_ Aue. 28, 1884,] 
killed.” T attempted to rise, but was too weak; the hunters 
aye me ‘a swallow of whisky, and in a few minutes I 
revived and was able to get on my feet. I threw my arms 
i around old Lawyer's neck and cried like a fool; I couldn’t 
helpit. We skinned ‘the bear, and old Asa went back to 
the den for our horses and brought back with him two very 
_ small cubs, that seemed to be all head and no body. I saw 
them a cowple of mouths afterward playing with Wash 
_Dye’s children, and they reminded me so forcibly of the old 
she bear, as her hot breath seem to burn my éyes, I shuddered. 
My dear cousin, John Bull, having introduced myself in my 
odd way, if you like me I may continue to correspond with 
you, Ihave had many adventures,and bear on my body 
scars imprinted by the claws of both panther and beur; but 
that “old she hear” gaye me the worst seare J ever had, 
But, bless the dogs, can you blame me for loving them, and 
believing that the best part of our animal nature is the dog 
that is in us? Prous JEEMS. 
Pontotoc, Mississippi, U. 8. A. 
- 
> 
THE PRAIRIE CHICKENS. 
INCOLN, Nebraska. It'turns out that prairie chickens 
in this section of the country are quite ‘‘thin,” Par- 
ties who were out on the 15th, after hard work all day over 
fair dogs, did not average over twelve or fifteen birds to the 
gun, any of these were the old ones, or very young ones. 
Late burning of the old grass in the spring destroyed large 
numbers of nests, and the hens laying again accounts for 
the predominance of quite young birds. The law in relation 
to chickens seems to have been pretty generally disregarded 
in this region, as the farmers encountered on the 15th stated 
that hunters had been shooting for nearly three weeks. Some 
coyeys had been thinned down to the mother aud one chick, 
As corn seems to enter largely into the question of one’s 
success in chicken shooting here—for in over half the cases 
every bird not brought down on the first rise darts into a 
field of this grain and is seen no more that day—let me say 
the prospect was never near so good asin Nebraska to-day. 
Tt looks as if the State would produce enough for the world. 
Burr H. Pour. 
Game Avout Pirrspurau.—Pittsburgh, Pa. Aug. 25.— 
The sportsmen in Pittsburgh and vicinity are cleaning their 
breechloaders, loading more than the usual amount of shells, 
and patting their pointers and setters with more than the 
usual degree of affection, and well they may, as gameseems 
to have run the gauntlet of a severe winter and army of 
pot-hunters far more favorably than the most sanguine 
might expect, Without, I believe the exception of a single 
species Common to our locality, game is more abundant than 
it has been for several years. [have had information from 
about ten different amd reliable sources, every one of which 
assert that game is abuudant, and that in Washington county 
squirels which have immigrated, are so plentiful that 
they are actually a nuisance. I hope to take the dimensions 
of that nuisance about the first week in September, and it 
will not be my fault if I don’t read the rule of subtraction to 
those squirrels. I hope soon to see individually what the 
quail prospect is, and if it magnifies itself to me, as it did to 
poor “Almo,” the being with over three thousand quail 
Waiting to be crammed into his game bag, anda gun that 
will puncture the moon if need be—I'll just ‘drop you a 
line.”—C. A. R, 
SsHorm Birps. FisH, AND A CHANCE TO GO FoR DreER.— 
Belvidere, N. C., Aug. 22.—I have just returned from a 
week's sojourn at Nag’s Head, where I went in quest of sport 
after shore birds. I found the flight poorer thus far than 
for many years. The oldest hunters declare they haye never 
known so poor a season, Where, only two years since, ] 
shot curlew, willet, brown-back and yellow-shank until it 
almost ceased to be sport, I this season found the birds very 
searce and extremely shy. The fishing, however, was and 
still is excellent, Any Northern sportsmen wishing fine sport 
‘ab little cost Gan find it at Nag’s Head from this time until 
the last of September, The flight of birds will probably be 
much heavier in September than at any time during the pres- 
ent season, Should any sportsman (who doesn’t mind taking 
things as they come and a little roughing it) wish to shoot a 
deer before a good pack of hounds, and at the same time 
make the trip as economical as possible, apply to me before 
the ist of October, I may be able to ‘‘get his name into our 
party,” which will probably start for the Alligator River 
ae about that time. Deer are abundant I Jearn,.— 
GAME IN Prose County.—Some of the readers of Forest 
AND STREAM may be interested in learning that grouse prom- 
ise to he more plentiful than usual this fall in some parts 
of Pike county, Pa. Quite a number were started one day 
last’ week on the side of one of the hills that border the pretty 
village of Milford, and reports from the vicinity of this place 
indicate increasing numbers of this gamy bird. Quail also 
in larger number than usual are seen on the New Jersey side 
of the Delaware, opposite Milford, and even within sight of 
the village itself; while from the back townships deer are 
appearing in increasing numbers. However, any of the 
readers of FoREsT AND StrHamM who desire to know more 
about these things and what their chances of success might 
be, can learn them by addressing a letter to the proprietor 
of Glen Cottage, Milford, Pike county, Pa.- It is possible 
that the appearance of deer this summer in Pike county in 
Jarger numbers than for years past is owing to the forest 
fires of last spring in the adjoining county of Wayne, but old 
sportsmen attribute it toa better enforcement of the game 
laws and less hunting with dogs.—A. H, G, 
A VENERABLE SPORTSMAN.—Rochester, N.-Y., Aug. 25. 
—Hiditor Forest and Stream: Of the any remarkable and 
interesting shooting matches that are recorded in your pages, 
there can be but tew, if any, surpassing in some of its fea- 
tures one that took place in this city a few days ago. The 
contestants were James Palmer and George W. Crouch, Jr., 
who sustain the relations of grandfather and grandson, The 
matc¢h was shot on Mr, Palmer's eighty-fifth birthday, and 
his score was six clay-pigeons out of ten. The shoot took 
place in the evening after the parties had hunted a woodcock 
cover in the vicinity of Mr. Palmer's residence. Amongthe 
spectators at the contest were the son, grandson and great- 
srandson of the hale old sportsman, who still enjoys a day 
in the brush with as much zest as do younger men. In the 
above contest, which Mr. Palmer lost by two birds, one of 
his shots was challenged, and he broke another bird, and 
‘then had the first one picked up, when it, too, was found 
fractured,—E. R. E; a 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Jowa.—Mount Vernon, Aug. 22.—Last year, about the 
ist of August, I found a woodcock under a small bridge on 
the prairie, ten miles from the nearest timber, 1 went there 
every day for a week and never failed to find him within a 
few rods of the place where he was first flushed. The 10th 
of the present month, while out exercising my dogs, they 
put up one quite near the same spot. I visited the place for 
three days and always found him close by. I wondered if 
it was the same bird, Have hunted in this part of Iowa for 
the last twenty years and never found woodcock before, 
Chickens did well here this season, but so many have been 
shot since the middle of July that it will nearly spoil the 
sport for those who observe the law and wait till Sept, 1. I 
was told by a man who had six live wild geese and one white 
crane in his wagon that the old geese could not fly in the 
month of July, but as all that I ever saw in that month had 
good use of their wings I did not believe the yarn. What is 
your opinion?—Ranp. 
GAME IN Micu1cAn.—Coldwater, Mich., Aug. 18,.— 
Woodcock are somewhat scarce when we compare with pre- 
vious years, but this season seems to meet with considerable 
good will and less grumbling than former times, The boys 
haye been out and we have secured as un average bag from 
six to seyen birds, Quail are very plenty in this vicinity. 
One cannot ride any distance into the country without com- 
ing across a covey of the little birds. Ducks are but seldom 
seen nowadays. Last fall the largest bag made only con- 
sisted of eight woodduck"and one mallard. Prairie chickens 
for the last two years have been hunted but none haye been 
shot, Grouse are strangers here, and geese are seen only as 
they pass by,—J. 8. 
CoLorapo GAmMe.—A_ cousin of the writer, who has just 
completed a journey on horseback of over 500 miles in 
twenty-four days—from Denver to Meeker, Col.—in a recent 
letter states that game of all kinds is plenty, and that the 
Grand River is full of trout from two to three pounds in 
weight, while in the White River they are very plenty and 
run in weight as high as seven and eight pounds. While on 
a three-days’ ride from Meeker to Hayden he came across 
several bands of Ute Indians, who taunted him and tried to 
produce a quarrel, but being alone he paid no attention to 
their insults and rode on unmolested.—BucKEYE, 
5aLEeM, Mass., Aug. 22, 1884.—Shooting in this vicinity 
has not been over lively yet, Of the different species many 
have been seen, but fewer shot. Woodcock have been seen, 
one party got ten. Uplands are now quite common, and if 
one can endure the mosquitoes, Plum Island sand hills is a 
good place to seek them. Peeps and ringnecks have been 
preity plenty. Scattering “‘black-breasters” ((. virginianus) 
have been shot, but the flight has not yet passed. Quite a 
good number of quail and partridges are found.—X. Y. Z 
An Aprronpack Resort.—Indian Point, Chateaugay 
Lake, N. Y., Aug. 18.—At this place there is an inexhausti- 
ble supply of grouse and a good supply of deer, One day 
last week three deer were killed within a short distance of 
this point. As they say out West, the woods are full of 
them, Plattsburgh is our central mart, then via C. Q. O. 
Co. R. R. to Lyon Mountain, then to Ralph’s, Any one 
fayoring me with inquiries will receive information with 
pleasure.—OLD GUIDE, 
Sea and River Sishing. 
AN INVALID’S RESORT. 
ORTH Creck, the present terminus of the Adirondack 
railroad, is one of the gatewaysto the woods and lakes of 
Northern New York, through which hundreds of the readers 
of ForEs?T AND STREAM annually pass. The village contains 
two hotels, one sole-leather tannery, where about 15,000 
South American hides are tanned annually, a Roman 
Catholic, a Free Will Baptist, and a Methodist church, one 
or two yariety stores, a drug store, several work shops, a 
,post-office, a few substantial residences aud farmhouses, and 
a large number of shanties and inferior dwellings scattered 
for a mile and a half along the uneven west banks of the 
Hudson River and North Creek, The creek rises among the 
mountaias seven or eight miles to the west, and empties into 
the Hudson a little below the depot, nearly equally dividing 
the village. The views from the village of wooded hills, 
mountains and river are fine, although not extended, yet from 
the hills near by with a field glass I have had some magnifi- 
cent distant views of mountains and sunsets. Tourists, 
sportsmen and invalids rarely stop here but take stage or 
private conveyance for Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, 
Indian Lake and other places. This is my second season at 
the creek as an asthmatic sufferer, and 1 much prefer the 
climate to that of the woods or more mountainous region. 
The air here is dry and invigorating, the soil and sand 
absorbant, the water soft and pure, and miasma and malaria 
are unknown except when brought here from other sections. 
I am thus particular in describing the village and its adyan- 
tages for the benefit of the invalid sportsman and others who 
may desire to regain lost health, and still indulge mildly in 
hunting and fishing; for there are plenty of partridges and 
squirrels almost within the village, the brooks all supply a 
limited number of trout, and deer are occasionally shot ten 
miles up the river in Essex county and at the Thirteenth Pond, 
While bear are plenty in almost all the mountain passes, nine 
of the bruin species having been captured near North River, 
nine miles above this village, this summer. 
Among the once famous trout streams flowing into the 
Hudson in this vicinity are: North Creek, Balm of Gilead 
Brook, Cold Brook and Thirteenth Pond Brook on the Johns- 
burg side of the river, and Carr Brook, Casey Brook and Deer 
reek on the Chester side. Most of these streams have lately 
been restocked with trout by the Fish Commissioners, and if 
the laws could be rigidly enforced they would soon be alive 
with trout. 
On an excursion lately I visited Thirteenth Pond, ten miles 
distant, via North River and the mountain road, and had a 
day of rare enjoyment. This pond, three miles long by one- 
half a mile wide, is situated in a basin surrounded on all 
sides by mountains, At some places, bold, rocky points jut 
down to the water’s edge, and at places the banks are covered 
with wood. In former years I had admired Echo and 
Profile lukes in the Franconia Notch and wondered if <here 
were any finer mountain lakes in the country. Here was 
their equal if not superior in surroundings, setting and purity 
of water. Here, too, on the west bank, just below Shanty 
Point, is a wonderful echo from the lake among the moun- 
S7 
tains. After arefreshing dinner of native berries, milk that 
seemed to be cream, and the substantials of the farm, at the 
boarding-house of Mr. George Bennett on the eastern shore, 
a row of two miles and a half took me to Inlet Brook, where 
in the dense forest I caught trout enough for breakfast. 
The large luscious red raspberry, now in its prime in the 
woods, hung temptingly by the water’s side, but did not 
lure me from the rod, Fresh deer tracks were often scen, 
and the whirr of the frightened partridge was about the only 
noise that disturbed the solemn silence. This lake (why call 
it a pond?) is more than 2,000 feet above tide water and must 
be a healthy location for people suffering from pulmonary 
diseases. At Shanty Point 1 met Mr. M. Tebbutt, an old 
angler and charming story-teller from Albany, and a friend 
of the lamented George Dawson. Mr, Tebbutt said George 
always prayed and talked the best in the Baptist conference 
room soon after one of his fishing excursions. H.W. 
Norte Crmek, Warren County, N. ¥., Aug. 20, 1884, 
A MORNING ON SALT WATER. 
Soe discussion on salt-water fishing that has appeared of 
late in FoRnSsT AND STREAM, ought to call tke atten- 
tion of anglers to some of the remediable deficiencies in that 
branch of their art. Itis an undoubted fact that there are 
many persons yery fond of the sea, but whose methods of 
fishing in it are such as do not deserve the name of angling. 
One serious fault, as has been mentioned before in the dis- 
cussion, is in the little attention to tackle which is paid by 
many. Another is the hiring of too much assistance. 
Many things about salt-water fishing tend to render the 
fisherman indifferent to tackle. In the first place, the fish 
are rather regardless. A bluefish cares little whether the 
squid be of bone, or wood, or pewter, and the only requisite 
about the line is strength. Weakfish will bite about as well 
at a hook tied with a heavy knot directly to the line, as at 
one on the end of an invisible leader, The important points 
are*bait and place and tide. The true pleasure in fishing is 
not in the mere result, but in the successful issue of skillful 
work. Now, when there is below your boat a school of 
hungry fish, ready to gulp down anything and everything 
resembling food, there is no room for skill, Then,again, the 
uncertainty of the presence of the game is a serious discour- 
agement to skillful effort. If your fish are about they are 
pretty sure to bite. Ifthey are not around no amount of 
experience or knowledge can aid aught to bring them to the 
surface. But when the angler for bass or trout or pike is 
unsuccessful on ground known to be good, he has a definite 
problem before him. ‘The fish are there, but they are indif- 
ferent to the ordinary attractions of the fisherman. Now, 
what can be done to overcome this apathy, It is the solu- 
tion of this problem, rather than the size of the catch, that 
gives zest to his sport. 
If must not be inferred that no advantage results from 
nicety of tackle in salt-water fishing. The writer has in mind 
a recent trip to the shore at a time when yery few fish were 
within reach. The careful use of his pole and fine tackle 
brought to the boat nearly as many fish as did the combined 
efforts of his three companions with hand lines. Not unfre 
quently the rough hand-over-hand pulling in of a line tears 
the hook out of the mouth of the biggest fish of the day, 
when the steady teeling in of the line would have brought 
him safely to the surface, Sometimes the darts of the fish 
as he is hauled up parts the line with the sudden strain, 
where if he had had the steady spring of a rod upon him, 
the break would have been avoided. 
In spite of the alleged and actual want of care for their 
tackle, there are yery many persons who pay as much atten- 
tion to the matter as does the average fresh-water fisherman. 
But the fishing of these often falls short of the true standard 
of sport, because they depend too much upon others for 
knowledge of localities and the means of reaching them. 
Most fishing in salt water is done from boats. These are 
usually hired, and with them a boatman is mostly employed. 
He does all the hard work, and the party depends on him to 
conduct them to the best grounds. There remains for the 
fishermen nothing but to drop their hooks and test the skill 
of their guide. 
Now this is but poor sport. Let the angler do his own 
rowing. Let him work as hard on the oars as does the trout- 
fisher over tangled thickets, or slippery stones, or drifted 
brush. Let him learn the feeding grounds of the fish and 
the times to find them, as the inland fisher knows the lurking 
holes in his fayorite stream. Let him, moreoyer, and here 
the fresh-water fisherman has little with which to match him, 
Jet him learn to sail his boat. If he do all this, if he sails 
his own boat fo the places where he knows the fish should 
congregate, and then catches them with his own tackle, and 
bait of bis own selection, his sport, as a whole, may claimto 
equal that of any inland fisherman. His fishing is intrinsic- 
ally inferior, but he makes up for this by the nature of his 
accessories. Of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fisher- 
men who spend their summer vacations on the sea shore, very 
few learn to manage a boat, they dislike the work and the 
trouble. The work will do them good, and the trouble is 
very insignificant, Older men may reasonably object to 
changing their customs, But let me earnestly exhort all 
young men who goto the salt water for health and recreation, 
to manage their boats for themselves. It will give a new 
zest to their sport, and at least double their enjoyment. 
Whether the fishing be good or poor, one-half of their pleasure 
is secured. 
Perhaps a word of caution may be needed about learners 
venturing upon the open sea. The majority of our watering 
places are adjacent to landlocked waters, in these heavy seas 
are infrequent anda shallow water abundant. Here ihe learner 
should begin, and, as his fishing is largely in these bays, here 
he should spend most of his time. For too preat caution 
cannot be used about venturing in small boats upon the open 
sea. We presume that our amateur boatman is a good 
swimmer, and that if his boat capsizes he can easily saye 
himself. But let him not risk the lives of others who can- 
not swim; particularly let him be careful of ladies, The 
yachtsman or canoeist should be willing to risk much dis- 
comfort, but should never expose himself to any chances of 
real danger except to avert greater risks. 
Of course, in visiting any new place one must learn about 
the channels and fishing grounds, and the help of a local 
pilot will save much time. Still one may do much by judii 
cious questions, and by following the lead of those better in- 
formed. The following narrative gives a practical illustra- 
tion of the foregoing remarks: 
I had only been a day and a half at Beach Haven, N. J., 
and had found few acquaintances. The small number whom 
I knew either had their plans laid for the morrow or were 
not going-on the water. So 1 was left to my own resources, 
and I determined to make the most of them. Except the 
Great Tuckerton Bay they were slender; A fair supply of 
