FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



i\1 



if he came up to his mark; if not, I would 

 take all he should kill. 



He agreed to this, and one afternoon, a 

 few days later, we, with Ed., started for the 

 sunflower field. With 25 shells each in our 

 pockets we invaded the place. My op- 

 ponent was given the right side, Ed. the 

 centre, whilel took the left. It was " bang 

 — bang — bang"; and so close together 

 came the shots that one could not tell what 

 the other shooters were doing. 



After 5 or 6 reports from the right side 

 of the field, I heard my opponent say that 

 he did not want any doves anyway. On 

 returning to the buggy, it looked very 

 much that way. Ed. had 13 birds, I 12 and 

 our friend only 4 — and all of his shells were 

 gone! Ed. and I were generous with him, 

 however, and gave him enough birds to 

 make a presentable looking bag. 



B. F. Williams. 



I am heartily in favor of the enactment 

 of laws, in all the states, prohibiting the 

 sale of game at all times. I announced this 

 proposition 20 years ago and have urged it 

 ever since. I also favor the enactment of 

 laws forbidding the killing of female ani- 

 mals, at all times. Editor. 



WASHINGTON GAME NOTES. 



Lake Cushman, Wash. 



Editor Recreation: Another warm, 

 open winter, with little hunting and no 

 slaughter of game, either furred or feath- 

 ered, gives us great promise of fine shoot- 

 ing during the summer and fall, while an 

 unusually full berry crop makes a large bear 

 supply a certainty. There are more broods 

 of ruffed grouse, and blue or dusky grouse, 

 than ever before known; while all signs in- 

 dicate a prolific year for deer and elk. A 

 herd of the latter, numbering between 20 

 and 30, have " springed " within 5 miles of 

 here. Judging from the signs they are all 

 cows and calves. 



Our populistic solons, in Olympia, have 

 drawn up and passed an excellent game 

 law, with one proviso which will render 

 the whole inoperative. They prevent the 

 killing of large game, except during Sep- 

 tember, and prohibit all killing of quail and 

 Mongolian pheasants until 1900. A final 

 clause, however, provides that ranchers and 

 prospectors may kill at any time, for their 

 own use, and as anyone, by stretching the 

 truth a little, can be a rancher or a pros- 

 pector, I fear there will be general killing 

 all the year around. Sportsmen, and those 

 who kill game for legitimate use save far 

 more game, by helping to exterminate 

 wolves, cougars and wildcats, than they de- 

 stroy in hunting. 



We all believe a law prohibiting the kill- 

 ing of any female deer, at any time of the 

 year, and an entire prohibition of the sale 

 of game, at any season, would do more to 

 protect our game than anything else could; 

 and we hope you will join us in an effort 

 to bring about the enactment of such a law. 

 It is the market and hide hunters who do 

 the mischief — not the sportsmen nor the 

 ranchers. F. J. Church. 



AMONG THE OZARKS. 



Galena, Mo. 



Editor Recreation: Among the droop- 

 ing cedars, and stately oaks, in the some- 

 what isolated district of Stone county, Mo., 

 can be found one sportsman who will at 

 any time "jine ye" for a day or so, to 

 hunt the wary buck or to cast for the gamy 

 bass. Having spent the greater part of my 

 life in the cities of the West, with only an 

 occasional day to call my own, I resolved 

 to settle where game and fish were abun- 

 dant, and where, without limit, I could put 

 in the time at my own sweet will. So 

 among the beautiful hills and rugged 

 Ozarks I established my camp. 



To the South, 20 miles away, winds the 

 beautiful White river, famous for its fish. 

 At our very door ripples the clear and 

 limpid James fork of the White, noted for 

 jack salmon, speckled bass and big- 

 mouthed bass. 



The great " White bluff," near us, rises 

 perpendicularly 400 feet from the water's 

 edge; while the "Virgin bluff," 12 miles 

 South, rears its rocky crown 700 feet above 

 the river, overhanging so that, in passing 

 in boats, the top cannot be seen. 



In September let a party take canoes, at 

 Galina, on the James, and, with rod and 

 spoon, float 100 miles to the mouth of the 

 stream. The scenery is grand the entire 

 distance, but as the rapid current carries 

 you on, do not forget to cast your spoon 

 into the shadow of some old bowlder, for 

 there lie the gamiest of bass, and they will 

 fight you to a finish, too. 



It will take at least 4 days to make the 

 trip to the mouth of the James. Then, en- 

 tering White river, take a run of 2 days, 

 landing, at supper-time the second day, at 

 the home of Hon. H. C. Thomas, who is 

 one of the boys. 



After this 6-day run, you will be only 18 

 miles from the point of starting. Be loaded 

 now for a hunt back. The national birds 

 (according to Recreation for May), tur- 

 keys, are plentiful and at this season are 

 full grown. Then again, if birds are too 

 small, you can find deer frolicking in the 

 cedar woods, adjacent to the streams. 



This country, not many years ago, was 

 full of deer. A man told me, a short time 

 since, he had seen 75 skins of deer, killed by 

 one man, and the hide of the first killed was 

 hardly dry. Think of such destruction sim- 

 ply for the hides! No law can be too severe 

 on such men; but, thanks to the last Mis- 



