204 



RECREATION. 



The deer make this journey every fell, 

 and it makes good hunting all the way, if 

 hunters only do what is right by others. 



This country has considerable of a settle- 

 ment along the deer trail, and the settlers 

 are good people. They will feed and treat 

 sportsmen well for about a dollar a day ; 

 but if you camp out and keep a pack of 

 hounds you are courting trouble. The last 

 time I was there we camped in a lumber 

 shanty, on George's lake. When we first 

 landed there was fine hunting, but soon 

 there came a party of hunters, from Wes- 

 tern New York, with hounds, and in 2 

 days there was not a deer within 5 miles 

 of our camp. I was told by one of the set- 

 tlers then that non-residents did that same 

 thing every year. 



Do you wonder there are accidents in the 

 woods? It is not so bad for us who go 

 there for recreation, and to still hunt, as it 

 is for the settlers, who, as soon as the sea- 

 son opens, want to lay in a supply of meat. 

 If anyone kills a deer that is being chased 

 by a dog the dog's owner will take it away 

 from him, and will not even give him a 

 mess. That is frequently done. The old 

 law of the woods is first blood takes the 

 hide and half the meat. That does not 

 work with the gentlemen with the hounds. 

 They want everything, and as a rule suc- 

 ceed in getting it. The settlers are afraid 

 the non-resident hunters will do them some 

 injury; but the man who wrongs some of 

 those settlers would better hunt for home, 

 or there will be an accident in that vicin- 

 ity soon. 



One afternoon I was watching on a run- 

 way on the East side of Rifle lake when 

 a duck alighted and I shot it. There were 

 2 of those hound hunters also watching, 

 farther up the lake, about 50 yards from 

 me, but I did not know they were there 

 until I had fired. Such a tirade of abuse 

 as I got would be impossible to put on 

 paper. They were in a boat, and pulled 

 directly for me, uttering 10 cuss words to 

 every stroke of the oar. I retreated into 

 the woods and went away. Some men 

 would not have done that. It was not more 

 than 2 hours until a dog trailed a deer 

 right to the place where that happened and 

 he was murdered by those 2 men; in the 

 water, too, notwithstanding the law to the 

 contrary. There are lots of men who 

 ought to be shot that never will be. 



I advise all gentlemen who want a good 

 hunt to go to Arkansas, on the head- 

 waters of White river, in Clay county, or 

 down the St. Louis and Iron Mountain 

 railroad as far as Knoble. They will find 

 most excellent shooting of all kinds, and 

 fishing to suit a Walton. Hounding or 

 jacking is not allowed, and the party who 

 attempts either will soon find himself in 

 more kinds of trouble than he wants. 



N. H. Wright. 



REPORT FROM MINNESOTA. 



Recreation is great and is fully abreast 

 of the times. You are to be highly com- 

 mended for the stand you are taking 

 against the despicable game hog. Most of 

 the sportsmen hereabouts are satisfied with 

 moderate bags of game. 



The hunting season, which closed on all 

 Minnesota game the 30th of November, 

 was not all that could have been desired 1 . 

 Prairie chickens were scarce. That was 

 probably due to the wet spring in Minne- 

 sota, which undoubtedly destroyed many 

 nests. On the 1st of last September I 

 went up in Wright county, 120 miles from 

 St. Paul, with Mr. Hugh White, of this 

 city. We put in 4 days and brought back 

 50 birds. That was not a great number 

 to shoot in that length of time, yet we 

 were satisfied. The ducks seemed to have 

 given St. Paul and Minneapolis sportsmen 

 the ha ha! Small bags were the rule. On 

 October 19th Mr. Hugh White, Guy 

 White, of Indiana, Mr. McKay, of St. 

 Paul, and I went to Lake Johanna, where 

 a famous duck pass is located. We camped 

 in 2 tents. The weather turned warm and 

 high Southerly winds prevailed for almost 

 a week. Ducks were not flying. We 

 bagged only about 60, yet we felt satisfied. 

 All enjoyed the trip, fine outing, and the 

 camp life. 



The deer season in Minnesota was dis- 

 appointing in the extreme on account of 

 no snow. Many parties came back empty 

 handed. There is excellent deer hunting 

 all through the Northern part of the State, 

 within 200 miles of the Twin Cities. I am 

 a firm believer that the law allowing 5 

 deer to a hunter is entirely too liberal. 

 Three should be enough for any genuine 

 sportsman. 



One of the finest duck passes in Minne- 

 sota is owned by Hon. Uri L. Lamprey, 

 4 miles from Forest lake, 34 miles from 

 St. Paul, on the St. Paul and Duluth road. 

 Mr. Lamprey is one of the most enthusias- 

 tic sportsmen in Minnesota, one of St. 

 Paul's leading lawyers and a public 

 spirited citizen. Shooting commences at 

 Mr. Lamprey's pass the first part of Sep- 

 tember. It was my good fortune to be 

 invited out the first part of October last, 

 with a party of 4 other gentlemen. We 

 spent an evening and the next day on the 

 pass and bagged 55 blue wing teal. All 

 agreed they had never had finer shooting. 

 Mr. Lamprey's preserves cover nearly 

 3,000 acres. The pass is between Mud and 

 Howard lakes, both of which afford feed- 

 ing grounds for the ducks. For the recep- 

 tion of the tired sportsman as he comes 

 in from the pass there is a large club- 

 house with 7 beds and an immense fire- 

 place. Nearby stands the farm house, 

 where meals are served ad libitum for the 

 hungry hunter. Mr. Lamprey has on his 



