August 31, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



87 



A | Y Best expericnci 

 1V1 Nort 



rocks and made for the elk. Jack got. there first, and by 

 that right, as well as being master, he claimed the privilege 

 to go in and stick it; which, of course, I granted. 



An elk, the rea&OlS of the Forest and Stream must 

 kuo£, when at bay, is a most dangerous animal. He can 

 rip a dog or a man open with a stroke of his fore leg. It is 

 madness to attempt to get near him, therefore, until the 

 pack comes up. In every pack there are at least a couple of 

 whal are called -'seizevs.'' They go for the elk and grip 

 him by the ears and throat and hold hlra, and then you 

 •wade in and stick him just behind the shoulder. 



Soou up they come. 'Tn Oscar! Good dogs! Go on, 

 Carpi! Y/oicks, seize him, gppd dog! Seize him!' Nobly 

 did they re pond, ai d with a bound, (I splash, and a struggle 

 they were at his throat,. Oh! the excitement. Oh! the 

 yelling, and yapping, and snarling, and baying — and old 

 Jack, baring Lis sleeve and gelling that long, keen hunting 

 knife ready to give the final blow. In he goes, puffing like 

 !l grampus, and 1 stand yelling encouragement to the dogs 

 from the hank. Now came a ludicrous scene. Jack had 

 just, got up when, from some cause or other, the seizors let 

 go and the elk, raising his head, was going for Master Jack. 

 lie was rather belli. id it, and, with an agility marvelous for 

 a man of his weight, he made a bound and caught it by the 

 antlers. Now a struggle commenced which made me laugh 

 until the tears rolled down my cheeks. The bottom of the 

 pool was very uneven, with' large, round stones, and every 

 time Jack exerted extra strength to get the. elk's head down, 

 he would slip and get a regular sousing, come up again still 

 holding on, but spluttering and blowing, and using language 

 the prelates of the church might object to. Tt was funny. 

 Presently Oscar and Carpi got a hold again, there was a 

 gleam o'f steel aud Jack's knife was buried in the heart of 

 one of the finest elks it had been my lot. to see. 



Oh. the whoops, and oh, the yells, the congratulations and 

 the "well done old boys" that resounded on all sides as the 

 rest of the bunt came "up. We drank his health with a three 

 times thiee, and then stringing him on a pole he was borne 

 home by the coolies. 



We, too, went back to the bungalow and finished up a 

 most enjoyable hunt by a most, enjoyable breakfast, where 

 no end of beer was drank and stories told, and where that 

 good fellowship belonging to hungry hunters all over the 

 world prevailed. Wanderer. 



Ceylon, 1S82. 



my First chicken shoot. 



in shooting was among the hills of 

 rthern New York and along the shores of Lake 

 Ontario, i remember distinctly my first, gun. It. was a ten- 

 pound muzzle loader, and long before I could hold it at 

 arm's, length I bowled over many a poor squirrel and black- 

 bird by "taking a rest" over a convenient log or stone wall. 

 As I grew older I learned to shoot on the wing, and then ap- 

 preciated the full enjoyment of sporting. With ray old 

 setter, Dan (long since" gone, to the dog paradise) I have 

 tramped mile upon mile, over the roughest, ground in New 

 York State, and many arc the ruffed groi.se and duck that 

 pooi- Dan has brought me. 



I had been but a short time in the West wbeu I became, 

 very enthusiastic over chicken shooting: and though I had 

 for a number of years given up shooting entirely, 1 was 

 anxious to try my hand again, The stories told by the local 

 sportsmen were very thrilling, and I threw out a number of 

 hints indicating that I should like very much to be made one 

 of the. parties" that were daily going' out. At last Judge 

 B , taking pity upon the "tenderfoot" from the East, in- 

 vited me to go out with him. I always thought that he 

 ashed me out of pity more than anything else. 



Well, be drove around to the office one August morning, 

 aud it is needless to say that I w r as ready and watting. His 

 two doss, Vic. and Ned, were stowed away under the 

 seats. To those who have never ridden out into the prairie 

 on a cool and beautiful morning, let, mc say that, such an ex- 

 perience is worth traveling thousands of miles for. The air 

 seems wonderfully invigorating, and even the dogs and 

 horses are possessed of a new life. 



It was yet early when we left the road and struck across 

 the prairie toward some cornfields, near the borders of which 

 the Judge said we would find chickens. In the morning they 

 leave the Stubble field and seek the shade of the corn. W( 

 unhitched the horses, tied them to the rear of the wagon, un 

 packed our guns, and at the word the dogs were off. It wa,< 

 a beautiful sight to see them as they ranged back and forth 

 their eyes fairly dancing with joy ;'aud if a dog can laugi 

 Ned and Vic indulged in a quiet grin at least. W<: 

 walked along, the "tenderfoot" with eyes and ears alert, and 

 I am sorry to say, laboring under the. first symptoms of 

 "buck fever. " The dogs meanwhile were very busy and 

 uearing the edge of the cornfield. Just then I heard a shot. 

 from the other side of the corn, and turning Quickly around 

 1 saw an old cock coming straight at me. I could not en- 

 dure the thought of being run over by an old rooster that had 

 boomed on the. prairies for eight or" nine years, so blazed 

 away — a miss. I turned quickly and sent a charge from the 

 other barrel after him. Not a leather. I saw the Judge grin 

 as he asked me in his sweetest and blandest tones, "Did you 

 get him'?" 



But what is this! Just look at the dogs. There in the 

 tall weeds that grew just at the edge of tie corn stood Ned, 

 and backing him was Vic. Both stood so still that one 

 could imagine them casts of biouze. The Judge spoke to 

 them a few quiet words so as to keep them steady. I would 

 probably have, stood admiring tliem until now, had he 

 not said "Come on if you want a shot." Wc approached 

 the dogs quietv and slowly. Up got the old hen and was 

 bowled down in fine style by the Judge. At the report not 

 a sound was heard save the "fall of the, lien. 1 had expected 

 to see the air full of birds. "I guess you have got ihe only 

 one." I remembered to remark (for 1 was in a very humble 

 and quiet mood after my recent exploit). "Not much," was 

 the reply. "There is a whole, covey of young birds right 

 under the dogs' noses." I could not see them and took his 

 word for it, now relying entirely upon bis superior wisdom. 

 He spoke to Ned and "the dog crept on n few feet and then 

 stood again. Wc Hushed four— two at the left. and two at 

 the right. The latter fell to my lot and I missed one, bring- 

 ing down the other with a broken wing, "lis needless to 

 say that my pardgot both his birds. 1 now felt quite elated, 

 as'l had bagged my first chicken. The Judge gave me some 

 words of advice and told me to keep cool, not to fire until i. 

 had covered my bird, and above all not to get discouraged. 

 As we were, talking up got. the remainder of the covey, some 

 six or eight, more. This time I was cool and collected, 

 picked out two birds from the. outside of the bunch, and got 

 them both. 



The dogs neither of them retrieved — merely pointed the 

 dead birds — and when we. had gathered them in I was 

 pleased that the wagon was not far distant. We visited a 

 number of wheat fields and invariably found the chickens 

 in weeds and tall grass near. At noon we stopped shooting 

 and found that we had seventeen birds. That was very 

 good for two guns, so the Judge said; also that, we had been 

 very fortunate in finding the birds. 



We drive ou to the Judge's farm, where, thanks to his 

 forethought, we found a bountiful dinner awaiting. After 

 dinner we gave the dogs a much needed rest and went down 

 to a little lake near by to look for plover. Now if there is 

 anything that 1 have a weakness for it is for plover. Prop- 

 erly cooked they are. in my estimation, the nicest bird in 

 the United States. We found them in large numbers, and 

 soon had enough to satisfy at least, two hungry men. 



At 5 o'clock we hitched* up and, with a small boy to drive, 

 made, another attack on the chickens. We visited field after 

 field, almost alwavs finding birds. The dogs worked even 

 better than in the morning. The Judge shot well, and your 

 correspondent; a little better than formerly. Evening came 

 on and found us tired and dtrty, but our" ardor not in the 

 least dampened. Wc found on counting that we had twen- 

 ty-nine, chickens, which was more than an average bag for 

 two guns. 



My first experience in chicken-shooting was very pleas- 

 ant, though I do not like it so well as shooting the ruffed 

 grouse of my boyhood. And I sometimes think that were 

 some of our crack shots who can kill chicken after chicken 

 on the treeless prairie, placed in some of the gullies and 

 swamps that are the natural home of our ruffed grouse, 

 they would shoot very poorly. 



I hear that chickens are very plenty in Iowa and Nebras- 

 ka-. I should think that ducks also" are to be unusually 

 numerous as all the ponds and lakes are full. 



If the Eastern sportsman wishes to see a sight and have 

 an experience that he will always remember, let him visit 

 Northern Iowa or Southern Minnesota during the month of 

 October. He will find everyoue kind and obliging, and 

 shooting that will satisfy even" the most ambitious. 



Qotxl. 



Lincoln, Nebraska. 



HUNTING IN TEXAS. 



13 ALEST1NE and its immediate vicinity is not in the game 

 district of the Lone Star State, but, while we have no 

 "deer, bear and turkey at our very door," as a correspond- 

 ent of a New York weekly graphically asserts, still the quail 

 and deer are by no means exterminated and can be found 

 within two or "three miles of this and adjacent towns on the 

 line of the International & Groat Northern Railroad. The 

 deer are of the small variety common to this portion of the 

 country, and are very rarely seen in herds of more than six or 

 eight. Then- venison is equal to if not superior to the Cali- 

 fornia venison, though the species of deer are identical with 

 that found in Ban Diego county. The difference in fiavoris 

 probably due to the abundance of pads and delicate grasses 

 which abound in some parts of Eastern Texas. 



The hunting is done, greatly to the credit of the hunters, 

 in the months of December, January and February. The 

 restriction is really self-imposed, as the "weak laws rotting 

 away in antique sheathes" are practically of no avail. 



But the deer run somewhat on the principle that it is 

 best to bo cither very good or the extreme contrary, for they 

 certainly in their poor season are about as emaciated speci- 

 mens as one would care to find. 



The hunting is done in two ways: still hunting and driv- 

 ing. The latter is the. favorite manner of securing venison, 

 and is generally participated in by a number of planters and 

 their help. 



The meeting is generally well represented by 6 A. M., and 

 a leader chosen. Some old veteran at the chase fills this 

 position, and he places the men in various prominent posi- 

 tions on the run where they will be. most likely to get a crack 

 at some unfortunate buck. 



This position is no sinecure. One man wants a particular 

 stand that another man "has always had and always will 

 have." But the wrangle ends, and at last the dogs are started, 

 big strong fellows of no pedigree or known breed, but 

 "stayers." 



The country in Anderson county,of which this town is the 

 country scat, ' is very hilly. Large divides or ridges am' a 

 great number of creek beds, most of which are dry, thus 

 making a very rough bit of ground. 



The men scatter to their posts, and, if goodluck attends us, 

 the dogs in the course of one hour give tongue and every 

 man begins to feel of himself to see if he is all there. A haif 

 hour more and somebody will have a cl ance. 



Who shall it be': Louder and louder sound the yelps of 

 the dogs. Nearer and nearer they Come to the. stand of some 

 other man. A shot or two and on they go for the next man 

 to pick and kill or drop with a well-aimed 41 conical through 

 one or more of them. 



The other method, still hunting, is not as exciting, and then 

 you are quite as likely to blaze away at some stray heifer or 

 ponv as at a deer. 



This sort of hunting is done by means of a head-lamp 

 (the. "Ferguson" or home-made, it' matters little which so 

 far as the deei an' concerned) and a "coon" or darkey boy 

 ho answers tne twofold purpose of lamp-bearer and gun 

 rist alliums i they do sometimes complain "dat deguu goes 

 off might> ioud, massa." 



Quail are reported very plenty this season, several sizable, 

 bevies having been seen on what is known as the Wast 

 Point, road. 



Very little attention has been paid them, though one or 

 two gentlemen of Palestine hav; experimented with a good 

 pointer to their satisfaction, 1 belie\e. Squirrels are very 

 plenty all through this portion of the State. They are prin- 

 cipally fox and gray and not generally found very large. 

 Whit' Anderson county lacks, however, in other varieties 

 of game, is in a great manner compensated for by the ease 

 with which we can place ourselves on a variety of hunting 

 thai would satisfy auv reasonable mortal. For instance, 

 suppose, like mvself, some lover of rod aud gun should de- 

 cide to visit the.'Lonc Star State. He might not start, from 

 Milwaukee, Wis,, but if from the North or East he would 

 probably come over the Chicago & Alton Railroad to St. 

 Louis, from St. Louis to Texaikaua, a funny little town so 

 looked and\ pinched into an obscure corner of the world 

 that three States had to chip in and donate so many letters a 

 piece to even give it a name. It is in Arkansas properly. 

 but some railroad guides give it, as being in Texas yet. 



From Texarkana to Longview, the junction of the Texas 

 Pacific, aud the Great International Railroad, is a seven- 

 hour ride. From Longview the. wandering sportsman would 



do well to come to Palestine, eighty-one miles south, from 

 whence he can radiate in any desired direction. 



Should he desire deer, any drive of six miles will give 

 him plenty of opportunity to test his nerve. Ducks, geese, 

 snipe, in plenty, and some few plover may be had twelve 

 miles south on the Trinity River. For fishing, unless he 

 has a penchant for alligators and buffalo fish, a large, coarse- 

 grained fellow, whose one redeeming quality is that lie can 

 give a pretty thorough test to a rod "and line. But Galves- 

 ton is the fisherman's elysium. The letter of "N. A. T., 

 in the last issue of Forest AlTO Stream, is praise none too 

 warm. Galveston is reached after a resting night-ride of 

 fourteen hours from Palestine over the International & Great, 

 Northern, and Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroads, 

 in one of the peerless Pullman sleepers which run daily over 

 these excellent roads. 



Sportsmen are offered every convenience by the gentle- 

 rnauly officials of these lines. Special cars can be secured, 

 and us much solid comfort, derived from a trip in Texas as 

 in the "Davy Crockett" or "Izaak W." of northern enterprise. 



Another delightful trip would be over the above road to 

 Austin, the capital city, and thence, by stage to San Antonio, 

 the quaint old Spanish town of Alamo notoriety. Here we 

 begin to find the wild turkey, the one game bird that there 

 is any satisfaction in shooting with a rifle, and which may 

 be found in countless numbers throughout Travis county. 



Stage routes from Austin lead in various directions, and 

 the traveler can either secure accommodation in one of the 

 "Concords" or obtain private conveyance. 



"Too much luggage" need not be quoted as a word of 

 warning to old stagers, but to those who havo had little ex- 

 perience I will say, let camp stove and what can be contained 

 therein in the way of culinary utensils, and a pairof blankets, 

 suffice, with a Winchester and double breech-loading shot- 

 gun as an armament. 



Mwltum in parvo could scarcely be better applied than as the 

 maxim of a hunting party. Winter is the best time to visit 

 Texas if deer and turkey "shooting is desired. The early fall 

 is a better time for quail. Ducks arc in season and plenty 

 from the first of December until March, at which time they 

 begin their migration in earnest. 



The hunter who visits this State must expect some dis- 

 comforts in the way of tleas and various other infinites- 

 imal nuisances, but these minute pests dwindle, into insig- 

 nificance before the insurmountable objection of a like 

 nature, which renders Florida camp life intolerable. 



The almost total lack of stagnant water here rentiers mos- 

 quitoes less vindictive. 



To those who are fearful Of trusting life and property in 

 the. new "warm hereafter," as Texas has been designated, I 

 will say, that the days of "seven more men murdered in 

 cold blood" are past, "and the traveler may squat around his 

 camp fire without the least fear of assassination or robbery. 

 I know of no way to spend a winter's holiday, and there are 

 many whose business only relaxes in the winter season, than 

 in a camping expedition in Central Southern Texas. 



I hope to see or hear of more Northern sportsmen, who, 

 after a visit to this State and the enjoyment of its glorious 

 climate, will agree with me in saying that Texas is the 

 sportsman's State. L'Eclair. 



PALKSTrsK, Texas. 



GOSSIP OF A '49ER. 



IT is a great deprivation to all of us who shoot the best 

 gun, etc., that the discussion of diffcrnt makes is not 

 permissible in Forest and Stream. There would be some 

 humor in the question if the debate were confined to usage, 

 of guns only, and some profit to those who wished to buy, 

 but professional acrimony no doubt would be most conspic- 

 uous. While shooting for several years one of the lowest priced 

 guns of one of ou' American makes, the action only being 

 objectionable, 1 studied cata'ogue books on choke-bores, ex- 

 amined guns at stores, and finally did not think it easy to get; 

 "the very best gun for the money," but settled upon reputa- 

 tion, ordering a li-\b. 12-gauge, "with a few dozen of 30-inch 

 targets and pads. Upon the receipt and trial of it.a friend was 

 so pleased with it that 1 let him have it, and another was 

 ordered for myself and one for another friend, all satisfactory 

 shooters, but the patterns are not up to records upon accom- 

 panying cards. I have, the same ungratified desire to see 

 that result that a farmer had near me to see a horse work 

 which he bought from a substantial old Dutchman, the 

 horse being one of a team hitched to a heavily loaded manure 

 wagon. The buver was satisfied with the price and sound- 

 ness, and that the horse was working as he appeared, but he 

 casually asked OldReliableif the horse "would pull." "Pull! 

 Ah. you would shust like to see him pull," was the honest 

 and encouraging reply. So the horse was bought, taken to 

 the buyer's farmyard, put in his manure wagon, and he 

 would "indeed "shust like to see that ^lorse pull." Sol 

 would "shust like to see" my gun make the record accom- 

 panying it. But 1 must have" a pair of low-priced barrels 

 which lean feel satisfied "willkeepclean by being left dirty." 

 That is, something which I do not feel compelled to clean 

 after shooting at a crow, a hawk, or any pest, nor hesi- 

 tate' to shoot On account of the necessary cleaning which fine 

 barrels demand. 



I do not remember how the crow depredation question 

 was settled, but if any one is curious, now is the season of 

 observation, as near "every barnyard in this neighborhood 

 scare-crows are placed to 'keep the crows from carrying off 

 young chirks, turkeys, aud ducks. The crows are consid- 

 ered infinitely worse'thau hawks. They will drive a chicken 

 or turkey ben from the nest and carry off every egg. as well 

 as smaller bird eggs and young. The crow ha,~ a devilish 

 cunning and persevereiiec almost supernatural. The crow 

 blackbird also filches eggs and young of smaller birds. 



Owners of dogs will do their dogs a great Uiudness and them- 

 selves a favor, possibly, if when they see their dog shak- 

 ing his head and pawing at his ear, they will carefully exam i no 

 the ear held lowest, take away the annoying Ilea, and thereby 

 prevent the dog from tearing the ear with claws, pro- 

 ducing apparent" canker. The oft repeated inquiries to, and 

 answer of Forest and Stream, nineteen out of twenty 

 cases ot sore ears are nothing else, and a very simple treat- 

 ment is speedy and effective. Upon one occasion a valuable 

 setter was sent to me which was not only in a pitiable eon 

 ditiou, but disgusting in appearance, dejected, thin, coat 

 staring, inside of ear and side of fare to nose a mass of 

 vicious corrosive fluid, which would dry, scab over, scab 

 would crack open and itch, dog would tear off the scab 

 with paws until the blood would"run freely, then the repeti- 

 tion above. Isaturated the coat with headlight kerosene, 

 thoroughly washed off with warm water and soap, coarse 

 and fine comb. When dry, Persian insect powder freely, 

 aud applied lard once eacl day to inside of ear and on the 

 sore face to keep the. scab soft. In three weeks the dog wag 



