8 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[August S, 1883 



to be aroused about three A. M„ as soon as the tido changed 



and get under way. 



The next thing I knew, I suddenly awoke villi the sun 

 streaming in the cabin skylight, ynd on looking out the port- 

 ' ok aobve my berth I was very much surprised to see the 

 pile of u wharf obstructing; mv view, hi fact the two men 

 had brought, the yacht, down during the night, and we two 

 hunters being bo tired had slept through Uic whole voyage, 

 they having made the run down in about six hours. It wus 

 eight o'clock in the morning when I awoke, and we had just 

 landed. We proceeded immediately to clean up and get 

 ready for the train, which passed in the afternoon. We 

 made presents ot game to all those we knew at this town, 

 anil packed the rest in sacks for our city home, where, upon 

 our arrival, we gave to all our own friends around. And we 

 i duck and swan cooked in ovcry style for the next 



week. 



I will try and remember a few figures. 1 know we got 

 nineteen Canada honkers, tremendous fellows ; about two 

 do7.en white geese, a dozen ordinary gray geese, one swan, 

 and I will not state how many ducks, as 1 suppose 1 might 

 shock mv Eastern friends, who have, 1 suspect, already put 

 en- dawn a black mark tor shooting at night 



1 have visited the "Phantom Pond" several times since, 

 but never had such a hunt and such hard work at the same 

 time. But the work only made the hunt more agreeable, 

 and the game more acceptable when 1 got it. 



Has Francisco, California. DtfCK Caj.1.. 



JOSEY EARLS AND THE CUBS. 



BY CAUL WHEET.OCK. 



A BEAR robbed of her cubs is not a pleasant thing to en- 

 counter. Even experienced hunters do not covet a 

 "set to" with such a foe single-handed. When to her great 

 strength is added the fury winch apprehension of harm to 



her young inspires, the hunter is well aware thai in an old 

 sin: 'bear" In 1 finds "a foemim" well worthy of his skill, his 

 courage and "his steel.'' 



Eifty years ago Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, was a 

 vast pine forest. Peep ravines, lofty hills, sparkling moun- 

 tain streams, impenetrable thickets of pine, hemlock and 

 laurel characterized that vast expanse of country that 

 stretches from the summit of the Allcghanies northward to 

 Clearfield town, and from Phiiipsburi' westward to Ebens- 

 burg. A few hardy pioneers had erect cr. their cabins at dif- 

 ferent points, "underbnishcd" a few noes, and by hunting. 

 fishing, and farming a very lillle, were eking out a rustic 

 romantic living for themselves and families. 



By some means an old hunter and Wrapper by the name of 

 Joaey Earls found his way into this wilderness, formed the 

 acquaintance of the settlers, and engf.gi in his chosen pur- 

 suit. Mostly, during the summer' time, nc camped out, 

 choosing for hi%campiusr ground thai i*».l of the valley of 

 Heaver Hun which now constitutes tlw site of Houtzdale-. 

 but the winter evenings he spenl in t'co ct.bius of the settlers, 

 v -d having served as a soldier in the AsrC' 'liomiry War, he 

 h'iver failed to reuder his presence very agree lble (especially 

 <:■■ the children) by narrating incidents of taat memorable 

 struggle, and giving enthusiastic descrij liont ot the effectual 

 manner in which "Giner'l Washington Unally thrashed toe 

 British." So intimately did he become aea.i;..'.nted with the 

 simple, hardy pioneers," and so thoroughly tfid he succeed in 

 •.lgratiating himself into their affections by his kindness to 

 the children, and his many interesting, patriotic stories, that 

 no matter at what time of the day or at, what, period of the 

 night he put in an appearance, lie was sure of a hearty wel- 

 come by all; and, although he never gave or even offered 

 :.uy money in exchange for his victuals and lodging, yet the 

 many strings of fine trout, the many saddles ot venison and 

 the many rich roasts of bear's meat which he brought to the 

 cabins of his benefactors were, by I hem, considered an ample 

 reward for all he received at. their hands. 



In appearance. Earls was an oddity. Being not more than 

 five feet five inches in height and rather slender (not weigh- 

 ing over one hundred and twenty pounds avoirdupois), he 

 was well -adapted to .slipping through the thickets of laurel 

 and alder that skirted those mountain streams. His drese 

 was a pair of buckskin knee-breeches, buckskin leggings, 

 shoes, a buckskia tight jacket and a large 'coon skin cap. 

 Thus dressed, with his knapsack on his buck, his trusty rifle 

 on bis shoulder ('he was an excellent shot) and his "thot- 

 pouch and powder-horn" swung under his right arm, but 

 for his diminutive stature, he would readily have passed for 

 Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett. 



Thus equipped, one mornimr in the latter part of June, 

 H$38, the renowned hunter of Clearfield eaunty might have 

 been seen setting out from a cabin (which stood in the 

 wilderness, two miles southwest of Pbilipsburg, on what was 

 known an "the Upper Clearfield road") in the direction of 

 I'pper Aloshaunon and Beaver Pain. A tramp of five miles 

 brought nirn to tiie present site of Efoutzdale. Here was a 

 large "mud lick" — a place where, in summer time, deer 

 came to lick the mud because of its soilness. Here, in the 

 heart of a vast wilderness, Enrles resolved to camp. Having 

 brought with him no provisions save sullicient "pone bread" 

 for his dinner, supper and breakfast, and a few quarts of 

 corn meal and as many of white beans, and being intent on 

 spending the greater portion ot the summer at that place, he 

 realized the importance of adding to his stock of provisions, 

 if possible, a good piece of venison. So, having decided on 

 bis camping spot, and having done much in the way of 

 erecting his cabin (which was constructed of small poles and 

 covered with large flakes of hemlock bark), he ate his even- 

 ing lunch, and, wending his way lo the mud lick, took his 

 position on a hemlock tree about twenty feet above the 

 ground, to aw nit (he approach of deer. 



Nor did he have to wait long. Just as the sun was set- 

 ting, and while the birds were rendiiriug the vast forest 

 melodious with their evening cirols, a herd of no less than 

 ten deer, headed by a lage buck, made theu- appearance in 

 the immediate vicinity of the lick. The sharp report of the 

 hunter's trusty rifle soon reverberated through the forest, 

 nine white tails flew into the air and bobbed up and down 

 :i'.i.-.ne He underbrush as nine deer h-iiped and sne 

 tMr precipitous flight from the lick, leaving behind their 

 gallant leader, the Bit; buck, struealing in thi nil of 



death. The well-aimed rifle-ball had done itS Work; the 

 heart was pierced and already the hunter had five tin 

 much venison on hand as it would be possible for him to 

 ■I and consume. 



His larder now thoroughly supplied, he felt comparatively 

 easy, and whiled away several days in watching the beavers 

 construct ins; their dam, in noticing and studying their 

 habits, and in devising ways and means by which to "trap" 

 i hen, in i, in- coming fall, when their coats of fur would be at 

 their best. At length, weary of this quid lite, he resolved 



on a new venture. Knowing that bears were plenty, and 

 not desiring to kill any at that time, because they are not 

 valuable for their skins, their flesh nor their oil (except in 

 the fall and early part of the winter), here-solved on hunting 

 and capturing some young cubs. This he determined to do 

 both for the sake of the "fun" and because live young bears 

 could la profitably disposed of if taken east of the mountains. 

 His plan w | „•, i eied. and after an early breakfast of corn 

 bread and broiled venison, with his trusty rifle on his shoul- 

 der (dog hi never kept, a moat singular peculiarity for a 

 hunter^ he set out in quest of "young cubs." Leisurely he 

 strolled over nills, across ravines, through laurel thickets, 

 looking carefully in every direction, until the sun was 

 rapidly sinking in the west,, when he resolved to return to 

 his cabin and hope for better luck another day. His steps 

 now qui, kened by hunger and a desire to "reach camp" be- 

 fore night set in, he was pursuing his way through a 

 deep ravine which was completely roofed Over with pine 

 and hemlock boughs, and across which lay the prostrate 

 trunk of a huge tune tree. Having climbed upon this, he 

 was walking on if to avoid the laurel thicket, and by chance 

 lie cast a glance down to the side of the log, when there, 

 among the leaves and underbrush, in a huge nest, he espied, 

 to his great delight, a fine pair of cubs, not more than eight 

 or ten days old. They were cuddled together in their warm 

 nest, enjoying a sound sleep, quite oblivious of all surround- 

 ings. 



The experienced hunter knew that there was no time to be 

 lost. It was one thing to find so rare a prize, and quite an- 

 other thing to secure it. If nothing interfered, it would be 

 the easiest matter in the world to convey the young prowlers 

 of the forest to his cabin, which was not more than a mile 

 distant; but if Madam Brain put in an appearance (and, 

 owing to the day being so far spent, she was almost certain 

 to do~80 inside of ihe next ten minutes), she would be very 

 apt to object to the removal of her progeny, in a manner cal- 

 culated to make things both warm ana lively for the hunter. 

 A moment's thought, a few seconds spent in sharply listen- 

 ing for the approach of the dam, and bis plan of operations 

 was formed. A glance at his rifle, and placing his hand on 

 his belt to reassure himself that his large hunter's knife was 

 in place, in much less time than it takes to write it, he leaped 

 down to lb.' edge of the si r -t. grasped the cubs, thrust them 

 into his large --hot pouch, scrambled to the other side of the 

 ravine, ami lilade off iu the direction of his cabin as swiftly 

 possible, ever kei ping a "sharp look out behind." 



But he had not proceeded twenty-five rods when the 

 Cracking Of the brush warned him ol 'bruin's being in close 

 pursuit with all the fury of "fl bear robbed of her whelps." 

 He could easily have freed himself ot all danger by dropping 

 the cubs; but that did not suit his purpose. They were 

 such a desirable prize, such fraud trophies, that he resolved 

 to retain them at, the risk of his life. Quickly he took his 

 stand behind a hugh hemlock tree, lowered his rifle in posi- 

 tion, and when the bear, on a full run, was within ten steps, 

 ne fired. Bui, alas lor his chances. In his haste and ex- 

 citement his aim was not as sure as it was want to be, and 

 the ball, while it did not disable the brute, took sufficient 

 effect to thoroughly arouse all her latent fury. On she 

 rushed like an avalanche, uttering the most terrific growl: 

 and dropping his ri tie the hunter grasped his knife, and the 

 monstrous infuriated brute and the lithe little old disciple of 

 Nimrod chased in s life and death struggle. The mere 

 momentum of the bear was so great that she at once bore 

 • to the ground; but fortunately he held on to the 

 knife and retained sufficient presence of mind m his trying 

 ordeal to use it with efficiency. Por as much as five minutes 

 (it seemed an age liD Earls) they rolled and tumbled over 

 each other, the hunter as often as possible making thrush 

 the bear with such telling effect as t/. cause the blood to flow 

 freely. 



At last, when his breath and his strength were rapidly 

 failing, and bruin, having flung him to the ground appar- 

 ently for the last time, was standing over him attempting to 

 get hold of his breast with her monstrous teeth, the hunter, 

 mustering all bis si rength, sent the trusty knife upward and 

 forward through the abdomen and chest' of the bear, pierced 

 *m heart, and with a hideous growl she rolled off him dead. 



Pot as much as ten minutes lie could do nothing but lie 

 Still and pant for breath. The perspiration rolled off his 

 brow and his clothing was wet from head to foot with blood 

 and sweat. Having regained strength he gathered himself 

 up, viewed for a moment the dead body of his mot.ster 

 antagonist, examined his shot pouch to find that the cubs 

 ':! safe — "alive and kicking" — and then, limp and 

 bleeding, he set out for his cabin, where he arrived just as 

 vi i In -i, in. for as much as two weeks he did nothing 

 but dress and nurse his wounds and take care, of his vouug 

 cubs. Then he set nut for the settlement, where he amused 

 the children bj exhibiting his trophies, and startled the 

 parents with an unvarnished account of his terrible en- 

 counter and his hair-breadth escape from a terrible death. 



Lebanon, Pa., July -1. 1SS3. 



GAME IN QUEBEC. 



IN response to your invitation for reports as to game pros- 

 pects in different parts of the country, 1 send you the 

 following notes: 



The winter here was the mildest that that, celebrated indi- 

 vidual, "the oldest inhabitant" ever knew. Inconsequence 

 leer or moose were killed by crusting. It was 

 equally favorable for grouse, and the old onesare very plenty; 

 but the Spring was exceedingly cold and wet, and the broods 

 are small. 1 have rarely seen oue full one, the most of them 

 being from two to six. 



In" a recent trip up the Arnold River I found moose and 

 i leer I racks plentifully scattered along its banks, and on re- 

 turning the same day, found thut a very large moose had 

 traveled for a quarter of a mile along the main road during 



:■ , browsing off the green herbage on each side of 



the road ditches, Although they escaped the crust hunter, 

 liitv have not been so fortunate "since. One party of fisher- 

 men from Bherhrooke killed a yearling moose on the Spider 

 River, and a veritable "slaughter of tha innocents" took 

 place on Bis i hart time- since. A party of fisher- 



men who had taken B gun with them, on rounding a turn in 

 ad projecting from a clump of 

 ' „ , ' dead in her tracks, and going ashore 



found a cow moose, with the milk running from her udder, 



ii hing a few yards away, three trembling little 



ei riu-y'were obliged, in sheer humanity, to shoot 



these to prevent a ingermg death from starvation. There 



is nothing in thi E iglish language that will properly charac- 



i 1 1 i such things simply make one sick. 



ii been a very unfavorable one for trouting, 



and but, few good catches are reported. PENOBftOOT. 



Cookshibb, Quebec, July, 1882. 



THE PRAIRIE CHICKENS. 



WE do not expect extra shooting here this fall. The 

 incessant and heavy rains, which continued all through 

 the nesting season, could not but drown out all the nests on 

 low ground. There are a few young birds in this county, 

 enough to enable our local sportsmen to get a breakfast of 

 them once in a while, but we do not expect very many. 1 

 am on a faim, and among the farmers a good "deal. The 

 general report is that chickens are scarce. We do not see 

 them in the oat, wheat and rye fields as we would if they 

 were plenty. I have heard of several bevies, all on high 

 ground. Mahk.." 



Hoasraa Sun, Iowa, July, 1883. 



ONTARIO GAME SEASONS. 



WE stated in our issue of July 20 that the Ontario game 

 seasons then printed were given provisionally. We. 

 append the correct dates as given in a certified copy of the 

 existing statute furnished by a Belleville correspondent. 

 The open seasons are : 



Deer, elk, moose, caribou Oct. 1st to Dee. lstii 



arouse, pheasams. prairie fowl, partridge Sept. 1st to Jan. 1st 



Wild turkey, quail Oct. 1st to Jan. 1st 



Woodcock .....Aug'. 1st to Jan. 1st 



s "<pe , An:- 1 „i, : i ,;- 



Mallard, grey and black and wood duck Aug. 15th to Jan, 1st. 



Other ducks, geese, swans Auk. loth to May tat 



Hares Sept, 1st to March 1st 



A Wisconsin Pigeon Roobt. — A correspondent of the 

 Germantown Telegraph, writing from Sauk county, Wis., 

 says: You have undoubtedly heard "pigeon-roost" ae Wall 

 as "fish stories," and imagined the former to be gross fabri- 

 cations. If such is the case a visit to the r 'rnost" near fvil- 

 bourn (this county) would have confirmed what vou have, 

 heard respecting them. Long before the locality was 

 reached, vast columns of pigeons could be seen passing to 

 and from the roost. In their flight they appeared to follow 

 certain routes, the array of flocks being so close, as to 

 resemble an army of feathered warriors. When their camp 

 was reached, it was six miles in length and from one to two 

 miles in width. The noise caused by the flapping of wings, 

 and shooting and shouting of pot-hunters and trappers, also 

 reminded me of the surprise of an enemy. There was ao let 

 up in the uproar and fusilade, and it was a matter of sur- 

 prise that the birds succeeded In hatching a single egg, 

 judging from the. manner in which they were driven from 

 their nests as soon as they settled upon them. Hundreds of 

 trappers, Indians as well as "pale faces, " were, engaged in 

 netting the old birds. One of the experts caught in a single 

 day six hundred dozens. These are sold for trap-shooting, 

 the price ranging from seventy-five cents to oue dollar per 

 dozen. The profit of the business is so great that the tele- 

 graph is brought into requisition to notify the professionals 

 of the location of a roost, and they are hurried there by the 

 "iron horse" in time to drive the assemblage from oncor'more 

 locations before it finally setttles down to be slaughtered and 

 captured, as if despairing to escape from the inevitable. 

 In addition to netting and shooting, some follow the business 

 of plundering the nests for "squabs;" these are palatable 

 and sell readily, being shipped to distant markets by the 

 barrel. Some idea of the yyholesale slaughter is also con- 

 veyed by the immense number of young birds which are 

 tumbled out of their nests before they are of any account 

 whatever. As the pigeon lays two eggs, and the ,, ■ .., ; , 



sists of a few twigs placed loosely together, the d u si..,., 



by shooting through the nests is also immense. National as 

 well as .State laws should be enacted and enforced to put a 

 stop to the wholesale slaughter of game, At the present rate 

 of systematized destruction the time is not far distant when the 

 sportsman will have to seek an almost inaccessible, wilder- 

 ness to find the larger species of game. When I first visited 

 Wisconsin (about thirty years ago), from eighty to one hun- 

 dred prairie chickens were easily bagged in a day; quail, 

 jack-snipe and ducks were also abundant. Now'l rarely 

 venture on a hunt, for as a general thing it don't pay, as far 

 as tile game, is concerned. A friend "once remarked after 

 he had been sold out by the sheriff, "The. sheriff did not 

 succeed in disposing of fourteen years of good living that I 

 have enjoyed." lean add to his philosophical conclusion, 

 "Neither "can trappers, market shooters and nest-iobbers re- 

 move the pleasant recollection of many a dav of fine sport 

 enjoyed in the past. The present and future dearth of game 

 is also bearable from the fact that with advancing j i one 

 loses his enthusiasm for tramping over hill and dale in sear h 

 of a few stray birds, said to be located in a certain but rarely 

 found locality. Fortunately the sparrow is left for the com- 

 ing sportsman. Judging from its rapid increase it yvill be 

 bard to exterminate, Possibly this foal may be accomplished 

 by improved b-'coch-loaders and dogs bred to meet (lie re- 

 quirements of the sport, 



The Connecticut Rah. Law. — South Nbrwalk, Conn.. 

 July 21. — Kdito r Forest and Stream: As the season for rail 

 shooting approaches, a few lines on the Connecticut rail law 

 passed tast April may not be amiss. As the law stands, no 

 tail can be shot till after September 12. This law v. i 

 at the instigation of parties living on the Connecticut River, 

 where there are extensive rail covers, nnd for the purpose of 

 keeping parties from other States, who so tie re in pttfihts, 

 from killing the birds off early in the season. This is all 

 very proper and right, but in making the 12th of September 

 instead of the ist the open season have they not overdone 

 the matter? On the Housalonie River, between Stratford 

 and Derby, there are some good rail covers, and much snort 

 is had with these birds from August, 20 to September 20; as 

 the corn grass begins ripening early in August, ih ■ ,, 

 commence to arrive, and in a few days become very fat. 

 The best shooting at them has always been the last week iu 

 August and the first week of September After thut, the 

 shooting does not amount to very much. I have shot rails 

 on Ihe Housatonic for fifteen years, and the record J. have 

 kept shows this to be the case. After September 15 the 

 seeds have fallen, and the corn and oat. grass seems 10 rot, 

 down, leaving no more cover for the birds, and the remain- 

 der of the shooting is done on tho sedge flats at the mouth of 

 the. river. As rail are a migratory bird and leave us on the 

 first frost, the open season for them under the new law is 

 too short. The time to shoot the birds is when they are 

 here, and the 1st of September should have been the open 

 season, as it is earlier with us than the States further Soulh, 

 and there is nothing gained by protection to s late a date 

 as September 12. I have talked with all the shooter^ in this 

 vicinity, and they are of the opiuiou the. open season should 

 commence September 1, Another year we shall endeavor 

 to have tho law so altered as to allow shooting September 1. 

 at least for the Housatonic. Co-operative legislation is what 



