RECREA TION. 



429 



A GOOD MOTTO. 

 Potsdam, N. Y., April 1, 1895, 

 Editor Recreation : 



You are probably aware that we have had a 

 severe winter up in our country, with a great 

 depth of snow. The contrast between this spring 

 and last has been marked. A year ago the 

 10th of March, I took a ramble through the 

 fields and woods. The snow was gone, except 

 in sheltered places. Robins, bluebirds, black- 

 birds and song-sparrows, were numerous. I 

 lay on a sunny bank, picking wintergreen ber- 

 ries, with grasshoppers jumping all about me. 

 March 16th, this year, I took the same stroll, 

 but what a difference. Snow everywhere, in 

 some places six or seven feet deep. No voice of 

 bird was heard, except the occasional " caw " of 

 some straggling crow. I stood, with four feet of 

 snow beneath me, where the year before I picked 

 the berries. There was not even a "sap-fly," 

 to say nothing of grasshoppers. 



Spring began with us in earnest April 5th, and 

 the birds seemed to come all at once. On Friday 

 and Saturday I saw robins, bluebirds, song- 

 sparrows, crow blackbirds, red-wing blackbirds 

 (starlings), a blue heron, a hen-hawk, a pigeon- 

 hawk and two killdeer, or wring-neck plover. But 

 a moment ago, a killdeer flew over with that cry 

 which so thrills a true sportsman. The electric 

 lights seem to attract or bewilder them. Last 

 fall whole flocks of them would hover, for an 

 hour at a time, over the village at night. 



I feel as though I should like to grasp your 

 hand and bid you God speed in your fearless 

 efforts to arouse a proper sentiment against un- 

 sportsmanlike hunting, of whatever nature. To 

 my mind, a great missionary work is needed in 

 the midst of so-called sportsmen. I fail to see 

 the difference between a market, or pot hunter, 

 and a " sportsman," who goes out and wantonly 

 makes as large a bag as possible, giving away or 

 allowing to waste what the market hunter sells. 

 Why can't our sportsmen content themselves 

 with moderate bags? Can it not be said that 

 those only are worthy of the name " sportsmen" 

 who do thus limit themselves? 



Gray squirrels were unusually plentiful here 

 last fall, and one day, when out with a friend, I 

 bagged 13. I have felt guilty ever since. I 

 could go out on Saturdays only, and after that I 

 limited myself to five squirrels at each hunt, just 

 what we could readily use at my house. 



In these days of growing scarcity the motto 

 for game legislation should be : " Make it as dif- 

 ficult as possible for the man, and as easy as pos- 

 sible for the game." How it grates on one to 

 hear the weak argument advanced for hounding 

 and jacking deer, that there are many who would 

 not be able to shoot a deer if those two methods 

 were stopped ! Why, that is just what they are 

 crying for, something to keep the deer from 

 being shot, and yet they are not willing to accept 

 the only sensible remedy. He only is worthv of 

 the noblest game of our state who can go into 

 the bush, put his wits in fair contest against the 

 deer's, and win. All others may better stay in 

 camp and practice shooting at a mark or turning 

 flap-jacks. Stop hounding, stop jacking, and 

 with the other admirable features of the deer 

 law. the supply will be insured for generations. 

 Nor would there be any difficulty in securing all 



the venison a camp might need for use, which is 

 all that should be allowed. 



James M. Graves. 



CHANCE SHOTS. 



De Kalb, 111. 

 Editor Recreation. 



I have hunted in northern Michigan twelve 

 seasons, for deer and bear, and have had some in- 

 teresting experiences during these outings. Once, 

 when still hunting, I saw the hind legs of a deer; 

 the rest of the animal being hidden behind a bushy 

 sapling. I shot through the brush top, calculat- 

 ing to hit the deer's body. The first jump 

 showed that he was mortally wounded. His 

 ears were laid down on his neck and his tail 

 switched at every jump. He ran about 60 rods 

 before he dropped. I trailed him by the blood 

 and found him dead. 



At another time when traveling through the 

 woods with a pack on my back, I started two 

 deer. A sharp whistle stopped them in some 

 small hemlocks and all I could see was one white 

 flag. I aimed for the body and fired. I saw 

 from the commotion among the hemlocks that 

 the deer was down. I threw off my pack, went 

 to see what I had done and found I had broken 

 both legs on one side. In this condition the 

 deer would get its balance on the other side and 

 make some long jumps. I have often wondered 

 why nature gave the deer this white tail or flag. 

 It leads many to their death. I can now bring 

 to my mind several deer that I have killed and 

 which I should probably never have seen if they 

 had not hoisted their white flag. This seems 

 like a violation of nature's general laws, for, as 

 a rule, she is with the wild animal and against 

 the hunter. 



In my hunt last fall I made some observations 

 to try to learn whether or not the age of a deer 

 could be judged from its teeth, and am confident 

 that the same rule that applies to sheep will 

 apply to deer, i. e. , the centre pair of teeth are 

 shed at one year of age, and the larger teeth 

 take their place. At two years of age the second 

 tooth on each side is replaced by a larger one 

 and so on to the fourth year, when the deer has 

 a full set of new teeth. Any one who has made 

 a study of a sheep's mouth will readily under- 

 stand this. I believe the number of prongs on a 

 deer's horns prove his vigor and condition and 

 nothing more. I killed a six prong buck, last 

 fall, that I am confident was but two years old, 



P ast - H. B. Gurler. 



I have been a regular reader of all the period- 

 icals devoted to field sports and was never 

 pleased with any until Recreation came to my 

 notice. It has the proper ring, and its sanctum 

 sanctorum seems camp. Enclosed please find 

 check for $8, for which send Recreation, one 

 year, to each of the following personal friends. 

 [List inclosed.] d al r) E Weese. 



Canyon City, Colo. 



The only fault I find with Recreation is that 

 you don't publish it often enough. I read every 

 line — ads. and all — and then want more. 



J R. Painter, Phila., Pa. 



