July 6, 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



447 



of destructiveness abnormally developed." The market; 

 ijoys himself as well as the sportsman, but he com- 

 bines business with pleasure, and often is so narrow-minded 

 and greedy as to eat the egg that hatches the golden goose, 

 for fear he will not, tret a chance to rake in the goose at its 

 maturity. The true sportsman has broader view's, and is a 

 sportsman in just so far as he overcomes these selfish traits. 



Selfishness is at the bottom of the so-called pot-hunting, 

 and few there be who are not more or less tainted with it. I 

 have seen people who professed to have overcome it utterly; 

 but they woultl usually stand a good deal of watching in" a 

 horse trade. Can a man who sells his birds be a true sports- 

 man? Tf not, why? 



I liked Nessmuli's "Grouse Homily." He awakened an 

 interest and touched a chord that no other correspondent 

 ever did, and 1 never saw an article from his pen in any 

 paper, be it about "unsinkable canoes" or the "ignoble 

 catty" that T did not read twice. He is a man to whom I 

 would lend nay little gray marc. I can give him no higher 

 commendation. I wish some of our friends who denounce 

 around and tree-shooting would answer one of his questions 

 and show good logical reasons therefor. How is it that a 

 man who shoots three sitting grouse is a pot-hunter, and he, 

 who shoots six on the wing a sportsman? And while their 

 hand is in will they tell us also in what way the former in- 

 dividual is more destructive to grouse than the latter ? Most 

 a man cease to take sitting shots because some game des- 

 troyers do so? Then, why not argue that no reputable man 

 should use a razor, because a darkey committed murder 

 with one? 



We •sometimes see sensational passages like the following: 

 ' 'The grouse or the pot-hunter must go — shall it be the 

 grouse?" etc., but we never see any suggestions anent the 

 pot-hunter's extermination. Do they propose to do it by 

 enacting a law that grouse shall hereafter be shot only on 

 the wing? Perhaps they intend to evangelize him, and if 

 so, calling him hard names is a poor way to commence. If 

 he is the creature they paint him, moral suasion would have 

 no more effect on him than the point of a needle would on a 

 square of Nicholson pavement. A young "school marm" 

 once asked a successful pedagogue if he believed in ruling a 

 school by love. "Yes," he replied, "but have explicit rules 

 and keep a rod convenient all the same." It is so with the 

 preservation of game — we want good laws strictly enforced. 

 In this country we want a law allowing grouse to he shot 

 only in October and November. This would stop the shoot- 

 ing of half-grown birds for market, and also killing them 

 from tree tops when feeding in winter. The high price paid 

 for these birds in the Boston market virtually puts a prem- 

 ium on their destruction ; so a non-export law would be a 

 good thing, but I doubt if we ever could get it. 



And now, in conclusion, let me say to those who take 

 pleasure in seeing their setters and pointers work, remember 

 that all of us are not situated so as to keep them. 



H you take pleasure in seeing a grouse'do his worst, judge 

 not too hastily the man who does not. Those who live in 

 stone houses should not throw glass, for it is sometimes 

 thrown back, and though it breaketh against the hard wall, 

 small pieces of it frequently ( "turn up" where least ex- 

 pected. L. I. Flower. 



McDonald's Corner, N. B.. May 26. 



"R. E. R.," in Ins article on "drumming grouse," in the 

 issue of Forest and Stream, April 6, coincides precisely 

 with my views, that the scarcity of that noble bird is not 

 owing to the pot-hunter, hawk, owl, fox, or wing shot, but 

 what part the diminutive, yet active tick plays in the per- 

 ceptible decrease of this game bird of all game birds, 'tis 

 hard to tell. But the writer believes it has far more to do 

 with the destruction of this bird than all other nuisances 

 and enemies named. 



As to the extermination of these birds (if they are exter- 

 minated) being caused by "yaller dogs." pot-hunters, or 

 wing shots, it's all nonsense. That the grouse has in the 

 last two years disappeared, is an undisputed fact; not only 

 ■in our Eastern States, but throughout the entire West; fori 

 can sadly verify it myself. Having for many years con- 

 trolled certain swamps and covers by renting them, and 

 posting my own notices, allowing no one to hunt in them 

 except with my permission (and I can assure you no market 

 hunter or huntsman with "yaller dog" was ever allowed the 

 privilege of filling his game bag or coat pockets in those 

 covers^ the grouse, "nevertheless, disappeared. These 

 grounds are situated in Ulster county, N. Y, and are con- 

 sidered the best iii that section for woodcock; and five or six 

 years ago any day. an ordinary shot, in those glorious, ever 

 memorable covers, could "down" his eight and ten'grouse, 

 and bag his dozen woodcock. Last year, although fair 

 woodcock shooting could be had, not one grouse was Flushed 

 by myself individually, therefore none shot. Where had 

 they gone? None had hunted in there for years but myself 

 ancloneor two intimate companions; nevertheless, suddenly, 

 with a mysterious air. like a phantom in the night, they 

 silently disappeared— where, few can tell. 



Although agreeing with "R. E. R."as.to the scarcity of 



f rouse, would in justice to "Nessmuk" say, grouse while 

 ramming can be heard, in my opinion, fully a mile, but it 

 all depends upon the day and the weather. Let us here im- 

 agine one of those exhilarating mornings, one of those calm, 

 clear, brisk and soothing mornings, the air silent and tran- 

 quil with once in a while a whispering breeze, bearing to 

 us fragrance and peace; the dew is dripping, the birds are 

 singing, life seems like living for, and we are content with 

 theTworld and our lot. Upon some such momma", an old 

 cock grouse stately steps upon his favorite log, inflates him- 

 self to his utmost capacity, proudly puts back his head, ex- 

 tends and elevates his heavily-feathered wings or "flyers." 

 which have carried him through many a danger safely. 

 twist *ng through the tangled undergrowth, darting through 

 the forest's limbs, escaping bravely many an ounce of death- 

 dealing pellets. There he stands' in all his nobleness, now 

 Strutting, now listening, he quickly stops, and bringing his 

 wings with a motion which gains a lightning-like rapidity 

 up and down against Ids sides, until there is almost a roar. 

 Reader, upon that particular morning, unless that particular 

 grouse isinlested with those traditional ticks, his drumming 

 can be heard a mile, in my estimation more. The writer 

 has hunted with many n sportsman, many a line shot; men 

 who would not think of doing a mean or a small act, men 

 who would not think of shooting a sitting woodcock, quail 

 or songster, like many a so-called "true sportsman," togged 

 out in velveteen and leggings, breech-loaders, and fancy, 

 secret-pocketed game bags, take a delight in doing, E>'id 

 yon ask have I ever been with one who would not knock 

 over a Bitting grouse, if in season? I can truthfully answer 

 no. They all do it. Such chances come only once in a long 

 time, and, in my opinion, are generally improved 



July 3, 1876, I took myself to Ulster County, N. Y., as 

 was my wont, generally spending winter West and summer 

 East. Summer "cock" sh.oting had that year been banished, 

 and September 1 set as the lawful date to commence the 

 havoc and fusilade. Having not kept: myself posted as to 

 the change in this law, I found myself ahead of time two 

 months. Nothing daunted, however, decided to occupy my 

 time as best I could in fishing, the Esopus affording some 

 good sport in that line, August 26 finally came, and a woman 

 in that section being very ill, and in need of some delicacy, 

 decided to kill her a woodcock. My firm resolution was not 

 to kill over one bird, and to make myself more certain on 

 this point, took a little, light, single muzzle loading gun my 

 father had given me, as my first gun to practice. "" I "had, as 

 I said before, one barrel; that barrel, of course, had only 

 one charge in it, thinking I would wait until I had a good 

 open shot, and so be more certain to make the one load 

 effective. Walking across a field (which lay between the 

 farm house where I boarded) into a strip of woods, upon the 

 edge of which lay a good "cock cover," I suddenly heard a 

 cluck, cluck, cluck, and looking iu the direction from whence 

 it came, I beheld a grouse — a single, solitary, lonely grouse, 

 crouching to elude my sight. Immediately thinking a grouse 

 would do as well as a woodcock, I raised my gun, held on 

 the bird, fired, heard a mighty flapping, stepped forward and 

 picked up six grouse. — five shot by mistake, but nevertheless 

 killed. Now pot-hunting that day caused the death of five 

 grouse, not counting the sixth, but also came very near en- 

 riching the county treasury $150. The judge, however, con- 

 sidering the circumstances, and my tender years, wrote me 

 a private note advising me to skip to New York, and I 

 "skipped," and from that day to this have been careful not 

 to take pot-shots when shooting for sickness out of season. 

 Would say, have never sold a bird in my life, being always 

 free with them in cases of sickness. 



But unto this day, when I see a grouse sitting and it's 

 lawful to kill them, it is generally my bird, and do not con- 

 sider it a disgrace; why should I? Nine out of every teu 

 grouse anyone will get a* shot at will be flying, and although 

 1 would not think of hunting with a "yaller dog," let a 

 grouse sit for me and it's my game. 



Come, brother sportsmen, let us be candid. No one is 

 responsible for your own statements and articles but your- 

 self; so be candid, honest and sincere in them, and ran no 

 fear or danger of being cornered, as was our pleasant and 

 agreeable writer, "Chasseur." B. A. Mayor. 



Austin, Mower County, Minn. 



In your issue of May 11 1 am made to say, "'We have got 

 to learn that the grouse disappeared in a single season." 

 What I wrote was, ' 'We have yet to learn that the grouse 

 disappeared in a single season," which reverses the sense of 

 the sentence. Again, I wrote, "The benificent and painless 

 sport of hounding deer," and he substituted "hunting deer." 



By the way, a brace of my "advanced" setters sifting by 

 when the article was read aloud, implore you to substitute 

 "pointing dog" for "'pointer dog," lest people regard me as 

 an "exclusive pointer man." 



I fear "Nessmuk" mistook the spirit of my reply to his 

 article, as certainly nothing personally uncomplimentary 

 was intended, and if a passage or two was left a trifle pointed 

 — perhaps intended as "counters" — it was all written in the 

 heat of debate and with no thought of impeaching the 

 integrity of one whom I have always regarded as, and still 

 believe to be, one, of "nature : s noblemen." Of course the 

 fact that our experiences differ somewhat may be partially 

 explained by differences in locality and habits of observation, 

 and as for the balance let us hope that neither of us have 

 been losers by a little friendly discussion and comparing of 

 notes. As "Nessmuk" says, "Probably we could talk 

 together without disagreeing very widely when it comes to 

 the bedrock of true sportsmanship— preservation of our fast- 

 failing game and humanity." I assure him that nothing 

 would give me greater pleasure than to exchange with him 

 the grip of the brotherhood and sit down for a good old- 

 fashioned chat. Doubtless our "differences" would as 

 rapidly dissolve as do those of actual participants in our 

 "late unpleasantness," when given a chance of fellowship 

 and free expression of feeling. I have yet to find aught of 

 malice toward an honorable foe lingering in the bosom of 

 the bona fide, soldier. Ruffed Grouse. 



Ashfield, Mass., May 28. 



In Forest and Stream of April 20, there appears a short 

 article entitled "Pot-Hunters." Now I think it very foolish 

 to include as pot-hunters all who take sitting shots, and some 

 of the "gentlemen sportsmen" so called, could with advan- 

 tage take a lesson or two from the one kind of pot-hunter the 

 article in question so well describes. I have been acquainted 

 with a number, (including myself) who in some unguarded 

 moment under the influence of the excitement incident to 

 the occasion, have committed the unpardonable indiscretion 

 of shooting at (with more or less success), some individual of 

 the feathered persuasion, which had carelessly allowed the 

 hunter to approach near enough for a shot before taking to 

 wing. 



I have a friend of mine in mind whom I should not blame 

 for taking advantage of such a shot. Although he is a pro- 

 minent member of a sportsman's club, and owner of dog and 

 gun, I have yet to hear in any of his numerous hunting ex- 

 cursions an authentic report of his killing a bird while on 

 the wing. I have heard an eye witness state that he has seen 

 tears of shame stand in the eyes of poor old Rough, as he 

 pointed the birds that, his master tried in vain to shoot; and 

 his record at glass balls and clay pigeons stands without a 

 rival for misses and unaccountable hits. But he dearly loves 

 to tramp) through the woods, and although his game bag was 

 never no very great encumbrance, he generally managed to 

 make it sound at night as though he had been very thorough 

 in his work. But I would not for anything have him sus- 

 pect that I have exposed him in this way, for in his official 

 capacity ho might make things warm for me. 



There are a great many fond of the gun, who are very 

 poor wing shots" They do not have time to practice and be- 

 come expert; and if in their hunting excursions which occur 

 annually they accidentally get a sitting shot at a partridge, I 

 for ope am ready to pardon them, as it is but natural i'or a 

 man to want to "bring home game once in a while to show his 

 prowess. 



And then how proudly the amateur exhibits to his admir- 

 ing friends the contents of his game bag, as handing out 

 some defunct specimen of the feathered tribe, he regales his 

 hearers with wondrous tales of hair-breadth escapes from 

 misses, and lightning shots in the bush. 



Some of the old heads also are not bashful in the least, as 

 will he seen by a perusal of the interesting letters found in 

 your columns every week. 



By the way, where are the bear hunters that flourished 

 awhile ago in Forest and Stream? Stir them up and let 

 us hear an old screamer from Byrne. 



"They tug, they strain ! down, down they go, 

 The baah above. Judge Bill below." 



We are having a very backward spring, with the outlook 

 for game this fall very poor. 



The South Abington Sportsman's Club are doing all they 

 can to prevent the killing of game this season, and to this 

 end have circulated posters throughout the county having the. 

 game laws plainly printed thereon, with the request that the 

 club be notified of any violation of the law. The club also 

 contemplate the erection of a club house at some suitable 

 point on the sea coast easy of access, and where a variety of 

 game may be met with. Beagle. 



SonTH Abington, Mass., May 12. 



FIRE-HUNTING WOODCOCK. 



THE notes on this subject already published in this 

 journal, may be supplemented by the following ex- 

 tracts from Audubon and Herbert. In his "Onithological 

 Biography," published in 1835, Audubon says: 



"It is, however, killed in almost incredible numbers, from 

 the beginning of July until late in winter, in different 

 parts of the Union, and our markets are amply supplied with 

 it during its season. You may at all times see gunners re- 

 turning from their sports with a load of woodcocks, com- 

 posed of several dozens; nay, adepts in the sport have been 

 known to kill upwards of a hundred in the course of a day, 

 being assisted by relays of dogs, and perhaps a change of 

 guns. In lower Louisiana, they are slaughtered under night 

 by men carrying lighted torches, which so surprise the poor 

 things that they stand gazing on the light until knocked 

 dead with a pole or cane. This, however, takes place only 

 on the sugar and cotton plantations." 



The description given by Herbert is as follows, being 

 written in 1845: 



"In conclusion — I find, on reference to my last article on 

 this subject that I made allusion to a mode of killing the 

 woodcock commonly practised in Southern States, which is 

 so singular, and so completely at variance with all ideas of 

 sporting in these regions, that it deserves mention, and will, 

 I doubt not, be interesting to many readers who may never 

 have heard of such a process — which, unheard of, they cer- 

 tainly never would imagine. 



"This process is termed fire-hunting; it. is carried on, of 

 course, at night, and arises from the habits of the bird in 

 that section of the country, which differ wholly from its 

 usages while here. 



"In Louisiana and Mississippi, where, chiefly, this mode 

 of sporting prevails, the woodcock lies during the day time 

 entirely in the dense canebrakes and impenetrable swamps 

 which" intersect and divide the cultivated lands and rich 

 plantations, and wherein it would be almost impossible and 

 altogether weary and unprofitable to attempt to follow him, 

 as he could hardly be killed on the wing in such a covert as 

 is there found, while the toil would be incomparably greater 

 than the pleasure of the pursuit, 



"No sooner is it dark, however, than out the woodcocks 

 come by thousands from their fastnesses, and, pitching down 

 on all sides in the old fields and maize stubbles, apply them- 

 selves to nibbling and boring in the soft rich loam for their 

 succulent worm, diet. 



"Hereupon the fire-hunt commences. With gun and 

 game bag, powder-flask and shot pouch, and all appliances 

 and means secundum artem. the sportsman sallies forth; but. 

 no silky-haired, higb-strang, sagacious setter— no satin- 

 skinned^ rat-tailed, obedient pointer follows his master's 

 heels. In lieu of Don or Sancho, an old, crafty, grizzle- 

 pated, merry negro comes forth, equipped with the brazen 

 vessel of a warming-pan, or the like instrument, set erect on 

 a pole of some ten or twelve feet in length, and filled with 

 light wood, pine knots, or such like bright-burning combus- 

 tibles 



"Arrived on the feeding-ground, a light is applied; the 

 quick fuel sends out a broad, ruddy glare; and as the bearer 

 slowly circumambulates the field, a circle of intense lustre is 

 shed for ten yards arouud him, rendering every object more 

 clearly visible than at noon-day. The shooter walks close 

 to the fire bearer, on his right "hand, and ever and anon, as 

 the circular glare passes along over the surface of the ground, 

 his eye detects the woodcock, crouching close to the earth, 

 and gazing with its full, fascinated eye upon the strange il- 

 lumination. The next instant, up it springs, dizzy and con- 

 fused; and soaring upward toward the light, it is seen for a 

 second, and then is lost in the surrounding darkness; but of 

 that one quick second the sportsman takes advantage, and 

 by a snap-shot cuts him down with a light charge — never 

 killing a bird at above ten paces distaut, and often bagging 

 his hundred in a single evening's work. 



"This mode of cock-shooting arises, as it is evident, ex 

 / !■■■>, and may, for a while, be sufficiently exciting. 

 It must, however, lack all that variety which is the great 

 charm of our Northern shooting — variety which arises from 

 the working of the emulous, obedient and well-trained dogs. 

 in observing whose exqtusite instinct, fine attitudes and 

 beautiful docility, me jii'Hce. lies half the pleasure of field 

 sports — variety which, together with the lovely scenery, 

 the brisk, breezy air, and the exulting sense of personal in- 

 dependence and personal power springing from these and 

 from the glow of cheerful exercise, retnbrs these sports, to 

 active, energetic and enthusiastic minds, the first of pleas- 

 ures and almost a necessary relief from the dull monotony of 

 every-day exist ence." 



Austin, Nev. , June. 22. — During May we had excellent 

 dove shooting, bags of from fifty to eighfiy being a good 

 day's work. A shoot for the supper came "off, but was de- 

 layed one week too long, as the birds had commenced to 

 pair and were scarce. Only 206 counts were made by eight 

 shooters. Had it occurred a week sooner the count would 

 have been over 600. We are now T enjoying some trout fish- 

 ing, but our spring, or rather summer, is late, and if is yet 

 quite cool. — Wachixf.wah. 



Ilutnots Quaii,.— An observant friend on whom I can 

 rely tells me that while on the Indianapolis & St. Louis 

 Railroad, on his way from the capital of Indiana to St. 

 Louis, he saw a gieat number of quail in pairs, which the 

 train frightened from near the track into the fields near by. 

 From their actions, they had evidently paired, and he tells 

 me he knows of no place he would sooner select, for a No- 

 vember shoot than portions of the country he passed through 

 — namely, the lower portion of the State of Illinois. — 

 Homo. 



