FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



121 



THE MUSIC OF THE CHASE. 



In January Recreation 1 saw an article 

 on coon hunting, by O. M. Arnold, which 

 interested me exceedingly. 



Mr. Arnold says he never fancied hounds 

 for this sport, as he found them too apt 

 to run the back track. He also says, their 

 power of discrimination is not good. I 

 have had considerable experience with 

 hounds in coon hunting and have found 

 them satisfactory in every way. I do not 

 believe a really good hound will run a 

 back trail far. I have a pair of well bred 

 foxhounds which are used exclusively for 

 this sport, and their power of discrimi- 

 nation is wonderful. 



The reason a coon in front of a hound, 

 be the dog fast or slow, invariably takes 

 a large tree is easily explained. The 

 hound, as we all know, gives tongue freely. 

 The coon hearing this, is enabled to keep 

 his pursuer located ; and with that advan- 

 tage, can usually select his route and judge 

 his distance well. With a collie it is an 

 entirely different matter. He follows the 

 trail silently and does not yelp until he 

 sights the coon. Thus the game is often 

 taken unaware and makes for the nearest 

 tree, be it large or small. One might 

 possibly bag more game with a collie, but 

 to us who love the music of the chase, 

 give the hounds. 



Marcus A. Ide, Catonsville, Md. 



ducks any decent man may kill in a day to 

 25 at the outside. — Editor. 



THE CANVASBACK KING. 



A subscriber having called my attention 

 to the doings of Tilman Lewark, called by 

 a local paper "the canvasback king of Co- 

 rolla, N. C.," I wrote that person asking if 

 it was true that he had killed 300 ducks in 

 a day, as reported. He replied as follows : 



There is some mistake in the number of 

 ducks I am reported to have killed ; but 

 I have made some big bags in a short time. 

 Once I killed 101 ducks with 117 shells, 

 which were all I had with me. Another 

 time I shot 140 ducks in a few hours. 

 Shooting has been fine on Currituck sound 

 this season. If there is other informa- 

 tion I can furnished you, I shall be pleased 

 to do so. 



Tilman Lewark, Corolla, N. C. 



It is not necessary that you should fur- 

 nish me any further information. Your 

 present letter convicts you of being a dis- 

 reputable butcher, and it is because you 

 and a lot of other swine have been per- 

 mitted to carry on this kind of slaughter 

 along the North Carolina coast for years 

 past that the ducks and geese of the whole 

 Eastern country are now nearing total ex- 

 termination. I hope your Legislature will 

 soon enact a law that will put such brutes 

 as you in jail and limit the number of 



TWO MORE FROM NEW JERSEY. 

 W. E. Horner, Jr., a game dealer, and Hansel 

 Parker, both residents of Parkertown, N. J., said 

 to be the best wing shots of that vicinity, recently 

 killed 84 ycllowleg plover in one day's shout- 

 ing. Old-time hunters believe this is the high 

 record for 2 men in one day's hunt. — Exchange. 



To my inquiries as to the truth of above 

 report I received the following replies: 



It is true we killed 84 large yellowleg 

 plover in one day. If you care to insert it 

 we will get up a nice piece about it for 

 you to publish in your paper, and we will 

 buy a number of copies. 



W. E. Horner, Jr., Parkertown, N. J. 



Yes, we 2 killed 113; 84 plovers and 29 

 small birds. Please send me one of your 

 papers. 



Hansel Parker, Parkertown, N. J. 



Thus you announce yourselves mem- 

 bers of the great army of American game 

 hogs. No decent man would have killed 

 more than 15 of these birds in a day no 

 matter how many he might have the chance 

 to kill, and inasmuch as you have exceeded 

 that number you have proclaimed your 

 swinish proclivities. If after reading this 

 you want a dozen copies of Recreation to 

 distribute among your friends I will gladly 

 send them to you free of charge. Never 

 mind the ''piece." — Editor. 



PENNSYLVANIA INTERESTED. 

 Though I have read Recreation but a 

 short time, I realize that I can not afford 

 to be without it. Your magazine is the 

 best sportsmen's journal published, and I 

 have read them all. I congratulate you on 

 your good work for the protection of game, 

 and note with ever increasing pleasure the 

 interest manifested in your labors. Owing 

 to mild and open winters, together with 

 the growing disposition to enforce the 

 game laws, I am pleased to be able to 

 report a noticeable increase in the number 

 of our game birds. The woodcock, how- 

 ever, is gradually disappearing from the 

 swamps where once good bags might be 

 secured. This condition is probably the re- 

 sult of the pernicious law permitting the 

 killing of the birds in July. The Lycoming 

 Sportsmen's Association of this county, 

 organized less than a year ago, has al- 

 ready secured the arrest and conviction of 

 several persons charged with having deer 

 in their possession over and beyond the 

 15 days allowed by law, the fines amounting 

 to $100 and costs, each, for the 4 or 5 indi- 

 viduals concerned. We are further as- 

 sured that something will be doing in 

 this vicinity next fall. 



Ermin F. Hill, Hughesville, Pa. 



