FOREST AND STREAM. 



<gw8 md §rapping. 



«_ — » 



FURS AND SKINS— Quotations are:— 



For No. 1 Northern For No. 1 



and Eastern . Western . 



Mink, large, dark. .-. $2 00a $2 50 $....a $1 25 



Mink, medium, small, dark 1 75a 2 00 a 1 00 



Mink, medium, colors, large .... a 1 75 ... .a 75 



Mink, pale, colors, large. a 1 25 ....a 60 



Otter, large, dark... 6 00a 8 00 6 00a 7 00 



Otter, medium, dark 4 00a 6 00 4 00a 5 00 



Otter, small, dark, ... . 3 OJa 4 00 3 00a 4 00 



Fisher, dark .-.- 8 00a 12 00 6 00a 8 00 



Fisher, medium color 4 00a 5 00 4 00a 5 00 



Fisher, pale color. 2 00a 3 00 2 00a 3 00 



Martin, dark 2 00a 3 00 2 00a 2 50 



Martin, medium a 2 00 1 50a 2 00 



Martin, pale 75a 1 00 ....a 75 



Bear, black, large 8 0)a 15 00 8 00a 10 00 



Bear, black, medium 5 00a SCO a 5 00 



Bear, black, cubs 3 00a 5 00 ....a 3 00 



Bear, brown, large a 5 00 — a 5 00 



Bear, brown, medium a 3 00 — a 300 



Bear brown, cubs a 150 a 150 



Fox, silver 10 00a 50 00 10 00a 50 00 



Fox, cross 2 00i 4 00 2 00a 4 00 



Fox, red 125a 175 110a 150 



Fox, gray, cased a 2 25 1 00a 2 25 



Raccoon 65a 75 70a 100 



Badger a 50 :4a 50 



Beaver, per lb 125a 2 75 120a 150 



Muskrat, wiuter 16 18a 20 a 16 



Muskrat, fall 12a 14 ....a U 



Muskrat, kitts a 06 ....a 06 



Sknuk, cased, black a 60 ....a 50 



Skunk, I striped a 40 a 35 



Skunk, full striped 20a 30 ....a 20 



Skunk, white a 10 ....a 10 



Skunk, open Slp.c.less. 25 p. c. less. 



Wolverine a 4 00 3 00a 4 00 



Wolf, timber a 2 50 2 00a 2 5© 



Wolf,prairle a 120 75a 1 00 



Opossum 5a 10 5a 10 



Wildcat 2Sa 35 15a 35 



House cat a 8 — a 8 



Rabbits a 2* ....a 2* 



For No. 1 For No. 1 



Southwestern. Southern. 



Mink, large, dark $....a $1 00 $....a $1 00 



Mink, medium, small dark a 75 a 75 



Mink, medium, colors, large a 75 a 75 



Mink,pale a 60 ....a 40 



Otter, large, dark 5 00a 7 00 ....a 4 00 



Otter, medium, dark 4 00a 5 00 .... a 3 00 



Otter, small, dark 3 00a 4 00 ....a 2 00 



Fisher, dark 5 00a 6 00 ....a 6 00 



Fisber, medium color 4 00a 5 00 a 5 00 



Fisher, pale color... 2 00a 3 00 ....a 2 50 



Martin, dark 2 00a 2 CO ....a 150 



Martin, medium 1 50a 2 00 ... .a 1 00 



Martin, pale a 75 ....a 50 



Bear, black, large 8 00a 10 00 ....a 7 00 



Bear, black, medium a 5 00 ....a 5 00 



Bear, black, cubs a 3 00 ....a 3 00 



Bear, brown, large a 5 00 — a 4 00 



, Bear, brown, medium a 800 ....a 2 50 



Bear, brown, cubs a 150 a 100 



Fox, silver 10 00a 50 00 V) 00a 50 00 



Fox, cross 2 00a 4 00 2 00a 3 00 



Fox, red 1 50a 1 50 1 00a 1 40 



Fox, gray, cased 1 00a 1 50 70a 150 



Raccoon 40a 65 40a 50 



Badger 40a 50 30a 40 



Beaver,perlb 100a 1 25 per skin. 75a 2 00 



Muskrat, winter a .6 a 14 



Muskrat, fall a 13 ....a 10 



Muskrat, kitts a 5 ...a 5 



Skunk, cased, black a 50 — a - 40 



Skunk, i striped a 35 — a 30 



Skunk, full striped , a 20 a 15 



Skunk, white a 10 ....a 10 



Skunk, open 25 p. c. less. 25 p.c. less. 



Wolverine 2 00a 4 00 « 00a 4 00 



Wolf, timber 2 00a 2 (.0 2 00a 2 50 



Opossum a 5 a 25 



Wildcat 10a 35 10a 8 



House cat a 8 — a 5 



Rabbits a 2* ....a 2* 



— Journal of Commerce. 



>♦♦+- 



Maine. — The State authorities have paid a bounty of $5 

 each on 549 bears killed in the State during the year. 

 Washington county, as usual "bears" off the palm in num- 

 bers, reporting nearly 100 killed. A bad year for bears 

 but a good one for trappers. — Roamer. 



4» » 



For Forest and Stream. 

 TRAPPING ON FLAG LAKE. 



While waiting until after the holidays for a canoe trip to 

 some of the good trapping country down toward the Talla- 

 hatehee, our friend Joe M. Liadiey, and self, concluded to 

 set out a few traps in Flag lake, a small body of water in 

 which are many flags and numerous hollow cypress trees. 

 We found a s .all batteau which, after corking up the 

 cracks with cotton, answered well our end to cross and go 

 up and down the lake to set the traps. Finding one large 

 hollow cypress with a great mass of sticks, mud, and flags 

 heaped around the base, we knew it was the home of a 

 small colony of beaver. Near by reaching out from the 

 main shore was the top of a fallen c> press, and we could 

 see the late sign where the beaver had been sitting on the 

 limbs eating bark from a fresh cut stick. Cutting a pole 

 we slipped on it the ring of a No. 2 trap, and drove it firmly 

 in the mud, and chopping out a hollow on top of the log 

 st the trap, covering it lightly with 61d moss. We also set a 

 No. 4 trap at the base of the tree, firmly staked in about 

 eighteen inches of water in a way that the beaver could not 

 in any way wind up when taken. Going to the end 

 of the cypress we lound it hollow in about two feet; 

 here we set a No. 1 trap for coon, throwing some ducks 

 wing in beyond the trap, and strewing a few feathers about 

 to attract attention. Getting into our batteaux we followed 

 toward one end of the lake in the direction of an old beaver 

 dam, but from the drought it is now dry. Going up to an- 

 other fallen cypress we found plenty of fresh otter sign, 

 and accordingly set a No. 2 trap near the end of the log 

 where they come out, and going back toward the bank found 

 a hole cut in the side of the log showing the log to be hol- 

 low from end to end with about four inches of water on the 

 inside. Thinking this an excellent place for the otter to 

 play through we set another No. 2 trap, dogging it firmly 

 into the side of the hole, placing the trap just inside in 

 about three inches of water without any cover. We set 

 several more traps, amounting in all to nine No. 2 and five 

 No. 1. We had them set about ten days, catching five bea- 

 ver, nine coon, four mink, six muskrat, and one opossum, 

 when a sudden freeze came and froze them all nearly up 

 tight except the otter trap in the hollow cypress. The night 

 following the severe freeze there fell about four inches of 

 snow, and that morning on visiting our otter trap we found 

 that it had caught an otter which after jerking and pulling 

 at the trap until nearly morning, had got the dog loosened 

 3D the frosty log and gone off trap und all, We tracked 



him through the snow nearly half a mile to a point where 

 he went into the river. We shall have to try for another 

 otter, and faster our trap more securely. Shethar-boznai. 



■^»»- 



MINK AND MUSKRAT. 



Editor Forest and Stream:— 



I noticed in the last issue of your paper a communication 

 from Mr. M. A. Ho wells, Jr., giving a very interesting ac- 

 count of a deadly struggle between a mink and muskrat. 

 A somewhat similar occurrence which came under my ob- 

 servation a few years since may prove of interest to your 

 readers. On the 26th of July, 1872, I was shooting "bay 

 snipe" on a piece of marsh bordering a brackish creek, near 

 the sea coast, in New Hampshire. The day was just break- 

 ing, and I was lying quietly ensconced in my "booth" wait- 

 ing for the commencement of the mornine flight, when I 

 noticed a muskrat swimming down the creek past my stand. 

 He was nearly opposite, and within about twenty yards of 

 me, when to my surprise a large mink came leaping down 

 the further bank, and stopping only at the water's edge to 

 gather himself for a spring, launched into the air, and lit 

 directly on the back of the unfortunate muskrat, fastening 

 his teeth almost instantly in his throat. A furious struggle 

 ensued, and for several moments the combatants, rising 

 and disappearing beneath the surface, lashed the water into 

 foam; but the miuk never for one instant relaxed his fatal 

 hold, and the poor "rat" soon gave up the life which he 

 had defended against such fearful odds, and floated motion- 

 less on the surface. The mink then went energetical lv to 

 work to tow the body of his victim to the shore, and hav- 

 ing dragged it out of the water with much difficulty, dis- 

 appeared with it in an old stone wall. I should have men- 

 tioned that the muskrat was apparently a full grown animal, 

 and looked nearly three times the size of his adversary. 



William Brewster. 



Cambridge, Mass., Bee. 23d, 1876. 



Editor Forest and Stream.— 



The theft of a duck by a mink, related by one of your 

 correspondents, reminded me of a story told me years ago 

 by an old trapper of Little Otter, "now with God." He 

 was paddling silently down the stream one day in the fall, 

 in pursuit of ducks, when a "black duck" (dusky duck) 

 arose from the marsh some distance ahead of him with a 

 great flutter, some six or eight feet above the tops of the 

 sedges, and then fall back again. This was repeated sev- 

 eral times till Uncle Josh, getting within range, dropped 

 her dead during one of her towerings, and with her a mink; 

 her efforts to escape whose deadly grip having caused her 

 till then, unaccountable struggles. 



It is a fact well known to trappers here, that mink prey 

 upon muskrats; and when one considers the superior activ- 

 ity of the mink, especially on land, it does not seem so 

 strange that he overcomes and kills his larger but clumsy 

 victim. By these trappers a bit of muskrat is held to be 

 the most taking bait for a mink trap. 



I wish all trappers had the same consideration for the 

 right3 of hunters that Mr. Kellogg, who is trapping in Vir- 

 ginia, has. He finds foxes plenty there, but will not trap 

 them, as, "he does not wish to interfere with the sport of 

 the huntsmen of the country." 



Fox hunting in New England is not at all like fox hunt- 

 ing in Virginia, the nature of the country mostly preclud- 

 ing the possibility of hunting on horseback . Yet, though 

 our style of fox hunting has not the stamp of British au- 

 thority as "legitimate sport," a large and respectable class 

 of sportsmen here hold it as the best and manliest sport to 

 be had here; immeasurably better in all that constitutes true 

 sport than shooting before hounds the silly hare, harmless 

 alive,and worthless, dead, but which has said stamp . Where- 

 fore should not this sport, beloved of those good men and 

 true, receive the consideration, not of the sneaking fox 

 trappers who prowl about like sharp thieves, caring as lit- 

 tle for the good sport they spoil as they do for the good 

 dogs they maim in their traps, if only they get an occasional 

 fox skin worth an almighty dollar and a quarter— but of 

 honorable sportsmen, and above all, of the best paper in 

 America devoted to field sports, which would no more be 

 guilty of giving instructions how to snare grouse or quail 

 or hares, than it would of advertizing a prize fight or an 

 indecejat book, but does from time to lime publish the most 

 approved methods of trapping foxes ! Do us not this wrong 

 any more, O, Forest and Stream! but lift up your voice 

 against those who "in ways that are dark, and by trick's 

 that are vain," take out foxes, yea, our little foxes. 



Awahsoose. 



Trapping in Mississippi.— -A correspondent writes us 

 fr©m Hudson, Mississippi, as follows: — 



"There are more trappers in this county this winter than 

 we ever previously encountered,, but from the continual 

 cold weather which has lasted now more than a month, with 

 but very few warm days, and the decline in price of furs, 

 we think many of the amateur trappers will not try it here 

 another season. There are generally one Or two cold days 

 or nights which are here always followed by three or four, 

 or sometimes a week's weather warm enough to go without 

 an overcoat, and this is the time when the coons, beavers, 

 wild cats, and other animals stir out." 



Trapping in the Black Hills. — Beavers are abundant 

 on Red Water, Upper Kapid creek, Upper Whitewood, Bea- 

 ver creek, Spring creek and other streams in the Black 

 Hills. They are hunted for their skins, and are caught in 

 traps which are set in their slides. When they slide down 

 from their houses Into their dams, they fall an easy prey to 

 the hunter and trapper, and willeoon all be killed or driven 

 out of the Hills. A great many persons who have mined 

 all summer have turned trappers this winter. 



The otter is also found on the Rapid creek and Red Wa- 

 ter; their pelts sell for about $10 apiece in Yankton. The 

 Upper Red Water is truly the paradise of the hunter and 

 trapper. This region is easily reached from Deadwood City, 

 via the Union Pacific R. R. 



Cunning of the Fox. — A Litchfield (Ct.,) correspondent 

 writes, January 8th : — 



"An article in your last issue about a fox springing a trap 

 with a stick, recalls a similar case in this section. A man 

 who had been troubled by a fox set a trap for him, but the 

 fox would dig under the trap, and having sprung it would 

 devour the bait at his leisure. After a few times, however, 

 the man fastened the bait on the bottom of the trap and set 

 it upside down* The next morning he, found he had at last 

 ^twitted, the cunning marauder, * * $. B, I 



\$» mid Eivtt 



FISH IN SEASON IN JANUARY. 



at- 



SOUTHERN WATERS 



Pompano, Trachynotus carolinus. Grouper, EpinepTielpus nigrltus. 

 Drum— two species. Family Sciam- Trout (black ba^s) Centropistris 



idee. rarius. 



Kingfish, Mentichrusnebulosus. Striped bass or Kockfish, Roccus 

 Sea Bass, Sclcenops ocettatus. lineaius. 



Sheepshead, Archosai'gus probato- Tailorflsh, Pomatomw saltatrlx. 



cephalut, . Black Bass, Micropterus salmoides; 



Snapper, Lutjanus caxxs. M. nigricans. 



Fish in Market. — Since our last report was written our 

 fish market has been without material change. Our quota- 

 tions for the week are as follows:— Striped bass 25 cents 

 per pound; smelts, 18 cents; bluefish, 12£ cents; salmon 

 (frozen), 30 cents; California, 30 cents shad (southern), 

 40 cents each; Spanisli mackerel, 75 cents per pound; 

 white perch, 18 cents; green turtle, 20 cents; terrapin, $12 

 to $24 per dozen; frostfish, 8 cents per pound; halibut, 

 20 cents; haddock, 8 cents; codfish, 10 cents; blackfish, 15 

 cents j herring, 6 cents: flounders, 15 cents; eels, 18 cents; 

 lobsters, 10 cents; sheepshead, 25 cents; scollops, $1.75 

 per gallon; whitefish, 18 cents per pound; pickerel, 18 cents; 

 salmon trout, 18 cents; ciscoes, 12| cents; hard shell crabs, 

 $3.50 per 100; soft shell crabs, $1 per dozen. 



— Mr. Holberton (Holberton & Beemer), writes us to 

 state that the "Brainerd clip" used in his fly books, is the 

 invention of Mr. J. James Hyde, well known as one of the 

 best anglers and amateur fly-fishers in this city. We have 

 so stated repeatedly in these columns, in months gone by, 

 but have no objection to keep the fact before the public, 

 who are certainly indebted to Mr. Hyde. 



—Messrs. Abbey & Imbrie, of 48 Maiden Lane, are busy 

 filling orders to the Fishing Tackle trade throughout the 

 country, and express themselves well satisfied with the 

 prognostics of business, for the coming season, which 

 promises to be more active than for two years past. 



Fishing Disasters.— Gloucester, the great fishing por 

 of the United States, is in mourning, and, like Rachel, 

 weeps for her children, and will not be comforted. The 

 present winter has been a terrible one, even to these hardy 

 men who are accustomed to brave the perils of the sea in 

 every form, and the loss of life and property fools up a 

 larger aggregate than in any year since the business was 

 established. Up to date 27 vessels are known to be lost, and 

 the drowned fishermen amount to 212. The vessels aggre- 

 gate 1,693 tons and were valued at $150,000. Ninety-eight 

 Gloucester men alone went down in the December gales . 

 No wonder that the town is in mourning, for nearly every 

 family in it has its share in the general disaster. 



Movements of the Fishing Fleet. — The number of 

 fishing arrivals reported the past week has been 21, viz., 

 2 from the Banks, 12 from La Have, 4 from Boone Bay, 2 

 from Fortune Bay, and 1 from Grand Menan. The re- 

 ceipts or fish have been about 3.500 bbls. pickled herring, 

 200,000 frozen herring in number, 120,000 lbs. fresh 

 halibut, and 250,000 lbs. codfish. The fish market re- 

 mains firm with an improved demand and an upward 

 tendency in prices. — Gape Ann Advertiser, Jan. 19l7i. 



— A new cod-fishing ground has been discovered on the 

 Labrador coast. The Halifax Chronicle says:— 



A long fringe of islands, averaging twenty miles in 

 breadth, runs from Cape Hillete to Cape Mugford, and 

 outside of this long archipelago are found the banks and 

 shoals which "form the great autumnal, spring and summer 

 feeding grounds of the cod." Still further out is another 

 line of banks where the fish probably congregate in winter. 

 On the inner bank there are from twenty to forty fathoms* 

 of water, and large fish are caught with bait. "The island 

 studded area," says Professor Hind, "forms an immense 

 cod fishing ground which covers between Cape Harrison 

 (Webeck) and Cape Mugford, a boat fishing ground, ex- 

 clusive of the banks or shoal 3 outside, nearly as large as the 

 combined area of the English and French boat fishing 

 grounds on the chart of Newfoundland. 



During the past season some four hundred vessels passed 

 Cape Harrison on their way to the northern fishing 

 grounds, the craft varying between 18 and 90 tons burden, 

 and carrying an aggregate of 3,200 men. The estimated 

 catch was 60 quintak per man, an aggregate of 144,000 

 quintals for 24 fishing days, the fishery being prosecuted 

 without the aid of bait. 



The Cape Ann Advertiser says: — 



"These grounds are a continuation of a fishing field long 

 known and occupied. The coast fisheries have been pur- 

 sued as far north as Sandwich Bay for nearly a century 

 and a quarter, and from Sandwich Bay to Cape Harrison 

 or Webec, latitude 54.54, for a generation or more. North 

 of Aillik, latitude 55.09, about forty miles from Cape 

 Harrison, Newfoundland fishing craft have occasionally 

 frequented the coast waters for the last fifteen years. The 

 coast here is fringed with a vast multitude of islands,, 

 forming a continuous archipelago for a long distance.. 

 Outside of the islands, and about fifteen miles seaward 

 from shore, are numerous banks and shoals which form, 

 the great autumnal spring and summer feeding grounds of 

 the cod, while outside of the shoals there appears to be a 

 second range of banks which are probably their winter 

 feeding grounds. The island-studded area forms an 

 immense cod fishing ground which covers between Cape 

 Harrison (Webeck) and Cape Mugford, a boat fishing 

 ground, exclusive of the banks or shoals outside, nearly as 

 large as the combined area of the English and French boat 

 fishing grounds on the chart of Newfoundland. These 

 Labrador grounds are peculiarly valuable on account of the 

 perennial supply o!l food supplied to the cod by the ice- 

 bergs which strand upon the banks. The fishing season is 

 later than on the Banks, opening at Aillik about the 20th 

 of July and closing October 1st. During the past season 

 some four hundred vessels passed Cape Harrison on their 

 way to the Northern fishing grounds, the craft varying be 

 tween eighteen and ninety tons burden, and carrying an 

 &£gregate of 8>§00 mee, Tke estimated catch was sixty 



