

FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



201 



rifle in those days. That rifle had what 

 was called a pill lock; instead of a tube on 

 which to put a percussion cap there was 

 a countersink in which we dropped a per- 

 cussion pill, which the hammer exploded. 

 There may be other old hunters who re- 

 member such fire locks; if there are I 

 should like to swap hunting yarns with 

 them through Recreation. 



I quit climbing these mountains for land 

 game 5 or 6 years ago, but I still fish every 

 summer. I have lived, fished and hunted 

 here since 1888. 



This old heart rejoices that I have lived 

 to see such a crusade as is now being led 

 by Recreation against game hogs. Roast 

 'em, roast 'em brown ! 



H. N. Merritt, Chelna, Wash. 



CAMPING IN THE NATION. 



Chas. Drennen, Tim Ross, Fred Britt and 

 Will Hayman were in camp 8 days on 

 Illinois river, Cherokee Nation, early this 

 month. They went to Illinois station on 

 the Iron Mountain railway and with team 

 25 miles up the river to good camping 

 grounds. 



They had success both in shooting and 

 fishing; the bass caught weighing 10 to 20 

 pounds, on the hook, but making the 

 usual allowance for shrinkage after land- 

 ing, the largest were estimated to weigh 

 about 2,y 2 pounds in the pan. 



Britt wanted to catch whales and under- 

 took to wade out to them, but every time 

 he got out hip deep he would float and 

 yell for help. Dennen told me this and 

 tried to explain the cause. I did not fully 

 understand the yarn, but it was something 

 about Fred's "gall." After the second or 

 third rescue Britt was forbidden to fish 

 any more. An agreement was made that 

 Hayman should furnish game for himself 

 and the cook, Dennen to supply Ross and 

 himself. A mangy, hungry stray dog took 

 up with the camp the first day the party 

 was out and to Britt was assigned the job 

 of supplying meat for himself and the dog. 

 He hunted 1^2 days, used all the 12 gauge 

 ammunition the party had and killed one 

 squirrel. -The cook had made elaborate 

 preparations for a barbecue, and to carry 

 out the program barbecued the squirrel. 

 Fred ate it. The dog with ears half cocked 

 watched hungrily for his share until satis- 

 fied that there was not going to be any 

 share, then tucked his tail and sneaked away. 



Ross was the most successful fisherman. 

 Finding a surplus of both fish and game on 

 hand 2 whole days were spent lolling in 

 camp. The weather was right and they had 

 a good time. Quails and squirrels were 

 plentiful. Two turkeys were seen but no 

 deer; but people shooting small game 

 would hardly expect to see them. 



B. Smith, Van Buren, Arkansas, 



CAMPING ALONE. 



For years I had thought of taking a trip 

 alone in the woods and living a few 

 weeks with only nature around me. Resid- 

 ing as I do here among thousands of people 

 this thought was particularly attractive. 

 This year I tried it, going into the woods 

 about 20 miles from Ellis Junction, Wis- 

 consin, to what is known as the Thunder 

 Mountain country. I stayed out 10 days 

 and saw only 2 persons after getting my 

 camp pitched. These were exceedingly 

 welcome; I busied myself to detain them as 

 long as possible, and talked them tired. 



Did I have a good time? Well, I did and 

 I did not. I enjoyed the experience, had 

 plenty to eat and was comfortable ; but my 

 advice to others is to camp with a com- 

 panion. When you catch a big trout or 

 bass you want some one to talk to about it ; 

 also, you want some one to swear to your 

 catch when you get home. When you see 

 a deer or possibly a bear you want to say 

 something right then. There will be other 

 times when you will want to talk, and will 

 have to content yourself with thinking. 

 When you make a good batch of bread or 

 cook your trout just right, it is nice to hav» 

 some one tell you what a good cook you are. 

 Moreover, you will the better enjoy eating 

 if you see a companion trying to show you 

 how much food it takes to keep a man 

 alive in that country. Again, he might come 

 handy to carry water, help build fire, get 

 wood and wash up things. If you have not 

 missed him yet, wait until night comes and 

 you sit looking in the fire and wondering 

 what caused that crackling noise out in the 

 woods. You finally turn your head to see, 

 trying to make yourself believe you would 

 have looked over there any way. If you 

 don't believe me, and think you are per- 

 fectly satisfied to be alone, sing or whistle 

 a good lively air; maybe you can, but I 

 doubt it. After you get home you may say 

 you had a fine time, but you will know you 

 could have gone over the same ground with 

 a companion and had 10 times the pleasure. 

 A. W. Lowdermilk, Chicago, 111. 



WHERE TO GET MOOSE. 



We have here large numbers of moose 

 and caribou. It is not unusual to see 10 to 

 60 caribou in a drove. It is not possible to 

 go half a mile from the settlement without 

 seeing moose tracks. Frequently these 

 animals come out on the roads and fields. 

 We have some deer, many bear and some 

 of the best trout streams in America. 



I have hunted big game and all sorts of 

 fur-bearing animals for the last 30 years. 

 In that time I have killed many bears, 

 moose, caribou, deer, lynx and plenty of 

 smaller fur. In this district the woods are 

 so 'dense that, except across the lakes or 

 barrens, it is impossible to see 100 feet from 



