268 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 8. 1833. 



couple was neve? Been, but Uiey TOtfe happy, for five ducks 

 told the story of their skill. After they had stowed away 

 their supper! wc draw our chairs around the stove, and 

 White 1 1 >ii i their adventure as follows: "After you left Sam 

 he hunted me up and together we started to wade to a small 

 island, rind easily reached il. not going over our kueffli A 

 natural blind Stood on our side, and 6f Ibis we at once took 

 possession about 5 o'cloi k. A green-winged teal started out 

 Of the lily pads (which are two feet high) and swims out into 

 open water. 1 take a careful aim and tire, lad he never 

 kicks and lies motionless on the water. As soon as retrieved 

 wo settle down again, liul before Buntlcwn manage .to gel a 

 diver. Ah soon as. il grows dark the fun begins. The birds 

 fly in all directions. Whir' on the right, whir! on the left. 

 A long black streak can he seen in the northern sky, which 

 BOOU develops into a Hock of twenty seven ducks, which I 

 took to be black Mies. 

 "Yeg," said f. interrupting mm, "riicy are black ouch, 



1 miTii' from a small pond away over in'llie woods, where 



they slay during the day. and come to the meadows to feed 

 at nighl ami fleparl before. daylight. 1 ' 



"Wcwnited for lliciu In pass by near enough for a flhOt, 

 but they gave us a wide beta h. We gathered up our birds 

 and started to rctuni io Hie shove, but to our surprise we 

 could nol see il. We bad been looking' lit the bright sky so 

 as to gel the outline of Mie birds against il. and on looking 

 into Hie dark were blinded for a few moments. Taking fl 

 long Mirk in one hninl \\i- felt our way toward the shore, 

 which we succeeded in reaching in abollt a lialf boor Once 



on shore another difficulty presented itself, t, »■., which way 



was home? fjuolvilv we had sel oiil' compass before leaving, 

 and lighting a match, we soon found the requisite direction. 

 We struck into the woods and traveled for some time, then 

 we stopped and lit a match to make sure. 



We were traveling very nearly in the right direction 

 when we struck the old logging i'Ofld which leads from the 

 main road to the meadow: This we followed till we 

 reached the tall pines where Ihey logged lasl winter, and 

 here we losl the path while in thi- growth, for it was as dark 

 as it could be, and bore we burned our last match in order 



to make sure of our course, which, luckily for us, had been 

 nearly correct. Stumbling on, over slumps and fallen trees, 

 first one and then I lie ntneswAS ahead, and the hind one 

 had to lake the bushes as ihey s\\ itched back, which was 

 very pl< asant: speaking trow and then to make sure we wen 

 together, at last we came oul— on the shore of the meadow." 



"Yes. " .said .Jordan, "and 1 swore that it was some one 

 WC had not yet visited, lap While ,-aid il was the Ureal 

 Meadow." 



"We walked up the shore of the meadow until I found 

 i In rocks where' the road comes in. Turning in here we 

 followed il as long as we could, and several times wc found 

 ourselves in the brush, bin managed to strike the road again, 

 and after about q half-hour's work we came out in the main 

 road. Our trials were now over, for in fifteen minuted WC 

 were here. Mow, 1 move we go to bed, for it's most 

 eleven." 



TIk next morning was spent in packing, and our host, 

 who owned a good horse and double-beech wagon, offered 

 to deliver us at our respective bouses in the city for one 

 dollar each, and wc gladly accepted bis offer. "Small. 



OUR WOODCOCK SHOOT OF 1882. 



LAST year Charlie and I invited Will, a gentleman (well 

 know il to many of the readers of Forest a n d Stutjam as a 

 crack shol, good talker and lover of the Irish red), to come 

 and have it hunt with us for woodcock, which invitation he 

 accepted, and wc had ,'l right jolly good time. On his re- 

 turn be bad published in Fonr.sT AMD Stukam an account of 

 tlie trip. That was the time when we "got 'em." 



This year he came again and we didn't "get 'em.'' so I 

 will undertake to tell if this time, and although he dubbed 

 me "little one" last year, 1 .shall not now retaliate and call 

 bim "giant," if be "is over six feel tall and wears No. 12 

 boots. 



From September i Io November 11 Charlie and 1 had 

 watched our favorite grounds for woodcock, visiting them 

 as often as twice a week, and some days we did not see a 



lingl d. The most we saw in anyone day were four. 



and we had about made up our minds that there were no 

 birds Ibis v car. and that we would hang up our guns and 

 record this'as an oil' year for rail, woodcock and English 

 snipe as there (Jid not appear to be any. On Monday, 

 November, 18, we beard that so many woodcock bad been 

 flushed bv persons out walking the day before that wc said, 

 "II if. all right; they have come at last and we must be off." 

 i .-ra plied Will. "If you have faith enough, come on 

 and we will go to tlie bill tomorrow." It was quite evident 

 to us that he had the necessary faith, as he arrived here on 

 the 8 P. M. train with bis dog. gun and traps ready, and 

 very soon after we took anolher train. I have remarked be- 

 fore that be was a good lalker. After the usual hand-shak- 

 ing and looking n1 the dogs, be cocked bis bat on the back 



pf his head and opened up: "Say, we'll gel Vm to-morrow: 

 they are here. 1 -aw thi an BhnotJng mil on the river; saw 

 them from tbecarwiudow, and just as 1 left home a farmer's 

 boy brought in several woodcock and 'the woods is full of 

 'em.' Oh, if il is peasant to-morrow we will get them. 

 How they will lay on I hat warm side hill in the young 

 alders. I'll bet this minute there are fifty birds in the piece 

 b front of the old school bouse." And so he talked on un- 

 til the brakeman shouted "Jordan." We picked up our gun 



■■■• iel, taking the dogs by their chains, alighted. 



The first man we saw was our genial friend, the Doctor. 

 The Doctor's house is a two-story frame building on Jones 

 street. As to the size of it in "feet I haven't the remotest 

 idea, but its storing capacity is something wonderful, and it 

 is the general opinion of all of the Doctor's friends that he 

 is doing himself a great injustice in not securing a patent on 

 it. lhavc known every room in this house to be full, yet 

 when some of the Doctor's friends would drive up, he would 

 say, "Drive around to the barn; then come in and stay all 

 night. " I wondered where they would sleep, but the Doctor 

 would go into the sitting-Toom'and talk with his wife, and, 

 presto! another room is added to tho house and prepared 

 *or guests, This building has store-room, Doctor's office, 

 sitting-room, dining-room, library, and sleeping rooms ad 

 ihfinmm, Tlie Doctor's wile M one Of those large-hearted 

 women von occasionallv meet with. ji|s| a- ready and willing 

 lo ooterUiu the Doctor's friend*' a In is lo have them enter- 

 tained Tin- Doctor— why every one know- him; his name 

 is a household word for miles around, and a I Long Lake, 

 Hamilton county, where In- has a camp and spends a portion 



of Ids summer vacation, he ha- b...i-. ol friends, and many 



of the guides will testify to kindnesses shownjbeni in visit- 

 ing the sick, extracting teeth, and relieving their suffering. 



On one occasion while, at his house, having returned at about 

 seven in the evening from an all day's bunt, he found that 



i ;i Ft call for him to go and see Mr. W., living about 



five miles front the village. The Doctor says. "Well, I am 



glad of il, as Mr. was here yesterday and wished me 



lo conic and see his bound." And he did go f made both calls, 

 and it appeared lo me that he was more particular in bis 

 treatment of Ihe hound than he was of Mr. W. 



The Doctor marched us to the dining-room, and after a 

 good hearty supper we returned to the office, where wc en- 

 joyed our pipes and the evening passed pleasantly talking 

 over the past, and receiving calls from our old friends Messrs. 

 White, Allen, Jayani! others, andourgood Methodist pTother 

 that always says', "Well, look at all the dogs." And, by the 

 ay, thine was quite a show. First, there was Charlie's Don, 

 (Old Reliable) not a bench show or field trial winner, but a 

 -class dog on all game. Will bad Snap, a red Irish, win- 

 of first prize in New York in puppy class in 188'J. and 

 in open class in Washington in 1883. The Doctor's 

 Fred CLaverack) and my red Irish bitch Daisy flitter sister to 

 Snap) and Jay's water spaniel. At 10 o'clock we took a short 

 Walk to give the dogs a little exercise mid sec what the 

 weather prospects were for the morrow, and then retired. 



We were up bright and early and found that the Doctor's 

 wife had a smoking ItOl breakfast ready for us, and as usual 

 (never forgetting Ihe dogs, she had the pudding ready for 

 them) the lunch basket and jug of coffee for US. ' Now*, the 

 Doctor's Wife is such a firm believer in the coffee sign as to 

 the success of a day's hunt that she never allows a sports- 

 man to leave the house without if. The morning was clear 

 and cold (but wc bad known woodcock to he here later than 

 this), and the Mack ponies look us along at a rattling pace. 

 until we reached the big alder piece, Where Charlieand Will 

 left us to hunt up on the south side. Doctor and I were to 

 ride on a quarter of a mile further and then hunt the north 

 side, and we were to meet at the old pond. John-was to yvait: 

 for Us with the team at the old school bouse. 



We climbed over the fence; Fred and Daisy went to work, 

 quartered the ground high and low . and at last there was a 

 faint showing of game. Daisy stopped, half pointed, bill il 

 was a false alarm, and we hunted that piece all the way up 

 and did not find either woodcock or grouse. This was not 

 at all encouraging, as this piece afforded us some very fine 

 sport last season/ We separated again. Will and Charlie 

 hunting on the north side of Ihe pond, the Doctor and I on 

 the south side, until we again met at the school house, and 

 after comparing notes found that we had drawn another 

 blank. We all elimbei, into the wagon and started for the 

 piece at the head of (liven Brook. This was our last place 

 For woodcock, and the Doctor remarked, "Look here, boys, 

 I told you there was no use of hunting for woodcock; Ihey 

 have not been here, and this is an off year." We were soon 

 satisfied of the truth of this, for we hunted this rover thor- 

 oughly, and not a bird did we find. In this place last year 

 in about one hour we bagged twenty-five woodcock. 



Wc returned to the wagon, and after spreading down 

 robes and blankets sat down to a lunch such as can only be 

 prepared by a woman thai knows the wants of hungry 

 sportsmen. " Iu Will's report of our hunt, in 1881, he failed 

 lo mention the fact that his red Irish Larry ate up all the 

 lUnelt, and when he jumped out of the wagon i.olnmfthc first 

 piece, he had the empty basket hanging on his neck, and if 

 Ihe present owner of Larry should happen lo read ibis, 1 

 wish he would call to mind if at ihe time the dog was pur 

 chased be was warranted by Will to be a first-class luneher. 

 After lunch Ihe Doctor said. "If yon boys are entirely sat- 

 isfied thai there are no woodcock, wc will start and try the 

 grouse iu a small piece on our way home." Wc did slop 

 and try them. They were up in lives, would not lay for the 

 dogs at all. and TO killed just one, although Will declares 

 that he knocked oil both wings and legs of another with his 

 "far-killing" Greener, and from the appearance of a pine 

 free (and since reading "Mark West's" account of his grouse 

 hunt ) I have concluded that Will used his right barrel to 

 take oil' the toil of the free, and his left to knock the bird 

 over iu an adjoining (own. as we could not find her. But 

 we did find this little grove full of snares, and if snares were 

 ever- thoroughly torn up and destroyed, these were then and 

 there. This was the last of the day's hunt, and we drove 

 home. Total number of birds killed iu eight hours' hunt, 

 one ruffed grouse. I hope that we will never be accused of 

 '! .1,... ai. -ring game in this day's bunt. 



The next day the Doctor's professional duties were such 

 that he could not be with us, and we thought we would try 

 for grouse, knowing that there bad been a brood or two 

 raised in one of our favorite woods; but it was a hard place 

 to get a shot at them, the woods being almost entirely young 

 pines, Here we go; Will working on the edge to my left 

 and Charlie to mv right. We had just entered the cover 

 when Charlie said", "Hold on; steady, here be is," and just, 

 at that moment out. Ihey go right over my head, but not a 

 bird did we see. The puppies looked a little surprised. 

 "What is that, you say? Old Reliable surprised? No, no. 

 You don't know that dog or you never would ask such a 

 question." There he stood, straightened out at full length, 

 without the slightest motion of a muscle, making a picture 

 that can't be described with a pen. You must see it. 

 Charlie steps in and off goes the bird without giving us a 

 glimpse of hint, We hunted this piece for two hours, the 

 dogs doing some very fine work. Charlie and Will each 

 killed a grouse, and I didn't bring a bird to bag. Methinks 

 I hear some reader say. "Well, I can't see where you had 

 any sport, in that hunt." There is just where you are mis- 

 taken. I own up that I am not a good shot, and Charlie has 

 often accused me of watching the dogs and allowing the 

 birds to fly away, to which charge I am obliged to plead 

 guiltv. 



" To'rae a day's sport with rod or gun is not the number of 

 fish in the creel or birds brought to bag. 



"Game bag flac, with naught to boast of, 



Bravely take an ill-timed sneer, 

 Uvery well ami favored marksman 

 Levels not a sleek-skinned deer." 

 It is the rest from all business cares, the knowing that for a 

 time, at least, that ledger and ledger balances are not. to he 

 thought of ; and I ean'never recount the many benefits de- 

 rived to soul and body from these excursions to woods and 

 lakes. To mc they are numberless and they never end. I 

 take mv place at the desk ready for duly, and while at, work 

 mylho'ugbl.s will carry me to Ihe big' side bill, and in a, 

 moment'! will have a, day's bunt. Or when weary from the 

 labors and cares of the day I return home and while seated 

 around the cheerful fire with my wife and boys, one of the 

 l.ovr-, will say. "Papa, now for a story. Tell us about your 

 first visit, to the Aduondacks, or Obed's falling to sleep 

 watching the runway on Old Whiteface, or your quail hunt 



in Ohio, or your first visit to the woods of Michigan;" and 

 this is why they never end, and I well know that— 



"I am richei 

 For these 



Aud the voi< 

 Shall seen 



wiser, stronger, 

 rief reluxiuK spells, 



•el its Easter hells." 



And as has been said before, among the multitude of bios 



gfi vouchsafed ine bya kind Providence I count my passion 



for hunting and fishing chief, and 1 am sure that 1 um 



healthier and happier for having found pleasure in my 



excursions to mountain and forest, lakes and streams. 



Plankbhs. 



HunsOK.N.Y,, April 34,1888. 



THE HUNTING RIFLE. 

 Editor Forest caul Stream: 

 I do not desire to take part in the pleasant though spirited 



discussion going on in your columns as to the relative merits 

 of Ihe breech and muzzle loader, for it is already in the 

 bands of those competent »o handle i(. All the suggestion I 

 would make would be that, a match between the I vvo classes, 

 with the usual conditions, be shot, except that there should 

 be no wiping after each shot, That, is really the true test of 

 the two systems, for a rifle is useless, except Bis a toy, that 

 cannot be used with sufficient accuracy under those con- 

 ditions. The muzzle-loader, being to a certain extent- 

 cleaned in the act of loading, is apt to have the advantage, 

 but it, will point out where the defect lies with the breech- 

 loader. 



My object in writing this communication is. however, to 

 Utter a mild protest at the patronizing and ex adhtilra criti- 

 cism of your correspondent "Penobscot," in the issue of 

 April 5, in regard to Major Merrill's opinions and experi- 

 ences on liHc matters. I am aware that, gentleman is fully 

 able to take care of himself, but 1 cannot refrain from "dip- 

 ping in au oar" where be may not think proper to do so. 



Major Merrill is, by education, profession, opportunities 

 and extended experience, superimposed by a careful study 

 of the subject, a rifleman in the highest sense of the term; a 

 rifleman of nearly half a century's experience, most of which 

 has been obtained among the big game of the frontier; a 

 rifleman, in my opinion, w r ho has forgotten a great deal more 

 than most of us younger riflemen ever knew, Iu truth.be 

 may be designated as the Nestor among the riflemen of the 

 country, li, therefore behooves "Penobscot" to be a little 

 more cautious in his criticisms. 



Now, what are Major Merrills opinions on rifle matters? 

 I always read with care what he writes, and this is mv 

 understanding of them: lie admits Ihe superiority of the 

 breech-loader, with all its defects, as a weapon of war, or 

 where dangerous game is encountered, and where rapidity 

 of lire is essential; he claims the superiority of the muzzle- 

 loader for accuracy as a target, rifle, where wiping out is 

 allowed after each discharge) he claims the superiority of 

 the muzzle-loader for accuracy either at target organic, 

 where consecutive shots are fired, without wiping, and 

 claims this latter is the true test of any rifle. 



Now-, how many experienced riflemen arc prepared to take 

 issue with him on each of these three positions? All will 

 agree with him on the first position, and there will be few to 

 differ with him on the last, with the breech-loaders as at 

 present constructed. As to the second, wherever you find 

 a rifleman of experience who disagrees with him, yam will 

 find an equally experienced one who agrees with him. Then 

 there will be a great many who think that in the hands of 

 equally skillful riflemen there is very little difference in 

 accuracy where wiping Is allowed, 1 take it there are few 

 riflemen who will not agree substantially with these views. 



Now it, seems pertinent to inquire from what standpoint 

 of experience does "Penobscot" fulminate his criticisms on 

 Major Merrill's opinions: "Upon wdiat meat doth this our 

 Gesarfeed?" and in prosecuting this inquiry we will take 

 his own account, of it. The amount of game he has killed 

 offers no criterion from which to judge of the extent of his 

 experience, for it. may mean twenty or it may mean fifty. 

 The first statement or opinion given that causes B doubt, at 

 least as to the closeness of his observation, is that the deer 

 (understood to be the Virginia deer) comes to "a dead halt 

 at the end of every leap." In this he will find few if any to 

 agree with bim who have seen many deer run. The deer's 

 feet arc. at; times, at "a dead hall." especially when at a 

 slow gait, leaping over brush for instance, but his body is 

 always on the move, and when going at a good gait its 

 movement is very uniform. When at full speed bis feel, 

 like those of a race-horse, scarcely appear to touch tho ground, 

 and "he goes like a shot." 



His next statement with regard to hunting in weather 

 whose temperature is — 12\ and without glovcs.will astonish 

 those with much experience in hunting in cold weather; for 

 so I understand the words, "fingers frosted from contact 

 with the blistering Steel barrel." I think it. will be the gen- 

 eral verdict that, anyone who goes bunting in such weather 

 without gloves, and very warm ones at that, knows very 

 little about either cold weather or bunting; in fact 'that he 

 needs a guardiau. Furthermore, manipulating a breech- 

 loader without gloves would result in the same "blistering" 

 experience by contact of the fingers with the steel of the 

 lever and thc'trigger-plate and lock. 



Now let us test, the soundness of his judgment as to the 

 best rifle for deer hunting. He has only used two breech- 

 loaders, the Winchester '7)1 model and the Marlin 40- 

 caliber, both repeating rifles, to both of Which he gives high 

 praise, with the preference to the latter, and thinks it "by 

 far the best hunting rifle for forest shooting in the market.'" 

 Now 1 say, such are the last arms a man of solid experience 

 would take into the woods for hunting deer, premising at the 

 same time they both are very good rifles of their 

 class, In timber you rarely get more than one good 

 shot at the same deer, aud you want that shot to bring him 

 down, no matter where you hit him in the body— hams, 

 haunch, lungs or shoulder. There are such rifles. No rifle, 

 however, shooting a solid ball of small caliber is that rifle. 

 It is simply cruelty to hunt deer with such rifles, unless the 

 animal is shol through both shoulders, or through the heart, 

 or the spinal column is touched, the chances are it, will hide 

 in the bush to die a lingering death, unless there is snow on 

 the Tound or you have that, rare luxury, a good hunting 

 do"" I know distances of fawns being' literally shot lo 

 pieces with six or seven shots and then bad to be run down: 

 of grown deer that were mutilated by as many shots and 

 then getting away in full view on the open. Such instances 

 are in the experience of all who have hunted deer much 

 with the small caliber solid ball, and this paper has fre- 

 quently been full of such experiences. If "Penobscot" w ill 

 read that most excellent book, Mr, Van Dyke's "Still- 



