FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



119 



of fellows who keep ferrets ostensibly for 

 hunting rats, but who do little of that kind 

 of hunting with them. On the contrary, 

 these men sneak out and put the ferret into 

 a rabbit burrow whenever and wherever 

 they can find one. Many of them try to 

 keep their dirty work secret; but they are 

 not always successful. Murder will out, 

 and this is the meanest and lowest of all 

 kinds of murder. 



Many men who use ferrets do not even 

 give the rabbit a chance to run, and then 

 shoot him as he goes. They hold a gunny 

 sack over his burrow and let him run into 

 this. Then they take him out and smash 

 his head with a club. A man who would 

 do this would steal chickens or horses if 

 he were not afraid of being caught at it 

 and sent to jail. 



There is a wide difference between a 

 man who puts a dog in the field for birds, 

 and shoots them when they take to wing, 

 and one who hunts rabbits with ferrets. 

 Of all shooting done this way, it is safe to 

 say 2/3 of the shots are misses, and the 

 birds get safely away. What chance does 

 the poor rabbit stand when a game hog 

 sends a ferret into his den and holds a 

 gunny sack over the other hole? 



I trust that when you think of the mat- 

 ter in this light you will approve my an- 

 swer to the Ohio ferret breeder, and that 

 you may decide to quit the business. — 

 Editor. 



LOOK OUT FOR THIS MAN. 

 A fur dealer and taxidermist in Salt Lake 

 City, Utah, sends out a circular letter to 

 hunters from which I quote: 



We have had many inquiries as to possibility and safety 

 of shipping game heads out of the State. Below we quote 

 some remarks on the subject which may be found useful to 

 uneasy* parties. We wish to state, however, that up to 

 this date not one shipment sent direct to us, or otherwise, 

 has ever been stopped or brought trouble of any kind to 

 shippers. Simply keep discreet. Do not advertise your 

 business. 



First, pack in tight box ; second, forward by freight, 

 classified as household goods or such ; third, let not your 

 name appear as shipper, use a fictitious one, so in case of 

 possible trouble it cannot be traced back to you ; fourth, 

 be sure to prepay freight charges, otherwise the charges 

 would have to be guaranteed by a responsible party and 

 your identity thence known : fifth, our name and business 

 being in general familiar to railroad agents and others, 

 address the box to some fictitious name (John F. Simpson, 

 or such, Salt Lake City,) but be sure to mail us at once the 

 bill of lading or receipt to identify and enable the man we 

 send to claim shipment as the proper party to deliver to. 

 Also state in your letter to whom and where to send 

 remittances. 



(Hundreds of choice game heads of all kinds, when once 

 shot, are permitted to spoil continually. A golden har- 

 vest can be earned without hurt or detriment to anyone or 

 I thing.) 

 Here is a case that requires careful watch- 

 ing on the part of game wardens, ex- 

 press agents and others. I have placed 

 this matter in the hands of the Hon. John 

 Sharp, Chief Warden of the. Utah division 

 of the L. A. S., and have requested him 

 to take energetic measures to apprehend 



this man and to require him to answer 

 before the courts for thus advising people 

 to violate the law. It is likely this man 

 will soon have cause to regret his brazen 

 attempt, not only to break the law but to 

 induce others to do so. 



I trust every friend of game protection 

 in Utah, Nevada, California and Colorado 

 especially will watch this man and do 

 everything possible to catch him or any of 

 his dupes. 



I have written him as follows: 



Dear Sir: An officer of the United 

 States Government, who has recently re- 

 ceived a package of circulars from you, 

 sends them to me, and requests me as 

 president of the League of American 

 Sportsmen to take measures to appre- 

 hend you and to have you punished for 

 your brazen and reprehensible efforts to 

 violate the game laws, and induce others 

 to do so. I am astonished to learn that 

 any business man of the prominence to 

 which you aspire would be guilty of such 

 conduct. I have placed the matter in the 

 hands of the Postmaster General of the 

 United States, and have requested him to 

 take such action in the matter as he may 

 deem proper. I think you will find that in 

 using the United States mails in this way 

 you have placed yourself liable to spend 

 some months and possibly some years be- 

 hind the bars. 



Furthermore, I have instructed the 

 Chief Warden of the Utah Division of the 

 L. A. S. to watch you and your agents, 

 and to secure such evidence against you 

 or them as may be possible. I hope he 

 may soon succeed in bringing you before 

 your local courts to answer for your con- 

 duct. 



CHICKEN SHOOTING IN MINNESOTA. 



W. W. MMILLAN. 



There were 3 of us — Evans, Bill, the 

 hired man, and I. By 2 o'clock in the 

 afternoon one day in September, 1894, we 

 were well on our way for a hunt. The 

 dogs were soon far in advance, Sam, the 

 pointer, apparently running about aimless- 

 ly, while Flora, Evans' setter, occasionally 

 gave Sam's field a cursory examination, as 

 if to ascertain whether or not the younger 

 dog was competent to maintain his rapid 

 course. 



We were not the only hunters abroad 

 that beautiful autumn afternoon. The 

 shots of at least a dozen enterprising Nim- 

 rods greeted us from all sides as we has- 

 tened along. Our course led us directly 

 to the lower corner of an old barley field. 

 Bill had told us we would find birds in 

 that vicinity. The dogs were gradually 

 approaching us, Flora carefully covering 

 all her own territory and a large part of 

 Sam's, while Sam unconcernedly ranged 



