Dfji, 13, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



38 7 



ao intent was the deer on. its feed, thai ii failed to notice 



Kill as he clumsily pulled down his gun, and yet more 

 clumsily, willLhis ftenumbed'fiugers, pulled back the cook, 



ind being unable to raise the .ami at off-hand, he partly 

 rented it across his knees, drew a sight the best that lie could, 

 and fired. The buck made a few jumps, leaped the fence 

 and was gone. The next move that Bill made was to get on 

 to his feet again, which he succeeded in doing after several 

 trials; and as bucks and bears were of no account with him 

 just then, he staggered off toward his cabin, about a hundred 

 rods distant, where he arrived at midnight. 



The buck was found dead and frozen the following uiorn- 

 ng, a few rods from where it had jumped the fence, and 

 two or three neighbors volunteered their assistance in getting 

 The bear, and also bringing in Ike fleer. 



VB. — The early bird may have caught the worm, but 

 here the late hunter killed the big buck. A.WT&EB. 



QaiNT) View, TV-mi. , Dec. :•. 



U. — DOWN TN A BKAtt DEN. 



Diar Fn'-.iitl:* In answer to your somewhat unexpected 

 but truly welcome letter, I will now try to answer. * * * 

 Two of three days before 1 left Florida we took the bee 

 ■tree that I was hunting, and I shot 1 'gator and caught 4 

 alive, and the doctor caught 3. 1 think it was after I last 

 saw you that 1 went down ten miles below the inlet. Went 

 through Niggers' (Ait twice. Was on top of the boilers on 

 .( wrecked ship: caught tish and oysters; trapped 10 opos- 

 -ums. 3 coons, 'Jotters, 1 rat; and several buzzaids got in by 

 my not taking up the traps in day time— that I hated. Lots 

 •/lore 1 could tell you, but will omit further now. 



You askfor 2 bear stories that I undertook to tell you . If I 

 mistake not, when you were stalling away, therefore, I did 

 not have time to relate the particulars, and as I have killed 

 so many bear, panther, wolf, elk, buffalo and most, all 

 other kinds of game that you could mention, that I am not 

 positive what the two bear stories were that T undertook to 

 relate to you, but will endeavor to relate the same two. 



I am quite positive it was the first snows in the winter of 

 '4r. Two men by the names of Montgomery ami Hoover, 

 Hacked 1 bear 08 they supposed, into its den". Montgomery, 

 not knowing of any one except myself that would be likely 

 to go into the den] told me if I could get the bear I might 

 have him. as they had given up trying to get him. It was a 

 mountainous country to travel over and from to & utiles 

 travel, and I think [made !! or 4 trips, probably, the first 

 time to make an examination; the 2d time took a" bear trap, 

 hoping to catch him if he came out; 3d time, after giving 

 him several days to come out and act into trap, which was 

 all a failure. Then I made up my mind to go into the den, 

 and what things it would he necessary to takealong to accom- 

 plish the job, which would be sledge or stone hammer, an 

 inch rope' fioft. long, 2 home-made beeswax candles about 

 U in. in diameter and some 12 in. long (guessing at it), 

 some II) to 12 men. team to haul all the things, axes to cut 

 the way, plenty of dogs, Ac. When we arrived at the- place, 

 preparations were made to descend into the cave. The first 

 or out siae hole was not large. After passing through the 

 first entrance, room or opening, probably 10 to 15 feet across 

 it, and only ahout two feet high, at the further end of this 

 the opening turned to the right between two rocks, the 

 entrance being so small that n man could not get through, 

 but the bears could squeeze through. I managed, with a 

 tone hammer, to break off the rocks sufficient to enable me 

 io get through. The crevice was about 2 feel wide or so, the 

 beats could reach both sides. 



The rope being fastened outside and thrown down to the 

 bottom. 1 descended to the bottom some 40 feet, perpendicu- 

 lar, according to I he length of the rope. I took with me a 

 short rifle that my father-in-law fetched from Pennsylvania 

 that curried 24 balls to the pound, and the two candles. 1 

 think it was before matches were in use (at least here), there- 

 fore I took 1 lighted candle, when I reached the bottom, 

 and lit the other, then healing the lower end of one 1 stuck 

 it fasi. on a rock, for fear that one might be put out and 

 leave me in the dark, us such would lie and was the case 

 when ) fired, the gun; it put out the candle that I held in my 

 hand, and I lent to go back and light up. But 1 am getting 

 tahead of my story, and I must go back where I had one 

 candle fastened on a rock. 



I commenced si-arching for the bear, as I thought there 

 was but one. 1 followed the crevices running in different 

 directions, until I had nearly given up all hopes of finding any 

 hear, and returned to go out on the rope, when I discovered, 

 under a projecting rock, through a small hole, some part of 

 a bear; and on further examination I discovered that the 

 rocks that 1 had broken off before descending had fell down 

 and nearly closed up the entrance where they had gone 

 under, tied they could not get out. 1 then leveled my rifle, 

 holding the candle in my left hand, and tired. As 1 before 

 slated I was lett in total darkness. The bear thrashed and 

 the rocks rallied. 1 then felt, my way hack to ihe other 

 candle, lit up and returned To my great astonishment I 

 heard a noise that reminded me of a dog lapping or drinking. 

 On close examination (and you can bet your bottom dollar 

 cautious) 1 discovered a live bear drinking the blood from 

 the dead one. When 1 pul the gun and candle close to his 

 head In: sprung toward the light and belched out a terrible 

 wo like a frightened hog. As he jumped I fired. The big 

 ball took him fair in the head and the powder scorched the 

 hair of his head. I. then rolled away the rocks and dragged 

 them to where I could fasten the rope to them one at a time, 

 .-tnd gave the word, "Haul away!" the listeners above pulled 

 and I guided them up between the rocks. Thus ended the 

 killing and hoisting them out. 



Now, in regard to tracking bears: They step exactly in 

 each other's tracks: for instance, two or three traveling in 

 snow one would think there was only the track of one. 



Now. for a little fun while I think of it, as it is only VI 

 o'clock P. M. When I went down not one offered to go 

 With me. but was anxious io crawl in (for they could not 

 Stand up) to where the crevice went straight down, con 

 queiuly they were packed in close, all anxious to get where 

 they could hear. Some-:' heads would be lapped' over on 

 Others' legs, so some time in the course of m\ exploring 

 foyage I th rowed down a flat rock onto other rocks to make 

 all the noise I could, and at the same time hullowed at the 

 top of my voice, "Look out, the bear is coining!" (so he 

 was, after, dead); they all stampeded and scrambled to get 

 out, and as 1 was listening I heard one yell, "Keep your 

 old pounetal boots out of my face," so I called that the 

 drive. 



Now. Mr. P., 1 liave aimed to give you the truth of this 



•This story was told in a luttt-r written by an old hunter to a gentle- 



i .i hi Iwliuuu. .vliii hi-..- Idinllv forwarded it to the Forest ami 

 Stream for pubUoaslon, We print it wiih very little ulterntloD. 



adventure, oi what you choose to head it, It is lengthy and 

 in bad shape, so I dare not trouble yo> with any more until 



I hear the result of this, and for an apology will give you 

 my example as il just comes to mind. Suppose \ou needed 

 100 feel of cord and sent for il. and wheH it Came it Was all 

 in snarls, tangles and knots, so if you get what you need you 

 would have to lake the kinks and knots out to gel your 100 

 feet. So, in case you get any good out of this you mus1 

 sift it and correct "it iu variolic ways. Being thaukfiil thai 



you remembered and wishing to he remembered lo Mrs. 



F., and hoping to hear from you soon, 1 am truly yours. 



THE GROUSE OF STEUBEN COUNTY. 



I HAVE retired permanently from grouse shooting, grand- 

 est of American shooting. 1 had had a vague" reeling 

 that I was not quite up to the old mark. A little stiff about 

 the joints about climbing the bills, in fact, not as good as I 

 was twenty years ago in the exertion of pursuing this chief 

 of game birds in his native wilds. My grouse days are over. 

 and this suspicion litis now became a conviction.* ft is very 

 sad to have to deliberately own up. but six hours in the 

 dells of Steuben county settled the question forever. A few 

 days ago the 8:80 P. M\ train on the Erie road found your 

 correspondent and Counsellor Geo. H. Barron, of Jersey- City, 

 mi. rotite for Corning, Stauben county, jN. Y. Thence we 

 were to take wagon over to Catou Center, some eight miles, 

 where the Counsellor had friends, and word had come that 

 the "partridges were awful thick." We started with two 

 dogs; Ben, the Counsellor's pointer, a son of Sensation, and 

 one. of the finest specimens that ever stood a bird — but more 

 of him anon — the other, a Laverty setter, that is, I suppose it 

 from ex-Sheriff Lavertv's celebrated Nell; 

 wouldn't that make it a Laverty? 



We hunted up the conductor of the train, and told him 

 when he had finished up his tiain and had a little leisure 

 we would like to talk with him. (Mem.— We generally do 

 this when Ihe man looks talk. ) We were cosily settled when 

 he fame. How invariably do we sportsmen on our travels 

 form pleasant acquaintances. We found that the conductor, 

 Mr. VV. I). Hall, was a shooter. He lives at Port Jervis, 

 has two dogs, and takes great pride in their deeds, loves 

 shooting, and is a very popular employe of the railroad. 



The next morning we woke up at Corning, a pleasant 

 farming village. A fine, driving snow had fallen nearly 

 all iiLht. We got out of the cars, the wind was blowing 

 from the northwest, at about forty utiles an hour. Chris- 

 topher C. ! how cold, it cut us clean through. Nobody 

 lo meet us. Our telegram had failed. We started for 

 a hotel. Fortune smiled upon us and sent us to the 

 Diekerson House, kept by the Fuller boys. They 



know bow to keep 

 for they conduct anothei 

 and a third at Keuka Lais- 

 cured a spanking team 

 afraidof being run away \ 

 and traps, were off for 

 cold ride. WE reached tl: 



hotel, in fact, three hotels, 

 one, the si. James, in the village, 

 -. From the livery stable we pro- 

 ' mares iso spanking that we were 

 •ith). and piling in. rn»:i, dogs, guns 

 the mountains. After a fearfully 

 e residence of Mr. George Brown. 

 upon ivliose invitation we had taken the trip, and wdio, with 

 Ilia kind wife, gave us a warm welcome. What.a difference 

 (and why is it?) between country and city receptions'. Then., 

 is fl cordiality, a geniality about country air and surround- 

 ings, or a make-yourself-al-home and eau't do-enough-for- 

 you atmosphere, which the cold brown-stone front seems to 

 chill and kill out. 



It was too cold and loo late to go far in the afternoon. 

 We contented ourselves with a trip to a marsh some half 

 mile away, anda few hares amply paid us. In the evening 

 we visited the country store, where the states). en and the 

 citizens do congregate and talk over and settle the destiny of 

 the burg and of the nation. Here we made (he acquaintance 

 of Mr. J. W. Schutt, the grouse shooter of the region round 

 about. He informed us that there were a good many birds, 

 bnl that we would find it hard shooting- "And we did. but 

 we were enthusiastic. Haying engaged Mr. Schut.t's services 

 with his team for the morrow, we were in bed in good sea- 

 son, dreaming of the big bass, etc., etc. (To tell the solid 

 truth, we did not dream any such thing, bul it is the correct 

 thing to say we did.) 



We were off about, 8 o'clock, a coltl crisp morning. The 

 wiud has gone down. A walk of two miles brought' us to a 

 deep defile, dark and gloomy; the road running half way 

 distant from top of broaded hill to ravine below, heavily 

 timbered on both sides, hemlock, pines and small hardwood. 

 "We will hitch the team here," said Schutt, "go up the 

 pasture to the upper side, ami work down. We shall find 

 some birds sunning themselves along the upper edge." We 

 had just struck in on the far corner. Look at Ben. He is 

 winding something: see that tail go, how those eyes bulge. 

 He draws first one side then the other; he hardly gets the 

 true direction, bul tainted air is in his nostrils. 'Lookout! 

 Confound that setter jumping harem scarnm like that. 

 Whin-; Whirr! Whirr! Crack, bang. hang. A good 

 shot, Councellor, 1 don't know that 1 got mine, I 

 had to take a snap through Ihe leaves. Yes I hear 

 him in the leaves. There, Ben has him, how 

 tenderly he holds him and with what pride- he brings 

 him. "Good dog, here." But no, not to me; he takes it to 

 his master, as be did all the birds we killed that day. Willi 

 What pleasure we hefted them, a cock and a hen, nearly two 

 pounds apiece; good birds. "Which way did they go. 

 Schutt?" "Two pitched down the ravine, one went straight. 

 ahead, but we will find more in the other corner. Keep 

 that setter in, she is as high-strung as a young colt, she will 

 do better by and by." As we progressed 1 noticed Unit, 

 Schutt was continually gazing into the trees. At last, he 

 exclaimed, "There is one, shoot it!" Where?" -'On that 

 limb in that pine." Sure enough, with feathers its smooth 

 as if greased down to its compact little body, erect itnd stiff 

 as a stick, and looking for all the world like a dead limb, 

 sat a hen partridge. Sohultsays, -Shoot." Counsellor re- 

 plies, "No, we can kill it like men, as it Hies." Now 1 be 

 lieve it is "legitimate' (in sporting parlance) to kill a grouse 

 under almost any circumstance, hut we opiue that few even 

 of the old and best shots can bring down a grouse as it leaves 

 a tree. Barron says, '-Don't you see it is all open from the 

 limb beyond; the bird can't get away. Keadv, start her oil. 

 Schutt. ' Like a flash the bird was around the body of that 

 pine, and half way down tile mountain side before either of 

 US could get our gun to our shoulders. "1 fold you so." 



We started down the side over logs, slumps, ledges and 

 briers, across the road, and then we found them again in 

 goodly numbers. Back they came up the mountain side. 

 A good shot here, a miserable miss there. Tnen to the team, 

 and another patch of woods. I was getting somewhat 

 "played," even so early in the day. ty was cold 



ii I,. audi had pui on my shooting pants anil eoatovcr 



my others, and with the pockets more or less toil" i til 

 ridges, and I hese he-ivy birds, 1 fell 1 must soon call peeeavi. 

 We readied lower ground, where the road ran through a 

 swampy place. Schutt directs -You stay in (he road. 1 will 

 j, « below, ami if any get up they will pitch across and lip 

 Bill," Thai suited me exactly; lain first-rate an u waitwhen 

 1 am played out. it was not long before we beard his spaniel 

 give tongue, and then a whirr, whirr. Li the distance i saw 

 a noble bird cutting Ihe air through the trees in m\ direction, 

 when— how fast he came — I threw my gun at least three feet 

 ahead of him. thinking to cut him dead, but I was too eager, 

 my entire charge catered the trunk of a big birch. 1 gave 

 him the other barrel as he crossed the road, but this time 

 probably shot behind. As the bird turned and swept into 

 the brush on the hillside, the Counsellor's gun cracked., and 

 the dull thud on the ground in the brush told the tale. "You 

 wiped my eye fairly t liar lime, and I own up." Be it known 

 that Ihe Counsellor has but one arm. having lost his right 

 when quite young. It is marvellous with what dexterity lie 



can load and Unload liis breech loader, and with what quick 

 neSB and accuracy he can shoot. Some of the best shots that 

 day were made by the one-armed shooter, and the praise is 

 due him. 



SoonSchutl joined usand started uptheside hill, Whew' 

 vhat traveling. 1 began to lag. Then we heard Schutt ery 

 'Look out!" and tnen came'" whirs. One pitched down 

 behind Barron, one fell an easy shot to me, coming head on. 

 All was still for a moment, and then two reports; Schutt 



null i 



joined us, bringing 

 rascal, you shot th 

 pression on Schutt 's 

 can blame? Shoot 

 f he can 

 mountains amid sui 

 thW)W up the spongi 



ilimb that 



mil stumps 



■ounty. Tl 

 had made si 



sHf a good one. So on 

 woods: (All the good ; 

 located and the meanest 

 would Hv Out across a it, 

 piece of timber bey. u I. 

 e\eiy bud lived and Just 

 invaluable to us; a good 

 a first-rate fellow. Will 

 bagged as many hi 



iersand 

 But Bai 



fine birds. Pretty good; but you 



two out of a tree. A quizzical ex- 



e was the only answer. Well, who 



ifouse ahyhow. He will beat yon 



ml it is too hard work this climbing 



ad ice. 1 for one can't stand it; I 



y grouse days tire over. 1 wouldn't 



, with all those ledge- and logs. 



ice. for all the grouse in Steuben 



-on seemed as fresh as ever; he 



ots. and bis dog had proved him- 



.\c went, to another big paten of 



•ouse places seem to be the worst 



to gat at.) Schutt said the. birds 



ant lot on the other side to another 



Mr. Schutt seemed to know where 



dtich way it would fly. He proved 



hot. an intelligent companion, and 



IUt him we surely would not have 



1 a time. I went along 



i big side jump aud off for 

 f reyuard carries the same 



At 7 A. M. Ihe next day, 

 llO.ne, Jersey Heights; 



tin- road around tic woods, toiled up the pasture to the 

 vacant lot. gave a whoop that I was ready, and waited. Soon 

 I heard the sound of flight, the double shot, "Good dog," 

 etc.; then out came a noble specimen "mounting exulting 

 on his triumphant wing." He came almost directly toward 

 me With, the speed of the wind; hut I was cool. "I waited 

 until he got by anil then cut him down handsotneh . jusl as 

 another, which I did not see, swept by to my right and 

 escaped. That was my list grouse shot.' 1 was through, 



We crossed over to the next woods, when SehuU noticed 

 that one of the Counsellor's birds was gone. My guiie 

 pockets were full, for it does not take many two-pound grouse 

 io fill up, but Barron wore a belt upon wblen he fastened 

 his birds on hooks, lie must have caught his bird on some 

 brush Or root back in the other piece Of woods, some quart* r 

 of a mile. The head still hung on the hook with the other 

 birds. Here Ben and the Counsellor slowed the sagacious 

 dog the head, and away went the splendid fellow' across 

 those opeu lots to the other woods. In a few minutes he ap- 

 peared with the bird, dog and master both proud of Ihe 

 achievement, 



There were other Incidents of interest of ihe day I might 

 mention, but my story is already too long, how a fox, across 

 the valley in full view, pursued by a hourd. deii!,i-ralcfy 

 jumped upon a fence, aud with great difficulty kept flic top 

 some thirty rods, and then made' ' 

 the Woods. It's an old story, In 

 tricks in Steuben county. 



Friday night we reached home 

 we Were at Jersey City, at s we 

 at 10:30 on duty for "Uncle Sam.' 



We were well pleased with our trip to Steuben county, but 

 we can't stand many of them. Jac6bstAM\ 



We add hen- this well written paper on ruffed grmce 

 shooting from the Baltimore Sun i 



There is a chapter in our domestic field sport that has been 

 very little sung by Nun rod's bards. The chapter might be. a 

 long and interesting one. It is on the subject of the ruffed 

 grouse, more familiarly known as the pheasant. He is the 

 most perfect bird on the Eastern slope, haughty m carriage, 

 brilliant in plumage, lightning in flight arid ' highly edihle 

 whenwcll trussed am! adorned ami served on f tie bible. The 

 pheasant is king of the Tetraomda; family in America, " 

 even excepting ihe pinnated grouse and prairie chicken, or 

 the monster sage hen of the West. Let the sportsruau who 

 lias been shooting pigeons from a plunge trap and glass |, : ,ils 

 from a spring, go into the w ooded districts where Mr. Pheas 

 mil abides and flush him. The chances are that it will lake the 

 tyro a day to evolve anv shape whatever out of the indie 

 criminating rush Of wings that gets up out of the thicket. 

 When the pheasant gets up he is lo the uninitiated a serf of 

 cross between a pneumatic fan aud a streak of lightning. 

 With a great whir r-r-r he is gone. 



Pheasant shooting, therefore, like the humble hickory 

 mil. is not cracker! up to be much. A mediocre shot finds 

 little amusement or profit in its pursuit, for after he has 

 missed his eighteenth consecutive bird, scratches his face 

 and hands up with briers, tumbled over boulders and climbed 

 exasperating cliffs, he is fain lo repose upon a log and say 

 "fle upon the pheasant!" It is like chamois limiting. Bui 

 (here are men who are hardy mountain climbers, and who 

 can shoot, that delight in pheasant shooting, and follow it 

 to the exclusion of every other full sport. 



The ruffed grouse is about as big as a spring chicken, but 

 when cooked aud served 00 the table it appears lo be nearly 

 all breast, so large are ils pectorals. Its plumage is gay, 

 with brown and black hats, and the ruff of velvety black 

 feathers on the sides of its neck makes it peeuliary hand 

 some. The wings are large aud rounded, and with them, by 

 inflating the body, the male hint makes a drumming sound 

 that can he heard a good distance. The cock pheasant woos 

 his mate with this drumming, and struts on a log very much 

 like a pretty little turkey cock. The habits of ihe bud arc 

 somewhat singular. It is rare thai more lli.-m three of them 

 are found together anil ol'lenest they ;ire found singly. They 

 ■ navel lieaien paths of their own ntakiug through the 

 mountainous regions and just at tills season of the year they 



