128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 15, 1883. 



'gator teeth, two young bald eagles alive, live 'gators, photo- 

 graphic views, etc. 



Across the river Mr. Wheeler, of Ternpleton, Mass. . is 

 collecting birds and curiosities for Maynard of Boston. 

 ■ large assemblage of yachts to our 

 wharves to take visitors up or down the river, Many of 

 them, sre boats of small capacity, while the large boats of 

 last year are engaged in Government employ Of longer voy- 

 ages with freight. " Capt. Hammond, with the Inn, is repair- 

 ing the housesof refuge along the coasl. Tin- Pennsylvania. 

 Capt. Bowers, has a Government survey party; the Illinois, 

 Capi. Hendiickson. is carrying lumber to the light-bruise at 

 Jubiter, and. bringing up pineapple slips from Key Largo 

 and banana plants from Lake Worth. 

 The Rambler, their took Ih. HenshaU's parly round to the 

 i last year, has not returned. We welcome to our 

 i new' nonpareil sharpie Seminole, Com. Douglass, 

 which came in at Indian River Inlet two weeks ago, and is 

 lying at Jnbiter. Also the New York, a new yacht, built 

 i onvilleand ruu Lttat Mosquito Inlet, and through the 

 haul-over io Indian River. She will start on a cruise down 

 the liver soon. We propose to haul our sailboat over from 

 the St. Johns immediately and take a large delegation of 

 "i partj i: wn the Indian River to hunt ami lish at favor- 

 ; ; the hunting grounds and rookeries on 

 the bead waters oi the St. Lucie" 



The regular southeast winds have set in; the thermometer 

 stands from 70 to 80 in the slmde. which gives us just the 

 weather to cat, drink and sleep in the open air. Last year 

 we had live or six weeks of continuous pleasant weather 

 without a single rainy day; and uow, as the weather has be- 

 come settled, we shall loo'k for it to continue this year. 



Rich Bird. 



ROCX LBDGE, J-'la., Feb. I, 



IOWA NOTES. 



THE winter here has been of unusual severity. Sixty- 

 five days straight of excellent sleighing, with snow 

 from cue to two aud a. half feet deep, is onr record. Of 

 course such weather is terribly destructive of small game; 

 we look for no more quail shooting here for years. Quail 

 have been growing Scarcer and scarcer here of late, yet in 

 spite of this, and in spiteof the prospects of this extraordi- 

 nary winter, two of our so-called spoilsmen, who hunt in- 

 variably for the bag all through the season, and for 

 aughl I know, long after the season, persisted in the pursuit 

 oor Bob Whites, whose whereabouts they learned 

 front their allies in the country, until they have secured, it 

 is proved,, nearly all that were left. They probably killed 

 gOfl or 600. They have no care for others, and no concern 

 lor the future, There arc many like them, aud while such 

 exist it does seem almost bootless to attempt the practice of 

 the rules of honorabli spurt The parties with whom I 

 hunted the past season, however, refused Steadfastly to 

 kill a single quail. We did that much; it was 80 much 

 more for the pot-hunters; I hey should thank us. 



■i'. a rcity of food that game and birds 

 of all kinds liarv been rendered almost helpless or unnatu- 

 rally bold. The rabbits, of which we stdl have consider- 

 able Bumbt rs, gi rw so thin that it is alleged they are quite 

 transparent when skinned. Large locks of crows have 

 wintered in (he door-yards of the residences in our town, in 

 many instances becoming so careless of mans presence that 

 one could approach within twenty feet of tbwn. Such has 

 been their unnatural desperation that, lighting in /lumbers, 

 about the so, el, yards oftheC, It. I. &P. depot, they have 

 actually been known and seen to alight On the shoulders of 



alivinghog tol into the living flesh, It became 



necessary to station men with guns to keep them off. The 

 above statement has been met with Homeric laughter all 

 through the West, but it is nevertheless true. 



We saw our firsl wild geese on the 1st of Man h, They do 

 not stop here vers often now. though twenty years ago. they 

 tell me, the Skunk bottoms were black with them. Most of 

 '. , , have passed north of Us before the ice is broken up 

 in our streams, and are all gone before the duck Season he- 

 gins. 1 am told that ducks were seen a week ago; two 

 weeks later, or possibly before, we will have duck-shootiug. 

 Everything here depends on the height of the water in 

 Skunk River during the migratory period. When there is. 

 as often there is, a broad strip of water a mile or more wide, 

 running diagonally across the State directly in the line of 

 flight, we often have good sport. 



The ducks are about the only game, we have. Pinnated 

 grouse almost gone in this section. Ruffed grouse very rate 

 indeed. Even the ducks are becoming scarce and wild, un- 

 der the incessant fusiladc which meets them at all seasons 

 from every boy aud every cursed market-shooting pot- 

 hunter who can steal enough to buy one of those abomina- 



■ ... . eheap English breech-loader. Oh! if I were Cc-n- 

 iuldh'1 the I guns be taxed and barred. I am 

 discouraged. 1 am disgusted. It is so useless to try to 

 stop He- war of extermination, Our game laws are dead 

 letters. Our citizens are afraid to enforce them. The 

 sworn officers of justice, and the very justices of the peace, 

 are too apathetic or too cowardly to take a stand. The gun 

 clubs arc the worst pot-hunters of all. I am discouraged. 

 I am disgusted. I am of a mind, at the age of twenty-rive, 

 to hangup my gun. 



Here in our river, probably the best stream in the State 

 for number and variety of game fish— here where enormous 

 black bass, pike-perch and muscallonge once played unre- 

 strained, and would have afforded sport for ages if only 

 gentlemen pursued them, you may notice the effect of the 

 undue greed of man. Traps, set-nets, gill-nets, seines— 

 every poaching device imaginable, and all practiced right 

 under our very noses— have all combined to deplete our fer- 

 tile waters, till a few under-sized tish. last among the un- 

 fortunates, represent the lucfc of an average day's fishing. 



We do not use very fine tackle, out here. Our stream is 

 muddy, lined with timber, and full of -nag-. ED .ivy tackle, 

 with live bait, isfound most effective. Spoon-hooks are often 

 effective in the bayousduriug the early spring. The tly can be 

 used only rarely to any advantage. The live minnow is our 

 most, killing bait. 



This is a famous stream for big muscallonge. The nets 

 don't slop them so readily. My father caught one a few 

 -iied twenty-five pounds. Many nave 

 been caught of nearly that weight. 



ining were stopped here for five years, our waters 

 would be well restocked. It is a horrid fate for a game 

 man to die in a prison. It is a horrid death for a game fish 

 to die in a net. " May the souls of these slaughtered ones 

 haunt, and curse their destroyers! 



even our fishing is falling off. At, the last fishing 

 trip we made last fall, Judge H. S."W.. as ardent, and jolly 



an angler as ever spun a reel, recorded a. solemn vow that 

 he would fish no more in Skunk River. But then the judge 

 was very warm; aud he had broken his fly-rod in a tree. 



By the way, in an old number of Foxiest and Stream. 1 

 see that Lieut. Thurston and wife, of our State University, 

 were up in Michigan last, season. The big trout that Mrs. 

 Thurston caught should hare considered ins death a privi- 

 lege. If the Lieutenant had only told me when I was under 

 his instruction at the university, that he too was a lover of 

 the rod, I should have studied" my infantry tactics harder 

 for him. 



Let me close my rambling notes by a word of hearty 

 approbation of your course as to the Park monopoly fraud. 

 Be sure your readers will hold up your hands in what way 

 thej can. We hope that dreaded national disgrace will no't 

 be blotted into our record. And we know Forest asd 

 Stki;am is doing much to keep it out. E. lion, it 



NEWTuS, Town, March !i, 1S83, 



THE BIG-GUNS. 



WE give herewith a sketch of the big ducking guns 

 lecently captured from the night hunters of Spesutia 

 Island. From the description already given of the manner 

 in which these destructive weapons arc employed we quote: 

 "A gun of this kind is mounted in the bows of a small skiff, 

 which can either be navigated in water or put upon runners, 

 and propelled over the ice. The stock of the gun is braced 

 against, a block, so that the recoil sends the boat back 

 through the water, and there is no big shock its there other- 

 wise would he. The gun is usually painted the color of the 

 boat, some dull neutral tint, and is r fitted with a patent buoy, 

 by which the owner, if surprised by an officer of the law. 

 can pitch it overboard and return for it again whan the 

 alarm is over.'' The gunner lies in the bottom of the boat 

 and propels the craft with a paddle, "The sound of one of 

 the guns can be heard five miles, and the destruction of 

 ducks is great, as they sleep quietly upon the water. There 

 are instances recorded were eighty-live and one hundred 



St. Lawrence Game Club.— The third annual meeting 

 of this club was held at Ogdensburg, N. Y., on the 7th inst. 

 President Hoard reported a steady growth of public opinion 

 in favor of the support of the objects of the society: the in- 

 dictment of fourteen persons for violation of the game laws; 

 the destruction of seines and gill nets in Oswegatchie and 

 adjacent towns by the agents of this club, and not by officers 

 elected by the people to enforce said laws, lie was emphatic 

 in the opinion (but the State needs more game and fish pro 

 tectors. aud that there is an urgent necessity for their 

 that, region of the State lying north and west of 

 id recommended th 

 with the Governor 



CheAdirondacks; a 



committee to confei 

 report of the treasui 

 disbursements {508 

 twelve trustees we 



ripta 



appointment of a 

 n the subject. The 

 aiountins.' fcc '"-I - 

 The following 



rd, J. H. Rushto 



nth no unpaid bi 



ilected:M.D. Packai 

 S. D. Kimball, of Canton; George H. (.'lark, of Fullervillc 

 lion Works; John Webb, Jr., George P. Ormiston, of 

 Gouvcrneur; J. L. lirowu, Allen Olmstead, of Potsdam; 

 James R. Smith, of Russell; J. McNaugbton, J. H. Brown- 

 low, Wm. Peters of Ogdensburg. The Board of Trustees then 

 met and elected the following officers for the ensuing year: 

 L. D. Hoard, President; E."F. Beardslee, Vice-President; 

 X. W. Howard, Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. MeJSTaugh- 

 ton then moved that a committee he appointed by the presi- 

 dent, the number at his discretion, to confer" with the 

 Governor as to the appointment of game and fish protectors. 

 The motion prevailed, and the following were announced as 

 such committee: J MeNaughi.on, D. Magone, William 

 Peters, Leslie W. Russell, John Webb, Jr., D. S. Lynde. 

 Mr. Peters moved that L. D. Hoard be added to the 'com- 

 mittee— it was so ordered.— N. W. Howard, Secretary 



E.FEARFULI.1 



os- Roads, V 



A5M5 Wonderfully M a 

 rginia. March C.—Mlfo, 



thai our (fiends of the N 

 volubility of stomach than 

 Some -ears suee. a gen lien; 

 ness trip to a town in oue of 

 he and the rest of the guests 

 the second day after his, .u 

 eral room of the tavern wb 



th 



afte; 

 sssed v 

 ■cthret 



i Virgin 



the Northi 



ate 



, and afte 



canvas-hacks Were killed at one discharge. On account of 

 this, slaughter the law passed by the last Legislature imposes 

 it tine of $-00 or imprisonment for each and every offense 

 constituted by having in possession, using or disposing of 

 any .sink boat, sneak boat, big or swivel gun, or killing a 

 duck in the night time in anv manner in (he Chesapeake Bay 

 or its tributaries." Our sketch is taken from a photograph, 

 for which we are indebted to the courtesy of John E. Semmes. 

 Esq., <>f Baltimore, through whoie exertions, it will be 

 remembered, the gnus were confiscated. 'I he sketch re 

 them as staudingby the side of ordinary shotguns, aud shows 

 by comparison the. diil'eicucc between I he i wo styles of arms. 

 The largest, of the big guns was 10 feet in length, If inch 

 bore, weighed 160 pounds, and was loaded with a charge of 



i or i pound of powder and 11 pounds to 3 pounds of shot. 



This one with the next, in size were made by an old gun- 

 smith of Havre de Grace, who is still living, though, we 

 understand he ' 'has gone out of the business. " The smallest 

 gun, weighing about seventy-five pounds, was an imported 



enc. 



Connecticut Quail.— Windsor Locks, March 10.— Good 

 season for the cjuail here this winter, most all lived over,— 

 Youngster. 



had finished their breakfast q 

 •ival. a man came into the gen 

 re the Virginian was and told 

 the tavern keeper he-wanted breakfast. My friend said. 

 judging from bis general appearance, he had been 'making 

 a night of it." Upon being a-ked what he would have for 

 his breakfast, he Ordered "a salt herring, two large cucum- 

 bers and a quart of buttermilk." My friend scraped an ac- 

 quaintance with the fellow to see him eat his strange break- 

 fast, and avers that "lie finished off the mwss with two 

 biscuits and a half pint, of molasses." 'Mark West." in 

 vour bright elegant issue of thoSSdof February, gives us 

 the second bower to this order, but takes Ins liquids after 

 instead of before the feast. Hear him: ''That evening, after 

 we had reached home and had disposed of an enormous 

 quantity of slapjacks [I believe they are fried in grease! 

 stewed (!) giouse, milk and pumpkin pie, Sam set a big 

 pitcher of cold cider upon the table."" Mr. Glover, same 

 issue, informs us that in his part of the country they "con. 

 sign'' undesirable whelps "to the water bucket.'" — K. M. C, 



Notes from Worcester, Mass.— March 10.— The annual 

 meeting of the Worcester Sportsmen's Club wa„ held Wed- 

 nesday evening, March 7. al the Bay State House. The 

 officers elected "for the ensuing year are: Maj. L. G. White, 

 President; Wm^ S. Perry, First Vice-President; John B. 

 Goodcll. Second Vice-President. Chas. Hartwell. Secretary; 

 O. L. Taft, Treasurer; G. J. Rugg, A. B. F. Kinney. C. A. 

 Allen, O. A. Benoit, Executive Committee. The club was 

 organized nine years ago, and was never in a more flourish- 

 ing condition than at, present, the treasurer's report showing 

 a larger surplus than for several years. It was voted at the 

 annual meeting to hold a "fishing day" sometime during 

 the trouting season, which will be conducted on the same 

 "eueral plan as the annual hunt, the fish dinner to be served 

 mi the evening of (he following days O. A. Allen and O. A 

 Benoit were chosen captains, who, with Secretary Hartwell, 

 constitute the committee to arrange a. scale of points and 

 perfect all the arrangements for the affair. It was thought 

 best not to fix the date til] later in the season. The project 

 is entirely new to the club, and was .started by n member 

 wdio is an enthusiastic trout fisherman; but anything that, is 

 to wind up with one of Landlord Shepard's elegant dinners 

 at the Bay State House is apt to take wonderfully we'd, and 

 the members look forward to this affair with much pleasure, 

 — K. 



Scmmer SuoOTISO. — Would not the law respecting deet 

 Ik about as satisfactory as possible if it permitted the shoot- 

 ing of bucks in July, August and September, but forbade 

 the killing of does before' October': 1 know summer venison 

 is pOOT Stuff; still there is such a desire for it that perhaps 

 the law would do wisely to allow it to be killed if that can 

 be done without inhumanity or diminishing unduly the 

 Supply. The only objection to killing the males in July (as 

 compared with September) is their poor condition. I sup- 

 pose the supply would not be materially reduced, although 

 the, bucks should be much less numerous than the does. A n 

 apparent objection to this suggestion is the difficulty of en- 

 forcing the proposed law. But is it, not, generally, nearly 

 as easy to prove that a doe was killed, as that a deer was 

 killed" at a certain time and place'? On the other hand, the 

 temptation to break the law would be much diminished. - 

 Picket, 



N 



corr 



i\vs from Wolf Point. Montana Territory.— Feb. 

 -Kditor Ft>>;x( <uui Stn.un: We have had a very severe 

 er, but game of all kinds has done well. Buffalo, deer 

 intel ope up to this date are in good condition. The 

 ins and wdiite hunters have had quite a dispute over 

 in°' on the reservation, but with the aid of the military 

 he Indian agent. N. S. Porter, the whites had b 

 e the rancl'e' Ducks and geese will be along to visit 

 i-ain in ..(.out twenty days. "Have done very little hunt 

 his winter, cause, fack of time — but expect to hit it a 

 in the spring. — TTncpapA. [We hope to hear from ora 

 ispondent when he hits the lick.] 



ConVeRtihG tin; C't > smiths,— Philadelphia, March 18.- 

 Jiilitur F-rtit um! si/vi m : As a dealer and gunmakcr 1 could 

 at first hardly support Mr. Heath's astonishing statement; 

 but there need be no doubt entertained by any reade. 



- thai 



his statement has 

 tests Heath used 

 (and helped him 

 rifles, the leads of 

 nor shooters were 



ed. In the 



:-es, and f myself -,, him 

 ;,re than a hundred shots f 

 a re ■ air-spaced." Neither r 



-C, A. M, 



.f his 



