282 



RECREATION. 



ing the cubs up a tree. My companion, 

 hearing me shoot and catching Fan's music 

 came to me, for a share in the fun. He, 

 being something of an expert as a climber, 

 I sent him up for the cubs, which, after 

 a good deal of trouble he handed down to 

 me. Slinging them across our guns, their 

 legs lashed together, we headed for camp. 

 When a mile had been traversed I saw a 

 large cinnamon coming directly toward me. 

 He stopped at ioo yards and I fired, hitting 

 him in the throat. He fell, but immedi- 

 ately sprang up and rushed for me. Wait- 

 ing till he was within 30 feet I planted a 

 shot that settled him. My companion was 

 sure it was the boss of the woods. 



On the 19th we made a long tour of 2 

 canyons and the intervening ridges. The 

 dogs finally treed another bear, which I 

 shot just as my companion reached me. 

 Skinned it and went to camp. 



Till noon of the 20th I worked in camp 

 on the skins already obtained, but in the 

 afternoon went out and when 4 miles from 

 camp came upon a large bear at 600 yards. 

 Getting the wind I crept to within 150 

 yards and fired. As the bear did not fall 

 I shot twice more as it ran, killing it. In 

 dressing it I found that I had hit it hard 

 the first shot. I discovered on approach- 

 ing that it was a mother, so decided to 

 leave it till morning, so as to catch the 

 cubs which would be sure to visit it. How- 

 ever, as I went campward past the point 

 where I first saw her, I discovered the 

 cubs in a tree. It was late and I was far 

 from camp so I took off my jumper, spread 

 it on the ground at the foot of the tree, 

 showed the cubs to Fan, and bade her 

 watch them till morning, but doubted 

 whether she would. At 10 o'clock next 

 morning when we got to the tree we 

 found everything just as I had left it. 

 Again "Pard" climbed and handed down 

 the cubs. 



Next morning we pulled out for home 

 well satisfied with our killing. We started 

 out with 4 cubs strapped on the pack 

 horses, but bumped 2 .of them to death en 

 route against trees. Bear cubs are not easy 

 to carry on pack horses. The 2 we brought 

 home are tame as kittens and eat like pigs. 



I have killed 27 bears in the last 2 

 springs. 



NOVA SCOTIA WARDEN EXPLAINS. 

 I read in Recreation "Moose Snaring in 

 Nova Scotia," by Mr. Russell, with much 

 interest. I have been an agent of the Game 

 Society many years, and I have secured as 

 many as 5 convictions for snaring in one 

 year, besides destroying hundreds of snares. 

 In nearly every county of this Province 

 where moose are plentiful there are one 

 or 2 gangs of professional outlaws who in- 

 dulge in this "pastiniej" much in the way 



Mr. Russell describes; but I regret to say 

 he is wrong about their having no rifles. 

 There are thousands of Snider breech load- 

 ers on the market which can be bought for 

 $4 each, or even less, and ammunition is 

 cheap in proportion. Every one of these 

 gangs is well known to the authorities. 

 Following are the names and addresses of 

 a few of them: The Day gang, Jeddene, 

 East Halifax county; The Woodworth 

 gang, Lake George, Kings county; The 

 Garden of Eden gang, Borders of Picton 

 and Ganesboro counties; The French Town 

 gang, Clare, Digby county; The Mcintosh 

 gang, Sherbrooke, Guysboro county. 



The last year's report of the game society 

 states that 2 gangs, operating in Western 

 Annapolis and Queens counties, were se- 

 verely handled by the agents of those dis- 

 tricts; and we have every reason to be- 

 lieve the outlaws have since gone out of 

 business. 



You may ask why, when the identity of 

 every member of these gangs is known to 

 the authorities, we do not take steps to 

 bring the criminals to justice? We do all 

 we possibly can with the small funds at 

 our disposal; but I regret to say that unless 

 we have absolutely clear evidence it is use- 

 less to prosecute. In addition to an organ- 

 ized system of poaching, these parties have 

 an equally well organized system of per- 

 jury. I have had this to contend with on 

 several occasions. Most of my convictions 

 have been gained through Satan having 

 been divided against Satan, and one or 

 more poachers turning King's evidence to 

 spite the others or save their own hides. 

 We 30 game wardens have, as you say, 20,- 

 000 square miles to look after. Most of us 

 are business or professional men, with small 

 means, and we receive no salary. Had Mr. 

 Russell sought the nearest game warden 

 and laid a complaint before him, as per- 

 haps he did, and backed that complaint by 

 a strong letter to the chief game commis- 

 sioner at Halifax, he should certainly have 

 had the satisfaction of hearing that one or 



2 of the rope-setting fiends had been run 

 down and heavily fined or jailed. 



Every sportsman in the United States 

 and Canada should be grateful to you for 

 the stand you have taken against the poach- 

 er, the pot hunter and the game hog; and 

 though I regret that such an indictment of 

 my own Province should appear in Recrea- 

 tion, I would far rather have it chronicled 

 in your pages than have such abominable 

 cruelties committed and no notice taken of 

 them. 



I tracked one gang of rope setters 4 years 

 before I got them ; and I know of at least 



3 others who are at the present time under 

 surveillance, with bounties on their snouts. 

 May the bounties soon be paid ! I will send 

 you a copy of our next annual report, and 



