March 2!'. I88&1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



167 



previous. No one pares for woodcock here but myself; 

 not one in ten of the inhabitants know what tin '■>•• 

 Many m oW farmer has told me that thev had seen some in 

 the drv lives about rhcll' farms, after my inquiring of them 

 it they knew of any— they inoantng of course the red 

 headed woodpecker. 

 In spring I can hear the drumming of the cock grouse not 



0/VET three hundred \ ards away from ray doorstep. Il is 

 vetv templing in the small hoy with the old mtrskel. and 

 once in D while to a big boy, too. It is a great pleasure to 

 ihe lover of the gun to be able to steal an hour or two from 

 liis business on a bright October day .'U.id return with two to 

 six birds. 1 have done this time and again fl/nd -without 

 going more than half a mile from home. Once, two years 

 ago, i stood on my doorstep looking across !h ■ dun at n 



small patch of Woods thirl) ynl iwOj Whi I '■< i '■ 

 tour full-grown grouse playing in the stliai. It did UOt s 



his point by moving up and showing; him the live bird, of 

 which times his antics were laughable. 



From Ql6 time I caught the Bird until I (•••ached home, 

 my captive made no attempt to escape. After showing her 

 lo'ihe family 1 Cflrriei tlfil Qui iVee from the trees, and toss- 

 ing her high in I tie" ait I bad flic satisfaction of seeing her 

 wing her way on strong Bud BYOT pinion to bei 1 nafrt <■ hills. 



Now ihe question ai i-..-. Was this a ease of hyptotoania 

 or was if not? Was il a suspension of will power and so 

 muscular power through fright, or did my act of laying her 

 on her back and gently pressing her with my knees white 



tying produce thfj 



Ihavocx] 

 Iayingthem 



upc 



long I'or ine to step inside 

 secure the whole four afte: 



You cannot do the Same f 

 joy your short mild while 

 snow for sin months, 



id .ge 



innir thl'CI ITtli - 



, ■• .hi can en- 



an I ■ iieet Oi 



(), St. M. 



CAPTURING A GROUSE ALIVE. 



A Birg in (lie liaiut is wnnhtic in the bog, ".'■■' PrulK)i> It'-rhirl. 

 ' pHEftE mi- many peculiar ira ideius happening in the 

 JL life of every sportsman when aliekl whicfi never appear 

 in print, and bo fail to add either to our know ledge it pleas 

 me. I do not mean great events ; iiol escapes from flre or 

 Hood, but those which may be very simple and yel pe- 

 culiar as well as interesting'. 



Every time 1 see the words "ruffed grouse" in Ihe article! 

 appearing almosi weekly in Forest and Stream, 1 am re- 

 minded of a number of jus! such incidents In which 

 [ have figured when in pursuit of that noble bird. I sv$s 

 born and brought up within hearing of his drum beat, and 

 the liatiits. haunts and tricks of ihi- king of tin- wOods ar< 

 a- familiar to me a- is m\ mother tongue. The incident of 

 which I write occurred Mime ten years ago. 



power to a dog churn, until one day. 'Squire" Smith, in 

 search of fun ami feathers, happened thai way. and i hence- 

 forth ihe (log occupied hia legitimate station among the 

 canine nobility, and from his loins came Duke — peace to bis 

 ashes! he Bleeps now under the Norway spruce iu the garden 

 there. 



ft was late in November. A Ihin coaling of snow lay in 

 particles upon tin- ground, and il was almost too eold'for 

 agreeable held work, bill the ;iir n;e bracing and SO we 

 hurried away on thi- particular afternoon to a famous 

 ground known as the Deep Hollow, and a favorite haunt 



road to our right fay an alnm-i impassable fennel swamp; to 

 our left a gently sloping hillside, With lure and there a 

 towering beech or maple tree, and now antl iben a hemlock. 

 So open in fact was the ground at this point that I was 

 musing as 1 walked upon the lime when tin's hillside was in 

 its primeval glorv— with its giant pines and oaks, and all 

 Ibis slope WftS dim and ohsenre and weird— when like a Hash 

 a full-grown grouse appeared seemihgly from nowhere. 

 passing me within twentyyards to my left, and moving 

 with incredible velocity. ' As I .swung ray gun from my 

 shoulder ray ga/.c was arrested and my aim changed from 

 the swiftly living grouse to that of an immense hawk in 

 close and deadly pursuit. The situation was explained. So 

 close was the pur-mi that hi> eyes and beak were plainly 

 visible, and as I pulled he doubled up like a pockei knife 

 and fell dead: then as an encore 1 gave him (he other barret 

 1 can never forget the contrast presented in these lew 

 seconds— the pursued representing innocence and helpless- 

 ness, thepursuer with outstretched beak, ugly talons and 

 glaring eve, strength and ferocity. 



Even in ibis short space of time I had found leisure lo 

 mark down the grouse, for instead of taking to Ihe swamp 

 for cover, the bird dropped on tin' open hillside at. the base 

 of a large rock. Duke by this time was laboring under 

 strong excitement, and from his actions I knew had marked 

 the bird as well as myself: so moving up lo within fifteen 

 yards, I hud the pleasure of seeing Puke assume one of his 

 characteristic points. 



Expecting each moment to see tin- bird Hush with the 

 pUStomary rush and whirr, and scattering of dead leaves I 

 fyas in en haste; but as no such thing happened. I slowly 

 moved step by step toward the rook, until at lasi I laid my 

 band upon it, reaching as it did about breast-high on the 

 lower side and sloping into the hillside above. Then 1 care- 

 fully made the circuit, then I boisterously repealed the 

 journey, kicking up the leaves wiih my feet a- \ moved, and 

 still Duke drooled and trembled, Then I laid my gun upon 

 the rock, and "hunted without a gun," but I did it on mv 

 knees, paw ing away the leaves and feeling into every nook; 

 still no bird. 



By this time things began I o seem ipieer and uncanuy, 

 audio give vent to my pent-up feelings 1 kicked up a pretty 

 good row about there for one lone hunter. So long as the 

 dog pointed I determined not to give up the search; so. seal- 

 ing" myself upon ihe rock. I critically surveyed the scene 

 iyul noted all places- and objects, The nearest tree was a 

 chestnut, ten yards lo the left; between it and the rock. I 

 now discovered three or four chestnut sprouts projecting 

 above the bed of leave-.. On these sprouts were a few scat- 

 tering leave- Buttering in the Wind, the whole forming a 

 kind of pet, As they projected from a small two-inch 

 stub, 1 supposed the mound was nol over three Of four 

 inches in depth, not deep enough to cover a toll-grown bird. 

 Moving from my position [carefully parted the sprouts, 

 when to my surprise 1 found a bed of leaves a foot deep, 

 and snugly hidden ,-iwav within their depths a full-grown 

 uninjured female grouse. 



Now 1 was truly in a quandary, and with my gun out of 

 itach and ihe bird under my nose, I scarcely dared to stir; 

 but I did ihe I,-. >i thing possible under the circumstancesr- 

 Moopcd quickly down. "grasping her with both bunds, and 

 removed her from her hiding place. 



Having no cord with me and desiring to take her borne 

 alive, I got down upon, my knees, placing her upon her hack 

 between thc-ni; this relieved both hands, which 1 employed 

 to unfasten my -uspenders, and then tied her as best I could 

 and placed her in one of my game pockets. I found I could 

 do no more bunting that afternoon, as Duke was pointing 

 imaginary birds at all points of the compass, and would 

 stiffen out. overy time he got my wind; then I would break 



Grange passive state in this wild thing 

 cntcd with the common barnyard fowl, 

 their side or back upon the Hoor and gently 

 rd I have found that a suspension of will 

 i < .. ■ m produced, the time depending in each case upon 

 the conditions rader which the r-xperimeiii wua conducted. 

 Under very quiet conditions I have had them remain in this 

 position for ten minutes. I think it can be done by anyone 

 Wllb chooses to try the experiment. 



Tf there is anyone among your readers who has had the 

 1 of catching a full-grown and uninjured ruffed 



grouse with his bare hands, 1 would like very much to see- 

 bis experience in piint. Falcon. 

 Whit? mh.«. Pa. 



RABBIT SHOOTING. 



UY VACTL PASTNOR. 



IN ihe winter time, when our Northern woods arc deep 

 with snow and all our game birds, save the hardy and 

 (inapproachable grouse, have betaken them to warmer 

 clime--. little feather-footed puss affords the true sportsman 

 some glorious sport. 



'there is a charm about ralibil shooting, in 11"' deep, still, 

 white woods, that rightly endears il to ihe gun lover. 

 Planted comfortably in tiie vicinity of some zi/.zag run- 

 way, knee deep in his Bnowy shooting pit, the sportsman 

 stands alert and listens lo the music of the hounds. The 

 Unshed woods ring with the eager baying of the dog-, now 

 far away and growing fainter, and now approaching— a 

 warm, QVdck cry. thai causes him lo lighten his gra.-p on 

 the trusty barrels and peer sharply down the white aisles 

 and spaces of the trees, expectant every moment of the 

 bounding, noiseless form of frightened puss. It will need 

 a quick eve and a steady hand to Stop her in Inr bounding 



night I know of nothing which stirs the sportsman's blood 

 more quickly and thrills all his nerves more keenly thau this 

 waiting for the little white fugitive On the wide whiteness 

 of the snow. 



There are .sportsmen who pretend to think that rabbit shoot 

 ing is tamo, and do not care to lake part in it, 1 cannot 

 lalp but think that they are lacking in Something which 

 goes to make Up the complete and perfect sportsman. No 

 sport surely could have more of the fascinating charm of 

 anticipation in it than labbit shooting, and as for skill and 

 difficulty — 'which form the spice of the sportsman's pursuit — 

 I fail to see how anybody who has ever tried it can claim 

 that puss is dull and easy shooting. I have known crack 

 shots in the field and on the wing to tniss the hounding rab- 

 bit again and again. She comes up so noiselessly and un- 

 heralded, while as the snow and only to be distinguished by 

 her motions aud long fawn-colored and pinto ears. Likely 

 as nol thai il is in a thick, brushy place lhat you see her, or 

 between the close-standing stems of young saplings. Now 

 let the contemptuous wing shot establish his sublime ennui! 

 Bis gun comes itp in quite a rapid fashion after all, for a 

 man who is to shoot tamely and for the pot. His eye glances 

 along the barrels with an' anxious alacrity: the muzzle of 

 his gnu swings through a swift half-are, his lingers ner- 

 vously contract ing aud then relaxing on Ihe trigger, as he 

 alternately trusts and doubts bis .din. and finally, With a 

 sheepish look, he lowers his breech-loader and puss disap- 

 pears iu the thicket, "Oh, well, I haven't gol the bang of 

 ii." he says. "Wait till the rabbit conies round again." 

 The rabbit comes, but not in the same path. She darts 

 across ihe open space in front of him. He fires— 

 ami there is a great sputtering of snow about a fool In-hind 



frightened puss. Shesurvfves, comes directly across him 

 on ihe right, plunges into the Brush, and is out of sight be- 

 loie he recovers sufficiently to uso his other barrel Old 

 ralibil -shooters like to get a conceited young dead-shot and 

 trap-shooter into the "Bush' 1 iu winter. They have lots of 

 fun with him, and lie learns a thing or two. After he has 

 once got the knack of it. however, he doesn't despise rab- 

 bit (shooting, and he enjoys Ihe sport all the more, from hav- 

 ing found out by experience that it is sport. 



I think our best sportsmen are getting over their foolish 

 prejudice against the "he.'r." They are coming to learn 

 thai it takes as much -kill lo hit a rapidly moving object on 

 the ground as in the air; indeed, some think il more diffi- 

 cult, for there are apt to be more embarrassing obstacles in 

 the way in brush shooting, and in the fields the range is 

 usually greater than in bird shooting. I have always en- 

 joyed my winter rabbit shooting as keenly as the pursuit of 

 any other game, and 1 do not tind that the sport clogs upon 

 ine by reason of too easily earned success., [jajse a rabbit 



as often as I miss a bird, and with as good an excuse. \ml 

 then, where rabbits are reasonably plenty, the sport is right 

 iivch and stirs tin- blood. It is not like wailing drearily all 

 day beside the expected runway of a fox, and iiien, after sly 

 reyuaid has made his long circuit, mid the excited baying 

 of" the hounds proclaims his return, seeing him suddenly 

 swerve aside and go over the top of an adjacent hill and dis 

 appear for the night. 



Babbits run nearly in a circle and take a brief course, if 

 well followed by the hounds. They do nol often return ex- 

 actly to the place where Ihey were started, but somewhere 

 within a few rods of it tiny an- sun: lo pa-. If several 

 (logs are running the sportsman mu.-t keep liis eyes open for 

 "scared" rabbits; they may come up at. any time from any 

 direction. 



A rabbit should never be shoi except- when it is in motion. 

 [t. is almost brutal to mow ihe poor little creatures down 

 wh. n they stop lo listen for the dog, or to catch Ihe direc- 

 tion rd some unexpected sound. Take them fairly as Ihey 

 dai I past, and slop shooting w hen vou have as many as you 

 need For the table, or for a friend, and i warrant you', broil:, r 

 sportsman, you will agree, wiih me in saying' thai rabbit 

 shooting is' one of the most exhilarating and delightful 

 sports with dog and gun. 



As for the proper dog lo use, I think the best, taken all in 

 all, is the ordinary foxhound, trained, as much as possible, 

 to ruu rabbits alone. Beagles are too lazy and dumpy, and 

 spaniels are not independent enough. The foxhound is 

 large, strong of limb ancLdoep of chest, aud possessed of a 

 pertinacity and endurance which is of great value in this 



kind of spon. He will sometime leave a rabbit trail if he 



strikes the fresh track of a fox, but can generally lie recalled 

 or recaptured, if the sportsman is provided with a team. 1. 

 have very seldom found il necessary, however, to re-sort to 

 this expedient. Foxes venture into thick cover far less than 

 would bi supposed; and when the rabbits are once fairly 

 started and the dogs in full cry. there is little danger of their 

 seeking a fax tra< !; on the outskirts. 



The season with us is so late this year, that we arc enjoy- 

 ing the rabbit shooting close up to the first of April, and 

 may yet be able to make an "April fool" of the sportsman 

 who thinks "rabbit shooting is as easy as turning over your 

 hand." 



THAT SCREED AGAIN. 



WMtOF /'b,, s'eerf ': 



1 had thought that possibly I had done with "screeds," 

 but it seems thai criticisms and answers are still in order. 

 The last comes from a gentleman who signs himself 

 "Picket" (Behest lira Stream March 15). 



The' article savors -fronglv of "sarkasm," ridicule, bur- 

 lesque; loose rather than logical; rather superficial than 

 solid. It commences with: First. "iN'essmuk" is "well 

 right." -But he docs not go far enough*" "There never 

 was a horse worth $500, etc. Second. Again: "There 

 never was a gun worth over S-10. 'Ncssmtik' had better sell 

 those Damascus barrels aud buy a Zulu gun at $5." etc. 

 Third. "There never wis a diamond world $100. I will 

 bet my choices! cuyoodle," etc. Fourth. "When vou come. 

 to talk about pictnres. language is inadequate." (I should 

 say so') Fifth, •Land is .•mother thing thai people are great 

 foolS abOUt, I Own a lol on which you could raise as much 

 garden stuff, or build as tinea house, a- on a lot," etc. 

 Dear "Picket," -what docs all this amount to? Wherein is 

 the point? Sixth. -Look at gold for another thing." Just 

 SO. "Hut for this we could'nuike coins that would look 

 jttSl like gold, and not one man in ten could tell the ditfer- 

 enee. Wherein is its value?" .lust so. As to the conclud- 

 ing remarks of "Picket" about "Ncssmukian philosophy," 

 they may be relegated to the "Regions of Gimli" (or bore- 

 dom'). 



I have tried lobe brief. I wish to be honest ; to be square. 

 Lei us resume. 



First, The saOO horse (make it §5,000 if you like). Foot 

 up all the expenses of the winners; also the losses. (.Vive rjg 

 I he list of English peers, 1 1 M genue Mm . who have won aud 

 lost; who have squandered and lost, large estates in a single 

 year. Make a business thing of it. Do nol count the sui- 

 cide- Ihe ruined. Only give us the square business prg". 

 ceeds of profits and losses^ When you gel down to this, 

 divide the remainder by the number' of first-class racers who 

 have assisted at the rascality of race tracks, and give us the 

 result in round numbers. If there he any remaining balance, 

 place it to the winners. And report. 



Second. ••There never Was a gun worth over S-lh." Who 

 said that? I did not. I hare" said, time and again, thai 

 I admire a thing of beauty, that i admire a poem; a paint- 

 ing — 



"But nor tlirnii^h lliiel: aid llna. 



Nor think it smli a llimg as uoV-r luill) been.'' 



If ihe Zulu, or ihe army musket, were just as good asmy 

 Damascus barrels,] would lake them. But thev are not, 

 They are v^\\. They are unwieldlv. Thev arc unsafe. 

 They scatter shot. Thev kick like an array' mule. Wl.o 

 shall dictate that I take s'uch au unwieldlv weapon into the 

 Ibid? Wli.T.- does "Picket" pick-it up in Ibis .style': 1 ex- 

 pre- .,d plainly my love of the beautiful in flies, rods, 

 Damascus barrels, paintings, fine chromes, etc. And 

 "Picket" Calmly relegates nic to the Zulu gun and army 

 muskcl. I take in no 5-cent chromos. 1 do take in Prang's 

 best chromos I take in no So Zulu gun, nor army muskets. 

 I lake in no s:i(>() haiuraerlc-s BhotgUDS, either, 1 do take in 

 a plain, business shotgun at a sensible price. Much ink has 

 been shed in abusing the "Zoo" and musket, mostly by men 

 who can afford more co ai.v outfits, and whose ire Is aroused 

 at being crossed in the held by a grinning darkey or "low- 

 dowri" white, with one of these gams. 1 have witnessed this 

 thing often and it ticklesme hugely. It is true Plan the. 

 gentleman sportsman, 'with bis costiv gun and high-priced 

 setter kills tour birds to the darkey's one, hut what of that? 

 What business lias the darker there, anyhow? Or the poor. 

 shiftless white? They ought to be at work, laying up a 

 stake to Hank the poorhouse in old age. That is about the 

 argument. The insolence of wealth. The vulgarity of 

 money without culture. The arrogance of dollars, gotten 



1 e-'tly or otherwise— but gotten. And it is one of the 



most humorous thing, 1 know, to see one Of I hec high-toned 

 g. spoilsmen cutoff on a bevy of quail or grouse by a splay 

 foond darkey with a §5 "Zulu.' i always think of Byron's 

 "Deformed Transformed;" 



-The rascals have lis much right us he." 

 After more than fifty years experience I can safely say 

 that lie- most brutal nick 'I know of is the fact that three 

 dei r were shol down in a liek at one lime and left there to 

 rot, without even having their throats cut, one of them being 

 a doc with a lull breast Df milk. The deed was done by a 

 UOted "Clericufi," not unknown to fame as a preacher and 

 i:jti rah "c. Anv old Norih Woods guide can give the name, 

 which I withhold on account of hi.s family. 



•'If I have any fault it Is '.tii'ivssion." -Ki/roii . 

 I .oi us return. "Picket" drags in gold versus bogus, pure 

 diamond- versus paste, with city versus country lots, etc. 



"And such a lot of sktable-slcftnible stuff as puts me from mv faith." 



—Hotspur. 



These similes and comparisons -.em to me irrelevant. 

 But as ni"-' readers read willioui reflection it may need that 

 1 reply. Firstly, the pure diamond is a thing Of and within 

 itself. Ms paste imitation does not contain one grain of the 

 material which makes up the pure article. The imitation is 

 a fraud, likely a crime. The pure diamond is only a hi) of 

 crystallized charcoal, and the man who gives up a life com- 

 petence for a glittering piece of nonsense that can neither 

 give him food or shelter may well bo called a fool. J5ut a. 

 pure diamond i- '.i a;, beautiful, and the fortunate fool who 

 has more money than brains may do worse thau pay il out 

 for a thing ol 'beamy thai will last forever, In thesis limes 

 ii will sell, and llie'pasie imitation will not. 



The same holds true of gold. There is no metal like it, or 

 having the same qualities, If the civilized world chooses to 

 take it at a certain value, can "Picket" ; or ^'Nessmak" re- 

 verse the decision? And is a bogus imitation pure goldY 

 As to the land question, it seems lo me so far-fetched ap,d 

 irrelevant thai it may well be left, to the dealers in corner 

 lots, agents, etc. 



The assumption thai I would value a painting according 



