506 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jaw. 23, 1885. 
teen wild turkeys at one discharge of his rifle, reminds me 
of the man who, seeing a dozen Indians sitting in a circle 
round their camp-fire and wishing to kill them all at one 
shot, loaded with his ramrod as a projectile and then placed 
his gun in the fork of a tree, bent it to a half circle, and 
shooting at the nearest Indian, strung the whole outfit, ike 
so many sardines on a skewer. tt, 
J think ‘‘Cape Rock,” or his friend, ‘‘Old Col. F.,” must 
have been the party who, seeing a dozen turkeys sitting on 
a limb, split the limb with a bullet and Jet their toes drop 
in; then after ‘‘snuffing their heads off at his leisure, resplit 
the limb as in tbe first instance, thereby releasing their toes 
and allowing them to drop to the ground. : 
 Iflam right in attributing this latter exploit to “‘Cape 
Rock,” I hope he won't be too modest to acknowledge it 
HigH Porn, Mo., Jan. 13, : OSAaGE. 
THE GAME DEALERS. 
N conversation with a reporter on the work to be ac- 
I complished by the new association, Mr. French, 1ts 
president, said that there were no authentic statistics touch- 
‘ing the matter of game supplies in the New York market. 
Making a rough estimate, he placed the value of the entire 
game coming into the New York market at $1,500,009 per 
year. This was inclusive of all sorts, birds as well as four- 
footed same. It was, he said, largely from the West, New 
York State not furnishing more than five per cent,, while 
the export trade to Liverpool amounted to as much. With 
the wind up of the game season in New York, there was 
a rush of the game off to the Boston market, where it 
could be legally sold on the evidence of the New York 
pills of lading that it had come from beyond the borders 
ot the Massacnuseits commonwealth. The Mercantile Ex- 
change, made up of the provision and produce dealers of 
the metropolis, includes in its membership the majorily, if 
not all, of the commission men to whom gate is consigned. 
Tt is not unlikely that some sort of a system of reporting 
on the game receipts may be attempted in the future, 
though it is quite as certain that it will be entirely untrust- 
worthy, since there is such a strong temptation to confuse 
the record and prevent the gathering of statistics, which 
may be used at any time as evidence of law-breaking in 
other States, if not in this. The season for game selling 
is limited to the cold months. November sees the begin- 
ning of it, and during December the trade is brisk, fap- 
ering off again during January. During those months the 
game handled includes venison, grouse, quail, ducks, geese, 
snipe, woodcock, rabbits, bear and antelope, — 
That the position of the dealers may be fairly presented, 
we print in full the address delivered by Mr, French at the 
meeting last week: 
The game laws of the State of New York have, as we understand, 
been inspired and formulated by the Sportsmen’‘s Club, or as ifis now 
called, The Society for the Preservation of Game, With the avowed 
objects of that society we, as game dealers, game consumers, com- 
mon earriers, and cold-storage men, are in hearty accord. 
Our interests and out appetites prompt us to desire the enactment, 
and the efficient and impartial enforcement of suitable laws for the 
protection and perpetuation of food-bearing wild birds and animals. 
Wedo not wish to kill the goose—wild or tame—that lays the 
golden eg, and the reported allegation of one of the highest fune- 
fionaries of the above named society, that we would willingly strip 
the fields and foresis in our greed for present gain and imdulgence, 
were it not for their conservative oversight, is puerile and unworthy. 
Our motives may not, to these gentlemen, seem so high-toned, but is 
it not quite as needful and proper to preserve game for food as for 
Sport? 
We object to certain provisions of the New York law; they seem to 
us needless, tyrannical and oppressive, absurdly attempting, in a 
roundabout way, bo regulate the killing of gameat the expense of 
proper and legilimate trade, 
Yor instance, deer may be killed in August and September, when 
venison is not wanted and cannot well be brought to market in sound 
eondition, but this is in the interest of sport. The milk-bearing 
does may be shot, and their fawns, if not killed, must starve, Mr. 
Bergh should give attention to this, It is much more serious than the 
pigeon sport to which he objects. The killing of deer is permitted 
also in October and November, and possession and sale is prohibited 
after the thirty-first day of December, thus crowding into three 
months the sale and consumption of this desirable meat, and depriv- 
ing the community ofits use the balance of the cold season, when it 
is equally wholesome and palatable. 
We make no objection to any restrictions upon killing that are 
deemed needful to preserve the species, but in abundant seasons the 
supply of legally-killed venison cannot be sold and consumed at reas 
onabie prices before Jan, 1, and this law compels the destruction of 
any surplus of legally-killed venison, or its exportation to foreign 
countries or to States, like Massachusetts, where the laws are more 
reasonable, thus depriving us of the trade, and our citizens of this 
desirable food. 
State laws we have supposed were limited to State territory, and 
could not interfere with the freedom of trade in wholesome, unadul- 
ferated, natural products between citizens of different States. But 
this law makes the possession of venison after Dee. 31, whether it 
comes from Minnesota, Mexico or Great Britain a misdemeanor, and 
by the severity of iis penalties makes it rank asa crime. 
Hyery piece of this meat, from whatever State or foreign country, 
Subjects the possessor to a fine of $50 and fifty days’ imprisonment. 
The prairie chicken is, as its name imports, a bird of the prairies, 
and as exclusively so as is the partridge a bird of the woods. The 
prairie chicken, unlike the quail, will not remain in settled and culti- 
vated sections. It retires as the farmer advances, hovering wpon the 
borders of unbroken prairies and fattening upon the grain of adjoin- 
ing fields. To protectthem properly is well, and much to be desired, but 
what has New York, at a distance of 1,000 to 2,000 miles, to do abont 
it? Nevertheless this desirable bird, whether from a prairie State, 
from the Indian Territory, or from beyond the limits of any State, 
is, under cover of protecting the game of New York, excluded after 
the 31st day of January. 
_Queil flourish everywhere, and in some séctions their abundance at 
limes becomes a nuisance. This law, under pretense of protecting 
the quail of New York, excludes them from this great metropolis 
alter Jan. 31, whether imported from a distant State of this country 
ov from Egypt. 
These three varieties of game may he considered representative, 
and quite sufficientto illustrate the leading characteristivs of this law. 
Ten or fifteen years ago there might, upon sanitary grounds, have 
been some excuse for this wholesale proscription of lawfully killed 
and lawfully possessed game. Then there were no facilities for 71ts 
preservation under frost, and if kept long after the end of the killing 
season it would naturally become tainted and unwholesome. Now 
cold storage is £0 deyeloped and increased that large stocks of game 
can be held in perfect condition the year round. Were it not for this 
law, therefore, game, when superabundant, as isnow the tase with 
quail, could be stored and supplied in accordance with the laws of 
trade, without arbitrary limit as to time. 
The Highth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
reads; ‘“lixcéssive bail shall net be required, nor excessive fines im- 
posed, nor cruel and unugual punishment inflicted,” 
According to this game law of the State of New York, if a. barrel of 
quail, say 200 in number, killed in proper season, and consizned from 
the interior of the State, should through stress of weather or acci- 
dent not reach the consignee until the sale of pame had ceased on 
the dist day of January, he would haye to utterly destroy these birds 
ae midnight. or he liable to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment 
Dy ays. . 
_Atone moment these birds are legal property, as they had been 
from the time they were shot, at the next moment, without change of 
locality, condition or ownership, they are contraband, involving 
heavy fines and long imprisonment as before stated, The unfortu- 
hate consignee cannot reliave himself by giving the birds away, ex- 
cept in so tar as the recipients of his bount:7 cam dress, cook and eat 
them before midnight. Under this law the predicament of this con- 
signee would haye been all the same. had the birds been imported in 
pertect condition from any{foreign country. 
Phe enforcement of this strange law had been practically in the 
hands of the Society for ihe Preservation of Game—formerly called 
the Sportsmen’s Club, and their action has bee as erratic and in- 
comprehensible as the law itself, 
never puts men in jail. 
Long periods have elapsed without any manifestation of their 
friendly supervision. Suddenly some dealer not specially f ayored will 
be pounced upon and unless very strong or very humble, his business 
and financial standing will be ruined. 
When the seascn prescribed for selling ends, large quantities of game 
suddenly disappear from view. Wither the game dealers and game 
consumers obey such an obnoxious law, with a fidelity unprecedented, 
or have remarkable facilities for evading search warrants, or else the 
seryitors of the law are remiss jn their duties, dull of perception, or 
wiley blind, Two instances will sufficiently illustrate these state- 
ments, 
After the close of the last quail season a remarkable feat in the 
consumption of quail was publicly undertaken, Day after day the 
champion quail eatar devoured his alloted number, and his wouder- 
ful achievements were daily chronicled in the publie prints. 
At least one morning paper specially called the attention of the 
Society for the Preservation of Game to this violation of the game 
laws, but the public gourmandizing of outla\yed game went on to the 
Successful end. ; 
Perhaps these refined, high-toned gentlemen considered this gusta- 
tory performance great sport, and so winked at the yiolation of their 
favorite lay, . . 
Soon afterward this society caused a search warrant to be issued 
against a cold-storage warehouse, and there discovered ten barrels of 
frozen quail, This lot of quail camefrom a Western State where they 
were lawfully killed; they reached the consignee, a commission meér- 
chant in this city, in January, and under instructions of the owner 
were placed in cold storage to await his orders, 
The consignee had no ownership in the birds, and during the lawful 
season sent them into cold storage. Suit was brought against this 
consignee upon the whole lot and judgment asked for $63,500, the 
quantity, at 4 fine of $25 per bird, no doubt being sufficient to make 
this sum. Afterward they amended their complaint to include only 
one barrel, on which they asked and obtained judgment against the 
consignee for $5,000 
Exceptions were taken to the rulings of the court and these have 
just been areued but the decision has not yet been rendered. 
Mr. Whitehead, the attorney of the association, is reported in last 
Saturday's Tribune as saying: ‘I believe this court will affirm the 
judgment. We bring prosecutions in the interests of the country’s 
game, which otherwise these people would extermmate, The asso- 
ciation does not press its judgments or ask for large ones.” From 
this we conclude that Mr. Whitehead considers $63,500 a large judg- 
ment which he concluded noi to press, and that $5,000 is a small one 
which he expects to have confirmed. 
Mr, Whitehead says further: ‘‘We want a hold on peopie who are 
liable to break the gamelaws. The association has been prosecut- 
ing such eases for ten years and spends twice as much as it makes. It 
il, People against whom we win cases throw 
themselyes on the mercy of the association and seldom make a mis- 
take in so doing,” 
We respectfuily object to doing business under such a law at the 
mercy of this association. Mr, Whitehead graciously adds: ‘‘There 
are some provisions in the game laws which would be better if modi- 
fied; but game dealers as a rule want the modification to be suffi- 
ciently radical to sweep the game of the country into their pockets.” 
We again protest againsbthis disparagement of our common sense 
as business men. We assure him that we thinkthe association he 
represents has donesome good work toward the preservation of 
game, and this we wish to support and defend. If the modifications 
he suggests will fairly remove the difficulties we have specified, and 
meet the reasonable requirements of trade under the changed condi- 
tions now existing, we will be glad to work in harmony with his asso- 
ciation for their speedy enactment. Jf not, we must of necessity 
labor in other ways for such changes as will enable us not only to 
scrupulously observe the law but to aid in its enforcement. To this 
end we invite game dealers and game consumers, common carriers 
and eold-storage men throughout the country to join us in this effort 
for proper law both here and elsewhere. 
DEER IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 
Fiditor Forest and Stream: 
All lovers of the woods and believers in the protection of 
our forests and game should keep agitating this question 
until we haye a radical change in the laws I agree with 
the great majority of your correspondents that hounding as 
now carried on in the Adirondacks, if not soon prohibited 
by law, will exterminate the comparatively few deer that 
now remain in those woods. Only a few years since we had 
in the woods of Cattaraugus county, and along the line of 
Chautauqua county, N. Y., a great many deer. The woods 
are there still, thousands of acres of unbroken forests, the 
nicest covers and abundant feeding ground, but not a deer 
in all these hills and woodlands. Need I state the cause? I 
could bring the solid men that live nearest those woods 
whose testimony is unimpeachable. They have in numerous 
instances witnessed the wanton slaughter of the innocents, 
run to their death by cruel dogs and sportsmen (?) so called. 
The settlers raised their protest against thismode of hunting 
in many instances, but when the law protects, moral suasion 
will not stop hounding even though the drive embraces the 
last and only deer in the wood. 
I know, as many of my acquaintances here do (by reputa- 
tion) of a hunter who has a log camp on one of the tribu- 
taries of the Clarion River, in Pennsylvania, who has still- 
hunted over the same ground for years, I might say beyond 
my remembrance, for so long a time that other hunters 
leave him in undisputed possession of that certain locality as 
by his priority. This old hunter says the deer do not dimin- 
ish on his ground, from year to yeur he kills about the same 
—a Jarge number, Now who fora moment would believe 
that had this hunter used hounds all these years, he could 
still find deer on the same ground and in the same quantity. 
Now, if we are to save what few deer we have left, give us 
a law that prohibits the use of dogs in hunting deer at all 
times and at all seasons of the year, and 1 would be glad to 
see the same Jaw include floating. Make the offenders in 
both or either punishable by imprisonment. We all know 
that a fine of fifty dollars or double that amount docs not 
keep many of the “‘tourist sportsmen”’ from defying the law, 
but say imprisonment for thirty or sixty days and I think 
the law would be respected hen we should see no more 
deer being hauled out of the woods or hanging around the 
ponds and lakes of the John Brown tract in a decaying con- 
dition, as I have seen even in October. Neither would we 
find, as many of the frequenters of those woods must have 
done, the putrid carcasses of those that died a lingering. 
death from the buckshot floater. 
If deer are only killed by the still-nunter they will increase 
is the judgment of the guides (and the men of Maine?) so 
far as I can learn, And if that is so why not give them the 
cool weather to do it in—cut off one of the warm months and 
extend the time to include December, Then if a doe is killed, 
there is no question abont the fawn being old enough to 
take care of itself. Then, t90, what deer are killed will be 
brought to our home and friends in as palatable condition as 
it is In camp. 
I enjoy the woods at all seasons of the year, and would be 
slad tosee the State take active steps for their preservation, 
especially of our Northern forests, and as a lover and fre- 
quenter of these woods I wish our Legislature to pass more 
stringent laws for the protection of its game, Allagree thatthe 
deer each year are growing more scarce; that to find a track 
on leaves or snow requires a great amount of walking as com- 
pared with even three or four years ago, and if we get no 
remedy soon the result will be their entire destruction, it 
will be too late, 
1 go into the North Woods from the west side and camp 
from four to six weeks each fall, While I may not kill as 
muny deeras some others, 1 may be as suceessful as the 
average, What bunting I do is strictly still-tunting, and 
all who enjoy that kind of sport I am sure will agree with 
my statement, that it is only afew days at most between. 
Noy. 1 and Dec, i that the still-thunter can follow a deer 
with any degree of success, and those days are when the 
ground 1s covered with wet leaves, or when the ground ig 
covered with light snow and upon leayes not frozen, and. 
those are the exceptional days. Still-hunterg, as far as my 
observation goes, do not killa large number per man, but 
from one, two or three, and, in rare instances, five or more 
deer to each gun or sportsman in camp, during the fall, 
But on the other hand the hounders—say three in a party 
with as many dogs—kill two or three deer each day, not 
being confined to particular days, The hounds will drive a 
deer on frozen leaves, in dry or hot or wet weather, all the 
same, Venison captured in that manner is black and none 
too wholesome when first killed, certainly unfit to eat after 
a few days, and in scores of instances fed to the dogs or 
thrown away in the woods. M, L, F, 
Jamnstown, N.Y. 
We have for distribution a printed petition to abolish deer 
hounding in the Adirondacks. It will be sent to any one 
who will secure signatures, The petition reads as follows 
To the Honorable, the Legislature of the State of New York: 
We, the undersigned, residents of the county of an 
ON; Wes respectfully petition that Chapter 548 of Laws of 1874, 
entitled “An act forthe preservation of moose, wild deer, 
birds, fish and other game,” be so amended as to absolutely 
prohibit the chasing, running and hunting of moose and wild - 
deer with dogs, at any season of the year, on the ground that 
such chasing, running and hunting with dogs is yery destruc- 
tive to such game and is rapidly destroying the same. 
GAME IN MANITOBA, 
Fiditor Forest and Stream: 
“T say, Captain, how many lies is true ‘bout this, rauntry- 
ov yourn bein’ jes a crawlin’ with game o’ all sorts® You've 
bin mos’ everywhere, an’ everywhere else througit; all this 
precious fine game land oy yourn; an’ say, is there.any game 
woth a feller’s steel er lead? Ain’t there nothim*either ag 
you go up agin the Rockies? Ef I ain't heard the wost 
snarl 0’ lies I'll be blowed.”’ 
The speaker breathed, He could afford to. breathe, for: 
he was rich. Being rich, however, was not his greatest, 
fault; being over credulous and impatient—bad faults in a: 
sportsman—wrought many of his troubles. Well, when he: 
breathed I tried to answer him by an assurance that reports: 
are nol always authentic, especially when the reports are: 
not veracious. A nervous haste to launch an opinion regard 
Jess of what waters it may sail upon or with what it may 
collide, and alike indifferent to the injury it may do, ac- 
counts for many inaceuracies of report, Again, lack of 
necessary data and an unwillingness to confess ignorance of 
game resorts and means of sport contribute to the game end. 1 
explained to Mr. Impatience that we have considerable game, 
but that game is not ‘jes a crawlin’ plenty,” The large game 
is not so frequently met as the ‘feathery fowl.” Throughout 
our land from east to west there are to be found moose, elk and 
‘Gumpers,” and in certain localities mule deer and caribou. 
Then file in our geese (Anser canadensis) and the ‘‘wavies.” 
The sandhill crane (our wild turkeys) caunot be overlooked, 
They are heavier than the Canada goose, and are fine eat- 
ing. Our duck family is very numerous; the canvas-back 
being the most rare, Mallard, pintail, blue and green-winged 
teal, gadwall; butterballs, woodduck, ring-necked and mer- 
ganser are frequently met, Indeed, we have specimens of 
sixteen well-marked varieties. The ruffed grouse are plenti- 
ful, as are the sharptail grouse, called ‘chickens’ through- 
out the country, An occasional pinnated grouse, with its 
unmistakable declinate curves or feathery tuft extending 
back from the head and neck, is to be met. The spruce 
grouse we have also in every mountain where the evergreens 
are to be found, Then follow the rabbits, quick and slow, 
which are ‘too numerous to mention.” They are declared | 
by some to be more than half hare in their nature. Again, 
we have ‘‘gsrub not game” in the fast and frisky pigeon; and | 
neither grub nor game in the black bear, and they are: 
abundant. Foxes we haye and wolves as well; both the - 
timber wolf and the prairie chap, the coyote. As we ap-- 
proach the Rockies, our list is supplemented by the addition: 
of grizzlies, an occasional buffalo or a small herd, antelope 
and mountain sheep. Martin ‘‘cats” and badger are indis- 
criminate as to locality. The water animals are the regular» 
bill of beaver, otter, mink and ‘‘rats.” 
Ways and means of capture are a larger question than) 
where to find .“‘some game.” The moose has a metallic 
formation located so as to aid his hearing, a means of much 
annoyance to the taxidermist, since the difficulty of drilling 
for the spike which must pass into the ear hole is so preaf, 
The formation resembles both glass and flint under the drill, 
That the exceedingly keen scent and acute hearing of the 
moose accounts largely for the difficulty we experience in 
approaching him is conceded by all. The first fact to be 
learned in moese hunting, I believe to be this, that the monse 
always travels against the wind and never feeds nor lies 
without having described a circle, or almost a circle, stopping 
to feed or lie a short distance to leeward of his track where- 
he crossed the wind. In following his track a careful 
circling at every point where a halt is likely to be called by 
the moose is an absolute necessity. It ueed not be stated! 
that if the hunter follows the track where the circle is de- 
scribed that the game will smel! him if not hear or see him - 
and be off at his three-minute trot, whichin a day willrather ° 
badly distance a hunter, Circling is a good scheme wheu 
following any kind of deer. How to hunt moose and eJk is - 
a question which every second man will assay to settle in. 
the briefest manner. The infrequency of meeting these. 
animals partly accounts for the difficulty of stating method, 
together with their marvelous celerity of movement and \ 
staying power, Itis but a short experience that one cau, 
get from a single interyiew, unless in such a case as that of | 
starting a moose in a thicket without its knowing where you! 
are, and upon your opening fire its circling around you: 
evidently more bewildered every shot. 
Whether a moose will condescend to jump or by any- 
means leave the trot is 4 question of which [should like tw 
hear something from one who really knows, It is believed 
by many that the elk travel—until the snows are somewhat 
deep—tor many miles, and then retrace across the valley and. 
‘over the hills and far away” fo another favorite haunt. If 
this is a fact, light gleams in upon many of the mysteries 
connected with *‘good runs” but no ‘‘hide or hair.” 
The methods of hunting the “‘jumping deer” are various, 
but not sufficiently retined upon, far as 1 know, to be reduced. 
toasystem. Some hunt them on ponies—in prairie country 
of course—surrounding the willow thickets in which shelter 
is often sought. Others try to run them by dogs, but the 
absence of distinct runways makes this method unsatisfac, 
tory. Stalking is what is most common. 
— 
ill 
