204 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



§hat %tm and §iffa. 



(s& 



GAME IN SEASON FOR NOVEMBER. 



Moose, Alces Malchis.) 

 Elk. or Wapiti, Cervus Canadensis.) 

 R >>hits. common Brown and Grey.) 

 Wild Turkey, Mdeagris gaUopavo.) 

 Woodcock, Scolopax nisticola.) 

 Hatted Grouse. Tetrao umbellus,) 



Caribou, Tarandus Rangifer.) 

 Red Deer, Caricus Virginianus.) 

 Squirrels, Red Black and Gray.) 

 Quail, Optyx Virginiana.) 

 Pinnated Grouse, Tetrao Cupido.) 

 Pigeons, and all kindsof Wild Fowl 



[Under the head of "Game, and Fish in Season" toe can only specify in 

 general terms the several varieties, because the laws of States vary so much 

 t '),at were we to attempt to particularize we could do no less them publish 

 fiose entire sections that relate to the kinds of game in question. This 

 would require a great amount of our space. In designating game we are 

 guided by the laws of nature, ujmn which all legislation is founded, and 

 our readers would do well to provide themselves tvith the laivs of their re- 

 sinctive States for constant reference. Otherwise, our attempts to assist them 

 will only create confusion. 1 



. 4 



— We learn that there is an extraordinary current of 

 winter travel setting toward the semi-tropical resorts of the 

 South. All our immediate friends and acquaintances are 

 preparing for the journey, and many hotels report orders 

 for board coming in rapidly. The same is true of Nassau 

 and Bermuda. The Victoria Hotel at the place first named 

 has had all its rooms engaged for some time, and are turn- 

 ing away applications. In addition to the usual company 

 of invalids and valetudinarians, a larger number of sports- 

 men than usual will go to Florida during December and 

 January. For the information of such, we print herewith 

 a list of the game of Florida, which we have obtained with 

 some little difficulty, and beg those sporting papers who 

 prig from us every week, to give us the proper credit in 

 this instance, if they copy. We have the scientific names 

 and classification of the varieties mentioned, so that there 

 can be no doubt of our perfect accuracy here. 



Animals. — Panther, common in all the unsettled parts of 

 the State, lynx, abundant and do; gray wolf, some nearly 

 black, not common; grey fox, common; raccoon, very 

 abundant; common bear do; red deer abundant but very 

 small; southern fox squirrel, abundant, confined to pine 

 woods, afford fine sport; gray squirrel, very abundant and 

 very tame; gray rabbit, marsh rabbit, and opossum, very 

 common. 



Birds.— WM turkey, quail, killdeer plover, wilson plover, 

 piping plover, golden and black belly, very numerous; 

 woodcock, not very abundant; snipe, very numerous, fly 

 in large flocks and cover the whole country; red breasted 

 snipe, very numerous; willets, yellow legs, and godwit, 

 very common; Hudson curlew and esquimaux, rare; long- 

 billed curlew, abundant; black-neck stilt, rails, galannules, 

 herons, cranes and ibis, all common. 



Ducks, Geese, &c— Mallard, very abundant; black duck, 

 common; this bird is of a lighter color than ours, its neck 

 being more like the female mallard's, it is said to breed in 

 Florida; pintail, green winged teal, blue winged teal, blue 

 winged shoveller, wood duck, scaup duck, red head, all 

 abundant; bald pate, canvas back, butter ball, ruddy duck, 

 all common; hooded meganser, abundant; Canada goose, 

 common in western Florida. 



— Duck-shooting is at its height in Canada now, and the 

 fowls are constantly passing South in large numbers. Local 

 papers report individual bags of 150 to 180, and bets are 

 up on a bag of 200 before the season closes. We announced 

 the opening of the ducking season last week, and now hear 

 through our private correspondence of good sport all along 

 the coast line from Montauk to Currituck. Duck shooting 

 is one of those sports which cannot be enjoyed in the fullest 

 perfection in warm weather, and the advent of these fowl 

 means northeasterly storms, driving sleet and chilling blasts, 

 the force of which only those can appreciate who lie over 

 their stools for hours together. By the way, we hear of a 

 man down on Long Island who has seventeen educated 

 wild geese which he has tamed and employs as stools. 

 What a mean business to engage in, and how mean those 

 wild geese must feel to engage in such a business, wheed- 

 ling their unfortunate relatives within gunshot range day 

 after day! Why, it is the worst kind of coquetry! The 

 most abundant' species along our coast are the canvas- 

 back, red-head, black duck, blue and green winged teals, 

 shoveller, bald-pate or American widgeon, coot, and pin- 

 tails. The pintail, black duck, coot, gray duck, wood 

 iuck and blue-winged teal, are properly fresh water fowl, 

 and are not abundant along the coast. The coot is often 

 confounded with the eider or sea duck, but is quite a dif- 

 ferent bird, inhabiting fresh water and frequenting the 

 weedy margins of streams, but as they dive, hide among 

 the plants, or fly, as the humor takes them, are somewhat 

 difficult to procure. Mallards are abundant in the West, 

 but are seldom seen to the eastward of New York. There 

 are two varieties of black duck, the smaller species now here 

 o-iving place soon to the more hardy northern race. Pin- 

 tails usually fly in very large flocks. The Euglish teal, anas 

 crecca, occurs very rarely on our coast. Gunners should be 

 continually on the lookout for them, as specimens found 

 here are quite valuable. The shoveller is very abundant 

 down South, and frequents fresh and salt water. The 

 gray duck is rarely found in New England. 

 3 —Those who are not sportsmen are sometimes skeptical 

 in regard to tolling ducks, and even some duck shooters 

 scarcely put credence in this device. Undoubtedly the 

 plan of "tolling ducks" in the United States was derived 

 from the Indians, who imitated the fox. "In Norway and 

 Sweden," says Mr. Lloyd, in his exhaustive work on the 

 o-ame birds and wild fowl of these countries, "ducks col- 

 lect m large flocks in the neighboring lakes and rivers, the 

 strands of which are in general flat. The fowler, in ob- 

 serving the birds, walks as near to them as he can in safety 



when, falling on his hands and knees, he makes his further 

 approaches slowly and cautiously. In the meantime he 

 causes his well-trained dog, who should be of a reddish 

 color, to gambol before him, which heeffects by every now 

 and then throwing the animal a crumb of bread that it 

 catches in its mouth. The ducks, attracted by the antics 

 of the dog, gradually approach the strand, and thus the 

 man is often enabled to get sufficiently near them to fire 

 with effect. " According to the accounts of the men in 

 question it was from seeing the way in which the fox at 

 times secures his prey that they were induced to adopt the 

 plan spoken of, for that cunning animal in the autumn re- 

 sorts to a similar ruse to capture young ducks. He then 

 promenades near to the water's edge, sometimes vaulting 

 high in the air, and at others crawling on his belly, his 

 brush meanwhile trailing along the ground. These manoeu- 

 vres of his so excite the curiosity and tickle the fancy of 

 the ducklings that they gradually swim towards him, occa- 

 sionally so near, it is said, as actually to seize hold of his tail 

 with their bills ; but they usually pay dear for their temer- 

 ity, for the wily fellow seizes his opportunity and pounces 

 on one or other of them. "To. the devices of the fox," says 

 a Swedish gentleman, " I have been an eye witness, and it 

 was only last autumn that my bailiff shot one of these ani- 

 mals in the very act of beguiling young ducks in the man- 

 ner described." 



— Mr. Phillip Reid Howard, a prominent citizen of Long 

 Island and one of its large landed proprietors, was most 

 cruelly shot by two gunners last Sunday while remonstrat- 

 ing with them for shooting on his premises. His shoulder 

 and left side were literally blown to pieces. Mr. Howard 

 had arranged to celebrate his fortieth birthHay with his 

 aged father and mother, who w T ere present to meet him on 

 that occasion. Two men, who are probably the criminals, 

 have been arrested on suspicion, and are in jail at Jamaica. 



— A letter from Brainard, Minnesota, says; " The brush 

 about town almost swarms with grouse. Three of us were 

 deer hunting last week, the first day we killed a buck and 

 a doe, next day four grouse (no dog,) and the third day one 

 buck. Deer are very plenty this fall. A few days ago I 

 met the "Baron" Evans, of the New York World, who 

 was off on a hunting expedition to Red Lake with some of 

 the Yellowstone Expedition party. He speaks very kindly 

 about you and your Forest and Stream." 



— The Staten Island Shooting Association, organized 

 only a short time ago, is now in quite a flourishing condi- 

 tion. It now numbers, including honorary members, about 

 eighty, all gentlemen connected more or less with the 

 interests of the island, and desirous of preserving game ac- 

 cording to the requirements of the law. It is proposed to 

 import a large stock of quail, which will be set free over 

 the whole island, which affords abundant facilities for 

 cover, shelter and breeding. 



— Captain Wild and party, four guns, killed last week on 

 the flats at Kinderhook, Columbia County, N. Y., twenty- 

 seven reed birds and eight English snipe, twenty-two black 

 ducks, and four widgeons. 



—Dr. A. and friend killed last week at Katonah, West- 

 chester, four woodcock, thirteen ruffed grouse and eight 

 rabbits. 



—Colonel C. and party, three guns, killed at South 

 Oyster Bay, L. I., twenty-seven quail, fifteen willets and 

 thirty-two wild fowl of all kinds. 



—At Olive City, Ulster County, N. Y., a party of three 

 killed two dog foxes and one vixen. 



The prices of furs generally are lower than last season, 



though no schedules are yet published. 



FOURTH CONTEST FOR THE AMATEUR RIFLE CLUB BADGE. 



On Saturday last, the fourth contest for this much coveted 

 badge, offered by the Amateur Rifle Club, took place at 

 Creed moor. 



There has been no small amount of interest excited in 

 these particular matches, and almost all of the best shots 

 were present on Saturday. The weather as far as light was 

 concerned and absence from haze, was all that could be de- 

 sired; the great drawback was the wind, which blew in 

 puffs, from right to left, across the line of fire, somewhat 

 disturbing the accuracy of aim. Such accidents of wind 

 are beyond the power of the rifleman to prevent, and as the 

 gusty days rr ust be taken with the calm ones, in order to 

 make up the average, such natural obstacles to correct 

 shooting only demand greater skill of the marksman, and 

 allowances for the wind were accordingly called into play 

 by the crack shooters. 



To insure accuracy on this particular match the most suc- 

 cessful shots made three feet allowance for effects of wind, 

 and this too with a charge of eighty-five grains of powder. 



As may be seen by the score, the shooting was remarka- 

 bly good, Mr. Robert Omand securing the badge with a 

 score of 25. The. badge must be won three times by the 

 same person in order to become the property of the rifle- 

 man. It has been won so far by Mr. Thomas Lloyd, with 

 a score of 14 on the first match; by Mr. John Bodine, with 

 27 on the second match, (28 possible,) and by Mr. J. P. M. 

 Richards, in the third match, with a score of 26. Between 

 the 14 score which won the badge the first time, and 25 

 which was made by Mr. Omand on Saturday on the fourth 

 match, the vast improvement made at Creedmoor is mani- 

 fest. The total averages of the various matches for the 

 Amateur Rifle Badge has been as follows:— 



First match * 4 



Second match loi 



Third match ]-h 



Fourth match 19 J -18 



This shows even better than does the individual scores 

 the average made. 



MATCH FOR THE AMATEUR RIFLE CLUB BADGE, NOVEMBER 1. 



Seven shots at 

 yarn*. Arm. 500 yds. Total 



Robert Omand Remington sporting 3 3 4 4 4 8 4— wi 



G. W. Wingate Remington sporting 4 4 2 4 3 4 4— -J- 



J. Bodine Remington sporting 33 3344 4— 24 



J. P. M. Richards Sharpe 3 3 4 3 4 4 3— 04 



H. Fulton Sharpe 4 3 2 4 2 4 3— 29 



A. Pyle Remington military 2 2 3 3 4 4 3— gf 



G. Strube Remington sporting 4343233— 22 



J. S. Coulin Sharpe". 2 3 3 3 4 3 2— an 



G. W. Yale Sharpe 4 4 3 4 2 3- oq 



W. Robertson Remington sporting 4 2 4 4 2 4— <>q 



J. Hamilton Sharpe 2 4 3 3 3 4— 19 



A. V. Canfield, Jr Remington sporting 3 2 3 4 4 3— 19 



L. M. Ballard Remington sporting 4 3 3 3 4— 17 



L. M. Bruce Sharpe military 3 3 3 3 4— i(j 



A. J. Hennion, Jr Sharpe sporting 3 4 3 2 3— jg 



J. E. McEwen Remington sporting ...2340303— 14 



G. Crouch Sharpe 3 3 2 2 2— ig 



A. Alford Remington 2 2 4— g 



PIT 3 Wind variable in intensity, blowing from right to left. Clear. 



The three best scores, 25, 25, and 24, were made with the 

 Remington rifle. Between Messrs. Omand and Wingate 

 the shooting was very close; the outer on Mr. Wingate's 

 third round making him lose the match. Mr. Bodine's 

 score, 24, was a fine one, closing with three bull's eyes. 

 Mr. Richard's score, 24, with a Sharpe, was also an excel- 

 lent one. Of course by this time, what may be called the 

 "dead wood," has been knocked away, the noble company 

 of marksmen are getting weeded out, and the best shots, 

 as may be seen, are always coming to the front. Let not 

 however those who tail the score be abashed. Practice 

 and perseverance will do everything, and those who are 

 last, may be some day first. 



By reference to the score of Saturday, it is noticeable 

 that as far as the weapons are concerned the contest ap- 

 pears to be narrowing down to a struggle between the 

 Sharpe and Remington rifles, few others being represented. 

 Those used in this match were very much alike in their 

 model, all using a long, hardened and swedged bullet about 

 44 calibre, with a paper patch; charge about 85 grains, 

 loaded by hand. The former appeared to have a little the 

 best sights, being provided with a wind guage on the fore 

 sight, the want of which on the Remington rifle was greatly 

 felt, but the victory was undoubtedly with the latter. Both 

 are good guns, however, and those manufacturing them 

 recognize the fact that Creedmoor is the place where their 

 reputation is to be made, and spare no pains to produce a 

 weapon from which the best results can be obtained. 



Mr. Omand, the victor of last Saturday's match, is one of 

 the crack shots of Canada, having been a member of the 

 Victoria Rifles, of Montreal, and having gone three times 

 to Wimbledon as a member of the Dominion team, being- 

 one of the winners in the match for the Rajah of Kolapores 

 Imperial Challenge Cup, won by the Canadians in 1870. 

 It is therefore not only no disgrace for the Amateurs to be 

 beaten by him, but rather a subject of congratulation that 

 with as little practice as they have had they can hold their 

 own so well against marksmen of such experience. In 

 order to afford a comparison between the skill displayed by 

 the crack shots of the English and Canadian volunteers and 

 that of our Amateurs, Ave give the scores made at 500 yards 

 in the above mentioned match, in which the Canadians have 

 been conceded to have covered themselves with glory:— 



Canadian Team. bcore. United Kingelom Team. Score.' 



Captain Werner. 

 Lieut. Birch. 



Sergt. Major Harris 23 



Sergt. McMullen 23 



Captain Bell 32 



Sergt. Wilkinson 22 



Sergt. Omand 22 



Private Jennings? 22 



Private Morrison 22 



Sergt. Kincaid 21 



Captain Gibson 21 



Private Oronhyateka 21 



Sergt. McDonald 20 



Sergt. McNatchan 30 



Sergt. Sache 20 



Captain Cotton 19 



Captain McClingham 19 



Private Mason 17 



Ensign Waste 15 



Lieut. Little 13 



Ensign Tomlinson. 



Sergt. Michie 25 



Sergt. McCreath 24 



Sergt. Leeson 22 



Sergt. Hutchinson 22 



Private Coulson 21 



Ensign Gray 21 



Sergt. Lowry 21 



Sergt. Cooper 21 



Sergt. Hooper 21 



Sergt. Lane 21 



Private Easton 20 



Private Waller 20 



Corporal Downes 19 



Corporal Hewston 18 



Captain Burt 18 



Lieut. Eddrain 17 



Private Clark 17 



Ensign Snelns 17 



Private Buchell 16 



Total 407 



Average, 20.35. 



Total 411 



Aveiage, 30.55. 



Comparing these scores with those made in the Amateur 

 Match, which are given above, it will be observed that out 

 of the forty picked English and Canadian sharpshooters, 

 there were but two who excelled the score made by Messrs. 

 Omand and Wingate, and these did so but by a single 

 point, and that there were but four out of the forty that 

 made 24 or over, which was done bv a like number of the 

 Amateurs, viz. : Omand, Wingate, Bodine and Richards, 

 out of but eighteen competitors, a number which if Messrs. 

 Collins, Burton and several others of the Amateurs had 

 been present, would probably have been increased. As it 

 is, the average of score of the Amateurs as a whole, is 17 

 points, (or if the lowest score is excluded, 19.22 points,) as 

 against 20.55 of the Canadians, and 20.35 of the English- 

 men. 



The announcement of the Diamond Badge placed at 

 the disposal of the National Rifle Association by Messrs. 

 Remington and Son, and now in course of manufacture, 

 has caused quite an excitement amongst our riflemen. This 

 badge will be the most elegant and costly yet offered. It 

 is to be won by the most skillful of our many good shots 

 at long ranges, 500, 800, and 1,000 yards, being the dis- 

 tances. The following are the conditions of the contest: 

 Open only to members of the Association; weapon, any 

 breech loading rifle, weighing not over ten pounds, trigger 

 to pull not less than three pounds; sight, any but telescopic; 

 distance, 500, 800, and 1,000 yards; seven shots, (two sight- 

 ing shots at each distance;) the twenty competitors in each 

 match making the highest score at 500 yards to be alone 

 allowed to fire at the 800 yards, and the ten making the 

 highest at that distance to shoot at 1.000, the prize to be 

 given to the highest aggregate score, the badge to be won 



