Sept. 2f). 1883.'] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



14S 



§mft #*# iti}d §mi. 



have UESiiRT.--.- :■■■ ■■ ■■■ al ad to receive for pub- 



tieution siodi nolcsuf, .■:■:.-, as ma >j be ofhrtp 



to the readers of Fo -- Stream Will not frtr corre- 



To ins urr prompt attention, communications should be. ad- 



.:,.-., /.,,:/, ,'-,,,■.■;■■ tr„,7 '_,'/, , r,,.-,j PnbUxhinu Co., and vol to 

 indie idvols, in whose absence, from the office mailers of im- 

 portance ore liable to delay. 



OPEN SEASONS, 

 the digest at tfpen Seasons, priatjsd in cur issue of Aug. J li, has 

 ibltehetl in Convenient pamphlet form, and Will be S&M to any 



address, postriaiit.cn receip: of 10 cents. 



SPORT IN CUBA. 



IW AS m>. ;iHv int.i. -!<•() 1 n tin account given in your issue 

 . . x , by "Nemo," o) bis experience with Cuban 

 Sports And games. 1 And be is well mforracdand correctcou- 

 cerning the various ways oi pursuing and capturing game by 

 Hi.- unlives, tlKiML'li I disagree with his view, that the wild 

 pi , .,n v In M .-1-. "in " is as hard ici shoot as in the pigeon 

 matches in this country. The pigeons, when flying from 

 their roosta to their ■feeding grounds, or via per&z, are very 

 . n For a beginner, as they il\ in pairs, and at 

 nn i . . nge, and though their flightis very swift, they 

 olfer :i fair mark to the shooter, who sees (hem coming from 

 s distance and has ample time lo correct his aim before Hie 

 bird is. close to him, 



Pigeons mill .piail constitute tbe chief sport throughout 

 Hi. islands. Duck and goose shooting ie very good, in the 

 lowlands and swatnps, but owing to- the luck of running 

 water and lakes the fowl are found onlj fn certain plan-. 

 where fevers are to be met with also. There is great-sport 



also b! ng .1. ■ ■'■ ■ "'■. a species of crane, which are ccn> 



sidered very Um eating, but it requires great skill to bag 

 them, as thi's bird is very wary ami difflcull or approach. 

 Quail -in- vi v numerous everywhere in Cuba, but they af- 

 ford veiy little pleasure to the sportsman in those parts of 

 the country where tatiglawood aad brtish abounds, for they 

 alight lu bushes and trees as soon as put tip by the dogs, 

 lm\ ing the shooter bul a single chance on the wing when they 

 rise altogether with a whin-'. Pricking thorns, lack of water 

 ami a scorching sunmake it very unpleasant for tire man, 

 awl unbearable to the canine, if an imported dog. Early in 

 the morning during the months of November, December, 

 January and February, the fog it too dense to sec through; 

 but Ibis disappears at about 7 A. M.. and then (he sun begius 

 in chastise the hunter mercilessly, Tin devs isrso heavy 

 that bv walking on the grass il will drench a person just as 

 he would be soaked by wading in tbe water. The soil (red 

 loam ■ stpecialtj i sticks to the soles and heels Of one's shoes, 



adding - ich weight that it is a relief to find a stump or 



siom upon which to scrape it off. The natives have trained 

 dogs, thai bark and tree quail, while they capture them by 

 means of a slender rod with a running uoose at the end of it 

 which they slip over the bird, the doff barking continuously 

 while this operation is going on. Whole srriugs of live quail, 

 tliat have been caught in this original way; are sold every 

 day to travelers al the railroad .stations. 



The boas or majsiee are very numerous and average nearly 



twelve lei I in length, as I have killed more over twelve feel 



than under. They are yery useful In the barns Or sheds 

 where corn is stored, being decidedly fond of rats. The 

 hutia [Mia aguti) is very palatable when properly cooked. 



This game is imieh sought after by the QCgrOfiS, who have a 



special aptitude for this kind of Bport, and enjoy it hugely. 

 They train dogs to bark oucte] trees when- the tmtias are 

 Bfcaytng during the day; and when the game is found, as the 

 negroes are not allowed to have firearms, they climb up in 



the rodent, and by a stroke with ih.-ir "machetes' 1 their 

 game is slain. Tlie machete (cutlass) is a straighl BWord 

 about three feet long and two inches wiSe, veiy keen and 

 powerful. It is an indispensable tool-weapon to every 

 native, being Used to clear underbrush, to cut down small 

 trees, in ..hop wood. lie., and also as wuteau d, rhass, and 

 weapon oi war. Since tin late Spanish-Cuban war the 

 machete has taken tbe place of the sabre among the pavalry 

 and civil guard, or dragoons. Instances of its superiority 

 Over the sabre are very numerous, the natives acquiring a 

 wonderful skill with This weapon hy their familiarity will) 

 it. During the war several rifle barrels were found almost 

 severed by the machete strokes. 'I hese machetes are manu- 

 factured by several Dims in Germany, but chiefly by Collins 

 & Co.. o| Connecticut, who make bettor blades, though more 



1 hope that sonic one will take up the subject and tell his 

 experiences in hunting, fishing and other sports in the Pearl 



Ot the Antilles. _ ' ,1. M. G. 



MICHIGAN NOTES. 



SEVERAL parties from Detroit luivcalready returned from 

 the Upper Peninsula, whither they w'cni in quest of 

 deer, hut no great success has been reported. Mossrs. New 

 berry and Brush, with their party, killed three;, bul we don't 

 hear anything at all as to the others; and silence, you know, 

 in such matters allows us to form our own conclusions, 

 Matty are the preparations for Ihe opening of tin: .season on 



deerrn thcLower Peninsula. Of course. I refer to prapara- 

 Uons among honorable sportsmen, for in certain sections in 

 Michigan Daseason among the residents, as n rule. i> known, 

 and Clare and Roscommpn counties especially, are notorious 

 for slaughter of deer from Jan. 1 toDec.31. Pptherethe 

 average inhabitant kills the amUered game wherever and 

 whenever he can. and "Roscommon county million" is the 



The Detroit party, who make Turtle Lake their headquar 



Pi,, are having a comfortable lo:: house (topped by a shingle 



root! built at Thai point, and their annual I I will result as 



in past seasons, in a glorious time and a huge count or deer, 

 all slain in the most sportsmanlike manner. 



The large i Vibrator Club of Battle Greek, Mich., are also. 

 1 bear, getting ready for theu annual pilgrimage to the An 

 sable River, and tberc will he from thirty to forty persons in 

 their cam]). Of deer and yearling killed. 1 1 j. y always report 

 a goodly number, and if one of the "Yibratora" would keep 

 a journal of their "vibralioii-." and -end IttO J?OKEB1 wu 

 Si ki.am. I am sure it would be welcome leading to your sub- 

 scribers. Won'i friend Nichols see this is done? 



A large and influential fishing and shooting club is cow 

 being lo'rmcd at East Saginaw, and hy the way , a. party of 

 gentlemen from that place have juststarted mi a liunl ing" trip 



to the Yellowstone country after big game. Last spring they 

 purchased al an auction sale of a defunct circus company's 



effects, a fine railroad traveling ear, which they Irm-i-; I 



into an ideal hunter's home, and they are Die pioneers in the 

 private cat 1 line among Michigan sportsmen. 



Duck shooting is nothing io brag of yet. The writer, hy 

 the hardest kind of work, -mrged a dozen mallard and teal a 

 few days since, and iwenty-tive to thirty is the largest num- 

 ber I have heard of to a single gun. Ahoul the middle of 

 next month)! will commence in earnest, and happy will be 

 he who can theu enjoy it. Won't some of you from Park 

 Bow come out and take a turn'? 



The weather we are having ought to soon bring snipe, hut 

 1 have not. yet heard of any having been seen. Delta. 



Detroit, Sept 15. 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 



npHE severe gale from the eastward during the present 

 5 week has had the effect of driving out the reed birds in 

 our marshes, There is always every season a decrease in 

 their numbers after the autumnal equinoctial storms, which 

 occurs about the 20th, hut this September the late storm 

 has hurried the birds, and their market price will now be 

 higher. Tlie blustery weather has brought some leal into our 



A) several of our second rate rcstaurai ts the English spar- 

 row is being served on toast, and called reed birds on the 

 Mile of .fare. 1. is stated 'hat Uie difference cannot be dis 



linguished when Ihe sparrow is properly cooked, but this is 

 a ureal mislake. as ih,. llavorof a plump reed bird at this 

 season of the year, fed as lie is in our marshes, cannoi he 

 counterfeited, and one might as well compare an English 

 snipe when cooked to a brown back or dowileher of the salt 

 marshes. 



The tides on Monday the Kith and Tuesday ihcllth, 

 although fair ones owing to the east wind, came too early In 

 the mornimf and too late in Ihe evening to allow much push- 

 ing for rail. <>n the 12th and i:lth they suited better asto 



time, but thewaler was not high enough,, and shooling was 

 had. Ii was just as discouraging to ihe spoilsman and 

 pusher Ihe lasl two days of the week, as there was even less 

 water and poorer tides. All are wailing for the expected 

 storm tides which arc confidently looked lor soon. 



One of our most ardent Philadelphia sportsmen, Mr. 

 Meredith Norm, died a few days since in your city from 

 injuries received at Ihe late Long island railroad accident. 

 Air. Norris was well known here, and was held in high 

 esteem by a large circle of friends. He was an ardent sports- 

 man, a mnmber of the Hare and Hounds Club of German- 

 town, ond a frequent rider at the Hose Tree Hunt meetings 

 al Media. He WOS a grandson of Win. M. Meredith, the 

 famous lawyer, 



Tlie dinkey boats for rail shooting which are fast super- 

 ceding the old gunning skiffs, f am told are much belter 

 bandied in the reeds than the old-fashioned boats, and much 

 lugher ground can he readied in them than in skiffs, bul 

 when ii comes to cross the liver ip taOui loaded With two 

 persons, even in moderate weather, it becomes an impossi- 

 bility, and for a general utility boat they are, of course, a 



failure. 



Black ducks are showing themselves in Barnegal and 



Tuckerlon bays. These fowl are bred on the NYw Jersey 

 coast, and are ihe ihvl in make I heir appearance. 



Rail hints passed over Philadelphia in great numbers lasl 

 night. The flight continued for hours. These birds are 

 fresh ones. Homo. 



Sept. 18. 



HINTS FOR A WINTER'S TRAPPING. 



EVKK as the season draws near our old love is rekindled, 

 and the healing rain of the dismal fall equinoxial slorm 

 only tends lo remind us that soon will follow Ihecold nights, 

 heavy frosts and falling leaves, when every lover of the steel 

 trap "will be on the way to some favorite, ground I bar he has 

 In lore found profitable, or. perhaps, to pastures new, where 

 he hopes to have good success in his catch of the various 

 kind of fur-bearing animals eonimou to the proposed locality. 

 As in most occupations, it is best for the young trapper to 

 apprentice himsell for at hast one or two winters with some 

 old and experienced trapper, from whom lie can learn in a 

 single season more than he otherwise would >n two or three 

 years of his own rough experience. There are many things 

 of ureal usefulness to be learnt in and around camp, and as 

 to the best plans for setting traps, placing bails, using spring 

 poles, slide poles and dead falls. Some have the best success 

 .selling under the water, others can scl equally well on dry 

 laud or under water. Some inexperienced trappers spend much 

 valuable lime and labor building toggle-jointed pens. These 

 may do il built large enough for a bear trap and securely 

 pinned together, bffl there arc always enough natural places 

 to set a steel trail without resorting to artificial coves and 

 pens. AVe have, in our contact with different trappers, 

 found many who use bait for beaver and otter, but. as far as 

 our knowledge goes, we arc led to believe that liny always 



When- the streams arc deep and the current not too swift, 

 or when- there are frequent small lakes, we ranch prefer (rap- 

 ping and traveling witii a good light boat. From it you can 

 often sei a trap to advantage in some, good place that could not 

 be reached other wise, and then when n isnecessarv to change 

 location lb • boat will carry all your camp equipments and 

 cooking utensils With case, and land llieni right where you 

 Want them most — on or near the bank of the stream. Ii 



liver as in the smaller strcams'nml creeks. ' Small lakes and 



rshes are excellent if located well away from settlements. 



Pine land- and lauiarac swamps arc good, too, for some of 

 the larger fur animals, for the catching of which Sbme ex- 

 perience and great care isnecessarv in order to be successful. 

 Alter the fur has been caught much depends on the way 

 of skinning, stretching and enrine the pelt to get the best 

 price out of the buyer. It very" frequently happens that 

 hovs and amaleui trappers will have a nice lot of excellent 

 pelts BO poorly stretched and handled that when offered for 

 -ale liny will not bring over about one-half of what they 

 would if they had been properly euted and well stretched. 

 So I,,- vi rv careful 10 skin nicely and stretch well vour furs, 

 after flcst having taken off all the superflous fat and roinrh 

 , dee-, and v,.u will then have iur> that W U] bring von Hie 

 highest market price-, and all buyer- that have bought of, 

 you will want your furs again next, season. Two men. 

 with a boy to attend camp, are the best number with which 

 to go inlo Ihe woods in the fall. More than two is loo 

 many. If they arc good, sociable fellows, and do ipl tu' 

 then- respective duties, and their location he a good one for 

 game, our word for il they will have a most enjoyable win- 



ter, and when their united catch is sold, and the money 

 divided in the spring, thev will be considerably better oft 

 than when they went into the woods. Their health will 

 also be much improved from the healthful and vigorous ex- 

 ercise, and. altogether, they will want to go again for 

 another winter's trapping when tbe next season^rolls around. 

 .T. Lee Smedley/. 

 Doc.dale, t'a., Sept. 10,1883. 



THE OUTLOOK IN VERMONT. 



r pHIS State has not much to boast of in the way of good 

 J. shooling. except foi partridge, robins and yellow ham- 

 mers. 1 have tried most industriously to see if I could get a 

 .sight at a quail or woodcock, but have failed in so far that I 

 have never seen more than one woodcock, and quail are ex- 

 ceedingly rare. 



This season bids lair to be a very good one for partridges. 

 The trees are -well laden with beech nuts, and the birds are 

 showing themselves in good numbers and well grown. In 

 the interior of ihe State very little hunting is done, and thai 

 mainly by those who depend upon standing shots, which 

 can only "be accomplished by Ireeimr the birds through the 

 assistance of the mongrel cur. It is not a difficult thing to 

 raise a dozen or so birds, but as yet tin? leaves are so thick, 

 thai ii is almost impossible to get more than a moment's sight 

 of them after they rise. It lakes a dead shot to bring the 

 birds lo bag, for 'if only wounded the little fellows skulk so, 

 that only .the best trained do : can find them. The latter 

 part of October or ihe lsl of November, should give the true 

 spoilsinan some of ihe best kind of sport, and if all goes as 

 your humble servant desire.-. I shall hope to give you an 

 encouraging account of fall shooting in this "ol'i mountain" 

 State. Subsciiiuer. 



BLACK SQUIRRELS FOR DETROITERS. 



ONE of the most charming trips I ever indulged in was to 

 Port I iblon. Out., last season, after black squirrels. 



I hardly know of a more fascinating sport than to hunt these 

 black rascals when they are really abundant. Of course I he- 

 majority of squirrel shooters in this region use the shotgun, 

 bin to 'gel the full flavor of the sport the .82-caliher Win- 

 chcsier should be the .weapon selected. For a man of sed- 

 entary habits the exercise is ju-t about right, and moreover 

 Ehe rifle practice, if that la- ihe arm used, is most excellent. 

 As black squirrels are wonderfully numerous again this sea- 

 son al ihe point referred to, 1 give directions" for reaching 

 the eroimds where one can have the sport in perfection: 



Take ihe steamer Idlcwild which leaves Detroit at 8:30 

 A. M.. sail up our noble Detroit River, across Lake St. Clair, 

 up Ihe St, Clair River, by the various club houses, collages 

 and shooling boxes, and at about oue o'clock in the after- 

 noon you slip oil' the boat at Port Lambton, Ont., and may- 

 hap will find a saucy black squirrel cocking his tail at 

 you on tin- dock. The village is a small one of about 300 

 inhabitants, and you will be heartily welcomed by ihe farm- 

 ers whose crops arc. greatly damaged by the raids of the 

 armies ,,i' squirrels. In fact thewriter lias seen three and 

 five acres of com entirely ruined by the ravages of the black 

 thieves. Take plenty of ammunition, for you can shoot 

 until tired, and oftentimes one gun kills fifty" to seventy-five 

 squirrels per day, perhaps more. You can return lo Detroit 

 nn next day. and if Ilu- line .-port, slight expense and exhil- 

 arating sail doe, noi rejuvenate the tired professional or busi- 

 ness man. then he is past all cure. Dklta.. 



Detroit, Jtich., Sept. 1 1. 



SHOOTING IN MEXICO. 



Editor Eons/, and Stream: 



There has been quite a slir lately among the shoo 

 leiniiv. excited by the arrival.of the expected plo\ 

 ganga, as it is called in Spanish. These birds arrive a 

 the 15th of August, and depart for the south about the ia i 



Great preparations are made by the large land-holders to 

 bag this delicious bird ;< and they invite large number.- of 

 guests io their haciendas, ami there treat them with princely 

 splendor. One of the most noted of these proprietors is Mi'. 

 Alh.rio Tcrrcros, who owns the properly called Jail am, 

 about two hours' ride on the Central or Palmer it Sullivan 

 Railroad, as both run together to Huehuetoca, the station 

 near to the estate. On the 34thof August a party assembled 

 I here, composed of ex President Diaz. Gen. Pacheco. Secre 

 l„iy of Public Works. Mr. Win. Lauda. Gen, E. A. Mexia. 

 Mr. (lutticrcz. secretary of Hen. Diaz, and an American 

 gentlemen. Mr. Dclaltiie. The plover were not very plen- 

 tiful, and were very wild, rising at distances which only 

 choke-bores could reach. Good scores were made bv Air. 

 I), la line. Gen. Diaz, Mr. Gutticrcz and Gen. Mexia.' Up- 

 ward of 250 birds were shot, with a couple of hours rest tor 

 dinner. That evening Generals Diaz and Pacheco left 

 for Mexico loaded with game. 



The 25I h brought new arrivals, the French Minister and 

 his secretaries, and two of Ihe officials of ihe Franco- 

 Egyptian bank: about nine Mr. Labadie came, and soon the 

 shooting began. The birds were as wild, but more system 

 was observed, and beating in a long line, much sport wfla 

 obtained, The best scores were made by Messrs, Tcrreros, 

 Lauda. Do la Rue and Gen. Mexia, who also shot a hare iu 

 prime condition, 



Gen. Diaz is an enthusiastic hunter and untiring walker, 



and a very pleasant companion: he -I Is very well, with a 



in bore Greener. Messm Win. Landa&nd Bacandoli are also 

 very I'm. shots and passionately fond of shooling. .Mr. Tcr- 

 reros is an open-hearted sportsman, mosl hospitably inclined. 



Mr. Labadie is also a good huuler. 



Gen, Mexia Is perhaps the mosl thorough shot in Mexico, 

 handling a rifle with great judgment, aud pitching up his 

 shotgun io his shoulder with an ease and skill which ouly 

 greai practice can give, lb- shoots witha Weblcygun, some- 

 w hai oul of dale, as it is a cylinder bore. As a duck hunter 

 in has no equal, and be sometimes looks for larger game. 



He has kilhdsevenli jaguars. Using a U'->-.-n lillc, and I 



assure you this i 8 , |U ite an exploit, ahtkis mohsli r in strength 

 is only second to the lioi: or Bengal tiger, quite a- ferocious 

 and much more active, 



Next month d cks conic from the north in immense 

 flights, remaining here until January, when they begin their 

 ihward journey again. Around' this city the overflowed 

 held- arc strictly preserved, and 'In. fowl are Boot'by bat 

 i -. which kill sometimes 3,001) al a dhteharge, Then 

 ks are so cheap that Ihe poor people of this city— and 

 v are \erv. vcrv poor —live on ducks when they cannot 

 allied meat." The" ducks are sold from fifty cents" a dozeu 

 down lo twelve cents, according to quality. "As I have been 

 invited to witness one of these hunts with permission to 



