410 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Deokxbsb 22, 1881. 



such patroling, as "Mussit" speaks of, than the private 

 purses of individuals will be able to care for or the State 

 protectors possibly attend to. Although the illegal killing 

 of deer can better be prevented by thenTthan it is now or has 

 been ar leaded to in ihe pat by anybody. Duties of our 

 fi>h and game protectors in attending to fish protection must 

 become Fess important at a season when deer need ihe most 

 looking after, owing lo the lateness of the season and a great 

 deal of fish-intr wiih nets being stopped by fresh water freez- 

 ing over. Should our laws receive attention this win'er, it 

 is "to be hoped that provisions will be made for the State pro- 

 tectors to have more adequate means for thoroughly attend- 

 ee protection of game, and especially of deer. The 

 number of officers is too small, Dot enough money is pro- 

 vided fori heir use, and not severe enough punishment meted 

 oat to violators. In my opinion imprisonment should be 

 connected with fining. 



Withdraw the privilege of hounding certainly during 

 August and October, if it cannot be stopped entirely, that 

 eer. may get some rest. A deer driven in August, even 

 if not killed, is, without doubt, very much injured, for there 

 seems then to be almost no limit to his powers for going. 

 Consequently great heat is induced, to be followed bya 

 shock upon plunging into water, which in itself is very in- 

 jurious to the health of any animal. No sensible man would 

 compel or allow his horse to plunge into cold water after a 

 fifteen-mile fast drive, and then allow him to lie down, with- 

 out expecting permanent injury. It is quite as bad for deer ; 

 they will always go to water and plunge in, their instinct 

 telling them there is no other way to get rid of the hound 

 after which they seek some secluded spot and lie down. A 

 guide told me last summer, he found in the middle of a lake 

 a dead deer, without a wound anywhere. No doubt death 

 was consequent upon taking to water before hounds. A 

 comparison might be made in the hounding of deer in warm 

 weather to driving a beef creature a longdistance just before 

 killing it, the meat in either instance ia very poor food. 



It is getting to be a recognized fact that the chances are 

 very much against capturing deer by their " taking to water" 

 before hounds during warm weather at specially good run- 

 ways, and sportsmen are more inclined to stay out of the 

 woods with hounds until cold weather sets in, "and the deer 

 are fat enough to give a short race, then the destruction 

 that lakes place is enormous. Some men get ashamed of 

 killing deer, and others never d j, but pursue them as long 

 as their time holds out. Consequently, as a matter of 

 benefit to the preservation of deer, I hope the warm- weather 

 driving will be stopped, and the time for driving in cold 

 weather be very much shortened. 



It is my opinion thit those who are strong advocates of 

 driving will admit that hounding tends more to deplete our 

 stock of deer than any other legal method of killing them ; 

 and I believe they will heartily uphold a law that will, with- 

 out doubt, tend to the preserving, and the increase of our 

 mcBt noble game. Wollat, 



. ■«. . 



THE DUCK RIOT AT GUNPOWDER BRIDGE. 



Baltimore, Mi, Dec. 8, 1881. 

 Editor Forest and Stream ; 



On yesterday I visited Gunpowder Bridge on the line of the 

 P. W. & B. R. R., for coot shooting. I took the 7:15 a. m. 

 train and reached the Bridge about 8 o'clock. As I got on 

 the Bridge and saw. to my surprise, about sixty or seventy 

 gunners, I picked out a position about 200 yards west of 

 the draw. A pair of coots came np, and without exaggera- 

 tion, about twenty shots were fired at Ihe two birds, one of 

 wbich I think is a happy coot yet, and ihe other one, not so 

 fortuua te, was killed. About a dozen different men claimed 

 it. The language and wrangling of ihe parties concerned 

 would, to my notion, become- anybf dy bul brother sports- 

 men. I patiently sat u half-hour or so before I goi a shot. 

 Finally, there came along a single black mallard, when taking 

 out one of the shells loaded with No. 6 and putting in No. 

 4 shot I put it on him, and it was, I think, a pretty long shot 

 for a No 10 gun. Dawn he came as de ad as a stone. Soon 

 I bad another shot at a coot, which I killed with both barrels. 

 I had good shooting for awhile, my ducks being gathered 

 for me by a man in a batteau, whom I had engaged for the 

 purpose. 



By the time I had been there — about one or two hours— I 

 noticed five, or six gunners inching up to me, and at last 

 they were close to me. There was one man, who belonged 

 to a ducking shore in the Hollow below, sat himself down 

 about thirty feet from me. He had a man by the name of 

 John in a skiff waiting on him. Presently a coot came over 

 to me to the right, when I killed him ; and on looking for 

 my duck this man yelled out at the top of his voice i ' ' That's 

 my duck ; get him, John !" This thing happened regularly 

 five or six limes in succession. I finally made up my mind 

 to move away } Lut I tell you, sir, everywhere one would go 

 the words of '• My duck" would ring out above all others. 

 I noticed three men from Baltimore. They had ninety-two 

 cools, and I was told by them that they had shot away 550 

 shells and had killed ninety-two coots. I think that there is 

 about one duck killed for every twenty shots fired; and if 

 the thing is not stopped the shooting on Gunpowder will be 

 one of the things passed by. 



I got eleven coots and one mallard, and the man with his 

 man John oncoming in had seventy-seven coots, about two- 

 thirds of which had been killed by other pariies, but claimed 

 and gathered hy him. I tell you, a good claimer is better 

 than a good thot on this Bridge ; and the shooting on the 

 Bridge is afair representation of a battle field. There areagreat 

 many good ducks in the river — canvas-backs, red-heads and 

 black beads ; also a great many marsb-ducks at the head of 

 the river. I think that when 1 go down again to get ducks 

 at the Bridge I will have a man John, and do more claiming 

 and less shooting. Cites. A. Psake. 



Baltimore, Md., Dec. 12, 1881. 

 Editor Forest tmd Stream ■ 



Do not let yourselves be deluded by Ches. A. Peake's 

 letler in a late issue about duck-shooting on the Gunpowder 

 Bridge, The danger attending the sport is great, and the 

 il gunner is ihe object of envy on the part of 

 those who, although they do not,' know bow to shoot ducks, 

 nevertheless take their Btand in close proximity to a first- 

 class shot, and 'hen put in their modest demands every time 

 a duck falls. The pa-sing trains of cars, the slippery timbers 

 of the bridge, forty or fitly guns, many of them in very in- 

 experiencea hands, the constant claiming and wrangling of 

 the gunners — all these strike me as very decided impediments 

 to amusement. Some time since a man was caught between 

 two trains on the bridge and so jammed and battered that be 

 may be an invalid for life. Another one had a shot put 

 through his hat. 



There have been several sportsmen par excellence on the 

 bridge this season. The leading one was formerly a member 

 of the Carroll's Island Ducking Club, where he was con- 

 sidered one of the best overhead shots on the Island. He 

 generally shoots a No. 12 or No. 10 at coots, and a No. 8 gun 

 at larger fowl. He is now a member of a cub composed of 

 gentlemen who formerly shot with liim at Carroll's Island. 

 Ches. A. Peake's vision is evidently bad, and his informa- 

 tion worse. I advise him, as he does not understand duck- 

 shooting, not to take the part of a bad-tempered critic, but to 

 possess his soul in patience until experience may come to his 

 aid.— J. 8. 



LONG ISLAND WILDFOWL. 



Geeenpoht, L. I., Dec. 11. 



Editor ForeH and Stream ; 



There are plenty of coots and old equaws in Peconic and 

 Gardiner's bay, and off Montauk aud Napeague Bay, and on 

 Ram Island shoals. Captain Bill Ross, the experienced skipper 

 of the best yacht out of Greenport, has just called in at my 

 room, after a recent cruise with a party of gunners from 

 New York and Massachusetts, and says they^ killed a good 

 many fowl by sailing on them, but that the water and 

 weather were too rough to set batteries or use decoys. The 

 better sort of fowl, such as black-duck, whistlers, widgeon 

 and broad bills are more plentiful in these waters, especially 

 round Gardiner's Island, than they have been for years. 

 This is owing, it is thought, to the fact of the Great Pond at 

 Montauk being now filled with grass, the chosen feed of 

 duck and geese. When the fowl find plenty of good feed in 

 that once favorite pond they are numerous in all this region, 

 or such seems to be the case now. A large house for the 

 accommodation of sportsmen and others is about lo be erect- 

 ed at Montauk, near the Great Pond, and the building of 

 several cottages is to take place in early spring ; at least such 

 is the report here. As the fowling, fishing, and snipe and 

 grouse shooting have been always so excellent there, it will 

 be a great resort for gunners, who have neglected the place 

 for the last few years. Isaao MoLellan. 



NEWS PROM RICHMOND. 



Richmond, Va., Dec. 3, 1881. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



We are now in the midst of the open season for hunting 

 quail and most of the other kinds of game in this State, and 

 the season will continue in the Eastern counties, embraced in 

 the tide- water seciion, till the first of February ; but the 

 past month, open in law and open in wealher, may be con- 

 sidered the height of the season. From this city many par- 

 ties have gone out on little excursions for a day, or for 

 several diys, in all directions in the coun'ry around, seeking 

 recreation and pleasure— not to speak of the profit— in the 

 most manly, noble and agreeable of sports that a gentleman 

 can engage in, viz , shooting quail, or partridges as tbey are 

 commonly called in this Stale. Ou one train one bright 

 morning we saw three separate parties, numbering two or 

 three persons in each, and the sight of their equipment, 

 bright English twists, and highly bred aud highly trained 

 setters and pointers, made the writer regret that a different 

 mission was taking him from the city. These parties all 

 got off at different stations short of thirty miles from the 

 city, and each of them, doubtless, had a fine day's sport, for, 

 on inquiry as to their luck on our return, we found that one 

 gentleman bagged twenty partridges that day, but he was an 

 exceptionally fine shot. 



Although there was a dry summer, and thus the conditions 

 favorable for breeding and raising, from all the information 

 we gather from several quarters, and from our own experi- 

 ence in the field, we find that birds are scarce. This is the 

 greatest obstacle to tile huntsman's sport; and while it affords 

 delight, not offered by any pastime or diversion that can be 

 named, to drop a partridge as it goes with " winged swift- 

 ness," following the likeness of lightning through the air, 

 when that pleasure is to be attained at the exp nse of weari- 

 ness of the flesh, hunger and seven leagues of booted land, 

 the amateur is much disposed to answer his friend who 

 presses him to go on such a pastime as did the Frenchman 

 his English bos', who thought to entertain him by proposing 

 a fox hunt, "Ah, Monsieur," said he "I have been." 



Whether an iuerease of this feathered tribe will be pro- 

 moted by stricter man-protective laws, or by traps and 

 snares set to catch the hawks, foxes and such enemies as 

 they have ever present with them ; or by both means, are 

 questions for discussion. Our own opinion is that nine 

 months out of twelve gives them sufficient "protection," 

 with a law as willingly obeyed as it ia here: but we think 

 that premiums should be placed upon hawks, bids and foxes' 

 scalps. 



There are many devotees of the gun and dog here, and 

 they are of a character for geutility and sterling business 

 qualifications that makes it thoroughly respectable; aud as 

 to dogs, great interest has been manifested within the past 

 few years, and, with the requisite training, many are owned 

 that would doubtless make their mirk at national benches or 

 trials. By the way, we dropped ia to see Mr. T. F. Taylor 

 to-day. He wa3 just back from the Eastern Field Trials at 

 Robbins' Island, where he had spent a delightful, though 

 laborious, week, acting as one of the judges. We are glad 

 to observe the high commendation so universally bestowed 

 upon the decisions of the judges at this Trial, and it is very 

 gratifying to Mr. Taylor's friends, considering how difficult 

 a matter it is to give anything like satisfaction to all ; but 

 we who know bim— how high-minded and conscienciousheis, 

 and how intimately ver«ed he ia in dog-lore — f eel that it must 

 needs have been so. Ctolops. 

 . .». ■ 



Kansas Large Game— Cimarron House. Cimarron, Gray 

 Co., Kan., Dec. 13.— This place is on the Atchison, Topeka 

 and Bunte Fe R. R., nineteen miles west of Dodge City, on 

 the north bank of the Arkansas River. With a field glass 

 almost every day anl.el'ipe can be seen from the hotel porch 

 coming in to water on the south side of the river. They are 

 bo plenty that I can buy carcasses at two dollars a piece, and 

 can kill one or more any day at the cost only of getting tired. 

 I saw forty in a day's hunt within ten miles of town last 

 week. I killed only one. I use a Winchester rifle — model 

 of '76— calibre .45, 60 grains of powder, straight Bhell. It 

 is the best antelope gun I ever owned. Twelve buffalo were 

 seen within the forty-miles limit on Dec. 2, but the aggra 

 vai ing things will get a little outside at times. They can be 

 found, however. Settlers on the Pawnee, 26 miles north, 

 kill mustangs occasionally to feed their dogs. There are 

 more than 1,000 wild horses within seventy-five miles of 

 Cimarron. Hunting buffalo is hard work and involves 

 camping out several nights on bare prairie, but you can hunt 

 antelope and camp at the hoteL—W. J. D. 



ON THE CHOICE OF A GUN. 



IT is a great mistake to believe that, in buying from a first- 

 class maker you are paying a fancy price for mere name. 

 You are really not doing so. The money represents the 

 actual vnlue of the gun, the prime cost of which leaves, at 

 the low prices of the present time, compared with those of 

 fifty or sixty years ago, a very unremunerative return. . . One 

 reason why some sportsmen fancy that fine guns aTe inordi- 

 nately dear, is the supposition that they are, or can be, made 

 in unlimited numbers. A high-class gun maker can no more 

 turn out an unlimited number of guns, than an artist can of 

 pictures, The moment he tries to increase his business by 

 undue means, down goes the quality. For a year or two he 

 flourishes and makes iarge profits; but Nemesis is at his heels. 

 His former reputation goes down with accelerating speed. 

 I write from fac's occurring from year to yesr, and am not 

 drawing a fanciful picture. Guns are simple things to look 

 at, but are far from being so in reality. Give ten men the 

 same materials and they will produce ten different guns in 

 quality, style, mount, apparent weight (!), and shooting 

 powers. I quote from a remarkably talented monograph on 

 breech-loaders by " Gloan." "it is no economy to buy a low- 

 priced gun, because it will soon become, useless. ... On the 

 question of price I hive some very decided opinions. To 

 my mind, there should be something higher to a sportsman 

 in his gun than a mere tool, wherewith he works. . . A fine 

 gun is the work of an artist. . . I advise the sportsman as to 

 the purchase of his gun — 'Let it be as ccstly as thy purse can 

 buy.'" 



Sportsmen art apt to fancy that gun-making is a free and 

 easy " sporting" kind of affair. It is, on the contrary, one 

 of the most exhausting and responsible of professions, many 

 gunsmiths breaking down in health in middle life in conse- 

 quence. — From Dongall's " Shooting : TU Appliances, Prac- 

 tice, and Purpose." 



A Ministbbial Game Dealer.— The Rev. Halsey W. 

 Knapp, of the Laight Street Baptist Church, has resigned his 

 pastorate. The members are anxiouB that he should con- 

 tinue, and have not yet accepted his resignation. Mr. Knapp 

 is a very remarkable man. Like Paul, "he labors with his 

 own bands, but his occupation is not like that of the apostle. 

 Mr. Knapp is a butcher and is to be found every morning 

 at his stand in Washington Market No better purveyor of 

 meats is there. What he does not know about turkeys and 

 beef is not worth knowing. In the afternoon he is doing 

 pastoral work or studying in his large and handsome library 

 at home. He is a good speaker and magnifies both callings.— 

 2feu York Observer. 



A Small Gun— Bergen Point, N. J., Dec. 15. —This piece 

 is a double-barreled breech-loading pin-fire shot-gun, SO bore. 

 The barrels, which are 24 inches long, are of the finest lam- 

 inated steel. The stock is of rosewood, rather short, and 

 very handsomely carved. The locks are also very finely en- 

 graved, as is the action, which is the original Lefaucbeux , 

 This gun formerly belonged to Prince Murat, of Bordentown, 

 who gave it to Dr. Coleman, of Trenton. It. is now in the 

 possession of Mr. B. T. Kissam, who claims that it is one of 

 the oldest breech-loaders in America. — C. N. D. 



A Pbactioal Suggestion— Perth Amboy, N. J., Dec., 

 1881. — Editor Forest and Stream: In the interests of game 

 preservation in this State allow me to suggest, through your 

 columns, that if those who have occasion to drive over 

 country roads at this season would carry a gun, they might 

 kill the large bawks, which are the quail's worst enemies. 

 Hawks do not seem to fetr a horse and wagon, and may be 

 easily approached and shot from a vehicle- The death 01 

 one hawk means the life of several coveys. — A Sportsman. 



Velooitirs of Rifle Bullet and of Sound — Bethle- 

 hem, Pa., Dec. 10- — Editor Potest and Scream: I notice in 

 your last edition a letter from Prof. A. M. Mayer, concerning 

 the velocities of rifle bullets. Allow me to add my experi- 

 ence. In 1878 I did some marking at long ranges, and 

 noticed that the bullet got to the target a trifle ahead of tha 

 sound, at 800 yards, just wiih it at 900 yards and at 1,000 

 there was less ihan one-half second difference between them, 

 the sound being ahead. — J. S. D. 



How to Kill Wounded Wildfowl.— In answer to the 

 inquiry of your correspondent " Bay Ridge," the best way 

 to kill wildfowl wounded in the head is to take the bird in 

 the left hand, placing the thumb and fore-finger under the 

 wings, just back of where they join the body, and bringing a 

 strong, steady pressure on the body. This will c tuse death 

 in a very short time, without ruffling a feather. — Earlybled. 



Bblnglng Down the Grizzlies.— Bozeman, Montana, 

 Dec. 7. — Have just come in from my annual hunt. I spent 

 a very enjoyable summer and fall. Killed twenty-four 

 grizzles, nineteen of them in a little over one month. I 

 killed what mountain bison, elk hnd mountain sheep were 

 required for meat and baits, I always pre f er to tackle bear 

 alone, as one man is as much as I care taking care of and 

 the above does not include any killed by my men. — P. 



Malden Gun Club— Maiden, Mass., Dec. 11, 1881.— At 

 the annual meeting of the Maiden Gun Club, Dee. 5, 1881, 

 the following officers were elected for the ensuing year. 

 President, F. T. Noble; vice-president, J. Bnffum ; secre- 

 tary, C. H. Lanergan ; treasurer, A. H. Jones. The club 

 numbers Borne forty-five members, and is in a flourishing 

 condition. — C. H. L. 



"I Know," said a little girl to her eldest sister's young man 

 at the supper-table, "that you will join our society for the 

 protection of little birds, because mamma says you are very 

 fond of larks." Then there was a silence, and the Liinburger 

 cheese might have been heard scrambling around in its tin- 

 box on the cupboard-shelf.— Norristown Her aid. 



In Issue Deo. 8th in article "Shooting Grouse on the 

 Wing," "once in a while I would kill one when an open 

 straightaway shot offered," was incorrectly printed "and in 

 a while;" "4£ drams Orange Lightning powder," was incor- 

 rectly put " charge Lightning." 



Cubbittok — Warrenton, Va., Dec. 19. — Have returned 

 from Currituck with nineteen other disgusted sportsmen. 

 Didn't average one duck a day apiece. Kxpenses $5 a day. 

 Query, does duck shooting pay ? — Chasseob. 



Fixjbida Paktt. — Companions for a Florida trip are de- 

 sired by a Philadelphia gentlemen, whose advertisement ap- 

 pears elsewhere. 



Th* Fob Maskbt Quotations are given on page 416. 



