80 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 16, 1882. 



about four' feet into the air, and the next moment Jack whs 

 shaking him at a great rate — "punishment after death," 

 George called it. 



We soon arrived at the meadow. Jack winded the bird 

 and George flushed him in the aiders. Away he started back 

 toward the swamp where we first started hirn, George "un- 

 hitched" on him, and as he came tearing out of the brush, 

 making as much noise as the down express train that had 

 just, passed us, I pulled trigger — ? miss-Aral Following him 

 up with the lead three, feet ahead, I gave him the left and 

 scored a blank. Jack was after him, shrieking like a demon, 

 and I think that T am putting it very mildly when I say that 

 that bird was frantic, and, as George expressed it afterward, 

 "the way he plied his oars up through that hollow was a 

 caution." 



"Well," said George, "what are we. going to do about it? 

 Does that bird bear a charmed life, or is he so old and tough 

 thai lead will not penetrate him?" "Give it up," I answered. 

 "Well, 1 won't," said George: and a.s he said it he placed the 

 plug of his powder-horn between his teeth and jerked il, out 

 in a manner that told plainer than words that his " dander " 

 was up and that he meaut business. "Good heavens!" I ex- 

 claimed, "you are not, going to shoot that charge of powder, 

 are you?" '"Yes, and two ounces of BB shot, lam going 

 to try a fox charge on him, and see if he will carry BB's 

 away a.s he does No. 8. That is what is the matter, our shot 

 is too small." 



Back we went up the ravine, and when we reached the 

 swamp we hunted all around and the dog worked the ground 

 all over, but did not, find him. "Perhaps he has treed up in 

 one of those trees," suggested George; and he was right again, 

 for upon looking up, there stood the bird upon a limb close 

 to the body of the tree, as noble-looking a grouse as ever I 

 saw, with his ruff glistening in the sunlight. As we neared 

 the tree, off he went. At the same instant our guns flew to 

 our shoulders, and I never, never, shall forget the deafening 

 report made by that "fox charge." George staggered back 

 two or three steps, and stepping on around stoiuChis feet flew 

 out from under him and down he went, flat on his back. He 

 said his cheek was "pounded to jelly" and the middle finger 

 of his right hand was skinned by the trigger guard, But 

 what a change came over his countenance as he looked up 

 and saw those feathers come floating back through the air, 

 and a moment later Jack, with his stern a-waving, brought 

 the old grouse and laid him in George's hand! My friend 

 soou forgot his bruises and loaded up again, but uot with a 

 "fox charge." On the way home 1 downed two grouse in 

 cover, and George killed three quail and a rabbit. 



George said the next day that his mother ' ' stewed that 

 partridge all the forenoon, and then he was so tough that he 

 had to tile the dog's teeth before he could eat it." 



Iron Ramrod. 



SOMEItVILLE, Mass. 



THE IRREPRESSIBLE CONFLICT. 



McDonald's Corner, N. B. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



This treeing vs. wing-shooting subject is getting monoto- 

 nous; still please allow me to fire a random shot in answer to 

 the withering fire that has been directed against our side of 

 the house. We game exterminators have one consolation — 

 vLt. : if some wing-shooters tell the truth, we are not as deadly, 

 with all our pot-hunting tendencies, as they are with their 

 more refined method of killing. If ever there was a dog that 

 could tree: one out of three grouse in our woods I have yet to 

 see him; and I have seen six consecutive grouse rise in second 

 growth timber before a good dog and fly over the hills and 

 far away, with two guns ringing out augry protests at their 

 behavior. 



A word about that caribou comparison. A caribou, espe- 

 cially when feeding and not aware o f t he presence of an enemy, 

 has an alluring habit of attending to his own business (one 

 that should be copied by some bipeds) and a gun, yclept a 

 rifle, was invented some years ago which will perforate him 

 with the same deadly effect at twenty rods distance that the 

 breech-loader does the grouse at twenty yards; but our friend 

 neglects to say positively that we should start him before. 

 turning loose the bullet, Of course, the theory that the sense 

 of honor and fair play should inform us intuitively where 

 sport ends and murder begins is all very fine, but, you see, 

 "intuitions," like doctors, differ, and what right has any one 

 man to set up a standard and then to stigmatize as a pot-hun- 

 ter his less skillful fellow who declines to recognize it? Rev. 

 W. H. H; Murray., the man who tells the Phantom Palls 



fhost story, says that " shotguns are a nuisance and a pest." 

 Tow suppose some person holding this view should write to 

 Forest and Stream to this effect, "You should shoot 

 grouse on the wing with a .40 cal. rifle. It is easily done if 

 you shoot ' quickly and straight,' for the ball has to go some- 

 where, and, no matter if you _ only visit the woods" a dozen 

 times a season, you can keep ' in practice ' by facing a thun- 

 dercloud and trying to follow with your rifle the scintillations 

 of a lubricated streak of chain lightning. As for thick cover, 

 where there are thirty trees the size of your arm to the square. 

 rod, that is all a cobweb of the pot-hunter's brain. You only 

 have to ' carrom ' on tiny number of gray birch saplings and 

 knock the bill off the bird and the thing is done. And then, 

 you know, good friends, there is the sweet aesthetic delight, 



the too utterly ut ah, you know, that too positively bully 



feeling which a man experiences when viewing a day's spoils 

 that are earned in this way. Boys, take my advice, if you 

 would escape the pot-hunters' ignominy, don't, use the shot- 

 gun; it is murder. Emblazon this upon your banners." 

 Now, I think the majority of your readers would say, "All 

 right; you can shoot them with a rifle if you can, and we 

 will be delighted to do it when we are skillful enough, but 

 till then we will take an occasional shot from thescatterbox." 

 Has not the originator of a theory like the above as good a 

 right to stigmatize I, lie users of shotguns as murderers' as the 

 wing shot, has to dub those who take silting shots pot-hunters'.' 

 Next comes that "solid advice." Though the temperance 

 comparison little relevancy bears, at, best, the fascination is 

 on the wrong side. There is a "fascination" about wing- 

 shooting, and, although I confess I am no authority on the 

 subject, I believe that there is the same about whisky. If we 

 reverse the ''fascination," and say: "Drink whisky every fair 

 chance you get, and -when you can't get it, drink water, and, 

 perhaps* in the course of time you will drink nothing but 

 whisky." We might safely predict that he who followed the 

 advice would eventually become a " reasonably proficient" 

 drunkard. The sharper's advice is a new application of an 

 old story, as the. pedagoguess said when she spanked the boy 

 with a " Robinson Crusoe," but " those are our sentiments;'" 

 shoot them flying if you can; if you can't, shoot one occa- 

 sionally anyway. " Stanstead" gets several thrusts, and I 

 have no doubt he is well Qualified to lake care of himself. 

 Still, where the analogy exists between "huddling quail," 



netting trout and shooting a single sitting bird I can't Bee. I 

 would rather be the man who would frame a set of rules for 

 any of the above than one who resorts to his imagination for 

 his" facts and springs the result upon the readers of a resped 

 able paper in an attempt to fix a number of Falstaffian vices 

 on a class of hunters whose ethics are probably not a whit be- 

 hind his own. I sympathize (slightly) with our friend in his 

 Archimedean effort; but even with his gall-tipped pen as a 

 lever, and the English vocabulary, with some borrowed de- 

 partures (such as lollipop), for a fulcrum, I fear that lie Avill 

 fail to move the world perceptibly till he spices his arguments 

 with logic instead of epithets. 



Yes, boys, let us shoot on the wing when we can, and 

 neither despise small beginnings nor sneer at persons who hap- 

 pen to be naturally less skillful than ourselves. Then, per- 

 haps, there will come a time, a glorious time, when we will 

 stick our sunflowers in our hats, shoulder our lightning con- 

 centrators that shatter black birches the size of a barrel and 

 join the ranks of the a'sthetic shooters, who love to commune 

 with nature* weighted with their guns and little hatchets, and 

 care nothing for ""bag." A murderer can be tried forty years 

 after the commission of the deed. Now one question to our 

 "exclusive" wing-shot champion. Tell us true — did you 

 never lake a sitting shot? If you deny it, and expect the 

 "young and rising generation'" to believe you, please make 

 your denial slightly Pinaforieal. L. I. Fj.ower. 



Just one cheery word with the boys, as I pass through the 

 office this morning. Let me say to " Graeme" that I can see 

 by the sly twinkle of his dancing eye that he. does not mean 

 half he says, and has no sort of idea that I am such a ' ' bear, " 

 that I wouldn't wish one to enjoy his day's "outing" to the 

 full. Some day when I have more time I'll tell what, had oc- 

 curred the other day when he thought that I rather "boiled 

 over," and perhaps unintentionally bespattered some of my 

 friends. 



Now, he cannot deny that he has underside a strong vein 

 of that true sportsman's blood, that when fairly awakened to 

 action, would at once perceive the richer flavor of the quality 

 of the sport so well described by " Shadow," in " ADay with 

 the Ruffed Grouse" (in issue Nov. IT), and having once tasted 

 thereof, would scorn ever after to go back to the liusks. 



I have one word of friendly warning for "Graeme's" ear 

 alone. Hold close lest the parsing winds whisper it. 



By all means get patented at once the original idea — that 

 shooting a bird on the ground just under a pointing dog's 

 nose, conduces greatly to his staunchness. Don't delay, for 

 the fact is, staunchness is so much more highly valued thau 

 it was in the "times primeval," that if it should attract the 

 notice of some of these field trial chaps, they might be 

 tempted beyond their honor and slip in ahead of you on the 

 patent. There, there, no thanks ; do as much for some one 

 else, 



Here, too, is " Iron Ramrod" at his noble work, sowing 

 the precious seed. Let him not be discouraged if some does 

 fall oa stony ground or gets choked by thistles, but remem- 

 ber the outcome of that same grand old parable. By the 

 way, about being obliged to hold further ahead when shoot- 

 ing" to the right, Is it not caused by the cramped position of 

 the right arm in shooting, preventing as easy delivery in that 

 direction? Perhaps plenty of practice at right-crossing shots 

 from the trap would limber up the action some. 



The partial migrationists can have my " aye" every time, 

 as demonstrated by my constant observations for years over 

 a large tract of ruffed grouse country. A bird that will raise 

 to maturity a large brood of young and then suddenly disap- 

 pear with them all from that" section of country and after a 

 few months as suddenly reappear perhaps in full force or 

 with additional forces can, I think, be safely called a bird of 

 migratory habits, whether it be for greater or lesser distances, 

 or for food or other causes, though climatic changes seem 

 not to enter into the problem of its movements. 



In regard to the vermin question I would ask, has anyone 

 seen the red squirrel show any disposition to molest the 

 grouse or its young or eggs? I have yet to Learn that grouse- 

 destroying vermin (with the exception of the pot-hunter) ex- 

 ists in greater proportion to the grouse than it did twenty-five 

 years ago, when both were plenty. If so, it would seem that 

 to some other cause must we look for the extermination of 

 this noble bird. And as the above exception (whose destruc- 

 tiveness no one questions) has increased in full proportion to 

 the decrease of grouse, is it not reasonable to charge this great 

 wrong on him? If so, there would seem to be but one alter- 

 native, and that — the grouse or the pot-hunter must go. 

 Shall it be the grouse? Ruffed Grouse. 



Ashfield, Mass. ,^__ 



It was with much pleasure that I read "Mark West's" 

 article on wing versus ground-shooting. I, too, am sorry 

 that "Octo" killed those two birds upon the ground. 



May I ask why a sportsman should consider himself justi- 

 fied in shooting a grouse upon the ground or from a tree, 

 when he would scorn to do the same thing to quail or wood- 

 cock or any other of our game birds? The better the shot 

 the more to blame, for the less chance the bird has upon the 

 ground the more chance the sportsman has to secure his game 

 in a legitimate way. Is it not a confession that his skill is 

 not sufficient to give the finest game bird we havefair play 

 for its life? H he would stop to consider as he throws his 

 gun to his shoulder for the purpose of murder— for murder it 

 is— there are few sportsmen I imagine who cannot hit a bird 

 on the ground or perched ou a tree within twenty yards, and 

 one is uot likely to see a, grouse further off — -if he would stop 

 to consider, I say that he is putting himself on a par with a 

 pot-hunter, I think he would resist the temptation. 



Why, because a bird is difficult of approach and hard to 

 kill (aiid no one knows better than I that, the ruffed grouse is 

 both) should we take an unfair advantage? 



It puts me in mind of an old story of a French and English 

 sportsman. The Englishman seeing his companion about, to 

 shoot at a bird running upon the ground, indignantly ex- 

 claimed: "You would not shoot a bird upon the ground, 

 would you?" The Frenchman complacently replies: "No, 

 I vaits tele he stop." And after he does stop and is killed, 1 

 ask my brother sportsman does he not pick him up rat her 

 quickly and thrust him in his pocket and walk away with an 

 uncomfortable feeling about the gjljsi when his friend shouts 

 from the other side of the brush "Why did you not say 

 'Mark' which way did he go? I did not hear him." 



In my opinion better flush him, if it is in the thickest hole 

 that lies between New York and the Canada line; let him do 

 his best; let him sneak away till he rises out of range, or put 

 all the big frees in the woods between him and you. Miss 

 him clean, do anything, rather thau commit an act of which, 

 in your inner consciousness, you are ashamed. 



How differently you feel* when your well-trained (not 



broken) dog comes to his point; it is thick to be sure, very 

 (hick; you send your companion on the outside where ■ you 

 think he will have a fair shot : you force your way through 

 the brush to your dog, up gets the grouse, you have but a 

 glunpse and shoot where you heard him last; you have no 

 idea whether you have killed or missed, yon have both had 

 fair play, but if your dog returns with the bird you don't 

 stuff him in your pocket in a shame-faced way, but carry him 

 out to your' friend and when he says, "What, a magnificent 

 shot that was, I don't see how you do il !" you stroke his 

 feathers and are proud of your bird and of your shot. My 

 gentle reader, if you would give that bird for a par load 

 slaughtered upon "the ground you do not belong to our fra- 

 ternity. Yes, brother "sportsmen, I am with "Mark West" 

 first, last and all the time, and so put myself on record, 



Look East. 

 Rhinebbck, N. Y. 



NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION. 



THE following circular has been issued by Mr. 8, T. Mur- 

 ray, of Niagara Falls, president of the'New York State 

 Association for the Protection of Fish and Game: 



"At the Convention of the New York State Association for 

 the Protection of Fish and Game, held at Coney Island, June 

 20, 1881, Capt. W. L. B. Stears offered the following resolu- 

 tion, which was adopted : 



"Resolved, That a Convention be held at the call of the 

 president elect, who shall decide the place as well as the time 

 of meeting, for the purpose of taking action in the protection 

 of game and fish, and preparing a new game bill for pre. 

 sentation to the Legislature, and that each county be repre- 

 sented by oue delegate; with the addition made by' Mr. James 

 Faulkner, Jr., which was agreed to, that the president should 

 also have power to fill any vacancy when any county was not 

 represented, and to act with the" others; and addition from 

 Mr. W. J. Babcock, which was agreed to, that when the 

 meeting convened a majority should rule. 



"In appointing the following delegates we have been 

 obliged to select some gentlemen whom it has been impossi 

 ble for me to confer with before such appointment was made. 

 It is hoped that this will make no difference with the attend 

 ance'of these gentlemen upon the Convention. 



"If the anticipation is realized, that one gentleman from 

 each county be present at the Convention (winch is very much 

 desired), we may expect that a good game and fish law— such 

 as the whole people may readily understand, and that shall 

 be fair and just to all— may be passed by the present Legis- 

 lature and become a law. There are so many conflicting 

 laws at present that it is difficult to enforce them or for Un- 

 people to understand them. Again, some of the laws are un- 

 just to dealers, and do not reach the end sought, I have 

 named the Delavan House, in the city of Albany, as the. place 

 of meeting, and the loth day of March next, twelve o'clock 

 noon, as the time for such Convention to convene; also have 

 named Capt. W. L. B. Stears, of Brooklyn, Kings Co., N. 

 Y., as temporary chairman. All communications with ref- 

 erence to this delegation should be addressed to Capt. W. L, 

 B. Stears. 



"The next, meeting of the State Association will take place 

 at Niagara Falls, N. Y., of which timely notice will be given. 

 Any information relative to organizing new chilis and send- 

 ing delegates (thereby having a representation in the Conven- 

 tion of the Association), will be promptly responded to by the 

 Hon. WilUam Pool, corresponding secretary of the Associa- 

 tion, Niagara Falls, N. Y." 



The list of delegates givon Ls as follows : Dr. Kennedy, 

 Auburn, Cayuga co. ; Henry R. Jones, Buffalo, Erie co. ; R. 

 Ballard, Le Roy, Genesee co. ; Dr. E. L. Sargent, Water- 

 town, Jefferson co. ; R. J. Richardson, Lowville, Lewis co. ; 

 James Faulkner, Jr. , Dansville, Livingston co. ; M. A. 

 Stearns, Rochester, Monroe co. ; Hon. R. B. Roosevelt, New 

 York, New York co. ; C. W. Hutchinson, Rome, Oneida co. ; 

 John Bedford, Syracuse, Onondaga co. ; H. R, Tiffany. 

 Clifton Springs, "Ontario co. ; G. D. MeManus, Oswego, 

 Oswego co. ; C. A. Havemeyer, Hempstead, Queens co. ; A. 

 Paul, Troy, Rensselaer co.;" Frank Endicott, Staten Island, 

 Richmond co. ; Horace Silsby, Seneca Falls, Seneca co. ; 

 Victor W. Ringueberg, Lockport, Niagara co ; J. Otis Fel- 

 lows, Hornsville, Steuben co. ; Dr. Morgan, Ithaca, Tomp- 

 kins co. ; W. H. Griswold, Lyons, Wayne co. ; Charles E. 

 Johnson, East Chester, Westchester co. ; Calvin Russell, 

 Penn Yan, Yates co. ; Geo. Dawson, Albany, Albany co. ; 

 John R. Wiltsie, Newburg, Orange co. ; Loins Livingston, 

 Rhinebeck, Dutchess co. ;' H. G. Scuddcr, Harrington, Suf- 

 folk co. ; Ezakiel Efting, Highland, Lister co. ; P. D. Van 

 Olinda, Canajoharie, Montgomery co. ; F. D. Bump, Jr., 

 West Randall, Washington co. ; "Albert Bush, Hudson, Co- 

 lumbia co.; S! A. Kellog, Champlain, Clinton co. ; W. W. 

 Durant, Saratoga Springs, Saratoga co.; Hon. E. C. Rice. 

 Fairfield, Herkimer co. ; E. W. Thayer, Cooperstown, Otsego 

 co.; B. M. Ste.bbins, Owego, Tioga co. ; Orson Spickerman, 

 West Fulton, Schoharie co. ; Dr. Ira Wilcox, Franklin, 

 Delaware co. ; P. Moeller. Nyaek, Rockland co. : Eugene 

 Eastman, Norwich, Chenango co. ; Oliver Abel, Jr., Eliza- 

 bethtown, Essex co. ; Samuel S. Mulford, TV.nnersville, Green 

 co. ; W. B. Downer, Cazenovia, Madison co. ; M. V. B. Ives, 

 Potsdam; St. Lawrence Co. J Alexander Jennings, Union. 

 Broome co. ; D. D. Gardiner, Aujelica, Alleghany co ; 

 Manley Blakslee, Oletm, Cattaraugus co. ; William Wood- 

 hurry," Gowanda, Chautauqua co'; C. W, Breed, Malou", 

 Franklin co. ; J. C. Gray, Cortland, Cortland CO.; Edward 

 D. Palmer, Schenectady, Schenectady co. ; M. R, Dodge, 

 Rockland, Sulbvan co. ; S. B. Truesdell, Cold Spring, Put- 

 nam co. ; Geo. Pardo, Glens Falls, Warren co, ; Samson 

 Llorsley, Wells, Hamilton co.; Almond Daniels, Lyndonville, 

 Orleans co. ; L. M. Smith, Elrnira, Chemung co. ; D. Sidruore, 

 Gloversville, Fulton co. ; Capt, M. D. Smith, Perry, Wyom- 

 ing, Co.; Richard Baker, Watkins, Schuyler co. 



Tennessee Notes.— Nashville, Feb. 7.— Near Eagleville. 

 Bedford couuty, in this State, can be found more quail than 

 anywhere I have heard of. The natives never hunt, and 

 consequently Bob White has the field to himself. John Car- 

 ter, IYlLx Mitchell, Dr. Briggs ami Col. Griffith, recently 

 visited this sportsman's bonanza, and though Ihe weather 

 was most unfavorable and Col. Griffith's gun got broken 

 early in the action, they brought hom< j full bags; From 

 Trigg counly, Ky., Matt McKiiiney writes to Col. Geo. F. 

 Akers that turkeys were never so abundaut in the cooling 

 grounds as ibis winter, and invites him and "J. D. 11." to 

 come down and have a go at them. Deer are also io be found 

 there in large numbers, Geo. Wharton keeps a lirst-ela-,- 

 pack of hounds, and is ever ready to have a run after them. 

 Our market is pretty well supplied with game, but not as 

 well as usual at this season of the year, — J. D. H. 



