88 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



PPeb. 88, 1882. 



large gentle black eyes, lies prostrate before him, calm and 

 silent in death, all the savage of his nature vanishes, an un- 

 comfortable lump chokes his throat, and if no tc;ir be shed, he 

 turns aside for u moment, regretting the fatal accuracy of his 

 aim. Just then the sharp crack of P.'s rifle brought 'me sud- 

 denly to my normal condition, and in less than twenty 

 minutes that splendid buck was dangliug from a sapling ovit 

 of the reach of hogs and wildcats' This is the way iff was 

 Hone: 



With my hatchet 1 cut a gambrel about three feet long and 

 stout enough to hold up the deer, rtm my scalping knife 

 through the skin at ihe gambrel joints, inserted the gambrel, 

 climbed a chosen sapling that my weight could bend down 

 eaSify, trimmed it, cutting oft the top close to a steable 

 branch over which I hung the gambrel, having first estimated 

 about the right spot and dragged the deer there before bend- 

 ing down the tree. The spring of the small tree would not 

 raise a quarter of the deer from the ground, so 1 then cut 

 four suitable poles with crotches on the'end of each, two just 

 long enough to raise the body of the deer from the ground, 

 and the other two of sufficient length to raise the game about 

 four feet from the ground. I then placed the. shorter crotches 

 on either side of the sapling close to the gambrel, slanting in 

 opposite directions and at' right angles with the tree's hotly, 

 then by lifting and pushing on one crotch and then the other 

 a few 'times tiie deer Was easily raised to the proper height 

 for dressing. With the sharp scalping knife and tomahawk 

 I opened him clear through from the hams to the throat, so 

 the blood would escape as the entrails were removed. Then 

 having fastened a sneet Of white paper, or some strips of 

 mooswood bark to a sharpened flag stick, insert it in the flesh 

 of the ham to scare away ravens, crows and owls, then adjust 

 the two long crotches alongside of the two short ones and by 

 the same process raise the ileer to the full height desired, but 

 always being careful to leave the two long crotches slanting 

 enough to brace against heavy winds that might otherwise 

 blow them over and let the deer fall. 



After blazing a line down to the swamp, and south of the 

 deer so I could rind him if the snow tracks should disappear, 

 I took about that kind of a look at the uoble fellow T hanging 

 there that a proud conqueror is supposed to take at his fallen 

 foe, and started on a lively run in the direction the other five 

 deer had taken. The tracks of the fleeing deer were soon 

 struck, and as they had been frightened it woidd be an hour 

 or two before, they would get over the fright enough to begin 

 to feed. I took a smart Indian lope on their trail, "and kept it 

 up for over a mile wheu I came to where they appeared to 

 have suddenly stopped. I instantly suspected cause, and on 

 closely examining the ground I discovered a line of hair on 

 the snow to the w T est of one of the tracks, and that they had 

 all started off again with enormous bounds, and on following 

 up the trail of the one where the hair was seen I soon found 

 a stream of crimson visible both sides of the track, and the 

 jumps growing shorter and shorter; soon the track of a 

 hunter turned in on this bloody trail, and I guessed at once 

 that thy friend P. had turned back from the cast, having 

 struck no signs, had seen these deer after hearing my gun; 

 had stopped th_rn by bleating, and had made these bloody 

 marks with his Avinged messenger of death sent squarely 

 through one of th.em: 



Keeping along the trail I soon discovered P. with his coat 

 off "snaking" his deer in the direction the reuoviinrng four 

 had taken, southerly. He was stopped by a sharp Indian 

 whoop, which he promptly answered, put' on his coat, and 

 waited for me. to join him.' 



"Well, old boy'. I see you have one down." 



"YeSj a lucky shot, and a nice fat spike-horn. 1 heard 

 your shot, turned to the west, was watchful and saw them 

 tirst, hid behind a tree, and when they came within point- 

 blankrange stopped them, blazed away and shot ibis spike- 

 horn. Come, I think we can get one or two more of them. 

 What did you do?" 



"I hungup a live-pronged buck and then hastened on in 

 the direction of your shot. But why don't you bang up your 

 deer? you can't bunt and drag both to advantage." 



"Tried to, but couldn't hoist him up high enough to clear 

 the. hogs, which T should think, from the tracks I have seen, 

 are pretty plenty in these woods; so I had to drag him in or 

 take my chances of getting a portion of him in sausage only." 

 As that" would make his chances of a taste of that deer very 

 remote, I volunteered to help him hang him up safe, and 

 this by our joint efforts was neatly accomplished in less than 

 fifteen minutes. I must here say that this was my friend's 

 first deer, ami his knowledge of woodcraft, of course, quite 

 limited, but, it was the beginning of a career in deer and elk 

 hunting, finally unsurpassed in fame and success by any 

 hunter in Northern Ohio. 



Having finisheS the work of hanging up and dressing the 

 buck, as previously described, I took the trail of the four deer 

 and 1 took a parallel line a little way ahead of him. but al- 

 ways keeping him in sight. YA e ' 'started" them once or twice, 

 they seeing us first, notwithstanding all our caution and vigi- 

 lance to prevent it, running when the deer ran. and walking 

 and crawling when they walked, until we finally saw the 

 clearing along the stage road, and a narrow neck of woods 

 putting up into the opening some forty or fifty rods. This 

 neck was covered with thick undergrowth, was fenced on 

 three sides with a high rail fence, and we saw by the course 

 of the trail that the. deer were making for it. We came to- 

 gether and held a council of war, which resulted in agreeing 

 that P. should cautiously follow the trail, peering into every 

 corner or shelter where they would be likely to'lie down to 

 rest in the middle of the day. while I should go over the high 

 fence to the east and keep "close along it as much concealed 

 as possible, and a little in advance of P.. and should they 

 jump the fence to the left after being started. I would be very 

 likely to get a good shot, or if to the right, then he would 

 bead them off and try to get a shot, before they could reach 

 the woods to the north and west, and both of us should make 

 even- effort and ase all precaution and skill to get a shot be- 

 31 i rting tii' m from the thicket. 



We. had proceeded thus about, half the way up the Neck 

 when 1 saw my friend with I he cunning of an Indian flatten 

 out and crawl stealthily along through the thicket. I knew 

 what that, meant, but his sharp eyes must have discovered 

 what I could not. yet. with a fierce thumping of the heart I 

 kept .<'ii. increasing my caution and vigilance, when I saw 

 him halt, level bis rifle and lire. Three of the deer sprang 

 up from the thicket, making short high leaps toward the 

 east fence, and I ran With all the speed there was in me. and 

 as they 01 tat her, cleared the high fence with a tre- 



mendous hound, and turned south toward the stage road, 

 instead of cast and north toward the north woods, and yet 

 ! range, f began to think my chances lost for a k'ill- 

 . ■_ hot, when Midden b r ' m . v a11 topped and huddled to- 

 ad quick as though! the old "Yeager'' was leveled 

 ■ I then -aw that Ihe stage going 



west was in plain sight, and had probably caused them to 

 stop, and wdien they turned, saw me, and finding themselves 

 between two fires, in doubt and fear they huddled together, 

 each appearing to try to hide behind the others. The report 

 of the rifle seemed to bring them to then' Kenses again, and 

 two cleared the. fences ahead of the stage and crossed over 

 into (lie. south woods, while the third essayed to jump the 

 high fence on ground rising quite sharply up to and beyond 

 the road, luit as often as' he tried he fell back, once, flat on 

 his side. All this time (which seemed to be an age. but was 

 only a minute or two) I was frantically trying to force down a 

 ball immovably stuck fast a few inches from the muzzle. Not 

 having realized how cold it was, 1 had wet the patch and it 

 had frozen fast. My only way out of Ihe scrape was to 

 hasten to the farm house across the road and thaw it out. 

 The deer was still trying to jump the fence, the driver had 

 stopped the stage and was cracking his whip at the deer, the 

 passengers craned their necks from the window- and yelled: 

 "Shoot her! Why don't you shoot?'' Then I was within 

 thirty yards of that magnificent doe, half scared to death and 

 with one hind leg shattered above the gambrel joint and 

 bleeding profusely, yet I didn't shoot, which appeared to 

 make the driver and passengers very angry. One had the 



presence of mind to call me a d p 1, but if they were 



madder than I was I feel sorry for them. I knew "all the. 

 time why I didn't shoot, Ihe wounded doe, finding she could 

 not get over the high fence, ran along it to the barn-yard, 

 jumped the low bars in front, crossed the road behind the 

 stage, w T ent through an open narrow gate leading up to the 

 farm house, and made off at a hobbling lope toward the big- 

 south woods. 



Alter warming the gun-barrel before the tire of the farmer 

 and drinking the proffered mug of cider and red-pepper, the 

 ball was easily rammed home and the hunt resumed. 



Having followed the wounded doe south and nearly to the 

 South road, frequently starting her up from her crimson bed 

 in the snow, and made several clean misses and no hit. and 

 she leading me further and further from home, I began all 

 sorts of strategy to either kill or turn her back toward the 

 North road. "I first tried crawling up and taking her una- 

 wares, hut although she was weak from loss of blood, had 

 one hind leg broken and making half circles in the snow, 

 and would be down every few minutes, yet she always took 

 care to lie so as to see me first and be iip and off before I 

 could get in shooting range. Failing in that I tried to run 

 her down, but although I" could keep her in sight most of the 

 time, she was too fast or I was too slow and tired to accom- 

 plish anything. Pretty soon I saw in the distance that 

 peculiar light through the woods indicating a clearing, and I 

 at once left the track, made a wide circle to the left, and 

 struck the clearing first, (the deer having stopped in a tree- 

 top for rest and observation, as I afterwards found) skirted 

 along it w-atching for the deer to come up or to find her track 

 if she had attempted to cross the road. No track was found 

 and no sight of the deer obtained, so it was clear I had 

 headed her off and my chances brightened for a speedy 

 carjture. Cautiously zig-zagging my way to overlook all the 

 ground, I moved northerly again, out 1 failed to get near 

 enough to shoot when she started up from the tree-top. keep- 

 ing behind it so I could not even make a long-range shot, but 

 luckily, in the direction of home. Again starting on a 

 loping gait I soon brought her in sight, ami managed 'to keep 

 her so most of the time, firing at her as often as an opening 

 could fie found, but the wood being pretty thick, and she 

 seldom nearer than forty rods, all my shots did w T as to get 

 her used to it and become tamer. A fotu'-raile run in this 

 way brought us to the North road clearing, which was a 

 large field' chopped and burnt over, but the logs nnpiled. 



I saw she was constantly looking back and watching for- 

 me, and would lay down if left to herself: so I crfcwled away 

 diagonally to the right, keeping her in sight. She soon began 

 to crook about, looking for a good hiding place, which she 

 soon found under the upturned' roots of a'falleu tree. I was 

 away to her right, hid behind a stump, and could see her 

 plainly, myself unseen, and it: was curious to observe her cun- 

 ning. She would raise her head high, look back, turn around, 

 look back on her trace again, walls to the right, then to the 

 left, look eveiy way; then she stepped into the little hollow 

 made by the upturned roots, turned around once or twice, 

 and slowly settled down. I could see her head aud neck; 

 lhen crawling along until the roots hid her from me, I began 

 my slow ana. stealthy approach. She was about thirty-rive 

 rods away when she lay down. I crawled up to within ten 

 fir twelve rods, aud then sided off to uncover her. Then; she 

 was, head up, eyes bright and watchful, but apparently 

 peaceful and unalarmed. For a moment 1 thought of Wil- 

 liam Tell and the eagle— 



* * "I could not shoot: 

 "Twas Liberty." * * 



But 1 did not turn my gun aside and let her run away. 

 On the contrary, I hardened my heart, took a good aim at 

 her bead, aud the sharp report ended her life struggles for- 

 ever, 



So intent had I been in pursuit of the game that I bad not 

 observed that the road was but a short distance away; that 

 there were several buildings, and a great crowd of people just 

 back of one of the buildings, which looked like a school- 

 house. I did not know where I wax all was new and strange 

 to me. but I was thankful to be -a, near some place of rest , 

 for it VI as growing twilight and T was awful tired, now that 

 the excitement was over. 



Cutting a limb with a hook at the large end and wi thing 

 the smaller end, 1 hooked if in her Under jaw, haying slit the 



MY FIRST GOOSE. 



ALSO MY LAST BOOSE; Hf FACT, ALL J1V (KJOKE. 



JT often happens that a man's experience in some certain 

 direction is all crowded into a very short space of time. 

 So it was with my goose shooting. Season after season I had 

 carried a few shells loaded for geese; but nogoose came with- 

 in range, until one hicky day at the reservoir in Logan 

 County. Ohio. It was a dull day. As Oscar would say- 

 All natchua was too utterly serenely serene. Not a leaf 

 stirred, and scarcely a duck. In fact the shooting was so 

 poor that all the hoys had gone on an island, where they 

 were killing lime by shooting blue herons and "thunder 

 pumpers," inlerspersed with yells at your humble subscriber, 

 something as follows: "Come in bore" you old rat, and take a 

 little something. You can't hit a flock of barns, anyway. 

 There isn't a. duck within forty miles, and you know it". You 

 don't know enough to come in when it rain's," etc., etc. Still 

 the old rat stuck to his boat with a weather eye for the oc- 

 casional mallard that flew his way— stuck to his boat, which 

 was. fortunately, completely hidden in the best natural blind 

 that he had ever found. Finally, far down over Steinmetz's 

 prairie, was heard the honk! honk! so welcome to the shoot- 

 er's ear— the sound that causes him to crouch and grip his 

 gun, although he well knows the old gander's voice may be 

 easily heard for a mile or more. 



Possibly the boys on the island were a little envious of the 

 position of the old' rat, when instead of a "flock of barns," a 

 flock of wild geese numbering probably two hundred were 

 seen bearing down directly toward him and not over thirty 

 yards high. Did the old rat "lay low" and keep quiet? Oh", 

 no, I guess not ; if his ' 'tail" had been "in a quart cup, "it would 

 probably have "rattled." Still thegeese "bore onward, straight 

 on, they swerved not a hair." How about the hair on the 

 old tat? Well, probably that swerved, but his old Parker 

 didn't. Still they came onward, two minutes, a mile and a 

 half straight, on— calculated, as a first experience, to be slightly 

 exciting. Not a muscle is stirred until the leader of the gang 

 is directly overhead and so near that the charge of .No. 5 

 shot shatters the life out of him, as suddenly as does 1he 

 charge of »'s the sickly squab's at the trap. Swinging on 

 another, the rat brings him sailing down into open water 

 with a broken wing and a dangling leg. And now r comes 

 the Strange, Six or eight geese leave the" main body and set- 

 tle in the water at the side of the wounded one for a moment, 

 allowing the shooter just time enough to slip in fresh cart- 

 ridges, when they leave the water and fly back directlv 

 over, two more falling to a clever right and left. 



The first goose, an immense fellow\ fell wdthin a yard of 

 the boat, stone dead. Two others required, or at least 

 received a second shot, aud the whole four were retrieved. 



The mob came, over from the island with congratulations 

 and a bouquet for the old rat, who gathered up Ins geese and 

 a dozen mallard ducks, the result of a long day's work. 

 These made a heavy bag. which was gladly deposited in the 

 Wagon, after the short carry from the boat to the road. 



There you have it, first.' last and all my geese. If I shoot 

 for another twenty years I will very likely be able to truth- 

 fully repeat the words. 



If 1 ever shoot "my first elephant," or anything Of that 

 sort, I'll write you about it, Me-ilit-aiu,e. 



agged h 



the road fence, 

 over the fence, seve- 

 ssistance. and to my 

 ! my companion P. 



Iter's tavern was just 

 the funeral services of 



skin for that purpose, and 



Here, while endeavoring to get the c 



ral people from that group came to i 



surprise ami delight, among them 



To my inquiries lie explained that 



across the road, that the gathering w, 



a man that had accidentally been killed near Pocky River 



by falling from a load of hay and breaking his neck, and 



that hearing ihy shot, he bad come oyer to see What it meant, 



and saw me dragging the deer; that he had been in sib ul 



hour and had "pulled" in the fawn he had wounded in the 



neck of woods, and had finally killed near the big swamp 



after a hard chase, and what was belter than all. had dressed 



him and we were to have venison for supper and breakfast 



Thus ended my first day's hunt in Ohio. 



Thence on for more than (wenty years nn friend P, aud 

 myself. With other choice spirits joining us occasionally, kept 

 up our annual deer hums, until 'the sad honi 

 dentally lost his life Drj a railroad smash-up, can-. 

 broken rail — "the victim of a dividend." Put tie lived long 

 enough to achieve unrivaled fame as a hunter, and such a 

 r< in; inla-ince in the hearts of his friends, of hi aula .,• ne- 

 rous, and unselfish character that no lapse of time .-,, 

 obliterate, 



A DOVE MEADOW. 



HOW many readers of Forest and Stbeam there may be 

 who see no meaning in the words ' 'a dove meadow'. " 1 

 cannot tell, but I take it for granted that they are not a few. 

 All the later, years of my own life I have spent in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of two of these happy hunting grounds, and for 

 the greater part of the time in entire and by no means bliss- 

 ful ignorance of the sport right at hand, 1 therefore imagine 

 that others maybe .interested in a sketch descriptive of a 

 field of recreation, which, however charming, must ever 

 partake largely of the character of a bloated monopoly. 



Every one who has spent any portion of the summer or 

 early fall along the New r Jersey coast knows that doves f re 

 quent the banks of all tide waters, but there are many regular 

 visitors— yes, many who live along, and upon these 

 waters, 'do not know that there' are spots which 

 are visited during the season by hundreds and thou 

 sands of these birds. How many such places there are I do 

 not profess lo know, but that there are two is a fact that I 

 have realized through a delightful experience. It has been 

 my privilege for many summers past to seek for health and 

 pleasure, with rod and gun and boat, 



"Down by the sea, where, with slow gliding motion, 

 By cedar crowned bluffs and bright pebbled beaches. 



The Manusquan pours Its broad tide to the ocean, 

 Over white sandy bars, through wide meadow readies.' 



Many a long day I have watched for the bunches of snipe- 

 when the south wind was blowing up the beaches, stalked 

 the blue heron across the meadows, and chased the confiding 

 willet around the clam-flats. Other long days I have 

 floundered through the swamps and sloughs after "woodcock, 

 or climbed the hills where the festive gray squirrel disported 

 a mwng the hickories, or sought the wood-duck among Ihe 

 rice beds at the head of the river. Years of this kind of life 

 made me think that 1 was acquainted with that river, aud I 

 knew that there was not a creek nor cove where my centre- 

 board had not ploughed the (mud and) water. And'yet these 

 years passed without my gaining the slightest intimation of 

 "the existence of the "dove meadow," 



One day, however, finding "o ducks in the rice beds, Icon 

 eluded to go ashore and try woodcock. Seeing an acquaint- 

 ance engaged in gathering sedge along his bottom land, I 

 sauntered that way for a little chat, as 1 always want to be 

 on good terms with the owner of tiny property I shoot over. 

 Just ahead of his teata 1 saw three doves on the sod. and call- 

 inn' the farmer's attention to them Was told: "Yes. two or 

 three of tbem birds trade around here every season." I call 

 particular attention to this remark as showing his opinion of 

 Hie facts of the case, namely that as he always saw a lew 

 birds on the meadow they must belong there. ' I killed I wo 

 of the doves, and then sealed myself under a group of pines 

 to cut my lunch. Soon two doves came to the same spot, and 

 niel ihe same fate, A few moments passed and a bunch of 

 the encircled around Ihe pines with an evident intention lo 

 light . but saw me and sheered off. By this time the idea was 

 into my head that there were more doves "trading 

 around there" than my native friend had suggested, and I 

 prepared to n-eei i e t hem. Stationing my boj on one side of the 

 grove with instructions to signal the approach and direetiur 

 of the birds, 1 concealed myself a little and — well 1 just en- 

 joyed myself. Somebody "has described Atlantic City on a 

 summer' Sunday as being "a croffl between Hades aud 

 Hobokeu," and 1 consider shooting on a dove meadow a fair 



