FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



187 



the best fishing points on the river being 

 only half a mile from the hotel. 



The proprietor of the house, Jones, has 

 boats in all these eddies for the use of his 

 guests. The best months are July and Aug- 

 ust, although many fish are taken in Sep- 

 tember. The bass run from )/ z to 3 pounds 

 in weight. This season has been about up 

 to the average, an angler being usually 

 able to count on a dozen good-sized bass in 

 two hours fishing, a coat of sunburn 

 •and the pleasure of seeing some of the 

 prettiest scenery in the state. There are 

 several trout brooks in the vicinity, which 

 •in their season give the angler good sport. 



Ruffed grouse shooting is excellent here, 

 and from the number of birds now seen in the 

 wood there seems every indication of good 

 sport this fall. 



H. R Blakslee. 



Editor Recreation 



Corvallis, Oregon. 



In glancing over the pleasing April num- 

 ber of Recreation, I read with much inter- 

 est Mr. Leasure's article on breeding Mon- 

 golian pheasants, and beg to impart to him 

 •and other sportsmen the discovery that has 

 made all my experiments successful in the 

 artificial propagation of these game birds. 

 And really the manner of going about it 

 must be left largely to the ingenuity of the 

 breeder; but assuming you have the eggs 

 well placed under domestic hens, the next 

 thing is to build your coops and pens of 

 closely woven wire, to prevent the ingress 

 •of cats and rats, the natural enemies of the 

 birds. Bear in mind that the chicks must 

 have plenty of insects. Worms are my choice. 



One way of providing these is to place two 

 beef heads in a large box of loose earth, 

 partly covering them with same. Then let 

 the flies do the rest. Maggots will hatch and 

 burrow into the soil by the thousand. Then 

 feed, say, two quarts of earth daily, and see 

 the chicks scratch, feed and thrive. 



Another way : Procure two or more beef 

 hearts and suspend them in the cages by 

 wires through the apex a few feet from the 

 ground. They will soon be filled with wig- 

 glers, and a few taps with a stick on their 

 sun-glazed sides will cause the maggots to 

 drop to the ground, where a bunch of ex- 

 pectant, bright-eyed, hungry and alert young- 

 sters will be ready to receive them with open 

 mouths. 



Still another way : Procure two kegs, into 

 which table scraps, meat, etc., are dropped; 

 half-fill each. When alive with larvae, 

 feed a few dipperfuls to the chicks. By 

 alternating — feeding from one vessel while 

 the other is ripening — you will always have 

 plenty of the necessary food handy. 



This may seem an objectionable way of 

 obtaining grubs, but I know of no better or 

 surer way of producing good, wholesome 

 food for the chicks. By keeping the recep- 

 tacles partly covered, and dipping from the 



windward side, it is not so wretched as one 

 might suppose. 



This mode of feeding is absolutely in 

 sary until the young birds are able to eat 

 screenings, cracked wheat, boiled liver, et< .. 

 and a few spades of earth turned over at any- 

 time in their cage will produce an am us 

 scramble for the insects iherebv brought 

 to light. 



The chicks should have some (lose shrub- 

 bery in which to hide and to produce shade. 

 As they roost on the ground, the net t 

 for excluding the rats is obvious. 



• M. H. Kriebel, 

 Taxidermist and Collet lor. 



Helena, Mont. 



I am Chairman of the Board of < iame 

 and Fish Commissioners. We find it diffi- 

 cult to get the Boards of County Commis- 

 sioners to appoint game wardens. The 



sheriffs do not consider the enforcement of 

 the game and fish laws as part of their duties 

 unless a warrant is sworn out or they ai 

 tually see the parties violating the laws. 

 Politics, of course, is cutting quite a figure. 

 I have just had a rod and gun club organ- 

 ized in Lewistown, and have them started to 

 get a warden. Sent a man up about 

 two weeks ago for killing a deer nut 

 of season, and hope to have our laws 

 erally enforced before all the game 1- 

 killed off. The sportsmen of the state air 

 up in arms. If our present laws were en- 

 forced it would be worth several hundred 

 thousand dollars a year to this state. We 

 v/ould have one of the best game ami fish 

 states in America, for all time. Big Spring 

 creek, which a few years ago was full ol 

 trout, now has scarcely any, but the ckickens 

 are thicker than I ever saw them before 

 around here. 



You may make up your mind that my 

 subscription to RECREATION will t>< 

 newed. H. V. Kennett. 



Carbondale, t old. 



Fishing has been fairly good in the R 

 ing Fork and Crystal river the present 

 son, and several family camps have been 

 located up the latter stream for some 

 weeks. The season for grouse shooting 

 opens to-day and many a young chick 

 be brought to bag by those who are so foi 

 tunate as to enjoy an outing in the neigh 

 boring mountain^ 



Elk, deer and grouse may !><■ found in 

 and about Canal basin, the "muddy" Coun- 

 try and at the head of Thompson « reek. 



Dove shooting has been indulged in b) • 

 few of our local sportsmen. Mr. E. H. 

 Gruble, of Mt. Sopris Farm, has had sev< 

 shooting parties at his place, comj 

 friends from Aspen, Glenwood Spni 

 other points. J. H. SHI I khaki. 



WiIIonn ( ttjr, V !'. 

 The bird shooting -<-; t son opened ii 

 Dakota, August 20th, and will end 1 >- 



