Oct. If), 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



227 



i] ise it Is jolly enough to go with a pp,fty.an& to 



ii:ivc:i cook, with all the utensils, -'"I establish a tegular 



Oftmp, either with tenl or log f -:>l>i n , especially if a long stay 

 is ilrsii-fd. I enju.v il my.soll O'vasiomdh . bill, in tlii-- way, 



bnecannpl room as free as a bird from lake to lake, across 

 Drtaget p i ting i .i bi ' ' lad most romantic of 

 nature's scenes j- 1- love to do, camping when night's 

 shadows begin, to fall; here tonight, ami mil-s a.way,_per- 

 haps, the neiet. To me this is Hie way to enjoy the grandeur 

 and majesty of nature, and 



" To '-.lie who i" (lie love of nature holds 

 Communion with her visible tonus, 

 She speaks a Prions language," 

 ulueli is companion, friend, instructor to the lover of the 

 grand and beautiful. 



And now. friend Doctor, if my few suggestions and 

 Experience shall enable you to prepare at .some" future time a 

 repast thai shall he !,o[f, pl.-^iag to vou: palat- and accept- 



by the thought that T ha 



pother or the angle."' 

 POBEST UfD BtrbA H, 



Cat-t, " DOTtSAl FlN T " 



OUR JERSEY LETTER. 



I_^OH i In* Crst time in my life f am able to appreciate the 

 feelings of Dr. Tanner when he seated himself at. the 

 table to end his long last, 1 have just opened a package 

 whieli 1 lind contain'! lorlv tack ::uiubers of the ForttWT 

 and STUK.ur, of which I am now to take my till. Circum- 

 stances beyond my control have deprived me of my weekly 

 rations for these long- months, and a forty weeks' fast gives 

 me an appetite like a — well, like a man, for mentally as well 

 as physically I hold with Byron; 



13 e t 



UjlU 



But, like the shack mid tfger, must have prey," 

 And that word "woodcock-" suggests that 1 must attend to 

 business before pleasure, and that this huge bundle of the 

 best .sporting paper in the world w-as scut to remind me that: 

 you wanted to know about game and the game law's in New 

 Jersey. First, then, to keep you and vour friends out of 

 the clutches of the game-constable, let me give von an ab 

 struct of the latest revision of our legislative enactments 



upon the subject. None hill a Jerseyman could ever Hush 

 the exact truth out of the covtrof wotds in which our legis- 

 lators conceal it. hut f vouch for the following, giving 

 simply the open seasons and penalties; 



Ruffed grouse— Nov. 1 to Dec. 30, inclusive, §15.00. 



Quail— Nov. 1 to Dec. 30, inclusive, Sift. 00. 



Rabbit— Nov. 1 to Dec. HI), inclusive, if; 15.00. 



Woodcock— July 3 to July 81. inclusive, and Oct. 1 to 

 Dec. i5, reclusive, $15.00, 



Plover— Aug. l to Dec, Si, inclusive, $10.00. 



Reed birds— Aug. 2fi to Nov. 30, inclusive, $5.00. 



Kail birds— Sept, 1 to Nov, 8Q, inclusive, $0.00. 



Wood ducks— Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, inclusive, $5.00. 



Srmirrels — Sept. 1 to Jan, 1, inclusive, .>'5.00. 



Marsh hell— Aug. 20 to Nov. 30, inclusive, $5 00. 



Deer -No shooting until Nov. 1. 1834, then and afterward 

 only in November, $50.00. 



Now as to the wisdom of these laws, please don't ask me. 

 Why woodcock should be killed on Jul v 3 and not on July 1, 

 or why rabbits should fee lawful on Dec. 30 aud not' on 

 Dec. 8J. are mysteries the solution of which is known onlv 

 to the O'Farrels, 0\Rourkes, Yon Steinheims and Von 

 Boekbeers whom. Jersey City, Hoboken and Newark send 

 to fill our legislative, hal'ls. Their total ignorance of the Eng- 

 lish language and the game question may explain the 

 blunders, hut the above is what the lawyers say the law 

 means when translated into our native tpngae, 



As to the game here and in prospect. There were no wood- 

 eock in July worth speaking of, and of course none have 

 come back yet. A good frost and a cold storm may bring 

 them, and fortunately their breeding grounds are wet'enough 

 for thein, foi once. 'Down Jersey they have had a brief 



aeasb 1 a short harvest in rail and n'ed birds; and -, ,.- 



the salt bottoms of Ocean and Atlantic counties quite an un- 

 usual flight of English snipe is reported, Bj the way, 

 another thing past thiding out is the striking of this bird from 

 the game list, and the withdrawal of all protection from it. 

 But so it is, and the wiktmii are lawful prey for the. pot- 

 hunter the year round. 



Squirrels" gray are in season and m plenty, but the en- 

 tire failure of the nut and acorn crop in Middle Jersey has 

 BBfit the bush tails to the ground, and makes a search for 



brought ujnje empty. The forests and fieltls have tired of 

 waiting for Jack Frosl lo come andael as milliner and dross- 

 maker aud have gone to work in true economy lo make over 

 their summer robes for autumn wear, no machine and sten- 

 cil work of the storm and Frost this fall producing' a mthtu- 



sere.'" hut uar -'ire's very prettiest aud brightest work, all 



1 : painted, in' rill ,ihi;.-, ,oei we se the copious Bummer 



phenomenal, embroidering with, deepest tints their — 

 •' Mellow richness on the clustered trees, 

 And, from a beaker full of richest ayes, 

 Pouring new glory on the autumn Woods." 

 The, t.houghtful'hunter is reminded that whether the frost 

 shall corne or not. we, like the leaves, shall fall on time, and 

 that a beautiful close can only cone' to it well spent life. 



"i. shout the game. Mother Bob White sings her cradle 

 song from every thicket, and babv Cottontails scamper along 



arood path in the twilight. The number of quail 



b r 1 i Eal] was minimum, and the number of flocks 

 thi- faD promise* better shooting thauwe have had foryears. 

 Everybody i- buying a bound, for the prospect for rabbit 

 shooting, loo. is the beat, even the big freshets having done 

 l, si, b. 1 damage. Rut, sec here, I must dive into that 

 package now. .-,0 good-hy. A. 



' 1CTOI1ER. IB. 



Montana Bio Gams:. — Privates advices from northwest- 

 ern Montana report large game abundant on the slope of the 

 Rockv Mountains this year The white hunters, half-breeds 

 .1:1 i &Ot fiavefairlj fun He- buffalo out of Ihe Milk River 

 country, and eaih o September ; i- , ivcre coming up 

 through the Bear's Paw Mountains lowaid Ihe Sweet Grass 

 Hills by thousands. The head of the herd me ' hen within 



a day's' ride of the Marias River. Deer and - r.e.-l, ., ie a r, 



iin ih-i-,i : lhaTptail zf use ai i ■■ etj plentj 



HOUNDING vs. STILL HUNTING. 



HAVING read the articles bv "G. R. B.," "Cap Bock," 

 "Forty-Four" and others on riounding vs. Still Hunt- 

 ing, I wish tostftte my \ iews Id regard to the matter. I do 

 Up! agree with '.Forty Pour'-' in regard to the use of dogs, 

 1 li's hi is mistaken tn thinking that dogs or houflds- drive 

 away the dfiqr, and in the case uui he refers lo, the deer had 

 probably changed t lu-ii ground owing to the approaching 

 storm, which took place 011 the nexi day. Deer, when 

 driven bv hoinu!-.. do cetum to ihe same 'round atrain (if 



not killed), and I have known of their ivturnimj !e 



night. 1. consider hunting with hounds or a hound (tor 1 

 do not believe in using a pack) the best way to hunt deer, 

 that, is, the best way for Ihe deer; hunting with other dogs 

 or half breeds Ihe next best, and still hunting the worst for 

 the deer and the best way for the hunter to obtain venison 

 and exterminate the game. A deerdoos not care very much 

 )d bound— that is, s good, hi »dy barking, uieditirn 

 running dog — only jn.-t enough I o keep out of hi- is 



in case a cur or ball breed it u sed , dogs which arc usually 

 poor barkers or fa-( runners, Q) boib.ll may Ihi'-n be quite 

 another maitei A deer is very much afraid of a still run- 

 aing doo he 'Iocs not know where it is, or how near 



to him ii ma) be. and therefore be keeps on running until 

 he has put an immense, distance between himself and the 

 supposed danger. 



It is very much the same with still hunting; the deer are 

 frightened away by the continued following of a danger of 



which they ba've' no warning until it is upon tliera. Of 

 course, if the deer is killed at first sight , there is no more 

 following, neither is there any more deer, only more veni- 

 son. "Cap Bock" only starts a deer twice, and then takes 

 a new track. Why V ' Because Ihe chances are so much 

 better to come up with and kill a new deer. The other is 

 pretty well frightened already, and if overtaken a third 

 time, if not killed, insy leave the eountry altogether. I 

 know of one forest in this vicinity in which the deer have 

 been n,,,rly eUcriniimied by Still hunting. There is another 

 section of Country hero where hounds have 1 been used prin- 

 cipally, ami doer (here are still quite plenty. Deer lake lo 

 water ahead of the hound, and half to three-quarters of the 

 I hue that is ihe end of the hunt, and the deer lives, not to 

 tight again, hut to be hunted again another day. I do not 

 agree with "Forty-Four*' in saying that three-quarters of 



bull maintain that fully ou'e-ha If of all deer started by 

 hounds escape the hunter altogether. In regard tn their 

 being killed when driven to water, we have now a law iu 

 this State CMaasachusetts) forbidding il Quantities of deer 

 have formerly hem slaughtered in that way. I am not at 

 all acquainted with the kind of dogs referred to by "Forly- 

 Foui-as bounds that remain wherever tliev happen lo be 

 wdieu the hunt is over, and then Have to be hunted Upbj 

 their owner. 1 never have been trou bled fa that way Mv 

 hounds— and I havo owned quite a number— have 'always 

 returned when the hunt is over, generally coming to me in 

 the woods, hut always returning homo before morning. 



To me the hound's, voice is very musical, and I have often 

 stopped to listen and enjoy the musici of their voices when 

 there was no possible chance of (heir coming in my direc- 

 tion wilh any gam"; but perhaps ihe voices of the breed of 

 hounds that don't conn- home may uot be as musical, or it 



He certainly has not for the music of the hounds. Of course 

 it must be aggravating to a still-hunter' to hear a hound in 

 full ciy running through a piece of forest aud driving away 

 a deer (perhaps to safety) which, had it not been for the 

 hound, he might have crept in upon an hour or so later, and 

 killed That' is just what ihe matter is, that aud the fact 

 that you cannot kill more than half as many deer with a 

 hound as vou can if you arc a good still-hunter. I consider 

 killing one thing ami hunting another. If a man goes into 

 the wood3 principally to kill, why slill-hunting deer is just 

 ihe thing for him, or, as "Cap B^ick" does, he might even 

 practice on hi? sheep; but if htt wishes to sai s good bum, 



lam very happy lo say that i agree with both "Forty- 

 Four" and "Cap Bock" oh one point, and that is the use of 

 the rifle. I have both rifle and shotgun, and woidd gladly 



of a rifle ball to be turned from its cqurse by a limb or an'v 

 obstacle, it is considered too dangerous to Human life to use 



one. But I cannot see after all win there is anj :e Sporl 



in the act, or why it is any more manly, or why it requires 

 any more skill, to drop a standing deer in his tracks with a 

 rifle hall than it does to bring one down on the full 



ilh hi 



ill-ht 



1 dog 



•qle om 



egard to hounds driving off all the 

 <i out other deer when a deer is driven 

 etion of forest. Only the deer that 

 red bv a dog run out, the others re- 

 seen different deer driven repeatedly 

 or section during the day. 

 - a good hound— one that barks while 

 to work all about in their vicinity 

 ■ 1 1 pass around them, coming quite 

 at of their lied until convinced Chat 

 •aight for them, and then they will 

 fore running off . Btcii Shot. 



I notice I 

 uing deer v 

 heretofo: 



ith he 



i had , 



of ben 



Kill 



h has been writt 

 ads. and thanks t 



allowed space in y 

 my opinion somewhat on the suhjei 

 last, and rather lengthy argument 

 when I chanced lo notice in your ii 

 solution of the whole mailer, contaii 

 cation Ivy " Cap Look." wherein he 

 which 1 was aiming at, that 1 conchi 

 script and heartily endorse every y 

 tion, 



The effect or result of hounding deer is evident and con- 

 clusive withoul argument. But' conflicting opinions will 

 ii 1 main as to the sport Thai which 1- uport fw one 



14a 



short communi- 

 y drove the nail 

 'bum my rmmu- 

 bis oominunica 



may not be so considered by another. Now we know that 

 every man has a perfect right to express his opinions, and it 

 is right that he should. My opinion is decidedly against 

 hounding deer. I have hunted deer more or less for the last 

 lifty years, bufhsve never even tired a charge of h , ; 

 at one. I will stop hunting when I become too super- 

 annuated to sborft deer with a Single ball. If I had a fat. 

 steer, 1 would as soon put on a pack of hounds, run him 

 three or four hours, and shoot him down with buckshot as I 

 would a deer. 1 should suppose that it would add to the 

 flavor of the beef about as it does to the veuison, and the 

 spoil would he all the same, of course. Anti.kh. 



Pinev Fall, Tenn, 



DEER-FLOATING IN MINNESOTA. 



IT was years ago. I had not as yet used the "new-fangled 

 idea" in shape of a gun, "which breaks in a moment 

 aud is mended in half the time," but I had used the breech- 

 loading rifle, and liked it far better than the old style. 



The time set for the "enterprise" was 011 a quiet night, in 

 the dark of the moon and away deep in the wilderness, 

 where the deer were reported to visit a small lake iu order 

 to crop the pond lilies and floating moss, aud drive that well 

 known terror, Ihe deerfly, away,' where they mighl bathe iu 

 the cool waters and be safe from harm of any kind. 



A yourm friend of mine, whose name was Charley P., 

 planned the whole affair, and said he would "paddle me 

 up alongside a real wild dt-er" if 1 could kill it, Afterthe 

 sun hail east his golden rays over hill and dale, and the last 

 lingering ray was gouc, a cheery "hello!" caused me. to lay 

 aside raj paper aud look up, I hereby latching the figure of 



"Are you ready':" said he, and on my replying in the 

 affirmative, tie started off at a rapid pace 'for the lake, your 



his old "deer dog" we jogged along. At last, the bank n'f 

 the lake was reached, anrfwhat should 1 find for a boat but 

 an old "dug 011I," made by an Indian who had lived here 

 but 11 year or tw before, but had now gone to live at Beech 

 Lake, Cass county, leaving his canoe behind. 



1 took a careful look at the old trunk and concluded it 

 would be a mercy if we all three boarded her, that wo did 

 not get a good ducking before the night was over, and go 

 home with (ishermaii'sduck— a, wet jacket, At last all was 

 in readiness, the lamp in the "headlight" lighted, the dog 

 slowed just in front of the paddler, and with a grand 

 serenade of leu thousand gnats and mosquitoes we launched, 

 our frail bark on the bosom of the stilly lake. I say stilly, 

 for uot a sound broke Ihe slillness; 'not a gust of -wind 

 -stirred the leaves which hung in silent mourning; a mid- 

 night darkness baa settled o'er all. Were you ever there? 

 Il so, you know my feelings and participate iu the grandest 

 of all spoiling cxcitemenls. I sat down in the bow, my 

 gun being al full cock, and the light shining on its rib mak- 

 ing il 1, tight as day. The. boat "lottles" and qi.ivers with 

 the load and seems decidedly "cranky," but my friend is a 

 good, steady hand at the paddle, and I sit perfectly "asv" 

 and squarely in the center. We arc now fairly out. The 

 glaring reflector throws a bright light all along the shore 

 making objects as plain as day. the uoiseless paddle is 

 doing its work, and the dog lies crouched, quivering iu his 

 narrow berth; the canoe glides along on the glassy water 

 like Macgregor's, and— 



They oared the broad Lomond, so still and serene, 

 And deep in her bosom, how awful the scene I 



The occasional splash of -nine large fish, or the plaintive 

 note of some wild bird frightened by the fitful glare of the 

 jack lights; the stillness almost like the grave; the hundreds 



ghosts— the phosphoresoonl light of some deeay'ing old trw; 

 iu which I pictured a wild deer glaring at me. 'and my gun 

 is quickly raised, but lowered again; the scraping of a rush 

 on the bottom of the canoe causes me to start convulsively 

 and grasp my trusty weapon; my heart beats violently and 

 I am unable 'lo quie't it; I think everything. Am 1 nervous? 

 \\ e round a point and head the boat t'ora little bay. The 

 stillness is fearful, oppressive. I look down into the clear 

 lake and watch the monster fishes lying so still and near, 

 and yet so far. 



A snort ahead! Now r the stamping of feet in the water is 

 heard. 1 strain my eyes and feel UieTloek of my gun, but I 

 see nothing. The'canoe glides closer to the stamping feet, 

 and I make out an object that looks very much like Hamlet's 

 ghost, only this has four legs, and its eves like balls of fire 

 glare straight into my face, bul he sees me not! The canoe 

 IB wiihin twenty yards, and Charley swings the stern to ihe 

 left, iu order to take the recoil lengthwise, and I raise the 

 weapon to my face. The light gleams along its bright bar- 



shooldcr. The boat comes to a bait, my nervousness leaves me; 

 I press the triggor. A blinding Hash aud a thundering report 

 ring out on the still night air and echoes from hill to hill and 

 back again. The dog-whhies and is told to "go!"; he is 

 raffbpard in an instant and is on the bank. A joyful bark 

 announces "game!" We paddle quickly to Shore and lake 

 the light ami go up the bank, and there he lien in alibis glory. 

 Alan has Conquered.; inquisitivcue.ss has ruined him. A nice 

 yearling and some of the finest jerked venison you ever 

 tasted repaid us for our trouble. As 1 write my mind goes 

 back and it, seems as though I coidd taste that same venison, 

 aud in fact feci as I felt that memorable night, deer-floating. 



Dell. 



VuoociTius op Pistol Ball and Sound.— Fight House. 

 Say brook Point, Conn., Oct. (i.— A boating party had en 

 cainped for the night on the shore, say a quarter of a mile 

 from the light house. Iu the morning they were amusing 

 themselves by practjeins with a pistol. During the time 

 they were shooting (it being low tide) I went into the water 

 on the flats near the liffhl house to take up a basket of oys 

 Ins from a bed 1 had planted there, carrying with me a very 

 heavy and Ibicklv-wovcn willow basket. As I was bending 

 down, picking up the oysters from the waterwith one hand, 

 the basket hanging on the other arm, I heard a report of the. 

 pistol, tlicu the "ping" or singing of the hall (and the 

 thought Hashed through my mind, "That ball is going a 

 long' distance"), then flic "spat" of the ball into the basket 

 close beside my ear, the force of it so far spent that it did 

 not go through' the basket, hut remained sticking in the side 

 of it. Thus 'it will be seen that 1 heard the report of the 

 pistol, the "ping" of the ball, and had time to think before 

 the ball reached ra?. The ball is conical, half an inch long, 

 and live sixteenths of an inch in diameter. — Rich Ann HI 

 Ingham. 



