132 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 18, 1890, 



lam told that the following evening a prominent poli- 

 tician of Brooklyn hud woodcock for his supper, fur- 

 nished by some gunner. "Whether said gunner was of 

 said party 1 am not positive. Would it not be well for 

 our shooting clubs to employ a detective to watch a little 

 those Bay Ridge gunners ? 



ff*# m\d §tit\. 



GAME IN SEASON IN MAKCH. 



Hares, brown and gray. Wild duok, geese, brant, etc. 



FOB FLORIDA. 



Deer, Wild Turkey, Woodcock, Quail, Snipe, Hacks, and Wild Fowl. 

 " Bay birds " generally, Including various species of plover. Baud 

 piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, surf birds, pbalaropes, avo- 

 cets, etc., coruinir under the jrroup LiriuicitUv or Shore. Birds. 



GAME AND FISH DIRECTORY. 



In sending reports for the Fokkst and Strkam Directory to 

 Qaiue and Fish Resorts, our correspondents arc requested to jrivo 

 the following partioulars, with such other information as they 

 maydeem of value: State, Town, County; means of access ; Hotel 

 and other accommoda t ions ; Game and its Season ; Fish and Its Sea- 

 Bon; Boat*, Guides, etc.; Name of person to address. 

 ♦ 



Long Island Duck-Shooting.— We add to our reports, 

 published last week, the following note from Pond 

 Quogue, L. I., sent by Mr. M, Williams, of the Bay 

 View House : — 



It promises to be very good shooting this spring, as 

 there are more ducks in the bay now than there have 

 been for some years past ; more redheads than broadbills. 

 Brant and geese are coming into the bay now by the 

 thousand. I never saw redheads so fine as they are this 

 spring. Sportsmen who would enjoy a few days good 

 shooting should improve the opportunity now. L. J. 

 • 



Montreal Gun Club.— it a meeting of the above club 

 held Tuesday, 2d inst., the following were elected officers 

 for the ensuing year :— President. Col. F. Bond ; 1st Vice. 

 President, F. X. Archambault ; 2d Vice-President, Peter 

 McKenzie ; Secretary and Treasurer, A. G. Rudolf ; 

 Committee, C. J. Allway, V. S., P. E. Normandeau, 

 R. A. Allan, and officers of the club ; Captain, Robert 

 Blackwood. 



New Jersey Snipe.— Lake. View, N.J., Marakllfh.— 

 I killed a Wilson snipe here last Saturday, March 6th. 

 Killed a pair of teal duck on the lake the day before. 



Bf.n Phillips. 



South Side amateur Gun Clhb.— Pittsburg, S. &'., 

 March 10th.~- The South Side Amateur Gun Club, of 

 Pittsburgh, S. S„ organized on Feb. 8th, 1880. with Pres- 

 ident, Hy. Smalley : Vice-President, Joseph Kitz ; Treas- 

 urer, Chas. Gaul; Secretary, F. J. Heinz; Executive 

 Committee, Wm. Thomas and Otto Heinz. F. J. H. 



South Caholina— Chester, S. C, March Uh.—l never 

 saw quail so plenty as here. One can go a mile from the 

 town and start from one to two hundred in an afternoon. 

 Myself and friend bagged forty-seven. We usually get 

 from twenty to thirty in an afternoon. C, C. M. 



Wild Pigeons. — North Vernon, Ind., March 13lh. — 

 Pigeons have been flying over this country for several 

 months in great numbers. They roost in Scott County. 

 thirty-five miles from this place, and have roosted there 

 nearly every year for seventy-five years. The birds fly 

 east in the mornings, feeding in the eastern part of the 

 State and Ohio, and return iu the evenings. Have seen 

 none for a week past; but they will likely fly for some 

 weeks yet. Have heard of only one trapper, a Mr. Fisher, 

 who set his traps near Dupont, in Jefferson County. Do 

 not think he has been successful, Quail season is from 

 1st of November till 1st of January, Not much shooting 

 was done last season, as the season before many birds 

 were frozen or starved to death. We look for good sport 

 next season, as the birds increase so rapidly, and they 

 have had no hardships to encounter this winter. We 

 have only a few ducks on our creeks and ponds, and only 

 an occasional one is killed. Fishing is fair in the season ; 

 bass of several kinds, carp, and a few other kinds of good 

 fish, are caught in Muscatatuck, Big, Sand and Graham 

 creeks. No fly-fishing. Largest green bass (light) from 

 3 to 4i lbs. W.U.M. 



Summer Woodcock Shooting. — New York, March Uh. 

 —It Btrikes me that " Fair Play " is handling his pen in a 

 very loose way. The pleasure of fall shooting does not con- 

 sist" alone in the mere act, of killing a bird. The sotd of 

 a true sportsman is also keenly alive to the beauties of 

 nature, and a few hours shooting on a lovely day in Oc- 

 tober or November is better than a week in the usual 

 cold and dreaiy weather of December. 



But where is the objection to a special law for wood- 

 cock? I went to Morristown a few seasons ago to shoot 

 Eartridges, and up to that 1 hue— Nov. 1st.— woodcock 

 ad been " numersome," but from that time scarcely a 

 woodcock could be found m that vicinity. I admit that 

 in some seasons they stay later: but as October is the 

 woodcock month, and as he is the true sportsman's bird 

 of America, let OS have our chance at him while he's 

 surely here. And let me add that if summer shooting is 

 not prohibited we will soon find woodcock a "scarce 

 commodity." Any true sportsman would rather stop one 

 rapid flying whistler in the fall than half a dozen in 

 July, when they get up with the spirit of youthful 

 owls and give the "shooter time to wipe the perspira- 

 tion from his eyes before they're out of reach. A young 

 lady once told me that a July woodcock reminded iier of 

 a new-born baby, and she "despised them. (A pair of 

 trousers would have made her a sportsman.) 



DlDYMUS. 



Live Quail. — GaZvuston, Texas, March Wi. — I notice 

 your demand for live quail. Although none could now 

 be furnished from this point, the season for pairing-off 

 being now at hand, a little iu formation for those who 

 wisb to provide them the ensuing season may not be out 

 of place. Some 10.000 Hve quail were received here the 

 past season, the shipments commencing about Nov. 1st. 

 The greater part of the birds come from Mexia, Kosse and 

 Corsicana, though every Utile railroad station furnishes 

 from one coop upward. When not too much crowded 

 they generally reach here hi good order, and sail from §1 



to $1.50 per dozen. They could be sent to New York by 

 tin' Mall on- line of steamships ; one leaves every week'; 

 oftener during the busy season. Major J. M. Brandon 

 receives a large portion of the birds, is a reliable person, 

 and wdll treat all fairly who may wish to deal with him. 

 Mr, C. C. Petti t, the President of the gun club here, will 

 also, I feel sure, assist sportsmen to get birds. As to 

 whether these wild birds will stand the trip by sea to 

 New York, or whether once there they will do well in 

 that climate, I am not able to say. Caronkaway. 



Where to go Nest WSxter.— FkBadAphia, March 

 6th. — I noticed in one of your February numbers an arti- 

 cle from a correspondent" calling attention of " lovers of 

 Bport" to the fact that Col." Allen, of Osceola, Fla,, 

 had recently launched a steamboat on Lake Topope- 

 kaiiga, in Florida, to ply between that point and Lake 

 Okeechobee via the Kissimmee River (-100 miles). As 

 thai section of country is practically uninhabited, and 

 virtually terra incognita to our sportsmen, and having 

 spent the past winter in Florida, and having heard so 

 much of that almost unknown region teeming with 

 game, and supposing that some of your many readers 

 would like to know the great inducements it offers, I 

 take .the liberty of giving an extract from a letter from 

 Col. Alien under date of March 3d. 



I was struck with Col. Allen's idea of opening up that 

 country to the tourist, and more particularly the gunner, 

 for the sparseness of its inhabitants renders it a wonder- 

 ful place for game of all kinds. Col. Allen writes that par- 

 ties coming up the St. John's have the advantage of some 

 eight or ten daily steamers, and that by landing at Brant- 

 ley's Landing, or at White's Wharf, he will, upon a day 

 or two advance notice, have ambulances to convey them 

 over to Lake Topopekaliga, 35 indes distant, where they 

 find accommodations with him on shore or boat. He 

 makes monthly trips, or as often as the necessity de- 

 mands. Of course there are few points where sportsmen 

 can find board or habitation in that section, therefore it 

 would be well, if there are several in the party, to have 

 tents or accommodation for camping purposes. At Fort 

 Kissimmee or Fort Bassenger board can be had from 

 $3 to $5 pet week. In the vicinity of Istokpoga the game 

 is more plentiful than in any section of Florida. Deer 

 and turkeys in great numbers, and bears plentiful. As 

 an indication of the abundance of deer, he says on one 

 of the five trips he has made, the mate of his boat killed 

 four deer without moving from his position, and they 

 all fell within 100 yards of his position (this was near 

 Fort Bassenger). 



I contemplate spending nest January and February in 

 that section, and it would give me pleasure to be put in 

 communication with any parties who have an idea or a 

 desire to visit that part of the country. When Col. 

 Allen's enterprise is known, I think he will be liberally 

 patronized by sportsmen, for it is easy of access and 

 cheap by steamer or rail from the East. 



R. M. Blakemoke. 



Large vs. Small Boee Guns.— Worcester, Mass., 

 March Villi .-I was much interested iu reading " St. Clair's" 

 description of the different guns he.'ha.s owned, as given 

 in a recent number of Forest and Stream. For two 

 years previous to last year I have used a 10 bore 30 inch 

 barrel. SH lbs. Greener 'breech-loader, but as I did not care 

 to lug around any extra weight exchanged it for a TJlbs. 

 14 bore, of same make. Now, this smaller gun throws 

 shot equal in penetration and pattern to the larger bore, 

 but thus far I cannot do as good shooting at a moving 

 object as with the larger gun. What is the reason ? In 

 bring at; a mark or stationary object I can do as well 

 with it at any distance as I could with the larger bore. 

 The stock of the small gun has throe-quarters of an inch 

 drop more than the 10 bore had. Would this make me 

 shoot under? I do not like to give it up and go back to 

 the largo bore, for I fully believe a 14 bore is just as good 

 in shooting qualities and much pleasanter to handle than 

 a 10 bore, even for shooting coots. And right here let 

 me say, I was with a party last fall duck shooting on Long 

 Island Sound, and the one who got the most birds used 

 No. 7 shot. How is that, ye sportsman who say that it is 

 of no use to load with shot smaller than No. 3? I wish 

 some of your readers could enlighten me, so that I can do 

 better work with my present gun. No use to say the 

 penetration is not as good, or that the shot is not distri- 

 buted as evenly, for I have been all through that kind of 

 experimenting. John. 



The experience of others is in order. 



INTO THE DISMAL SWAMP. 



MANY have heard, but few have seen, much of the 

 great Dismal Swamp, iu Southeast Virginia. With 

 a view to ascertain something reliable about the pros- 

 pects for fun and trapping, we lately made a trip there 

 for that express purpose. Proceeding to Philadelphia, 

 B took the ,/. IF. Ererman, of the Clyde linei to Norfolk ; 



, 30 ho 



little 



Btl 



hieh 

 mt Of bad w« 

 midnight, we had difficulty iu | 

 but ftnally succeeded, and the n 

 ferry to Portsmouth, and on the 

 boat from Baltimore took the tri 

 Roanoke Railroad, eighteen mil 



if her usual 

 Landing in Norfolk at 

 g accommodations, 

 morning took the 

 ival of the bay lino 

 on the Seabprd and 

 to Suffolk. At the 



mill of Manchester & Co., about two miles 

 east of here, we made inquiry as to the best plan for a 

 visit to Lake Drummond, anil were directed to engage 

 one of the swamp hands to convey US in by canoe on the 

 Jericho Canal, which runs directly from the mill through 

 the swamp ten miles to the lake. As it was already past 

 high twelve, we were anxious to get on our way, and Eli 

 soon had together the complement of provender and 

 cooking utensils, and, seated in hi3 fine, largo canoe; wo 

 soon were on our way. and before sundown had made 

 six miles, which found us at the lowest camp occupied 

 by "swampers," which locality Eli was familiar with, c id 

 vve took up quarters for the night. Our shanty was well 

 itructed out of cedar "boards." i. e., shingle- - 



long, not shaved, 

 pj ,i":-.. The roof extended 

 which had the effect of flare 



lay in our comfortable bunk 



the end of Jericho Ca~ - ' 



vitli a floor of h 

 well forward avei 



wing the heat on i 



Next morning we 



lith tl 



ed cedii 

 the fin 



a man comfortably camping on the banks of the lake, 

 where he had been spending several days fishing. The 

 fish are generally catfish and mullets, with a few perch. 

 The lake is nearly round, and without a clearing or set- 

 tlement of any kind on its border. Prentiss Duke for- 

 merly lived near the entrance of Jericho Canal, but sev- 

 eral years since, removed over to the higher land 

 near the railroad. The lake is situated in the ver cent* ■ 

 of the great Dismal Swamp, and is from five to six miles 

 across, with an average depth of twelve feet. The i I 

 in the lake and canal of the swamp is of the color of 

 strong tea, caused by the cedar and juniper timber which 

 grows abundantly, and is not only found above ground, 

 but beneath the surface, in the form of sound logs, which 

 in places are being taken out for lumber of various kinds. 

 We returned the same way as we went In, Stopping again 

 to camp in this dimal place, and in conclusion would say 

 that we have been in many wild localities iu pursuit of 

 trapping, but in no place as wild as this swamp did we 

 ever find fur-bearing animals so scarce. From evidence 

 gained, we think there urequite a good manv bears in the 

 fall of the year, and a chance otter passes through, with 

 a sparingly few muskrats and coons. The lake lias con- 

 siderable fame, and many come from a distance to see it, 

 but for a trapper we can" find many places that will fat- 

 exceed this in point of profit. ShethaB-BOZNAI. 

 Dugdale, Pa., March 8th. 



Was there ever a sportsman who has not at some time 

 been allured into this sport? (if it comes within the vo- 

 cabulary of sport, which I very much doubt.} I'll ven- 

 ture to assert there is no one, for the novelty of the thing 

 entices All who have an opportunity to indulge once, and 

 not many of us, I think, wfll have any desire to repeat 

 the dose. Last fall I made, my debut hi the coon-bunting 

 arena. I was visiting a friend down in Virginia on a 

 little hunting expedition, when, after gunning all day, 

 my friend proposed a coon hunt for the night. I will- 

 ingly filed into line, and off we started down to Uncle 

 Site's cabin to get him and his dog Sambo. Arriving at 

 the door, we called him out and asked him if he would 

 take us for a hunt. "Yes, da! I will, shore. " Shortly he 

 reappeared, equipped for the tramp in sheepskin pants, 

 high-top boots and a coon-skin cap, with the tail hanging 

 down his back, and with him made his appearance a 

 specimen of the canine species, which he soon told us 

 was Sambo, the master of ceremonies for the occasion. 

 The dog was an odd looking relic of eanimty, which, 

 like his master, had seen his best days. I judged, from 

 his appearance, that he was part bulb but what the other 

 part was 1 can't imagine. He looked as if if might be 

 alligator. 



After we had lighted our pipes we started, leaving it 

 entirely with Unc.e Site to pilot us. II.- said WB inuat go 

 "down tode swamp." So off we stalled for the swamp, 

 a walk of about one and a half miles. Uncle Sile her- 

 alding the merits of Samho up to the slurs all the way. 

 When we arrived at the swamp Uncle Sile led us into the 

 darkest conglomeration of briers, brush, trees and water I 

 ever saw, and on ho w r ent through the thickest: part of 

 the woods. We had not gone far. however, before the 

 old dog struck a trail, and the way the Old darkey 

 whooped was very trying on sensitive nerves. Had I 

 been in the Black Hills instead of the Dismal Swamp, I 

 think I should have taken it for the Indian's war whoop, 

 and been involuntarily feeling for my scalp tosee whether 

 it was on my head Or in an Indian's" hunting belt. Soon 

 old Sambo liad treed, -'way up do Swamp by de canal." 

 And away went Uncle SUe into the forest like the witches 

 in Macbeth, leaving us do grope our way as best we could. 

 Finally we got to the tree, a large fife was built, and wo 

 commenced to look for the. coon, but it was so dark that 

 we could not see ten feet ahead of our noses. But Uncle 

 Sile said, "He am up dat tree, sliure ; Sambo never tolo 

 me a lie." So up the tree he climbed, while we stood 

 around it with our Parker breech-loaders, waiting 

 to get a shot at the coon ; but we were doomed to disap- 

 pointment, for ho leaped off and was on the ground be- 

 fore u o knew it. But old Sambo being on the alert was 

 there to receive him, and challenged him for a fight, and 

 of all the squealing and scratching I ever saw. that capped 

 the climax. The old dog came out victor, and we started 

 for home, and after surveying my dilapidated clothes 

 and lacerated hands 1 conclude that if a desire for coon 

 hunting is one of the faculties that go to make up the 

 sportsman, I beyond a doubt am not one. 



Charles County, Md., March 11th. Pu.uo.nkey, 



SPORT ABOUT SARDIS, MISSISSIPPI. 



Saedis, Miss. , Feb, IWi. 



I AM sorry to say we have no shooting club here (wish 

 we hadi. I have tried to get the sportsmen of this 

 place to organize a club and buy trap and balls, but it 

 seems that they fail to see where the " sport would come 

 in." I am going to buy a trap and balls myself, and 1 

 think when they once try their hands at the glorious 

 work of shivering glass in the air they will come around 

 all right and organize a club. 

 Hunting is not very good just immediately around 



sached 



Wash- 

 ington "ditch." close to Lake Drummond, into which 

 they both empty, with about two and a half feet footfall 

 through regular canal locks. We were surprised to find 



lis, but by going out fi 

 passed in the" field very pli 

 good bags are brought iu. 

 hand on larger game, sue! 

 deer, wolves, or turkej i 

 lahatchieor the Mississi] | 

 a short half day's drive | 

 piscatorial sport wishes to 

 lias only to go about, say fi- 

 ber of clear hikes in the at 



be 



santlv. and sometimes pretty 



If a person wants to try his 



as bears, panthers, wild-cats, 



ob joing into TaW 



River bottoms, which are but 



o-cr of 



nit. he 



iles, to 



tl.OIlls, 



upply 



and he surely wiU not be disappointed. 



Last fall your correspondent, in company with Mr, T. 

 B. Rawlings, of Memphis (and allow me to remark that 

 Tom is one of those wdiole-soul boys who are always 

 ready and willing to go on a hunt ; hunts hard and 

 faithful, but, like myself, does not seriously damage the 

 game crop when he goes out), went down oil Pecan Lake, 

 twelve miles west Of this place, an 1 spent a day, hunt- 

 ing. It was our intention to kill a bear 01 L. 

 went well weighted with "blue whistlers." 'i\ 

 with out friend Mr. J. A. Goodwin. Who. lives ju 

 edge or the Mississippi bottom ;io ides from 



Pecan Lake. After passing an hour or so af 

 cleaning guns, smoking and listening to "mine boat" 

 tell of daring encounters with bear, wolf and panther, 



