242 
FOREST AND STREAM 
SPORTING IN 
<< 
For Forest and Stream. 
NORTHERN LOUISIANA. 
I RECKON you’ll kill all the deer in the swamp,” ban¬ 
ters the old gentleman as he deals out my buckshot. 
“I won’t brag ’till I get out of the woods,” is my laughing 
reply, as I throw my leg across “Billy” and set him going 
for the house. I am spending the winter in Northern 
Louisiana on my father-in-law’s plantation,and this conver¬ 
sation is held with that worthy personage himself at the 
plantation store. I am going after deer in the morning and 
he is rather sceptical as to my shooting abilities. Shadowy 
deer followed by shadowy hounds gallop through my 
dreams all night long until I wake with a start and find it 
three o’clock. Slipping out of bed I wake up “Dennis,” 
who is sleeping on the floor at my door, and after much 
grunting and rubbing his eyes, he goes out to get “Billy” 
ready. In a few minutes I hear the horse under my win¬ 
dow, and going quietly out I am quickly on his back, out 
of the gate and riding along towards “Hope Estate,” where 
I am to breakfast before we put in the hounds. “Billy” is 
not long getting over those two miles. The dogs come 
trooping out to meet me and their music brings out Charley 
Bryant, who greets me with “Hello !Yal., got an early 
start, didn’t you? Breakfast is all ready, come in.” While 
we are eating, Charley’s horse is brought around, and after 
looking carefully to our guns and other traps, we start for 
the wbods. Our route lies across an old meadow of several 
hundred acres and we stir up numerous coveys of quail, 
which go whirring off into the bushes. At last wu strike 
into a dry bayou and will ride along its bed into the woods 
where Charley puts me on a stand, then leaves me with a 
caution to ‘ ‘keep still, and if you hear the dogs keep your 
eye peeled for that break in the cane across the bayou, and 
mind ^ J -~~ §M j| ~ :11 |gg 
shoot 
to take-, -- , .— — 
the buck fever, for this is my first deer hunt and I know 
Charley don’t expect much from me. I tie my horse back 
in the cane and build a smoke to keep flies away from him; 
then going carefully back to the top of the bank, take my 
stand by a large oak tree, from which the view up and down 
the bayou and across to the opposite side is clear. There I 
sit for half an hour listening intently for the bounds, but 
hearing nothing except the “tu-whoo” of an owl above my 
head and the noise of a rabbit racing through the brush. I 
walk back and replenish the “smoke” for my horse, and 
just as I return to-my stand I hear a sound that starts the 
blood in my veins and crouches me down against the tree 
with my eyes fixed upon the opening in the cane. First, 
one do 0, gives tongue, hesitates as if in doubt, and then 
takes it°up, followed by one after another, until I know the 
whole pack has the scent and is coming my way. They 
are at least a mile away, I think, and I have plenty of time, 
but almost before I can cock my gun a big doe comes out 
of the cane beyond and trots down the sloping bank directly 
towards me. She is in no hurry, and as she reaches the 
bottom she turns her head to listen to the hounds behind 
her and gives me a fair broadside shot. Gone now are all 
thoughts of buck fever, and as my gun comes to my 
shoulde r I measure the distance with my eye. Fully a 
hundred yards, but delays are dangerous, and the old gun 
never failed me yet. At the shot she jumps straight into 
air writhing like a serpent and comes down on her back in 
the soft dirt, where, after a few convulsive struggles, she 
staightens out and is dead. By this time the dogs are very 
near and in a moment they come tearing through the cane 
in-full cry and bounce on the deer almost before they know 
it Then ensues a struggle between them and me. The 
smell of the blood makes them wild and I do not realize 
the danger I am in until Charley, who has heard the shot, 
comes up and drives them off, saying, “It’s a wonder they 
didn’t take a piece out of you.” . 
“Well Charles, .how’s this for a buck fever greenhorn?” 
His answer is the flask, which he holds towards me, and we 
drink a health to all good sportsmen. . 
In butchering her we find that she got one shot behind 
the shoulder and another through the neck, and Charley 
tells me that the last is the one that did the business, as 
without it she might have run a long time. I am too 
well satisfied to dispute with him and we ride home, I find¬ 
ing myself rising rapidly in Charley’s esteem, as I know by 
his comments upon the long shot I have made. I wont at¬ 
tempt to describe my feelings as I ride into the yard with 
my game across my horse. Suffice it that a sight of the 
skin convinced the old gentleman that I, and not Bryant, 
shot the deer, and he never attempted to bother me again 
about shooting. 
Louisiana, especially in the middle and northern tier of 
counties, is very heavily timbered and thickly intersected by 
bayous many of them navigable and all affected in volume 
by the rise and fall of the Mississippi, into which all then- 
waters eventually empty. The cutting of the levees by 
Grant at Lake Providence near Vicksburg, overflows all the 
low lands of that section every spring, the water usually 
risino- in March and falling in April. These annual over¬ 
flows drive the deer from their swamp coverts to the up¬ 
lands which are not subject to overflow, and at that time 
the shooting is better than at any other, as, the deei being 
confined in a limited area, there is no trouble in starting- 
one and once started, if one knows the lay of the land, and 
has a good horse, he need seldom fail of a shot. To those 
who have never tried it, “heading off a deer,” seems rather 
riskv work as the hunter must go through whatever comes 
in his way be it canebrake, briar patch, or bayou. But 
with a good sure-footed horse that is used to the work, one 
will generally go through unharmed, barring scratched 
hands and face, torn pants, etc., and what sportsman ever 
thinks of such bagatelles when the dogs are running across 
his quarter, and he astride a good horse, trying to make the 
snot where “the old wood road crosses the bayou” before 
the deer gets there! I can imagine no sport more exciting 
than this, and I long for the time when I shall be at it again. 
Bear hunting can also be had, but this necessitates a ride 
into the deepest recesses of the swamps and a sojourn 
among bear-hunters, hog stealers and refugees from justice, 
for whose society I never had any desire. Into these 
bayous and swamps in the fall the mallards come from 
their northern summer haunts in countless numbers. 
Quail (called partridges there) and woodcock, are also very 
abundant. The latter is hunted in a way that can hardly 
be called sport and I never joined in it. At night the 
woodcock come out of the woods upon the cotton fields to 
feed The hunter makes a couple of pitch-pine torches, 
and with negroes to carry them, starts in. The birds at¬ 
tracted by the torches which throw a bright light all around 
the hunter, do not attempt to fly and are shot sitting at 
short range, the hunter using pistol charges. For abund¬ 
ance and variety of game and whole-souled, hospitable 
people, Louisiana is not to be excelled. 
A. M. Valentine. 
—-- 
For Fwest and Stream. 
A RIFLE EXPERIENCE. 
A PROPOS of Creedmoor and target shooting generally, 
let me relate a little incident which occurred here 
not long ago. The parties concerned were four gentlemen. 
A prominent physician—a crack shot, by the way—a young 
Front street merchant, and two lesser lights, one of whom 
we will call Bangs. Bangs is a genius and a connoisseur in 
the fine arts. He loves To hover around old book stores 
and picture shops, lugging off rare old tomes from the one 
and time-stained canvas from the other, and it transpired 
that during one of his peregrinations he purchased at 
auction, a Springfield rifle guaranteed in good order, prime 
condition and so forth, such as was used in the late “un¬ 
pleasantness.” Upon showing the trophy to his friends it 
was decided that they would test its merits in the suburbs 
of the city on the next opportunity, although well aware 
that it was hardly en regie , and that they would not be 
practicing with a Sharpe or Remington. 
The auspicious day arrived; a few pounds of slugs and 
other ammunition were procured; a suitable field was found 
—the property of some unoffending granger—a piece of 
paper was pinned to a tree at a distance of about eighty or 
one hundred yards, and operations commenced. After a 
little preliminary conversation it was elected that Bangs 
should fire the first shot, the others not being particularly 
anxious to have a practical illustration on the subject of 
recoil. He shouldered it bravely and blazed away; one of 
the party skipped over to the tree, examined it as thorough¬ 
ly as any naturalist would have done under different cir¬ 
cumstances, glanced up into its branches to see if any limbs 
were missing and pantomimed back “No !” to the others. 
Another tried it—same result. Some one suggested that 
perhaps it would be well to make allowance for deflection 
of the ball on account of wind. Third shot—tree still un¬ 
touched. 
At this point attention was drawn towards an old man 
seen to issue from a farm house, situated about a quarter 
of a mile distant, and about thirty degrees tp the left of the 
target. Misgivings filled the minds of the party as they 
beheld him approaching them. Some one muttered “con¬ 
stable—trespassing,” and other pleasant subjects, but it was 
not that, oh, no! he merely wanted to say that “those 
slugs was whistlin’ all round and over his house, and 
wouldn’t they please move a leetle, as no knowin’ what 
might happen !” Of course they would, and did, at the 
same time somewhat puzzled that their shots should des¬ 
cribe such curious curves. Another tree was found. More 
essays. Some one grazed it, but it was afterwards believed 
to have been done by accident. 
At this juncture Bangs was startled by the Doctor’s de¬ 
claring in exasperated tones that “the barrel was crooked ! 
Yes l” he exclaimed—squinting down the side from the 
muzzle-^-“it is crooked, being bent on some thing.!” 
“Thought something was wrong,” said one. “So did I,” 
chimed in another. “Nonsense,” said Bangs, “optical 
illusion. Those bands that hold it to the stock make it 
look so.” But the Doctor was excited and stripping the 
stock from the barrel they discovered that it had been bent, 
how they knew not, unless used as a bludgeon by one of 
Uncle Sam’s boys. But you should have heard the laugh 
that went up. You should have seen Bangs’face. One 
suggested that he bury it in a furrow; another that he 
deposit it in a fence corner. While walking back he re¬ 
marked,gazing abstractedly at the sky:— “Remarkable thing, 
such deflection caused by wind I” 
And now he wants to dispose of a first-class Springfield 
rifle—cheap. H. R. B. 
Philadelphia , May 15, 1874. 
For Forest and Stream. 
GUNS, AMMUNITION, &C. 
M ANY sportsmen who are not owners of breech-loaders 
are disposed to substitute them for the muzzle load¬ 
ers. To such, and all others, I would say keep your oid 
“antiquated.” Americans, as a class are tenacious of their 
opinions, but when they do give them up, it is no half 
way work; they go just as far the other wav. 
Breech and muzzle-loaders each have advantages not 
possessed by the other. It is possible to use and do good 
work with either. I own the best of both kinds, as far as 
wood and iron go, and am satisfied with both, and wish 
to part with neither. My judgment may err in regard to 
their merits, but not from prejudice; I have but a sports¬ 
man’s interest in either 
The muzzle-loader is certainly the. type, the breech¬ 
loader an offshoot; both are dependent on the same prin¬ 
ciples for good shooting, viz ., the proper chambering of the 
shot and lack of windage. In this respect the muzzle- 
loader has the advantage from its solid breech and never 
varying barrel in which the shot are chambered; also the 
conical breech is better adapted to the slow burning of the 
powder, which lessens recoil, but this may be regulated in 
the breech-loader by using coarse powder. 
The chambering of shot in the breech-loader is depend¬ 
ent entirely on the inside measurement of the shells, which 
, in paper ones varies in manufacture, from the difference in 
the wads used, and the amount of pressure in load. Ir¬ 
regular chambering of shot causes irregularity in shooting. 
The brass shells are not adapted to guns made to use the 
paper ones, being about two sizes larger in the bore. The 
shot are crowded and misformed in their passage into the 
barrel which is still less than the bore of the paper shell. 
Guns made to use the metal shells are not adapted to use 
the paper shell; there is too much windage. It would be 
much more reasonable to adapt both kinds of shells to the 
guns than to try to adapt-, the guns to the shells. The 
danger attended in the use of metal shell should be looked 
at. The accidental discharge of one about the person 
would be positively dangerous, whereas a paper shell is 
comparatively harmless. 
For upland shooting, paper shells of third quality will be 
found more desirable, and in the long run more economi¬ 
cal than the metal ones, but for all kinds of shooting 
from boats or blinds, properly constructed metal shells 
would certainly be superior. 
In wild fowl shooting the sport is largely dependent on 
keeping the person of the shooter out of sight, and rapidity 
in loading, as the flight is often of short duration Hero 
another valuable feature in the breech-loader comes int 
play; the ease and rapidity with which the load mav hp 
removed and changed to suit the size of game that nm 
present itself. . (In upland shooting one needs but one size 
of shot, nor wants the bother of carrying extra ammunition't 
this shows the breech-loader’s superiority above its rival- 
but I am sorry to say, in my opinion, here that superiority 
ends; with the exception of the charging the tnin it “ 
tended with less risk. S ’ Wlsa, » 
In field shooting the weight of the gun is a very imoort 
ant item, it should be as light as is consistent with strength 
In this respect I find after careful gauging, measuring an 1 
weight, the muzzle-loader has the advantage of one pom 1 
and is yet equal in strength to the breech-loader. This ext'• 
weight is not much at the start, but in carying all day Jqi' 
be found to amount to a great deal. Every SDortsni 
knows that the muzzle-loader can be loaded on an avera ^ 
ten times as often as opportunities offer to shoot it and f A 
he kill quail with it one half as often as he could load ‘t 
in two hours’ time he would have mole game than he wonlrl 
wish to carry. The time consumed in properly loadin 
paper cartridges is much more than is required in char gin f 
the muzzle-loader. To me the loading of the latter is on - 
of the pleasant features in shooting; it seems to be th 
proper time to load the gun when in the field, instead of 
doing it at home, which the use of cartridges amounts to T 
consider it time well spent; it gives the dogs a short breath 
ing spell, and if they are good ones they need it. By it tl 
“down charge” is enforced, and it is the sheet anchor in 
dog management, and no dog is wrell broken that does 
not drop to shot and remain there, not till the lock 
click, but until ordered to hold up; and did sportsmenusiny 
breech-loaders make this a practice instead of man and 
dogs standing for the dead game, loading as they g 0 
would have better dogs, and their owners would keep i 
better temper, kill more game, and be better shooting com 1 
panions. Quick loading and fast walking are accomplish" 
ments, but. in shooting, head work will leave them fa* 
behind. Is it more desirable to make shootim- a business 
than a pleasure ? 
The cleaning of the breech-loader is looked upon as such 
a simple operation that to many it has been the cause of 
abandoning the muzzle-loader. The cleaning of the latter 
was such a serious business that most people abandoned 
the gun or only attempted cleaning it from real necessity 
Did my muzzle-loader need cleaning while usino- it i n tiL 
field, at the first spring or brook I should wash it with the 
aid of a sole-leather wad screwed to the end of the ramrod 
dry it by pumping air through the barrels, substituting 
Eley s wads m place oi the leather one—a few minutes on 
peration. In washing a pair of barrels use cold water" 
drain with breeches down and trust nothing to dry them 
but a current of air forced through the barrels, with a clean¬ 
ing rod with tow or rags. 
It is conceded by all that clean barrels shoot. In this re 
spect the muzzle-loader has a decided advantage since in 
loading, it is in a great.measure cleaned by the passage of 
two wads down the barrel just after the gun has been dis¬ 
charged, and the residuum of the powder is in a soft state 
and is easily removed. On the contrary the residuum is 
left on the inside of the barrel of the breech-loader To 
judge of this, shoot a load from each barrel of a clean 
breech-loader, pass two wads down one barrel and commre 
the barrels by looking through them. p e 
The trouble of carrying and reloading paper shells does 
not pay. In using third quality paper shells the expense is 
about fifty per cent more with the breech-loader 
The weight of a package of 500 No. 12 shelis is twelve 
pounds. The space occupied by them is nearly a foot 
square, including the various articles used in loading and 
cleaning, and it will be found to add very much to the cost 
weight, and bulk of the sportsman’s outfit in traveling In 
our varied shooting it is desirable to load to suit circum¬ 
stances. Snap shooting in thick cover calls for small loads 
With the muzzle-loader, one can load as he pleases but 
with the breech-loader it is not safe to take chances by 
varying from the regular charge, and he can purchase all 
necessary articles at any country store if needed. 
In selecting a breech-loader remember that simplicity is 
the great point to be attained in all machinery. It obviates 
the wear and tear and lessens the liability of getting out of 
order. The wear and tear of the breech-loader is very 
great, and as the joints become loose it is constantly in¬ 
creased in proportion to its use. The conpensation ar¬ 
rangements are additions without being improvements, and 
I have yet to see a shaky breech-loader made sound’ and 
firm by a gunsmith, to the contrary notwithstanding. 
Many new high priced breech-loaders are loose in their 
joints, and in purchasing I would recommend this fact by 
breaking down the barrels and examining if there is any 
Side play to the lump in the action. The gun may be per¬ 
fectly tight when locked and yet be very loose otherwise. 
Only the best are cheap and I much doubt if any class of 
goods sold more justly deserves the name of shoddy than 
the low priced breech-loaders. Check Coed. 
Shrewsbury , V. J., May , 1874. 
-«»»»• ■ - - 
For Forest and Stream. 
SPRING NOTES FROM THE ADIRON¬ 
DACK'S. 
P OSSIBLY the Forest and Stream may not be offend¬ 
ed at the receipt of a brief communication from this 
portion of the great Adirondack Wilderness. So, the day 
being a rainy one, and out-of-door operations not very in¬ 
viting, I venture to send you a few paragraphs. 
Reaching here on the 6th of May, 1 found the weather 
cool and dry, with prevailing easterly and northerly wdnds. 
A thin covering of the winter snow still remained broad¬ 
cast over this entire region. No fresh buds were visible on 
the trees, and the “arbutus” was just struggling into bloom. 
The lakes and streams were low, and the ice still held 
many of the ponds in its cold embraces. For three or four 
days the mercury had revolved around the freezing point, 
ranging from twenty to forty-five degrees. The gen¬ 
eral aspect of nature was not cheering, as you may well 
imagine. 
On the night of the 7th three inches of snow fell, and this 
discharge from the atmosphere had the effect of softening 
the temperature. The sun rose brightly upon the whitened 
landscape, and his warmer rays had such a melting effect 
that before mid-day hardly a vestige of the new snow could 
be seen. The following day the mercury rose to about 
seventy degrees, with a clear sky and balmy air; and thus 
suddenly and gloriously the spring burst upon the wilder 
ness. Since that time the weather has been all that could 
