Aprtl 17, 1884.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



225 



driver and reconnoitred, and were rewarded by sighting 

 about raghty-five fat "honkers," quietly feeding near the 

 bluffs that fringe the beach, and distant about 500 yard? 

 Cmiii us. It was not clear how we were, to get on to the 

 beach from where we were unseen, and then along the beach 

 and up the bluffs so as to get at the geese, hut after deliber- 

 ating a while we decided to leave Morgan. St., in a blind 

 where we were, while Walt and T should take the beach and 

 attempt to get our work in by crawling until we got to the 

 beach, and then chance the tide and bluffs. If we could 

 only get to the top of that bluff, wc would be within about 

 fifty yards of as line a lot of geese as ever gladdened the eye 

 of a hunter. After an almost incredible amount of crawl- 

 ing we got to the beach and ran down the bluffs, and were 

 delighted to find the tide out enough so that we could climb 

 arOund all the points on the beach between us and the cov- 

 eted place. After getting almost blown by hard climbing, 

 we arrived at the desired spot half way up the bluffe, and 

 directly opposite where we supposed our victims were. 



Morgan, after taking a hurried peep, whispered, "We 

 havfl passed them," and down we climbed, and back about 

 a hundred yards we retraced our way, and at last "Now," 

 says Walt, and we sat down plumb blown and quivering all 

 over with exertion, and the perspiration actually dropping 

 off our bodies. 



After resting, catching our wiud, and seeing that our guns 

 and shells were all right, we slowly crawled to the top, and 

 cautiously peeping through the thin grass, we saw the bean- 

 ties, totally unconscious of anything in the shape of a man 

 within a thousand miles, quietly grazing about fifty yards 

 off. 



Cocking our guns, Walt whispered, "For God's sake 

 don't cross fire— now!" — and bang-et-bang-hang-bang! went 

 the guns. The geese were demoralized, and the hunters 

 frantic. You ought to have seen us. We had three dead 

 and four wounded, and two of them were just everlastingly 

 getting up and getting out of that. We each took a goose, 

 and breaking our grins in two as we ran. and putting in 

 fresh cartridges, each succeeded in bringing his bird back to 

 terra firma, Walt made an exceedingly long shot at his, 

 the goose being all of sixtv yards off, and correspondingly 

 high. 



After retrieving our geese we went back to the scene of 

 our glory, to find that the two remaining winged geese had 

 succeeded in reaching the beach and getting into the surf 

 and we had the pleasure of watching them swimming off 

 about eighty yards away in the ocean and totally out of 

 reach. However, we had five, and I never saw larger or 

 tatter geese. We laid down and took a good long rest, with 

 the sea breeze fanning us, dirty, muddy, and our shoes a 

 wreck, but oh, so happy. 



At length we shouldered our game and rejoined Morgan, 

 the elder, who had witnessed our victory from the blind, 

 and who was delighted at our success. The eld man had 

 held his end up to, for part of the band had come within 

 seventy-five yards. And with one barrel he had crippled 

 one so bad that he fell about a hundred yards off, and 

 into the surf, but the old man said that it was a wonder 

 he got any at all, from where he was to where the geese 

 passed it was a remarkable shot to cripple a goose with 

 No; 1 shot. 



We rejoined our team, tired out, but happy as kings, at the 

 prospect of electrifying our rivals that evening, on arriving 

 in town with five fine fat geese on as short a hunt as we had, 

 for hunters generally go to El Cajon, or Santa Margarita, 

 distant forty miles, for" geese, 



A little before dark we got home, and carefully arranging 

 our trophies on the wagon sides, where they would show off 

 to the best advantage and do the most good, we proceeded 

 down Fifth street. " In a few minutes our wagon was sur- 

 rounded by an eager crowd, and numerous were the queries. 

 "Where'dyou get 'em?" "How many have you got?" and 

 "Tell us where to find them, boys," etc. Of course we told 

 them, each and every one, exactly where we found them, as 

 we had had such an easy time to find them ourselves; and, 

 judging from the different parties who left town the next 

 morning, and the different directions they went, a stranger 

 would have thought that San Diego was a town of hunters. 

 Such a gathering together of hunting paraphernalia and 

 Whistling up and chaining up of dogs ready for the morning 

 1 have never seen before. 



We seemed to have thoroughly scared the geese out, for 

 not a man has seen a goose since within twenty miles of 

 town, and we are yet the victors of the season. We en 

 joyed roast goose the next day, and had the pleasure of re- 

 counting to a few friends who helped us demolish the geese 

 the modus operandi of our hunt. 



I believe the more difficult game is to obtain, the better 

 dish it makes served up, for I never enjoyed a dish as I did 

 that of the first geese of the season. Nos-ra -ep. 



San Diego, Cal. 



LONG ISLAND DUCK NETTERS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In pursuance of the subject agitated by W. N. Lane 

 and some others interested in protecting game ou Long 

 Island, allow me to quotefrom Sec. 4, Laws of 1883, Chap. 

 317: "The Commissioners of Fisheries shall report to the 

 Governor all cases of dereliction or neglect of duty of any 

 protector which shall come to their knowledge, together with 

 such evidence as they may have touching the case, and the 

 Governor shall have authority to remove from office any pro- 

 tector so reported to be delinquent, after giving him an 

 opportunity to be heard in his defense." 



And allow me to call attention to the fact that each dis- 

 trict protector is allowed $250 in each year for traveling 

 expenses, independent of $500 salary. 



The game laws also provide for the arrest of violators on a 

 warrant, which any constable can execute. The section pro- 

 viding for penalties, judgments, etc., of the laws of 1879 

 includes the following: "One-half of the penalty recovered 

 shall belong to the persons giving information on which the 

 action is brought, and the other half shall be paid to the 

 treasurer of the county in which the action is brought." 



It will be seen, therefore, that instead of relying upon a 

 man whose duty it may be to arrest or find out about viola- 

 tors, the course is open for the prosecution of parties by pri- 

 vate enterprise, with the reward as an incentive for obtain- 

 ing information. 



A great deal might be said on this subject, but 1 will not 

 ask you to give anymore space to my crude ideas, I only 

 wish to pointTout the channel leading to a settlement of the 

 question. On the other hand, the game protectors may ask 

 if they are obliged to lie in wait for violators, etc. My an- 

 swer to that is, follow the example of District Protector 

 Dodge, of Prospect. He can show you a wrinkle or two. 



His energy took him into the heart of the Adirondack.* wil- 

 derness, and the course pursued resulted in the lives of a 

 great many deer being saved. And the sermons he preached 

 converted many old hunters and guides, so that his mission- 

 ary labors were easier afterward. The good done in freeing 

 the lakes of Central New York of nets was doue with energy. 

 and doubtless one-quarter the interest, honesty and persist- 

 ence exercised on Long Island would preserve our game 

 birds ten times better than they now arc. Walt.ot. 



THE PERFORMANCE OF SHOTGUNS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Concerning chambers for shells iu shotguns, it strikes me 

 that some one might strike a valuable lead in experimenting 

 with barrels having no chambers. If shells were all of same 

 thickness and length, then chambers might be well enough. 

 The thickness of paper shells generally is about equal to the 

 shoulder of chamber, but with brass there, is considerable 

 difference, so that shot must strike this shoulder more or 

 less, resulting in resistance and deflection sufficient to im- 

 pair accuracy and force. The same result, to an extent, 

 obtains with paper shells. At least this appears so to me. 

 I may be in error. Would it not be a good idea for some 

 manufacturer to test this thoroughly? 



"W. J." asks for opinions from some old hunter on load- 

 ing with buckshot for deer. I am not an "old" hunter, but 

 I have shot numbers of deer with rifle and shotgun, and 

 have experimented considerably with buekshot. and that 

 latter, it seems to me, is what is necessary for " W. J." No 

 two guns are alike. Each gun has its own individuality in 

 shooting. The load which proves most effective in one gun 

 may not in another. I have tried Ely's wire cartridges, 

 thread-wound cartridges, flannel cartridges, cartridges made 

 of a section of paper shell slit longitudinally, and other- 

 kinds of arrangements for increasing effectiveness of buck- 

 shot, but none of these added to the effectiveness of my gun, 

 which was a Parker .12-32-8>2, medium choke, the best gun 

 I ever shot for all sizes of shot. Either barrel would put 

 eight out of twelve No. 1 buckshot into a two-foot square 

 space at fifty yards every time, actual target. The first deer 

 1 ever shot with it got eight shot through heart ami lungs at 

 over fifty yards, and this at night, fire-hunting. 



1 experimented with this gun with all sizes of loads at dif- 

 ferent distances with different kinds of powder, with differ- 

 ent wads, until I knew just what it would do. If it didn't 

 do what I wished there was only one conclusion — the man 

 at the end of the gun was "off." The load I always used 

 was three drams Orange ducking No. 4 or Dupont's No. 1, 

 once ounce, full, shot,"" two pink-edged wads on powder, same 

 size of shell (paper) one on shot. If I shot brass, which I 

 always did at deer, I used No. 10 wads, one each on powder 

 and shot. ' W. J." should be very careful to do what has 

 been directed in these columns hundreds of times — chamber 

 buckshot at muzzle of gun if a chokebore, and to choose 

 that size shot that most nearly chambers, whether three or 

 four, without crowding. I never crimped shells. Just that 

 force employed in opening that crimp is wasted. Infinitesi- 

 mal it may be. nevertheless it is just so much power lost. 



Some one has sjtid that we want a $75 hammerless. Just 

 that we want. If the number of pieces in a gunlock can be 

 reduced to five or six, it ought to reduce price of guns. But 

 we will yet be able to own a reliable and fine shooting ham- 

 merless at $75. Then with the aid of electricity we shall be 

 able to shock the game to bag with reasonable certainty and 

 satisfaction. 



On reading "W. J. 's" article again, I should say that if 

 his gun will do as lie says, he don't want to improve on it 

 much. S. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The first gun I ever owned was given me by my grand- 

 father, and had a grand record for shooting, being a muzzle- 

 loader, 16-gauge, 34-inch barrels, and would pattern about 

 130 at an actual test, as I afterward found; but it was old and 

 dangerously thin, and I laid it aside and bought me a W. & 

 C. Scott & Son gun, muzzleloader, 14-gauge, 30 inch. About 

 this time 1 commenced a series of tests with guns that re- 

 sulted finally in the following conditions: I found by actual 

 tests that my gun would target about 135 or 140 No." 8 shot, 

 80-inch circle, 40 yards, and as I make that my standard I shall 

 mean that in all cases hereafter. About this time the choke- 

 bore craze began, and I caught it in its most violent form 

 and talked chokebore all the time. I sent a gun belonging 

 to a friend, with whom 1 had had many days' sport, and also 

 my own, to H. C. Squires, with the request to choke them 

 to their fullest capacity. Mr. Squires kindly sent word back 

 that for upland shooting he should prefer a pattern of 135 or 

 140; but if 1 insisted upon it he would choke it. i replied, 

 "Choke 'em," and he did. My friend's gun was a 14-gauge, 

 80-inch, and it would pattern all the way from 180 to 478, 

 and upon my reporting the latter performance to a Forest 

 and Stream official, he said he never heard of such a thing 

 for a 14-gauge. I have seen a woodcock's bill and head cut 

 off close to the eyes and not another shot in it anywhere. 

 Have seen numerous quail and woodcock split open, and 

 utterly destroyed by this same gun, and my gun would aver- 

 age, right 240, left 330, when loaded properly, of which 1 

 shall speak hereafter. 



My next gun was a Remington breechloader, and I took 

 it home and targeted, and lost all faith in breechloaders. Its 

 best pattern was about 130, and its average 100, and yet this 

 same gun was as good a field gun as I ever want. I kept 

 that a year or so, and bought me a Parker 12-28, which had 

 no tag on when I bought it, and on taking it home found it 

 would average right 240, left 300, and after using it one fall, 

 I sent it back to the factory and had it bored for a cylinder. 

 The gun came back with a tag bearing the No. 120, No. 8 

 shot, 24-inch circle, 45 yards, Parker's test ; equal to about 

 145 or 150 ou a 30-inch circle, 40 yards. I have never tar- 

 geted it since it came back, I would rather remain in a state 

 of "glorious uncertainty." It is enough for me to know 

 that it w T orks well in the field. So much for patterns. 



Next comes loading, and here let me ask you to repiiut 

 "Charge for Shotguns," by Major H. W. Men-ill, published 

 in Rod and Gun and American Sportsman of April 7, 

 1877. I think at this time they would be very acceptable, and 

 as I have always made them my standard for all cases, I find 

 them very accurate; and by varying the conditions, suitable 

 for all shooting. My experience in shooting is to find the 

 load best adapted to your gun and then stick to it, and you 

 will always know what is coming, and not expect one load 

 to knock your shoulder off, and the next one to have to open 

 your gun to see if it went off. My experience in regard to 

 two wads on the powder, leads me to believe that it makes 

 at least one-third difference in a muzzleloader, and a large 



increase also in a breechloader of both, pattern and pen 



tion. 



I consider a cylinder superior in regard to penetration to a 

 choke, all things being equal. 1 can give a positive test case 

 that will show how it is in some instances. 1 don't say it is 

 so in all cases, only my own can I prove. A friend of mine 

 came up to my house' and brought a single breechloader, 

 cylinder 61" nearly so, and was going to beat me on pattern. 

 We tested, and the result was that I beat him on pattern and 

 he beat me on penetration. He secretly sent his gun to the 

 city and had it choked, to use his own words, "ail she'd 

 bear," and then challenged me to another test at both pat- 

 tern and penetration. Be now beat me at pattern and 1 

 beat him at penetration iu the proportion of 65 to 43, and all 

 things in regard to loading were the same as before. After 

 I had my gun choked, I found it lost fifteen per cent, of its 

 former penetration. From the above experience I have de- 

 duced the following rule: A gun for upland shooting that 

 will target 140 to 150, and shoot strong and even, is the gun 

 for me, others may suit themselves. "You pays your mot 

 you takes your choice." Jim Crow. 



MR. GREENER CRITICIZED. 



I HAVE recently read with some care the book entitled 

 "The Gun and Its Development," by W. W. Greener, 

 and derived no little information upon many points by its 

 perusal. The work was written, I take it, from the intense 

 evidence which it affords, as an advertising medium for the 

 guns which the author is engaged iu manufacturing, and 

 this fact detracts in no small degree from the merits of the 

 performance. But, with this fault even, it, is an interesting 

 and instructive work. 



That Mr. Greener makes an excellent gun no man can 

 doubt who has seen specimens of his handicraft. But there 

 are others who are fully his equals in this respect, and I 

 think sell ou more reasonable terms. With all due defer- 

 ence, I am not able to see how it is possible to put work on 

 a gun which will make it worth over $150. Fancy work 

 and elaborate engraving add nothing to its real value, and I 

 am credibly informed that the best of English guu barrels 

 can be had for $75, which is one-half of the cost of a gun. 

 All charges beyond that sura I regard as mere payments for 

 a maker's name. 



But I did not commence this letter with the view of making 

 any such criticisms. My object was to express my decided 

 dissent from his ideas in regard to the aim of the sportsman 

 at living game. On page 486 et seq, Mr. Greener advises 

 that in cross shots, no matter bow fast the bird is flying, the 

 gun should be held "on" the object. Now I do not hesitate 

 to say that anj r man who follows this advice may shoot 

 twenty times when the bird is in full flight and thirty yards 

 off, and he will find that his bag is empty. Even in deer 

 shooting — and I have killed quite as many as Mr. Greener 

 has — it is necessary to hold the gun about the neck or well 

 ahead, if it is expected to inflict a wound so deadly as to 

 stop the flight soon after the gun is discharged. As to the 

 distance ahead in wing-shooting, which is requisite to suc- 

 cess, I am unable to say with proper accuracy, but I think 

 when a bird is moving very rapidly at right angles with the. 

 shooter, aad is distant from thiity to thirty-five yards, three 

 feet ahead is not too much allowance to make. Mr. Greener 

 cannot kill birds in such cases if he does what he suggests to 

 others. When it comes to duck shooting, he who expects to 

 get any game at all must hold his gun well ahead. If he 

 liolds "on" the bird he will surely miss. 



Mr. Greener intimates that they who believe in the "hold 

 ahead" plan only think they do so. With great deference, I 

 beg to suggest that they who are the advocates of the "hold 

 on" theory, only think they hold on the object, while, in 

 fact, the gun is far enough ahead to allow for the ••crawl," 

 or advancing movement. If the "hold on" shooters kill 

 anything in cross shots, I feel sure they aim better thau 

 they suppose they do. 



But one of the most wonderful statements which Mr. 

 Greener- makes is, that "some quick shots pull the trigger 

 while raising the gun to the shoulder. " Mirabile dinu! He 

 must be a quick shot, who cau do that. I have never seen 

 such; and L must be pardoned for saying that if anyone 

 should tell me he was so electric in his movements as to do 

 that, I should begin to question his veracity. Hunters' tales 

 often call for the exercise of human charity, and I have 

 heard and read some which made a heavy draw on that- 

 quality of my nature. But this trigger-pulling story stands 

 "in the solitude of its own originality." It is true he tells 

 us that iu such cases "the gun must be within an ace of the 

 proper position." I should think soJ 



Mr. Greener's idea that the left hand should grasp the gun 

 about the end of the forestock, is a good one. Besides being 

 safer in case of an accident, the gun is more readily under 

 the control of the shooter, and will be more securely held to 

 its place. Whether sportsmen usually grasp where he say.-'. 

 they do, I cannot say. Very few of those whom I have 

 observed do so. 



I confess that I am pleased with his views regarding the 

 weight of a sporting gun. Of course I allude to a gun which 

 the sportsman must occasionally- carry a whole day in his 

 hands, with the additional load of shells, game and provisions. 

 For Bob White, which we usually call partridge— and that 

 name is far more appropriate than quail — a 12, 14 or 16-bore 

 cylinder gun, weighing from 6f to 7£ pounds, will answer 

 all the purposes required. There is no need of any choke 

 about it. If there is any, it should be confined to one barrel, 

 to be used as a second one, or wnen the range is long. The 

 only objection to this is, that it results iu shooting the cylin- 

 der barrel much more than the other. But Mr. Greener tells 

 us that an expert gunner ought to use a choke always. I 

 cannot admit that; and venture to assert that, with* equal 

 skill, the man who uses a cylinder gun will generally get 

 more game than one who shoots a choke. In the open field, 

 or in marshes, or prairies, the choke would have the advan- 

 tage; but Bob White prefers to take refuge in the brush or 

 brier patches, and in such places the choke is not the 

 weapon. 



lhave used 12-bores, 14s and 16s; but the best shooting I 

 have ever doue was with a 16. It may be because it was 

 made to order and fits me exactly. 



1 like his views in regard to machine-made guns. To my 

 mind it is clear that, though they may shoot quite as well, 

 they are incapable of standing the same amount of use that 

 a carefully-made hand guu will bear. Americans are very 

 expert mechanics, and perhaps, after a while, when the law 

 shall require all guu barrels to be "proved" before they are 

 put on the market, they may equal the skill of the English 

 and Belgians. At present, however, their work is compara- 

 tively inferior, even when they import nearly all the first- 

 Glass barrels which they use and then call their products 



