FOREST AND STREAM. 



171 



tapis is that between J. Q. Hecksher and Carroll Living- 

 ston, of this city, and Messrs. Randall and Grubb, of Phil- 

 adelphia, to be shot on the 20th instant at Baltimore. The 

 stakes and conditions are the same as those governing the 

 Bennet-Van JJuren match. 



Protection of Game.— The Tremont Shooting Club, at 

 a meeting held at Young's Hotel, Boston, on Tuesday even- 

 ing, 12th instant, formed themselves into an association for 

 the purpose of the protection of game and the enforce- 

 | ment of the game laws of Massachusetts, under the name 

 of the Tremont Sportsmen's Club. It will use its influ- 

 ence, under_the authority of the club, in prosecuting all 

 persons who may be found killing game out of season, or 

 unlawfully snaring or killing of game. In view of. the 

 scarcity of game and the depredations made by snaring, 

 etc., the sentiment of the club was unanimous for the en- 

 1 f orcement of the law s. 



Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Cltjb.— A number of 

 1 representatives of sportsmen's club met on the. 12th instant 

 at Harris^urg to organize a State society, for the purpose 

 of securing the passage of laws for the better protection 

 of game, its propagation and improvement. It was agreed 

 that the Corresponding Secretary of the meeting should 

 send circulars to all the known sportsmen's clubs in Penn- 

 sylvania, inviting them to send delegates to an adjourned 

 convention which will meet in Harrisburg on November 

 18th. 



Missouri State Sportsmen's Association.— The next 

 meeting of this Association will be held in Sedalia, when 

 the members will engage in a prairie chicken hunt. The 

 .'last meeting was hold ten days since at St. Louis, when 

 Mr. Jeff Bedford, of the Lexington Sportsmen's Club, was 

 elected Recording Secretary. 



The Peterboro Fish and Game Protective Society. 

 We noticed recently the excellent work which the above 

 society is doing in bringing to punishment parties found 

 guilty of infraction of the game laws. We are now in- 

 debted to Mr. C. A. Post, Secretary of the association, for 

 the following report of a recent meeting: — 



"The October meeting of the county of Peterboro Fish and Game Pro- 

 tective Society was held at the Huffman House, on Wednesday evening 

 last, the 6th inst,, Mr. E. J. Toker in the chair. The Secretary read let- 

 ters from H. Stewart, of Hastings, and Henry Merriam, of Eice Lake, 

 making complaints of illegal trapping by the Indians and others; from 

 'George Cochrane, Fishery Overseer at Lakefield, notifying the society of 

 certain alterations in the fishery act, making a uniform close season for 

 : whitefish, salmon trout, and lake trout in On ario, which is from Novem- 

 ber 12th to December 1, in each year, both days inclusive; the act respect- 

 ing the close season for herring is. repealed; from Jas. Stewart, Buck- 

 thorn, and from Lord Dufferin's Secretary, at Halifax, expressing His Ex- 

 cellency's regret that, on account of his not leaving England till the 8th 

 /'of October, he would not be able to accept the society's invitation to a 

 rtdeer hunt on our back waters. The.resignation of Mr. G. B, Sproule as 

 Ma member of the Central Committee (one of the society's most active 

 Imembere,) was tendered and accepted. We are still increasing our mem- 

 bership list, and the diligence displayed by our district committeemen 

 ethionghont the county gives us every encouragement. " 



Massachusetts— Salem, Oct. lQth.— Stock in the gunning 

 line is about as usual. There have been more fowl in the 

 'bay this season than for several years. I have shot a num- 

 ber this week. There have been a few woodcock killed 

 about Beverly lately, also some partridge. The quail will 

 ■be heard from probably next week. An occasional snipe 

 "is also shot. I have also killed some "winters" this week, 

 and they were solid fellows. Weather for the past forty- 

 eight hours. easterly, with fogs and rain at intervals. 

 f Teal. 



I Connecticut.—- Ruffed grouse are said to be very plenti- 

 ' ful throughout the State. In Hartford, last week, they 

 (jfwere selling at 60 to 70 cents per pair. A number of in- 

 stances are noted of late where grouse have dashed them- 

 selves against houses. In Meriden, last week, one flew 

 against a large plate glass window, valued at $100, in a 

 piano manufactory, and shivered the glass, which was a 

 ^quarter of an inch thick, to pieces. Of course the grouse 

 ;;was killed, but it seems incredible that the bird could have 

 broken the glass. 



Pennsylvania— MUford, Oct. 12th.— Partridge (ruffed 

 grouse) abundant. Ed Quick and Halsted, and Bob 

 Wells, the champion hunter, are daily out with New York- 

 ,ers and Philadelphians, and some good bags have been 

 made. The best scores lately were 13, 19, 12, 23, 17 and 

 20 birds in about five hours' shooting. Woodcock scarce, 

 bat expected on the flight after a couple of frosts, when 

 the shooting on the Delaware will be excellent. Last year 

 in five days' shooting between the 12th and 22d of Oct., 

 seventy-four woodcock were killed to three guns on these 

 islands, one day's score footing up 21. Quail will be nu- 

 merous. 



; New Jersey — Forked Biver, Ocean comity, Oct 11th. — 

 ,The season for wild .fowl shooting will open on Friday 

 next, Oct. 15th, and preparations are completed for that 

 purpose. The amount of game now in the bay is very en- 

 couraging, and the prospect for good gunning is much 

 :: better than for many years past. We expect to make good 

 l( :work next week, and have already received notice from 

 (Several of your citizens that they would be with us on 

 .Thursday night. We have nothing, therefore, to do but to 

 I'bide our time and await lesults, which in all probability 

 {! will be highly enjoyable to all save the clucks. English 

 j^suipe have been plenty during the past week, E. II. Frame 

 ^killing 17 in two hours on the grounds immediately in front 

 "of this (Carman) house, over the imponed Gordon 

 f setter Dan, the property of Mr. Chas. W. Wingate, of 

 ;il Brooklyn, and his own setter, Grouse. These are excel- 

 lent snipe dogs, but their "great grip" is on quail. By- 

 ;, the-bye quail are literally as "thick as hops," and can be 

 ;jfouDd in large quantities within three minutes' walk of 

 ! this house. When the close season is over there is nothing 

 that can be foreseen to prevent the biggest kind of shoot- 

 ing. Bay snipe are gone, save a few golden plover and 

 some "big tell-tales." Surf snipe are on the beach in clouds, 

 [ one gentleman from here killing 143 in two thots. For 

 ' any one who likes this kind of fun the sport is plentiful 

 j and easy got at. So you see that with all the birds here 

 I reasonably good gunning and plenty of game during the 

 ; ! season just opening may be expected. F. 



i| [The above reached us too late for our last issue— Ed.] 



Maryland— Deer Park, Oc>. 18tfA.-— The shooting season 

 is in full swing, and sportsmen have been more than usual- 

 ly successful. " Ruffed grouse, quail, rabbits and squirrels 

 were never more plentiful. Ducks have been very scarce, 

 and so have wild pigeons, although there were plenty of 

 the latter during the last of September and first of Octo- 

 tober in the "beech marsh." Deer are frequently seen but 

 few have been killed, as yet. Onr second snow storm, on 

 Saturday, the 6th, opened the ball for rabbit and fox hunt- 

 ing. Several wild turkeys have been killed near town. 



Alleghany. 



Onip — Lenox, Ashtabula county, Oct. 15th. — Quail were 

 quite plenty early in the Fall, and the farmers still say, 

 "O, there are plenty of them just back of the barn, in the 

 corn lots and grain stubble; you can't miss them." But 

 diligent search fails to find them. The cold, wet and un- 

 seasonable weather has driven them somewhere out of 

 sight. Ruffed grouse here are not so abundant as last Fall, 

 but rtill afford good bags to experienced sportsmen. Wild 

 pigeon not plenty enough to make a good string with gun, 

 but many are netted by "old hands," principally for pig- 

 eon shoots. Not late enough tc say much about wild tur- 

 keys, but reliable information from a party working on a 

 section of railroad near Leon, in the. Big Woods, say that a 

 large flock have been about there for a week, crossing and 

 recrossing the track, and numbers setting along the fence, 

 while others were busily engagad scratching in the leaves 

 and dirt, apparently not noticing the workmen, although 

 not one hundred yards away. They will soon be inter- 

 viewed. During the Winter" many are killed with rifles, 

 and last season a number were brought in weighing, when 

 dressed, 21 and 22 pounds; but it requires endurance,- 

 nerve, and an expert shot to make a success at it. Gray 

 and black squirrels, which were so plenty last Fall, have 

 disappeared, and quite mysteriously. They are scarce and 

 wild. A party living on the next farm shot 123 on a fence 

 running from a cornfield to the woods, not Qne-quarter of a 

 mile from the house, last Fall, and left as many more. 

 This season I have interviewed that fence many a bright 

 morning and failed to score ©ne; could bag ten to fifteen as 

 easily last Fall as three or four can be now. When it takes 

 longer than until breakfast time to shoot all the squirrels 

 we want, game is considered scarce. Many claimed the 

 hard Winter killed them off. My deductions, though, are 

 thcit perseverence will fill your bag; still game is scarce. 



Uli. 



Missouri— Sedalia, Oct. 15th. — We are having fine plover 

 shooting now. Our fields and meadows are full of them. 

 Quail are quite plenty. The second brood are very plenti- 

 ful. Prairie chickens are also plenty. Ducks are coming 

 in. Squirrels are also plenty. Shooting this season will be 

 fine. Crops plenty and birds will fare well. J. D. B. 



Wisconsin — Montello, Oct. lGth. — Duck shooting in 

 Northern Wisconsin has proved to be the poorest for years, 

 for some unknown reason, possibly that the early frosts 

 killed the seed of the wild rice before it had ripened, and 

 thus deprived the water fowl of their accustomed food. 

 The scaup ducks (known as blue bills, etc. ,) are plenty, 

 but afford little sport, as they frequent the open waters 

 and cannot be approached. Wild geese are coming in 

 from their northern sojourn, and furnish the most exciting 

 of all sport in wild fowl shooting, with the exception of 

 swan shooting. Snipe are abundant, and I have no doubt 

 a fair shot, with or without dogs, might bag from fifteen 

 to twenty brace per day, or even more, on the marshes 

 outlying from Puckaway Lake and the Fox River. This 

 sport is seldom indulged in by resident sportsmen, and the 

 birds are both ta.rae and- fat, rarely flying upwards of 100 

 yards when shot at. Fred. 



Canada— Peterboro, Oct. 11th.— It any of your friends 

 want good Fall duck shooting now is their time. Send 

 them to Rice Lake County, Peterboro, via steamer Norse- 

 man from Rochester to Cobourg. Rail 12 milr>s to Har- 

 wood, when they are right in the mid ! '>'* 1'" ' ; vr*«t Fall 

 duck shooting in Canada; cano> ■-=. • •-• - •"• > > ''nen. 

 Inquire for Henry Merriam at iian, .a, a, .: t) . .■.,.< < meed 

 canoeman and old hunter. Good hotel accommodations 

 at Harwood and Gore's Landing, both on the shore of the 

 lake, and in sight of millions of ducks.. Capital sport un- 

 til the lake is frozen over. P. 

 . -*-•+»- 



BLOOMING GROVE PARK NOTES. 



Office Blooming Grove Park Association, | 

 37 Park Row, Oct . 12, 1875 . J" 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Members returning from the Park report ruffed grouse very p]enty ; also 

 wood ducks in Lakes Giles and Laura. Messrs. Avery and Anderson 

 were in camp at Lake Laura last week, having transported a boat and 

 camp equipage from the ciub house. Matt officiated as steward, and 

 Ned Quick provided the table with fish and game. 



The President acknowledges a donation from Smith W. Anderson, 

 Esq., of High Bridge, of a curious relic of past hunting days— a double- 

 barreled flint lock fowling piece, made by Booth, of England. Agents 

 have been appointed to watch the park lands and prevent depredations 

 by lumberers and others. The annual dinner will take place in New 

 York at a time and place to be determined by the Executive Committee. 



John Avery, President. 

 _: . -+•-$» 



CHILLED SHOT. 



Boston, Oct. 11, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream :— 



I recollect perfectly well, while reading some time since in the columns 

 of the London Field the interesting account of the last great gun trial, 

 of being strongly impressed by the conspicuous advantage obtained by 

 those guns using the Newcastle chilled shot, both as regards pattern and 

 penetration. Tiie excitement of our English friends on choke bores and 

 close shooting was not contagious m my case, as those matters had been 

 pretty thoroughly tried in this vicinity by one of our best gunmaker's 

 years ago. Moreover, I have a very poor opinion of an extremely close 

 snooting gun, and believe that most of our sportsmen with Mr. Greener's 

 prize gun in their hands would, in the great majority of American shoot- 

 ing, miss most of their birds outright, while a few crack shots would en- 

 joy the inestimable privilege of bringing to bag continuous shapeless 

 masses of flesh and feathers. I belong to the first class, and don't want 

 that Greener gun. But the shot question interested me, and I hoped to 

 hear through your journal of experiments in ihat direction. For my- 

 self, having obtained a few pounds through the kindness of a friend who 

 had used them with great success and satisfaction in England as well as 

 here since his return, I have tried them both at targets and game quite 

 thoroughly and to a reasonable extent, and find them, in my guns at 

 least, to increase both pattern and penetration, the latter being to my 

 mind of much greater importance. I account for this gain on the hy- 

 pothesis that, being much harder, they suffer less than soft shot from the 

 crowding process in the barrel during their expulsion, leaving it, there- 

 fore, with a much larger percentage of perfect pellets absolutely spheri- 

 cal in shape, and consequently reaching either target or game in greater 

 number, with -more even distribution, and, of course, in better condition 



for penetration, where again their hardness gives them a marked advan- 

 tage. T have just returned from a fortnight's shooting, and can only say 

 tbat I shall never use any other shot when these are obtainable. I hope 

 to hear more from my brother sportsnnn on this matter, which I tnink 

 an important one I know that some dozen of our best sportsmen here 

 have come to the same conclusion as myself, and now use them exclu- 

 sively. As it is probable that these shot may not be readily found, I will 

 say for the information of the numerous readers of your paper, that 

 they can now be purchased of any size and in any quantify of Mr. Wil- 

 liam R. Schaefer, 61 Elm street, Boston, where I obtained mine, and 

 who has, I believe, made arrangements to have them always in stock 

 direct from the only manufacturers, Messrs. Roberts, Lampeh & Go., 

 Newcastle, England. Let every one try a few and compare notes. 



Under Grip. 

 [Our correspondent will find a letter on this subject un- 

 der an article on choke bores in this isnie. — Ed.] 



■ < » »» ! ■ 



CLOSE SHOOTING GUNS. 

 * 



Cazenovia, K. T., October 5th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



I see in your valuable paper a good deal about close shooting gnns, 

 choke boring guns, etc., and what, amount of powder and shot shall I 

 use for such a gun, giving the weight, bore and length of gun. Now I 

 think that at the head of your "Answers to Correspondent*" yon would 

 do well to put something like this: "Try your gins with different size 

 shot and different amount of powder and shot, and use that which it 

 shoots the best." Although cot so very old, I have had a little experi- 

 ence, and find that certain guns shoot better with certain size shot. 



Some ask the question if choke bored guns are the thing for the bush, 

 and from my limited experience 1 answer, no. I have had quite a num- 

 ber of guns made for me, and now have one that suits me to a fraction; 

 have one stock and two sets of barrels which Jit it— by fitting, t mean 

 that all the joints are as near perfect as they can be made. One pair are 

 thirty inches long and weigh nine pounds one ounce; the other pair are 

 twenty-four inches and weigh eight pounds— of course that includes 

 stock in both cases. The thirty-inch pair are bored so that with l£ oz. 

 No. 10 shot, 5 drachms powder, in a thirty-inch circle 100 feet, I can 

 put 400 pellets, and drive them in or through so that it Is death to a bird. 

 The twenty-four inch pair are bored to spre id, and spread very evenly, 

 so that shooting the same distance it covers over quite a space where one 

 cannot put down their hands without covering two or Ihrec shot holey. 

 Some may say that an eight-pound gun is too heavy for woodcock, snipe, 

 etc.; but it possesses one or two advantages. Being short, it, is much 

 easierto get in the birds, and as it is 2£ at the breech, it will stand a 

 heavy charge if neccessary. I have killed one and. broken the wing of 

 another woodcock, so that the dog retrieved him, 67 yards, with short 

 barrels, two drnchms powder and one ounce No. 10 shot. Tin re is si ill 

 another advantage. Tbe gun hangs about the same with both pairs of 

 barrels, and the bend of stock, reach of trigsjer, etc, is jufit the same, 

 saving the annoyance of getting used to two guns. Then if one goes away 

 duck shooting, where there is a possibility of seeing quail, stipe, etc., it 

 is much easier carried than two guns and takes up less room. If I were 

 to use the close shooting pair, and should I be so fortunate as to get in a 

 bird in the bush, where we generally kill woodcock, it would be usele-s 

 for the table. I should think that ail who have guns of a little above the 

 medium weight, 'would Have them bored to shoot close, and have a 

 short pair fitted to the stock, both of which can be done. I am conviuced 

 that they would be very much pleased with it. S. S. 



SHOOTING IN VIRGINIA. 



• »■ 



Jeffersonton, Culpepper county, Va., Oct 9, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



On the 15th of this month the law forbidding the shooting of "pan- 

 ridges" ceases, and all sportsmen are actively engaged in preparations 

 for the coming season. 1 notice that the love for the old muztfle loa 

 and prejudices against the new breech loaders are disappearing, and 

 sportsmen are reco^nizine; the fact that they are behind the times in ad- 

 hering to an obsolete firearm. What the mass of people of Virginia 

 want is a good, plain, serviceable breech loader which can be bought for 

 $25. The manufacturer who will meet the popular demand and adver- 

 tise freely will realize a rich harvest. I have been hunting in this sec- 

 tion for a couple of weeks-more for the purpose of marking the covie's 

 of birds than shooting them. It was first thought that birds were very 

 scarce, but during the last two weeks sportsmen have changed their 

 opinion, and now feel assured that there is more than the usual number 

 of quail. The unprecedented rains of August have caused weeds, 

 briars, and vegetation generally to shoot up in the wildest luxuriance, 

 and sheltered the birds lrom observation and nosice. 



This section of Virginia, and especially this immediate locality, I con- 

 sider the best hunting ground anywhere in the middle part of the Sfa'te. 

 The fields are alive with rabbits, and tho woods abound in squirrels; 

 wild turkeys are also numerous. To those who desire first rate sport 

 they must leave the line of the railroad, where every station sends forth 

 daily a motley gang of ameteur huntsmen, armed with every variety of 

 . gun and accompanied by every conceivable style of dog, from the thor- 

 oughbred pointer down to the "cur Of low degree," and who scare up 

 all game within a radius of five miles. Well, as I was saying, the very 

 best placet know of is a little village of about a dozen houses called 

 Jeffersonton, in Culpepper county, and fifteen miles from Culpepper 

 Court House. It is surrounded by many well-tilled farms, which have 

 large fields, and in these stubble fields the partridges feed. There are 

 but few of the citizens who keep dogs; their time, as a general thing, is 

 too precious to be wasted in hunting, and but few, very few, of the lands 

 are posted. To a party of good shots with fine dogs they can get their 

 fill of the best of shooting, though I would not advise them to come un- 

 til the 1st of November; for it will take several heavy frosts to kill the 

 weeds enough to allow the doss to scent the birds. 



To those who desire to get full information let them write to Geoige 

 Myers, at Jeffersonton, who will board them, and give them all the par- 

 ticulars, though I will state for their benetit that to get here yon take the 

 cars at Washington City at 7:30 A. M. on the .Virginia Midland Rail- 

 road, and arrive at Warrenton at 11 A.M.; from there Myers will, if 

 notified, bring you to Jeffersonton, distant ten miles. I have no axe' to 

 grind in giving this location; 1 merely, as requested, write for the benefit 

 of gentlemen sportsmen who desire a good place to shoot. I leave next 

 week for the finest hunting ground in the Middle States— I mean the 

 Nottoway River region, in Virginia, bordering on the North Carolina 

 line. In my next I will write you a full account. I go there for sport 

 'alone. Chasseuu. 



*H».49» ■ 



GAME PROSPECTS IN MISSISSIPPI. 

 * 



Corinth, Miss., Oct. 8, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream.— 



The weather has been, and still is, too warm for much work in the 

 field. The high weeds, grass, and growing crops in the fields, and the 

 leaves and brush -in the woods, make it almost impossible to either see 

 the dogs or to shoot. The frost has not yet killed any vegetation, and 

 until it is killed we cannot do much with bob white. Squirrels are plenty, 

 and ducks will come in as soon as the weather gets a little cooler. Mer- 

 cury to-day at 12 M., 69° in the shade: sun warm, and sky perfectly 

 clear. I am very anxious to have a whole day after quail. Those that I 

 have shot with the gun built for me by Tolley have been killed clean 

 and it knocks a squirrel out of the high trees like a rifle. It is a lon» 

 way ahead of any gun I ever shot. T had the pleasure of seeing a 

 "Challenge" gun, 10 bore, by the same maker, built for a friend: it is a 

 splendid piece of workmanship, and is in every respect a first-class arm. 

 While on the subject of breech loading guns I would state, for the benefit 

 of those sportsmen who have the Sturdevant shell with the anvils broken 

 —and they will all break if shot awhile- that the Orcut primer fits them 

 without any difficulty. Hope to meet you in Memphis at the dog show. 



