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RECREA TION. 



On the 3d of last November, accompanied 

 by- 2 friends and taking with us my stag- 

 hound, a greyhound and a plain " dog," 

 we started for coyotes. We caught and 

 killed our first about 400 yards from home. 

 Then we rode 3 or 4 miles and saw an- 

 other. I fancy he had been hunted be- 

 fore, for he never stopped to argue the ques- 

 tion but left the country. A little later I 

 saw another, in a bunch of horses on top 

 of a butte. While chasing it at top speed, 

 my horse stumbled or put his foot in a hole 

 and rolled over. I don't remember the rest 

 of the run, but have heard about it since. 

 For 48 hours I did not know B from a bull's 

 foot. Now, however, barring a badly 

 sprained wrist and a marked " tired feel- 

 ing," I'm none the worse for my spill. My 

 staghound and my neighbor's "dog" ac- 

 counted for 20 or 25 coyotes last fall. We 

 only go out for an hour or so once or twice 

 a week. 



Percy H. Mugford, Rosebud, S. D. 



Thanks to our new game law, the game is 

 doing well. Many deer, wintered here, and 

 a small bunch of elk were in the vicinity of 

 the lake for some time. Dusky and gray 

 ruffed grouse appear as plentiful as ever, 

 while sage grouse are increasing in numbers. 



A few ducks remained through the win- 

 ter, principally mallards, with now and then 

 a few of Barrow's golden eye. In early 

 spring we have Wilson's snipe and teal, 

 bufflehead, canvasback and pintail ducks. 



The new game law is rather obnoxious to 

 a certain class. State Warden Swan is car- 

 rying it out to the letter and treating all 

 alike. Let the laws be enforced. What we 

 need is not more law, but a better enforce- 

 ment of that we now have. Mr. Swan is do- 

 ing his duty ; let other State game wardens 

 follow his example. 



L. D. Gilmore, Dotsero, Cal. 



Our county abounds with game of all de- 

 scriptions, deer, bear, elk, mountain lions, 

 sheep, turkeys, grouse and prairie chickens. 

 At the time I came here, in '85, it was not 

 uncommon to see 100 to 150 deer in one 

 day's hunt. With 2 Indian reservations 

 bordering on us, our game supply has been 

 reduced, but still there is plenty. Last fall 

 bear were numerous. One hunter succeed- 

 ed in killing n during the fall. I killed sev- 

 eral deer and turkeys. 



Our game law is strict, but as the wardens 

 are stationed far apart, it is not always ob- 

 served, especially in regard to our fish. In 

 our county are several streams rilled with 

 mountain trout, and many men use giant 

 powder or dynamite to kill them. It seems 

 impossible to secure evidence to convict the 

 guilty ones. 

 James W. Melrose, Pagosa Springs, Col. 



A year ago I asked advice on loading 

 shells for an old style gun, and did not re- 



ceive much help from your contributors^ 

 but last fall I solved the problem satisfac- 

 torily by selling the gun and buying a 

 modern hammerless. With the new gun 

 and a new dog I went afield with some 

 doubts as to the result. I had no practice 

 and the pup no training on quails, but gun 

 and pup worked exceedingly well, the lat- 

 ter making as pretty a point as one 

 could wish to see and that at the first op- 

 portunity. He made a draw on a covey of 

 quails a distance of over 300 yards. I was 

 proud of Mack, and when I scored a neat 

 double my satisfaction was not diminished. 

 I had never trained or handled a bird dog 

 before, yet, with Mack, I shot 94 quails- 

 and 30 rabbits during the season. 



G. E. Starner, M.D., Dunkirk, O. 



The fish and game laws recently enacted 

 by the Parliament of New Brunswick will 

 certainly be the means of bringing many 

 American sportsmen there. They are ex- 

 tremely liberal, both as to open seasons and 

 allowance of game. I have just returned 

 from a hunting and fishing trip there and 

 was delighted with the country, which is one 

 vast game preserve. It is difficult to name 

 the best places for fishing or hunting, but 

 most of them are accessible by the Canadian 

 Pacific R. R. Both moose and caribou are 

 plentiful and he must indeed be a poor shot 

 who returns without a trophy. The people, 

 too, seem to appreciate a good thing, for I 

 found Recreation at some of the more re- 

 mote points, as well as in the larger towns 

 and cities. 



F. S. Barnum, New York City. 



Recreation is the best magazine of its 

 class, and in its specialty of " hog killin' " 

 is immense. The game hog deserves no 

 mercy; but perhaps the poor pot hunter 

 has his uses. Were it not for him gentlemen 

 sportsmen would often return from the 

 cover with empty game pockets. This vi- 

 cinity, with its perfect breeding and feeding 

 grounds, was once the home of numerous 

 woodcock. They have been almost exter- 

 minated, and now we have few except flight 

 birds. The photo, in April Recreation, of 

 "Mrs. Woodcock at home" reminds me of 

 the days when she, her husband and all the 

 children were at home here. Then a good 

 shot could kill a dozen birds in a day. Now 

 he is fortunate if he gets 2 or 3. 



George H. Bent, Milton, Mass. 



One morning in November last, with the 

 Syracuse gun you sent me as a premium, 

 and my setter Dick, I started to look for 

 some birds I knew were in the vicinity of 

 Westfield. 



When I arrived at the place where I ex- 

 pected to find them, the weather had 

 changed, getting colder and commencing to 

 snow. I found the birds had been disturbed,, 

 and were wild. 



