FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 





I have a- friend in the raw fur business, in 

 New York City, who received, in one ship- 

 ment, about 2 years ago, 300 antelope hides 

 from a single skin hunter. This was, he 

 said, an unusually large consignment to 

 receive from one man. 



I was in his place, on another occasion, 

 and saw 140 bear skins he had received that 

 day. Of course these came from all over the 

 country, but as there are probably several 

 hundred other people in the raw fur business, 

 if they all receive corresponding shipments 

 it is easy to see the end or the big game. 



Mr. B. attacks my favorite sport, that of 

 shooting wild fowl over decoys. He claims 

 no sportsman would use them. I have 

 killed but little game, other than wild-fowl, 

 since '87, and can truthfully say, that if a man 

 take a 12-gauge gun and kill 15 or' 20 birds, 

 over stools, in a day's shooting, in this 

 vicinity, he must do good shooting. 



It requires in my opinion, far more judg- 

 ment and skill to shoot over decoys at this 

 place, than to shoot on a pass, or at a tank, 

 in the West and for the following reasons. 



First. We are lying in a boat, or a 

 battery, in a seaway, and must take into 

 consideration the up-and-down motion of 

 the boat; a very considerable item in a 

 heavy roll with the birds flying low. 



Second. As we shoot here, from 1 to 

 y/ 2 miles off shore, the birds are liable to 

 come in from all quarters, and though you 

 are cramped up in a small space, you must 

 be ready to shoot instantly, in any direction. 



Third, and most important. The birds 

 vary greatly in their speed, requiring 

 prompt judgment as to where to hold. For 

 instance, the first bird that comes up, may 

 come nicely and slowly to the decoys and 

 directly in front of you — an easy shot. The 

 next may come from behind you, see you 

 before you see him and get on a hustle at 

 the rate of 90 miles an hour, apparently. 

 Such a bird will test your skill to the utmost. 

 You seldom have two shots alike in succes- 

 sion. 



Now if shooting of this description don't 

 beat standing on a pass, or at a tank, and 

 banging into bunches, that are steadily fly- 

 ing, all day long, I am willing to admit Mr. 

 B. to be entirely correct in his statement. 

 We seldom have any flock shooting here, 

 but generally the birds stool singly or in 

 pairs. 



A. S. DOANE. 



Yale, B. C. 

 Editor Recreation: 



Mr. J. W. Moxley, a sportsman well known 

 irt this part of the country, tells an amusing 

 story of capturing a bear cub, in Montana. 

 He says: " In company with a man by the 

 name of Broadridge, who, by the way, has 

 an impediment in his speech, I was walk- 

 ing through the woods in search of game, 

 when we sighted abear cub, upasmall birch 

 tree. Wishing to capture it alive, I laid 

 down my rifle and climbed after it. The 

 cub climbed up until it reached a crotch, 



near the top, where, shoving its ghoul 

 through it took such a firm grip with both 

 fore legs, around the stem, that it defied my 

 utmost efforts to dislodge it by pulling on its 



hind legs. Of course the cub, during this 

 operation, was squealing lustiK nap- 



ping at everything within reach 50 I 

 did not dare reach near its forward part. 

 Finally the idea struck me that I could : 

 the tree over. I took a firm grip on both 

 hind legs and swung myself 1 lear of the 

 After swinging backward and for. 

 several times the tree bent over about 

 half way, and then would neither u r ' 

 down, a foot further, and [was .ded 



about 15 feet from the ground. 



"My companion now undertook to give me' 

 some advice. 



" ' S-s-stick t-t-to h-h-him, J-J-Jack ; h-h-he'll 

 s-s-soon p-play o-out. I)-d don't l-1-letfl 



'* By this time, between laughing a 

 ting tired, I let go. Thetree went back, and 

 threw the cub some distance in the opp< 

 direction. We tied it securely, and 1 p 

 ed it into camp, taking care to look over my 

 shoulder every few steps to see that the 

 mother did not suddenly appear, but she 

 never showed up." 



K. B. I 



Carritunk, Me. 



Editor Recreation: 



On Oct. 2 Mr. John Codman, -ton, 



with W. P. Forsyth, of The Forks, and my- 

 self as guides, started on the Arnold trail, at 

 Carrying Place, for Quebec The first 

 out we reached Big Carry Pond, Q 

 from the Kennebec. Oct. 3 we traveled 

 the Carry Mountain to Dead Kiv- 

 miles; then up the river 6 mil- 

 4 we continued up the rivei 

 Eustis, photographing all the impoi 

 places; Oct. 5 up the river to 1 

 where we found a piece of flint, sup 

 have been lost by Arnold. That 

 reached the Chain' of Ponds and 

 the Megantic Club camps, k » 

 remained at Chain of Ponds, pi I hing 



the ponds and s< enery then 



Oct. 7 we proceeded uptherii 

 Pond, the head-waters of Dead Riv< 

 we camped that night and all 1 

 on account of rain. At this 

 only hunting of the trip. I • 

 boy with Mr. Codman, wl 

 but did not succeed in getting cither. 

 Oct. 9 we went to Arnold Pond; tl 

 the Boundary Mountain to Rush I 

 Lake Megantic; up Spider I 

 gantic club-housi 

 hardest tramp of tin 



Heir v 

 his journey to I 

 home. 



We saw no n 

 caribou track, but 

 erous. Quite a number 

 killed 



