FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



47i 



September 1, 1898, I left my cabin, at 

 Shawingan lake, about 5 a.m. I hadn't 

 gone more than half a mile when Roy came 

 to a stand at the side of the road. I sent 

 him on and put up 2 blue grouse. I got a 

 right and left, called Roy down, and then 

 walked in among the ferns, putting up the 

 grouse, for I found there was quite a large 

 covey. I got 3 more doubles and 6 singles 

 out of the covey. Naturally I felt good at 

 making so fine a start, not missing one shot. 

 I took them back to the cabin intending to 

 stay there for awhile, but hearing the boys 

 banging away all around, I couldn't stop, 

 so off I went again and spent the best part 

 of the day, bagging 36 blue and 7 willow 

 grouse, besides having a shot at a deer that 

 I did not get. 



When evening came all the boys got 

 together and talked over the day's hunt. 

 There were 2 bags of 26, one of 31 and sev- 

 eral of 15. Two of the boys got 16 grouse 

 and 2 deer. There was quite a lot of trouble 

 with the dog's feet getting sore. Several 

 were done up after 2 hours' work, as the 

 country is rough and the ground very dry. 



I took the precaution to get my dog in 

 shape a month before the season opened. 



1 heard of some one killing 51 grouse on 

 the first day. 



We pay our attention then to the pheas- 

 ants and quail, which afford good sport for 



2 months. Victoria is a hunter's paradise. 

 You can take your horse and buggy and 

 camping outfit, and about 4 hours' drive will 

 take you to one of our numerous lakes, 

 which are full of trout, and where deer and 

 grouse are plentiful. 



We protect our game here from time to 

 time, and don't kill game out of season, so 

 we always have good shooting. 



Albert Wylde. 



You and your friends killed entirely too 

 many birds and should be ashamed of your 

 record. — EDITOR. 



SIDE-HUNT, CONCERT AND BALL. 



I enclose a circular announcing a grand 

 hunt, game supper, concert and ball by 

 the Gun Club, of Howard, Kan., which 

 was the most original and successful affair 

 I have heard of in a long while. Through 

 the efforts of Mr. Mark McBee, Howard 

 has been famed for its sports, and this 

 grand affair is significant of the interest 

 taken in game shooting there by all the 

 • leading people. The programme was thus 

 announced in the preliminary circular: 



GRAND HUNT, GAME SUPPER. CONCERT AND BALL. 



A grand hunt will take place on November 16, 1898, the 

 game killed to be donated to Oklahoma Camp No. 935, 

 Modern Woodmen of America, to be served at a grand pub- 

 lic supper, Friday, November 18th. The hunt will be in 

 the nature of a friendly contest between 2 armies of hunters, 

 with Capt. A. M. Jackson and Lieut. H. C. Rush in com- 

 mand of one side, and Capt. L. Scott and Lieut. Mark 

 McBee in command of the other. The following will be 

 the scale of points for various kinds of game : Possum, 50; 



jackrabbit, 10; duck, 25; quail, 10; plover, 10: squirrel, 

 15; cottontail, 5; wild goose, 50; prairie chicken, 20; 

 snipe, 5. 



The hunters may form themselves into squads at their 

 own convenience, and use their own judgment as to the 

 manner and place of hunting, the game to be delivered to 

 the proper committee in Howard, not later than noon, 

 Thursday, the 17th, at the city building in Howard, where 

 committees will be on hand to receive it. Any others de- 

 siring to engage in the hunt can do so ; if convenient, send 

 your names to either Lieut. McBee or Rush, if not, go 

 ahead and hunt, and when you bring in the game you can 

 be credited to the side whose next choice it may be. 



The supper will be served from 5.30 p.m., Friday, No- 

 vember 18th, to 2 a.m. following. There will also be a 

 grand concert by the Howard band and orchestra, free to 

 patrons of the supper, to be followed by a grand ball, be- 

 ginning at 8.30. All are invited to the hunt, supper, con- 

 cert and ball. Mark McBee, Dr. H. C. Rush, lieutenants. 



The hunt took place Wednesday, No- 

 vember 16th, and every one returned home 

 tired, but well repaid for the hunt. 



On Thursday and Friday the ladies of 

 Howard prepared the game, and Friday 

 evening the crowd gathered to enjoy a de- 

 lightful evening, at the handsomely deco- 

 rated hall. Seven hundred covers were laid 

 for an early supper, which was " strictly 

 game," consisting of: 50 dozen quail, 12 

 opossums, 36 jack rabbits, 198 cottontails, 

 92 squirrels, 6 wild geese, 27 prairie chick- 

 ens, 72. snipe. 



The members of the Howard Gun Club 

 are so pleased with the results of their un- 

 dertaking that they have decided to make 

 their hunt a yearly event. 



The above is a clipping from one of our 

 sporting (?) weeklies. This is the paper 

 which announces in bold type that its plat- 

 form plank is, " the sale of game should 

 be forbidden at all seasons." It printed this 

 record of butchery without comment, an 

 example of tolerance which I hope Rec- 

 reation will not follow. 



G. V. S., Rensselaer, N. Y. 



Recreation' has frequently spoken its 

 opinion of side hunts, and if " all Southern 

 Kansas " wants to see her prairies as bar- 

 ren of game as they are of trees, all she 

 has to do is to feed her game hogs, pat 

 them on the back, and tell them to " go." — 

 Editor. 



AS TO THE SPARROW. 



I have seen a flock of sparrows chase a 

 pair of woodpeckers all over the town. The 

 woodpeckers had a nest near by and some 

 of the little thieves waited for them to come 

 back. Finally I killed the sparrows. If 

 they were exterminated the other birds 

 would increase. Is there a bounty on spar- 

 row's heads? Is the head the only part of 

 the bird necessary to produce in claiming 

 bounty? 



Douglass M. Ross, Syracuse, N. Y. 



WsWER. 



Some states pay a bounty on sparrows. 

 Others do not. No bounty is paid in this 

 state. — Editor. 



