FOREST AND STREAM. 



91 



year, but not at all plenty. I shot about sixty before they 

 began to moult. At this time they are not fit to shoot. 

 Snipe have not got along. B. 



Machias, Sept. 5th.— Season now open for all kinds 

 of game save dueks, which opens September 1st. Grouse 

 will not be plenty, I think. Could we enforce the game 

 law we should soon have good sport . Grouse will have to be 

 better protected. I think none should be killed tor market, 

 say for ten years, but allow citizens and visitors to kill all 

 they want for their own tables. Hunter. 



Massachusetts.— Gohasset, Sept. 10. — All along on our 

 side of Massachusetts Bay bay birds are very late this 

 year. We account for it by our having such a late Spring. 

 Plover are now coming plenty; best bag so far has been 

 45 to two guns, in one morning. No coot yet, but we ex- 

 pect them plenty in a few days. Smelts are now in their 

 prime, and we are having splendid sport. Any sportsman 

 wishing something new and a good time, I can recommend 

 to Kimball's Hotel, Cohasset, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. 

 He can have all the gunning he wants, and smelts in 

 abundance. S. K., Jr. 



Salem, Sept. 18. — Grass birds and robin snipe have been 

 in large numbers on Broad Marsh, Essex ihe past few days, 

 and large lots of birds have gone along outside, i. e., across 

 the bay direct, 200 and 180 birds per day being bags made 

 by two gunners at said marsh. , A good many "dough 

 birds" have been flying. I saw Saturday evening one lot 

 of 87 of these, 12 black breasters, and some grass birds 

 and Summers; all but the Summers were shot on Stage 

 Hill, Ipswich Neck. Advices from Chatham state gunners 

 thick; birds fair quantity and condition, 150 being killed 

 by two Salemites wlio are there. Black duck are around 

 and coots are being seen in' the bay. There has not been 

 anything like this season for years for birds, but they are 

 only seen in a few places, not being seen a few in eacli of 

 the many localities about here as one would suppose. No 

 English snipe yet; we need rain. Teal. 



Rhode Island. — Newport, Sept. 13. — The storm of Fri- 

 day caused the plover to pay us a flying visit. Numerous 

 good bags are reported of green heads arid muddy breasts. 



Shot. 



Watch IBli, Sept. — Curlew, sand snipe, yellow legs et 

 omni genus, are killed within ten rods of this house, and 

 to-day we have noticed a flight of ducks which will now 

 increase in number until late in the season, when geese 

 will also be had in abundance. This place is easily reached 

 by steamboat to Stonington, and a charming sail of three 

 miles across the bay. . Karl. 



Long Island. — Shelter Island Hotel, Prospect, Suffolk 

 County, S&pt. — During the month of December, (and 

 sparsely earlier) a fair shot can strike a barrel full of ducks 

 (nearly all kinds and variety except tlie canvas back) in a 

 few hours without leaving his tracks, from any of the 

 low lands of this beautiful Slielter Island, by using decoys. 

 From the day of legal shooting one can bag all the quail 

 he can carry.. Green port would prove in these seasons the 

 best "base" for attack. Long Island Railroad from Hunt- 

 er's Point to Greenport; fare, $2.70. Hole! accommoda- 

 tions are good in Greenport. A row boat will land the 

 hunter on Shelter Island in a few minutes. The ducks 

 swarm here in myriads to feed at this season of the year. 

 Mr. M. C. Grilling, a substantial farmer and old resident 

 of Shelter Island, informed me that he had olten shot a 

 barrel full of ducks from such and such a spot, one of 

 which named was the dock of the Shelter Island Associa- 

 tion. Big as are these figures they are not magnified, as 

 doubtless your memory culling up experiences will amply 

 corroborate. H. 



New Jersey. — Marlboro, Sept, 11.— I have just shot 

 what we call a bullhead, or black breasted plover, and it 

 is a fine specimen; will have it in my collection of game 

 birds to ornament nry parlor. This is the only one seen 

 upon my place this season, but others have told me that 

 they have seen a few, and we are hoping to have some 

 flue sport at them soon. They \vill "stool" and come in 

 large flocks, sometimes affording exciting sport. H. 



—Since the 1st instant, when the law permitting 

 persons to kill reed and rail birds went into effect, 

 a number of non-residents have been arrested in Camden 

 f'Or killing said birds without license, or without a permit 

 from the West Jersey Game Protective Society. The 

 penalty for this is fifty dollars and costs. In order to 

 save trouble persons should secure a permit before they 

 attempt to gun for such birds. This is the statement from 

 Camden, no doubt from the association itself. But we 

 can only say now what we said before, in passing such a 

 law for non-residents, that it is an outrage on common 

 rights and Ave believe it to be unconstitutional.— German- 

 town Telegraph. 



Pennsylvania. — Philadelphia, Sept. 18. — Reed and rail 

 birds not only moderately plenty, but the reed birds are 

 improving in quality. There seem to be a good many 

 plover and some few English snipe being shot down river. 



Sculls. 



Virginia. — Blacksburg, Sep>t. Wi. — No shooting here- 

 abouts yet. A few days ago there was a good flight of 

 bull bats and I popped off some cartridges at them loaded 

 last Spring for jack snipe, bagging sixteen. Bear, deer and 

 wild turkeys are reported abundant. Partridges (quail) 

 are plenty. I have been the past week after wild pigeons 

 and noticed in fishing Roanoke for bass a few bunches of 

 wood ducks. j$ 



—The Richmond Whig says that deer are numerous in 

 Virginia, and have greatly multiplied since the war es- 

 pecially in the lowland region. On the peninsula they are 

 very numerous, and over in Chester and Amelia and other 

 southside counties there are scores now where there was 

 one before the Avar. 



Indiana. — Valparaiso, Sept. 9. — We've lots of game this 

 year. I slipped out quietly the other afternoon and got 14 

 chickens, all fine birds and strong flyers. Woodcock and 

 quail are now here, and the present rains will bring others. 



W. H. HOLABIRD. 



Iowa.— Burlington, Sept. Gth.—We have fair quail shoot- 

 ing from October to January; also duck shooting in the 

 Spring and Fall, as they migrate to and from the north. 

 Last Spring there were great quantities of English snipe 

 killed, more than usual, a few turkeys, but no deer. 



Adam. 



Wisconsin.— Montello, Sept. Qth.— The season for duck 

 shooting is now at hand, and the wood ducks are unusuallv 

 plenty m this section. Myself and a friend took a trip of 



a few hours up Buffalo Lake on the 2d instant, and shot 

 sixteen wood ducks. Mallards have not put in an appear- 

 ance yet, but as the rice is very thick and all things pro- 

 pitious, the shooting will undoubtedly be fine in a few 

 weeks, or as soon as the southern migration of canvas- 

 backs &c. begins-. Teal. 



— Capt. Bogardus has published a letter in response to 

 Ira A. Ptiine's communication in the Herald, underrating 

 the champion's shooting in England, accepting the latter's 

 challenge to shoot a match at Baltimore next month and 

 naming $2,000 a side and the gate money as the stakes. Or 

 he will shoot him for the Lorillard badge if Paine will 

 challenge for it, or he will name five men in the State of 

 Illinois Avhom he will match to shoot against him at Chicago, 

 at 50 or 100 birds, Prairie Club Rules, staking $500 on 

 each man. Capt. Bogardus also says that his English 

 challenge remains open to shoot for 1,000 sovs. a side, and 

 he also challenges any gentleman from Great Britain 

 to shoot a match on the same terms in this country, he 

 allowing the acceptor one yard rise and $500 for expenses; 

 the challenge to remain open until May 1st, 1876. 



Capt. Bogardus left the city for his Western home on 

 Friday last, being escorted to the point of his departure by 

 a large number of shooting friends. During his stay here 

 the Captain visited Conlin's gallery at 930 Bjroadway, and 

 had a bout at word shooting with that veteran marksman, 

 Mr. Wilson MacDonald. Mr. MacDonald hit the bullseye 

 at seventy-five feet three times out of five at the word one, 

 not one, two, three. Capt. Bogardus accomplished the 

 feat tAvice in the same number of shots. Capt. Bogardus' 

 book descriptive of his recent trip to Europe lias been 

 issued by the American News Company. It contains not 

 only a resume of his own matches while there, but an ac- 

 count of the international rifle match, of which he was a 

 Avitness and almost a participant; also all the new pigeon 

 shooting rules. The price is very moderate, only 50 cents. 



Bogardus and King. — Mr. William King, of Jamaica, 

 Long Island, a Avell known shot has, it is said, arranged 

 for a match with the champion to be shot at Deerfoot 

 Park, Long Island, in about two weeks, or as soon as Bo- 

 gardus can get through Avith his present engagements. The 

 match is for $1,000 each, to shoot twenty-five single and 

 twenty-five double birds, each to handle and trap for him- 

 self. A forfeit of $250 aside has already been put up. 



Narhagansett Gun Club. — This club holds a series of 

 interesting matches at Newport, R. I., on the 13th inst. 

 The first was for a $250 cup presented by the President of 

 the club; handicap sweepstakes at 10 birds each, entrance, 

 $10 to $20 to second men. The following is the score: — 



H. Van, Buren, 29 yards 9 



T. Van Buren, 30 yard? 6 



J. G. Heckscher, 2S yards 5 



E. W. Davis, 30 yaids 8 



H. S. Bloodeood, 29 yards 6 



C. Livingston, 30 yards 9 



J. P. Grnnd, 29 yards 7 



F. P. Sands, 30 yards 5 



Roger S. Pease 4 



A. W. Riekman 6 



Leu Shepley. 4 



Charles Hepp .'.4 



G. H. Purmort ! . . . .5 



B. Brown 6 



Robt. McMullen 'ft 



Messrs. Van Buren and Livingstone having tied, shot off 

 and the first named gentleman securing a bird to Mr. Liv- 

 iug-il one's miss, took the cup. Following this Messrs. E. 

 W. Davis and T. Van Buren shot a match at 30 yards, 10 

 birds, for $40, Avhich Mr. Van Buren won. A handicap 

 SAveepstakes, 3 misses out, $10 entrance, was_ then shot, 

 with the following result. — 



C. LiVinsston. 30 yards 3 |M. Van Buren. 29 yards 2 



E . W . Davis, 30 yards 3 J . G . Heckscher, 27 yards 7 



J. P. Gruncl, 29 yards.. 3jT . Van Buren, 30 yards 8 



Won by Mr. Van Buren by 1 bird. 



Several other matches were shot. Mr. Russel Forsyth 

 was referee. 



—The Trap and Field Club, of Ulun^tp ,li<. AT ton.., 

 shot for their champion badge on tii 1 n im.-i , uhti ihe 

 following result, the shooting being at eight birds each, 20 

 yards rise:- — 



John Harvey 7 



Mike Hoy (i 



L. B. Babcock 5 



F. L. Motse 7 



G. W. Tinsley 7 



Geo. A. Camp 4 



Charles Hathaway 4 



Charles Cyphers 4 



The last named arrived too late to shoot for the badge. 

 In shooting off ties John Harvey, a professional hunter, 

 killed five straight birds, and holds the champion badge. 



♦ — 



Tokonto, September 7th, 1875. ' 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The fourth annual match of the Toronto Gun Club took place at Lamb- 

 ton on tbe 2d of September, when twenty-two of the members put in an 

 appearance to compete for piizes to the value of over $100. Wild 

 pigeons were secured, each member shooting at fifteen biids. At ihe 

 conclusion of the match an adjournment was made to Schiller's Hotel, 

 where a bountiful repast was prepared, to which ample justice was done 

 by the members and a number of invited guests. The usual toasts on 

 such occasions were drunk with all the honors, the party separating at 

 an early hour well pleased with the day's proceedings. Below is^the 

 score :— 



Name. Yards. Score. 



C. C. Small 23... .1 11111111011111 



D.Ward 23.... 1 1111111110 1111 



J. Taylor 23. ...1 11111011111011 



J. Webster 22.... 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 



Geo. Wright 23.... 1 101 1 1 11 1 1 1 01 1 



C.Hammond 23. ...1 101011111 10111 



..110011111111110 



-.111001111011111 



Geo. Towers 23.. 



J. Maughan. 



J. Morison 22 ...1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 



W. Smith 22. ...1 11010110 1.1 1101 



W.Ward 22.... 11111111011010 



J. Fairbairn 23. ...0 10111100101111 



J. Chapman 23.... 1 11101010 110011 



J. Kennedy 23. ...1 10101110 110010 



W. Bugg 23. . . .1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 



S. Herring. 21. ...1 10011011010101 



E. Perryman 21. ...0 00111011111001 



A. McGregor 22. ..0 11000111010011 



J. Oulcott 21. ...1 10001001011000 



II. Morison 21.... 00100010000001 



J. Young 21. ...0 01001000100000 



W. Lindon ....21 1 1 withdrew 



Yours, etc., 



Totai. 

 14 

 14 

 13 

 13 

 12 

 12 

 12 

 12 

 11 

 11 

 11 

 10 

 10 



9 



o 



ii 



9 



8 

 6 

 3 

 3 

 2 



Secretary. 



„ „ Long Branch, September 9th, 1875. 



Editor Forest and Stream.:— 



Sport is not very good about this section, and our gunners indulge in 

 trap and target shooting to pass away spare time. There are two clubs 

 here, one ealledthe Long Branch Gun Club, and the other the Amateur 

 Rifle and Pigeon Club. Both organizations are in flourishing condition, 

 and do some tall shooting. Mr. Douglas Slocum of the former club 

 made a score this season of 17 out of 18 birds, the eighteenth falling dead 

 out of bounds. Mr. George Hoey, the "crack" rifle shot of the Ama- 

 teurs, made 44 out of a possible 60 at 200 yards, The last event was a 



match at ten birds each, for $25 a side, between Mr. J. S. Hoey and Mr. 



W. J. Henderson, of the Amateurs. The conditions were 21 yards rise, 



8U yards boundary, 1} oz. of shot, and use of one barrel. Below is the 



score:— 



Mr. Hoey 1110 10 111 0-71Mr. Henderson ..1111*11111-9 



*Dcad out of bounds. 



Loung RU. 



SHOOTING AT BLOOMING GROVj£ 

 PARK. 



Club House, Sept. 13th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



Agreeably to a previous notice there was a meeting of members on the 

 10th instant to hunt deer, shoot grouse, and catcli black bass, and the re- 

 sults proved that game was never more abundant on the Park land*. 

 The party consists of members and invited guests, among whom are Dr. 

 G. H. Glenny and family, Mr. R. Fonda and family, Madame Cazarna- 

 zor, Miss Cooper,, Smith W. Anderson, M. Bayard, P. M. Wilson, Joseph 

 Dorie, J. Avery, of New York, and Alfred Parish, of Philadelphia; and 

 during the rifle match there were present from the vicinity Mr John 

 Williamson, Mr. Van Benschoten, Mrs. and Miss Aymer, Miss Morns, 

 Mr. and Miss Kleinhaus, Mr. Plescher, M. Vancasovich, John Court- • 

 wright the gamekeeper, Edward Quick and Bart, the hunters, and Willie. 

 Fdmiston as marker. The 400 yards off-hand match was won by Mr. R. 

 Fonda; prize, a Colt's pistol, army size. The 200 yards off:- hand match 

 was won by John Avery; prize, a gold b tdge of the Blooming Grove' 

 Park Association. The game bag for last week was three deer, 17 ruffed 

 grouse, 2 wood ducks; and of lis h, 25 black bass, 15 pickerel, besides 

 great quantities of percli, cattish and eels. Several bass were taken by 

 ladies, with light tackle, using grasshoppers for bait. During this week 

 there will be rifle aud pistol matches for prizes, and much snort is looked 

 for during the remainder of the season's shooting and hunting before 

 snow. An cora. 

 «*•♦* > 



THE ENGLISH GUN TRIAL— FAIR PLAY. 



■ ♦ 



St. Louts, Sept., 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



What did the late London Field trial of sporting guns decide for 

 sportsmen? Anything, or nothing? What was it instituted for, and 

 what did the leading sporting paper of England go to all the trouble 

 and expense that trial cost it, to prove? Was it a big advertising scheme 

 started by some gun maker? How much did the Fiddjpocket by it? 

 These are questions any American may ask, if he will only be candid 

 enough to try and find his answer in the result of it. The Field wanted 

 to know what gun in all England was the best; so that, until some other 

 gun should excel the winner of the trial it proposed to get up, it could 

 refer its readers to such winner, and point to the result as an answer to 

 the oft asked question: "Who makes the best gun?" Every gunnmker 

 in England had the chance offered him to enter his work, and it must 

 have been a satisfaction lo the gentlemen of the Field to notice yery 

 nearly every maker of note entering the list. The few who declined no 

 doubt had good reasons for so doing; but the candid American, and es- 

 pecially the Western man, can't help thinking if, looked like a want of 

 confidence on their part. How the trial was conducted, Americans are 

 familiar with by this time— at least those interested . Not a breath of unfa- 

 vorable comment has been ottered against the Field for its part of the 

 ■programme. It wanted the best gun to win, and worked honestly for that ' 

 end. How was the decision to be arrived at? In the simplest possible 

 way— by taking tkn closest pattern and greatest penetration. These two 

 requirements constituted the best mm in England! What more do we 

 want for our field work in America? Surely no true sportsman among 

 us will admit he dislikes a close shooting gun because it will require him 

 to be a better shot to kill game! It ought to be, and it is, our ambition 

 to shoot as well as men can possibly shoot. We are satisfied a bird 

 should get away from us when we don't hold the gun on it; and the gun 

 which shoots? close and hard will do the work whenever we are not at 

 fault. Whenever sportsmen brag of the merits of their respective guns 

 what, after all, does each one mean whenVJie says his is best? Why, 

 simply that, not referring to the finish, his gun will kill cleaner a id far- 

 ther than others. He has in view only execution. Were he referring to 

 its targeting qualities, surely he would not brag of a gun that could put 

 the least number of shot in a given space. We must be consistent. 

 We have all our lives been bragging about our guns, that could shoot 

 better than any other peoples, and now the time has come to decide 

 what we have meant by better. If we referred to close and even pattern 

 and great penetration, then ihe Field trial has demonstrated that one 

 maker's gun in England was better than all others in England. Ameri- 

 cans should be prompt to acknowledge that Mr. Greener showed the 

 best gun at the trial . It don't matter what gun we shoot, or what make 

 we prefer; the simple fact is presented to us that he performed better 

 with his gun than any other exhibitor. In giving the praise which he 

 has won fairly and honorably, we need not necessarily lay aside our 

 trusty Dougall'S, or Pape's, or Scott's, or what not. Let us stick to 

 them. They have served us well and faithfully, aud will continue doing 

 so. But let us be manly enough and honest enough to say Mr. Green- 

 er's gun was the best, in all that eonstitn ted the best, according to the 

 ideas of the London Field. We need not '.buy Mr. Greener's guns if we 

 like others better; but when his champions claim for him that he beat 

 all England in a friendly trial, let us be ready to say "he did." All 

 bragging about the best gun, I claim, was hushed after that trial. I am 

 unprejudiced in what I write, but I love fair play all the time. I am no 

 Greener man— never owned one of his guns, and never shot them twenty 

 times in my life— but I admire the way his representatives talk for him. 

 His agent here says: "If you have a fine gun, or if any of your club 

 have them, or if any man in your county has one that you think is bet- 

 ter than any other gun, bring it out and I will shoot against you, and 

 you may publish the result whenever.^you wish." That's the talk to 

 suit an American. 



I have expressed my views thus candidly and honestly, because I don't 

 see that cheerful acquiescence on the part of our sportsmen in the re- 

 sult of the Field trial* We should have been quick to volunteer our ap- 

 proval of the Field's decision, and, if we chose, kept on shooting our 

 old guns. The new system of choke boring guns has brought out some 

 controversy, but not enough as yet. It is well for practical sportsmen to 

 ventilate their views through the papers whose columns are kindly open 

 to them; but let such views be based upon something practical, so as to 

 be of some use. I, for one, am satisfied the choke bored guns are just 

 what we Avant. It is asserted by their opponents that at distances under 

 twenty yards they tear the game so badly as to make it worthless. In 

 the first place we ought not to do much shooting under twenty yards in 

 the field; and in fact we do very little. In the next place the assertion 

 is no more true of choke bored guns than of any other, and I say so 

 from having seen over a thousand pigeons shot from the trap with them 

 inside of twenty-one yards rise. For nearly two years I have watched 

 the matches closely, and for the past six months .with special reference 

 to this very effect. Close birds were as badly torn with one gun as an- 

 other. I bave the experience of one week on grouse this season to jus- 

 tify the assertion that birds were killed as clean as, and certainly at 

 much greater distances, than with other guns (and I did not shoot the 

 choke bore either). Our Pall duck shooting, I believe, will show the great 

 superiority of the close shooters over all our brag guns. When we find 

 we can stop the mallards at sixty yards and farther, we will begin to ac- 

 knowledge there is something, after all, in hard and close shooting guns. 

 The wear and tear test which the winning guns in the London trial were 

 subjected to, proves the durability of the system, standing twenty-five 

 hundred shots unchanged. Who among ns business men, no matter 

 how great sportsmen we deem ourselves, fires that number of shots from 

 any one gun. Not one in fifty . Before we use up that much ammuni- 

 tion we are getting ready to buy a new gun and give np the old one. 



unt l must stop talking. I only want to make the point that Greener 

 SfS , freat gUn trial ' and avoid it as we may try to, winning at 

 toat trial meant having the best gun. fair Plat- 



