March 5), 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



109 



John R. Thayer. 1— total, 71. A pood many foxes to be 

 killed in and about a city of sixty thousand inhabitants. 



After the recent heavy snow storms, grave fears were enter- 

 tained by the sportsmen here That the emails had, for the 

 mosl part, perished. Since the storms, however, reports 

 have come in which give the matter a more hopeful look, 

 Bevera] large bevies having been seen. Robins and bluebirds 

 i 311 Seen aooul here for more than a week. 



The Kiile Club, after petting fairly settled in their new 

 Blub house at Lovell's Grove, were notified to stop shooting, 

 as the balls were heard to whizz unpleasantly near some of 

 HI es in the neighborhood. 



They are now looking for, grounds which shall be pleas- 

 antly located, and where they can practice safely. K. 



ST. LAWRENCE GAME CLUB. 



1 THE annual meeting of this association was held at the 

 of the secretary in the city of Ogdensburg. March 

 1. 1883. The president, L. D. Hoard, read his report, 

 which was adopted, 



Mr, Boper moved that (lie meeting appoint a delegate to 

 attend {he State Convention at Albany March 1.5. The 

 motion was unanimously adopted, and L. D. Hoard was 

 named as such delegate, with power of substitution. 



W. R. Peters addressed the meeting on the importance of 

 Conferring "With the district-attorney as regards the. prosecu- 

 tion of the offenders of the game" law, and suggested that 

 the chair appoint a committee of three to, so confer. The 

 appointed as such committee, W. R. Peters, J. 

 McN aught on and Jno. Webb, Jr, Mr. McNaughtou moved 

 that a committee of three be appointed to selectTsui table per- 

 sons for trustees for the ensuing year. Carried. The presi- 

 dent named as such committee, J. McNaughtou, Albert 

 Chismore and E. F. Bearsdlee. The committee reported as 

 follows: For trustees— E. F. Beardslee, of Gouverneur, S. 

 A. Rcdway, of Potsdam, A. F. Nims, of Canton, James R, 

 Smith, of "Russell, and J. Newell, of Ogdensburg. 



The trustees retired for the selection of officers for the en- 

 suing year, and reported the following : L. D. Hoard, Presi- 

 dent Ogdenshurg ; E. F. Beardslee, Vice-President, Gouver- 

 neur; X. \\ . Howard, Secretary and Treasurer, Ogdens- 

 hurg. 



J. McNaughtou, Esq., addressed the meeting on the im- 

 portance of protecting game and fish in this county, and 

 especially in the Adirondack region, discussing the ineffici- 

 ency of the present game law of the State, and urging the 

 members of the club "to do all in their power for the passage 

 of an act that will easily convict those who unlawfully 

 slaughter game and fish. 



E. F. Beardslee suggested the necessity of securing the 

 services of a game protector for this part of the State. 



Mr. Reynolds made some remarks upon the interest that 

 would be awakened in the right direction, by publishing in 

 all the county papers the proceedings of the annual meeting 

 of the St. Lawrence Game Club. It was so ordered. 



Jno. Webb, Jr., offered the following resolutions which 

 were unanimously adopted: 



Resolved, That the existence of a matured public senti- 

 ment demanding the protection and culture of the best 

 animal products of our forests and waters, and in favor of 

 the appropriations made by the State in aid of such purposes, 

 is matter for public congratulation, and demands from the 

 people energetic action in the enforcement of the laws for the 

 preservation of their game and fish. 



Resolved, That we appeal to a law-abiding and sym- 

 pathetic public sentiment to aid our efforts to suppress' the 

 lawlessness of classes and persons who habitually- resort to 

 our forests and streams to pursue their work of destruction 

 of game and fish, regardless of every consideration but that 

 of personal greed, or the gratification of a morbid passion 

 for wanton and indiscriminate destruction. 



Resolved, That we invite the people in the counties com- 

 prised wholly, or in part, in the section known as the 

 Adirondack region, to form associations for the protection of 

 game and fish in their respective counties, so that by the 

 interchange of views, and concerted and general action, the 

 laws directed to that end may be generally enforced. 



Resolved, That the president of this association be 

 requested to publish, in the form of circular letter, a general 

 invitation to join our efforts for suppression and protection; 

 and that he couple therewith a brief synopsis of the laws for 

 the protections of fish and game and "the penalties for their 

 violation. 



Resolved, That we tender to the president and officers of 

 the St. Lawrence Game Club our hearty thanks for their 

 efficient services in the past year, and our congratulations at 

 the encouraging prospects of the extension of the influence 

 and usefulness of the club from its feeble beginning, and 

 progress under the sustaining care of its president, to the 

 wider field of activity contemplated by its incorporation, and 

 co-exiensive with the forests and waters of St. Lawrence 

 county, and we pledge to them and to the public our best 

 assistance in the discharge of their duties. 



Resolved. That the proceeding of this association be pub- 

 lished in the several weekly papers printed in St. Lawrence 

 Bounty and in Forest and' Stbeam. 



Gen. Judson eloquently addressed the meeting, giving some 

 vivid descriptions of his experience in the great woods — 

 where the deer were being hounded to death. Adjourned. 



N. W. Howard, Secrctaiy. L. D. Hoard, President. 



Ogdensbuhg, Alarch 1, 1882. 



FOXES OK Ice. — Hartford, Conn., March 4. — In your last 

 issue "E. A. R." gives an instance of a fox crossing ice and 

 the dogs following the trail by scent, I have more than 

 once witnessed the same performance, but in every ease the 

 fox has been wounded or foot-sore. I have also seep . ihe 

 dogs thrown out many times by the fox taking to the ice. 

 Two years ago while 'fox hunting 1 saw a wily varmint who 

 was some distance-ahead of the dogs, leave (lie highway in 

 which he was running and make a bee line for a pond nearly 

 half a mile distant that was frozen over. As soon as he was 

 on the iec he commenced rolling over and over until he had 

 got three or four rods from the store, when lie gathered him- 

 self up, and throwing his head in the air to listen for the 

 I honk himself and then retracedhis steps totheroad, 

 wlu-n In 1 ran a short distance toward the dogs, and then turning 

 at a right angle soon disappeared. I was some distance away? 

 but anticipating trouble started for the scene. The dogs ar- 

 rived there before 1 did and it was a long time before I got 

 them straightened out. In this instance the dogs could 

 smell the scent upon the ice much better than they could 

 upon the ground, which was undoubtedly just the result cal- 

 culated upon by designing vulpes when he took so much 

 pains to leave it there.— Fox H inter, 



GAME ABOUT PHILADELPHIA. 



OUR Philadelphia sportsmen who have visited the New 

 Jersey bays during the past week have been well re- 

 warded. Geese, brant and black ducks are now numerous 

 in these waters. The 1 writer saw several large bags brought 

 into Kridersa day Or two since and learned from "the fortu- 

 nate duckets that fowl of all kind have been plentiful for a 

 fortnight, and the baymien expect their presence until the 

 middle of March to the last of the month. A Havre de- 

 Grace and the Bush and Gunpowder rivers canvas-backs are 

 numerous, redheads being less in numbers than earlier in 

 the season, and Monday last, ''ducking day" at Havre de 

 Grace, almost every boat was the lucky one". All that went 

 out were well rewarded. Had there been more wind the 

 number of ducks killed would have been larger; as it was 

 many were brought in. At Port Perm, Delaware Bay, a few 

 snipe have been killed — only the earlier comers. We cannot 

 argue from the killing of these half dozen stragglers that the 

 main flight is near; still we may expect them sooner than 

 usual the present spring. All the early migratory birds have 

 arrived in the region about Port Perm, and the "shad fisher- 

 men are preparing their nets in advance of last years' date. 

 We have heard of the spring arrival of a pair" or two of 

 woodcock near Philadelphia, and their quiet settling down 

 in swamps where they yearly breed. Should the first fort- 

 night of March be balmy and springlike, without stormy 

 weather, our sportsmen will surely find and kill snipe all 

 along the Delaware River meadows from Woodbury Creek 

 down to Salem Creek on the Jersey side and on the numerous 

 feeding grounds on the Pennsyvania and Delaware side, 

 which are yearly visited by our favorite bird. The duck 

 shooting on the Delaware River the past month has been 

 poor, not from lack of fowl, but on account of the open 

 weather we have had, which lias allowed the continual har- 

 rassing of every flock of ducks which has made its appear- 

 ance; Our veteran Delaware River duck-shooter, Mr. T. 

 Conway, has in the past two weeks contented himself 

 with only two or three braces daily over decoys, starting 

 from Chester and paddling on then in this latter neighbor- 

 hood or even further down the river. They are shy and 

 will not permit the approach of a boat no matter how well 

 disguised. It is only when there is a flight and a stiff wind 

 that drives them over towards the New Jersey shore that any 

 bag at all can be made, antl it must be done early in the day. 



SNIPE-SHOOTING GROUNDS. 



As the snipe shooting season approaches, many of your 

 readers are doubtless making up their minds as to where their 

 tramping grounds will be selected this spring. I have gener- 

 ally been a little selfish in imparting the localities of the sec- 

 tions of the country where I have been usually fortunate in 

 finding birds plentiful, but at your request shall give for pub- 

 lication a few points relative to the finding of these grounds, 

 which I am sure, should the sportsman hit the proper 

 weather, it will repay him to visit. 



In the neighborhood of Milford, Delaware, the Slaughter 

 Neck marshes abound with snipe: also the Prairie Hook 

 marshes; but at Milford don't stop at a hotel. Write to Mr. 

 John Woofers. He knows the grounds, and is moderate in 

 his price for board, pilotage, and team. 



At Milton, which is reached by stage from Ellwood station 

 on the Delaware Railroad, I have always found fine snipe- 

 shooting. A team from Milton to the Drawbridge over Mil- 

 ton Greek, five miles from the town, will put the sportsman 

 right among birds that are seldom if ever shot at. This last 

 place is difficult to be. got at, hence the certainty I experienced 

 of having good sport. It will well repay r to visit these. places, 

 but a license of $5.00 is recpiired of every non-resident of 

 Delaware shooting in the State. 



I would advise a trip of a full week to anyone desirous of 

 wanting to shoot at these points, and the carrying of a No. 

 10 gun and shells of No. 5 and 6 shot for marsh duck-shoot- 

 ing, which can always be had in the spring of the year, 

 especially at Slaughter Neck marsh. As to choice of time 

 of starting, this must be made according to the condition of 

 the marshes and openness of the season. I would say this 

 year, if the spring proves open.^any time after the 15th t"o 18th 

 of March, or even later, would do. April 1 would surely hit 

 it. Milton Creek is my favorite. Homo. 



Loading for (Jamb. — The subject of loads for shotguns 

 is something to which I have given a good lot of time and 

 thought in experimenting, both at the targets and in the field. 

 I give the results of my experimenting. First, in regard to 

 the load of shot, it should not, when in the barrel, exceed in 

 height the diametre of the bore to get the best average results 

 of both penetration and pattern, which will be for a 12-bore 

 l&oz., 10-bore ljoz. As soon as the shot exceeds this the 

 penetration falls off— with heavy powder charges very much 

 so — and, consequently, the range; loz. of shot and -tdrs. of 

 powder gives about the same pattern, but 18 per cent, better 

 penetration than 3dr. and loz. But, 4dr. and 1 J-oz. gives 

 only 7 per cent, better than 3dr. and l±oz., though the pattern 

 is the same. The gun I use for most everything is a 12-gauge, 

 Sflbs., 30ins. The pattern is the same with 3 and idr. of 

 powder and it puts about 51 to 67 per cent, of the load in 

 the 30in. circle at 40yds; Hoz. gives about 13 per cent, bet- 

 ter pattern than loz., and 14-oz. gives 20 per cent, more 

 than loz, The following is the penetration of various 

 loads taken from the averages of several shots with each 

 load. The penetration is in hundredths of an inch: 



Powder. Shot. Pen. 

 4 loz. .52 

 4 l^oz. .50 

 ■1 ltsjoz. .45 



The following loads I use in the field with good effect: For 

 geese, 4dr. powder Hoz. No. 1 or B shot; ducks, 4dr., Hoz. 

 No. 5; ruffed grouse, 31dr., l|pz, No. 7; quail and woi ideock, 

 3dr., loz. No. 9; bay snipe, 3-Jdr., loz. No. 9; rail, 3dr., 

 foz. No. 9; upland 'plover, Sidrs., Hoz. No. 8. Loaded 

 in all eases with one cardboard wad, with two pink edge, 

 except for Quail, woodcockand snipe, where one pink edge is 

 used. The one felt wad on powder does not drive so hard, 

 and tends to scatter the shot more than two felt wads. — De 

 Haven (Philadelphia, Pa.) 



Powder. Shot. Pen. Powder. Shot. Pei 



3dr. loz. .44 3}^ loz. .48 



3dr. l«oz. .43 3U ltgoz. .47 



3dr. n£oz. .42 Z% lj^oz. ,43 



Charleston, Coles Co. , Illinois, March 3.— On the 1st 

 inst,, William Hughes and John Cartright were out for a 

 day's shooting about/eight miles north of liere on the prairie, 

 and they bagged one sprigtail and eight mallard ducks. 

 They saw a few killdear. ' They report the prairie a sea of 

 water. Brant, geese and killdeer are scarce, rabbits and 

 ducks by the hundreds, quail and pinnated grouse are toler- 

 able plenty. In the timber, squirrels, rabbits and quail loler- 

 able plenty, ruffed grouse and turkeys scarce Not any deer 

 in the county,— J, B, D. 



Indications of the Millennium. — The following novel 

 and entirely original view of domestication appears "in the 

 Portland, Oregon, Buml Spirit. The writer is more san- 

 guine than sanguinary, and adopts an optimistic argument 

 which is as beautiful in its way as anything we have ever 

 seen. He say*! "Thomas Monteitli, of Albany, has a coop 

 of about twenty Oregon quails, which he intends, if it; be 

 possible, to domesticate. 'The mysterious of nature is the 

 art of God.' The wondrous development of the hitherto 

 mysterious would seem to indicate that the Great Architect 

 is still at work in ways that are calculated to bring man and 

 His work and plans closer together. Those who give at- 

 tention to the ways of the beasts, birds and fishes, can but 

 recollect that there arc incidents taking place which may be 

 indicative or intended to attract our attention to the fact that 

 the wild master is about to surrender to the more reasonable 

 ruler, Civilization. We refer to incidents such as buffalo 

 taking up with domestic cattle, prairie chickens with domes- 

 tic fowls, quails making their nests close up to barns, and 

 even raising their young close in, as though they r appreciated 

 man's protection. The farmer, the stock-grower, and every 

 true sportsman will, if they give heed to such things as they 

 are interested in, ofttirncs ask themselves. Will all these 

 things continue to be as they are now? The Great Giver, 

 Creator and Maker certainly intended that His work should 

 be forever. It is then reasonable to conclude that Ihe species 

 should be continued. Experience now goes to show that the 

 species cannot, or at least will not, continue in the wild state. 

 Man is too aggressive. We conclude, therefore, that when 

 the wild animals and birds are robbed of their homes, that it 

 may be that the God of nature may compromise, and man, 

 beasts and birds will become friends, and the wild animals 

 and birds will in time become pets of him who was to have 

 dominion over them." 



The Minnesota Association. — The Minnesota State 

 Sportsmen's Association is getting down to work, and an 

 active canvass is being made^all over the State for additions 

 to the membership roll. The idea is to have a popular asso- 

 ciation of sportsmen, each of whom pledges himself by 

 becoming a member to observe the game laws" and assist the 

 association in enforcing them. Tlie trouble has been that 

 though many — very many — have been anxious to see the law- 

 enforced they have been unwilling to put its forces in motion 

 against a friend or customer, and have shrunk from drawing 

 upon their individual heads the odium (purely imaginary) of 

 enforcing a beneficent law. This association, "however, 

 changes all that. On general information received the 

 officers of the association will act, and the law will be en- 

 forced, not by a one-man power, but in the name of the 

 associated sportsmen of Minnesota. It is absolutely of para- 

 mount interest not only for every sportsman, but for every 

 man who wishes to attract strangers to our midst to join this 

 association at once. Do not wait till some one comes round 

 to solicit your subscription and name, but send in one dollar, 

 the annual dues, to the secretary, W. S. Timberlake, corner 

 Third and Jackson streets, St. Paul, and ask for a copy of 

 the constitution and by-laws of the association, and for a. 

 copy of the game law of the State. Prompt and persistent 

 action now will save the State of Minnesota, all the money 

 and trouble that the older and more easterly States, Michi- 

 gan, Illinois, Ohio, New York, etc., are at present expend- 

 ing to replace and cause to multiply the game and fish so 

 recklessly destroyed in by-gone years, when game was as 

 abundant, there as here. Let the people of Minnesota be 

 warned now and benefit by the bitter experience of others. 

 The first money paid into the treasury will be employed in 

 carrying test cases to the. supreme court. If that" court 

 decides the law unconstitutional, then the association will 

 endeavor to frame one that is not, failing in which the game 

 law absurdity will be wiped off the face of the statute books, " 

 and all will have,, an equal opportunity, without risk of 

 malicious prosecution or annoyance of taking a hand in the 

 extermination process. It' it'is to be a short life let it be a 

 merry one and everyone in at the death. — St, Pit h'i ', Ftoriet '/• 



Game Afloat. — The overflowed Mississippi is working 

 ruin and disaster to the dwellers in the delta country between 

 Cairo and New Orleans. Farms and townships are submerged 

 in the flood. A correspondent of the Cincinnati tUmtmerekd 

 writes of the destruction of game: The Mississippi '•bottom," 

 between the great river and the St. Francis, has long been 

 celebrated as a sort of hunters' paradise. ' The immense 

 forests and interminable canebrakes afforded secure shelter 

 for innumerable wildcats, lynxes, panthers, hears and deer, 

 besides the smaller game,' such as squirrels, opossums and 

 raccoons. Some of these, like the squirrels, the wildcats, 

 lynxes and panthers, can readily adapt themselves to the 

 necessities of the situation and take to the trees. But many 

 a black-pelted bruin has been routed from his lair try the 

 encroaching flood, and compelled to seek preservation by 

 faking refuge on a floating log. A gentleman just returned 

 from Madison, on the steamer Katie Hooper, saw six mon- 

 ster black bears floating on one huge cypress log. Many 

 hundreds — perhaps thousands — of deer have been caught in 

 the overflow ttnd drowned. Swamp rabbits and other game 

 animals have met no better fate. The squirrels, being expert 

 swimmers, have migrated to the highlands ; but the destruc- 

 tion of game animals has been great. 



Long Island Association.— The annual meeting of the 

 L. I. Sportsmen's Association, was held in Music Hall. 

 Brooklyn, March 4. The following officers were elected for 

 the ensuing year President, C E. FTJ: \ tee-Pre; ileitis 

 C. L. Havemever. Henry Altenbrand. Geo. Post. Robt, 

 Robinson, (.'apt, W L. B. Steers; Secretary, H. W. Thorpe; 

 Treasurer, F. C. Chamberlin. Resignations' from the Phieuix 

 Gun Club and the Brooklyn Gun Club were read and ac- 

 cepted. Messi-s. W. L. B Steers, ChHS. W. Havemeyer and 

 Henry W. Thorpe, were elected delegates to Ihe State con- 

 vention at Albany. Alternates, Robt. Fury for Rings >.-,<.. 

 Judge Lott for Queens CO., and G. A. Chapped for Suffolk 

 co. As a committee of ten to accompany the delegates. Ihe 

 president named Messrs. Crook, Altenbrand, Chapped, Cham- 

 berlin, Post, Miller, Ackhursf, Eddy, lledeman and 

 McGovcrn. Messrs. Geo. B. Post, O. W." Wingert and Hugh 

 McLaughlin, were appointed a committee 1o secure a central 

 club ground for the use of all the clubs belonging to the 

 L. I. Association, 



Keeping Dead Game- East Machias, MJe.— ES&or Forest 

 arndSfrecm; I should like to have some information about 

 I lie best method of keeping dead game, and whether it should 

 be drawn 01 left undrawn. When I am camping out I have 

 always hung my fowls up by the neck undrawn. I never 

 have been in the bain [hem until wanted for the 



