xlvi 



RECREATION. 



A BELLIGERENT BUCK. 



The Black Dog mountain region in 

 Pennsylvania is reputed a great deer coun- 

 try. When I found opportunity to 

 spend 2 days there last fall -I thought 

 myself lucky. It snowed hard the first day 

 of my stay, but I spent the time in the 

 woods locating the feeding grounds. By 

 sunrise next morning I had 2 deer on the 

 move. When they crossed the first clear- 

 ing I was too far away to shoot. There 

 they separated, and I followed the largest, 

 a 5-prottg buck. I trailed him hours, over 

 mountain after mountain. Then he began 

 to lag, thinking probably that I was not so 

 dangerous as he had at first supposed. 

 Finding he was heading through a long 

 ravine, I made a detour, and waited for 

 him at the other end. 



He came in view about 70 yards <tway 

 and I fired, breaking his shoulder. He fell. 

 I waited a few minutes, ready to give him 

 another shot if he needed it. As he did 

 not move, I approached him, laid down 

 my gun, and drew my knife. I again 

 moved forward, and, to my amazement, he 

 sprang up and charged me. I dodged be- 

 hind a tree, but seeing one of his forelegs 

 / was useless, I grabbed him by the horns. 

 During the tussle I was dragged hopelessly 

 far from my gun, and at last he broke 

 loose. I moved to get nearer, and again 

 he charged. I caught him once more by 

 the horns, and by his wounded foreleg. 



There we were again. I had the buck 

 and he had me. I had dropped my knife, 

 and dared not loosen either grip, lest my 

 game escape. As far as I knew, there 

 was no one else on the mountain ; but my 

 only chance was to yell, and I yelled my 

 best. 



The farm-house at which I was stopping 

 was over a mile away. Nevertheless, 2 of 

 the boys heard me, and, after a time that 

 seemed weeks, came to my assistance. 

 They held the buck while I knifed him, and 

 we 3 had all we could do to hang him up. 

 His head now adorns my parlor, but when 

 I think of all my work and the taxider- 

 mist's bill, I sometimes think he was hardly 

 worth it. 



S. A. McDonald, Harrisburg, Pa. 



Will someone explain why the so-called 

 shot gun smokeless powder can not be used 

 in a rifle? Also, why smokeless can not 

 be used in a muzzle loader? Gunmakers 

 once said the same of black powder, yet the 

 best shooting I ever did was with a fine, 

 high grade of rifle powder in a muzzle 

 loading shot gun. 



M. E. B., Belleplain, N. J. 



I received the Forehand revolver. It was 

 like finding it. It is a good shooter and 

 is all right. 



R. Harrocks, Fonda, N, Y, 



THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO DATE. 



My experience is that a cinnamon bear 

 will not fight under any circumstances. 

 Even in a trap he will whine like a big 

 pup. They grow large, and powerful, and 

 are destructive to cattle, but have no 

 stomach for a scrap. The silvertip is al- 

 ways ready and dangerous until dead. 



Last fall while camping on Elk creek, 

 Routt county, Colo., we named the place 

 the Garden of Eden, because there were 

 acres and acres of red raspberries, June 

 berries, choke berries and wild grapes. 

 The trout were all one size, 12 inches long. 

 Deer were plentiful, grouse abundant, and 

 there was enough mineral in sight to please 

 an old prospector. There were a few wood" 

 ticks, but no snakes. While in camp there, 

 a party of 9 mail clerks from Omaha came 

 along, and the sight of a fine buck strung 

 up beside the tent and a string of a dozen 

 fish just from the water, set them almost 

 wild. In order to start them off right we 

 gave them a ham of venison for supper, 

 it being late in the evening. We heard 

 nothing more of the boys until the next 

 night when they came by the camp again, 

 footsore and tired, but with no deer. We 

 furnished more venison. Fortunately one 

 of their party was an angler, and brought 

 in plenty of trout. The third evening along 

 came the boys again, empty handed. We 

 offered them a hindquarter for supper, 

 whereon the leader modestly remarked, 



"To with your meat ; if we can't kill 



enough, we'll starve." They broke camp 

 next morning and went down on White 

 river, where it was reported there were 

 more deer. 



There is only one camera for a hunter, 

 an Eastman No. 3. With a 30-40 carbine, 

 a Kodak and a prospector's pick, a camp 

 among game, fish and wild fruits, a mat- 

 tress of pine boughs and a clear conscience, 

 what more could one desire? We are go- 

 ing again next year, and we shall not for- 

 get the pick either. Our last assay ran $92 

 to the ton. 



Sam Stevens, Cripple Creek, Colo. 



Until last fall I used a 30-30 Winchester 

 for deer hunting. Then, inspired by an 

 article in Recreation, I bought a 25-35. 

 With it I crippled a doe and a 10-prong 

 buck, and as there was no snow on which 

 to track them, I lost both. The doe was 

 running at full speed and was hit, I should 

 judge, in the flank or hind quarter. She 

 fell, but rose unsteadily and disappeared 

 before I could tire again. The buck was 

 struck in the shoulder and fell to his knees. 

 They are the only wounded deer I ever 

 lost, and I feel sure that had I had a 30 I 

 would have secured both. I traded the 

 25 for a 30-40, and the next deer I shot did 

 not run 100 feet. I want a lighter gun 

 for my next hunt, but am undecided 

 whether to buy a 30-30 carbine or a 38-55. 

 Should be glad to have your readers ad- 

 vise me. A. Huff, Minneapolis, Minn. 



