——- 
Our, 28, 1884.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
247 
which got up shortly after, a pretty easy shot, and a cock 
pheasant, which rose when I fired at the rail, accompanied 
by a hen, at which last, however, I didn’t pull a trigger. 
I seemed to haye got into the thick of the birds now, as 
the dog was working very fast, apparently puzzled by cross 
scents, and ranging backward and forward in an aimless sort 
of way. However, he at last made up his mind, and was 
soon over another bird, which I bagged; and bad only just 
fired when another cock jumped up right under my nose, 
and so startled me that I missed him badiy and gave expres- 
sion to some eloquent language in consequence. I soon, 
however, made up for this, as the next three birds were 
within a short time brought down, each with the first barrel; 
Count standing splendidly and the. birds being killed clean. 
Six pheasant cocks and a hen so far, und my bag began to 
feel heavy; but carrying his own birds is, to the true sports- 
man, a labor of love, and I trudged cheerily on over the 
rough ground. The seventh cock got up presently in a very 
awkward position and I gave him both barrels, He came 
down with a broken wing, and I had to go about half a mile 
before 1 came across him, with Count in charge after his 
usual fashion. The sportsman’s appetite beginning now to 
operate on me, I worked back to our rendezvous for lunch, 
picking up Rock on the way, but without getting another 
shot. I was not sorry to put off my bag, I can assure you, 
and by the time I had lit the fire, boiled the “billy” and 
made some tea, my friend D. put inan appearance. He had 
got only two cock birds, but had missed several. ! 
We did ample justice to the viands, and although the billy 
was 4 deep one, we saw the bottom of it before we left off, 
After about an hour’s rest, including the inevitable pipe, 
over which we lovingly contemplated the plump proportions 
and glorious plumage of our victims, a fresh start was made. 
We had only about two hours now before starting home- 
ward, and they had to be made the best use of. It was 
Rock’s turn now to show what he could do, and I ran a 
leaf of flax through Count’s collar and kept him at heel, an 
arrangement to which he acceded only after several frantic 
but futile efforts to break away when he saw his comrade on 
a point. Rock’s first bird, a fine cock, I shot close to where 
LT left off in the morning, and the young dog brought it to 
me at once; but “parting” was “‘such sweet sorrow,” that 
I had some trouble to get possession, though his teeth never 
eyen grazed it. He soon, however, started to work again, 
and we put up several hens consecutively, the dog flushing 
some, but standing grandly on others. I let them all go, 
with a silent prayer that they would ‘‘increase and multiply” 
for my benefit on some future occasion, 
The next was the shot of the day, a cock and hen getting 
up simultaneously, as I thought, out of range. I let drive, 
however, at the former and dropped him dead at a distance 
which I paced as sixty-two yards—good work for a cylinder 
gun, and showing there was nothing wrong behind the stock 
that time. Returning campward by the way of a long 
grassy gully I got two more cocks, which Rock retrieved | 
perfectly. 
On arriving at the rendezvous I found D., whose hick 
had again been worse than mine, waiting for me with every- 
thing ready for a start, so we made tracks for his home, 
urriving long after dark, A good supper, an hour’s delicious 
and contented rest with our pipes after the healthful and 
pleasurable exercise and excitement of the day, und we 
turned in to sleep the sleep of the just and the sportsman. 
Next morning at daylight we were up again, and, after a 
hurried though by no means inconsiderable breakfast, started 
for new ground of very much the same character as yester- 
day’s. I found the dogs in steadier trim the second day 
and worked them both together, with some slight trouble 
occasionally through the excitement of the competition, but 
with several very pretty exhibitions of backing. 
To give you all the detuils of this day’s work would be as 
Hamlet says, ‘something too much of this.” Suffice it to 
say that when we started for home I had seven fine cock 
pheasants in my bag. My friend D., however—who I may 
mention without assumption is neither so-keen a sportsman 
nor so good a shot as myself—had to content himself again 
with a smaller tally. 
Having to return to town the next day, and my friend 
being unable to go out with me, I took things more easy and 
waited for breakfast with the rest of the household. The 
meal over, I took a turnin the immediate vicinity of the 
house and in the adjoining bush, and had the luck to get a 
brace of good cocks in the open and five pair of native 
pigeons in the timber, The latter are rather slow sport, as 
you cannot get at them except in the thick bush, sitting, but 
they form a most acceptable addition to the larder. 
I started for town late in the afternoon with my ten brace 
of pheasant cocks (I left the hens behind) and five pair of 
pigeons variously bestowed upon my own person and that 
of my horse, and a very tedious journey it was, the heavy 
and awkward load making it impossible to go out of a walk- 
ing pace. Indeed, I did not reach town until the small hours 
of the morning. But the glorious sport and the accession of 
physical health and mental content, not to mention the sport 
and the subsequent dinners, well repaid me for the toil. 
J. R. 
Napimr, N. Z., Sept. 12. 
ADIRONDACK GAME PRESERVATION. 
Liditor Forest and Stream: 
The reply of Fish Comm-ssioner R. U. Sherman to my re- 
cent letter on Adirondack game preservation, calls for a 
word of reply from me. ‘There is this difference in my posi- 
tion and that of Mr. Sherman. I speak in behalf of the law 
only as a disinterested private citizen, while he is on the de- 
fensive as a public officer. My observations im the Adiron- 
dacks-were made during a three weeks’ trip, during all of 
which 1 was in camp with four or more guides. My trip 
extended from the Lower Saranac Lake, through Saranac 
River, Round Lake, Upper Saranac Lake, Raquette River, 
Big Tupper Lake, Bog River, Round Pond and Little Tup- 
per Lake, and back by way of Big and Little Wolf ponds, 
Little Long Pond, Mosquito Lake, Rollin’s Pond, Whey 
Pond, Little Green Pond, Big Square Pond, Fish Creek Pond 
and Fish Creek. I got my information in many talks with 
the guides over the camp-fires, and they were as well-known 
and as well-informed guides as there are in that region. [ 
reaffirm all that 1 said. The game laws are a practical null- 
ity in the Adirondack regions generally. I did not find a 
guide who did not express his willingness to assist parties to 
shoot deer out of season. I was told what sport could be 
had in this and other unlawful ways. I was told of leading 
sportsmen’s hotels which have venison in their ice houses at 
all seasons. I found the guides declaring it impossible to 
formany agreement among themselves to enforce the law. 
As to the general honesty of the guides, I can confirm all 
that Mi, Sherman says, and their efficiency in their duties is 
proyerbial. They simply share the too general fecling that 
it is no sin to violate a game law. If any number of them 
did not do so, the violators would soon be brought to justice. 
What I wrote about the game protector stationed at Hliza- 
bethtown was founded on information given me by the 
guides, and I feel] certain that if those with whom I talked 
were not under the jurisdiction of that office, they saw too 
little of any other officer to know under whose jurisdiction 
they were. Many an officer in search of violators of the 
game law may have had “wild goose chases” which Mr. 
Sherman says have fallen to his experience, but this only en- 
forces the reeommendation that I made to ‘‘set. the guides to 
watch the guides,” Li, 
New Yorn, Oct, 17, 1884. 
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION. 
FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING. 
Editor Horest and Strean; 
The fourth annual meeting of the aboye named body was 
convened at Los Angeles on Oct, 2, Some twenty delegates 
were present, in person or by proxy. Director Robinson 
presided, in the absence of both the president and vice-presi- 
dent, : 
An address of welcome by H. T, Hazzard, of the Reere- 
ation Gun Team of Los Angeles, was offered, and responded 
to by the chairman. ‘The usual routine business was then 
done, after which an address hy the president, Hon. M. M. 
Estee, and a valuable paper by Director Ramon BH. Wilson 
were read. 
Mr. Wilson’s paper was especially valuable, because 
it discussed learnedly the question now mooted here, 
whether or not the State can be districted, so as to 
enable those in mountain counties to shoot at seasons 
different from those proper for the valleys and coast, 
The paper advised conservatism in action, and urged the 
necessity of tull knowledge before offering amendments 
to the present law. On Friday evening the Committee 
on Fish and Game presented a partial report. It had sent 
over the State several thousand circulars of queries, which 
had been answered in fair number, thanks largely to the 
kind words of the daily press, the FoREST AND STREAM, 
and other sportsman’s papers. ‘The answers showed great 
diversity in habits and seasons in the different parts of Cali- 
fornia, and the committee hesitated in giving conclusions. 
It advised the greatest deliberation in framing a law which 
should meet the needs of all sections, It requested further 
{ime in which to complete its report, which was granted, 
with direction to act in vonjunction with the Fish Commis- 
sion of California in recommending legislative action. 
Hon. A. B, Dibble and Hon. R. H. Buckingham of the 
Fish Commission were present, and offered some interesting 
facts in connection with their work. They had secured 186 
convictions for violations of the fish laws, More than had 
previously been made since there had been a Fish Commis- 
sion, and believed they had secured either the co-operation 
2 fear of a majority of the river salmon fishermen in the 
State. 
Ten individual members were elected and the meeting ad- 
journed with resolutions of thanks to its entertainers, the 
Recreation Gun Team, of Los Angeles, Various amuse- 
menis had been provided by the home club. A trap shoot, 
drives about the new, but fast growing and developing city 
of Los Angeles, a quail shoot near the city and a banquet, 
all of which were enjoyed to the full by the visitors. Much 
credit is due Messrs. H. T, Payne, H. T. Hazzard, John 
Kurlitz, F. E. Browne and J. P, Taggart, the Entertainment 
Committee of the Los Angeles Club, for the perfection of 
the plan of entertainment, 
And very much might be said of the hearty warmth and 
geniality of all the members of that club, who devoted time 
and strength to unselfish efforts to please their ouests, 
The meeting as a whole was a success, The officers 
elected for the coming year were: President, Hon. M. M. 
Hstee, San Francisco: Vice-President, H. T. Payne, Los 
Angeles; Secretary, H. H. Briggs, 609 Sacramento street, 
San Francisco; Treasurer, J. P. Spooner, Stockton; Direct- 
ors, Crittenden Robinson, San Francisco; Ramon E. Wilson, 
San Francisco; A, L. Thiel, Chico; J. M. Bassford, Jr., 
Vacaville; Geo. Fletcher, Grass Valley. FRANCISCO, 
SAN FRANoIScO, Cal. 
PHILADELPHIA NOTES, 
PPXHE “Big Deer Wouds,” North Atlantic county, New 
Jersey, has been ablaze for several days past, and the 
game of that section will thereby suffer, 
Quail are reported unusually plentiful in both Maryland 
and Delaware this autumn, A friend, who has lately re- 
turned from these States, traveled on business through this 
region with horse and buggy, and took special pains to in- 
quire along his entire route, and tells mein every case he re- 
ceiyed the information that many coveys haye hatched, and 
the breeding season has been excellent and the birds are 
well grown, This is good news, but was expected, as the 
entire summer has been well suited for the growth of the 
broods, The swamps and spring branches of Delaware and 
Maryland afford secure hiding places for the quail, and it is 
a difficult matter of late years to find them very far from 
them, and when shot at they invariable seek shelter there; 
consequently in some parts of both of these States it is next 
to impossible to make good bags, notwithstanding birds may 
be quite numerous. A sportsman that has once experienced 
the trouble of making his way through one of these brauches 
will never forget it. 
The cold snap of last week brought on a flight of black- 
heads to the Havre de Grace flats, not a large arrival to be 
sure, but enough to know the ducks are making up their 
minds to come, and by the time the season opens shooting 
will be good, even if the canyas-back ducks and redheads 
have not arrived. Your correspondent hears of several gen- 
tlemen who intend selling out their sinkbox outfit at Havre 
de Grace, and of others who are making inquiries with a 
view of purchasing shares in ducking points, m fact some 
of the gentlemen who are about selling their sinkboxes haye 
told me they intend giving up that sort of shooting for point 
ducking, It will be but a few years before it will be illegal 
to anchor a box on the feeding grounds at the mouth of the 
Susquehanna River; would it were so now, 
There is quite a sprinkling of bluebills at Barnegat and 
Tuckerton bays. Black ducks are not plentiful there as yet. 
The few broods that were hatched in the Big Swamp above 
Harvey Cedars on Long Beach have been killed off. I hear 
of a number of sportsmen who intend starting for Barnegat 
and Tuckerton next week. 
I have taken considerable trouble to inquire of the resuits 
of those who lett Philadelphia for Pennsylvania quail shoot- 
4 
r ' 
ing on the 15th of the month and have not as yet heard of 
any bag having been made. In almost every instance I am 
told the leaves had not yet fallen and no birds were found. 
One indefatigable sportsman said to me, “I did not find a 
single bird,” and I know he was well dogged and selected 
good grounds. There haye not been sharp frosts enough to 
start the woodcock on their flight, but we may expect during 
the balance of this month to have them come to us. 
The following are the hightest boats scored at the Laza- 
retto, Pa., up to Oct. 11. Thus far there have been 3,720 
rail killed at that ground: W. A. Child 68, W. Stewart 60, 
H. B, Tatham, Jr., 59, G. M. Griffin 54, Charles Powell 54, 
John Bailey 49, W. Hood 46, R. Starke 48, C. F. Warwick 
43, J. Malin 41, H. McLaughlin 40, J. Malin 40, H. Mont- 
gomery 40, John Bailey 80, Wash. James 35, P. P. Peace 
34, W. Wayne 35, J. Malin 34, W. Irons 33, J. T. Allenger 
83, J. Gaffney 83, W, H, Child 30, The season has alto- 
gether been a poor one owing to continued adverse witty 
OMO, 
GAME IN PIKE COUNTY. 
fiditor Forest and Stream: 
1 have just returned from Pike county, Pa., where I have 
tested the picturesque inducements for sportsmen set forth by 
enterprising local correspondents for suadry New York and 
Philadelphia papers. Time was when the picture of a herd 
of deer sailing through the brush with ruffed grouse stream- 
ing from every log would be but little overdrawn. I have 
seen game and trout plenty in this section, but now game is 
scarce and the streams are on the verge of being fished out. 
This is due to market hunting, local hotel requirements, and 
neglecting to stock to replenish what is taken away. 
It seems to me that the correspondents I refer to would do 
better to save their adjectives and fine writing for the scenery, 
air and comfort of this lovely country and not say too much 
about the attractions for the hunter and angler. Too much 
cannot be said of the natural attractions of Little Pike: exag- 
geration of its sylvan beauty would be hardly possible. 
‘here is accommodation for the most refined and the most 
delicate in its hotels and every farmbouse. But they should 
“draw it mild” when they talk of its game and fish. 
This was a good year for ruffed grouse. Enough of them 
were hatched to secure fair sport for a few if they had been 
allowed to attain maturity. But the woodcock law deci- 
mated them, the market hunters “potted” them without 
compunction when they could barely fly and take care of 
themselyes, in some cases destroying entire flocks. Those 
not destroyed were scattered and made wild, and but forthe 
thick brush and late season there would be few left. Thanks, 
however, to this green autumn, there are enough left ‘for 
seed,” and there is a prospect this year of treble the number 
of birds being left over for next spring’s family business 
than for many years. With the woodcock law changed by 
this Legislature in Pennsylvania to Sept. 1, or, still better, 
the 15th, there would be fine sport in the autumn of 1885. 
There will be as good fall woodcock shooting as usual in 
the county. When I left there had heen one small flight; by 
the 25th there should be one or two more, and there will be 
others in rapid succession until the 15th of November. Few 
shooting grounds are better or more attractive than these 
Pennsylvania swales, marshes and black-loamed haunts of 
the longbills. 
Deer hunting will be fair this year from the 25th of this 
month to the first tracking snow, Taking the region from 
the Porter’s Lake grounds to the Knob, and from there in a 
line east from the Shohola to the Log Tavern and Brink 
Ponds, there is a fair sprinkling of venison on the hoof. Bear 
signs are numerous. 
To those who want advice as toa pied a terre, I would 
say, goto John M. Hoffman’s, at the Sawkill Pond near 
Milford. It is in the center of the woodcock grounds, He 
has deerhounds, etc,, knows how to drive, and he knows 
how to make visitors comfortable. Oscar Westbrook, at 
Milford, is a crack shot and a good cuide, and can accom- 
modate a party of sportsmen in his snug home. He knows 
the best quail grounds in the Delaware Valley, and the pros- 
pects for the séason, which opens Noy. 1, are excellent. 
AMATEUR. 
LOUISIANA GAME SUPPLY. 
fe cold wave that a few days ago swept over this por- 
tion of the country was especially welcome 1o our local 
hunters, who saw in it the approach of a cooler state of the 
weather, which would allow them to prosecute their favor- 
ite recreation with some degree of comfort. The hunting 
season really opened on the 15th of last September, but the 
continuous spell of hot weather admitted of but limited 
journeys in séarch of game, short passes in the morning being 
ul that was done. 
The warm condition of the atmosphere also prevented the 
taking out of dogs, for the reason that they were soft in flesh, 
and being so full biooded, exposure would have subjected 
them to the danger of being afflicted with fits; the quality 
of the dog has been greatly improved throughout this part of 
the country, and he is a very poor sportsman, indeed, who 
fails to take the proper care of a good animal. Another rea- 
son existing for the little hunting done was because of the 
scarcity of water for the dogs, Much to the regret of those 
who uphold the game law, it is a well-known fact that deer 
have been shot all summer in the immediate neighborhood 
of the city, and in nearly every instance the meat was smug- 
gled into town. The prevention of just such unlawful hunt- 
ing as this, is one of the principal objects of the new Sports- 
men’s Association, and it is to be hoped that they will soon 
be enabled to afford game the protection it is entitled to, 
The cold snap through Texas on the 10th inst. had the 
effect of sending in this direction unusual numbers of teal 
duck, which spread along the Gulf coast into the western 
end of Lake Ponchartrain. The Mexican, or dusky duck, 
that heretofore has been seen around in very limited num- 
bers, can be found in great quantities down near Bayou Des 
Allemands. On the first day of October eighty-four were 
shipped into town. Such numbers bagged in one day had 
been unheard of previous to this. 
Reports received from Chet Menteur und Lake Catherine 
bring the cheering intelligence that the richest kind of duck 
food abounds in all of the lagoons. Frequenters of these 
places express the opinion that shooting along the North- 
eastern and Shell Beuch road will drive the ducks into this 
territory; consequently duck hunters are jubilant over the 
prospects for hunting. As soon as the weather gets cold 
large bags can be counted on. 
ayou LaBranche Prairie, up the “Big J” road, has not 
yet been investigated, but judging from the experience of 
past seasons there will be no scarcity of ducks there, The 
great trouble to reach them, howeyer, will be the same as 
heretofore; the hunter has the impenetrable sawgrass to 
t 
