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FOREST AND STREAM. 
387 
Rastern States, Jones, who is quite a humorist, having heard 
Brown relate his adventure, stepped out quietly and told the 
adyeuture to the ‘‘bohoys” with the transformation saying, 
that instead of the deer running 300 yards, that Brown ran 
_ 800 yards before he looked back, and then stopped when he 
saw that the deer was not pursuing him. This caused much 
laughter at Brown’s expense; but he vehemently protests that 
it was the deer that ran, not him. 
Shortly before Christmas of last. year, Brown, Jones and 
myself went out fora short hunt. As well as I can remem- 
ber the mercury was down to 30° below zero. We kindled 
a fire in the woods so that we may warm ourselyes before 
starting homeward. Brown was sitting on the end of a log, 
when he leveled his gun at an imaginary object and said, 
“If a cinnamon bar should come marching along there now 
how I would make him dance a hornpipe.” Jones was stand- 
ing near the fire with hands and chin resting on his piece, 
watching Brown’s performance, when he said with a coun- 
tenance that betrayed not the remotest shadow of a jest, 
“But what would you do, Brown, if a saleratus bear should 
come there?” Brown looked at him with the unsuspecting 
candor of a rustic youth and said, ““Why? Is he bigger than 
a cinnamon?” 
If any of your readers want information respecting the 
game reserves of this country, I shall be glad to give une 
. M,N. 
Fort Burorp, Dakota, 
Hititor Forest and Stream: 
My vanch lies in the Bad Lands of extreme Western Da- 
kota. There is stilla good deal of game about it, and this 
year [have, on several occasions, when the cattle did not 
need attention, taken two or three days off and done fairly 
well with black-tail deer, white-tail deer and antelope. There 
are some mountain sheep about, too, and 1 intend to take a 
day after them as soon as I get time. 
This summer I made quite a long trip through the cattle 
country of Eastern Montana and Northern Wyoming, in 
company with my foreman, William Merrifield, who is an 
excellent rider, 4 first-class shot and a very keen sportsman, 
During the course of our trip I took. two weeks’ hunting in 
Big Horn Mountain. While there I killed three grizzlies— 
one of them a huge beast weighing close on twelve hundred 
pounds—and six elk, four of them having fine heads; Merri- 
field got two bear and four elk, I always taking first shot 
when we were together. The five bears were killed with 
seven bullets, three of them being struck ‘in the brain; we 
followed them up on foot, our buckskin suits and moccasins 
enabling us to go so noiselessly through the woods that we 
could get to very close quarters; the big one was but nine 
paces off when | fired, tuking him square between the two 
eyes. Only one of them—ashe bear with a large cub—had 
a chance to show fight, the others being killed almost as socn 
as they discovered us; she turned when struck in theside, but 
was killed with the second bullet when she had come a few 
steps toward us. 
The buffalo have disappeared forever; one of the last that 
was killed near my ranch was a fine bull which I shot near 
Pretty Buttes a year ago this fali. 
J am not a good shot, having very bad eyes, and should be 
ashamed to state the number of misses [ have made this 
summer; I made two or three good shots, however. Oncel 
killed an antelope at 300 yards (actual pacing), and by what 
I suppose must be regarded as merely a fortunate chance, 
on another occasion killed two fine blacktail bucks with one 
bullet at 431 paces. 
- Luse two rifles, both of them six-shot repeaters: one a .50- 
115 express, the other a .45-75; they are excellent weapons, 
LT notice that '‘Devil’s Ramrod” putsin a plea for the double- 
barreled express rifles, and sneers at repeating arms, The 
prejudice against the latter is, of course, sheer nonsense, like 
the old prejudice against breechloaders, I know nothing of 
game shooting in India or Africa, but for anything in the 
United States, from a grizzly bear down, a repeating rifle is 
as much ahead of a doublebarreled English express as the 
latter is ahead of a doublebarreled muzzleloader. 
There are a great many ducks, geese, sharptail grouse and 
sage grouse to be shot round my ranch; youny sage grouse, 
in August and September, are most delicious eating, fully as 
good as the sharptail, which is our common game bird. 
ODORE RoosEyELt. 
CaimNngey Butte Rancu, Little Missouri, Dakota, 
KENTUCKY GAME. 
jis unusual number of whistlers during nesting time en- 
couraged anticipations of rare quail shooting this season 
in Central and Southern Kentucky; but upto date disap- 
pointment has been nearly universal, The long tramps 
through most promising covers, between bevics, are one of 
the unaccountables. A propitious summer, no ‘‘drowning- 
oul” rains, abundant feed, no appreciable cause of migration, 
yet birds are scarce. The local savant (?) with ever-ready 
solution of the mysterious, consults last winter’s goose bone 
and refers cause to fall of mercury to 18° below zero, and 
cousequent (?) freezing out of the few birds left for seed, 
This is an exceptional instance of unsatisfactory explanation. 
Too many birds wintered well. Rabbits are so plentiful that 
the boys come in with a full bag of fur after failing of 
feathers. 
One of the boys yesterday referred me to-satisfactory cor- 
roboration that he bagged twenty-five quail without a miss 
last season. He added that it was in short cane cover and 
the warning which each bird gave on leaving cover rendered 
a miss unpardonable. Extraordinary shooting, neverthe- 
less, we count it. Another reported thirty-eight straight, 
but the other fellow, who can bear testimony, is a non- 
resident. 
Judge Berry, of Monticello, Ky., had the good fortune to 
bag a brace of deer at one shot recently, As they passed his 
stand he failed to observe that there were two, and was 
ignorant of his score till he stumbled over one which had fal- 
len of a broken neck, as he proceeded to the one which he 
saw wheel and fall after a few bounds. The Judge is a vet- 
eran, and few seasons pass without his enjoying venison 
which has fallen to his fire. He follows no small game. 
Several bunches of deer had been located in the mountains, 
and recent breezes having stripped foliage from the timber, 
we expect to hear of a few successful chases. Ruffed. grouse 
and turkeys are plentiful, but few bagged. ; 
Scarcity of mast concentrated squirrels about cornfields, 
and many mountaineers were compelled to stand picket a 
partof every day till crops were cribbed. — 
Present outlook for sport in Central Kentucky rather 
gloomy, eo ' a - KEenruertan. 
Lrncony County, Ky., Noy. 20, i884. 
THE MAINE GAME LAW. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I am very giad to see that the majority of your cor- 
respondents are in feyor of the law as it now stands, though 
I don’t see how they could think otherwise. Tf there is to 
be any change in the season, it should be shortened. When 
they say that man wants little here below, they forget him 
who wants to combine shooting and fishing at the expense of 
the game, or else they might be inclined to think he wanted 
a good deal. Ifa person wants to fish, let him do it in 
season wlhien the fish are in proper condition; and the same 
with deer; but don’t let him arrange the laws to suit. his con- 
venience and enable him to kill everything within reach. 
He who can get only a few days off in Angust, very naturally 
wants to shoot deer or moose, and he whose vacation comes 
in Sept ember turns longing eyes onthe trout, but let each 
take the goods the gods provide, and think that but for the 
laws there would now be neither fish nor game. 
Nobody asks for vegetables 5ut of season, because there are 
none to be hud, and if we persist in taking deer out of what 
is Nature’s season, why we'll soon be without them alto- 
gether. Does in Sepiember, with or without fawns, are sure 
to be in poor condition, and my experience is that a quarter 
of the young are still unweaned on the 15th day of that 
month. Maine is the model State of the Union for its game 
laws, and it does seem a pity if all the good results are to be 
wiped ont at the very moment of their appearance. Mr. 
Wells says the residents of that part of the State need the 
money spent there by the tourists. That is true, and is the 
only argument for opening September. But if the gunner 
is 1o be permitted to kill game from the last day of August, 
would the money gained during the following three or four 
years be sufficient to support these people from the time the 
deer give out for the rest of their natural lives? Hardly, 
unless they can beat the Chinese on cheap living, al a 
Boston, Dec. 6. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Your correspondent ““X.” in current number speaks ‘‘of 
the scarcity of deer in Maine, twenty-five years ago,” and 
‘this reminds me.’”’ In Bangor, thirty-four or thirty-five 
years ago, on a sweltering dayat just past noon, Tom M. 
sat in his brother's crockery store, with his chair tilted back, 
his feet on the desk, using a toothpick, and reading the 
Daily Whig and Courier. Suddenly his attention was ar- 
rested by a noble deer, which, entering by the west door, 
trotted through the store, went out by the Main street door, 
crossed the street and entered the store of Hemenway & 
Hersey, then newly fitled up with mirrors and show cases, 
ete. Jt was a fur store, and those who saw him conjectured 
thatthe deer might have gone in to inquire the price of pelts 
in particular. However that may be, he trotted the length 
of the store, took a good look at himself in the plate-glass 
mirror at the end, and turning about made for the street. 
By this time, as may be imagined, men and boys were on 
the gut vie. Arriving at the street, there was a Jumber- 
men’s supply wagon—a huge affair of ten or twelve feet in 
height—just passing. Pursued by the crowd he vaulted 
clear over the wagon at one bound, andran down to Market 
square, on the east side of which he caught sight of the 
Kenduskeag stream through the open windows and doors of 
a flour store. Hntering without ceremony, he attempted to 
jump through a window into the stream, but alas for his 
hopes, his bulk or his horns prevented; hestuck fast and was 
killed by Jus ruthless pursuers, It was conjectured that he 
had followed the stream down from the forest and struck off 
at the first obstacle met at Central street bridge. I was not 
aneye witness to this affair, being at dinner some little dis- 
ance from the street. 
My hope in writing this is to draw the fire of some of your 
Bangor readers, who may not only verify my story, but also 
be tempted to write some of their reminiscences, which 
could not fail to be interesting to your readers. The times I 
write of were when H. R. L—s kept the Hatch House, one 
of the most genial, sunny-faced landlords that ever sat with 
his face to the back of a chair, and made fun for every one 
within sound of his yoice. A practical joker, he did not 
forget in his last illness the ruling passion, for when Doctor 
Meck. told him, in answer to his question, ‘‘what the chances 
were for his life,” ‘‘One chance in twenty, Mr. L ;’ he said 
as quickly as his breath would permit, ‘I'll take that chance, 
Doctor,” Ben TENUTO. 
WoRcESTER, Mass. 
Hiditer Forest and Stream: 
Haye just read the communication in your paper of Noy. 
13 of Henry P. Wells, and your editorial comments thereon, 
regarding the preservation of deer in Maine. The thought 
struck me that the game law as now in force in California 
might be equally good in that State. Several years ago our 
Legislature passed a law to prohibit the killing of does and 
spotted fawns at any time within four years, The law was 
broken by a large number of hunters, but the deer increased 
in most places instead of diminished, so when the four years 
had expired the Legislature extended the time indefinitely. 
A better feeling has gradually come over the hunters, until 
now most of them feel extremely small if they happen to 
kill a doe or fawn, eyen by mistake, M. FS. 
PeraLtuma, California, 
Hditor Forest and Stream: 
Fish and Game Commissioner E. M, Stillwell, of Maine, 
has been in Boston lately, looking after the would-be sports- 
men who haye been down to Maine and stolen game, or 
killed it contrary to the laws of the State, which amounts 
to the same thing. It is Jearned through the lumbermen 
that a magnificent moose was killed in the neighborhood of 
Chemucook before the first day of October. The hunter, a 
Boston merchant, had no use for the meat and offered it to 
the Jumbermen for about a cent per pound more than beef 
would cost them, They would not take it and the moose 
was suffered to rot, wilh the exception of such choice bits 
as the guides and those in the secret desired. An indict- 
ment will be found against the bunter and he will be 
arrested, if ever he sets afoot on Maine soilagain. He is 
said to be a crack shot—killed but one moose himself, but 
encouraged one or two Indian guides to kill a moose a piece, 
thus evading the law against killing more than one moose 
in a season, 
The notorious moose poacher, who was indicted for killing 
a moose Out of season in Maine three years ago, refused to 
pay bis fines, has written or had his friends write a letter to 
the Commissioners asking the privilege of going into Maine 
to attend some sort of a teachers’ convention in that State, 
The letter sets forth that he is a good fellow, never killed 
any more moose out of season in that State than, than—in 
short, than he wanted io, and could not the Commissioners 
for these reasons, grant him permission to visit Maine just 
once, without being arrested? The answer he got was that 
he would be arrested as surely as he was caught in Maine, 
He has not been down there to attend the convention. 
Tt has been before stated in these columns that the great 
body of game coming from Maine into the Boston market 
had heen stopped by the admirable non-transportation sys- 
tem. Such is the fact. Not one-fiftieth part of the number 
of partridges or black ducks have reached the market here 
that came in the fall of 1882, previous to the passage of the 
law in Maine. As for yenison, there came through from 
Maine the season before the non-transportrtion law went into 
effect between 1,800 and 2,000 carcasses. They actually 
rotted outside the Boston markets. Thanks to the good work 
of the Commissioners and wardens, such barbarous and 
wicked waste of nable game has been stopped. Not more 
than 100 deer were smuggled through from Maine last year, 
and this fall probably one dozen carcasses will cover all 
received. But the great market interest is against all this. 
The chance to make a dollar is infringed upon, and Boston 
money is likely to be used in Maine at the forthcoming ses- 
sion of the Legislature for the harm of the law against the 
transportation of game. The Commissioners will say to the 
Legislature: ‘‘Gentlemen, you see what your laws have 
done. Boston and New York market-hunting has been, in 
a great measure. stopped. Deer have increased, so that there 
is now a breeding stock worth talking about. Four years 
more of such market-hunting as was carried on in 1881 would 
have destroyed every vestige of moose, deer and caribou in 
your State, Make such changes in your game and fish laws 
as you think best; but in absolute non-transportation is your 
only hope.” The Commissioners are repeatedly asked to 
frame some sort of a law whereby a non-resident of the State 
who kills a moose or deer fairly, in open season, can trans- 
port itto his home. At first it would seem that such a form 
of law would be just. But, alas! How easy it would be, 
under such a law, for every Boston runner on his return trip 
to become the owner of a deer, which he would run straight 
into the Boston market. 
Not a day passes but what the wardens at the iarger ship- 
ping points in Maine seize partridges, ducks, or saddles of 
venison, being smuggled through to Boston or New York. 
The tricks of the poachers are as curious as they are numer- 
ous, and the best of the wardens have become expert detec- 
tives. A list of the principal receivers of game in this mar- 
ket is in the warden’s pocket, and packages directed to such 
parties are objects of suspicion. In one case the warden 
noted an old box, projecting from under the cover of which 
was some old cotton cloth—the edge of an old bedquilt. The 
quick eye of the warden saw deer’s hair—only one or two— 
adhering to the box. He opened it, and two nice saddles of 
venison were found rolled up in the quilt. An enormous 
trunk was bundled into the baggage car at Bangor. It had 
a lady’s name on it, but the keen perceptions of the warden 
“saw signs,” The trunk was detained and opened. In it 
were sixty partridges and a lot of ducks. The lady’s uncle 
keeps a stall in one of the Boston markets probably. At 
least no such lady has been found. The warden opened a 
case of eggs directed to a weli-known Boston commission 
merchant. One layer of eggs with part boards came out all 
right, but the third layer was partridges, two dozen of them. 
The eggs have never been called for. The owner can have 
them, but he will be required to pay over $100 fines for at- 
tempting to forward partriulges. SPECIAL. 
me 
Boston, Mass., Dec, 8. 
REMARKABLE SHOTS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
As you have asked your correspondents to give you a 
record of remarkable shots, Iam tempted to add one to the 
score. Mr. William Stoneburg, of this city, informs me, and 
is ready to make affidavit to the truth of his statement, that 
last year he killed a black duck, a mud hen and a crane at 
one shot, Mr. Stoneburg states that he saw a black duck 
feeding near the mouth of Mud Creek, where the water is 
shallow. ‘The shore being bordered by trees, with a thick 
underbrush, he succeeded in crawling within fifteen yards 
of the duck, which was about ten yards from the shore. 
Meantime the crane alighted beside a bunch of rushes some 
ten or fifteen yards further away, and a mud hen swam be- 
tween the duck and the shore. When it got in line with the 
duck, Mr. Stoneburg fired, killing both birds, as he intended; 
and, hearing a flapping among the rushes, he looked and 
found that he had fatally wounded the crane, which he 
secured. It is not very often, I should say, that three birds 
of different specics, and not consorting, are killed at one 
shot. R. 8. B 
BELLEVILLE, Ontario. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
IT was out hunting squirrels, and had fired four shots at a 
gray squirrel in a tree without seeming to affect it more than 
to make it jump af each shot. The animal finally started 
and traveled quite a distance, jumping from one tree to an- 
other until it reached a tall beech. All this time I was fol- 
lowing along waiting for the squirrel to stop and give me a 
chance to get a fair shot, When it got to the beech tree it 
started down a branch, going by jerks. I was just in the 
act of raising the gun, when I accidentally touched the trig- 
ger and fired. The barrel was pointing upward at an angle 
of about eighty degrees, and the hammer was just in front 
of my face, which was burnt by the powder from the tube. 
Irubbed the powder from my eyes as quickly as possible, 
and imagine my surprise to see the squirrel lying on the 
ground near me shot through the head. 8, W.5. 
Hidiior Korest and Stream: . 
My shot can hardly be called lucky, though it may be 
classed as remarkable. Armed with a rifle 1 was hunting 
for rabbits. All the rabbits I saw I overshot. I was behind 
a hill about a half-mile from a farmhouse, which was cut 
off from sight by the hill. Passing the house on my way 
home, I was edified by the farmer charging me with shoot- 
ing a fat cow. Sure enough, the cow was lying dead in the 
barnyard with a jagged hule in her side. The ball had eyvi- 
dently caromed on the frozen ground with a trajectory to 
clear the hill, and hit the cow, <A receipt from the farmer 
for $12 for prematurely making beef of his cow, is the only 
souvenir left, of my remarkable shot, C, C. §., 
MIDDLETOWN, Nova Scotia. 
Editor Forest and Stream: i 
On ove occasion I was hunting on a hill a hundred feet, 
above Tomales Bay, near the Pacific, armed with a .45-60 
Winchester. A '‘shag” was flying along over the bay, 
which, at this point, was about a mile wide. The bird was 
under the shadow of the hill‘on the opposite side, and as 
