458 



RECREA TION. 



to hold. Always be sure to level your gun 

 and not to merely point the muzzle at the 

 object — and you will kill — if you can esti- 

 mate distance, quickly and correctly. This 

 faculty can only be acquired with practice. 



D. T. R. asks for hints on learning to 

 shoot on the wing. Liberal and persistent 

 practice at the trap is good for this purpose. 

 An inexpensive trap can be made in this 

 way: Take a piece of I inch oak board, 

 about 3 feet long by i foot wide. Take an- 

 other piece ^2 inch thick and of same di- 



»^^^///5 a^/;///^^ 



mensions. Attach the Yz inch to the other 

 by means of hinges at one end. Then get 2 

 springs such as are used in sofas, one long 

 one and one short. Put the shorter one 

 about 15 inches from the end of the boards, 

 where they are attached, and the longer 

 one about a foot behind that and the trap 

 is finished. 



Now for a trigger to hold it down, when 

 ready to fire. Shape a piece of board into a 

 hook and attach it by a hinge to the lower 

 board. Then pull the upper board down 



Fig. 2. 



and put the projection of the trigger over 

 it, and it is ready to fire. To throw the 

 trap simply pull the string attached to the 

 trigger. 



This trap will throw bottles and cans far 

 enough to afford good practice for any 

 would-be wing shooter, and practice makes 

 perfect. 



K. C. S., West Newton, Mass. 



The Bergen County Gun Club, of Hack- 

 ensack, N. J., which in a year has become 

 one of the strongest clubs in this vicinity 

 announces that it will celebrate its first an- 



niversary by holding a 2 days' shoot, at 

 targets, June 2d and 3d. The programme 

 follows: 1 



June 2d: The 4th shoot for the Rec- 

 reation Cup, which represents the indi- 

 vidual amateur championship of New Jer- 

 sey gun clubs. This match is open to all 

 amateur members of recognized gun clubs 

 of the State. The conditions of the race 

 are: 100 targets, 50 at known angles, and 

 50 at unknown angles, $2. Entrance to 

 cover cost of targets. The cup to the win- 

 ner; $5 to 2d high gun, and $2 to 3d high 

 gun. Optional sweepstakes on each 25 tar- 

 gets. Entries close before the completion 

 of the first string of 25 targets. The shoot 

 for the cup will commence at 1 p.m. sharp. 



Sweepstake shooting will be started both 

 before and after the main event, traps be- 

 ing ready for practice at 10.30. 



June 3d: A programme of sweepstake 

 events for this day will be arranged, the 

 events ranging from 10 to 25 targets, with 

 entrance fees at popular prices. The Rose 

 System will be used in dividing purses. 



A MORNING WITH THE WHITE 

 RABBITS. 



W. H. FLINT. 



Early one morning in January, when the 

 mercury was loitering in the neighborhood 

 of zero, 5 of us started for the haunts of the 

 white rabbit. In this part of New York 

 State they are the largest game we have, 

 with the exception of the red fox, and these 

 are so scarce and such good runners that 

 you can seldom run one to earth. 



After a drive of 30 minutes we arrived at 

 our destination. As soon as we had taken 

 care of our team, and thawed the frost out 

 of our ears and fingers, we let the dogs loose 

 and started for the woods. 



This piece of timber contains about 650 

 acres, with a large ravine running through 

 the centre of it. On one side of this ravine, 

 and parallel with it, runs an old log road. 

 Up this road we all went, in single file. 



About 2 inches of snow had lately fallen, 

 which covered the old tracks, and as the 

 sun began creeping above the tree tops, and 

 we felt the warmth of its rays, we knew we 

 were to have an ideal day's sport. 



We had traveled about 100 rods up the 

 road when whir-r-r from almost under our 

 feet went a ruffed grouse. Then another, 

 and instantly 5 guns jumped to shoulder. 

 But that was all. The season had closed 

 and the birds escaped. 



All this time the dogs had been working 

 but had started nothing, although there 

 were plenty of signs. We were getting dis- 

 couraged, when all at once the voice of the 

 old dog rang out strong and clear as a 

 bugle, mingled with the " yep — yep — yep " 

 — of his mate. What music to a hunter's ear! 



