S4 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 28, 1884. 



contributing toward the prevention of sudden overflows of 

 theriv-ers, would not curtail the area of profitable ;: 

 tttral production, for an acre of well-shaded land is worth 

 more for pasture than for grain, and we are shorter of beef, 

 if the butchers may be believed, than we are ever likely to 

 be of bread. — San Francisco Oh i 



%W(& H'## M\& 



WOODCOCK COVERS NEAR NEW YORK. 



THIRTY years ago last summer, within one hundred 

 yards of where I am now writing, I killed my first 

 .woodcock. Although but a short lime had elapsed since I 

 had been allowed- to cany a gnu, I had already created sad 

 havoc among the various birds with which the salt marshes 

 in this vicinity at that time abounded. But the killing of 

 this first woodcock started a, new era in my shooting career; 

 aud though two years at least elapsed before I was able to 

 Rill more than an occasional bird, the most of my spare 

 time while they were in season w a- spent in their pursuit; 

 and the quantity of fine shot I scattered .about, the swamps 

 and springkoles was simply incredible. Well do I remember 

 the disgust with which a, city cousin followed me on one 

 of these probationary hints, through mud aud brush the 

 greater portion of the day, returning at night with empty 

 powder Husk and shot pouch, and one solitary woodcock. 

 This one, however, bad fallen to my gun, and I at least was 

 satisfied. 



This constant practice, backed by a love for the sport that 

 no amount of poor luck or hard work could dampen, began 

 at length to have its effect, and I would occasionally brine in 

 quite a. respectable bag. When one summer afternoon after 

 a hunt with Tilman Holly, the acknowledged crack shot of 

 the time in this section,' when 1 had killed my full share of 

 the birds, my reputation as a fair shot was firmly established, 

 for to hold one's own in the brush with Holly at that time, 

 was a feat few cared to try; and most of those who did try 

 failed to perform. 



Holly, though growing old, is still a good shot; aud only 

 three years ago last November 1 met him very early one 

 frosty morning in what id locally known as Bussing's Sprouts, 

 a large tract of splendid fail woodcock ground, about ore 

 mile east of Woodlawu Station. He informed me that birds 

 were plenty, and that he had already killed seven. Hunting 

 together we killed eleven mote, making a bag of eighteen 

 woodcock in a forenoon, and that too within one mile of the 

 northern boundary of New York city. 



When I first began to shoot, probably not more than eight 

 or ten huuh d over setters or pointers within a half dozen 

 miles of this place. The first whom I remember to have 

 seen followiug the dogs in the field was Joseph Thwaiies, 

 then keeper of a hotel known as the Spoitsman's Inn. As a 

 hoy I never parsed this place without stopping to admire the 

 sign, on which were painted two dogs on a poiut and a 

 sportsman in the act of shooting. Thwaites had a habit, 

 and a very good one, of cocking his gnu as it went up to 

 his shoulder, and was the only sportsman I have ever met 

 who did it. He died a few \vars since, when he was past 

 seventy, and only a few months before I met him in the 

 Sprouts mentioned above, working his dogs with as much 

 an. or and zssl as a lad upon his fust hunt 



Another of the old-Ume shooters was Malachi Briggs, now 

 living near Williamsbridge. Though showing unmistakable 

 signs of advancing age, he is still hale and hearty, and may 

 be often seen during the shouting season, with his old pointer, 

 searching all the best spots (and no sportsman knows them 

 better) for any stray woodcock that the Wards, Weeks, 

 Peter Briggs, and the host of other shooters who dwell in 

 that vicinity may have happened to leave. 



Ahout half way between the. town of East Chester and 

 Thwaite's, which was near the town of West Forres, on the 

 road leading to ."New York city, was the Drovers 3 Inn, long 

 since burned down. This was a favorite resort of woodcock 

 shooters from the city ; and these were almost invariably un- 

 der the guidance of Solomon Hrsdra, a barber doing busi- 

 ness in Spring street. "Sol," as he was almost always 

 called, was an inveterate hunter, a good shot, and a great 

 lover of the dog; and my first lesson in dog lore, came from 

 him. In later days he followed his vocation in the village 

 of Mount Vernon in this town. Every Monday morning 

 during the shooting season the shop was lefi in care of an 

 apprentice, and with Shot, his setter, following at bis heels, 

 Sol. would wend his way to the swamps. On more than one 

 of these occasions I have etrjoyid a hunt with him, and 

 many a valuable hint in regard to toy favoiite sport has he 

 given me. Like Thwaite, lie hunted almost up to the time 

 of his death. Many of the city readers of Fokest and 

 Stream will remember Sol. and his quaint, genial way. 



Taking the village of East Chester as a center, there was 

 probably more good woodcock cover within a circle of five 

 miles at' the time of which I am writing than could be found 

 within the same area anywhere within thirty miles of New 

 York city. About eighteen years ago most oi the covers in 

 the towns of East Chester, West Chester, and Pelhaiu were 

 cleared off and the grounds exposed for sale, as a regular 

 mania for land speculation aro-e about that time. Some of 

 the covers were drained aud destroyed forever; hut some of 

 the best ot them, especially in the town of West Chester, are 

 fastgrowiug up; and if left alone will soon furnish good 

 sport again.' La4 season I killed a few birds on this ground, 

 where the growth had been the quickest. In the town of 

 Pelham, the village of Pelham Manor occupies a tr 

 land that a few years ago furnished splendid shooting. A 

 small portion of cover is still left along the railroad on each 

 side ot the station; and I killed eight woodcock there one 

 morning last November. 



By far the best piece of ground that remains intact in this 

 section lies west of the New York. New Haven and Hartford 

 Railroad between New iioehejle aud Larchmont. Here, one 

 year ago last August, I made the best bag I have ever made. 

 killing sixteen buds. This is a larger number of buds than 

 any one man should shoot in a day wuere (over is scarce and 

 shooters plenty; and i have blamed myself many 'in : 

 it since. 1 Lave held, of late years, tuat a bag ot* three or 

 four brace should satt ortsman or pair of sports- 



men; and I wuuld hail a law to that effect for this county 

 with pleasure. Last season my largest bag was nine, though 

 I killed a large number in the courte of the season. I have 

 perhaps been dry and tedious in giving details and describ- 

 ing localities, but one object in writing this was to show to 

 sportsmen in the city whoso often write to Forest akd 

 Stream for information in regard to roundswithiq 



one hundred miles ff tue city, that a fair day's sport can 



often be had much nearer than that by those who know 

 where to go and how to shoot after they get there. 1 have 

 given a slight sketch of such of the old time sportsmen I was 

 most intimately acquainted with. The younger ones I will 

 not attempt to name individually, as it would take too 

 much space, but fiey are thickly scattered all over the coup- 

 try, aud setters and pointers are as plenty as false points and 

 flushes at a field trial. 



I am well aware that I have departed from the usual style 

 in writing upon the subject of summer shooting and I have 

 often been amused at the way so many writers of the day 

 have in dea'iug with the subject, the' birds called callow 

 fledgelings and their inability to fly and take care of them- 

 selves conclusively shown on paper. I should be sorry to 

 see the season open in Jury, but candor compels me to say 

 that during the many years I hunted them when it did open 

 at/that time, 1 never but once saw a bird unable to fly, and 

 that was undoubtedly the offspring of a bird whose first nest 

 had been broken up." By the first of August the birds are 

 well scattered and hard 'to find. Even in the days when 

 there was plenty of cover, it was a rare thing to get a large 

 bag of birds in August. Du»ing the twenty-seven years that 

 I suppose I may, -without egotism, claim to have been a fair 

 shot, the most birds I evei killed straight in the summer was 

 seven, while I did the same thing on fall bird." twice last 

 season alone. But when I speak of killing consecutive birds 

 I mean shooting at every bird pointed, walking in to the 

 right or kft of your dog and flusning it yourself, and when 

 it rises, the little open spot you had your eye on an'd was 

 quite sure it would fly through will probably be in an 

 entirety different direction from the one it will really take as 

 it, whistles up under your feet. You will turn to see a buff 

 and brown streak disappear amid a cluster of shaking alder 

 leaves. When you can on the iustant throw up your gun 

 ch>e enough to those quizering leaves to kill the bird flyiog 

 behind them twice out of five times, you will be doing better 

 shooting, in my opinion than to bring down four out of five 

 as tlvey rise over the tops of the Lafless sprouts in the fall. 

 That 1 am not alone of this opinion, 1 know, as I have never- 

 met a first-class suap shot wdio questioned the justice of it. 

 Two years ago it was my good fortune to make the acquaint- 

 ance of a No. 1 shot, fit to hold his own ia any company; 

 one of those so seldom met who seem to be to the "manner 

 born,'' he, loo, had imbibed the idea that an August wood- 

 cock was very easy killed, but a few outings in the dense 

 covers of this* section convinced him of his mistake. I have 

 another splendid shot in my mind, a young lawyer from the 

 city, who for seven years has never failed but once to be on 

 hand the first day of August, and then he came on the 

 second. I fancy I can see his quiet incredulous smile should 

 any one suggest to him that an August woodcock was an 

 easy bird to bring to bag. J. H. D. 



East Chbsteb, N. Y. 



My observations of the woodcock are perhaps new 

 to some of your many readers. I live near New 

 York, and all my shooting is in a circle of twenty 

 miles around the city, and I get as much pleasure 

 out of one single woodcock as many sportsmen (wh© live m 

 more favorable country grounds) get out of a dozen. I look 

 for them on the hillsides, in swamps and oak brush, in 

 briers, blackberry bushes, cedars and ledges along streams. 

 I have found them in open woods, cornfieftls, meadows and 

 grass lots, and in fact every place where the soil is soft, no 

 matter whether wet or dry. The common notiou of sports- 

 men is that the woodcock get their food only by boring, but 

 they will turn over fallen leaves and pick up from the 

 ground, as well as bore. I have killed a woodcock with a 

 green caterpillar in his bill, two andahalf inches long, which 

 he must have picked up from the surface. When i go to 

 my favorite places, wdiich are generally thick and difficult 

 to shoot in, the dog will crawl right up to within a few feet 

 of the birds, and leave his point when 1 command him. 

 Woodcock will stay in one place all summer and fall, as 

 It ng as there is anything to eat; and will shift ground as 

 soon as the place gets too dry or otherwise unfavorable for 

 food, but will return after rain, and they will not leave until 

 driven away by very hard frost or snow. The flight of 

 northern birds may be on or not, the birds which are bred 

 here will stay until they can feed no longer. Some of these 

 birds I killed on Thanksgiving Day, and am positive they 

 were the same birds I had seen during the summer, because 

 one had a crippled leg which he had hanging down, and the 

 other w r asin a very small secluded spot not more than thirty 

 yards square, where I had seen him very often before. 

 Traveling woodcock, if disturbed in daytime, will leave 

 the place in the eveniug, and not return even if the condi- 

 tion for food is favorable. I killed last season about forty 

 woodcock, a few every week, which I think was very good 

 for being so close to the city. Domestic. 



Brooklyn. 



MASSACHUSETTS NOTES. 



THE season of sport in field and bush closed in our State 

 on Jan. 1, with the exception of fur and wildfowl, 



who must court shy of the gun until a later date. 



The season as a whole has not been very satisfactory to 

 most of our sportsmen. From early in the sum tier a very 

 severe drought prevailed until about the middle of autumn, 

 much to the disgust aud perplexity of many of us, who, dur- 

 ing August, turned our steps toward favorite grounds 

 hoping to bag a few woodcock. Such outings, as a rule, 

 were made with discomfort, faces streaming with perspira- 

 tion, the ground dry and parched from drought, and few or 

 no birds to reward us. Some of the old veterans, whose 

 e sprinkled with the silvery threads of many winters, 

 winded their way to moist comers of cornfields, shady old 

 orchards beneath whose leafy retreats it was always moist and 

 cool, or to Rome partially exposed overflow near pond or 

 stream. In such places these old wiseacres often obtained 

 good sport, to my knowledge making some Bplendid bags, 

 and exciting the' envy of many among their fellow sports- 

 men. 



The flight shooting in autumn was of the poorest, very 

 few birds stopping at all, and the bags very fight and un- 

 satisfactory; but, however, the boys managed to secure a 

 few woodcock to sandwich in with the very good bags of 

 lulled giouse obtained by most of them throughout the 

 season. 



The opening of last spring bolstered up our drooping 

 spirits with promises of good ruffed grouse shooting in the 

 fall. The birds hatched out early aud broods of goodly 

 numbers were located iu every direction, and when the sea- 

 son opened on Sept. 1 they were found, in numbers sufficient 

 to satisfy, in nearly every swamp and alder run known for 

 miles around us. But during the month last referred to no 

 very great bags were secured in this vicinity, while during 



the latter part of the season, when autumn's golden 

 sunset hues had settled over the forest, this grandest bird of 

 them all. steeped to his eves in woodcraft, rises from behind 

 us, and witm rapidly beating pinions shapes ins cduzsa to 

 some distant covert, while the pathway of his arrowy Bighl 

 is marked by falling needles from the pines. When his 

 couise is marked, we follow to his hidden retreat among the 

 scrub on the hillside or into the depths of some almost 'inac- 

 cessible swamp. He rises from beneath our very feet, and 

 with roar of wing makes a. break for liberty. Then, when 

 fortunate enough to cut him down in his flight, what pleas- 

 ure steals over our delighted senses -is we hem the telltale 

 thud upon the. ground and are guided to the fallen patriarch 

 by tha quickened wings beating out his death roll. It is with 

 love mingled with sorrow that we raise him from among the 

 leaves and stroke his glossy plumes. Scores of fro 

 down to smaller figures have been made by our sportsmen 

 for the entire season. Quail have been quite plentiful, and 

 goodly bags of these gamy little birds have fallen io the 

 guns of this locality. There were many birds hit over at 

 tie close of the season, and if givena chance to care for 

 themselves without any assistance from the netter, all looks 

 very favorable for good shooting next October. 



TVeluve here in Lowell two large and powerful gui 

 who, with the assistance of some other g.ntlenen. 

 powerful influence to promote the protection of fish and 

 game. The methods pursued by them will eompan 

 ablv with those of other organizations throughout our State. 

 On pleasant days, when it is suitable fo. a tall hat to be out, 

 you will find them at their club grounds one any each week, 

 earnestly at work shooting at g^ss balls and clay saucers. 

 When not thus occupied, 1 presume they are earnestly wrestl- 

 ing with some other means of game protection. There are 

 here with us a number of men who are I he owners of forests, 

 and it is well known that they use them, too. 



Some prominent glass-ball smashers d during 



July, a mouth before the close season expires, hunting and 

 killiLg woodcock. Gentlemen well known foi 

 ing citizens of this place were detected hunting woodcock 

 out of season. When discovered and approached by others, 

 they with more than ordinary celerity concealed their guns 

 in the bushes behiud a large tree, and were' very busj 

 the clogs a little harmless exercise. One other spun- a 

 has the worst ease of all to answer for. He was out killing 

 woodcock one day, and, when returning home for the night, 

 confessed (to parlies whom he chanced to meet) that he had 

 five ruffed grouse killed hy him that day in his bag along 

 with his woodcock, and this early in the u onth of August, 

 a whole month before the open season on ruffed grouse. 



D. E. A. 



Lowell, Mass. 



WILD TURKEY STORIES. 



IT happened in old Kentucky, before the late family 

 troubles. It was midwinter. The La Belle Riviere, 

 which ran past the front gate of Long-view, my beautiful 

 home, was bound in plates of ice; the winter had b; :i 

 and ccld — excessively cold Jot that latitude. The m 

 been falling for two clays, and the ground was wrapped in a 

 mantle of white over one toot in thickness. 



Sunday morning broke clear, sharp aud frosty.- The 

 household had settled dowu to a peaceful da,\ 's reading, i 

 was deeply interested in one of ••Graham s Magazines''' when 

 Allen, the colored man who had char-re of the hoi: 

 into the room, hat in baud, almost, out of breath, with the 

 astounding- revelation that "thare's ti I turkey 



back of the barn." Down went my book, on went m 

 and I was in the hall picking out a gun from half a dozen 

 that stood in the corner. Among the test was 

 double gun, Id-gauge. 74- pounds, furnished With a sling, 

 the property of a guest, Captain Thursby, who had i 

 the plains several times to California and buck; and this gun 

 had been specially made to shoot ball aud buck, and had 

 cost him over three hundred dollars. The captain told me 

 to take his gun, which was then loaded for r'n^i- or turkey. 

 So, picking it up, 1 hurried out to the bain, where I saw the 

 gang in full Sight for the woods, had a mile distant. The 

 sight warmed me up, and I hurried after them. Reaching 

 the beech woods I saw them quietly •- long the 



trees, some two hundred yards distant, in in 

 steal up to them they sa\v me audi took wing, flew but a 

 short distance aud 'alighted. I followed, they 

 through the snow, I slowly gaining on them. 



About one mile back from the river aud running 

 with it was a narrow, deep slough, some two nail* 

 the water in winter ten of twelve feet deep, the banks close 

 enough for a large tree to span the water, and the darkies; 

 had thrown large trees across for foot log:-, to serve as 

 bridges in their 'coon hunts. One large poplar I 

 used was fully ten feet above the water. 



The turkeys were making for the hills and 

 slough not far from this tree. I tried the ice; it wOi 

 bear my weight. 1 hurried for the poplar tree, moUi 

 on ity and, stooping, started across, keeping ni 

 flock close by on the further bank. The footing* wa 

 pery, but I never gave it a thought. When half wa 

 one of the gang came right ioi the tree-top,;,- 

 ticed me on my high perch. 1 raised my gun, took aim, 

 fired: and the next moment, my head struck the ice teu feet 

 below where I stood, and I went to the bottom headfirst, 

 gun and all. How I got out from that ice-bound water is a 

 mystery to this day. All I do km I got home as 



they were sitting down to supper, completely cxhaus 

 clothing frozen hard as a board. Did 1 kill the turkey? 

 res; and next day the boys fished up the gun and brought 

 home the turkey." This was my first and last Sunday hunt. 



Cape Bock. 



Cape GrlB^BDEitti Mo, 



I have been shooting and fishing for a great: man - 

 my first jaunt being before 1 donned kni -. but I 



never knew what shooting was until iu thefaflof '71 I joined 

 iraent then serving in Norl I ;, that huntei's 



paradise, whereat that time wasio be found almost every kind 

 of game, both bird aud animal. How 1 look back no 

 the cold bleak country about Boston aed think of the days 

 past at Fort Biohardson, then or: the extreme ftontii 

 sigh for the flesh pots that at, that lime i did n 

 to appreciate, It seemed to me that every kind of - 

 ,- had, and no one was able to tell whal it v. 

 the next moment. You might, be "load 

 quail, or you migbtbe loade uidmeeta b< 



man who' required your attention, the latter game, however, 

 all men were prepared for there at that time. I never hap- 



