RECREA TION. 



3i9 



On January 24th, I had a remarkable experi- 

 ence while hunting grouse on the brushy islands 

 in the Platte river. A heavy snow was falling, 

 and as I neared the river bank, I noticed a small 

 covey of grouse fly out on to the island. I at 

 once followed them. Crossing a few narrow chan- 

 nels on the ice, I stepped up on a large island, 

 only to see the grouse rise, 150 yards away. I 

 crouched in the brush, thinking perhaps I could 

 get a shot at a straggler, but was disappointed. 

 They flew down the river nearly half a mile. 

 Noting the location, I was about to follow them, 

 when I heard a slight noise to my left. I glanced 

 around and, to my surprise, there was a gray 

 wolf, watching me closely, with apparently no 

 intention of moving on, 



I was armed with only a 12-gauge shotgun, 

 loaded with 31 grains Walsrode powder and No. 

 4 Raymond chilled shot. Without a thought of 

 the killing power of my gun, it went to my 

 shoulder, and I fired at the rapacious animal's 

 face. Had I waited to think that this savage 

 carnivora successfully attacks full grown cows 

 and horses — being of the species cants occiden- 

 talism or American gray, I perhaps would have 

 made tracks for the river, with Mr. Wolf's con- 

 sent. But the shot was fired, and that at 36 

 yards. I afterwards measured the distance. 



The effect of that shot was truly wonderful. 

 The wolf immediately commenced a series of the 

 flightiest leaps and jumps 1 ever saw. He inva- 

 riably struck plum brush, which retarded his 

 progress in an aimless set of movements. Sud- 

 denly, however, he plunged off from the island 

 on to an ice u channel where, in six inches of 

 snow, he began running at reckless speed, switch- 

 ing his bushy tail, growling and snarling. With 

 open jaws he came right past me, at about 18 or 

 20 yards. Having reloaded the empty chamber, 

 I now gave him two broadside charges of Wals- 

 rode and Raymond, which made him stagger 

 perceptibly. Here he again took to the island, 

 and after going pell mell over the brush for 

 about 40 yards, I found him dying. I then fully 

 understood the cause of his frantic demonstra- 

 tions. The first shot had put out one eye en- 

 tirely and injured the sight of the other. Secur- 

 ing a team, I took him to the house, where, with 

 the assistance of a friend and "kindred spirit," 

 I carefully skinned the wolf and held an autopsy. 

 We discovered that two pellets had reached the 

 heart, which were, of course, fatal. The shot in 

 the face struck against the skull. Some of them 

 were mashed as flat as if they had been fired 

 against a plate of steel. I consider the penetra- 

 tion of the 31-grain charge of Walsrode extraor- 

 dinary, and could I not prove the facts as above 

 set forth, would hesitate to give them publicity. 

 My gun is a Remington, with decarbonized steel 

 barrels, and I doubt if there is ,a better in the 

 market. 



I am tanning the hide of the wolf with a view 

 to having it mounted for a rug, and I need not 

 say that I am proud of it. 



During the season for goose shooting, which 

 is at its best here in November, I enjoyed the 

 association of numerous friendly sportsmen, two 

 of them being Messrs. Mechling and McKenzie, 

 of Denver, Col. We had some fine sport in- 

 deed, and bagged several dozen of the wary 

 Canadians. Special features of that hunt were 

 Mechling's perfect manipulation of a Spencer re- 



peater with which he did some remarkably good 

 shooting, killing ducks and geese at very long 

 ranges, and McKenzie's killing three geese at 

 one shot with his new ejector gun. 



While it seems odd to be away out here, 40 

 miles from a railroad, I confess that I hesitate to 

 rejoin the rushing business world, with only an 

 occasional outing, and to leave this beautiful 

 valley, with its game. 



GAME NOTES. 



Unwelcome Camp Visitors. 



Allegheny, Pa. 

 Editor Recreation : 



Most men who have hunted in upper Michi- 

 gan have had visits to their camps from the 

 solemn porcupine. These often eat pack straps, 

 moccasins, shoes, etc. ; but their greatest de- 

 light seems to be to sit in an old box, at night, 

 and gnaw away so that no one can sleep. Then 

 you rise, in your indignation, seize a club and 

 knock him into the middle of last week. 



A more frequent visitor is the skunk. When 

 you find him in your tent you vacate at once, 

 and begin to plan how to get him out without 

 raising an odor. I remember when five of 

 us were hunting deer. We had pitched our tent 

 at the base of a hill and made a back log of 

 a great pine that had fallen. We were sitting in 

 front of the fire taking our night cap smoke, 

 when we heard something rattling back of the 

 tent, and to our amazement, a tin can came 

 walking round toward the fire. It made our 

 eyes stick out, for a moment; but we soon saw 

 the cause. A skunk had got his head in the can. 

 He headed towards the fire, but passed it safely, 

 struck the big log and crawling up on it made 

 towards the hill, but turned and ran back on the 

 log until he reached the fire. Then he got con- 

 fused, and after whirling around a few times, fell 

 into the fire. In a minute the air was full of a 

 terrible odor of musk and burnt hair. Out of 

 the fire came the skunk and made straight for the 

 tent. We all took to the swamp, Fortunately 

 the skunk missed the tent again ; then we got a 

 ofun and finished him. K. 



New Whatcom, Wash. 



I expect to make another trip into the moun- 

 tains this coming spring, after goats, in order to 

 obtain a hide in prime condition. The hair is 

 very long at this time of year. There will prob- 

 ably be only two of its, and I think that, on ac- 

 count of snow, we will have to be our own pack 

 horses. Pretty tough work, but the appetite it 

 gives one makes up for the hardship. Have done 

 considerable packing in this country during the 

 past seven years, and am growing accustomed to 

 it, although I dislike to go above 50 pounds, and 

 think I prefer 40. I use a sleeping bag alto- 

 gether when in the mountains, and I have 

 fallen in love with it. Mine is the kind, I be- 

 lieve, you recommend — sheep's wool inside and 

 waterproof canvas outside. 



J. S. Stangroom. 



Mr. H. T. Folsom and party, Orange, N. J., 

 got four moose in Nova Scotia, in November 

 last. 



