AnarrgT 81, 1883.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



89 



Our bag that day amounted to forty hares and the two 

 boars, the tusk,-- of both were, given to me as a souveneir of 

 the day, We reached the hnfnbouf dusk and enjoyed a hot 

 supper. I know the party were dyingto laugh at my dis- 

 play of "Yankee heels'' though too polite to do so, 

 I enjoyed several r 'ahopts" after that, but never killed a boar, 

 nor did I see any if my memory is eorrcci. Looking at the 

 tusks the other day put it in my miud to write this little 

 Otc as 1 thought it might' prove interesting to some of 

 your readers. Tjou;. 



IOWA CAME. 



THE prospect for quail in this loeality is. very nattering. 

 Having wintered well last winter they are unusually 

 abundant. An observer can go iu auv direction through tli 



country 

 ou the f( 

 iug and 

 While" 

 the pron 



■ehed 



the 



i"- Hi 



ir) h 

 r tield. 



La? while the en 



dug notes of "Bob 

 every note we hear 

 October that often 



idf 



io bird, and if rightly 

 favorable seasons the 

 even three broods, of 

 ch for the sportnian's 



I'd in eve 

 grandest 

 c devotee of dog a 



"Bob White" is a goodly aud prol 

 protected iued never lie extinct, In 

 Average pair of quail will raise two o 

 say, a dozen each, which is doing m 

 pleasure in a very happy and appreciable manner 



Last October 1 flushed quail scarce a third grown, and 

 only able to fly a lew yards, which must have been the third 

 brood. 



Prairie chickens aresoaree around here at present: for some 

 mysterious reason they seldom put in an appearance iu any 

 numbers until late in September or October. I am told by 

 fanners who live near good chicken grounds, that they have 

 not seen one since last winter, ft seems thai they leave for 



all gathered, but 

 uanti ies in the fall, 

 this chicken mystery? Why 

 er feeding grounds? Are they 

 y hie away it) the summer to 



parts unknown about the 1im< 

 arc suie to come again in fan < 



Can any one throw light on 

 do they not breed on their win 

 partially migratory, and do th 

 breed in the as yet unbroken prairies? 



Possibly a few do breed here, but they are nothing toTthe 

 large numbers to be found in October ainl .November. 



I want to thank the writer of that article in the last FOREST 

 ax » Sthkam, entitled 'Far lroin the Madding Crowd," for 

 the extreme pleasure I have taken in reading it. His praise 

 of the -little eoiree-pot" is lull well deserved li would be a 

 worthy snbjjec) for a poem-! That article will go straight to 

 the heart o\ many a Western sportsman, who has oflcu felt 

 himself "born again" by getting for a few da vs "far from the 

 madding crowd/" J. E. S. 



DS6AH0OSA, ta., August, 1883. 



Loading Rivi.e Shells — Puilippi. W. Va. — l-:<r,t„r 

 Forest ami Stream: Mr. T. S. Van Dyke contributed a very 

 interesting article in your issue of April 13 on "Rifles and 

 Rifle BuUetSi" and as I do In not all experiments looking to 

 the removal of the difficulty always found in securing good 

 results in loading a rifle Shell with a round ball and a small 

 charge of powder. 1 contribute my experience. I plug the 

 base oi the shell with a wood plug, cut to til the shell 'with 

 exact inccty. anil of the desired length. The base of the 

 plug must be concaved, so as to concentrate the tire of the 

 primer into the delicate vent which extends the entire 1cm. Hi 

 of the plug. The plug-must be of jusl sufficient length to 

 permit the ball's rc.-liug on the powder, .and in flic shell far 

 enough lo remain turn and no farther. On the plug 1 

 ji laced the powder, with a thin wad on top. For a patch I 

 used a strong piece ot kid glove, cut about thrce-fouiths ot 

 an inch wide, ami ju-l long enough to exactly line the shell, 

 resting on the wad. Osiiig the loader, the ball was pressed 

 in firmly but very carefully, leaving about one-half the ball 

 exposed. Touch the end' of the ball with mucilage, and 

 twisl the patch over it. Set up the shell, with bullet down. 

 and leave until the mucilage dries, and it is ready for use. 



The result of all tills attention to details Was. the following: 

 1 doubt if any man can hold a rifle steadily enough to pro- 

 duce tin absolute test. I cannot. Myiitle was placed be- 

 tween two narrow pine boards, and tirinly fastened in a 

 heavy vice. The range was limited, only twenty-two yards. 

 Seve'n shots were tired, and only one boh' was made in the 

 target. It was widened out soinewha. by the repeated -hot-, 

 but a dime would not more than ha've entered. I don't 

 know whether this plan of loading a shell can be made prac- 

 ticable or not. but of the numerous experiments I have made. 

 this alone seemed to. produce perfect work. It appears to 

 me that it is quite impossible to load a rifle shell to produce 

 even good average results, as quickly as the same rifle can 

 be loaded at the muzzle; and as to that matter. 1 can load a 

 iiiuzzle-loadiii- shotgun iu less lime than 1 can load a shell 

 for a breech-loader, irthereis anything of advantage in 

 this experiment, I hope some of your readers will perfect 

 the plan, or. at hast, communicate the results of their trials. 

 —J. K U. 



Ten vs. Twelve-Bores.— Cleveland, 0.— Speaking of 

 ten vs. twelve-bores, I prefer the ten to anything smaller, 

 and have an idea Unit nine-gauge, say eleven pounds, 

 wouldne liked better than either ten or eight. Recently 

 I loaded sixtecn-gauge and ten-gauge shells with Ko. 8 

 chilled Shot, using same powder' in both. I shot, double 

 the number of shots, from the fen-gauge, which wiped 

 run easily, while the sixtccn-gauge was leaded so badly 

 that it took over an hour of hard labor to remove 

 it. This, it seems to me, proves the great relative dif- 

 ference in the amount of friction, and consequent effcelive- 

 ngsSof the two guns. A'.'.du. in cleaning the muzzles of 

 guns at glass-ball and piireon-shoots, I have noticed that 

 tiic large bores are frees! from deposit, in the choke. 

 Formerly 1 used five drams powder in ten-gauge— now I 

 use four and have less headache and annoyance v/ithout 

 any apparent loss in execution. Try it, — M, If. Able. 



perha 



. Game.— Unite. Moat., Aug. 9.— Prairieohickens 

 nd rrrouse in this vicinity are very scarce indceu, owing, 

 ie main' pro.-pcetors and w oodehoppers who arc 

 sing the hills and mountains. In Beaver 

 Head, Dear dodge, Missoula and Jefferson, counties chickens 

 and grouse are said to lie abundant, but noi so plenty per- 

 ban, 'as last season, ou account of late spring and cold, wet 

 weather. In the mountains surrounding us, deer, elk, sheep 

 an all large game is plenty. Bear an plenty and wailhiL' 

 for (don't think. "Major Verity," I mn going to Btafl a 

 siory, lor ii. would only be the means of ending in a com- 

 plete failure) some one to eat them up like Brown did up iu 

 Vermont. 1 expeel thji specie will be extinct soon, as Lord 

 Jameson, from the Old Sod. left hflje last week with three 



pack animals and ammunition enough, if properly dis- 

 tributed, to slay the animal kingdom. On bis return I ex- 

 pect •■bear" stories will come up to the surface in such 

 abundance that former ones of tlvs nature will be put in the 

 shade. What, do you think of Ap-pa-kuu-ny going pot-hunt- 

 ing up Dry Fork with two guns and a pony and only getting 

 a poor female antelope, and' a few ducks? (all out of season", 

 too). Let him come over the range, and we will show him 

 pot-hunters who will discount that, (I don't, mean myself, 

 of course,) — Pitecox Obit. 



Yellow-Legs Shooting at Cafe Cod. — While camp- 

 ing out on the Cape in August, my friend and I were sur- 

 prised to learn that yellow-legs were quite plenty on a marsh 

 in Harwich not very far from where we we're stopping. 

 We arose before daybreak ami hastily dressed, put a lunch 

 into our pockets, shouldered our guus aud decoys and 

 started, ft was not yet daylight, and as we passed through 

 the wood we heard the wliippoorwill calling to his mate. 

 We issued from the woods, and looking toward the eastern 

 horizon we saw ii had begun to grow light. We hastened 

 tan- steps, aud after an hour's .steady tramp we arrived at 

 tin- place where we were, to have our sport, Hastily milk- 

 ing our stand, we put. out the decoys aud then were ready. 

 Suddenly the whistling of the yellow-legs was heard, and 

 looking through a small hole in the stand we saw a flock 

 light among the decoys. We took good aim and tired. 

 Four laid dead, and as the rest of the flock started up we 

 tired again, aud three-more of the handsomest of ourwadcrs 

 fell dead. Quickly we changed our shells and gathered the 

 dead and wounded*. A huge flock came flying over, and 

 again we fired and six moredropped. The flock passed on, 

 but hearing our whistling, whirled round and came flying 

 back. We waited until they alighted in a bunch and live 

 of the six were quickly dispatched. Flock after flock came 

 flying up and alighted, aud we fired into them until our gun 

 barrels began to ai'ow hot. The tide going out the .yellow- 

 legs began to leave the marsh. We tied up the birds in 

 bunches and threw them across our guns and started for 

 home. W e reached home at noon after having had a half 

 day's excellent sport, — J. C. C. 



Game Protector Dodge.— Mitor Fbrest artfl Slrttim.' 

 It is reported that Wm. B. Dodge, state game protector, is 

 likely lo resign that position and seek a more lucrative one 

 elsewhere. This news will be received wild regret to those 

 who visit these woods aud have seen the deer multiply during 

 bis administration. His efforts in enforcing the law are: all 

 the more commendable, as it has been a labor of love, to sec 

 the game protected, rather than pay, as he informed the 

 writer that he used the greater portion of his salary in trav- 

 eling expenses. One trip to the woods in making out a 

 ease whereby a game violator had to p.iv *."><• for shoot ing 

 deer, cost Mr. Dodge £40. There could possibly be some 

 improvement on the game laws, but they arc good as they 



are now. as we see. if thev were Only enforced. A law is not 

 respected till enforced. Mr. hedge has been a hard worker, 

 and abetter man forthe place would be hard to tind. and ii 

 is safe to say that there is not a guide in the whole Adiron- 

 dack region who does not know Mr. Dodge and the game 

 law he enforces, and respect both. The game law is now 

 well observed, possibly in part through fear of the conse- 

 quence of its non-observance, and as a result the woodsmen 

 tell us there are more deer in the woods than there has been 

 in twenty-'ive years. Wetrusf that the State cau sec they can 

 not afford to lose Mr. Dodge, for should these laws be re- 

 laxed after a stringent enforcement of same, the effect would 

 be obv ous. — * - 



Minnesota Chicki.n Season. — Under date of Aug. 22, 

 the St. Paul Vioneer Pt'esb says of the praire. chicken season: 

 "There seems to be considerable misapprehension all over 

 tlje Stale concerning fhe date of the opening of Hie prairie 

 chicken season. Many suppose that the intention to change 

 the law last fall at the extra, session was fulfilled; lad it was 

 no:. Win-, ii is hard to say. and perhaps the only man in 

 Minnesota who can really explain the matter is Mr. 'Lane K. 

 Stoue of Montevideo; to him was assigned, so report says, the 

 duty of seeing the amendment put through, as the legislative 

 assemblies bad been thoroughly canvassed by prominent 

 sportsmen of SI. Paul and the State al large, and it was not 

 doubled but that the measure would go through. It did not; 

 and the law for all game birds and waleifowi, except quails 

 ami woodcocks (the latter only being in season now) is Sept. 

 1. It is fair however to sfale that the law is practically a 

 dead letter: that prairie chickens arc daily and have been Tor 

 the past three weeks, Shot all over the State and are openly- 

 sold iu the. city of St. Paul. Not 1 per cent, of gun posses- 

 sors are observing the law aud no effort is being made lo en- 

 force i t . " 



Tennessee Kotes. — A grand hunting anil fishing expfidi 

 tion to the "coaling grounds" in Trigg county. Kv., is now 

 being organized by Col. Geo. F. Alters. The intention u 

 to visit that section of country soon after the Brat frosts of 

 October, aud remaining there two or three weeks. Wallonia 

 will be the headquarters, and where the huntsmen and 

 anglers will be most hospitably entertained by Col. Geo. 

 Wharton, aud Messrs. Juitt. and .loci McKincey. Every 

 comfort will be supplied in abundance, as well as the dogs 

 and horses, so that the guests need ouly take along their 

 guns, ammunition and fishing tackle. The "coaling 

 grounds," covering a vast extent of territory in that wild 

 region, are noted for their quantities of game of every de- 

 scription lo be found there, such as deer, tvfrkeyg, Kwtes, 

 'possums, 'coons, squirrels and quail. The climate'is delight- 

 ful at that season of the year, and there are no farmers lo 

 post lands or in auv way "mar the sportsman's pleasure. A 

 forge number of gentlemen from Louisville will be of the 

 party, and I am indebted to the Colonel for a most cordial 

 inviiation to be present. — J. D. H. (Nashville, August 19, 

 1882.) . 



Mosqoito Inlet, Florida. — Col. Frank W. Sams, of 

 this place, and H. J. Faulkner, of New York, the former 

 the well-known and jovial guide for sportsmen who visit 

 this locality, and both well known to the sporting world 

 generally, are building a large, tine hotel on Mosquito La- 

 goon, opposite the "Devil's Elbow." fourteen miles south of 

 .New Smyrna, and will have the same e pi. led and in run- 

 ning order on or before Dee. i next. Their object, we be- 

 lieve, is to furnish a first-class winter resort for the numerous 

 sportsmen who annually visit this locality in spite of the 

 difficulties and inconveniences heretofore existing. It is lo- 

 cated in the heart of the famed hunting and fishing section 

 of the State, and in sight of the ocean from the cupola of 



thchoiel. We uei\ lie late hut suggest thai it be called 



the "Foreat and Stream House < BUG 



New jEKSiiv Rail Shooting,— Rail and reed birds will 



be in season in >lew Jersey to-morrow, but the shooting will 

 u " better later. There are few birds now on the marshes. 



The sectl is late this year and the hi 

 10th of the mouth is usually the h 

 shooting, aud those who then happen 

 wind on an evening tide will be sure 

 favorite old-time resort for rail shoot 

 known as "Emrlish Neighborhood, 

 which is a tributary of the Haeken 

 the new name of the station on tin 



New Jersey. Hhdi water on the 1st will be about half-past 

 eleven in the forenoon, and the tides run about three- 

 quarters of an hour later each day subsequently, 



•ds behindhand. The 

 st time for Jersey rail 



to strike an easterly 

 if plenty of sport. A 

 rs is what used to be 

 ' on English Creek, 

 tick River. Leonia is 



Northern Railroad of 



Michigan.— Ionia. Aug. 23.— This year, T think, with re- 

 gard to game along the Grand River, that ruffed grouse will 

 be very scarce, as the excessive rains in spring nearly 

 drowned them out. Quail will be plenty this fall if our 

 gontlemcn sportsmen leave them until the. time to shoot by 

 law is open. I went with a companion yesterday forenoon 

 to shoot woodcock. I struck a willow swamp with a spring 

 stream running through it, Sent in my cocker Kit, and 

 made seven consecutive shots (and one a double), and got 

 my seven splendid birds to bag, Kit retrieving splendidly 

 every time. My companion has challenged me to shoot 

 grouse, on the wing Sept, 1, when I hope to beat him and let 

 you know. — rTiBB.RNTOCB. 



New tlAirpsiTiRE— Olaremont, Aug. 20.— The game pros- 

 pects are quite good in tins vicinity. Grouse are plenty, as I 

 find in looking oyer my old hunting .grounds. Woodcock 

 hatched well, but the long dry weather drove them to other 

 grounds that we know not of. Am expecting royal sport 

 with the grouse over my i lue-blooded cockers. Gray squirrel 

 hunters can have lots of fun. as they are very plenty. The 

 boys, until this year, have shot them "in the month of August: 

 but now we we have a close season from January 1 to Sep- 

 tember 1, which is doing lots of good, not, ouly in the squirrel 

 line but in the grouse line also, as I am sure' that the youug 

 grouse were killed in large numbers in August. — Beau, 



Thick Wads. — Since our home manufacturers of sporting 

 supplies make all and every description of amunition, etc., 

 and of a ouality equal to any, why cannot some reliable 

 firm produce a wad not less than a uniform thickness of 

 one-half inch, at a moderate advance on the price of the 

 present pink-Cdge, or in oilier words make ami sell a box of 

 powder wads, all of a regulation thickness, about a- thick 

 as two of the thickest pink-edge wads now in use? Such an 

 article would find roftdy sale, save much annoyance, time, 

 etc., in loading; produce better results, and prove a true 

 and appreciated boon to all. — Black Ned. 



Idaho Game. — Boise Barracks. Idaho Ten-., Aug. IT). — 

 Grouse-shooting is very fair here this season; some good 

 bags made; one party killed sixteen one afternoon. When 

 you can come here by railroad, 1 think you would greatly 

 enjoy a trip to the Payette Lakes. A wagon road has just 

 been opened to admit lie-cutters, which makes it po-sible to 

 go by wagon to within two and a half miles of the lower 

 lake' Try to come in August or September. I have seen a 

 cougar and a cinnamon bear within twenty yards of each 

 other. Deer. elk. mountain sheep and goats are all quite 

 plentiful.— Y. E. W. 



Iowa Notes.— Dubuque. la.. Aug. 21.— The chicken 

 season opened in this State on the loth inst,, but the birds 

 are not found in this section in numbers sufficient to attract 

 the sportsman. Our sportsmen go to the prairies in tin; 

 western part ot the State for their shooting. A parly of 

 four that returned from their inaugural hunt of four days 

 last week bagged forty chickens, which is considered very 

 poor. Fishing was never better, .and black bass, pickerel 

 and wall-eyed pike are heme, caught in large numbers. 

 From present indications there will be grand duck snooting 

 this fall.— B. G. _ ' 



Washington Gl'N Club. — The aunual excursion of the 

 Washington Gun Club, Brooklyn, to Lakellopatcong, N. J., 

 will take place on Thursday, September 14. A varied pro- 

 gramme is promised. Lake flopatoong is a handsome sheet 

 of wafer well adapted to fishing and "boating. No doubt 

 many members of other clubs, especially of Long Island, 

 will accompany the Washinglons. Tickets, including rail- 

 road fares, lunch, etc., can be had for five dollars. 



Albant, N. Y.. Aug. 22, 188%— Editor Fm'qst&M Stream : 

 — At a meeting held in this city Aug. tf, 1882. weorgauized a 

 sportsmen's association called the Albany Sportsmen's As- 

 sociation. It starts out ou its mission with good prospects, 

 having ten charter members. The following i* a list of offi- 

 cers as elected ; R. H. Northrop, President ; JEI. L. Whitbeck, 

 Vice-President; Geo. B. Powers, Secretary; Albert Goff, 

 Treasurer.— G. B. P, 



Montana Game Seasons.— Fort Custer, M. T., Aug. 17. 

 18S2. — There are two errors iu your schedule of open seasons 

 for game iu Montana, as published in Foiiest and. Stream 

 for July 20. 18S2. All species of grouse are protected from 

 March 'l to Aug. 15, nor Aug. 1; and wildfowl may bo shot 

 mi i i I .May In. not May I. Otherwise your dates arecorrect. 

 — Auk-bak-dea. 



Illinois— Charleston, III., Aug. 21. — The game law for 

 pinnated grouse expired here on the l.iMi inst.' On the 16th, 

 from fl A. M. to 3 P. M., you could see all classes of hunters 

 striking north for the prairie in buggies, on horseback ami 

 afoot. The day was- very hoi, and 1 didn't hear of any 

 hunter having good luck — Fox Sqnmtii-L. 



Connecticut. — Tlioniaston, Aug. 26, 1882. — More quail 

 have been seen in this and neighboring towns this season 

 than before in several years. I have a woodcock that comes 

 e\ei\ night within twenty feet of my shop almost, in tho 

 centt r oi town. — E. M. C, 



Live Qoail.— Mr. G. A. Vincont, of Cameron. Milam 

 county, Texas, informs us hat he. can suppK live quail 

 for breeding purposes next fall. He may be addressed as 

 above. 



At tlic reception given in Newport by ejt-Govemor E. D. Morgan to 

 President Aitiuir, the ilnmipagne served was Duroiuy vintage, 1S78'- 

 Adc. 



