Terms, Five Dollars a Year. | 

 Ten Cents a Copy. J 



NEW YORK, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1875. 



j Volume 5, Number 21. 



} 17 Chatham St. (City Hall tsqr.) 



& 



ROD AND 



For Forest and Stream. 

 REEL. 



UP and down, the range of the brook, 

 With artistic cast of feathered hook, 

 "Piscator Dapper" displayed his skill, 

 With spotted victims his creel to fill. 



All lures but the fly he held in scorn ; 

 Worms in boxes, or bugs in a hern; 

 Thus daily abjuring all grovelling things, 

 Bis taper line fluttered its dainty wings . 



Quite confident he that no trout could swim, 

 But, soonet or later, would strike for him; 

 As thistledown soft in such plausible way, 

 His flies would hover, and touch, and play. 



Nestling near the foot of the stream 

 Was a shady pool, where the flickering gleam 

 Stole through the green canopy overhead, 

 To kiss the place where the dimples spread. 



Here dwelt, securely, in moss-grown hold, 

 Prince Trout, in vesture of red and gold, 

 Feeding on grasshopper, worm and bug, 

 Lusty and keen in his covert snug. 



He was up to all the tricks of trade, 

 Knew every fly that was ever made; 

 When the gay deceits were near him thrown, 

 He waiched and wiggled— but let alone. 



Now and then rising, alert and sly, 

 He would lazily swallow a natural fly, 

 By way of a hint that for regular feed, 

 Artificial indulgence was not his need. 



"Piscator Dapper" spent all one day 

 Changing his casts with dt xterous play, 

 But all in vain, for at set of sun, 

 Safely Prince Trout was watching the fun. 



To the mountain tavern there came that night 



A pedestrian party in broad moonlight; 



And among their rough knapsacks, thrown on the ground, 



Leaf littered, and dusty, a trout was found. 



'Twas the brave old prince of the shady pool, 



Caught with a bait in the evening cool; 



Exclusive science left empty dish, 



But a common temptation beguiled the fish. T. W. A. 



°H 



For Forest and Stream. 



WM[. 



"pHE most noted sporting grounds in Central Illinois, 

 A if not in the whole State, lie upon the Illinois River 

 about twenty-five miles below Peoria. Hither come an- 

 ally, Fall and Spring, but less in the latter, numerous 

 •'porting parties from all the surrounding country to hunt, 

 ash, or trap. Indeed, this habit so long pursued, has 

 | anally passed into a regular custom throughout all the sur- 

 rounding counties; hence the sportsman on every side, 

 whether he hails from the city, village, or farm, now looks 

 forward with the greatest anxiety and impatience for the 

 corning season ;" the glorious October and November. Nor 

 '8 this all, for hither come also other parties from distances 

 toore remote, from Chicago, Indianapolis, Ind., Rochester, 

 p * ., &c. All come armed and equipped "cap-a-pie, "and 

 "% prepared to enter, heart and soul, into the thrilling 

 ^Pastimes of these rural sports. Yes, they come indeed, till 

 |g tunes the whole forests and surrounding lakes seem peo- 

 [Pled wi th their presence, and the air itself to be hallowed 

 (i with the sweet music of their pleasures. And yet, I have 

 I ever seen in your generous columns, any special notice of 

 i ese grounds, or of the game in which they so richly 

 i! ound. Hence I am assured that your numerous readers 

 ? wu l rightly appreciate my motive, if I venture to post them 

 u Pou this subject. 

 I am the better prepared, since I have just returned 

 om my third Fall's sporting in this place, and speak from 

 Personal observation. 



j Hunting GiiorjNDs.-These lie both on the east and west 



aes of the Illinois River, and nearly in equal portions. 



^e part west of the river is in Fulton county, and that 



B *st in Mason county, Havana, a small village on the 



river, is near the south end of €Hiem, and is a good initial 

 point, either by railroad or the river. The United States 

 is constructing a dam across the Illinois near their upper 

 end. They arc about eight miles long and three broad, or 

 one and a half miles on each side of the stream. They are 

 "bottom lands," and generally heavily timbered, but in 

 some places open, except brush, flags, weeds, &c. They 

 are lower back from the river than on its banks, which are 

 open, hard, dry and fine for camping, with plenty of wood. 

 Blind wagon roads intersect them generally, so they are 

 easily entered on almost every side. The country back of 

 this tkree mile belt of forest, is upland and divided into 

 farms. Thus lies the land— now for the water. 



The Lakes, &c.~ The river is generally about three hun- 

 dred yards wide with a slow current, and has hard slop- 

 ing banks, and is very pretty and pleasant indeed. On 

 each side of this, and back at convenient distances for hunt- 

 ing, lie about twenty lakes, sloughs, and ponds, and vary- 

 ing in size and length from three miles and a half down to 

 the ordinary pond. These, about ten on each side, stretch 

 along at about equal distances apart, from north to south, 

 throughout the eight miles of hunting grounds. As before 

 stated, they are convenient from the river, where most of 

 the tents are pitched, but many are located back on the 

 different lakes, since the river does not afford much hunt- 

 ing. Camps are generally pitched so as to command 

 several of these lakes. Each side of the river presents 

 about equal advantages to the sportsman, and hence each 

 generally has about the same number of camps and hun- 

 ters. Persons living in the vicinity, either on the river or 

 on the uplands, will always be ready to conduct strangers 

 to the best camping grounds, or haul their camp equippage 

 to and from the same. Steamboats from above and below 

 often laud parties right on the ground, hence Peoria or 

 Pekin, from the north, are good initial points, besides a 

 perfect outfit for camp may here be purchased. But when 

 not too inconvenient I would recommend a full outfit to 

 be taken from home. A small skiff or boat for crossing 

 the waters and getting the game when killed, is almost in- 

 dispensable, and should be brought along, as there are but 

 few if any to hire. India rubber boots with high leggins, 

 are another necessary article of outfit. Most of the game 

 killed may be got by wading from the shore. The lakes 

 are generally shallow and some may even be waded; some 

 are open, but most are broadly belted with wild rice, flags, 

 grass, &c. Indeed the shallow ones are sometimes covered 

 with these throughout, especially in a dry season. These 

 lakes during the Fall and Spring months are fairly alive 

 with ducks, brant, geese, <fcc, which in passing south and 

 north stop here to feed and recruit. Nowhere throughout 

 the whole course of the river are so many waters found 

 huddled together in so small a space, or none where the 

 wild rice, &c, gives such ample food. I will now men- 

 tion the names of a few of the game birds to be found 

 here, and against which so many manly "braves" and 

 "true knights" of the trigger love to contend. 



Duces. 1,— Mallard, very abundant, and sometimes by 

 the tho usand; one of the principal ducks killed— very 

 fat and delicious. 



2. Wood, or Summer, very abundant, and breeds here 

 during Summer; is the first hunted in early September; 

 a beautiful but small duck, fat and good eating. 



3. Teal, blue-winged, very numerous, large flocks come 

 early in September before the mallard, and is hunted 

 with the wood duck; color, brownish; very fat and the 

 essence of good eating. 



4. Teal, green-winged — remarks as above. Both are 

 very rapid fliers — huddle in the water. 



5. Widgeon, very abundant and comes early; not large, 

 but a fat and fine duck; swift on the wing, and huddles. 



6. Canvas back, common, but not abundant; he is the 

 pride of the epicure. Give me theteal in preference. 



7. Hooded merganser, small and very beautiful, has a 

 "hood" (or crown) of white feathers on the head with a jet 

 black border, the head (otherwise) and neck jet black ; 

 breast, white with a black belt around it; bill, straight, 

 black and narrow, and hooked at the tip; he is a great 

 diver and fish-eater. So beautiful is this little duck that 



the specimen is a prize to my collection. I especially ad- 

 mire the "dashing white" hood, &c. 



8. Sheldrake, diver, rapid flier, fish eater, and not very 

 good; fat. 



The above named ducks are those generally killed; to 

 this list might be added many others, and to include quite 

 all our inland and some of the salt water species, but 

 this I will omit. 



Of geese, the brant and the common wild goose are 

 the only kinds I saw. These are quite plenty and some- 

 times very numerous, especially late in the Fall, and again 

 in the Spring. They sometimes make the whole welkin 

 resound with their "honk-honk" music, This season there 

 were less than usual. 



Other Birds and Quadrupeds.— The white pelican, 

 sand hill crane, herons, water turkey, coot, plover, snipe, 

 common hawk, owl, bittern, curlew, loon, dipper, quail, 

 pinnated grouse, racoon, muskrat, mink, and large fox 

 squirrels are some of the animals to be found here; some 

 plenty in their season, and others scarce. In the proper 

 season I think splendid wookcock, snipe, and plover 

 shooting over a good dog could be had here. The 

 grounds are favorable, beside we saw ard killed some 

 woodcock, &c, and have seen many snipe. 



Fish. — nearly all these lakes and the river abound in 

 fish, but they are seldom caught by sportsmen with hook 

 and line, but mostly by net and seine for profit, and sold 

 for about three cents a pound to the farmers, steamboat 

 stewards, or village fish dealers. The main varieties sold 

 are the cat, buffalo, pike, and bass. The other varieties 

 include most of our ordinary fresh water fish. The best 

 of bass, and, I think, pike fishing, may be had in most of 

 the large waters of Illinois, but the country is generally 

 level and agricultural, and not strikingly romantic, hence 

 not much visited by the fishing tourist. These grounds 

 amply supply in season, all the fish required by the sur- 

 rounding country. 



I have omitted to mention the names of these lakes. The 

 most prominent are, Thomson's, Johnson's, Slim and 

 Duck Island, in Fulton county; Flag, Spring, Mud, and 

 Clear in Mason county. These are from a mile to four 

 miles long, and two of them are of beautiful clear waters, 

 the rest less clear. 



From about the 10th to the 20th of October is the best 

 time to camp here. The air is then purified and purged 

 of mosquitoes by the frosts, and the country subdued 

 and beautiful. Then all the lakes are stirred up by sports- 

 men and the game kept on the wing from lake to lake. 

 Shooting is generally along the borders, and a retriever 

 will add much to the sport. Come at this season of the 

 year and I will warrant the game to be on hand, and the 

 balance I leave with the sportsman. You will find shoot- 

 ing. 



To the "Farmington Sportsmen's Association," of Ful- 

 ton county, I desire to give my thanks for the many kind- 

 nesses received at their hands. They are alw r ays ready for 

 action, and ever found well represented on the banks of 

 the pleasant Illinois. Old Scout. 



December 12th, 1875. 



A Famous Hunter Killed.— Jackson Frailey, known 

 throughout the State as the "Deerslayer," and the Nimrod 

 of the Conewago, was killed in a fight with an immense 

 catamount on Welsh Mountain, near Martinsville, Penn. , 

 last week. His body, when found, was terribly lacerated 

 and the clothing completely torn from it. A mile distant 

 was discovered the catamount; it was shot between the 

 left shoulder and had a deep stab made with a hunting 

 knife. Near by the hunter's rifle, with both barrels dis- 

 charged, and his knife, the blade covered with blood, were 

 found. It is surmised that after shooting the animal and 

 supposing him to be dead, he placed his gun against a 

 tree and approached the catamount to turn him over, when 

 the beast sprang upon him and a terrible fight ensued. 

 Frailey is said to have killed over 2,000 deer, 200 bears*, 

 twemty catamounts, three panthers and numberless wolves' 

 and foxes. In his tenth year he killed one bear and six 

 deer. His experience in the woods embraced many hand* 

 to-hand contests with bears and wounded bucks, from all of 

 which he came out victorious, and his body 



was covered 

 with scars, the retult of these battles. He was only lortv 

 I placed one in the hands of a taxidermist at Canton City, years of age, but followed the calling of hunter and tran- 

 and had it mounted, Thanks to Gen, Pinegar tor the bird; * per for thirty years - 



