May 21, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



329 



If Washington county "had depended upon officials alone and 

 had not taken interest in protection, it would not now dare to 

 boast that it is the best deer park in New England, if not in 

 the United States, although small. 



1 would have the citizens of Franklin county form a fish 

 and game association at Faraiington, and have it work 

 under" or with the direct ion of the Commissioners. Skow- 

 hegan or Watcrville would be another point where an asso- 

 ciation could do good work. 1 know the Commissioners 

 would aid in such a move 



I see no difference in nationalities as to their poaching pro- 

 clivities. Our appropriation should be large enough to have 

 a good police around the whole border, but as it is our 

 efficient wardens can do a great, deal to preserve our 

 privileges. If we know laws are broken, we should inform 

 at once the proper officers or else be silent and remain 

 recreant to our duty and enemies to law. There is no such 

 tiling as neutrality to protection, for we are either for or 

 agaiust. say what you please. It has ever been a great help 

 to us in Maine that you have given us a chance in your paper 

 to discuss this subject of game protection. 1 do not wish 

 you to think in this hasty communication that 1 am finding 

 fault, but I do wish to ventilate this whole subject of game 

 protection in Oxford, Fraukliu, and all counties upon the 

 border. I know our Commissioners are not parties to rotten- 

 ness. Old Trra. 



Machias, 3Ie., May 11. 



[If we correctly interpret the above, the writer means to 

 hint that the report of the venison case came from some of 

 the enemies of Maine game protection. This is quite far 

 from the fact. Our information that the 2,700 pounds of 

 venison had been hauled into Kingfield came from a source 

 which we cannot for a moment question. The venison was 

 there; that is a fact that can in no way be disputed. The 

 record of the weighing can doubtless be had from the 

 customs official.] 



AN UNVARNISHED TALE. 



OUR party usually consists of from four to six persons 

 who have had a deer hunt annually for the past fifteen 

 years, sometimes camping, but of late boarding in some pri- 

 vate family. Three of our former number have passed over 

 the river and we miss them, for better hunters are not to be 

 found. We have our party kept up by the addition of new 

 members. Mr. P. of Penn Yan, N. Y., has been one of the 

 party for more than fifteen years, and has not failed to put 

 in an appearance at the appointed time each season. We 

 made arrangements to leave Palo, Mich. , Nov. 10. Our party 

 consisted of four, P., the Doctor, Cob, and myself. Our arm's 

 were two repeating rifles .44-cal., one double shotgun with 

 auxiliary barrel .38-cal., and a Baker three-barrel, 10-bore 

 shot, ntie .44-cal. We arrived at Baldwin and found P. and 

 Caster with the team, ready for a ride of seven miles over a 

 rough road and the night so dark that if the horses had not 

 been white we would have been unable to have seen them. 

 Mr. Caster being familiar with the road, we arrived safely 

 about midnight. 



Tuesday, Nov. 11. — As we had hunted on this ground 

 more or less for a number of years, each one took his own 

 course, with a view to looking over the ground and to see 

 what the prospects were for deer. Comparing notes in the 

 evening we found that not one of the party had seen a deer. 

 The weather was warm, leaves dry, and the hunting noisv, 

 and it continued so for nearly two weeks. 



12tb.— Cob brought with him an old dog for the purpose of 

 trailing deer, wounded or otherwise. This morning Cob took 

 his dog, P. aud myself going with him. Cob led the dog and 

 carried a bell. The dog was trailing two deer. P. and I 

 were keeping near, but somewhat in advance of the bell. 

 About 11 o'clock we raised the deer, and P. got in some 

 three or four shots as they were running through the oak 

 grubs. On examination we found blood and that the two 

 deer bad gone into a narrow strip of thick oak and pine 

 bushes, a clearing being on each side and a road on one end. 

 I ran around to the road and took a position where I could 

 command a view of the brush bordering on the road. P. 

 took a position in the field on the west side. Cob followed 

 the track with the dog. I had been at my stand but a few 

 minutes before the wounded deer came in sight, within 

 range, and I made ray first shot, scored a miss, but got a 

 second, which took effect in the shoulder. The deer now 

 ran across the field where P. and Cob were at this time, and 

 now the shooting match commenced, which resulted in 

 bringing to bag our first deer, after twenty-six shots. On 

 this and on another occasion I was using a .38-cal. repeater, 

 very kindly furnished me by Mr, Caster. I went to the 

 house and reported progress. Mr. Caster took his team and 

 brought in the deer, and from now on we had venison to eat. 

 This was a forked-horned buck and fat. The other deer 

 passed out on the east side and escaped. In the afternoon 

 P. and Cob trailed a fawn and wounded it in the hind foot, 

 and after a long tramp failed to get it. Doc hunted by him- 

 self, but failed to kill, although he had some shots. 



13th.— Cob took his dog aud trailed the lawn they left the 

 previous evening. He soon raised it and shot it. Second 

 deer. No others reported to day. 



14th.— I was standing on a runway this morning, when a 

 fawn chased by a small dog belonging to a resident here, ran 

 past me within six rods, and I scored a clean miss. And 

 right then and there 1 thought of my own gun and the am- 

 munition that was not within my reach. A nice deer lost by 

 some one's carelessuess. 1 think my box came this evening, 

 and from this timeT used my own gun. The week closed 

 without bagging another deer, although the party got in a 

 good amount of running shots among the oak grubs. 



16th. —Sunday was a day of rest, and occupied chiefly in 

 reading. 



17th. — I think that this day Cob shot a forked-horned buck. 

 Some day before this, three of the party were hunting in 

 company, when P. got a running shot at'a deer which ran to 

 the Hoctor who shot at it, then it went away. The Doctor 

 claimed it was crippled. Cob started this forked-horned 

 buck near the same place, and found when he got it that one 

 foreleg was broken, and we concluded that this was the deer 

 that P. and the Doctor had shot at. This evening we had 

 an addition of two to our party, Harv and Bill of Muskegon. 

 Harv had been one of our party in a number of hunts in 

 former years, and for getting shots and missing deer he will 

 hold his own with any of the party. Bill was a new man in 

 the party, young, large, excitable and full of hunt; so rnucn 

 so, that tie was sure to be in advance of any of the party 

 when hunting in company with them. They were armed 

 wit h Ken uedy rifles, 44-calibtr. 



18th.— We started out this morning six strong, and went 

 to bunting grounds about four miles northeast, where we 

 had killed many a deer on former occasions. Within a few 



years there had been three logging roads built, on which are 

 used locomotives, and large tracts of pine have been cut aud 

 removed, and fire bas run through the choppings, leaving 

 the ground almost destitute of any cover for deer, yet the 

 deer feed on the grass and other green things that grow very 

 quick after a burning. We usually find an abundance of 

 tracks on these choppings where the deer have been during 

 the night, and occasionally find a deer there in day time, 

 but they generally go to the, thickets and lie down during the 

 day. Cob, with dog and bell, started through the chopping, 

 the rest of the party, some on each side of him, keeping 

 within hearing of the bell. It was not long before Harv saw 

 a large buck some two hundred yards distant in the slashing, 

 and commenced shooting, the deer at the same time coming 

 nearer to him. But just at this time a fawn that had been 

 started came near running over Harv, which took his atten- 

 tion for the moment. Without goiug into details, I will say 

 that he pumped bis magazine empty, and both deer escaped 

 without a scratch— thirteen shots. 



19tb. — Cob made three shots at a very large buck. One of 

 his cartridges missed fire and he tried" it the second time, 

 and it failed again; he then threw it out, but as the deer was 

 doing his levef best in getting through the brush, Cob laid 

 the blame all on the bad caitridge for his not getting that 

 buck. Some of us were not so fortunate as to have misfires 

 to help us out when we did some poor shooting. 



20th. — Hunted with a bell, and took a big tramp. A 

 number of deer were seen, but all at long ranges, except a 

 fawn which ran the gauntlet between three of the party, 

 each making two shots at it. I never felt more as though" I 

 would like to be somewhere else than when that shooting 

 was going on. It appeared to me that they were shooting 

 right toward me, and I was not far off. I caught a glimpse 

 of the deer as it passed me, and it was going for all it was 

 worth, and so I let it go and did not shoot. Perhaps I 

 oupht to make some apology for the Doctor, Cob and Harv 

 for their bad shooting at this time. Well, in the first place, 

 the deer was being chased by that little dog that I referred 

 to on another occasion ; and secondly, the deer was in the 

 midst of them without any warning, the bushes being quite 

 thick, and the dog gave no tongue. We feel disposed under 

 such circumstances to let them down easy, for we know 

 how it is ourselves. After this we proceeded, and came to 

 where another party were hunting with dogs. A boy with 

 a Zulu had broken the leg of a doe with buckshot, and the 

 party were after it with a dog, when it came within range 

 of P., who shot it. They paid us $1 25 and took the deer, 

 aud were well pleased. Thus ended this day's hunt. 



21st. — The weather continued dry, and still-hunting was 

 a dry business, so we took two small dogs to start deer out 

 of the thickets. I took my stand where I was when I missed 

 the fawn with the repeating rifle, but misjudged her posi- 

 tion, for I only got a quantity of hair and a small piece of 

 skin . The party now got together and went in the direction 

 taken by the doe, aud soon started three deer, a doe and two 

 fawns. * The. Doctor and Cob had gone to some runways 

 about a mile distant. I with some others of the party were 

 following through with the dogs when we heard the shoot- 

 ing begin. Cob saw the deer coming, and as they were going 

 to pass below him he had to run about fifteen" rods to the 

 brink of the hill so as to see them as they passed, but being' 

 young and a good runner he got there and put in about seven 

 shots, and the Doctor, being further on, got in two shots. 

 Cob had laid out one of the fawns, but the Doctor failed 

 to stop the other fawn. Cob when running to get where 

 he could see the deer sprained one of his ankles, which 

 accident came near spoiling the rest of his hunt. After 

 hanging up the fawn, P., Harv and I went to some stands 

 a mile or more distant and waited for the rest of the party 

 to drive through with the dogs. They soon started the doe, 

 which soon came in sight, and P. got in three or four shots. 

 Harv being some eighty rods in advance, got in four or five 

 shots. I had taken a position across a valley about sixty 

 rods in advance of P., and saw the deer as soon as P., but 

 at his first shot the deer turned to pass out of the valley be- 

 tween us. I ran to get a view of the valley, but his second 

 turned her, and she passed directly in front of where I had 

 been standing. I got back in time to see Harv make his 

 shots, and to see the deer run some eight rods with flag 

 hoisted and making good time. As soon as we came to 

 Harv, he said he had shot the deer through, and that she had 

 lain down within a few rods of where lie had shot her. We 

 took the trail and fonnd some blood, only occasionally a 

 drop. Something very singular happened. Alter following 

 some distance, P. picked up a piece of fat some three inches 

 or more across each way, and as we followed on we found a 

 number of smaller pieces. I don't recollect of seeing any- 

 thing of the kind before, although I have hunted for more 

 than forty years. As the trailing was difficult, Harv went 

 to the house and got Cob's dog. We waited until he came, 

 and then started on the trail, and raised the deer within a 

 mile and shot her, and on examination found she had been 

 shot through the pauuch, and that there was protruding from 

 the ball hole quite an amount of fat. This finished this day's 

 sport. 



22d.— P. and Cob shot a deer which, after being wounded, 

 ran on to a pond that was frozen over, but the ice would not 

 bear a man. Iu the evening Mr. Caster took his team and 

 boat and some of the party went and brought the deer home. 

 23d.— Sunday, During the past night it rained, and to- 

 day the weather changed, grew cold, and snowed some. 



24! h.— Fair tracking snow this morning. The Doctor 

 killed a small buck to-day. Have had a number of shots to- 

 day at long range, but failed to kill. Cob got some hair 

 from a buck. Just before dusk the Doctor got a shot at 

 a large b'ick at long range, and shot him through rather too 

 high. Bill followed the track and found him lying down, 

 and found he was bleeding some, but he got away, Bill 

 shooting as he ran. The doctor had started for home and 

 was in a road when the buck crossed near him, when he put 

 in a couple of shots. It was now getting dusk and they 

 came in. The Doctor did at times the thing that he did not 

 wish to do, and this was what was the matter to-day. When 

 he intended to shoot buckshot he was sure to shoot the rifle, 

 and that was his excuse for not killing the buck when he 

 crossed the road. 



25th.— It snowed during the night. The Doctor and Bill 

 went for the wounded deer but were unable to track him. 

 This was one of those unlucky days when, with a good 

 snow, we failed to get a deer. 



26th.— The Doctor and Cob still-hunted— Cob got two 

 fawns. The Doctor found the buck he had wounded dead, 

 and he brought home the skin. P., Harv, Bill and I con- 

 cluded to try the bell again to-day. I took the bell, and 

 soon found a track which I followed a long distance without 

 starting it, but started four others which ran past Bill, who 

 got in about eight shots, wounding two slightly. 1 then 



took their tracks and followed till near night, but we failed 

 to get any of them. Deer act very strangely at times, and 

 these were not an exception. I followed them to within 

 about four rods of a large tent and stable where there was 

 a party camped, and one person in the tent and five deer 

 hanging in front of the tent, and it appeared from the tracks 

 that the deer had stood and took a view of all the surround- 

 ings, and then walked away without being frightened in the 

 least, while four of us had been doing our best and failed 

 to get a shot after Bill's first shooting. 



27th. — All of us started in company this morning aud 

 found two deer not far away. Harv got the first shot and 

 wounded one, and now four of the party commenced pump- 

 ing their magazine guns, and kept it up as long as there was 

 a deer in sight. One was killed; the other got away without 

 being hit. After hanging up the one, P., Cob and I went 

 for the one that ran away, and after following it a long dis- 

 tance and starting it a number of times without seeing it, 

 and finding it was coming back to near the place we started 

 it, P. and Cob proposed to go and cet on some runways, 

 while I followed the deer through. After eating my luuch, 

 being very cold, I put on my mittens aud started off, with- 

 out any idea of getting a shot myself but hoping that P. or 

 Cob would stop it on the runway. After following about a 

 half mile I came within about forty feel of it, lying just on 

 the opposite side of a log from me, and looking directly in 

 the opposite direction from where I stood. I got that mitten 

 off pretty quick and shot it before it got up. This was my 

 first deer. Bill shot a fine doe, making three for this day s 

 hunt. J 



28th. — We started out this morning and soon found the 

 track of a buck which had gone into a piece of dry timber 

 and thick undergrowth and lain down. P. was on the 

 track, Harv was on one side and 1 was on the other. P. 

 started the buck, and he came sneaking along, jumping 

 very low, with tail down. When passing me within a few 

 rods, I gave him a charge of buckshot, which brought him 

 down without more shooting. This was the only large 

 buck killed during our hunt that was got in good condition, 

 the Doctor being unfortunate in losing the one he shot. 



29th.— To-day we gathered in and skinned out our veni- 

 son, packed our boxes with about eighty pounds each of the 

 best of the meat, which we took home and divided with our 

 friends. 



30th.— Mr. Caster took us to Baldwin, where we took the 

 early train, arriving at Palo in the evening, having spent 

 three weeks very pleasantly, feeling that our hunt was a 

 success, not in slaughtering deer, but in the sport and recrea- 

 tion that the true sportsman only kuows how to enjoy. I 

 have made this hunting story too long, and If it needs an 

 apology, all I have to say is, that I will not be likely to tell 

 many more, as 1 have passed my sixty-ninth birthday. If 

 my health permits, I hope to take auother hunt next fall. 

 If this goes into the waste basket, I have enjoyed thinking 

 over the hunt and the evenings enjoyed in telling over the 

 incidents connected with each day's sport. 



Still-Huntek. 



Palo, Ionia County, Mich. 



OUR PANTHER. 



IT is now about a month since, in writing from New 

 Orleans to the Northern papers I represent, I related my 

 first experience as a huntress; experience which had but 

 lately come to me out in Western Louisiana. Other papers 

 took up the item, copying and recopying, until my friends 

 began to write me, inquiring: what it all meant 'You 

 ninety pound disciple of Eli Perkins," savs one, "do you 

 think anybody will believe all that? You out hunting!" 

 "I know your constitutional terror of firearms," writes 

 another, "you quake at the sound of the shot in the hem of 

 your riding habit." And so they have all beset me, with an 

 effect, to say the least, discouraging on a young writer. I 

 would, therefore, be glad of an opportunity to narrate, in 

 prosaic and unemotional sentences, the actual facts concern- 

 ing the panther that we did shoot. 



We were part of a happy party of excursionists (chiefly 

 from the North) who had left New Orleans early on Ash 

 Wednesday for a fortnight in the' western portion of the 

 State. We were chaperoned by an estimable Louisiana 

 millionaire, his brother-in law and sister. We numbered 

 over thirty, only three being ladies. We had all sorts of 

 objects in view. We wanted a change of scene; also a good 

 time; also to pluck oranges with our own hands and shy 

 them at the pigs; also to witness the wonderful marsh- 

 reclaiming operations on a certain million-acre tract of laud- 

 also to do some fishing; also some hunting; also to take "a 

 day off." Nearly all the gentlemen were provided with 

 guns, and we were so fortunate as to have with us ths 

 champion shot of Louisiana, Mr. Granville Shaw. We took 

 this loute: Left New Orleans at 8 A M. by Air Line to 

 Lake Charles, a pretty town 218 miles directly west. At 

 Lake Cnarles, on the lake of same name, boats awaited us 

 which were specially victualled, cabined-off and provided 

 with colored servants. Nothing had been left undone for 

 our extreme comfort and happiness. And I am sure none 

 of the company will ever forget those happy, adventurous 

 days. When our fleet had circled about a bit in the lake 

 we started southward through the Calcasieu River into Lake 

 Calcasieu. Here we loitered several days and watched the 

 immense pumps, engines, plows, ditchers and drainers at 

 work making fine land out of desolate swamps. Then we 

 at last proceeded on to the Gulf. Meantime our gentlemen 

 had had some trifling shots by the way. Plenty of ducks, 

 blackbirds and even alligators had presented themselves 

 But shooting in earnest was deferred uutil we should have 

 passed up the Sabine and anchored at Orange. This we did 

 safely after an uneventful thirty -six hours space on the Gulf. 

 Our hunters were now all ready and anxious to proceed to 

 business. Such of them as 1 am at liberty to mention are: 

 J. B Watkins, of New Orleans; Prof. Thompson, of Lake 

 Charles; Granville Shaw, of Abbeville; Dr. McCoy of 

 Kansas City, Duval Sweeney, of San Francisco, Thos. Iiees, 

 of Spnugtield; Major Foley, of Cincinnati; E. D. Calkins 

 of the Burlington Hawkeye; W. A. Croffut, of the New York 

 World, and Hon. E. Moody Boynton, of Boston. Besides 

 myself, there were two ladies (one achaperone) whom I may 

 only mention as Mrs. F. and Miss G. In attire we strove to 

 approach as nearly as possible the regulation outfit, at the 

 same time, endeavoring not to lose sight of the picturesque 

 Rubber jackets and boot-lee-gins for The men, while we poor 

 women did the best we could in our plainest dresses, skirts 

 looped high, stout boots, gossamer waterproofs and "lone- 

 fisherman" head-gear. It seemed a pity that we could not 

 be photographed as we looked that cloudy morning; we 

 thirteen gunners. 



We had purposed penetrating the forests north and east of 



