228 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Apbil 20, 1882, 



luck, had followed a trail aibout twenty minutes after we had 

 i ft them. 



The. next four days were a continuance, of the same. One 

 (Lay Lepage and 1 followed a herd of eleven. Lepage 

 counted them, not by seeing them, but where they had been 

 lying down. We never saw a tail or horn of them after 

 tramping about eighteen miles. The caribou is very erratic 

 ill his habits. 



On January 16, when all hands turned up at camp in the 

 evening, there was a decided change in the current of affairs. 

 Trottier reported one buck and' "(.Yean another, so things 

 lOQked brighter. 



.la unary"! 7 brought another good day to close with a buck 

 for Trottier, one for Crean, and one for self, the nearest to 

 ('■imp being Crean's, about two miles off and a steep moun- 

 tain to bring him over. 



The 18th of January came in very stormy, snowed all day 

 long and coming on night commenced to blow a gale. We 

 remained in camp and hoped the wind would keep up until 

 the morrow, as it is a good time for hunting when the wind is 

 high; cl deadens the sound of tramping, or rather, the trees 

 crackling all around conceals your approach to the deer. 



January 19. wind died away about 5 A. M. -this morning. 

 "We started and soon came across fresh tracks, but, snow very 

 heavy for walking, Lepage and 1 followed a track for two 

 hours, and the place we started in on it and where we came 

 out was not Twenty yards distant and did not go two miles 

 tram camp: followed it up and at 12:30 P. 31. we came on 

 the deer; a beautiful beast he was, and had two companions. 



Lepage was first to see them and gave, me the sign. I 

 trawled up as quietly as I could and saw them behind a fallen 

 7 'inc tree, eating the moss, and on a slope below me. I fired 

 .-' ud missed, fired again and missed, and just as he was on 

 ihe jump tired again, and brought him down, and then tiied 

 ; chance shut at the others, but without effect. I traced the 

 Just two shots I tired, and found them in two trees, both on 

 :. line for my mark, but in such a position as to project 

 ,-lightly on the line of aim. The fact of the matter is that 

 you have to tire through such a lot of branches and trees that 

 you cannot get a decent aim, and you have just to guess, 

 1 'i-etty much, ihe distance. 1 was only seventy yards from 

 this deer when I killed him. We soon cut him and fixed 

 him up ready for hauling out and started for camp, and 

 ioundthe others there before us. with two head to their 

 ■ redit. As our time was pretty well up. we decided to get 

 <>ur game out, of the bush before hunting for more. 



Our first trouble had been to get the game— now it was to 

 ret it out. It just took the four "of us one day to get two of 

 them out, a distance of four miles. We had to make a road 

 : nd then haul them on the toboggan, so that we would con- 

 Mime all our remaining time getting out the others. 



January 22 saw us on the road to Cedar Hall, Mr. Grant 

 kindly giving us a, lift down with our game and camp fix- 

 ings to the station, as lie had horses going out Cor fodder and 

 provisions. Bidding the Grant camp and its kind inmates 

 idieu, we left for our several destinations, well pleased with 

 our success, although so gloom)' looking in the offset. 



I must say that Lepage had reason to to be proud of Cedar 

 Hall as a snooting ground, for the caribou are as plentiful 

 :'S rabbits in that vicinity. Not a morning but we would 

 come across fresh tracks in all directions, and wherever there 

 was an old chopping you might be sure to come across game, 

 ::s they come there to' feed on the moss. 



Bidding Lepage and Trottier farewell, I proceeded to 

 River du Loup with M. Crean, and Captain Lemieux of the 

 River du Loup House insisted on my spending a few days 

 with him and seeing the boys, which 1 did,' enjoying the 

 i hange immensely, both the captain and his amiable wife 

 making things decidedly comfortable for me, and the boys 

 coming in to see our luck. 



Promising M. Crean to go moose hunting next November 

 With him, I bid him adieu and left for my home, feeling 

 sorry that the hunt was of such short duration and hoping 

 for no worse luck the next time. 



Thus ended my first pursuit of the caribou, and I have 

 head, hide, and horns to show for my tramp. S. Phaser. 



Quebec, Canada, 1S8S. 



RHEUMATISM AND SQUIRRELS. 



"^/"ESTERDAY evening, using my gun as a walking-stick 

 I. or crutch for support, I hobbled to a swamp near the 

 Louse lo give the squirrels a round. 



It is the rheumatism that has put me to hobbling. Be- 

 cause "Birdo" has the rheumatism, it does not follow 'that he 

 i- the oldest inhabitant and superannuated. He's not been 

 down in the good book longer than 1817. But, to the hunt. 

 Arriving at the edge of the swamp, a rabbit puts up, offering 

 a splendid shot, and I'm almost tempted to shoot, but I ref- 

 ileet that rabbits are not lit to cat at this season of the year. 

 What's that on the ground, rigid where the rabbit passed? 

 If must be another" rabbit. So, it's a squirrel; I see his 

 bushy tail. There! he looks up. Now's my lime, for he 

 presents a full broadside, and i saline him with the left- 



band barrel. I soon know! 



j nd the. noise lie mid-res. th 

 t i"ii- work. In the exoiti 

 shot 1 quite forget my rhe 

 walk up right briskly to 

 slowly again. 1 must not ; 

 :i;j-i i 1 was Hat on my back, 

 here I am in a swamp where the 



>m the quick, short jumps, 

 e deadly pellets have done 

 ; incident to filing the first 

 ic pains and game leg, and 

 my game. I. then start, off 

 e out hat left leg. Ten days 

 y able to turn over. Now 

 ater is knee deep in places. 



There, I will have to turn to the left there; the water is too 

 deep. 1 1 ell you it will not do to go home with wet socks. 

 I'll hear a lecture sure. Then, with the butt of my gun 

 down and (he muzzle pointing under my right, armpit, I 

 must keep a sharp eye upon the hammers. But without 

 some support I could not get along. Slowly, several squir- 

 pYs gel up before me, but scamper off wild, and L do not 

 g )1 a shot. Proceeding a short distance, cautiously scanning 

 the ground before me, I heat a Voice above me, and looking 

 lip i ilia small oak one making t rack for tall timber, when 

 I give him lie contents of ilie lefUia ad barrel, and down he 

 tumbles kersplask in the water. He swims like a muskrat, 

 and 1 am about to try him with fliu other barrel, when he 

 swims behind an old log, then leaps out in the water, which 

 I see is crim-oned; then he funis over On his back, and all is 

 s'ill. If was a fight i citing scene, as I si ood on the bank 

 with my hand on Ihe hammer, ready to give him the BQitj] tie 

 <;<,',,,■< . 'Then I got a big stick and' retrieved him. Forget- 

 ting that ran I An. Hunting and fishing will be the 

 ruin of mi f\ ing mighty close to water again for a 

 , lie patient. The doctqrwilJ never hear of" i hi.- I rip 

 . , , , onday for going re. ,■ neighbor's 

 ; | | e ,, . : | | .■. ,11 , 



.,, | I J}u] 



several more, but they were very wild and I did not get an- 

 other shot. I then struck out for the. house. As I went hob- 

 bling up to the house my father noticed where the muzzle of 

 the gun pointed, and asked, 'Ts that gun loaded, Birdo?" I 

 toklhiin it was. "Well, be very cautious." I dressed my 

 squirrels, put, them in a small kettle and parboiled them, and 

 this morning I had a royal meal of fried squirrel. This even- 

 ing 1 tried Ihe same trick again — went hobbling off again, 

 saw my old rabbit near the same place, and I "approached 

 him with hostile intentions too. I wanted to see how far my 

 gun would tumble him — make atrial shot, you know; but as 

 I approached him I saw a squirrel, and forthwith I hauled 

 off. But I did not get a shot at the squirrel. Another one 

 ran up a large oak. I stopped, and in an instant, out popped 

 his head from behind the tree. I waited some time, hoping to 

 get a better shot. No; he's got his right eye on me, and no 

 more of that squirrel is coming out, I stood still until my 

 game leg fairly ached. I could stand it, no longer — I must 

 sit down; but he will jump back, sure. No, he didn't. Law, 

 if one of my barrels was choked I'd try him anyhow. But 

 I'll shoot if he wdll let me get to that, tree six or eight, feet to 

 my right, where. I can see his head better, 



I move, and so does he. Exit that one. I advance a short 

 distance and see one on the ground. I try lo keep the tree be- 

 tween us. but lie sees me anil scampers off. 



To my left, near the edge of the pond, I hear a general racket 

 and scampering among them. I advance cautiously and sec 

 one in a tree that stands in the edge of the pond, lie jumps 

 behind the tree as I go up. I wait a moment, Then he 

 jumps upon a limb iu full view. I let drive at him with the 

 left barrel — he tumbles in fine style, but catches again. I 

 am ready with the oilier barrel, and as 1 see one going up the 

 tree I turn loose at him, but he does not fall, but keeps going 

 up, up, higher: but just at that moment I see one tumble anil 

 hear something fall in the water, kersplashup. and I know 

 my first shot was not in vain. My other one is now in the 

 very tip-top of the tree. I turn loose again, but, he don't — 

 he gels a little higher. 1 can see his white belly. I take 

 good aim and touch the trigger, and at the crack of the gun 

 he came tumbling, aud right in the pond he fell, as dead;as 

 Hector. 1 then retrieved them with a, long stick, and then 

 hobbled toward the house, for the sun was down. They 

 were prepared like Ihe first two, and in the morniiur some- 

 body will have a big fry. Birdo. 

 Port Royal, Tenn. 



MANAHAWKIN BAY, N. J. 



X SPENT three days of last week in Manahawkin Bay try- 

 ing to induce the" brant and geese to pay a flying visit to 

 the decoys, while I lay snugly" ensconced in a sneak box 

 with my gun beside me waiting to give them a fitting recep- 

 tion, but the winds were unfavorable and I had to be con- 

 tented with a bag of about twenty-five ducks, one goose, one 

 brant and one blue heron. 



After each day's shooting I returned to the cosey cabin of 

 the Ark, which was anchored within a quarter of a, mile of 

 the shooting ground, w-here a good supper aud comfortable 

 bed awaited me. After cleaning my gun and loading- 

 shells for next day I retire to my stateroom and am soon in 

 the "land of nod," dreaming' of splendid shooting. At 3 

 A. M. the alarm clock in the cabin startles me from"a sound 

 sleep, and by daybreak we have finished breakfast and are 

 on our way to the shooting grounds. My leave of absence 

 expires almost before I realize it, and I reluctantly pack my 

 traps ami start for Gotham. 



Myriads of brant and black ducks are still feeding on the 

 flats, and on Thursday morning nine or ten flocks of geese 

 went up the bay. Sheldrakes are quite plenty and afforded 

 good sport, but. the weather was . rather too cold for good 

 sheldrake shooting; in another week or two it will be better. 

 A few English snipe were seen in the meadows, and several 

 large flocks of Quail have been located near Manahawkin, 

 so there arc good prospects for quail shooting next fall. The 

 bay gunners complain of the unfairness of the game laws. 

 which will not allow brant shooting from boxes on Ihe feed- 

 ing grounds, they have to be contented with an occasional 

 chance shot from some point, when immense flocks of the 

 fowl are feeding and swimming about within a few hundred 

 yards of them. 



The feeding grounds in Barnegat Bay are so extensive, 

 and the brant "naturally so wary, that there is little danger 

 of their being driven away from them any more than from 

 Great South Bay, where boxing is allow r ed, and wdiere the 

 shooting has been better this season than usual. 



J. E. M. L. 



Rochester Gmi Club. — Rochester, N. Y., April 13. — 

 At the annual meeting of the Rochester Gun Chili held Mon- 

 day evening, the following officers were elected for the ensu- 

 ing year: President, H. L. Ward; Vice-President, I. W. 

 Butts; Secretary, L. A. Amsden; Treasurer, Dr. C. R. 

 Sumner; Executive Committee, P. L. King, G. I). Butler, 

 F. A. Ward; Vigilance Committee, H. M. Briggs, Dr. R. A. 

 Adams, Dr. H. S. Miller, A. P. Bigelow, 8. G, Raymond, 

 J. H. Richmond, W. EL Reid. The annual report of the 

 treasurer was read, showing a handsome Surplus on' hand 

 aud no outstanding indebtedness, The report of the secre- 

 tary showed an active membership at present, of forty-seven, 

 exclusive of the honorary list. The election of delegates to 

 the convention of the association resulted as follows: H. L. 

 Ward, L. A. Amsden, Dr. C. R. Sumner, P. L. King and 

 A. P. Bigelow. The executive committee were instructed 

 to procure new club grounds for practice and match shoot- 

 ing, and also directed to make arrangements for the fourth 

 annual prize shoot of the club, to be "held the latter part of 

 May. In addition to the prizes donated it was resolved to 

 appropriate the sum of §25 for prizes. It is the intention of 

 the club to secure a strict enforcement, of the game laws in 

 this county and vigorously prosecute all violations. With 

 this in view a committee' was appointed to interview our 

 member of Assembly. Hon. C. S. Baker, and ascertain the 

 nature of the proposed amendatory acts to the game law be- 

 fore the Legislature and solicit his earnest cooperation in 

 effecting I In- passage of a bill to largely increase the present 

 number of State game protectors. A communication was 

 read front the Onondaga County Fish flub, of Syracuse, in 

 reference to the same" matter. A discussion by the club of 

 rules relating to the glass ball shooting brought, up the 

 -.' ■ j; itice-of the present handicapping rules governing prize or 

 match shooting which makes no discriminalion in favor of 

 cylinder bore guns. It was the sense of the uieetlngthat 

 such rule, ullhough apparently universal, should be modi- 

 fied. The' club, ai'e-'i th ' tsactidt on iderable mis- 



II tneoi tn i tdjpUi I ■■ W o 



ban can be pro- 

 State. Notwith- 

 Dstly young iima- 

 el eristics of true 

 envialf 



its infancy it is now numbered among the first organizations 

 in the State. It, possesses, perLops, considering its member- 

 ship, a greater number of crack wing s~ ' 

 duced by any similar organization m 

 standing the" fact that its members ar 

 teurs, they possess all the traits and < 

 sportsmen, The club has already ac-lik 

 record at the trap. In a match contest with the. Dansville 

 Club last year the unparalleled score of 192 out of a possible 

 200 balls was made by the club, shooting a team of ten mem- 

 bers, this being an average of over 19 out of twenty for each 

 man. The .club proposes shortly, when their new grounds 

 shall have been procured, to engage in a contest with the 

 Monroe County Club, to determine the tie resulting from the 

 contests of last year. It will be remembered that the. first 

 contest, was handsomely won by the Gun Club; the second 

 resulting in a tie, and the third to determine, the tie being in 

 favor of the Monroe County Club. Hence the coming con- 

 test will be looked forward* to with much interest. 



Connectici t Notes.— Windsor Locks, Conn., April 2.— 

 Probably no State in the Union has more tinkering done to 

 the laws that relate to the taking of fish and game, than Con- 

 necticut. The present Legislature has been asked to protect 

 several small ponds stocked with the pesky bass and the 

 land-locked salmon, and there has been no end to Ihe amend- 

 ments offered to the law protecting game. Laws are well 

 enough but should not be so cumbersome as to destroy their 

 intent. One legislator proposed that it be a misdemeanor if 

 a person was found upon another's land with a piece of 

 string and a fishhook about his person, even if said hook 

 were fast in the calf of his leg. The law against snares set 

 for partridges is a good one, but not carried but at all. Old 

 hunters here never go out without, kicking up from six to a 

 dozen or more, and if they could kick their proprietors up :>. 

 short hill the real sportsmen would make no objection. Al- 

 though the winter was a severe one for quail, we hav il 

 that, several have shown their sprightliness in Ihe swamps 

 between here and East, Granby, and the prospect for a good 

 crop of partridges is also promising. Trout are very scarce. 

 Reason, caught and eaten in previous years "When not over 

 two inches in length.— Lower Bunk. 



Connecticut Non-Export Law. — A bill which has 

 passed li;ith houses of the Connecticut Legislature' and now 

 only awaits the Governor's signature to become a law, pro- 

 vid'es as follows: Scclion 1. No person shall at any time kill 

 any woodcock, ruffed grouse, or quail, for the purpose of 

 conveying the same beyond the limits of this Slate. Section 

 2. No person, corporation, or company shall transport or 

 convey any woodcock, ruffed grouse, or quail killed within 

 this State beyond the limits thereof, or sell or have in his or 

 their possession any of such birds with the intention to pro 

 cure the .same to he conveyed or transported bevond the. 

 limits of this State. Section 3. The reception by any person, 

 company, or corporation within the limits of this Stale of 

 any quail, woodcock, or ruffed grouse for Shipment to a 

 point without the Slate, shall be prima fade evidence that 

 the said bird or birds were killed within the Slate for the pur- 

 pose of conveying the same beyond the limits of this State. 

 Section 4. Any person violating any of the provisions of I he 

 preceding sections shall be fined not less than seven nor more 

 than fifty dollars and costs of prosecution. 



Philadelphia Notes. — Our lovers of the dog and gun 

 are pleased to learn that Mr. Harry Gatzmer, a son of ex- 

 President Gatzmer of the old Camden and Amboy Kuilroad. 

 is erecting a fine hotel at Crumpton, Md., for the accommo- 

 dation of such sportsmen as may visit this section of ihe 

 country for the enjoyment of snipe, duck, quail and wood- 

 cock shooting. Crampton and thereabouts has always been 

 famous for ils shooting grounds; and Mr. Gatzmer is sparing 

 no effort to make his house comfortable. Mr. Brown, or as 

 we know him as John Brown or "Browny," is superintend- 

 ing the gas fixture work of the building," but will be ready 

 witli his gun and dog to act as pilot for any who may wish 

 his services. Snipe are plentiful now al il'rumptnn, Gatzmer 

 and Brown having (in a, portion of two days' shooting) killed 

 seventy-five birds last week. The weather now bids fair to 

 be mild and just. suited for them and those, who want a few 

 days' sport. There are a few "stifTeys" or ruddy duel. yd. 

 in the Delaware above and below Wilmington. A few are 

 being killed.— Homo. 



Dakota SnooTixo Grounds.— Sanborn. Dakota Ter- 

 ritory, April 5. — No better place can be found for n 

 shootiug than right here at Sanborn. The ruiTOundinj* 

 country is dotted with numerous small i anefducks and 



geese are here in all directions by the hundred thorn, -nd. 

 Sanborn is a thriving yriUhg town of scarcely two years' 

 growth, seventy miles west of Fargo, and twenty-three mflaS 

 east of .Jamestown, on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Right, 

 in the heart of the best wheat country in the northwest; good 

 hotel accommodations can be had at reasonable rates. The 

 people here as a class are A No. 1. A number of real genuine 

 sportsmen reside, here, who take great pleasure in showing 

 one around. Any one desiring information will receive the 

 same by addressing the postmaster at this place.— LAUGHING 

 Owl. * 



Capital City Gun Clur. — Washington. D. C. April 11. — 

 At a meeting of the Capital City Gun Club, held Thursday 

 evening, March :jb. for the purpose of effecting a reorganiza- 

 tion for (lie coming season, Ihe club was found to be in good 

 condition financially and the members enthxi Bftti "•■■ 



committee on constitution and rules made mal n- 



port and asked for further time. A committee oil neuiuls 

 was appointed, which has since secured ample space for 

 shooting on the bluffs north of the city, near a picturesque 

 grove, i'rnrn whence a fine view of the capitol ami othi - pub- 

 lic buildings can be had. Officers were elected for the ensu- 

 ing- year as follows: 6. E. King, President; Wui. D. Mc- 

 Elden, Vice President; J. E. Hosford. S'-eretaiy ; C. I". St0t3 

 dard. Treasurer.— J, E. II. 



Wolf Hunt.— Washington County. Ya., April. 1888.— 

 There is a talk of arranging a battue on Bromley Ridge for 

 the purpose of external, e.tiiiir the- numerous wolves there If 

 any of the readers of Pokes r and Stream desire to take a 



hand in this unusual -]„-,■;, theymighl - a iveekiucamp 



on the mountain very pleasantly (there are hundreds of 



ihere). and mifflkt combine health, sport, and , 

 too. Every wolf's sciilpi- worth : : -; Sirom. the Stat 



I fores! ■ I i, ■ ; 







■ 



