216 



FOKEST AND STREAM. 



Webster, Oct. 10. — Ruffed grouse not at all abundant. 

 Woodcock scarce, the largest bag yet made being ten. More 

 pigeons this fall than befoe for years.' Gray squirrels as 

 hard to find and difficult to kill as usual. A few days since a 

 friend killed an Arctic owl (Nyctea nwed), a bird decidedly 

 rare in this neighborhood. Would like to have some one send 

 in some notes concerning migratory quail and success in im- 

 porting. Falco. 



[Our correspondent has not read the Forest and Stream 

 carefully, or he would have seen full accounts of migratory 

 quail in the U. S. — Ed. J 



Connecticut— Hartford, Oct. 9.— The first week of the 

 shooting season has opened very propitiously, thanks to 1he 

 rigid enforcement of I he game laws. Many large bags have 

 been made. Partridges are quite plenty, and large numbers 

 are now exposed in lie market. Woodcock are less numer- 

 ous than usual, but wild pigeons are scouting the country in 

 fine Books, affording an opportunity for excellent sport. The 

 snarimr of game is now about the only drawback to sporting 

 interesis, and if some rigid measures could be enforced for its 

 prevention, the gain in the end would be not inconsiderable. 

 The snarer gives the game in his vicinity no chance of life, 

 and generally captures everything thut comes near his traps. 



New York.— Hammond, Oct. 10.— -A competitive shoot be- 

 tween the sportsmen of this town resulted in the slaughter of 

 over five thousand squirrels. 



Good Ground, L. I., Obt. 16. — There are plenty of ducks 

 in the bay, but they bunch together in great rafts and keep 

 out of reach. The weather is still too warm, and the first cold 

 storm will drive them in. The cliauces are for unusually fine 

 shooting this season— plenty of feed and all signs favorable. 



Will Cox. 



Saratoga Lake.— Timothy Harrigan, the oldest hunter of 

 Warren county, has been located the past stason at the peter 

 Francis place, Saratoga Lake, and has shot over 500 partridges 

 and woodcock in the" woods and marshes around that aud 

 Round Lake. He says that game is much more abundant in 

 that vicinity than in the neighborhood of Lake George and 

 Schroon Lake. 



Pennsylvania— Leroysvilk, Bradford Co., Oct. 9.— Six 

 miles from here in the Towanda Mountains is Sun Fish Lake, 

 surrounded by a dense forest of hemlock and beech. For miles 

 to the south stretches an unbroken wilderness which abounds 

 with deer, ruffed grouse, pigeons and bears, and for those that 

 may hanker after such game there is a fair sprinkling of 

 wild cat. This region furnishes unusual facilities for the hunt- 

 er and camper. Ten miles away in the wilderness before men- 

 tioned, is a region known as the dismal swamp, filled with 

 windfalls, often so thick that one may walk miles upon them. 

 In these tangled recessea, (Irsus americana retires from his 

 predatory excursions to the neighboring farms, and saftly 

 screens himself from the rifle of the hunter and granger. 



Will Lake. 



Elkton, Oct. 13.— The Susquehanna flats are teeming with 

 ducks. 



Lackawaxen, Oct. 12.— The sea son for large and small game 

 has opened well, and promises to be a fine one. Several deer 

 and a great number of partridges have been shot already. 

 The former are unusually plenty ; five were seen last Monday 

 in Lord's Brook Swamp, and Arthur McCarthy surprised one, 

 the other day, feeding in the pasture with his cattle. 



Blooming Grove Park, Oct. 11.— John Avery, President of 

 the Association, had an exciting chase after a buck the other 

 day, and finally shot his game in Lake Giles, in front of the 

 club house. A party will rendezvous at the club house next 

 Saturday for the fall meet. 



Hornelhville, Oct. 15.— Excellent woodcock and ruffed 

 grouse shooting here for the past two weeks ; also a few snipe 

 and rail. Jo™, 



t Suribury, Oct. 12.— Quail and turkey shooting promises fair 

 spot t. 



Sharon, Oct. 10— Woodcock afford good shooting. E. L. 

 Ohl shot nine yesterday. 



Easton, Oct. 10.— Ducks have made their appearance and 

 sportsmen are preparing for the fall campaign. 



Virginia— Richmond, Oct. 12.— The partridge shooting, 

 which begins the fust oi next month, promises to be unusual- 

 ly eo"d The weather last June and July was very favorable 

 for the young broods ; the protection laws have been general- 

 ly well observed, and the biids aie plenty. 



Kentucky — Louimlk, Oct. 14. — Game is abundant on Salt 

 River. 



Tennessee— Tracy City, Oct. 11.— Two bears have been 

 killed within five miles ot this city within a few days, one of 

 them only two years old. Such game are more plentiful in 

 the Cumberland Mountains now than has ever before. An elk 

 was run into town a day or two ago, and killed. His antlers 

 were so heavy as to iucommode him, hence he was an easy 

 captive. 



Clarksmlle, Oct. 8.— We are happy to report game quite 

 abundant. The season ha) been favorable, aud many coveys 

 of partridges were raised, though most of them are yet too 

 small for sport, showing that it is ridiculous to make the open 

 season commence on Sept. 1, as it does in this part of the Mate. 

 Blue wing teal have appeared in small numbers. Wild 

 pigeons began last week to show themselves two days ahead 

 of^the cool spell of weather. A brace of snipe were seen 

 Saturday. These birds rarely show themselves here in the 

 fall. Squirrels Hie abundant, and all the old shooting irons 

 are in requisition. W. W. L. 



Clarksville, Oct. 8.— Partridges and squirrels were never so 

 abundant. The large increase in game is a result of the pro- 

 tective laws, which have been well enforced. 



Louisiana— New Orleans, Oct. 11.— Some blue and green 

 winged teal have been shot at the neighboring" shooting 

 grounds — Lafourche, Bayou des Allenmnds, Little Lake and 

 other resorts. Snipe are. i'ew ; have not come yet. The N. O. 

 Gun Club has eh illenged the Montgomery, Ala., club to join 

 in a grand competitive shooting match for a game dinner. An 

 equal number of crack shots from each club are to start from 

 this city Saturday afternoon and to meet ag-dn Monday, with 

 their game, which will be counted and turned over to, a ntvor- 

 ite restaurant) to be served up in a banquet, the losing club 

 paying all the expenses. 



Abkassaa— -Jucksonport, Oct. 8.— Game of all kinds in 

 abundance, bears, deers, turkeys, quails, squirrels and ducks just 



coming in. Any one wanting to spend a month or so hunting 

 will do well to come down this way. The editor of the Jack- 

 sonport Herald will take pleasure in giving necessary informa- 

 tion to parties desiring it. L. 



Ii.uxois—li'armmgton, Oct. 9. — Ducks quite plenty on the 

 Illinois River. II. W. Mkrhill. 



Michigan— Benzie, Oct. 12. — Deer are so abundant in this 

 neighborhood that they are destroying all the buckwheat. 



Midland, Mich., Oct. 13. — A few days since a surveying 

 parly ran upon four black bears— a dame and three well- 

 grown cubs— about one mile east of town. All hands, includ- 

 ing the ursines, were a trifle startled. No accidents. 



Detroit, Oct. 13.— Yesterday John E. Long and Ed. H. Gill- 

 man killed forty-two snipe. Oct. ll Wm, Holland and George 

 Avery bagged fourteen ruffed grouse, seven quail, nine wood- 

 cock and two rabbits. Oct. 10 Robert P. Toms killed eigh- 

 teen, aud Jerome Cannata, Michael Martz twenty-six snipe. 

 Oct. 11, Charles Chope, four woodcock, four quail, aud one 

 ruffed grouse. The pigeon shooters had a shoot for the State 

 Medal on the 6th inst. , but made such poor scores that they 

 are ashamed to have them published. A. L. Hatch and 8. A. 

 Warner made a bag of sixty fine mallard ducks at St. Clair 

 Flats on the 10th inst. W. 



Two noblemen were shooting ducks in the Bay last week, 

 and, strange to say, the birds did not crowd around to be shot 

 at any more than when Baby and the other boys are out. 

 Only one person has been shot thus far during the season. 

 With so many inexperienced and heedless boys carrying guns, 

 this is wonderful. Some gentleman from the Michigan shore 

 —name unknown— met with a mishap on the bay last week. 

 He laid his gun down on the seats of the boat with both bar- 

 rels cocked, and while paddling, managed to accidentally dis- 

 charge them both, thereby blowing a hole in the bottom of his 

 craft. A sail boat came to his rescue, just as he had become 

 completely exhausled. He says he don't care about hunting 

 any more,and any one who will find his Dougall is welcome to 

 it. 



Indiania — Hunlsville, Oct. 12. — Duck shooting is the at- 

 traction for sportsmen at present. 



Iowa— Pomeroy, Oct. 8.— Game of all kinds, as ducks 

 geese, cranes and brant, with a few snipe, are to be had. Now 

 is the time to come West, for the fall shooting is good. 



Abe Dacotaii. 



Ashland, Oct. 13. — Antoine Peronier, of the Sportsmen's 

 Club, killed thirty ducks in less than an hour's shooting in 

 Fish Creek, one day last week. Dock. 



Minnesota — Rush City. — On Friday, Oct. 5, Mr. McKen- 

 zie shot a monster moose within four miles of town. When 

 killed he was feeding among a herd of cattle. He stood over 

 six feet high and was nearly coal black. Such game used to 

 be quite plenty in this neighborhood, but this is the first of 

 the species seen for over seven years. R. 



Minnesota — Butternut Station, Oct. 8. — This is a fine cen- 

 tre for sportsmen. The waters of Butternut Lake teem with 

 fish, and the woods are full at grouse. Trout and muscallo'nge 

 are plenty, and deer and bears to be found in all the surround- 

 ing country. 



California — Clear Lake, Oct. 8. — Wild ducks and geese 

 are here in fair numbers. 



Los Angeles, Oct. 8. — A trapper came into town the other 

 day with 535 dozens of live quail, which he had trapped in 

 the- San Jacinto Mountains. 



Santa Cruz, Oct. 8.— Quail are plenty all over the coast 

 country about here and Pesadoro. 



Canada — Montreal, Oct. 6. — The fox hunt of the Montreal 

 Fox Club was held to-day. Some fine running and jumping 

 was clone, but the party returned without Reynard's brush. 



Abort Guns, Ammunition, Etc.— It is my purpose to give 

 yon a few rounds in sporting topics in general, aud if my 

 memoranda prove to be scattering, I hope the game fired at 

 may be struck by some chance shot, as so often happens in 

 the field. And this reminds me that any man who is too 

 lazy to load up twenty or 'hirty shells with loads of different 

 size, both powder and shot and try them at targets thereby 

 determining the best load for his gun, deserves all the ills of 

 mind and body which attend a bad shot. In fact, many a 

 good gun is 'discarded and an inferior one purchased at a 

 pecuniary loss just for "want of such a trial; for a slight dif- 

 ference, in the load often proves to be the difference between 

 good and bad shooting. Another item in preparing ammunition 

 f or breech-loaders worth attention is the lenstth of the shells. 

 If the shells lie too short for the eham her the load must be 

 dislocated and knocked out of shape, in passing the shoulder 

 in the barrel, consequently bad shooting will result. Or if tin; 

 shell be too long a part of it will be pushed into the smaller 

 bore and again the load is injured. 



Let me advise all who use metal shells not to lend them for 

 use in other guus. In several instances that have come to 

 notice the shells could not be tned again, being too large to 

 enter the chamber. The only reason I can give is, that flu; 

 gun for which they were borrowed posessed a larger chamher 

 than that of the gun thev belonged to, aud, upon firing, they 

 expanded to the size of the larger chamber. 



As to doas and guns, I hold that the advice of old Polonius 

 is supremely good : " Nebber a borrower nor a lender be, for 

 lending loseth oft il self and friend, and borrowing dulls the 

 edge of husbandry." Another item as to shells, I believe the 

 principle of the conical base to be correct. But if those we 

 have received are good specimens, some change must be made 

 before thev can be generally used I think they require less 

 powder than o.hers, aud the recoil does not appear as great, 

 but the paper is too soft aud thick. On this account I am 

 compelled to use I^o. 12 wads in No. 12 shells, instead of No. 

 11, wbich'Iam satisfied give better shooting, owing to the 

 greater resistance they give ; but No. 11 wads expand the 

 conical base shells so much that I cannot get them in my 

 gun. Again, they are very uneven, some slipping in ensily 

 and others requiring a great deal of force. That the fault lies 

 in the shell and nothing else is evident, because this takes 

 place when iiis> rung them before hading into the loading- 

 block. The last indictment I have against them is that more 

 of them miss fire than the common shells. 



Connected With loading shells is the subject of loaders. 

 Green's is a very eonveuh nt thing, but is only iiheful for in- 

 serting the wad* and it is also expensive. The cheapest and 

 most convenient implement I have seen, one which can be 

 carried in the pocket with comfort, and combines all the neces. 



sary tools, except a measure for shot and powder, is I he loader 

 of Dudley & Co., advertised in your columns. The cost isi 

 small, and it does everything well that is claimed for it. 



A s for powder, we are all done with buying high priced 

 articles, while we can get a good article at very small cost, to 

 do the. same work as the high flyers, and some of the cheaper 

 powders clean out ihe gun after shooting, as thoroughly as can 

 be wished for. Here endeth my scattering epistle, in which 

 I have tried to give your readers a few ol tfie results of obser- 

 vation, just what I wish to get from them. Eihsto. ., 



Ox Substitutes eor Cuoke-boring. — A communication 

 published in your issue of Aug. 23, suggests a substitute for 

 choke-boring. Tne idea was not entirely new, as I had tried 

 like experimenls with buckshot, but I determined to give it. a. 

 fail- test, following as m ar as possible the directions given by' 

 E. L. H. Mr. M. S. Alexander, assisted me. Evciy precau- 

 tion was taken to make the test a lair one, but the' result is 

 totally at variance with what is claimed by "ID. L. 11." Could 

 he have tested the method at mark ? Reason seems to favor 

 it, but below are facts which speale against reason Size of 

 pattern, 16x16 inches ; distance, forty yards, RemiDgton 

 gun, (12-gauge) charge B{ drs. powder, 1 oz. shot, number of 

 pellets, without paper cartridge, 108, with; 85. \V. ife (\ 

 Scott _& Son's gun (1.2-gaugej, same charge, distance, etc., num- 

 ber of pellets, without paper cartridge, US, with, 70. The 

 above patterns are taken from a large number, and are an 

 average result of the trial. A. 



Moorfield, II'. ]«.. Oct 1. 



Eclipse Loader. — We are in receipt of one of these loaders, | 

 which seems to have been modeled largely from the articles, 

 on Loading Blocks that have appeared in our columns. It is 

 very handy where one has a great number of shells to load, 

 hough it is unfortunately too bulky for carrying on a two- 

 weeks tramp. 



A Handsome Present. — A silver plated and handsomely 

 engraved crimper has been sent to this office, it being a pres-' 

 ent from the inventor and manufacturer, J. L. Rawbonc, to 

 our Western manager, S. H. Turrill. Certainly for nea 

 of workmanship and for rapidity in crimping shells, this litl le 

 instrument is unsurpassed. 



From McKenzie River.— Half a dozen canny Scots passed 

 through Duluth, Oct. 4, en route to Scotland, from tile Mc- 

 Kenzie River District of Arctic America, some 1,300 miles 

 Northwest. They went to that barren country some leu 

 years sinc'j from the Orkneys, coming by ship to York lactory, 

 Hudsons Ray, and thence to the McKenzie by canoe. Until 

 their return, and on their arrival at Fisher's Landing, on the 

 Northern Pacific K. R., they had never seen a railroad. They 

 knew nothing of the Franco-Prussian war— iu fact they hail 

 been practically out of the world. They had been engaged in 

 hunting and trapping for the Hudson Bay Company. They 

 report wood buffalo und moose as unusually plentiful in flic 

 Land River District this last year. Jon. 



Duluth, Minn., Oct. 6. 



An Elk on the Rampage. — The Cheyenne (Wyo) Leader,, 

 Sept. 22, has this racy account of an elk's raid on 

 Laramie : 



A few days ago the military and civilians at Fort Laramiei 

 were astonished at the sight of a huge elk, which ran out ol 

 the underbrush in the Platte bottom and charged din oily 

 through the parade ground. The anllered monster wa 

 sued by a pack of dogs of all sizes, and after clearing the 

 buildings one canine, bolder than his fellows, nipped 

 heel, when the elk whirled, threw down his antlers, impaled 

 three or four of his pursuers, then, lifting his handsome 

 quickly, he threw them many yards aw r ay. Two dogs 

 killed by the goring and fall," while two or three others were 

 trampled to death. Not many minutes elapsed before a if >zeu 

 officers, soldiers and civilians were mounted and in lively pur- 

 suit. Several hundred cartridges were exploded, with no per- 

 ceptible effect except to increase the speed of the forest mon- 

 arch, and after wearing out their horses in a fcwo hours i I 

 the pursuers gave up the chase and returned to the fort, leav- 

 ing the elk to seek some quiet grazing spot on the boundless 

 plains. 



Tit foe Tat. — The Springfield Republican gives this I 

 of sporting life : 



New Haven sporling men recently came a practical joke on 

 a supposed green young man from this city. They took him 

 out cluck shooting" with a gun loaded clear to the muzz 1 * 

 a decoy duck floating so naturally in the distance. Spring- 

 field, awarded first shot, of course, as a visitor, rosa up 

 canoe and blazed away. The duck didn't mind it mui I 

 the visitor was fished out, clutching liimly to the worthless 

 gun. He didn't say anything, but on the. way home, he ju 

 cut loose the game-bags and the party didn't have any game 

 supper that night after a hard day's hunt. 



He Fired a Gun. — Old Mr. Blancbard, who lives oul on 

 West Hill, took down bis sou's double-barrelled gun ;, 

 day morning and went out into the backyard. " 1 have 

 he said, "fired off a gun for thirty-seven years ;" and i 

 pointed the eun at the barn and fired, it does not i 

 from the evidence which made the most noise — the bin i 

 who immediately emerged from the bam. carrying hinm>H 

 along with b/>th hands, or old Mr. Blancbard, lying 

 back between the ash barrel and the fence, trying to b 

 jaw in his place, or the stranger on Hie othei 

 fence, with a brick in each hand, his hat caved, arid a 

 eye all over his cheek, calling out to know what "hoof- 

 bound, blear-eyed, lour-leyged, tui key-trodden, shambling, 

 cock-eyed, clod-hopping idiot iiii me with that gun ?' 

 Blancbard has since been heard lo remark that hi 

 to fire a gun for thirty-seven years more. — Burlington .' 

 eye. 



North CXROLvax—^Wilmhigton, Oct. 8. — I bagged 

 woodcock of the season Saturday. Two of our spoil 

 bagged nine Wil-on snipe same day. This is unusually 

 for the long-bills here. Four more killed lo-day. 



Tar Heel. 



New Hunting Boot.— Thompson & Son, 301 Brosdv 



have designed a nen r , hunting boot, which cannot fail to i 

 mend itself to sportsmen. Jt combines all the advanb ■_. 

 a top boo', with the ease and comfort ot a laced sbo e. It 

 Iftces in front over a water-light tongue, giving a perfei 

 over the instep, hold'ng the toot firmly in place, and pi 

 ing chafing. Directions for measurement^ will be mail 



application 



