AuausT 5, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



11 



once or twice a week, They liuiit three or four times a 

 week, and even every day, except Sunday, it possible. I 

 wonder that tliey except Sunday. For if a man in the 

 country may work in liis garden, and a woman in Lon ; 

 don may cry waterorosses on Sunday out of church 

 hours, I can see no reason why these gentlemen should 

 refrain on tliat day from laboring in their vocation. 

 Their vocation and callingit surely is. It is the husiness 

 of tlieir lives, and to liear'them talk about it one would 

 ima.gine that it had the importauce of an aHair of State. 

 Shooting is hardly less thouglit of, and is more general 

 bccauso it is less " cosll^^ Tbe pheasant, the partridge, 

 and tlie woodcock are sacred liirds provided for solemn 

 sacridce. "Does he pi-escrv(? V is a question that I have 

 heard asked by one country gentlemen about another 

 witli as muchrnterest and seriousness as if the inquiiy 

 ■were whether he had a seat in Parliament. An engage- 

 ment to shoot is paramount to all others ; an invitation to 

 shoot, like an invitation from the President at Washing- 

 ton, sets aside all others. Englishmen will go from one 

 ejid of the country to another for a few days' shooting ; 

 and shooting means, nowadays at least, not a morning's 

 ■walk -with dog and gon in a lino country and tlie bring- 

 ing home of a few weil-eanied birds and rabbits, but mere 

 guu practice in a park at birds as flying marks. It has 

 lost its connection with the enjoyment of nature and in- 

 vigorating exercise. The " sport'smen" take their stands, 

 and the birds are roused from the gorse by the gamekeep- 

 ers' helpers, and are shot down or missed as they come 

 within range. As I was in England during tlie shooting 

 season, I had some invitations to take my chance at the 

 pheasants. Bnt I accepted none. I could use the little 

 time I had to spend there in other ways, more to my ad- 

 vantage, and also to my pleasure. As to shooting birds 

 in that businoss-like fashion, I would as soon take trout 

 out of a tub. And that, I suppose, will be the way soon 

 provided for the practice of the contemplative man's re- 

 creation. The next thing to it seems to be the going to a 

 lishing hotel and angling from a boat in a mUl-pond. 



Why not fish and shoot by telegraph as well as in this 

 way? The charm of fleld sport is the field — the early 

 start, the sharp, clear morning air, the sunrise, the walk 

 over hills and through meadows, the country through 

 which the game leads the seeker, the mid-day rest and 

 luncheon with a companion or two by a cleax", sheltered 

 spring, whose cool water is tempered by the contents of 

 flasks which counteract the luimitigated effect of that 

 dangerous fluid, the renewal of the search for game by 

 wood-side or brook-side, and the pensive walk hpme to a 

 hearty dinner, a pleasant evening's languid chat and a 

 well-earned, di-eamless sleep. Compared with this, what 

 are preserve-shooting and pond-Ijshing ? 



Woodcock Habits.— Waioayanda, N, Y., July 2Sih. 

 — While walking about sundown a few evenings since, 

 in a neighboring swamp, giving the dog a little exercise 

 after a long and tedious day on the chain, we found five 

 fine, large woodcock, all of which seemed to be in splen- 

 did condition, with the exception of one, which seemed 

 to be moulting and scarcely able to fly at all. I could 

 have caught him, had I wished. He flew about ten or 

 fifteen paces and then settled down, and although we 

 hunted for the bird some time, failed to find any trace of 

 it. I was not aware that woodcock moulted so early and 

 late, as I shot them last season during the months of Sep- 

 tember and October that were miserably poor and about 

 half pin-feathers. This is a favorite resort for tins bird, 

 and also the English snipe. The black dirt of Orange 

 County, of which there are about eighteen or twenty 

 thousand acres, furnishes abundance of food for them 

 during the summer and fall. The woodcock, a little be- 

 fore dusk, leave their retreat in an almost imi'euetrable 

 swamp close by the writer's home, and seek tlie neigh- 

 boring cornfield. It is a pleasing sight to those who ad- 

 mire this noble bird to watch the big fellows in their 

 flight to the cornfields. I bagged quite a number of birds 

 in my cornfields last fall during their evening flight, but 

 darkness soon puts an end to the sport, and the wood- 

 cock feeds on unmolested, and ere daylight dawns is safe 

 in the dark and secluded swamp. The past open winter 

 and dry spring have been excellent for game in this lo- 

 cality. Quail bid fair to be very abundant. As I write 

 this, two old males sit almost w"ithin gunshot of my win- 

 dow, alternately whistling Bob White and guarding 

 broods of young ones of fifteen or sixteen birds about the 

 size of a sparrow. They have not been as plenty for a 

 number of years as they are at the present time. Pot- 

 hunters are not quite so tliick in this locality as they are 

 in some, and the farmers, as a rule, are not very expert 

 with the shot gun. Once in a while, during the fall or 

 winter, we hear of a whole bevy being shot on the 

 ground, where they have roosted through the night, by 

 some who call themselves hunters. WaIjLkill. 



WooDMONT Rod and Gun Olxsb.— Washington, D. O. 

 July 2d, — Having just returned from a most delightful 

 visit to the grounds of the "Woodmont Rod and Gun 

 Club," I beg to report the result of my bass fishing and 

 woodcock shooting during last week's heated term. The 

 grounds of the club .are in Washington Coimty, Md., and 

 include upward of two tliousaud acres ; fronting for 

 three-quarters of a mile on Dam No. 6, the best fishing 

 point on the Potomac River. The fish bit ravenously at 

 live minnows, and the sport was simply charming. In 

 four mornhigs I took seventy-flve pounds of bass, the 

 largest weighing three and one-half pounds, and the 

 whole averaging about one pound each. Much larger 

 fish were caught by others, some running as high as six 

 and one-quarter pounds, but the larger fish seemed to 

 avoid my bait. On several occasions we cooked and eat 

 our fish on the bank where caught, and no one who has 

 not tried it can appreciate the difl'erence in the flavor of 

 fish cooked as soon as caught, and those which have 

 been out of the water for hours. 



The rest of my sojourn at the park, when not pulliog 

 out bass, was spent m shooting woodcock, which 1 found 

 in great abundance, and in pnmii condition. With the 

 aid of my dog Sanolio, just purchased of Mr. Chas. F. 

 Kent, of BiugLiamton, N. Y., 1 had iio difficulty in bag- 

 ging a couple of dozen birds diu-iug a foj-ejioon. By the 

 by, I bog here to say that I believe Sajiclio to be what 

 Mr. Kent represented him, "the best dog in America." 



The WoodiiHiiit Park is beinilil'ully situated arjiong the 

 mountains. On die WeM; rises the rfideling Hills, some 

 700 feet ; on the .South, ilie Cacapon Mountain rises ab- 

 ruptly from the Virginia shore, and on the East, the 



Canoloway Mountains loom up, while Woodmont stretches 

 awnv to the north, Tourhing the old Cumberland road. 

 Tlie'woo.l; arc lillcd witli deer, tiu'key and pheasanls. 

 Witliin a hundred yards of (.ho club-house I counted 

 three turkey hens, and thirtj'-Qve young turkeys, feed- 

 ing as quietiy one morning as if they owned the prem- 

 ises. 1 noticed only three deer during my stay, and one 

 of these was as white as snow. The three moved off 

 quietly into the donso forest. When the shooting season 

 arrives, our club anticipate some rare sport. A. H. E. 



CoBK's Island, Va., July '2Sth.—1he season for sea- 

 fowl shooting oil the coast has opened gloriously this 

 summer, .and promises to continue good until the fall. 

 One Inmdred to a hundred and (ifly curlew and snipe to 

 a sinuie i;uu on a tide is of fre(|Ueru occurrence. Weare 

 now slioutiiig the first flight oC Ihc Ijirds, About the 10th 

 of August tlie second fliglit of birds wiU make their ap- 

 pearance, and rare sport is .anticipated. 



The duck and geese shooting begins here about the 

 middle of November, and is, 1 think, the finest on the 

 Atlantic coast. 



Sportsmen will find fine quarters on the island all dur- 

 ing tlie winter, as well as honest, reliable guides, who 

 furnish decoys, boats, etc., for $3 per day. The game can 

 be easily expres.s.'d home thi-ee times a week. 



Those detenniiiiu.i; to visit the island can take the Old 

 Dominion line ot steamers at New York for Norfolk, Va., 

 thence by steanicr K. P. Banks to Cherrystone, where 

 they can easily I'm d trans^wrtation to the island — some 

 fifteen miles away, 



I have shot over most of the ground in this State, and 

 can conscientiously reoommeucl Cobb's Island to gentle- 

 men sportsmen, for they will find the Oobbs and Tom 

 Spades kind hearted, thoroughly honest and reliable 

 men, who wiU never seek to overcharge them a cent, and 

 they will find enough ducks to keep them up to the 

 warmest kind of work as long ,as the winter lasts. 



I have no axe to grind in writmg this, but simply to 

 point out the place for fellow sportsmen. I have several 

 times written full descriptions, in Fokest a.nd Stkeam, 

 of the island, and the immense stretch of Hats known as 

 the Broadwater region of \ar,c;inii), or else I would be 

 tempted to let my pen run away with me. 



Chasseur. 

 » 



AcooMAO AND Cobb's ISLAND.— ,4cconiac, Va., June 

 20Wt.— Curlew fly here from the Ist to the 20rh of May, 

 and return for about the same length of time in Septem- 

 ber, With them come all the variety of birds that we 

 have, both transient and statiouiirj-'. The willet, the 

 American rail, the black head gull and striker breed here, 

 and remain all summer. The eggs of the latter varieties 

 are very numerous, and can be found at the rate of 

 (one man for a day's work) about one bushel per day. 

 Many of the long bill curlew stay hero all summer, but' 

 in not one instance have I known of their propagating 

 here. 



At Cobb's Island there are in simimer aU the kinds of 

 birds to be found anywhere, whose habits tend to a salt 

 meadow : curlew, long and short bills (the latter called 

 marlins), willet, plover, black breasts, robins, snipe, 

 brown backs, American rail (mud hen) and sand birds. 

 The latter congregate in large Hocks, and are down on 

 the seashore following the breakers down and running 

 up as the sea washes back. All the above birds are also 

 to be found here in winter, but not in so large quantities. 



T. G. E. 

 ♦ 



Powder Measures.— JfoTiffifowie?-!/, Ala., July 28th. — 

 In your last issue I noticed a communication from '-Mem- 

 ber Manchester Shooting Club," in reference to the 

 weights of powder and shot as measured in Dixon's mea- 

 stu'e. I have used these measures for years, and have often 

 weighed them for other sportsmen, and have found them 

 accurate. I think your correspondent has been misled by 

 the difl'erence between Troy and avoirdu|jois weigiit-s. 

 He says the smallest charge marked on the measure (3 

 drachms) weighed 1 drachm 20 grains avoirdupois, Now, 

 1 drachm 30 grains avoirdupois is 47i grains, which 

 would make 1 drachm of the measure weigh 15 7-0 

 grains. The largest charge of the measure (.5^ drachms) 

 weighed 3 drachms. According to the above, 5i drachms 

 avoirdupois weighs 86 7-9 giains. But the 5| drachms 

 of the measure weighed 3 drachms (avoirdupois 'i), which 

 is 83 grains — a discrepancy in the two weights of nearly 

 5 grains. 



Let "Member Manchester Shooting Club" take his mea- 

 sure to a druggist and have him weigh the charges in 

 grains on a pair of accurate scales, and he wUl find them 

 to be as follows : The smallest (3 drachms avoirdupois) 

 will weigh 83 grains, equal to 1 drachm and 32 grains 

 Troy. The largest (5i drachms avoirdupois) will weigh 

 150| grains, equal to 3 drachms and 30|^ grains Troy. Of 

 course these weights will vary a little, as the powder is 

 scant fiUed, heaped or packed. 



Member Montgomery Shooting Club. 



Massachusetts- Wesf Boylston, Jrdy 39Wi.— Game is 

 more plenty in this vicinity this season than for a num- 

 ber of years. Quail are very plenty ; five broods have 

 hatched within a quarter of a mile from iuy iiouse, and 

 are doing finely ; expect fine sport when season opens. 

 Last Thursday a friend and myself walked through a 

 run of half a mile in length, and the two do.gs with us 

 found and made rise forty-two woodcock. If the so- 

 called sportsmen will let them be until Sept. 1st there 

 will be plenty of the long bills for all. Partridges liave 

 multiplied wonderf uUy this j'ear, as it is a good season 

 here for them. Their enemies (skunks and foxes) have 

 been pretty well thumed out here the past year or two, 

 so that there wUl be but a ver^- small loss of the young 

 chicks from that source. J. P, B. 



Our game this 



-■ il time this 



.11.., and have 

 ..ooileock were 

 .-- far been quite 

 Don't thiidi from 

 'We occasionally 

 aiiips and slouglis, 

 ■r. So far we have 

 IB new law, and I 

 for September, we 

 of om- sportemen 



New .Jmi^EY—BloonDihurg, Jviy '.'(', 

 season is quite plenty, and we . i 

 fall. Quad, e.speciaily, seem - 

 hatched their broods quite t;c I., . li 

 very numerous in .June, but July has 

 wet, and very few have been seen, 

 this that we liace been shooting them, 

 give oiu' dogs a run and take in the sw 

 or watch for some offending pcit-lmnte 

 had no reports of any one violating tl 

 think if we are ever to have any birds 

 must see them this year. Very few 



favor this new law, but they all respect it, and are eagerly 

 looking forward to September shooting at large, full- 

 grown birds. We are in fear, thou.gh, of i)ot-hnuters 

 shooting our quail in mistake for woodcock, But we 

 have a few of the farmers interested, and they keep a 

 good lookout, and will report to us if any viohition is 

 known, P. IT, 



Pkairiic-chickp'.n Shooting Illustrated.- A corres- 

 pondent in St. Louis writes us that the St, Louis Kennel 

 Club has recently engaged Mr. Whitford as ti-ainer. and 

 that he has taken the dogs to Southern Minnesota to work 

 them on chickens. Later on Mr. Tracy, the mtisi. will 

 join him for the purpo.se of makin.g sketches lor some 

 shooting scenes, which will illustrate the different ph.isos 

 of chicken shooting in a series of half a dozen pictures, 

 introducing such noted dogs of which studies cau be ob- 

 tained. 



Missouri — Ironton, Jtdy 2Sth. — This has been a splen- 

 did season for game of all kinds. The woods around 

 here are full of doer and turkeys, and quaU. are plenty. 

 The acorn and hickory nut crop will be good, which will 

 bring large numbers of squiiTels in the fall. Tina is just 

 the place for sportsmen, as they can get good accommo- 

 dations and have jilent y of good shooting. C. "W. T. 

 » 



Delaware Woodcock SnooTiNc;.— My communica- 

 tion concerning Delaware woodcock shooting in your 

 last issue should have been dated July 13th instead of 

 July 1st, and the sentence which reads, "but none of 

 them criticised," etc., should read, "but some of them 

 criticised, " etc. Everett 'Von CnrJN. 



SHOOTING MATCHES. 



■WoBCESTEn, Miinn., Alw- 3d.— The VPorccster Sportsmeii's Club 

 urc KOinsr to " pick their tllnts," in view of the fratherini; nt Bos- 

 tun, on tho lath and 20th, of teams from all o^ ei- the .Slate, bo- 

 lonjrinpr to the Massachusetts Association, Special meetinj^s have 

 liccQ called for trial shots at 20 halls. 



AsHiiUKNH.iM, Masx., Amo. art.— The Aahbumham Rifle Club' 

 recently organlaed, have their range in vrorkiug order. At a dis- 

 tance of 200 yards from the target stands, a suitable building has 

 been erected. This is provided with shelves, teloscopcs and 

 convenleuoes for the use of the nieinhers. Tho regular weekly 

 practice of the club \viU take place on Wednesday afternoons. 

 Thia week it is expected that several members of tho Gardner 

 Club will be present and i>articipate in the shootinfr. 



WESTiiono', Mass., Aug. 2rt.— The Natiek Olusa Uall Club hail 

 a match with the Westboro' Club. Saturday, on the grounds 

 of the Natlek Club near Lake Ooehituato. Tho followug: Is the 

 score :— 



■WBSTnOROS'. 



.7. Jackson 8 



C. A. Harrine-ton... ,--.,,, 8 



H. K.a-nEt 7 



J.C. Morse T 



Total iii 



J. B. aark _. 



C. 11. Wlnslow JO 



G. N.Stualley ,. 10 



C.H.Gates !) 



W. U.IMce H 



G. E. Goodrich 8 



A. B. May uard 8 



NATIOKS. 



G.A. Leach 10 I J. H. -Wright 8 



CW. Gile 91 J. Mahavd 8 



C. O. Wilson UIJ.Lokcr 8 



E.G.Bigelow fliG.Bisrelow fi 



M. Brigham 8 — 



R.Bent 8 Total 89 



W. W. Clark 8| 



Nahant, Mass., .Tilly Slst.-Nahaut Sportiug- Club gUisa ball 

 shoot ; handicap ; rotary trap ; 10 balls each -— 



Gordon Abbot 18 yards — 41 W. L. Green ..*,-. 20 ynrds 3 



George Mi.vler .. ..31 yards.... OS. Hammond, Jr.. 18 yards (1 



E. P. Motley 18 yards.... 4|W.X,. Jeffries ....20 yards ... 5 



Mixter won tie. 



Sweepstakes; handicJip; stationary ti'ap ; !i balls each :— 



W.L.Green !M yards.... 1 1 E. T. Motley 18 yards ... 3 



G. Mixter 21 yards.... 5 rw. L, Jeffries .20 yards.., 3 



S. Hammond, .Ir. ..18 yards 1| 



J. G. M. 



Rochester, i¥. Y., Jtily 27(;i..— Contest at smoke target balls, 

 Card traps, between Monroe County and Rochester Gan Olubs, 

 on Fall's Field :— 



MONBOE OOUNTY SrORTSMEN'S CUUBt 



J. K. Bockwith OllllllllOllOOUlII 1—18 



A. Brownell 0111011101111111111 0— Itt 



W. H. Eiohmond 100 101110111110111 1— U 



W.J. Babcock.... lllllllOlllllllllll 0-18 



E. Redmond 1101111111111010111 1— IT 



.1. H.Brown 1111011111111111111 1—19 



M. M. HoUister 1111011111111100111 1-17 



1. H.Andrews .. llllOlllllllOlllllO 1—17 



0. Coats .., lOlOllOllllllllltlO 0—15 



G. D.Hice.,, 1111011111111111111 1-19 



Total ...,,,..,, 168 



BOOHESMn aVU CLUB. 



M. A. Stearns 1101101111111110111 1-17 



L. A. Amsden 11111111 1 111111111 11—20 



A. Bigelow 111311001111011111 11-17 



F. A. Ward 1111111110111110 110 1—17 



ri. L.Ward 011101111111011111 11-17 



.1. H. Richmond 01101000 1010 11110-9 



J. Oothout 1111011011111111111 1^18 



S. U. Itaymond 1111101111011111 110 1—17 



G.D. Butler 11 111111111111 11111 1-30 



Dr. R. A. Adams- Olllllllllllllllll 11-10 



Total 171 



».B. 



ALGONQmiN Gun Cr.uB.— iyete YorTt, AU(i. 2<E.— Match for gold 

 budge to be won three times; 30 balls, thwiss Bgg^das traps 10 

 yards apart, 18 yards rise :— 



Male 19 I Bennett.. ..,....,„ 19 



.\>ild 10 Hanna ... 17 



Louirhery........ 15 | Keller 13 



Hill WiGriswold IS 



Eekatein 17 I Moyhin It 



Lundie. , IDICook 



Robertson 11 | 



Shoot off, 21 yards rise, B balls :— 



Male ,.,- il Bennett i 



Lundie 5| U.M.B. 



—The Bradford, Pa., Shooting Club will hold a tou'.'nament at 

 that place, Aug. nth, 12th and lath. For full Information ad- 

 divss Mr. Frank Drake, Bradford, Pa. 



jBrtSEvCfrrHEio n-js Gun Cr.OB.-J«r)/28tA.— ReRUlareontest 

 Eor.'!5 ball badge from three liD^'iirdns traps : — 



Heritage 343 v.ir^l^ liniMm 10 11111010 1101110-18 



Uurdett 19.vni-,ls 1111 d 111111 100001111 11101-19 



HoJcomb l!lyar<ls 11 1 1 Oil Oil 1011110 11011111-20 



Hughes.-,- ly vnnJs 11110 1111111110 010 111101-19 



Bird 18 yards 11101 101 II 111 1010 100010 11—17 



Cumins 18 yards 1011001100011110 withdrew.— 



F.vr,h. 



