Volume XIX. 



RECREATION 



OCTOBER, 1903 

 G. 0. SHIELDS, (COQUINA) Editor and Manager 



Number 4. 



MY DOG FOSS. 



GEORGE E. DODS. 



Ever since I can remember, my fa- 

 vorite sport has been found afield 

 with dog and gun. Doubtless I at 

 first hunted for the hunting's sake ; 

 taking more delight in a full game 

 bag than in a fruitless chase. Later 

 I hunted because I loved to watch 

 my dog overmatch the cunning of the 

 game ; because I loved the damp. 

 earthy fragrance of the woods ; and, 

 most of all, perhaps, because I loved 

 the birds themselves. When one es- 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY E. H NELSON 



ON HIS FAVORITE LOG. 



Winner of 24th Prize in Recreation's 7th Annual 

 Photo Competition. 



caped the whistling shot I saw him 

 disappear without regret and wished 

 him continued luck. And now, were 

 it not for disappointing my faithful 

 dog, I should be well content to flush 

 the. birds and watch their hurtling, 

 meteoric flight to cover, without lift- 



ing gun to shoulder. When someone 

 invents a camera that will catch a 

 wary grouse awing, I shall dedicate 

 my gun solely to the destruction of 

 bird enemies. 



My favorite game bird has always 

 been the ruffed grouse. I have al- 

 ways delighted in the study of his 

 habits in drumming time, in nesting 

 time, and then in the rich, brown au- 

 tumn, the hunting time par excel- 

 lence of all the year. 



Most wisely has the League of 

 American Sportsmen chosen the 

 ruffed grouse as its emblem, for he is 

 easily the King of American Game 

 Birds. 



I have had many dogs ; good, bad 

 and indifferent. Now I have at last 

 a dog that a white man can love with- 

 out condescension. Many are the 

 men who think they own the best dog 

 in the world. They are mistaken ; I 

 own him myself. He is an Irish set- 

 ter, now 2 years old, and his name is 

 Foss. I bred and trained him and 

 am more than proud of it. He never 

 saw a grouse until last fall, and the 

 I spent a few seeing it was thus : 



With my friends, Charlie and Rod, 

 manner of his days in Broome county, 

 N. Y. Though the weather was un- 

 favorable during our stay, we had a 

 good time., I, thanks to Foss, had ex- 

 ceptional sport. We put up with a 

 genial old farmer, who did his best 

 to make things pleasant. 



When Charlie and I introduced the 

 dog to the grouse, the farmer was 

 with us. He had listened smilingly 

 to my praise of Foss. He said he 



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