FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



*35 



will get on to the jumping act of deer, by 

 the box bouncing up over the rows or hills. 

 For a driving shot walk through a corn 

 field where there are field pumpkins. 

 When you get to a hilltop kick a good 

 sized pumpkin down the hill. Get your 

 repeater ready- and try to plug the pump- 

 kin. Don't be in too much of a hurry, and 

 you will be surprised at your success. 



E. J. D. 



For a number of years I have been a 

 close reader and hearty advocate of Rec- 

 reation; and have gained many useful 

 hints, and read many pleasant articles in its 

 columns. 



It was in it I first saw the advertisement 

 of the Forehand Arms Co., and through it 

 I was enabled to secure one of the best 

 trap and field guns in America. It cer- 

 tainly surpasses any gun I have used, for 

 close and hard shooting at long range. 



In October Recreation I noticed an 

 article by Donnel, Springfield, 111., on 

 " How to Learn." This article gives what 

 I consider the best method of learning 

 wing-shooting. For 2 years I have been 

 using that method, with a few slight varia- 

 tions. I have added to Donnel's method, 

 the practice of shooting at light, loosely 

 wrapped paper balls, thrown in the air; 

 and have found it of great service in teach- 

 ing one to cover flying objects quickly. 



In this vicinity there is little field sport; 

 the game having been almost exterminated 

 by hogs and pot hunters. However, South 

 Carolina, especially Beaufort county, offers' 

 a vast field of sport to the true sportsman. 

 The hogs and pot hunters have no show in 

 that country. The land owners are careful 

 as to whom they give permits. The Georgia 

 legislature 2 years ago passed laws restrict- 

 ing the shooting of game; and the increase 

 of quail here is already noticeable. In a 

 few years more Chatham county will have 

 regained her former prestige as a sports- 

 man's paradise. 



James S. Estill, Savannah, Ga. 



TRAPPING BEARS. 



Albion, Mich. 



Editor Recreation: In April, 1895, my 

 old time friend Baker, and I, packed our 

 traps and camp equipage and started for 

 the wilds of Northern Wisconsin, after 

 bear. We located between the East and 

 West branches of the Sturgeon river. 



We soon got our traps out and caught 

 our first bear on the second day of May. 

 The next one was a yearling. We caught it 

 near camp, and the old she bear made 

 such a noise, that night, the boys stayed 

 close to the fire. The next morning I 

 found a large bear in a trap about 3 

 miles' below; and the way he had eaten 

 off trees and logs, and torn up the ground, 



would have surprised you. He had taken 

 the trap and clog and had climbed up some 

 trees nearly to the top; had broken and 

 torn off the limbs until the trees looked as 

 if some one had started a clearing there. 



When I came in sight he was hung up 

 under a big log. I raised my gun to shoot 

 him, when he flew for a big tree. When he 

 got up about 40 feet he stopped, and at the 

 crack of my repeater he dropped. 



He was caught by the hind foot, and had 

 a hard maple clog, about 12 feet long, at- 

 tached to the trap. He had made a des- 

 perate effort but could not get away. 



One night when Mr. Baker came to 

 camp I asked what luck? He said, 



" I have a barrel of bear, and a cinna- 

 mon at that. He is about like the silver 

 tip you got the other day " (referring to a 

 badger I had caught). " But this is a bear. 

 She was caught by 3 feet, and I found a 

 barrel, at a camp; took the trap off her 

 and fastened her in the barrel." 



We went after her and brought her 4 

 miles, to camp. She was a yearling bear 

 and had no trap on then. To get a chain on 

 her was the next thing. After trying several 

 experiments I finally caught her by the 

 ears and held her until Mr. Baker fastened 

 the chain on her and fastened her to a pole 

 close to our camp. It needed a third man, 

 with a kodak, to show the scene properly. 



We caught 7 bears and one wolf that 

 spring, and hope to do better next time. If 

 any reader of Recreation knows of a lo- 

 cation where bear are plenty we would like 

 to correspond with him. Recreation is 

 the best sportsmen's journal published. 



Wm. Dicer. 



GAME IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



The Eastern part of North Carolina is 

 being more favored than formerly by 

 devotees of the gun. This country is the 

 tide water section of the state. A level ter- 

 ritory, from 2 to 10 feet above tide water, 

 and intersected by numerous sounds, rivers 

 and creeks. Around these bays and rivers 

 are miles of waste land; in some places 

 open, in others, covered with a dense 

 growth of gum, cypress, juniper, etc. 

 Possibly 10 per cent, of the land is under 

 cultivation. On the waterways thousands 

 of swans, geese, brant, and wild fowl, of 

 every variety, are to be found feeding on 

 the shallow, grassy bottoms. The nearer 

 the coast the greater the numbers. On the 

 narrow strip of beach between sound and 

 ocean, good shooting, at shore birds, can 

 always be had. Coming inland, snipe and 

 woodcock are found; but there is so much 

 territory suitable for them, that good bags 

 are not often obtained. Deer, bears, coons, 

 foxes and squirrels, are here. Deer are 

 yet quite plentiful, but not increasing, ow- 

 ing to loose game laws. There are bears 

 in the heavy swamp, but it is extremely 



