FOREST AND STREAM. 



411 



—A match took place on the 26th ultimo at Ashford, 

 Westchester county, between the city of Yonkers and 

 Greenburgh, five men on a side, five birds each, Long 

 Island rules, 21 yards rise, 80 yards boundary. Referee, 

 A. Aichison; Judges, 8. Laurence and J. Willsea. The 

 following is the' score:— 



GHEENBUKGH 



Name. 



Emmet 



Roberts 



Caperon 



Hauptman 



Total. 



4 



1 



4 



YONK.ERS. 



Name. Total. 



Jos. O'Brien.... 1 



Bronson 5 



Jaa . O 'Brien 3 



Williams z 



Name. Total. 



Austin 3 



Lang 2 



Bronson .... 



Deitzel 2 



X,ang. 5iAu8tin. 



Total 14| Total 12 



Od the same day and ground a sweepstakes was shot, 

 three birds each . Score :— 



Name. Total. 



Jos. O'Brien... 2 



Jas. O'Brien 3 



Williams 2 



Emmet — , • 2 



'Caperon 2 



James O'Brien and Austin divided first and second 

 money, Joe O'Brien took third, and Williams fourth. 



A Chance for the Champion. — The Illustrated Sport- 

 ing and Dramatic News contains the following challenge: — ■ 



"A gentleman will bet £600 to £500, or £300 to £250, no 

 one can kill thirty pigeons out of fifty; to shoot on any 

 fair ground in England, 30 yards rise, 80 yards boundary 

 five traps, both barrels, 1£ ounces of shot. He bars neither 

 nation, kindred, nor color. Further particulars can be ob- 

 tained of H, M., 33 Cold bath square, or of Mr. J. Gar- 

 dener, at the shooting at Winchmore hill on Monday next. 

 What a chance for Captain Bogardus!" 



LIVE GEESE DECOYS. 



January, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



As the result of considerable experience in the use of live geese de- 

 coys at Monocary and Currituck, I submit the following observations:— 



In bar shooting they should not be staked out, for the following rea- 

 sons: Very few Canada geese or brant used for decoys become properly 

 reconciled to their captivity. They remain more or less wild, and when 

 fettered, are apt to lose their footing, on account of sudden frights, etc., 

 and fall forwards all in a sprawl. There they remain prone, tagging and 

 straining for hours until relieved. If wild geese are in the vicinity where 

 this occurs, good bye to the game; it will not be deceived. Moreover, 

 the gunner should retain control of his decoys, in order to be able to 

 get them away, when necessary, from the spot towards which the wild 

 birds are heading. No one wishes to shoot his own birds, and many a 

 time have I seen my decoy brant completely surrounded by the wild ones. 

 In such emergencies, a Btrong line running into the box or blind is the 

 only m< ans of extricating the decoys from the line of fire, and with me 

 it was always successful. To prevent twisting up and other entangle- 

 ments, put a strong swivel at the junction of the two leather fetters. To 

 the other end of the swivel attach a piece of cord, say six feet long- 

 Fasten yonr seese in pairs to a third swivel, to which attach your decoy 

 line, which must be large and strong in proportion to the size of the de- 

 coys. In bar shooting always locate your sunken box, the only admis- 

 sible kind of ambush, within easy range of some tongue or spit of sand 

 extending into the water, and forming a natural landing-place for the 

 fowl to get their footing. Then give your decoys just scope enough to 

 keep them well short of the spot where you are morally certain 1 he 

 quarries will land. If two pairs are worked, which are quite enough, 

 place one pair to the right and the other to the left, when practicable, 

 and Keep ttiem there. The fettered geese, as a rule, prefer to stand just 

 at the edge of the water, and get as far away from the shooter's position 

 as the line will allow them to go. They soon learn not to throw them- 

 selves down by vain struggles, and when this by chance occurs a little 

 slacking up of the coy line enables them to recover their feet. Where 

 two pairs of geese are to be placed out in the same direction, keep one 

 materially shorter than the other, to avoid tangling. The decoy geese 

 may be advantageously accustomed to the restraint of the fetters at 



home weeks before using on the bar. Rtjstictis. 



. -*-•«»- 



QUAIL IN MISSISSIPPI. 



Corinth, Miss., Jan. 18th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I have just had a glorious day's sport after bob white, for which I 

 thank the immortal gods. There was never a brighter sky in Winter. 

 A light frost covered the ground, and the breath of boreas came as soft- 

 ly and mildly as an April breeze— just enough wind to take the scent to 

 the dogs. LeNand I re 8 i early, aid after stewing away some break- 

 fast, prepared for the day's work. Taking a big lunch and a small bottle 

 marked "aqua Babcockii," albeit we are kinder temperance folk; but 

 the snakes have not hioernated up to date, and they do say that 

 "spenits" will make 'em fly straight— not the snakes, but the quail. 

 WehadL.'s setter and two of my pointers. We went on horseback. 

 Soon after getting out of town Old Nora climbed up on top of a high 

 fence, head up, taking the wind. "We had just as well get down," said 

 L,, "they are in there." The dogs all went in, and in a moment were 

 as stiff as pokers. The birds were feeding in a corn-field, and got off 

 wild. Bach got in a shot and bagged one bird. We marked them down 

 in the woods, where they lay like stones in the dead leaves, and eleven 

 more were added to the bag. 



Leaving only enough for seed, we went on after another covey. These 

 we found in a meadow and bagged three, the rest getting so near a 

 house that we would not go after them. Then, in a strip of woodland, 

 Pete, the setter, found a big covey, as I was in the field with the other 

 dogs. We got them well scattered in an old ledge field, where I bagged 

 tix, L. following some that went in the woods; got only a few shots, the 

 birds getting up wild. We then went into a field where the corn had 

 not, been gathered, and where the pea vines were knee high and loaded 

 to the top with peas. Here we found several covies, and getting them 

 well scattered along a hed N e and in some old stubble, we had some as 

 fine shooting as a man could wish. L. is a big man, and shoots a big 

 Tolley "challenge," and it would do any one good to see him knock 

 them. After eating our lunch we moved on, and shot until late in the 

 afternoon. When we reached home and counted out our bag we had 

 forty eight quail and one hare— could have killed a dozen, if we had 

 tried. 



But perhaps we were not tired! The mud in the fields was just stiff 

 enough to hang on to our boots, and L. said hi did not have a piece of 

 skin as big as a postage stamp on either foot. We were in a condition 

 tc enjoy our pipes, our slippers, and our suppers, and afterwards a glo- 

 rious night's slsep, such as comes only to the blessed, and to the tired 

 hunter. Guton. 



MARYLAND NOTES. 



Muirkirk Furnace, Md., Jan. 21st, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



I noticed in your paper of week before last an inquiry in regard to J. 

 Tonks, of Boston. Mr. Tonks is a maker of good guns. I have one— 

 a 7 pound breech loader— made by him, that will, with a load of 2£ drs. 

 orange lightning powder, 1 oz. Balto., No. 7, make in six shots an aver- 

 age pattern of 150 pellets in 30-inch circle, at forty measured yards. This 

 it will do right along. It has made as high as 176 pellets, same circle, 

 distance, and load, Here let me say, while not claiming to be a good 



shot, I perfectly agree with yon that we do not need a close shooting 

 gun for most of our shooting. In our partridge (quail) shooting most 

 of the birds are killed in the open, within thirty yards, and very few in 

 the cover over twenty-five yards, mostly under that distance. For this 

 shooting I consider even the above gun shoots too close, and prefer to 

 use my 10-bore Holbis & Sheath gun, altered by Messrs Clark & Sneider 

 to a breech-loader, with their double bolt top action, which I think the 

 strongest and best motion I have ever seen. This gun makes a pattern 

 of 130 pellets No. 7 at forty yards, with 1£ oz. shot, with 3£ drs. of pow- 

 der. It has more penetration than the lighter gun. It, I find, shoots 

 plenty close enough for me, and I am convinced that a choke-bore 

 would be useless in such cover as we have. The birds would be either 

 cut to pieces or missed. My advice to sportsmen who want a gun for 

 general shooting is, to be careful how they invest in choke-bores, but to 

 get a gun of about 130 pellets. The testimony of actual use in the field, 

 as given bY different correspondents of the Field, of London, is decid- 

 edly against choke-bores. My dogs have done well this season for the 

 little practice that they have had, as 1 have haa them out but little. 

 Partridges are very plenty now, and as it is tne close season 1 hope that 

 the season may continue favorable for them, and that we shall have no 

 snows to enable the pot hunters to lay a covey at one shot, as they will 

 do, if they get a chance. The prospects now are good for an immense 

 number of birds next year, as comparatively few have been killed. I be- 

 lieve that every year the birds are harder to find, as they seem to fre- 

 quent the woods more, and to be more wary, fly further, and lay closer 

 than ever. In fact, they are becoming educated, a^id by the selection of 

 the fittest, as only the slowest and least wary birds are killed, it will 

 soon require one to be an extra good shot to make aiy bag at all. The 

 weather here is quite warm, and I notice to-day that my maple trees are 

 in bloom. Chas. E. Coffin. 



SCAFFOLD SHOOTING IN WISCONSIN. 



Marinette Station, Wis., Dec. 27th, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream.— 



Scaffold shooting is resorted to during the Summer and Fad months 

 on the Peninsula. The deer go north from Central and Northern Wis- 

 consin in the Spring, and are then called "spring poor." Though the 

 game law prohibits it, I believe they commence floating for deer in July, 

 and also shooting from scaffolds. Scaffolds are generally built from ten 

 to thirty feet high, with a place on top for the hunter to sit. They gen- 

 erally take advantage of small trees close together, and nail slats on 

 them to serve as ladders. They are placed along the deer trails, which 

 here run nearly due north and south, unless there should be streams or 

 lakes near, when they diverge to them. For the month of July thoy 

 place salt licks early in the Spring, and shoot from scaffolds when they 

 come to the salt licks. From E-seonoba to Negamm the Chicago and 

 Northwestern Railroad runs northwest and southeast. As these deer 

 trails are, in some places, close together, some are called main trails and 

 some branches. They generally go back from the railroad track fifty to 

 one hundred rods, as it is nearly all woods along the line, and run a de«r 

 fence, consisting of small and medium trees, lapped over in one direc- 

 tion, with the interstices ft'led with small branches, etc. As this fence 

 is built parallel with the track, it cuts across several deer trails in a di- 

 agonal direction, so when deer are traveling eouth they reach the fence 

 and turn east to find an opening. This takes the travelers over several 

 trails, all down the fence, to the lower or southeast end, where the scaf- 

 fold is placed. By cutting several small avenues through the brush, the 

 hunter can get a good range on the deer. They travel mostly from day- 

 break to nine o'clock, few crossing from eleven o'clock to dark, as they 

 then stop to feed. As the road runs in the direction northeast and south- 

 west, the deer cross the track going south earlier on north end than on 

 the south end. From Little Lake south to Day's River are good hunt- 

 ing point?. They commence crossing at Littlj Lake about August 5th; 

 Helena Switch, about August 8th to 10th; McFarland'sHill (half-way be- 

 tween He ena and Centreville), 10th to 12th; Centreville, about 15th to 

 18th, and so on. 



There is good deer hunting along the line between Menomonee and Es- 

 conoba in August and September. Though the law does not allow it, 

 hunting is done in these months. As the deer leave the peniusula so 

 much earlier than they go south in Lower Michigan, it is a manifest in- 

 justice to sportsmen to be prevented by the law from shooting them 

 when they are in their best condition, particularly as deer are abundant 

 in this section. I believe they have started a petition to the LeghlaAtire 

 to amend the game law, as applied to the peninsula or part of the State, 

 and they will no doubt succeed. In the meantime the law seems to be a 

 dead letter. Deer are so plenty no prosecutions are made. There is a 

 good Winter hunting spot eight to ten miles north of Day's River, and on 

 Red Division (twelve miles north of Esconaba) on the Smith River. On 

 Bay de Noquet the deer congregate in a section of heavy timber, and 

 winter there. Splendid hunting may be had here in the minis of Oc- 

 tober, November, and D cember. Guides may be hui here at about two 

 dollars per day. Guides make their headquarters here, and this, wiihom, 

 doubt, is the best point to fit out with everything necessary for the "trip, 

 with exception of arms and accoutrements. A half-breed, who lives at 

 Thunder Lake, on the Pesbtigo River, tells me this lake abounds in trout, 

 and also the river. Joaeb. 



— -♦»♦- • 



SHOOTING ;N EAR PORT ROYAL, S. C. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



Port Royal, S. C, January, 1875. 



With your approbation I will try and give your readers some idea of 

 the coast region of South Carolina, presuming that 1 know of no region 

 healthier than this from the time Autumnal fronts set in up to mid-Sum- 

 mei . August and September are the mouths most likely to bring sick- 

 ness to unacclimated persons, and these are just the months when our 

 residents can best get away for their annual visits to Saratoga and other 

 northern watering places. Change of air is always beneficial, whether 

 from North to South in cold weather, or vice versa. A little investiga- 

 tion will show that the coast region of South Carolina possesses one 

 great advantage over Florida whether for sporting or agricultural opera- 

 tions. With but little difference in climate, and that difference a posi- 

 tive benefit lu my way of thinking:, with abundant game, and m great 

 variety, the sportsman, visitor, or settler still maintains sure and easy 

 communication with family and f rends at home. Steam and electricity 

 are both at bis service. Moreover, in comparison with most points 

 further South, his destination is quickly reached and no time wasted en 

 route, as is always the case where change of cars, steamer, or stage, is 

 called for. In chess the best judge of position wins the day, and the 

 time U not far distant when the unrivalled position of South Carolina, 

 and especially of the noble harbor of Port Royal, will challenge and at 

 tract tlie attention of the world to its manifold merits. At present the 

 tide of travel lushes by, thinking to find its El Dorado in the Land of 

 Flowers. Yet I have letters in my possession from agriculturists located 

 in Middle Florida, who are desirOus of changing their base of operations 

 to this point, for the reason that they are too far from their markets to 

 be sure of paying returns. Fruits and vegetables must reach consumers 

 sound ana fresh, or the labor of producers is wasted. 



I believe I am safe in saying that the common varieties of ducks 

 abound on all the South Carolina rivers .where rice is cultivated. Mal- 

 lards, black ducks, widgeon, pin-tails, gadwalls, teal, and shovellers 

 ring-necks, greater and lesser scaups, buffel-heads, ruddies, and mer- 

 gansers. All the foregoing will be found abundant. The Chesapeake, 

 or Currituck habitue will miss the accustomed canvas back, red-head, 

 and Canada goose. This latter is here replaced in some localities by the 

 white- fronted goose. To get at this kind of game the gunner roust make 

 his headquarters at the nearest house he can find to his field of opera- 

 tions, with a full out-fit of boat, decoys, &c. January and February are 

 the best months, as they are the coldest and roughest months of the 

 year. I take this occasion to remark, that if a party of gentlemen 

 would like to visit these parts and test the shooting of the Bull River 



and Cembahee region, or of any other region in the vicinity, T will assist 

 them so far as maybe in my power, with information, as also with boats. 

 decoys, &c , of which I have a supply, but quite rusty withal for want 

 of use. Should other varieties of game be desired, partridge are at 

 present abundant om my premises, not having been shot at the whole 

 season. Deer can be had on the Hunting Islands, about twelve miles 

 distant. An hour's ride by rail will take them to a locality where par- 

 tridges are very numerous; also snipe and some woodcock, but if I mis- 

 take not, these latter migrate about the end of February. The same lo- 

 cality will also yield wild turkeys to the persevering sportsman, and 

 ducks in variety. I have a boat on the sp"t, or at least had one there 

 last Winter. I have forgotten to enumerate rail among our game, which 

 ere very numerous in the salt marshes, and can easily be bagged twice a 

 month when the spring tides occur. Their flight being slow and heavy, 

 they are just the birds for novices to practice upon. The families of 

 waders are always well represented, especially in April and May, in 

 which months I often have excellent shooting over decoys at such birds 

 as jack curlew, black-breast plover, godwits, willits, &c, and this just 

 at my very doors. Rustic us. 



-^»». ■ 



NOTES FROM TEXAS. 



White Rock P.O., January, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The following extract from a letter written by William Boutwell, living 

 near the uorth line of Hunt county, Texas, though not intended for pub- 

 lication, has much of the genuine ring of "Old Daniel Boone" in it, and 

 will doubtless be read with pleasure, since it presents very focibly seveial 

 points of gvneral interest to many of your readers. This place is near 

 Dennison and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, andiswiihin 

 four days of New York city. The country has open oak timber lands, 

 with turkeys and plenty of other tmall game in it, not deemed worthy 

 of particular mention by the writer. He says: * * * * "I was phas- 

 ed to have the privilege of reading another letter from you. Tt always 

 gladdens my heart to have the fond n collection of the early dajsof 

 Texas called to remembrance, when we "old Tet ans" enjoyed ourselves, 

 being in those days entirely free from fashion and pride, acd from any 

 political troubles, and when game of every description was plenty, and 

 peace and quietude prevailed. But alas! those days are gone, and our 

 country is wild on fashion, and distracted on politics, and is in a general 

 strife for wealth. Our vast prairies that were once covered with buffalo 

 and wild horses, &c, are now all dotted over with farms, from ten to 

 five hundred acres each; the first settlers have mo.-t all gone farther 

 west (to the frontier), and now we have another class of people in these 

 parts, who live under different customs, and hunting has almost played 

 out, although game is tolerable plenty in my section. The oilier day [ 

 saw eleven deer in riding two miles, and if 1 had some "old Texan." to 

 hunt with me, I could enjoy the old Texas custom again to a hi»h ex- 

 tent. 



Wild bees are tolerably plenty here. There is no person in this part 

 of the country who follows hunting for profit, and but very few for ph;>s- 

 ui-p, consequently deer and bees go unmolested. The farmers have tame 

 bees from which they get plenty of honey. 



Texas is in a prosperous condition at this time. We have flush times 

 in money, a lively trade, abundant supplies, and good health. There 

 has not been a case of sickness in my neighborhood during the Summer 

 and Fall* *. Lands are advancing in value.* * * We aie all very 

 hopeful of bitter times politically under the new constitution. I culti- 

 vate two hundred acres and live near the timber, the weather, for the 

 season, is extremely mild; there has been no snow and but very litile 

 ice as yet. People are killing very fine beef off the range; cattle are 

 standing in the shade for comfort; the grass is beautiful and green, &c." 



This letter is dated January 6th, and shows what sport a man can ex- 

 pect to find in this wild and beautiful country. The scene of "Old 

 Scout's first buffalo hunt" is laid in this couuly, wherein the country is 



more fully described. H. W. M. 

 -♦•♦» 



A TEXAN HUNTRESS. 



January, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



A few years ago, when traveling with my wife in Texas, we were told 

 by some young ladies of the equestrian feats of a Mrs. McKinney, 

 whose husband owned a large stock ranche on Onion Creek, about six 

 miles from Aaiitin. She was said to often riae a very fast horse, so 

 fleet that when mom ted she could mn down aud capture a mule rabbit 

 on the open prairie. Having repeatedly seen dogs chase these rabbits 

 in vain on the prairies of Texas, 1 had little faith in such reports, be- 

 cause there are few dogs (exc pting greyhounds) wtiich can overtake a 

 mule rabbit in a large prairie, and not even the greyhound can do it if 

 the rabbit gains woods or chapparal. 



A few days ago I went with a party of ladies and gentlemen of Austin 

 a fishing at the McKinney place. There Onion Creek runs over and tje-^ 

 tween huge limestone./ocks, making rapids, falls, and deep pools, giving 

 fine scenery and g od fishmg— trout, perch, etc. These fibh are excel- 

 lent, but differ from those of like names at the North. Having known 

 Mrs. McKinney many years ago, when she was a girl in her teens, since 

 which I had not seen her, accompanied by my wife and daughter I went 

 to see her at her house, pleasantly located amid trees on a rocky bluff. 

 Mrs. M. is now a widow past her prime, yet erect, hale, and hearty. 

 Never having had any children she u«ed often to go with her husband 

 ovet the prairies to look after the stock and hunt. I spoke of her repu- 

 tation for skill in riding on horseback, and inquired if she had ever ran. - 

 down a mule rabbit in the chase. She said that by running over them 1 

 with her horse she had, at different times, captured two. 



She then told me oj a still greater feat. One fine day, when with her 

 husband, on horseback, they saw a large gray wolf on the prairie. Mr. 

 McKinney told her to give the 'volf a little chase. She hesitated, say-. 

 ing it would do no good; but he urged her, saying that he would follow- 

 on with the dogs, and she might as well give the wolf a "little brush."" 

 Sho started. The wolf at first looked incredulous, but apparently con- 

 vinced that she was in earnest, away he went. She became excited and 

 continued the pursuit over hill and prairie, leaving husband and dogs far 

 behind— so far that he lost all traces of her. After searching for hours 

 he went home without her. The chase was continued, until finally the 

 wolf, exhausted, lay down and feigned death. With one pair of the 

 reins of her bridle she mad*, a slipping noose, and cautiously placed tfc 

 over the wolf's bead and around his neck. Then tieing the other end of 

 the rein to the saddle, she jumped on the horse and started, thus drag- 

 ging the wolf home, the animal having soon been choked to de^th. Mrs. 

 M . is a well educated lady, of great energy of character. She is a native 

 of Boston, Mass., has lived South since her girlhood, and at her present 

 home for twenty-five years. S. B. BucKLEr, 



What's ra a Snowflake?— The Chemical Review slates 

 that in a drop of water obtained from a single snowflake 

 and magnified 500 times, were found pieces of coal, frag* 

 ments of cloth, grains of starch, sandy matter, and an iin-. 

 mense variety of other substances, not a fragment of 

 which exceeded in diameter the three-thousandth part of;* 

 an inch. 



—Over 800 trees and more than 800 woody species of 

 plants are believed to be embraced in the flora of the Uai* 

 ted States, and of the trees 250 species are tolerably abund- 

 ant in one region or another, 120 of them growing to. a 

 large size. 



—The length of a seal's intestine is 50 feet ? or more. 



