FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



119 



an investigation that will unearth the "nig- 

 ger in the woodpile," and we can then rest 

 assured there will be less politics than there 

 now is in the Commission. I am working 

 up a case against one of the wardens, and 

 as I have had some experience in breaking 

 up such rings I hope to succeed with this 

 one. I have been through a section of 

 the Adirondacks where still-hunting can 

 not be carried on without snow, yet we 

 read in every county paper of deer having 

 been shot at this or that lake, or pond, 

 and by women, too. We are expected to 

 believe it was done legally. I have writ- 

 ten the Commission one letter, and I am 

 collecting evidence against a notorious lot 

 of violators who se to be protected by 

 the warden, for it is well known that they 

 hunt openly, and wherever they wish to 

 hunt ; that they buy, sell and trade, and 

 that they exchange dogs with other parties 

 who think immunity lies in not using the 

 same dogs all the time. The breeding of 

 fine deer dogs is as much of an industry 

 as ever, and prices are as high as before 

 protection was instituted. The protection 

 given the deer is like the protection af- 

 forded the public of New York city by 

 the police, and a searching investigation 

 would furnish some startling facts. The 

 parties who hunt at Underwood, New 

 pond, Clear pond, the Boreas waters, 

 and Newcomb, are doing it illegally. The 

 entire Southern section of the Adirondacks 

 lacks efficiency in its force of wardens, and 

 the practice of conducting a still-hunt 

 when investigating a violation of the law 

 is wrong in principle and effect. The pub- 

 lic knows nothing of the results, and it is 

 believed by many of the law-abiding resi- 

 dents of the region that few convic- 

 tions are ever obtained. If any are, .the 

 fines are not divulged publicly, but you are 

 led to believe that Mr. "A." had to pay a 

 big fine ! It is such privacy that has led 

 the people to believe the Commission is not 

 doing its duty unless forced to do it, and 

 then only reluctantly. 



Adirondack, North Granville, N. Y. 



A SHAMEFUL SLAUGHTER. 



BERKELEY.— The coating of oil on the 

 waters of the bay which last week caused 

 many ducks to fall into the hands of Alameda 

 hunters in the vicinity of Bay Farm island, has 

 drifted Northward to the West Berkeley shore. 

 Numbers of ducks that have become entangled in 

 the viscid fluid are being slaughtered by Berkeley 

 boys. Carlisle Coey, Joseph Rose, William Con- 

 nolly and P. Carcot killed 64 ducks with stones 

 and clubs in one day near Sheep island. — San 

 Francisco Chronicle. 



When the above clipping was sent me 

 I wrote the persons mentioned, asking 

 for their version of the affair. One of 

 them answered as follows : 



J do not know the cause of it, but the 



waters of San Francisco bay are often 

 covered with tar oil. Ducks while feeding 

 become covered with the oil, and go to 

 the beach to rid themselves of it. On the 

 occasion mentioned Wm. Conley, Jas. Rose 

 and I were fishing near Sheep island. 

 Landing there, we found a number of 

 ducks on the shore, picking and cleaning 

 themselves. They were so dirty we could 

 not tell what they were until we killed 2 

 with clubs. When we found they were can- 

 vasbacks we went around the island, kill- 

 ing as many as we could with sticks and 

 stones. None of the birds could fly, but 

 many took to the water and escaped in 

 that way. We got 64. 



Carlisle Coey, Berkeley, Cal. 



It is a great pity that some able bodied, 

 fearless man did not happen along at that 

 time to give you boys what you deserved. 

 You should first have had a few good birch 

 rods worn out on you. Then you should 

 have been undressed, painted with a thick 

 coat of tar oil with a heavy top-dressing of 

 feathers from the ducks you slaughtered 

 rubbed into it ; after which you should 

 have been marched home through the prin- 

 cipal streets of your town with placards 

 on your backs, printed in large tyne, "Game 

 Hogs." If you could have had such a visi- 

 tation of justice as this and such an ex- 

 posure to public gaze, you might possibly 

 have realized the enormity of your offense. 

 — Editor. 



A REVEREND GAME HOG. 



Enclosed is a clipping taken from our 

 daily paper. This is what I call slaughter 

 of the worst kind and each man should be 

 fined $50 or a year in jail. 



B. B. R, Decatur, 111. 



Six hundred and ninety-two rabbits and 270 

 quails were the result of one day's hunting around 

 Lovington. The game will be served at a 

 big supper for the benefit of the Christian 

 Church, of which Rev. F. C. Overbaugh is the 

 pastor. It is not expected that all this game 

 will be eaten, but the rabbits that are left over 

 will be sold and the quails will be given away, it 

 being against the law to sell them now. 



The final arrangements for the contest were 

 completed Monday. A. Hoots was selected cap- 

 tain of one side and William Hefner the other. 

 These captains selected 20 men, and they started 

 in opposite directions. 



When the hunters returned to town the people 

 were astonished at the success of their under- 

 taking. The record follows: 



Heffler Party — 



Rabbits 363 



Quails 132 



Hoots Party — 



Rabbits 329 



Quails 138 



Total 962 



The HefHer party was victorious by a narrow 

 margin of 16 points. It was the greatest hunt 

 ever known in this section of the State. — Decatur 

 (111.) Herald. 



