394 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Mr. A. P. Vivian, 65; Mr. A. Bass, 69; total, 837. Next 
week there comes off the Elcho Challenge Shield and the 
Public School matches, which I will refer to. Curiously 
enough, a sheep was found dead, which everybody denied 
having killed, but a Rigby bullet found in it was identified 
as that of one of the best shots on the ground. 
_Idstone, Jr. 
J fhot (§tm mid Jf ifle . 
GAME IN SEASON FOR AUGUST. 
Woodcock. philohela minor. Squirrel?. 
Pinnated grouse, cupidoria cupido , Snipe and Bay Birds. 
Pinnated grouse, or “prairie chickens,” are in season in Kansas, Ne¬ 
braska, and Minnesota, August 1st; in Michigan, August 5th; in Missou¬ 
ri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, August 15th; Wisconsin, August 20th; 
Iowa, August.22d; in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, 
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, September 1st, and in Connecticut and 
Kentucky, October 1st. 
Details of pigeon shooting and scores of rifle matches , and other interest¬ 
ing matter, should, be mailed so as to reach this office on Tuesday morning 
in each week. 
—The Bay snipe are up. A letter from Cape May, dated 
the 26th, says: “ The Bay snipe arc coming slowly. Last 
Monday, the 20th, Mr. Gambrill of Baltimore and his 
guide, Aaron Scliellinger, killed 100 birds on one tide, 
mostly yellow legs and red-breasted snipe. I tried them 
the next t]ay, but as it rained all day, and very little wind, 
we did not get many birds, although I had the best guide 
and shot on the Island, Caleb Warner. He killed a curlew 
at sixty-five paces with my twelve bore Toule’s breech¬ 
loader, with tliree-drachms powder and one ounce No. 10 
shot. My Clark-Sneider altered gun shoots remarkably 
well; and I think it as good as a new one.” 
—A correspondent writes from Barnegat, July 27th:— 
“Birds in quite good flocks are making their appearance. 
I saw forty curlew on Monday, and 200 "or more snipe on 
Wednesday near Beach Haven. One gunner had some 
twenty snipe, and another forty on Saturday. Gunning will 
be better after the 10th or 15th of August, Birds have 
made their appearance very early this season, but as yet 
seem mostly on the move, flying about from place to place 
in search of good quarters.” 
—In the markets woodcock are found in about the same 
quantity and at the same prices as last quoted: say, $1 to 
$1 50 a pair. The bulk of the birds come from the west. 
Last week some 670 cocks came from Henry County, Ill. 
Very few birds are arriving from Long Island and New 
Jersey. We should say arrivals do not exceed 1,500 birds 
a week. Philadelphia and Boston are getting their birds 
from New York. A good many willets, yellow legs, 
do wit dies and curlews in market from the Jersey shore, 
and there has been good bay shooting around Sandy Hook. 
_Below we give a summary of tlie reports we have re¬ 
ceived from various sections since the opening of the wood¬ 
cock season. The number of woodcock killed indicates that 
the birds have not been as numerous as in previous years. 
In fact from every quarter the. invariable testimony, “birds 
very scarce,” accompanies each report. In some places 
which were noted in former years for their abundance, 
very few have been found, and in others nonq at all. In 
the Patterson swamp, near Carmel, Putnam county, this 
State, always famous shooting ground at this season, the 
birds were by no means as numerous as during last season 
or previous ones, though in greater quantity than in any 
other place we have yet heard of. With four guns and 
three dogs sixty-four were killed. With one gun and a 
brace of setters and a brace of pointers, worked alternately 
for six days, the average was eighteen birds a day. On 
the drowned lands of the Wallkill, near Warwick, Orange 
Co. N. J., covering a vast extent of territory, the most 
noted resort for woodcock in this section of the countiy, 
they are generally found in large numbers and the bags 
correspondingly large. There being an excellent tavern at 
Pine Island, kept by the Carling Bros., who are first class 
shots, (as was their father before them) and owners, it is 
supposed, of dogs direct descendents of the celebrated Web¬ 
ster setters, many sportsmen resort there. But this year, 
like every other place, those that went there with large ex¬ 
pectations were doomed to disappointment. On the 3d, 
4tli, 6th and 7tli there were forty guns and from fifteen to 
twenty brace of dogs. The largest bag was fifteen. 
In some places many of the clubs after the first day aban¬ 
doned their hunt. The Mohawk Game Club of West Troy, 
who have an annual camp and hunt near Westerboro, 
back of the Hilderburgh Mountains, gave it up after two 
days’ trial, having found only ten birds, bagging nine of 
t hem. As a usual thing woodcock are found in large num¬ 
bers in this section, it being quite a favorite breeding place 
for them and the hunt there invariably results in large bags. 
But this year the reports were so discouraging that only 
five of the club participated, and the result showed the 
truthfulness of the report. On the Westbrook Meadows, 
in Pike county, Pa., which are just on the confines of 
Blooming Grove Park, and long known as a capital ground 
for July woodcock, both grass and side-hill were woiked 
over thoroughly without raising a feather. 
There can be no other reason assigned for the universal 
scarcity than the occurrence of the killing snow storm in 
May last, which must have prevented the hatching of eggs 
on which the birds were then sitting, and destroyed such 
fledglings as were already out of the shell, for previous to 
this, the old ones were seen in larger numbers, and much 
earlier than usual. This theory is borne out by the fact 
that the majority of those killed are old ones. And so, those 
sportsmen who have indulged in July woodcock-shooting 
have been unwittingly destroying the source of supply. There 
being no production, we who have banqueted, have been 
consuming the seed corn. Next year promises a dearth, 
with a long continued period of restriction and close season 
to follow. It is upon such events and contingencies, tli-ai 
we deprecate July woodcock shooting. By deferring the 
sport till September we give the birds a chance to hatch out a 
second brood, which they almost invariably do when the 
first have been destroyed; and by that time the old ones 
have moulted and fattened, and the young ones have be¬ 
come strong of wing, and the sportsman who counts his 
coops will find a legitimate and natural proportion ol young 
birds to old ones, and may shoot right and left with a clear 
conscience and a consciousness of honorable dealing. 
So far as we have been able to investigate, the total num¬ 
ber of birds killed this season thus far is 1,348. Here is a 
partial record 
Piermont, N. Y,-Wm F. Steel, on the 4th, 5. 
Suffer ns. N. Y. —David Decker, on the 4th, 6. 
Watertown , N. Y. —Three members of the Jefferson Sportsmens' Gab, 
on the 4 th. 8. 
Pittsfield , Mass.- -T. Eddy and friend, on the 4th. 9. 
Albany and Troy. N. Y.— Messrs. Truax and Knickerbocker, Alban) ; 
and Smith and Fursman, Troy, on the 4th, 10. 
West Troy, N. Y.— Five members Mohawk Game Club, on the 4th, 9; 
Messrs J. Scholan and Wood, on the 4th, 3—12. 
Mount Morris, A'. Y.— Three gentlemen on the 3d, 12; 2 gentlemen on 
the 4tl\, 5—17' 
Perry , N. Y.— A party of 4 on the 4th, 14; a party of three on the 7th, 
5—19. 
Danville, A. I 7 .—A party of 4 on the 4th, 15; 2 on the 9th, 4—19. 
China, 2V. Y.—A party of 3 on the 4th, 12; same party on 8th, 8—20. 
Ravenna. Ohio—A party of 3 on the 4th, 11; another party of 2 on the 
4th, 9-20. 
Dayton, Ohio. —Air Simms and two friends on the 4th. 9; Mr. Wilson 
and Williams on the 4th, 12—21. 
Ilariem. N. I 7 .—Messrs. Asten and Bassford, on the 4th, in We sell ester 
county. 23. 
Cincinnati, Ohio.— Our correspondent “Snap Shot” mentions as killed 
by a party of 5 on the 4t,h, 25. 
Columbus. Ohio —“Breech Loader” informs us of a bag by a party of 4 
on the 4th of 25. 
Coldenhatn, N. Y.— Dr. Howard and Mr. Brewster, on the 3d and 4th, 
21; Messrs. Sears and Wiltsie, 11th, 4—25. 
Sp/ingfidd. Mass.— A correspondent signing himself “A” tells of having 
killed near Springfield by a party of 6, on the 4tli, 31. 
Wooster. Ohio. —Correspondent mentions as killed by a party of 8 on the 
13th, 35._ 
Niagara mills , A r . I 7 .—Four members of the Niagara Falls Shooting 
Club shot, on the4th, 39. 
Seneca Falls, N. Y.— Four members of the Phoenix Club shot, outlie 
4th, 46. 
Bath, N. Y.—A party of 12 was formed and divided up into squads 
of four and bunted on the 4th. 1st killed 21; 2d, 14; 3d, 10; 4th, 5 — 
total. 50. 
Penn Yan, N. Y. —From here we have a report of a party of 15 who 
had, at the end of the day of the 4rh, killed 52. 
Gioversville, N. Y.—' There were on the 4th, to nine guns, bagged 52. 
Morristown, N. J —Messrs Quimby, Whiting and ^Brooks shot on the 
4th. 12; Bryce, same day, 10; Mr. Quimby, on the 5th, 17; Mr. Bryce 
and friend, same day. 11; Master R. H. McCurdy, 2; total, 52. 
Rochester, N. Y. —Twelve members of the Audubon Club shot, on the 
3d and 4th, 60. 
Newton, N. J.—A party of eleven, including the veteran, Horace Smith. 
and our correspondent “Homo” shot, on the 4th, 53. 
Syracuse, N. Y— Some ten to twelve members of the Onondaga Club 
shot, on the 4th, 75. 
Lockport, N. Y. —Eight members of the Lockport Shooting Club shot, 
on the 4th. 102. 
Patterson Swamp, N. Y.—A party of four in three days, 64; a gentleman 
working alternately a brace of setters with a brace of pointers, in six 
days, 108; total, 172. 
Warwick, N. J. —On the drowned lands of the Wallkill, near Warwick, 
Orange county, N. J., 40 guns, on the 3d, 4th, 6th. 7th, with from 15 to 
20 brace of dogs, bagged about 210. 
—We print the following letter from a well known 
sportsman t 
Great Barrington, Mass., July 20th, 1S74. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
1 have been out shooting hut once. Two friends and myself made a 
bag of 16 cock, which hardly affords sport sufficient to pay for tramping 
over as much ground as we did, as we traveled over enough to have 
killed three times the number. With the exception of four they were all 
old birds. We found them on the hillsides. Almost every day lately 
we have had heavy showers, which have tended to scatter what few there 
are. In our tramp we found numerous covies of young ruffed grouse. 
Yours truly, C. H. Sage, 
—We wish to acknowledge on behalf of our readers an in¬ 
stance of most generous courtesy extended to them through 
our correspondent “Herbert,” of Hannibal, Missouri, who 
has offered to pay the expenses of three gentlemen from 
St. Louis to Kansas and return on a trip after pinnated 
grouse. The invitation was extended to us personally, 
and to friends whom we could recommend, the start to 
take place from St. Louis on the 30th instant—dogs, 
wagons, drivers, tents, and provisions to be provided on 
the ground. Unfortunately the invitation came too late 
for public notice in our last issue, or we feel certain that 
some of our Eastern readers would have been glad to ac¬ 
cept it. This is but a repetition of frequeut similar courte¬ 
sies extended to us by our Western friends, offering the 
most generous hospitality, some of which our readers are 
cognizant of. We wish our “down casters” to make a note 
of this. There ought to be a cordial reciprocity of good- 
fellowship between these two great sections, and a freer 
personal intercourse. We look upon these overtures from 
the West as pleasantly significant of good intent, and a 
desire for better acquaintance. The Western man does 
nothing by halves. His hospitality is as broad as his own 
broad prairies. Ilis invitation includes everybody who 
can command or deserve lits confidence, and when he 
makes up his mind that he can* safely and properly offer 
his hand, he expects a good warm grip in return. We of 
the East are generous enough to our own limited circle of 
intimates, but beyond its periphery suspicion extends, and 
we warily scrutinize all who approach. Our dense popu¬ 
lation and experience have taught us caution in these mat¬ 
ters, which we may be excused for. But as between our¬ 
selves and the sportsmen of the West—we to whom out¬ 
door life and study of natural objects have given enlarged 
views and a just appreciation of the really good qualities 
that are innate in men—there ought to be a fraternity of 
spirit and community of interests that will not only ensure 
reciprocity in social amenities, but co-operation in all meas¬ 
ures that shall promote the important interests which we as 
sportsmen and conservators of game should have always at 
heart. 
—The Winkle Club of Lawrence, Kansas, has just been 
organized, and the following note has been sent us by its 
Secretary. From what we personally know of the compo- 
siton of its members, it must prove a most efficient organ¬ 
ization and extremely useful, in view of the fact that 
Kansas is the nearest accessible first class shooting ground 
we have. Now, gentlemen, please change your close sea¬ 
son for pinnated grouse (chickens,) from 1st August to 15th 
August, as soon as possible. The birds ought to he pro¬ 
tected until the 15th, at which date the shooting season 
begins in the adjoining State of Missouri. Nevertheless, 
indulgent as the law is as to the close season, we learn 
with disgust that young birds have been shot for three 
weeks past. How it did delight us when we heard that 
four persons in St. Joseph, just across the river, had been 
fined $20 each for having these birds in their possession, 
and that others in St. Louis had been fined $60 each! And 
to think of it, one of these unconscionable sinners has had 
the effrontery to appeal and carry the case up! 
Our Missouri friends are certainly doing a noble work, 
well worthy of emulation by sportsmen of other States, 
and we pray that they may continue earnest unto the end. 
Never before has there been manifest such an earnest and 
wide spread interest in the protection of game as now, and 
such determination to see the laws enforced. All this 
augurs well for the future. 
This is what our new coadjutors of the Winkle have to 
remark—and “their language is plain;” 
Lawrence, Kan., July 20th, 1847. 
Editor Forest and Stream:— 
I take pleasure in informing you that at a meeting held in this place 
July 7th, it was resolved to organize a club under the name and title of 
“The Winkle Cmb of Lawrence, ” having for its object the following 
purposes, as taken from the articles of the association: 
The purposes for which this club is organized are the passage of such 
laws as are necessary to the preservation of same throughout the State, 
the enforcement of all laws and ordinances against the illegal killing, 
taking, or sellins thereof, and for general co-operation with other clubs 
throughout the United States in all matters tending to the better pro¬ 
tection of game and the advancement of the interests of sportsmen gen¬ 
erally. 
The following named gen feme n were elected officers for the ensuing 
year: 
E. D. Thompson, president; W, A. Harris, vice-president; F. S. 
Earle, secretary-and treasurer: Board of Managers, A. II. Stuart, F. E. 
Boswell, O. Chadwick. 
We hope soon to fill our roll oi members to the full complement al¬ 
lowed by our constitution, aud as a “live” club trust to make our influ 
ence felt in all the matters mentioned above, satisfied, as we fully are, 
that it is only by such organizations throughout the country, acting in 
concert, that we can accomplish the results so earnestly wished for, and 
for which your valuable paper, the Forest and Stream, is so strong 
and able an advocate. 
Please enter our name upon your list of clubs, and in all matters re¬ 
quiring our co-operation count us in, every time. Very truly yours, 
F. S. Earle, Secretary. 
—We have also received the constitution and by-law's of 
the Tecum sell Club, of Nebraska, an organization to se¬ 
cure the enforcement of the game laws, and to promote 
social enjoyment and improvement in shooting. Its officers 
are E. R. Wright, President; G. G. Gere, Vice President; 
E. R. Barnes, Secretary, and J. R. Coy Kendall, Referee. 
We acknowledge a very courteous note from the Secre¬ 
tary. These sportsmen of Kansas and Nebraska deserve 
credit for their energetic action in so promptly organizing 
to meet the exigencies of the situation, but we can assure 
them that their task is not easy nor their burden light. 
—A Boston correspondent does not agree with us in ad¬ 
vising a person unacquainted with the woods to attempt a 
journey through the Adirondacks without a guide, and in a 
courteous four-page letter tells us, (rather overweeningly, 
we think,) how he and a friend passed three months there 
last year without any other guide than Ely’s map and 
Wallace’s hook. They caught trout, killed deer, visited 
fifty-four lakes, &c., etcetera . The same correspondent 
desires us to give his address to that other correspondent 
who wishes to attempt the woods without a guide, and 
promises to tell him how to do it. Now, we hardly wish 
to shift the responsibility of that young man’s life from 
ourselves to our Boston correspondent, though we must 
confess that, if the tourist will stick to the water courses 
and “carries,” which are as much travelled as a turn-pike 
road, he will be likely to come out all right at the end of 
his vacation, and have an enjoyable adventure. Still, 
there are temptations to venture from the beaten track, 
and once off from it, the risk becomes very great. W T e 
will mention a few instances: A schoolmaster who had 
lived six months in Pike County, Pa., went out fora 
morning walk through the October woods, and his bones 
were found three miles from home in February. In the 
same county, a man was lost for several hours in a laurel 
swamp only a half mile wide with a road on each side, and 
he was not wholly a stranger in the local! iy. • 1. - - <•• • 
black and blue mementoes of his adventure for a fortnight 
afterwards. Two experienced woodsmen hunting grouse 
among parallel ridges, took the wrong valley and had to 
travel four miles over a mountain to the right one, involv¬ 
ing a bivouac in an all-night rain-storm. The writer and 
an experienced guide spent several hours in a dense fog on 
Racket Pond, Adirondacks, looking for the outlet. The 
writer with two Indians, hunting over a moose range in 
New Brunswick, travelled twelve miles more than neces¬ 
sary, because they lost their way. A Canadian friend 
ventured two miles from the camp one frosty night, lost 
his way, got treed by wolves, and nearly perished before 
he was found. We mention these instances not to create 
bugbears, but merely to show how liable the most expe¬ 
rienced are to get into trouble. For our own part, we pre¬ 
fer to take a guide at all times, unless we are most 
thoroughly acquainted. We were not educated at the 
Boston Latin school, but somewhere we learned the pro¬ 
verb r 1 ''In medio tuUssimus ibis 
