FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



*33 



while away the long winter nights (we now 

 see the sun only one hour a day) and the 

 first thing that met my eye was a copy of 

 Recreation. Being an old and enthusi- 

 astic sportsman I of course bought it, and 

 found great pleasure in reading it. In this 

 number (October) you say you are having 

 many inquiries as to the best way to go to 

 the mines, and the articles necessary for a 

 year's outfit, for one man. 



I am an old California miner, and have 

 also mined in Alaska. Am now wintering 

 here, on my way back to the mines. Per- 

 haps I can give your readers a few points 

 that will be useful and interesting. In the 

 first place a man should take nothing that 

 is not absolutely necessary; for interior 

 Alaska is utterly destitute of transportation 

 facilities. When you leave the water, every- 

 thing must be packed on your back, and 

 there are no trails nor roads. The flats and 

 bottoms are generally very brushy and 

 are covered with moss, from 6 inches to 

 a foot deep. Articles of necessity for 

 a year's supply are: 400 pounds flour; 

 100 pounds beans; 100 pounds bacon; 

 100 pounds sugar; 50 pounds rice; 100 

 pounds dried fruits; 25 pounds coffee; 5 

 pounds tea; one pound pepper; 10 pounds 

 salt; one dozen cans yeast powder; all wool 

 blankets 30 pounds; one good mackinaw 

 suit; 2 extra heavy undershirts; 2 extra 

 heavy overshirts, and drawers to match; 

 one suit ordinary woollen goods, for sum- 

 mer; 2 suits medium weight underwear; 

 one cap; 2 pairs good Yukon shoes, with 

 nails; 2 pairs good rubber boots; 1 pair 

 felt boots and overshoes; J /2 dozen heavy 

 socks; J /i dozen medium socks; one tent; 

 one Yukon stove; one hatchet; one axe; 10 

 pounds nails; one whip saw, oakum and 

 pitch, for making boat. 



I have seen kundreds of men coming to 

 Alaska, loaded down with things that were 

 absolutely useless, and that had to be 

 thrown away; but of all the useless things 

 lugged into Alaska, a 6 shooter and a big 

 belt, filled with cartridges, are the most 

 common and the most useless. The Indians 

 are perfectly harmless, and there are no 

 dangerous wild animals. A wolf is an ar- 

 rant coward and a bear will never fight 

 unless badly wounded, or unless she has 

 very young cubs and you come on her 

 suddenly. But of all the cowardly wild ani- 

 mals that roam the forests the cougar (or 

 California lion), whose unearthly scream 

 sends the cold chills down the back of the 

 tenderfoot, stands at the head; and I do 

 not even except the deer. 



In the country bordering on Juneau and 

 Sitka there are thousands of deer and 

 grouse. Last year I was 400 miles North- 

 west of Circle City; but found no deer, and 

 nothing in the way of game except moose, 

 mountain sheep and a few grouse and ptar- 

 migan. On all the tributaries of the Cop- 

 per, Kenai, Shushitna and Yukon may be 



found moose and sheep; but no deer. 

 Along the coast of Alaska there are thou- 

 sands of arms and inlets and all of them 

 are swarming with salmon, cod, halibut 

 and, in fact, with all kinds of salt water 

 fishes. In the interior of Alaska are thou- 

 sands of rivers, creeks and lakes, and all 

 are literally alive with trout, from the beau- 

 tiful Dolly Varden, 2 feet long, down to the 

 common brook trout, 6 inches long. 



From San Francisco to Dawson, via 

 St. Michaels, is nearly 5,000 miles; and 

 the journey consumes the best part of 

 the season. Over the Dalton trail the dis- 

 tance is 600 miles, and a rough mountain 

 trail. Over the Stickeen river route but 

 few have travelled. The distance, over the 

 pass, to head of water navigation, is 320 

 miles and the trail very boggy and hard to 

 travel. Over the Skaguay and Dyea trails 

 the distance is 30 and 40 miles respectively, 

 to head of the Yukon. Over the Dyea a 

 tramway is being built, and over the Skag- 

 uay, or White trail, both a tramway and 

 a good wagon road are being rapidly 

 pushed to completion. They will be open 

 for the spring travel and are only 4 miles 

 apart. These are really the only routes 

 worth speaking of, into the Yukon. I shall 

 go over in March, as I consider that the 

 best time to start. On the lakes the ther- 

 mometer is now (November 25th) about 30 

 below zero. 



J. W. Reese. 



WING SHOOTING. 



Editor Recreation: From time to time 

 we see methods of wing shooting dis- 

 cussed. Charles Lancaster, in his new 

 book, goes into the most minute details, 

 with explanatory cuts and diagrams, and 

 theoretically explains the whole business. 



They who have tried know how hard it 

 is to reduce theory to practice. No 2 per- 

 sons aim or shoot alike. Intuition is the 

 main factor. A few are born shooters. 

 For those who are not, there is no royal 

 road to proficiency. With a natural love 

 for hunting, persistent practice will bring 

 reasonable success. I do not mean to dis- 

 courage the beginner, when I say that I, 

 who have grown gray in the shooting 

 business, and used more ammunition than 

 most men see in a lifetime — am well satis- 

 fied if, in a day of upland shooting, I aver- 

 age 60 per cent. I have many times hunted 

 with the " never miss 'em " kind of gun- 

 ners, and invariably these invincibles 

 " never had such beastly luck," and were 

 continually forgetting the safety, etc., etc. 

 No set rules can be given. In a day's real 

 shooting, so many different conditions 

 arise, and with so little time for anything 

 but a snap shot, that " book larnin' " is 

 useless. Keep shooting! Keep shooting! 

 Don't let a bad miss, nor a dozen of them, 

 discourage you a bit. Keep your temper. 



