- 

 trated his brain, aud I stood over him with my watch to see 

 how long he would live, being prepared to give him another 

 shot should it be necessary. He died in thirty minutes. 

 1 he beast had been drinking at a spring which boiled up at 

 the other end of the ledge. 



I also shot an otter with the same sized shot iu "C" Pond. 

 I was following up a streak of air bubbles on the pond in 

 my skiff, one morning before sunrise, to get sight if possible 

 of" the auimal that made them, when all" at once up came 

 two large otters within easy range, [dropped the paddle 

 and caught up mj gun and fired the right, which was 

 loaded with double B. The. otter kicked over ou his side 

 and floundered about, lint before I could get to him he sank 

 in deep water and 1 never saw him again. But very soon 

 his male came up and crawled out on a floating log near by 

 and I let go the left, which had No. ti, and he rolled off the 

 log, kicking up the water fearfully. 1 paddled up to him 

 this time and look him into the boat before the wind was 

 out of him; and [believe this is the only sure way, for I 

 think they invariably sink when dead, as their bodies are 

 very much heavier than those of land animals of the same 

 1'ulk. J. 0. R. 



Bethel, Maine. 



Last fall, vs bile spending my usual annual vacation at my 

 charming camp home on Indian River, in the northern por- 

 tion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, on the great in- 

 ternal thoroughfare between Petosky aud Cheboygan, one 

 lovely afternoon 1 concluded to try my hand at the ducks 

 which abound in that river. Lying close in I he end of my 

 little sneakboat, waiting For opportunities to bag my game 

 whenever they presented themselves, we glided noiselessly 

 around a sharp bend in the river, when we heard the fre- 

 quent splashings of water, uch as would come from a large 

 auimal wading through the sedge and bulrushes that grow 

 all through the overflowed marshes. On it came "with 

 greater distinctness as it approached, and being perfectly 

 satisfied now that it was a deer, I ordered my man tore- 

 main quiet, and with muffled oars turn the boat to the 

 river's hank where the wind aud tide were carrying her. 

 The splashings came nearer and nearer. Our boat' lay close 

 to the north bunk, just opposite the point of a long' dense 

 clump of sedge and bulrushes. 1 quietly rose from my seat, 

 and holding my gun close to mj shoulder, with bated breath 

 i awaited the approach. In a moment more I saw a deer's 

 head appearing at the point of sedge just in front of me, his 

 ears thrown forward and his eyes glaring at me. It was a 

 .sight— a pull and an explosion, f heard' a plunge, and all' 

 was silent. We hastened to approach the spot where 1 last 

 saw the deer, and clearing away the driftwood which lined 

 the river's edge, we pushed and" pulled our boat, over half- 

 sunken logs and through the weeds, but could hear or see 

 nothing. On we went, when of a sudden I spied the half- 

 floating carcass of as fine a doe as [ever saw, The oveitlow 

 was about eighteen inches deep, and we tugged away at our 

 secured game and after no little effort succeeded in* getting 

 it snugly fixed in my little duck-boat, only twelve feet long 

 by three feet beam. We then pulled out from the marsh 

 into the river, and by dint of rowing and paddling reached 

 my camp home a little after dark. " Now, summoning my 

 neighboring campers together, among whom was my friend. 

 P. Morrison, of Jackson, Mich., who is an ardent hunter of 

 doer, we succeeded in dragging out prize to my ice-house, a 

 few yards distant. All around the country congratulations 

 were given me for securing the first deer of" the season. 

 Those unacquainted wjth the facta in the case I found it 

 quite difficult to convince that T killed that deer with No. 4 



duck shot. Subsequently I measured the distance, aud'it 

 Was about titl feet. I was astonished at the success attend- 

 ing the shooting. But the fact remains nevertheless true, 

 and f must be entered upon the list of those who have 

 bagged their deer with small shot. 3EHDX. 



AVs Arhor. Jlieh. tl j 



THE FREEDMAN AND THE QUAIL. 



Editor Fmr.<t ani 8t>mm: 



II would be much more satisfactory to your readers to 

 have the opinions of correspondents on this interesting sub- 

 ject who have not yet delivered themselves, than its pro- 

 longed discussion bv those wbo have alreadj spoken. Per- 

 mitm, . however, to add a lew words more-,' nol for the pur- 

 pose of maintaining any pet theory in regard to the matter, 

 however contrary that theory tuay be to truth and justice, 

 but in order to iiivite the further expression of opinion on 

 the part of persons rendered capable bv experience and nb- 

 serration to testify in this behalf. 



We all understand "HallywoodV position. He ascribes 

 the scarcity ol "Bob White" to the poor freedman. [do 

 uot know "Rallywood," and therefore have no means of 

 judgiug whether his opinions are worth anything on this 

 subject; but of I he four correspondents whose articles with 

 reference thereto have appeared in print , two I know are 

 entitled to the highest consideration. One of these. "('Las 

 Sew." agrees with "Ballywood." "Chasseur" is well known 

 in this State as a gentleman of exceptional high character, 

 ability and culture, whose opinions are entitled to respect 

 at least. 



Upon the other hand, Dr. M. Q. Ellzey, a gentleman also 

 well and favorably known and identified with the best ma- 

 terial interests of the State, than whom few have better 

 opportunities of forming a correct opiniou upon the ques- 

 tion under discussion, agrees with me that the freedman is 

 not responsible for the decrease of quail, and that he has, as 

 a rule, abandoned the inclination to hunt, which was for- 

 merly such a prominent feature of his character. This is 

 beyond cavil or dispute true as to the portion of the State 

 with which I am familiar; and it is a singular fact that it is 

 the opinion of every farmer with whom I have conversed 

 on the subject. As was stated in a former communication, 

 there seems to he ad yet no accepted theory as to the cause 

 of the decrease Oi quail within the last few years. "Rally - 

 wood" is perfectly correct in his statements of fact gomg to 

 disprove Dr. Ell/.cv's theory. The eondiiions mentioned by 

 the latter do not exist in the localities indicated by "Rally- 

 wood." The facts already alleged, showing that our colored 

 friends are not to be held responsible for this mysterious 

 disappearance of quail, taken in connection with other cir- 

 cumstances, and bearing in mind thai quail are scarcest in 

 the northern counties, where there are fewer negroes than 

 in any other part of the State, should induce us to seek for 

 ime other and more satisfactory solution. In the extreme 

 noil hern counties of Fairfax, Loudon, Prince William and 

 Rappahannock, there is a population of whites, 39,487, and 

 of blacks, 18,043. Hero the quail are scarcest. In the 

 south side counties of Brunswick. Southampton. Greens- 

 ville and Mecklenburg, where the birds are abundant and 

 there has been no decrease, there is a population of 24,448 

 whites and 43,288 blacks. 



In discussing this subject with an intelligent and highly 

 educated country physician residing in one of the North- 

 side counties, who is an observing sportsman, the idea was 

 advanced that the quail had migrated from the northern to 

 the tidewater and .southern counties and to North Carolina, 





i lii 



November, in "company with a friend, be was bunt 

 ing on a stream passing through his farm, and in the course 

 of a few hours flushed fourteen distinct covies. A few days 

 afterward they hunted the same ground, but started no 

 •birds, uor have am been since found in the vicinty. On 

 another occasion he, with a friend, flushed a covev 'with a 

 white bird among the number. They endeavored to kill 

 Ibis specimen, as thev had never before seen a white quail, 

 but did not succeed. Ou the following day his friend re- 

 turned home, a distance of ten miles southeast, and when 

 Hearing home his dog pointed. Upon beiug flushed the 

 same cmey witli the white individual got, up. and the white 

 bird was killed. No one in the neighborhood ever saw a 

 while quail before or since, and it was evident that the 

 covey bad within twenty four hours gone a distance of leu 

 miles, if quail migrate, that fact woidd account more 

 satisfactorily for their scarcity in Northern Virginia than 

 any other hypothesis which has been suggested. 



It is to be hoped that the invitation extended by you to 

 your correspondents in this State and elsewhere 'in the 

 South, to give their opinions upon the interesting question 

 of the abatement of the freedman's hunting proclivities, 

 will receive fitting response. We would like to hear from 

 "Wells" ou this question. No one is better qualified to 

 speak, instead of vexing his mind and cross-examining 

 "Knick" with reference to that remarkable shot iu Florida, 

 let us have the benefit of his views on the quail. If I mis- 

 take not, his tell-tale nora de plume, and irresistible pro- 

 pensity to pun, points him out as a recent representative in 

 Congress from the "Old North Stale;" and he has doubtless 

 had abundant opportunities in his electioneering experiences 

 with the "American citizen of African descent" to enable 

 him to speak authoritatively. Although his replication to 

 "Knick" exhibited rather too great intolerance of the license, 

 which "Knick" should enjoy in common with other sports- 

 men to "swap lies," especially when "Knick's" statement 

 was to be supported by the affidavit of " V. J. S.," yet his 

 reply was extremely witty and enjoyable. It would' be in- 

 structive for him to tell us whether 'ids experience bears out 

 the assertion of ' 'Rallywood" as to I be skill of the freedman 

 as a diplomat. M. 



Nohthsibe, Va. 



Ediiur Forest and Strutm: 



I n a recent issue you ask for information as to whether 

 the Southern colored brother is as destructive of game as he 

 used to be. My candid opinion is that while he is still en- 

 titled to high rank as a game destroyer, lie is not quite as bad 

 as he used to be. When'they were "turned loose. "as thev gen- 

 erally express it. they became at once a race of SpOTtflttli I , 

 Every man and boy was eager to be the owner of a gun, 

 and as old army muskets and Enfield rifles were very cheap 

 iu those days, they had not much difficulty in supplying 

 their wants. Thus equipped they made a rush for the fields 

 and woods, aud for a long time, 'summer and winter, there 

 was a perpetual fusilade. They slaughtered indiserimi 

 natoly, shooting everything above the bluebird in size. Even 



the mockingbird, for all his songs, was not safe. The sweet 

 singer fell iu the midst of bis singing. 

 ; Had this sporting craze continued" to this day, the South 

 •must, have been completely bare of game. But it gradually 

 wore off, for various reasons — firsl among which, no doubt, 

 was Ibat the new fledged spoilsman found that Bucli busi- 

 ness would not keep him and his family in food and cloth- 

 ing, Tin: fact, loo, that shot and powder and percussion 

 caps could not well be had without some money, and that 

 money could uot well be had without some work, may have 

 acted 'as a gradual extinguisher to I he new enthusiasm.' At all 

 events, that the colored 'man has cooled off immensely as a 

 sportsman, compared with what he was when the country 

 was first flooded with freedom and old muskets, cannot be 

 denied by anyone,, at least in these parts. I can only spcak 

 for Texas on this mailer. My judgment is that, there is not 

 one lurd killed now bv the freedman where there Were ten 

 killed by hirn iu the early days of his freedom 

 _I have often meditated" over the sudden conversion of the 

 colored race into sportsmen, which we witnessed at the 

 close of the civil war. What was it due to'' Perhaps to 

 their wild ancestral instinct, which, suppressed so long in 

 slavery, broke out beyond all reason when their freedom 

 came. I believe the negroes in Africa do nothing what- 

 ever but bunt and grow gourds. To hunt, therefore, and 

 to grow gourds, must be their peculiar race instinct, which 

 will crop out on every favorable opportunity. We saw the 

 great hunting mania, and every Southern man knows that 

 you will rarely see a negro's cabin in the South without 

 gourds growing around it, It may be. also, that they 

 looked upon the possession of firearms and gunning as the 

 highest, privileges of freedom and manhood, and were eager 

 to enjoy them as such ; in other words, that the best way to 

 show "big Injun heap" was to roam about with an old mus- 

 ket in hand, blazing away at everything that came iu 

 sight. How often have I "met these ebony sportsmen in 

 tbcit? rounds, and how keen was their enjoyment of the fun! 

 Usually there would be a flock of them together, and then 

 there was an eager rivalry as to which would bag the most 

 game. Sometimes I have met. paterfamilias in Ihe woods, 

 musket on shoulder, attended by his wife and all his young. 

 Oh.it was enjoyment keen, 'intense! Those were the. 

 halcyon days of the negro race iu America, Perhaps no 

 race'in the world ever enjoyed such fun. I must say, too, 

 that if the freedman ever put on provoking airs toward the 

 white people, it^was when he was met by the latter in those 

 hunting expeditions of his carl)' freedom, AVith what a 

 proud and scornful air he would carry that old musket on 

 his shoulders, and how he would sometimes turn up the 

 white of bis eyes at the intruder with the white skin ! 1 

 have seen Ihem on such occasions puff up like a turkey- 

 gobbler in all his glory. But they have got over all that 

 foolishness now, When'we meet them now with their guns 

 they are polite and pleasant as possible. So, .at least, I find 

 them. 



According to my best thinkmg the colored brother is 

 much more destructive to game now with his traps and 

 blinds than with his guns. "These implements don't uecil to 

 be fed with ammunition, which costs money, and they do 

 their work while the freedman is also at his work in the cot- 

 ton or cornfield. Bob White is the principal sufferer by 

 these implements, and I believe his destiny is to be destroyed 

 by the negro. They take entire flocks at a time, and they 

 never set any of the captured birds free for seed. In this 

 they show their characteristic improvidence, or w ant of re- 

 •d for the future. The birds for the most part are taken 

 alive to the neighboring towns aud villages, where I hey sell 

 hern at what they consider a big price. Hence thev make a 

 •egular business of destroying Bob White. Their most de 

 itruefive implement is a 'mere pen built of sticks and cov 

 ;red with brush. 'They haye four trenches leading into the 

 pen from opposite directions, coming to the surface about its 

 center. These trenches inside flic pen are partly ao\ 

 ered with bark and sticks, except at lb.: center, 

 where tbey all come r.ogcther. tV.fii or peas are scattered 

 thickly in the pen and also in the trenches. When a tloel; 

 Of quail comes along, they find the food in the trenches, 

 eagerly follow it up, and, with rare exceptions, everyone of 

 them goes into the pen, and is there a prisoner, lie never 

 thinks of looking down for ihe hole be came in at: he looks 

 upward all the time and sees no way of escape. The freed- 

 man comes along and transfers the poor birds from the pen 

 to his cage— from one prison to another. Thus « hole re- 

 gions are swept of their quail in Texas, and 1 presume it is 

 so in other Southern Stales, ft would be very difficult to 

 suppress this business by legislation. If the birds could oof 

 lie offered for sale without the risk of confiscation and fine, 

 the freedman would still take them for the benefit of bis 

 own maw, and eat the forbidden fruit in safety, The only 

 way to stop him is to educate him into the conviction that 

 he is behaving badly, and this, 1 fear, can never be done as 

 long as Bob White exists. 



We have many negroes win. i'ollov, gunning as a means 

 Of livelihood in ducking season. Their manner of ducking 

 is peculiar and characteristic. They do nor walk, walk, 

 walk and shoot like us white folks, coming home at night 

 bespattered all over with mud and quite worn out. Ou the 

 contrary the colored ducker returns at night with his dainty 

 feet and clothes nusoiled, and quite as fresh as when lie 

 started out in the morning. Moreover, he returns with Jusf 

 as many ducks as the white man. and even more if the lat- 

 ter be not a very good hunter. The way he does it is this : 

 he finds a good place for ducks; to that place he repairs early 

 in the morning, and on that one spot be sous all day long. 

 He gels himself well concealed ami patiently awaits the coin- 

 ing of fhedueks. When the} come he will remain motionless 

 and noiseless for hour-, il need be. until he gets a perfectly 

 satisfactory opportunity for a rakiug and deslrucliveshul. He 

 takes no risks of losing' a shot, and therefore never fires till it 

 is a dead sure thing. Although his weapon may lie an old 

 musket, or an old ricketty double-barrel muzzle-loader. 

 he often kills many birds at a fire, and indeed generally 

 does. Having tired, he quits bis concealment only long 

 enough to pick up the dead birds, which, being accom- 

 plished, he again returns to his cover and waits for 

 another supply of ducks, which are quite sure to come 

 along after a while. In this wav thev often make large bags 

 in a day. Thev probably fleri'ved this way of doing from 

 the cranes which thev see along the rivers and about the 

 ponds. Mr. Crane find* a good place to eateh fish or 

 frogs: he takes his stand there on one leg, and goes lo 

 sleep with one eye. He Stays there all day long, unless 

 distui bed, and sails away at night with his stomach full. 



I was recently duck hunting 'on the upper parts of the 

 Sabine River. I heard guns firing, evidently from along the 

 river banks, during the whole day, and yet, though con- 

 stantly walking. I could see no hunters. The ducks also 



