128 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 13, 1684. 



DO THOU LIKEWISE. 



WE are having a very severe and protracted winter here, 

 and I fear the few "birds left over by the shooters are 

 having a hard time of it. My shooting the past season has 

 been more varied and over a larger extent of country than 

 any heretofore, commencing at the foot of the Rocky 

 Mountains on September 3, in the Northwest territory, and 

 eudine; on February 28, way down in Tennessee. My first 

 bag of the season co»eisted of sharptailed and raffed grouse, 

 duck and snipe. My last of quail, woodcock, snipe and 

 rail, and of this I will give a short account. 



I had gone to this point a month previous with three of 

 the greenest puppies in the field that could be imagined, 

 neither ever having pointed a bird, and scarcely knowing 

 their names when beside you, and when a short distance off 

 not at all. I knew they would hunt and were brave, and 

 going_ there to break them, cared for nothing further. The 

 morning was lovely, with the sun out brightTand warm, and 

 the slight frost of the previous night had entirely disappeared 

 when I started for a large field, two miles distant from my 

 stopping place, which I knew contained birds from previous 

 acquaintanceship with it and them. I was accompanied by 

 Knight, a setter, a grandson of Rob Roy, Druid and Doll, 

 and greatgrandson to Carlowitz, and Shot, a pointer of ob- 

 scure but worthy parentage. 



In entering the field the dogs were cast off to hunt out a 

 large sedge patch on a hillside, facing the sun. Knight, to 

 the right, went off with a dash, and wheeling quickly, with, 

 his head high in the wind, walked up a few steps and became 

 rigid, Shot backing him firmly off to the left. I knew the 

 birds were moving from the action of the dog, and walking 

 on in front of him, flushed the covey wild, bringing only one 

 to bag, the balance dropping in a thicket a short distance off. 

 After retrieving the dead bii-d, I turned to follow one I had 

 marked down, and missed Knight. On whistling for him 

 without response, I went back to look for him, and found 

 him fast under the hill on another covey, near the place 

 where he found the first. On flushing those, I got a brace. 

 and marked a part of them settle by a fence on the course I 

 meant to beat. I then returned to the location of the 

 first which I had marked down in a brier thicket. 

 Knight instantly pointed a bird. I crippled it only, 

 and in searching for it, flushed a woodcock, which 

 I got. Shot then pointed another, which I also got. 

 I then left those birds and went to look after another covey, 

 and of these 1 secured another brace. Their numbers were 

 rather limited, owing to our former acquaintanceship. We 

 then went on toward another likely looking field, a short 

 distance ahead. I had scarcely entered the field, when 

 Knight was again firm, and the pointer rigid behind him. 

 On flushing the birds I got two with my first, and another 

 with my left, the balance of four pitching into a thicket 

 close by. Here the dogs flushed two; one I got, and the. 

 other I did not get, and passed on to another field. Tn this 

 the pointer accidentally flushed a covey, and marking them 

 down, I got beautiful points from both dogs, getting two 

 birds and missing, as my old mentor used to say, other two, 

 most inexcusably. Knight then found, in an adjoining field, 

 a beautiful specimen of the rail family which I secured, and 

 Shot immediately after was firm on four quail, Knight 

 backing him some distance off with his head turned back 

 over his shoulder. I enjoyed this performance so much that 

 the decimated covey were allowed to go free. 



In going down behind the fence dividing the next two 

 fields'" to "give the dogs the wind, Knight showed much 

 anxiety toget over, and when taken over at the lower end 

 and cast off, made a break at full speed, with his head high 

 up, to a fine covey, and stood them in grand form, directly 

 opposite where he wanted to get over the fence ou his way 

 down. I killed one only, missing the second. The balance 

 went down over a steep embankment and across a creek, 

 whore I did not choose to follow them, and having as many 

 as I cared about I started for home. 



On my way back the dogs made several more points on 

 quail and flushed a snipe, and 1 added to my bag enough to 

 make a total of fourteen quail, two woodcock, one snipe 

 and one rail ; not a large bag certainly, but enough for the 

 space of time occupied in getting it, and for amusement. 



John Davidson. 



Mohhos, Mich., March 7, 1884. 



PHILADELPHIA NOTES. 



r |MTE game stands of Philadelphia this week show that 

 X some one has been down the river and done execution 

 among the snow geese, or that the Smyrna (Del.) market 

 shooters have been more than usually successful, and shipped 

 their fowl to this market, for at almost every poulterer's stand 

 more or less of these geese can be seen hanging up for the 

 first time this season. I took the trouble of making a trip to 

 almost all the game cellars and shops on Saturday, but failed 

 to find one man who called the bird by his proper name. 

 Some (most of them) termed them brant, others bastard 

 . and one gull goose. They did not sell at all well, and 

 the pair your correspondent purchased were bought very 

 cheap, and proved most excellent eating. Very few solid 

 white fowl were among them, the majority being clad in the 

 sooty white garb of tne young bird. On inquiring where 

 they came from, I was always answered, "Down the bay." 

 Since the late snow fell, trapping of crows for shooting 

 matches has .been extensively going on at Bristol, Pa., and 

 the aettere have been very successful. A number of crow 

 matches were shot during the week. Any quantity of these 

 sable birds may be bought now for ten cents apiece, but 

 after being caught for three or four days they become weak 

 and do not fly well. In fact, at their best they are slow and 

 make poor shooting from a trap, oftentimes having to he 

 thrown into the air" before they will take wing. Much float- 

 ilv; ice ic in the Delawu-: Ervjr at tin.; writing fcut thf 

 ducks, which were so plentiful before the present cold 

 change in the weather, have decreased in numbers, and ap- 

 pear to have gone further down the river. 



The shooting at Havre do Grace flats this spring thus .far 

 has been a total failure, Gentlemen I have talked to who own 

 out. ills there attribute it to the scarcity of feed, others to the 

 bushwhackers. The truth is, however, that it is only a ques- 

 tion of time when box or batter)' shooting will entirely destroy 

 the duck shooting of a section where it is practiced, notwith- 

 standing it may be allowed every other day only. Iu every 

 instance in this sport the battery must be from necessity an- 

 chored directly on the feeding grounds where the? water is shal- 

 low or of moderate depth., and the ducks become alarmed by 

 the great number of "machines" laid out where they wish to 

 alight Box shooting in the fall and winter is bad enough in 

 its destructiveness, but in the spring it is worse I heard a 

 very intelligent correspondent of Forest and Stream state 

 a few days ago, that in these brceChloading times it would 



be only a few seasons more when it would not pay to own a 

 battery outfit, so alarmed and timid were the fowl becoming. 

 He is a part owner of a scow and double box, and takes every 

 opportunity of using it, and is capable of knowing whereof 

 he speaks. ' Homo. 



Pennsylvania Game.— Centralia. Pa., March 3.— When 

 "snow bound" and shut in from the woods I have been 

 greatly interested in the social chats in your paper. I listen 

 to the speakers as they speak up from the "Rockies," from 

 the great North Woods and from the orange groves. I won- 

 der as I hear of bags filled without hardly a miss, and am 

 pleased as I hear now and then one, as he tells his experience, 

 admit that often the cunning grouse and quick-winged quail 

 are too smart for his eye ancT his finger. I am pleased be- 

 cause I am on the same bench. Up here among these moun- 

 tains—spurs of the Blue Ridge— we have not much game, 

 although on the "Little Mountain," four miles north, there 

 are several flocks of wild turkeys, and in the deep ravines 

 lying among these hills a few deer hide away. Iu the Roar- 

 ing Creek Valley, lying some ten miles away, during last 

 autumn- I had several days of grand sport among the "Bob 

 Whites." lam afraid this cold winter and its deep snow 

 has been too much for them, although many of the farmers 

 I have prevailed upon to feed them. If they all winter 

 through we shall have a great many birds the coming season. 

 — Spicewood. 



Michigan Needs a Bounty on Wolves. — The Mar- 

 quette Mining Journal reports: John Spicer made a visit to 

 Mud Lake, recently, and reports finding the carcasses of five 

 deer that had been killed by wolves. Only a very small per 

 tion of each had been eaten. He stated, however, that deer 

 in large numbers were "yarding" (staying together) near 

 there, and that the wolves hang around, so that when they 

 feel in need of something to eat. they kill a fresh deer and 

 take their meals warm. Something should be done to pro- 

 tect deer from the ravages of wolves, and, as there is but one 

 thing to do, and that is to kill the wolves, enough bounty 

 should be placed on them to make the job of eliminating 

 them a short one. Every year there are hundreds of deer 

 driven over the Pictured Rocks by these hungry pests, and 

 are, of course, destroyed, without satisfying the appetites 

 they fled from. Mr. Spicer said that he found twelve dead 

 deer very close together, two years ago, that had perished in 

 this way. 



Fisher's Island Club. — Hoboken, N. J., Feb. 22. — 

 Editor Forest and Stream: The Fisher's Island Club has re- 

 ceived the second shipment of Western quail, about one 

 hundred in number, in good condition. More birds are to 

 arrive shortly and we hope the full number contracted for 

 will be reached. We have heard from the farmers on the 

 Island that there has been hardly anv snow there this win- 

 ter, and the weather much milder than on the mainland. 

 We will liberate the birds within a month from now or as 

 soon as the full number of birds has arrived. The New 

 York Herald reporter was decidedly off when he claimed we 

 would stock the lakes with fish as food for ducks, etc. Black 

 bass would be an expensive diet for them. — Max Wenzel, 

 Secretary. 



Hunting on the Sabbath. — When so called sportsmen 

 from the North come to Florida, and our little country vil- 

 lages, and spend the Sabbath day in ransacking a man's land, 

 with his guide and dogs, for game, it is about time that 

 steps were taken to prevent it. Yesterday Northern men 

 w r ere banging away within less than two hundred yards of a 

 meeting-house, where services were being held. It is a dis- 

 grace for sportsmen to hunt on Sunday; if they care not for 

 the laws of God and man, they ought to have respect enough 

 for our residents to do their hunting on week days. True 

 sportsmen will not take pleasure in disobeying Sabbath laws, 

 uuless while out on a camp hunt, away from settlements, 

 and iu need of food. — Red Wing (Glencoe, Fla.). 



Captured White Deer.— Johnsoutown, N. Y,, March 

 9. — An old guide from the Lake Pleasant country has reached 

 here. He reports that three white deer have been captured 

 alive in that section. Two of these, a large doe and fawn, 

 were extricated from the deep snow, near Piseco Lake, by 

 William Courtney, an old sportsman of the vicinity. The 

 other animal, an adult specimen, was captured in the same 

 manner on the following day by a brother of Courtney. The 

 fawn has since died, but the" other two are doing well. They 

 are on exhibition and awaken considerable iuferest on the 

 part of the guides and hunters, who claim they are the only 

 white deer ever known in that country. — Morning Journal. 



Distribution of Quail ln New Jersey.— Mr. Chas. 

 H. Bernard, secretary of the West Jersey Game Protective 

 Association, states that between Jan. 14 and Feb. 8 he made 

 five shipments of quail, amounting to 306 birds, to the At- 

 lantic county director of the society at Smith's Landing. 

 We would like to hear from Mr. Bernard what proportion of 

 birds purchased for putting out in the five lower counties of 

 New Jersey have thus far lived. Of course the quail have 

 not yet been put out, nor should they be liberated until 

 spring is fairly settled, but it would be interesting to the 

 readers of Forest and Stream to learn what percentage of 

 birds have died and from what State they came. — Homo. 



Game in Minnesota, — Dodge Centre, Minn., Feb. 28. — I 

 should be very glad if some one would give some hints on 

 duck and goose shooting, as they will be plenty here in a 

 lew weeks on their way to the north. Pinnated' grouse, or 

 prairie chickens, are wintering quite well, as we have had 

 no severe storms this winter. Ruffed grouse and quail are 

 scarce, Wolves are plenty, with $7 bounty on them; they 

 live largely on grouse and rabbits, and are hunted but very 

 little. -A , E. B. 



Migratory Quail.— New York, March 4.— Will you 

 kindly say that any one desirous of importing live migratory 

 quail -this spring from Messina, Sicily, can receive informa- 

 tion and all particulars as to price, etc., by addressing me. — 

 Carl F. Braun (P. O. Box 2,487). 



Where Game is Scarce. — A Pennsylvania man sends 

 for a specimen copy and explains; "Game is getting scarce 

 here, and think it will be easier to buy a few hunting stories 

 than to try the real thing. However, I hunt." 



Arkansas. — Evening Shade, Feb. 26.— We lost no quail 

 by the cold this winter. Deer and turkey are plentiful and 

 in fine condition.— J. G. S. 



We have received from L. C. Smith, Syracuse, N. Y., 

 an illustrated catalogue of the Baker guns made by him. 



■ 1 



"That reminds me." 

 106. 



DEAR D. B. has gone to his rest. He was the mentor of 

 my boyhood in all that pertained to the use of the gun 

 and the love and pursuit of the sports of the field. He was 

 an excellent wing-shot in the days when wing-shots were 

 few in number. 



One day when he wished to go quail shooting his own gun 

 was away, undergoing repairs. He borrowed a singlebnr- 

 rel gun of a neighbor. This gun had been a Aim lock a cen- 

 tury ago, but was at the time altered to a percussion. It 

 had the wealth of barrel that is now only seen in the guns 

 made long since by the Arabs. My dear old mentor shoul- 

 dered this gun, was gone for some 'time, and returned with- 

 out any birds, an unusual occurrence. "What!" I exclaimed, 

 "no birds?" 



"No," in a solemn voice, 



"Did you not find some?" 



"Yes." 



"Well, why didn't you bring them home then?" 



In the same solemn voice, and with a face equally solemn, 

 he replied : 



"I put up one covey, but my gun was so long that the 

 muzzle was far ahead of the birds; so I turned round and 

 ran back some distance so as to get the muzzle behind the 

 biids, and when I thought that I had accomplished that end 

 I faced about just iu time to see the birds settle between mc 

 and the muzzle, so I gave it up and came home." M. 



Jte* mtd §$iver fishing. 



THE BEST COLOR FOR LEADERS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Recognizing the justice of the point made by your corres- 

 pondent in your issue of the 14th ult., in regard to the color 

 of gut leaders, I have undertaken to make a few trials, pro- 

 ceeding as follows : 



Selecting first a cloudy and dull day, then a bright, clear 

 one, I next filled my bath tub with as much water as it would 

 hold, and having prepared a number of pieces of gut dyed a 

 variety of hues, all more or less light, proceeded to look at 

 them by placing my head under water about twelve inches, 

 if not more, and passing the pieces before my eyes as near 

 and as far as I could discern them. This was tried facing 

 the light, then with my back to the window, but always tak- 

 ing care the gut should not be in shadow. 



I used Ridgewood water, which was clear, yet at a distance 

 of twelve or fifteen inches only the very dark gut was dis- 

 cernible, while such as were of a dye from a dark color 

 (such as blue slate, drab, and coffee, but in only sufficient 

 strong color to make the gut that particular shade) stood the 

 test very well. Clear, bright colors, will not suit, as they do 

 not diminish the brightness or shine of the gut. 



On a bright day, a much lighter shade of the same color 

 must be used, while on a dull day darker shades will answer. 

 I believe the principal object should be to use only such 

 colors as dull the surface of the gut, as by so doing "it also 

 prevents the adhesion of thousands of very small air bubbles 

 which attach to the gut and makes it very conspicuous. 



In any event, 1 doubt if the human eye can distinguish any 

 gut . through two or three feet of water, while fish must see 

 plainly ten times further, hence the angler, I think, will do 

 well to see, first, the color of the water he intends to fish ; 

 next, the sky he will have for a background, and select his 

 leaders accordingly. 



For my part, of all the shades used, 1 select first the coffee 

 stain, which makes the leader the color of slightly muddy 

 water, next a light blue green drab, dulled, These two I 

 shall try as soonas the season opens, and let the creel decide 

 for me. Notwithstanding, I intend making further experi- 

 ments in both sw r eet and salt water, as soon as weather per* 

 mits,and I can secure a brother of the craft, equally interested, 

 to assist me. 



I hope others will continue this subject, meantime I in- 

 close samples which tested well, and four showing too 

 much, so you can tell me what the colors are, after allowing 

 a good margin for the color that washed off in the test. 



Brooklyn ite. 



Commenting on the above, Mr. Wells writes : 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



It would decidedly seem the angling column is looking 

 upward. The issue of to-day contains two well-considered 

 and able communications on practical fly-fishing, both of 

 value. 



And now further to encourage the hope that the fly-fisher- 

 men are, at least some of them, neither so selfish as to wish 

 to keep then "points" secret, nor so indolent as to shirk the 

 plain duty of making them public, comes "Brooklytutc's" 

 communication to hand. 



Before considering the latter, I would most heartily re- 

 echo "J. G.W.'s" question: "We have all read time and 

 time again of a bass when hooked leaping from the water 

 and falling on the leader so as to break it. How does he do 

 it?" 



I had always supposed the age of miracles was past, and 

 that falling bodies, whether alive or dead, were governed by 

 the laws of nature. Again and again have I been staggered 

 by this statement, made in evident good faith. I reiterate 

 the question, "How does he do it?" 



And now as to "Brooklynite's" communication. 



It would most certainly seem, at the first blush, that to 

 immerse the eye beneath the water and then to look upward, 

 was the surest and most direct way to determine how a 

 leader would appear to the trout; for thus the natural condi- 

 tions would seem exactly to be reproduced. 



But a moment's reflection shakes tins opinion. 



We all know how sensitive is the human eye to any for- 

 eign body, and how instantly the slightest irritation of the 

 exterior affects the action of the muscles which control the 

 focussing power of the lenses within, and whose office it is to 

 form the image on the retina. 



We also know that unless these muscles perform their ap- 

 pointed duty, the eye is as powerless to convey to the brain 

 a truthful imagine as is a telescope, the different lenses of 

 which have not been relatively adjusted to distinct vision. 

 We have all, either in frolic or from necessity, tried io see 

 through a pair of spectacles totally unsuited to our eye-, and 

 we all know the result; and this' experiment well illusi 

 the case in point. 



Again, though the mechanism of the eye work perfectly, 



