190 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Apbil 6, 1882. 



SPRING DUCK7SHOOTING. 



IATVr glad to sec that Forest asd Stream has taken up 

 the subject of spring shooting, and I sincerely trust that 

 your opposition may meet with as much success as did your 

 raid on the "skimmers." To read weekly of the thousands 

 of ducks and snipe that are destroyed on their way to Hie 

 feeding grounds is. to say the least, very discouraging to 

 Canadian sportsmen, who have contributed their quota 

 toward the preservation of these birds by paSBing a bill pro- 

 hibiting spring shooting. And it is a matter of surprise that 

 si body of as sensible and unselfish men as our American 

 brothers are. as a class, cannot deny themselves that which 

 ought to cease to be a pleasure and has become a wanton 

 waste. 



Ever}' sportsman who spends a part of his time each fall 

 on the marsh must notice the yearly diminution of ducks, 

 and that favorite spots that once were "alive with snipe" 

 now yield but a meagre bag. And unless some sensible 

 steps are taken this state of things will continue until a good 

 day's sport will be numbered among tlifc things that were. 



Our quail have wintered well, and if not followed by a 

 very wet season for the youngsters, we will have splendid 

 sport next fall. They seem to be on the increase, if any- 

 thing, in spite of their many enemies, among which the 

 "Zulu" gun is perhaps not the least, as it is generally in the 

 hands of a "pot shot," the price ranging from" $2 apt'o*4.oO. 

 I suppose the difference in price is in the quality of the 

 metal. However, I think the "close season" is pretty gen- 

 erally observed, at least among professing sportsmen. 



R. G. M. 



London, Ontario. 



THE DESTRUCTION OF LARGE GAME. 



THIS part of the country, embracing Montana and 

 Wyoming, is generally considered the best game resort 

 in the United States, and' nowhere have 1 found as much 

 large game as in Montana and Wyoming. Twelve years ago 

 I left the "States," a mere boy ; and joined the "Big Horn 

 Prospecting Expedition" to strike it rich somewhere in the 

 Big Horn Mountains, but all we found were plenty of Indians 

 and an abundance of large game of all descriptions. Being 

 naturally fond of hunting and trapping I stopped here and 

 hunted and trapped on pretty nearly all the streams of the 

 Upper Missouri, Yellowstone, Snake River, and Wind 

 River. In 1870, 71 and '73 buffalo, elk, deer, antelope 

 hides were very near worthless here, and traders didn't care 

 about buying them, except Indiau-tanned buffalo and buck- 

 skins. In those years game was very abundant everywhere, 

 hunters only killing what they could sell near government 

 forts, mining camps, etc., or what they used for themselves, 

 and paying their attention mostly to trapping beaver, otter, 

 minks and martin. 



Since then times have changed wonderfully. The country 

 became more and more settled up, hides and skins com- 

 manded a remunerative price, and a good many hunters 

 "went in" to killing game, such as buffalo, elk, deer, ante- 

 lope, mountain sheep, etc., just for the hides alone, leaving 

 the carcasses to rot or for the wild animals to feed on. In 

 consequence game has become scarcer and scarcer every 

 year, and white there is plenty left yet, I fear as soon as the 

 'Northern Pacific Railroad is completed it will be a "ground- 

 hog case" concerning the game at Montana and Wyoming. 

 They either have to ieave or be mercilessly shot down during 

 the winter time when they can't help themselves. 



Game laws are practically a dead letter as long as hides and 

 skins command a good price in the "States," and as long as 

 the traders arc allowed to ship hides and skins. The only 

 way to put; a stop to the wanton destruction of game thus 

 slaughtered for tlie hides alone is to seize all the buffalo, elk, 

 deer, mountain sheep and antelope hides along the water 

 courses and railroad depots in Montana and Wyoming, thus 

 depriving the traders of shipping any of the above named 

 hides and skins. Hunters will not kill any large game for 

 the hides aloue if they can't sell them. Anybody familiar 

 with this country knows that the appointment of game war- 

 dens and officers would be too expensive and inadequate to 

 do any good. Indians enjoy the privilege of killing game 

 the year round , while whitemen are restricted from killing any 

 large, game between Feb. 1 and Aug. 10. Old Tkappek. 

 Bozeman, Montana T er., 18H3, ' 



In a Portland, Oregon, paper we tind this: "I have been 

 out on the desert a little south, seeing for myself the process 

 of hunting the mule deer. Hunting here at this season is 

 the principal business of all that can muster a good gun aud 

 energy for the hunt. When I was at FinevilJe, late in No- 

 vember, deer skins were almost everywhere in sight in the 

 town, and they were being brought in by every kind of con- 

 veyance, from every direction, seemingly. This was early 

 in the season and must have been only the beginning of the 

 season of selling pelts. Intelligent hunters estimate that 

 20.000 deer skins is not an over-estimate of the number de- 

 livered there up to the middle of December. Two brothers 

 named Martin have the name of making the largest delivery 

 of any one firm of hunters. I have heard their sale stated at 

 3,500 pelts, and from that down to 4,000 pounds, which at 

 four pounds each (about the average weight) would be 1,000 

 skins. The 4,001) pounds were sold at forty cents per pound, 

 making $1,600, as the result of a season's hunt, I suppose. 

 The men from four homesteads in this vicinity have killed 

 about 400 deer. The brothers Rube and Joe Claypool had 

 ninety-nine killed on the 2d of this month. They" had been 

 away from home twenty-four days." 



New Bklttswick Notes.— McDonald's Corner, N. B., 

 March 29. — The first flock of Canada geese seen in this sec- 

 tion, arrived at .Temseg Creek, the outlet of Grand Lake, on 

 the 12th of March, and have remained there ever since. 

 Another flock settled in the Washadenioak Creek on the 

 25th inst., and is still in that vicinity. Ducks of some sort 

 (shelldrakes, I think) have frequented the latter body of 

 water during the entire winter whenever it was open. They 

 must have gone to the Bay of Fundy during the intervals in 

 which the creek was frozen over. The ice in the rivers, ex- 

 cept in a few places where the tide wears it out, is so solid 

 that teams are. driven over it everywhere, and it will prob- 

 ably be some time lief ore migratory birds arrive in any great 

 numbers. If spring shooting were stopped here there would 

 not be ten geese killed in the lower counties of the province 

 in a year, for they seldom stop on their southward journey, 

 and if they do they keep out of range of anything but 'a 

 rifle. A good many whistlers are killed in the" spring before 

 the ice melts in the lakes, when they are compelled to feed 

 close to the banks of the creeks. Some enjoy this sport 

 more than any other, and truly it is very exciting and re- 

 quires c onsid erable skill. Some time when I have more 

 leisure LflBk tell you "how we do it." — L, I. F. 



Account Not Sqttake to Date.— A New Bedford, Mass. , 

 correspondent sends this note of a little occurrence in the 

 Third District Court of that city: James Fish pleaded guilty 

 to having in possession aud selling ten woodcock, in viola- 

 tion of the game laws, which prohibits the killing, having in 

 possession, offering for sale, buying, or selling" such birds, 

 whether taken in this commonwealth or not, between Jan. 

 1st and August 1st, under a penalty of $20 for each offence. 

 Mr. Fish asked the court to be as lenient as possible, but 

 was told that no discretionary power was allowed a magis- 

 trate in the premises, and prisoner was fined $20 and costs. 

 It is understood that the complaint is made in the interests of 

 the Sportsmen's Club of this city. After paying his fine Mr. 

 Fish went out, remarking, "That settles for woodcock up to 

 date." But it did not ; for this man had been killing wood- 

 cock right along, and had brought, them in six or eight 

 times. These birds must have been started and shot from 

 their nests. No doubt but there are other parties doing the 

 same thing, and we are making efforts to catch them. Had 

 we a Sportsmen's Club here it would be quite an easy matter, 

 but there is none, and few care to take the brunt of the mat- 

 ter. Our feeding grounds for woodcock are unsurpassed, and 

 although this thing has been going on for years there is 

 always fair, or even good woodcock shooting hereabouts. 

 If we can protect them, I have no doubt that this 

 would be one of the very best localities in the coun- 

 try. So many trout streams and springy grounds can 

 be found in no other locality that I have ever seen. Tf 

 there are other localities that can surpass this in woodcock, I 

 doubt if there is one where a meaner act can be shown, or 

 meaner men can be found than these who shoot woodcock 

 during their breeding season. Will some of our former 

 Springfield friends score us one for this '? — Game Protec- 

 tion. 



Sourn Carolina Notes. — Graniteville, March 25. — Our 

 shooting is about over for the season; still one may have fine 

 sport for two weeks yet if a hot sun is no objection; as for 

 myself I would rather, as a rule, forego the pleasure for the 

 few remaining weeks, than to tramp with the merctUT at 

 eighty degrees. The season for 1882 has been remarkable 

 for the scarcity of quail. The very early season bade fair 

 for plenty of birds, but later on the dogs could find com- 

 paratively few, not enough in this immediate vicinity to 

 make a day's sport. The dry weather may have had some- 

 thing to do with this. In some parts of the country sports- 

 men report this same scarcity, while others say they have had 

 all the shooting they desire. But I have noticed that in those 

 places Where game has been plenty rain has prevailed to a 

 greater extent than in this part of' the country. North Caro- 

 lina has furnished some fine sport as usual. ' At Rock Hill 

 (near the North Carolina line), I met Mr. McMurdo. He 

 boarded the train at this point, en route for Charlotte, and 

 later for his Virginia, home. Mr. MeM. had three setters 

 with him; they are of the Dash II. stock, and were in flue 

 form, and had given a good account of themselves in the 

 field. Mr. McMurdo has a pin-fire gun, by E. M. Riley, he 

 bought years ago second-hand in the old country. He "says 

 this gun suits him exactly. He likes the old under grip and 

 h:is no objection to the "pin-fire" It is a terrific hitter. — 

 Dick Swtvki.ler. 



Ac crnENT from Damp Shells. — "Mr. Frederick Wliaples 

 of Newington met with a serious accident on Wednesday 

 while shooting. He was using a breech-loading gun. He 

 had snapped a cartridge, and not exploding, he removed it 

 with his right hand, when the cartridge exploded, tearing off 

 the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and the thumb 

 and three fingers of the left hand. Nearly the entire charge 

 went through the left hand. He was attended by Dr. Coin- 

 ings of New Britain." I clipped the above from the Hart- 

 ford Bail}/ Gournnl of the 24th inst. I am myself under the 

 care of Dr. Coinings at the present time, and he assures me 

 that the accident happened as above reported, but that the 

 injury will not prove so severe as at first feared. .Mr. Whaples 

 tells Hie doctor that the cartridge "hung fire." and that the 

 accident occurred in consequence of the cartridge having 

 been kept in a damp place, so that it had gathered moisture. 

 This is the. second time that I have sent .you the record of 

 injuries resulting from this cause, and I think all sportsmen 

 should lie on their guard against the use of damp shells. — 

 J. W. T. (New Britain. Conn.) 



"Stout and Game in Newfoundland."— Your corres- 

 pondent "Terra Nova," writing on the above in your issue of 

 the 6th ult. , uses the term "'barachoi" which he spells as 

 often pronounced barraehoix, or I might say has anglicised. 

 'Tis strange what misnomers are often given by English 

 speaking people when translating another language. In 

 New Brunswick there is a place on the Bay Chnleurs near 

 Bathnrst, known to the French population as Petit Eoeher 

 or Little Rock, which is strangely converted into Little Russia. 

 When I first came to Canada I was at a loss to understand 

 the meaning or derivation of the term "barachoi." I knew 

 it must be some provincialism or patois, as there is no such 

 word in the French language. 1 have not. met with any 

 definition of it in any Canadian work. But after some time 

 I arrived at what J consider to be the real meaning and origin 

 of the term. I found that in every ca=e it was applied to the 

 lagoon which exists at the mouth of all rivers having an outer 

 sand bar or barre-a-echoir — a bar to stand ou. Hence I 

 believe the origin of "barachoi." — Philip Vibert. (Perce.) 



Alabama.— Burksville, Ala., March 27.— Our quail shoot- 

 ing season, which closed March 15, will belong remembered 

 by sportsmen in this section as the best we have had Eof 

 many years, thanks to our protective game law, which is 

 beginning to shed its benign influence. Snipe were abundant 

 here from February 10 to a few days ago; they are leaving 

 us in sadness now, but the plover brings moderate consola- 

 tion; and when he hies away we will live in hopes of that 

 most exciting of all field sports— wheat-field dove shoot- 

 ing.— A. E. C. 



The Caw Caw Shooting Cltjb of Milwaukee has leased 

 and purchased both shores of the east end of Puekaway 

 Lake, near Marquette j also about two miles of both shore's 

 of the Fox River where it leaves Puekaway Lake; also about 

 two miles of Grand River and marshes near what is known 

 as the Hickory Point. The purchases and leases secure to 

 this club the shooting on about 5,000 acres of laud and over- 

 flowed marsh. 



TEXAs.—San Antonio.— Within fifteen miles as fine 

 quail-shooting can be had as can be found on this continent. 

 They lie well to good dogs, and a good hunter can fill his 

 game pocket in a few hours. I have seen them in the streets, 

 of this town. Two years ago Mr. Patterson turned 500 quail 

 loose not a hundred yards from this courthouse. — Almu. 



Woodcock in Massachusetts. — Ashficld, Mass., April 3. 

 — The woodcock have arrived in good force. The first were 

 ohserved the 20th of March, since which time their courtship 

 has progressed finely within easy view of my buildings.— 

 Ruffed Gkot>e. 



Wisconsin PRomr.rroRT Law. — A bill has passed the 

 Wisconsin Senate forbidding the killing, taking or selling 



of woodcock, quail, partridge, grouse and prairie chicken, 

 for a period of two years. 



Nova Sco.TIA pays bounties of $3 each on an average of 

 687i- bears per year. 



M&* and Miter 



Ducks and Snipe ln Illinois.— Meredosia, Morgan Co., 

 111., March 29. — Duck shooting has been better here this year 

 than it has ever been known. Mallards are still. here by the 

 thousands and feed upon the corn which, owing to the now 

 flooded condition of the bottom lands of (he Illinois River, has 

 not been gathered up to date. It is fair to assume that good 

 shooting on duck will be had up to April 12, or whenever 

 warm weather sets in. It has been rather cold the latter end 

 of the month and vegetation is fully as backward as during 

 any other ordinary season, although February has been un- 

 usually mild. The fields look still as brown as in January. 

 Shipe shooting for this reason is very poor and only a few 

 wild birds, old hardy males, have thus far made their ap- 

 pearance. I shot eleven yesterday and saw but twenty all 

 told. I am advised also that but few have thus far heen 

 shot in the Mississippi bottoms, which are but forty miles 

 west from here. The snipe hunter wants to come here from 

 the 5th to the 20th of April, if he wants to have good suc- 

 cess. — C. L. 



Tiiev "Get Tired." — That is what the Germa/ilmn, Tr!.:- 

 r/r/i.pfi says is the matter with some of the game protective 

 societies. Right. Pluck, spunk and perseverance in well- 

 doing are the needful elements of success in game protection. 



Like every other ancient faith, the angler's firm belief that fish re- 

 fuse all food with rain impending, has now been scattered bd the 

 wind and clouds. The opinion of many ages was that, having by in- 

 stinct surer knowledge, than all mankind by science get, of the things 

 that shall occur to-morrow, these finny sages fear to spoil their relish 

 for the coming treat of worms and slugs and grubs, more luscious 

 than the fattest "native" to unvitinled taste. At] these will 

 falliuto their bands to-morrow; let them fast to keep the feast. 



It is now denied by men of science— scornful of all reasoning be- 

 yond their own— that, a trout surpasses them so immensely in the 

 science of meteorology, of which they are bound to confess that 

 they knownothing. Aud feeling *ome reasonable doubt, of rhatdenial, 

 they add the insi lions remark (engendered by their own "inner con- 

 sciousness") that even if the fish knew what was coming, ( .hey would 

 never keep their months shut by reason of their knowledge.— R. D. 

 Blackjiore, in Ohfisto welL 



FISH IN SEASON IN APRIL. 



Brook trout, Scilreliniisfoutiitnlis: salmon, Sitlmo snlur: lake trout, 

 Clirixlivunivr limiiiiyritxli. This list maybe in conflict; with the laws 

 in some of the. States. i 



EASY READING LESSONS-VII. 



for the little readers of the forest and stream. 

 XTTRAT is that we see down by the Stream I Is it a Man.' 

 * ' Yes, it is a Man. What ts the Man doing? lie has a- 

 Fishing Rod in his Hand and he is looking up into the Tree. 

 What does the Man see in the Tree? He sees a Leader, two 

 Flies and about twenty-five feet of Line. How came the 

 Leader and the Flies and the Line in the Tree? The Man saw 

 a Large Trout rise at his Fly and he gave a Fearful Jerk and 

 thought he had the Trout, but he has the Tree. Is the Man 

 pleased with what he has got? Oh, yes! he is much pleased, 

 but we will not go near him, 



AMONG THE BLACK FLIES. 



SOME people do not believe in black flies; they say that 

 it's all a bugbear, meant to scare the green ones. To 

 some such I have shown mv scrap-book, in which I have 

 pasted a few samples labeled "The Terror of the Woods," 

 and they laugh at the little wretches and say. "Pshaw! you 

 don't mean to tell me those little bits of insignificant things 

 can bother a manV 1 don't believe it." I simply say to 

 such, "just give them a fair trial once, and go into the 

 woods without a tar-oil bottle; my impression is that you 

 will acknowledge that they are a power — for evil. 



I have met them in all sorts of places, and in all sorts of 

 weather, but. on a. close, sultry day, when there is no breeze 

 stirring, I think they can gel in about as much agony to the 

 Square inch as anything that flies — barring punkie.s. 



Some years ago, a patty of us were going dow r n Raquette 

 River, hound for Tupper'S Lake. It. was a lovely day, and 

 we seemed to have till the surroundings that, were necessary 

 to make us feel joyous and happy; the scenery was some- 

 thing beyond my powers of description; the beautiful river 

 rippling along, the overhanging trees that formed a rich 

 canopy overhead, the beautiful views that were constantly 

 opening up to our eyes, the solemn stillness — a most perfect 

 picture of solitude, but not of loneliness. Added to all this, 

 the trout, for which we were trolling, seemed to enter into 

 the spirit of the party, and did their best to cheer us by 

 taking our bait, and giving up their lives to satisfy our 

 wants. 



And well did we enjoy the treat. Wc ran on down the 

 river until we reached what is known as "The Riffles, ' and 

 the fish were doing so well that we turned back Bovcral 

 times and made Ihe most of the game. A large rock in the 

 middle of the river had Stopped and held an immense saw- 

 lot!; in its progress down stream, and just at this place we 

 picked up trout every time we passed. One of our party 

 determined to set Up in business on that rock, he took his 

 bait rod and some hait and was landed there, and full of 

 great expectations he set to work to capture the big fish thai 

 were supposed to be lying in wait, for his tempting lure. We 

 all went, on down the "river, leaving him alone, full of hope,, 

 big with anticipation. On our return, wc wen surprised to 

 see him engaged in the most violent, exercise, lie was 

 dancing and throwing his hands into the air, and thrashing 

 around" like a maniac. We could not account for it— his 

 head was sound, his flask was in one of the boats, so it was 



