310 



FOREST r AND STREAM. 



^ mtd §>nn. 



GAME IN SEASON IN NOVEMBER. 



Moos AlcuQ, machlis. 



EiK or wapiti, Cervw canadensis. 



Hares, brown and gray. 



Wild turkey, ileleagris gallopavo. 



Woodcock, Pkilohela Minor. 



Ruffed eroo.se, Bonasa umbellu*. 



Plover, Charadriinm. 



God wit. 



Halle, Rallua virginianus. 



Snipe and Bay Birds. 



Cariboo, Tarandus rangi/er. 



Red Deer, Cariaous nrginianv*. 



Squirrels, red, black and gray. 



Quull, Optyx, virginianm. 



Pinnated Grouse, Cujrido Cupidonia 



Curlew, Xumenhm arquaria. 



Sandpipers, Tringanoi, 



Willets. 



Reed or Rice Birds, Dolichonyx oriz- 



vorus. 

 Wild Duck. 



"Bay bird 5 ! " generally, Including various species of plover, sand 

 piper, snipe, curlew, oyster-catcher, suri birds, phalaropes, avocets 

 etc., coming under tUe group Limacolm or Shore Birds. 



Fob Ctxebiitjoi. — The Currituck Sound boat leaves Norfolk 

 every Monday and Thursday at 6:30 a. m„ and on Saturday 

 at 5 a. m. The Saturday boat will be discontinued toward 

 the close of the month. 



Canada. — Mr. George M. Fairchild, of this city, has just 

 returned from his annual fall trip to his old sporting grounds 

 at Valcartier, P. Q., Canada. He reports poor success. He 

 fouud the lakes and rivers all frozen, and almost a foot of 

 snow on the . ground. Cariboo are very abundant, and a 

 little later there will he fine sport still-hunting them. 



On the cars between Quebec and Montreal he fell in with 

 that genial sportsman and accomplished gentleman, your cor- 

 respondent "Stansted." He had been down on the Inter Col- 

 onies, but reported poor shooting ; too much ice. This gen- 

 tleman is a most clever writer, and has already furnished 

 Foeest and Stream with some capital letters of his hunting 

 trips north of Quebec. 



New Hampshire— Webster, Mer. Co., Nov.1%. — During the 

 last two weeks there has been a fair sprinkling of ducks, a 

 few geese, but none to stop. Shrikes, snow buntings, cross- 

 bills and pine finches have made then- appearance. Trapping- 

 poor. Falco. 



Massachusetts— Salem, Nov. 16.— Quite a flight of geese. 

 16 were shot yesterday at Essex Ponds ; some black ducks 

 are also shot. Some fair bags of quail have been made of late. 

 Marsh birds are done. An occasional snipe may be started, 

 and also ditto for woodcock. W. Newburgh states that ducks 

 are unusually scarce in the Merrimac aud Artichoke Pavers 

 this fall. We have had light spits of snow, and ice quite 

 thick, with ground frozen. Teal. 



— We beg to acknowledge trom the Rod and Gun Club, of 

 Springfield, an invitation to partake of their annual game sup- 

 per, to take place at Hayne's Hotel on the 22d. 



New Bedford, Nov. 17- — The shooting season has opened 

 well in this vicinity. Partridges and quail plenty. Also some 

 good Bhots at woodcock, averaging five and six birds per day 

 to sportsmen with good dogs, who are not afraid to face a 

 thicket of scrub oak and cat briers, even if they come out with 

 shirt and pants hanging in shreds. Black ducks and sea fowl 

 plenty. Concha. 



North Cohasset, Nov. 15. — Season for coot shooting about 

 finished; has been very poor; only four or five days at all 

 good gunning. Last Sunday large flight of geese; thirty- 

 seven killed in three stands. Very singular incident occurred t 

 five young geese decoyed by old gander into yard, and cap- 

 tured without firing a gun. Fair yellow-leg shooting for a 

 week past, and some bags of eight and ten were taken. No 

 woodcock seen this fall. Expect good brant aud whistler 

 shooting next week. S. K., Jr. 



Khode Island — Newport, Nov. 14 — Shooting not good ; 

 wild fowl scarce. Weather too pleasant to allow buds to' 

 come much to the shores. T. J. F. 



New York— Hornellsville, Nov. 19.— Quail shooting has 

 been very poor. I do not think a dozen have been shot this 

 season. For every quail in the country at least two traps are 

 set. John. 



Stratford, Nov. 16.— Sportsmen may shoot all day at 

 the black ducks, coots, etc., without any intermission of the 

 sport. 



Fox Hunting in Livingston County.— The sportsmen of 

 Buffalo have been following the example of their Metropolitan 

 brothers and indulging in the fox hunt. 



Bloomingburgh, Nov. 17.— Fine sport this week. Miller and 

 myself in three days' shooting bagged four woodcock, two 

 quail and twenty-three partridges. Partridges plenty. 



Milo. 



Chatham Village, Nov. 19.— The hunting of ruffed grouse 

 has been very good about here this fall, and the fox hunting 

 is very good. Have been out afew times, and ran with another 

 hunter ; we have bagged five old red foxes. We have very 

 nice ruiining hounds, and expect to have some fine runs this 

 WJiter. -yy. G. 8. 



Syracuse, Nov. 16.— John H. Mann and his son, E. H. 

 Mann, returned yesterday from a day or two spent on Oneida 

 Lake. They brought in eleven partridge— nice plump speci- 

 mens as were ever shot— seventeen ducks and one cormorant, 

 Such a bag of game was well worth looking at. The cormo- 

 rant is very rare in this vicinity. Mr. Mann states that be 

 has seen but one other here in fifteen years. It will be sent 

 o the taxidermist for preservation. 



Syracuse, Nov. 17.— A large woodcock recently bought at 

 my store weighed 10 3-16 ounces. It is the largest I ever saw 

 in this country, and beats one that I killed in 1854 weighing 

 10 ounces. I also bought a wilson snipe this season that 

 weighed 6 3-16 ounces. I have record of other stupe killed 

 at different times weighing 6 and 6^ ounces. Have vou any 

 record of either woodcock or snipe weighing over these 

 weights? 1 have weights of ruffed grouse, rabbits, etc., that 

 I could furnish if of any interest to your readers. J. H. M. 



Kingston, N. Y., Nov. 14.— Partridge are very plenty in 

 this section this fall, and selling from the markets for 40 cents 

 a brace. The most successful bird hunters in this section are 

 Leu Bogart, George Styles and Joe Degraff, each having been 

 put several times last week and bagged a fine lot of game." 



New Jersey — Kinsey's Ashley House, Bamegat In'et, Nov 

 18. — Brant for past two days have .made their appearance in 

 large numbers. Geese also. C. Parker and yours truly bagged 

 twenty-one ducks, three geese and six brant yesterday. B. 



Maryland — Elkton, Nov. 17. — A quail, with a snow-white 

 head, was shot by Mr. Wm. A. Wright, of this place, on Sat- 

 urday last. 



pRNNBTLVAsriA — Greenville, Nov. 12.— Two parties of sports- 

 men have gone off on hunting expeditious; one for deer shoot- 

 ing in Michigan, the other to McKean County, this State. 



M. H. B. 



Hanover, York Co., Nov. 16. — Game, such as pheasants, 

 partridges and rabbits, is veiy scarce in this section. The 

 deep snow and extreme cold weather last winter caused most 

 of the birds to perish. . Along South Mountain, about twenty- 

 two miles northwest from here, deer, wild turkey, pheasants 

 and partridges are said to be abundant. Charles Bange, 

 Lawson Emmert and Edward Thomas, three young men of 

 this place, recently returned from a day's hunt in that locality, 

 having shot fifty -three partridges. 



Virginia — New Store, Buckingham Co. — A correspondent 

 of the Richmond Whig says : " The hunting law has had the 

 good effect of making every kind of game very plentiful. On 

 election day two deer were killed in the neighborhood by par- 

 ties before coming to the polls. Something like a dozen have 

 been killed around here this fall, and any number of turkeys 

 are being killed daily. Squirrels and partridges are very 

 abundant. 



Winchester. — A bald eagle was recently killed near Win- 

 chester. It measured seven feet and eight inches from tip to 

 tip. Game of all descriptions is abundant, including wild 

 turkeys and pheasants. 



Deer in Rockingham— Ouv old friend, John Harman, re- 

 siding near Ottobine, Rockingham County, Old Virginia, has 

 been deer hunting within the last two weeks near Sugar Grove, 

 Pendletoa County, New Virginia, where he did some remark- 

 able shooting. He was out on the 25th of October, when the 

 dogs started three deer, two docs and a fawn, and Mr. Har- 

 man, with a double-barrelled shot-gun, brought down all three 

 at two shots, desperately wounding the fawn and killing a doe 

 at one shot, and then turning the other barrel upon the other 

 doe with fatal effect. The next day Mr. Harman had the 

 good fortune to bring down a fine buck. The deer were in 

 first-rate condition, and furnished Mr. Harman and family 

 with venison for some days. There were six hunters in the 

 party, and the result of the expedition was nine deer, bur 

 crack shot from Ottobine killing four out of the nine. This 

 is the first instance in which we have known a hunter to kill 

 two deer at one shot. Mr. Harman informs us that the woods 

 are full of game of all kinds, the squirrels moving in large 

 bodies, as if migrating to new quarters.— Rockingham Register. 



Westebn Virginia— Charleston, Nov.— Quail were never 

 more plentiful. The season warm, being quite dry, the young 

 birds were not destroyed by the Bummer freshets. Woodcock 

 are scarce, and as for snipe we have no "fall" flight, which 1 

 look upon as rather strange, as they are quite numerous in the 

 spring. Pheasants are abundant. Rail are almost unknown 

 in this section of the country, but as long as there is plenty of 

 quail we do not object to the scarcity of other birds. 



J. H. M. 



North Carolina— Currituck, Nov. 14.— Ducks are plenti- 

 ful, but the weather is too warm yet to keep them. It looks, 

 however, as if there would be a good season. O V. S. 



Arkansas— Fort Smith. — A pelican was recently killed 

 here which measure! tight feet from tip to tip of the wings. 



Indiana— Brazil, Nov. 13.— Quails plenty, and weather 

 fine for shooting. Bags ranging from twenty to fifty birds a 

 day are not uncommon. There is a scarcity of good dogs 

 here, and I think sales of good setters or pointers could be 

 made in this vicinity. J. J. S. 



Indianapolis, Nov. 12.— Bears, deer and turkeys abundant 

 in the Arkansas battues across the river. J. F. 



Oregon— Eugene, Nov.'l.— Geese and duck shooting prime 

 on the prairies. Bags from two to twenty-three geese daily. 

 Remington breech-loaders much in use, and justly, for they 

 throw B shot clear through ten-pound "honkers." Mallards 

 very fat, and shot within a mile of town. J. S. 



California — Pine Gulch, Bolivias, Marin Co., Nov. 7. — I 

 read in other Eastern journals of would-be sportsmen shooting 

 coots on the Sound, Bah! they should be here. Our mal- 

 lards, teal, sprig, etc., cover our bay, making grand sport by 

 boat, or along shore with a good dog. Then, too, to squat 

 on a dyke of the reclaimed marsh after sunset aud drop the 

 birds as they approach for a taste of fresher water. Practice 

 at "Conlin's," aud some experience before the butts at Creed- 

 moor with a military Remington, sends a sure brdlet now 

 from a Henry repeater at a bounding buck occasionally, for 

 the red- woods on the ridee shelter plenty of such game by 

 day, and our dogs jump them in the chapparal of the gulches 

 in early morning. My memoranda of "spoils"— hunter's 

 spoils 1 mean —show nearly a second hundred of quail, too, 

 though I shoot only for our table. But, pardon me, I am 

 getting on the wrong target. I only write in the hope that 

 the inclosed article may be of some service to you, and there- 

 by enable me to make some return for the pleasure I enjoy in 

 reading my always welcome Forest and Stream. _ 



W, H. S. 



Los Angeles, Nov. 6.— Quail shooting here this season 

 fully up to the average in tie valley. Parties shooting 

 for the San Francisco market report fair proflls. It is stated. 

 I think with truth, that in some cases in ranges most affected 

 by i he last season's drought, the quail failed to pair off, and 

 maintaining their old organizations as bevies, reared no broods. 

 However, if this be true in isolated cases, it has not affected 

 the shooting on the Santa, San Gabriel and San Fernando, nor 

 in the foothills on that side of the Coast, Range. 



Jack snipe, wild duck, gray and white geese put in an ap- 

 pearance, with last week's rain, and the shooting at La penegw, 

 IMlona, Alamitos, Las Bolsas and Laguna del Negro is good; 

 market well supplied, except with snipe. 



But few bear have been killed in the county this fall, al- 

 though in the neighborhood of Elizabeth Lake, grizzlies have 

 killed an unusually large number of cattle. Venison, deer 

 and antelope reasonably abundant, but not of extra good qual- 

 ity. In parts of this comity deer are unusually poor in flesh. 

 Iii the Ban Antonio Mountains the acorn mast is unusually 

 good, and deer are in good order, but not accessible for mar- 

 ket. Gray squirrel abundant in the foothils, as are also wild 

 pigeon. A few plover are reported on the plains, but none 

 have yet been seen by the writer. They are usually most nu- 

 merous after the December rains. 



—The Tule Shooting Club of San Francisco takes things in 

 the easiest way. Might we say, u-tule dukif They have a 

 floating ark, fitted up with kitchen, dining-room, sitting-room, 

 library, billiard saloon, ladies' rooms, etc., etc., and most 

 every thing save an elevator. Thus do the hardy sportsmen 

 of the Pacific State navigate the 6tormy waters of the San 

 Joaquin and Sacramento. 



Shot Display.— Messrs. Tatham & Brothers, whose shot 

 advertisement may always be found in our columns, have sent 

 us a very handsomely framed sample of their manufacture. 

 One could hardly imagine how buck shot and bird shot could 

 be arranged so artistically. On a back of light polished wood, 

 in a picture frame, are enclosed in small circular cases every 

 variety of small projectile, from OO buck shot to No. 12 shot, 

 ending with the small dust shot, used by ornithologists. The 

 products manufactured by Messrs. Tatham & Brothers have 

 been known for many years to the sportsmen of the United 

 States. Roundness, solidity, smooth polish must give to shot 

 accurate and uniform flight, range and penetration. ^ It is inter- 

 esting to know that from FF, of which 24 go to the ounce, of 

 Messrs. Tatham & Brothers' extra fine dust, there are 84,021 

 pellets to the ounce. At the Centennial, with the award re- 

 ceived by Messrs. Tatham & Brothers for their patent finish 

 drop and buck shot, was added in the Judge's report these 

 words :" Exact, uniformity of size, truly spherical form, 

 high degree of finish, and general excellence." 



Keep a Record of Your Game. — Our old friend Mr. J. 

 H. Mann, of Syracuse, has always been in the habit of noting 

 the game he kills, and the weights. This record was com- 

 menced in 1854. Since that tune many large woodcock have 

 been shown him, but none that weighed as high as ten and 

 three-sixteenth ounces until a gentleman from Bridgeport 

 lately brought one in of that size. 



Fob Preventing Rost— How to Load a Gun Accord- 

 ing to Shot.— A Brooklyn correspondent writes us : 'Arc 

 you aware that Vaseline (or petroleum jelly) is a very good 

 lubricating material for shot guns and rifles '? It never gets 

 rancid, and prevents the oxidation of steel and iron. Has 

 been used by myself for some time, almost since its introduc- 

 tion into the market, and find that it keeps the barrels of my 

 rifles and guns bright and free from rust. Have also used it 

 as a lubricator on the outside of the barrels during the time I 

 was bay shooting, and found it to prevent the rusting so prev- 

 alent upon the salt water. 



In one of the previous numbers of Forest and Stream I 

 noticed an answer to a correspondent who asked, " How shall 



1 load my 12 bore?" in which you decided that No. 8 and No. 

 4 shot require the same amount of powder. My experience 

 tells me that with my 10-bore 9^-pound Greener I must use 4 

 drs. C. and H. No. 5 to 1} oz. No. 8 shot ; 3^ drs. C. and H. 

 No. 5 to 1} oz. No. 4, and 3^ drs. of the same powder to No." 



2 shot. The larger the shot the less amount of powder re- 

 quired to obtain a good penetration and pattern. Usin°' 4 

 drs. of powder to No. 3 shot, for instance, wi/uld scatter the 

 shot too much, although my gun is shotted. The above is the 

 result of a trial at paper targets, with shells carefully loaded. 



[Thanks to our correspondent. We shall always be glad to 



receive results of similar experiments made by our friends. 



Ed.] 



Who Made the First Choke-Bore ?— A Boston corres- 

 pondent says : 



I was somewhat surprised at your answer to the question 

 proposed by C. E. D. in paper of Nov. 1. A choke-bonug 

 gun is no new idea. I have a gun now in my possession, 

 choke-bored by the veteran gunsmith, Natnaniel Whit more 

 (now carrying on business with his son at Mansfield, Mass. ), 

 twenty-five years ago ; I can show dozens of them thus bored 

 twenty or more years since. I consider Mr. Whitrnore tho 

 pioneer in this mode of boring guns, and his many friends 

 think he can bore equal, if not superior, to any other man 

 living. J. W. H. W. 



[This choke-bore invention, and who made the first choke- 

 bore, we fancy, after a while, will be found out to be contein- 

 peraneous with Tubal Cain. — Ed.] 



Quite Convenient.— We take the following from the Rocky 

 Mountain Husbandman, published in Diamond City, M. T. : 



A couple of antelope appeared upon Diamond Bar, about 

 300 yards distant, yesterday morning, causing a lew minutes 

 excitement among our sportsmen and giving an opportunity 

 for display of marksmanship. G. A. Hampton brought down 

 one from the stoop of the Husbandman office. Frolicking 

 nimbly upon the grassy hillside, the fleet-footed gazelle leaped 

 high in the air at the crack of his rifle and tumbled down the 

 forty feet embankment. M. V. B. Green laid down his 

 slick and rule and dropped the other in its tracks the first shot, 

 as it was manceuvering to learn the whereabouts of its mate 

 He says it is the " fattest take " he has had for some time. 

 Not ever/ journal is published in a land where such choice 

 game can be hunted from the office door. 



[There are not many newspaper offices so conveniently sit- 

 uated. Perhaps the landlord of the Husbandman's office re- 

 ceived a big reut on account of its being a central locality and 

 in the midst of game. We might wait all day ou the bank 

 stoop of the Forest and Stream asd Rod and Gun office 

 and not get such a chance. Next time, however, that ante- 

 lopes come promiscuously around our sanctum we shall be 

 quite satisfied with a single antelope.] 



—In Land and Water the information is given that if a 

 little oil be poured on shot Lheir delivery will be much closer. 

 This we have tried ourselves, and know to be effective. We 

 remember on one occasion having seen a wildcat, and a good 

 big one, killed by a load of shot at a fair distance. We do 

 not remember the size of the shot, but are pretty sure 

 the shot were not large. The way it was done was that 

 the trapper (for an old hunter he was.) ran to a wagon, 

 took from the hub of a wheel about as much thick grease as 

 he could put on his thumb oail, and dropped it on top of the 

 shot before driving in the wad. On examining the cat, tie 

 charge seemed to have balled, and might have been covered 

 almost with a silver dollar. This is a hint worth knowing. 





