JiTLT 30, 1885.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



7 



canoe and carried it the hundred yards that separated the 

 river from the lake. 1 could write quite a chapter on the 

 cussedness of wounded wildfowl (or perhaps I should say 

 '•the instinct of self-preservation"), but for diving, staying 

 under, skulkins?, and all the tricks practiced by them, I 

 would unbesitatiuQ;ly award the ^oose the palm. We got 

 between this fellow and the ice and let him worry for a 

 while. He would sometimes stay under two minutes, but 

 at last he appeared within sixty feet of the boat. A charge 

 of SSSG from me and a dose of BB from Sam brought 

 him to bag, but he hved fifteen minutes after that, and then 

 only succumbed to treatment that the strongest constitu- 

 tioned sj;oose would fail to withstand. When I fired, the 

 recoil uulocked the breech of the gun, and the brass shell 

 slid out and dropped in the canoe; no harm done, but not 

 "unco pleasant." Greener's patent ejector will please take 

 a back seat. This incident had its effect on the shooting 

 later in the evening, though I "turned off" the ejector by 

 wedging a piece of wood between the locking trigger and 

 its guard. 



On a little tongue of land at the mouth of the Dug-way, 

 we turned over our boat and built a blind on the lee side after 

 covering it with hay. The wind was still blowing a gale, 

 but the night was beautifully clear. The moon was in that 

 phase which the schoolmaster taught us to name "^^ibbons," 

 though I must admit I have never seen the word in print 

 since"; and gladly seize on my first opportunity to "get it 

 ofl:." We sat in the blind up to 11 P, M., and did not see a 

 goose. But the hours were not dull or monotonous. Black 

 ducks whizzed through the air incessantly, and we saw one 

 woodcock and quite a number of snipe. Just darlt, two 

 wood ducks (so Ham said) went skimming around, like mag- 

 nified bats, close to our blmd. They kept up their little 

 game of pilch, dash, dive and dart, for about half an hour. 

 A pah of field mice got into the hay of our blind and shared 

 our vigil. The wind manufactured a sort of jJJolian harp 

 out of the ends of bank grass that hung down between the 

 stem and stern of the canoe and the ground, for the bilge 

 was all the part that touched, add to this the musical coo- 

 hank-limk of from 600 to 800 geese about a mile away, and 

 any sportsman will readily see that we were not lonesome. 

 Sam was smoking, I was dreamily contemplating the lights 

 of Gragetowu which some facetious American said was "the 

 only finished city he ever saw," when a single sharp, clear 

 Imik sounded about 300 yards to windward, and we were on 

 our knees in a trice. Already I could see the dark line of 

 the oncoming flock, about twenty in number. Sam made 

 frantic efforts to get the cover off the locks of his 14 bore 

 muzzleloader, but they were on us before he was ready. I 

 caught the leader, followed his flight for a second, and gave 

 it to him, but though we heard the shot "spat"' on his 

 feathers he did not even change his course. They passed 

 over a blind occupied by the only shooters except us that 

 were on the Dug-way that night, and got a salute from an 

 8-bore and a 14, but none fell. The boys went home. 



For two hours the air was full of geese, the number in the 

 flocks ranging from three to a dozen. Sam took the leader 

 of the second bunch and I the rearmost. Mine pitched into 

 the lake, his went down the Dug-way, but we got neither. 

 In less than a minute three came down the wind like an ex 

 press train, and having a shell in, I covered the foremost 

 and he dropped like a stone. To shorten the story, out of 

 six geese downed from that blind, we took home one. We 

 stayed till morniDg, hoping to recover some of the wounded, 

 but were not successful. 



After the moon went down the air gi'ew more chilly, and 

 to add to our discomfort the water was rising rapidly and 

 threatened to soak through the hay in the bottom of the 

 blind. A lunch of goose breast sandwich helped to make 

 the position more tolerable. Sam hoped that, if we kept 

 still the geese would settle near enough to give us a shot at 

 daylight. I could not move without being saluted with 

 "Keep still, can't you? Don't you know they can seethe 

 least motion 100 yards off, no matter how dark it is?" I 

 di<ln't know anything of the kind, and have not learned it 

 yet. About every ten minutes he would draw out a match 

 and light his pipe", making a series of flash lights that could 

 be seen half a mile off, but a goose couldn't see that, oh no. 

 The rear of the blind was so open that our heads were above 

 it all the time, yet dawn revealed a flock on that side within 

 eighty yards of us. 



They came closer at first, but as they commenced to feed 

 away again, my companion grew uneasy. "They are out of 

 shotgun range, give 'em a careful shot from the rifie and 

 ou'U get one." "How can I deliver a cai-eful shot when 

 'm shivering so that the hobnails are dropping out of my boot 

 soles?" "O! well,then, we'll give 'em a salute with the 

 shotguns." We fired the salute, and every goose acknowl- 

 edged it by many graceful waves of its wings. 



Thus ended a hunt that I enjoyed thoroughly, though the 

 pleasure was somewhat mai-red by the number of cripples 

 we made, for I like to kill cleanly or not at all. I never 

 got hold of a gun that had too much "shake." I want the 

 shot and "plenty of them" at that, to go where I am, and if 

 the aim is incorrect, I am ready to abide by the consequence. 

 I don't want a "comprehensive" weapon. Therefore, for 

 geese, large shot, such as I used the evening in question, in 

 a medium-bore gun, is a delusion. The occasional kills 

 made at long range will not make up for the vexatious misses 

 at short. BB is about the right thing, then, if you wound 

 mortally, pellets enough will strike the game to bring it 

 down at once, while with buckshot and kindred sizes you 

 can only hope for two or three to strike, and they may not 

 touch any vital part. L. I. Flower. 



ADIRONDACK DEER. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have spent some time during the past thhty days in 

 Potter and McKean counties, jPa., and have talked with 

 hunters, hotel men, and land surveyors about the increase of 

 deer in those counties since hounding has been prohibited by 

 law. All agree that it has proved a wise and humane act 

 and that the deer have increased rapidly. One gentleman, 

 a land agent for the Keating lands, who has been through 

 the wild lands camping and surveying weeks at a time each 

 summer and fall, the past twenty-two years, told me that the 

 deer were as abundant in some places now as they were 

 twenty years ago, and much more so than they were eight 

 years ago. 'This gentleman speaks of what he has seen and 

 from an unbiased standpoint, as he neither uses rod nor gun. 



Some persons will keep flinging out wrong ideas about the 

 houndmg act passed at Albany last winter, but I am fully 

 satisfied its benefits will be admitted by nearly all who have 

 a chance to know inside five years. Still-hunting will be 

 savagely attacked by those who wish to run deer with hounds 

 and kill them in the water. It holds true that not near as 



many will be killed by the former as used to be by the latter 

 method. If a guide loses a few days' work which he 

 formerly had in hounding he can more than make it up in 

 November, if he is a good still-hunter, a.s four or five deer 

 will make up for the time formerly used in killing many 

 more than that number. Why? One reason as follows: The 

 larger portion of driven deer are unfit for market, especialljf 

 if September and October are warm, while still-hunted veni- 

 son, if killed in November, is good and brings the best price. 



For sportsmen who wish a deer or two for their own use 

 there is only one way, and that is still-hunting. P. 

 Wellsvillk, N. Y. 



BEAR DOGS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The article on bear dogs tempts me to say something on 

 the subject. When I was a lad not yet in my teens I was 

 sent to live with my grandparents in a far-back settlement 

 in Vermont, where bears were very plenty. Grandfather 

 was a "mighty hunter" and had several sons, chips of the 

 old block. They owned a small black cur, of less than 

 twenty pounds' weight, that took to hunting bears of its own 

 accord, and treed several before he was a year old. Cutting 

 logs for the sawmill that grandfaither owned kept the boys 

 most of the time in the woods, where the dog always fol- 

 lowed. On getting scent of a t>ear Hero would follow it up 

 noiselessly till within biting distance; then came a torrent of 

 sound more like screeching than barking, a sound he gave 

 forth only when near a bear, at the same time getting in his 

 work nipping the bear's heels as often as possible and jump- 

 ing one side to avoid the bear's paw. The bear thus wor- 

 ried would soon tree, and the dog's tune would change. All 

 this was well understood by the boys, and as soon as Hero's 

 bark was heard they started with the old flint-lock Kentucky 

 rifle, and bruin soon came tumbling down. As soon as 

 large enough to hold a gun I was allowed to take a turn 

 shooting, aiad many a bear I "potted." The dog never got 

 a scratch, and died of old age with forty-two bears to his 

 credit. This was the only good bear dog I ever saw, and, 

 Uke Topsy, he "growed so."' Such a dog to-day would be 

 worth the price of a small farm, and I would be willing to 

 pay it for one. Brandon. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I remember once, with a little enthusiasm, of saying in a 

 private letter, which you clipped, something Hke this, that 

 "I never knew an ardent sportsman that was not brave in 

 war and a gentle, kind man in peace and at home." Let a 

 man love the creatures below us, and he finds a never- 

 failing source of happiness and much more to live for. 

 "Pious Jeems" could come among the old "bar hunters" of 

 cur mountains, whose professions are now gone, and with 

 his good-natured eloquence make tears to be shed equal to a 

 camp-meeting. I have been told that some of our latest 

 bear hunters here used with success cross on the shepherd 

 and foxhound. I can remember the savage dogs of old 

 hunters, perhaps cross on the bull and hound. The dogs 

 that answered to Pious's terriers were cross on the courage- 

 ous little fice and cur. Dogs are like men, little and big; 

 some wUl fight and some won't; and I have always heard it 

 related that the beardog came from no particular race or 

 stock. Graeme. 



Southwest Virginia. 



ILLINOIS GAME WARDEN LAW. 



Ij^OLLOWING is the text of the law enacted by the Legis- 

 lature of Illinois providing game wardens : 

 Section 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of 

 Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the Gov- 

 ernor of the State shall appoint three game wardens, one 

 from each of the three largest cities in the State, whose term 

 of office shall be for two years from the time of taking 

 efl'ect of this act or until their successor or successors are 

 appointed; said game wardens shall receive no salary from 

 the State for their services, but shall receive a portion of the 

 fines and proceeds of sale as hereinafter provided. 



Sec. 3. It .shall be the duty of such game wardens to 

 prosecute persons and corporations having in their possession 

 game, deer, wildfowl and birds contrary to law, as herein- 

 after provided, and also to enforce the game laws of this 

 State. 



Sec. 3. If said game wardens or either of them has reason 

 to believe or does believe, that any person or corporation has 

 in his or their possession, contrary to law, any game, deer, 

 wuldfowl, or bird, it shall be the duty of such game wardens 

 to go before any justice of the peace in the county and make 

 affidavit of that fact; said justice shall thereupon issue a 

 search warrant against the person or corporation so com- 

 plained of, directed to any constable of the county, com- 

 manding him to proceed at once and search for said game, 

 deer, wildfowl or bird, and upon finding the same, to seize 

 and take possession of the same and keep it until further 

 ordered by the justice; said constable shall also read said 

 warrant to the owner or person in whose possession said 

 game, deer, wildfowl or bird is found. 



Said warrant shall be substantially as follows : 

 State op Illinois, ) 



County, r*-" 



To any Constable of said county : You are hereby com- 

 manded to search (here describe place), and seize and take 

 possession of, and hold, any game, deer, wildfowl or bird 

 found there; and you (here name owner, or person, or cor- 

 poration in whose possession game is found), are hereby 

 notified to appear before me, at my office, in (here locate 

 office), on (here state time of trial), and show cause why the 

 game, deer, wildfowls or birds should not be sold, and the 

 proceeds thereof distributed as required by law. 



(Date of warrant). (Signature of Justice), 



Justice of the Peace. 



Which said warrant should be returned within not less 

 than twelve, nor more than twenty-four hours from the date 

 thereof. 



Sec. 4. At the time mentioned in said warrant, said justice 

 shall proceed to hear and determine whether said game, deer, 

 wildfowl, or bird, was in the possession of the person or 

 corporation, contrary to law, and if said justice finds that 

 said game, deer, wildfowl, or bird was in the possession of 

 the defendant contrary to law, then said justice shall enter 

 judgment against the defendant, and order a sale of the game, 

 deer, wildfowl or bird seized; but if said justice shaU find 

 that the possession of said deer, wildfowl or bird, was not 

 contrary to law, then the judgment of the court shall be that 

 the same be returned to the person or corporation from whom 

 the same was taken. 



Sec. 5. In case of a judgment and order of sale as speci- 

 fied in section four, then said constable shall at once p^t 



two notices, one at the justice's office and one at the place of 

 sale, specifying in each notice the time and place of sale, 

 not less than five hours from the date of judgment, also a 

 description of the game, deer, or wildfowl to be sold; said 

 place of sale shall be upon the principal produce street or 

 market of the city ; said con.stabIe shall at the time and place 

 mentioned in said notices sell said game, deer, wildfowl, or 

 bird at pubUc auction to the highest bidder for cash, and at 

 once pay the proceeds of such sale iato the justice's court; 

 said constable shall give to the purchaser a certificate of 

 purchase, in which shall be a particular description of the 

 game sold, together with date of sale. 



Sec 6. Said jastice shall, as soon as the proceeds of sale 

 are paid into his court, deduct the amount of his costs, to- 

 gether with the constable's costs, and distribute the balance a.s 

 follows: One half shall be paid to the game warden, which 

 shall be kept by him for his services, and one-half paid into 

 the county treasury for the benefit of the school fund. 



Sec. 6. Said game wardens shall each make an annual 

 report to the Governor, showing the number and kind of 

 game, deer, wildfowl and birds seized and what disposition 

 was made of them, and the amount of the proceeds of the 

 sales. 



Sec. 8. Game wardens shall not be liable for any damage 

 or costs sustained by any person or corporation by reason 

 of the wrongful seizure of game, deer, wildfowl or birds 

 under this act: Provided, however, that the enforcement of 

 this act shall in no wise prevent prosecutions of persons or 

 corporations for violations of the game laws of this State. 



"Staunch on Point." — Augusta, Ga. — Now for an 

 oddity. I was talking to my friend Dr. H., of this place, a 

 few days ago. about the queer positions dogs take in point- 

 ing, and he said last fall his pointer was running very fast 

 down wind, when he ran square into a covey of birds, flush- 

 ing four of them before he got the scent at all. The whir of 

 their wings attracted his attention at once, and he stopped 

 so suddenly as to fall down. In this position, with his feet 

 up in the air, lying on his back with his head turned to one 

 side and fearing to change his position, he actually re- 

 mained for five minutes, pointing the birds tmtil the Doctor 

 flushed and shot at them. As the Doctor is a strictly truth- 

 ful man, and besides had no reason lo "tell a bigger yarn" 

 than I could, I believed bim, but have you ever heard of 

 such a thing being done before? — Old H. 



Movements of B.'^y Birds.— Philadelphia.— The first 

 coming bay birds are just beginning to show themselves on 

 the New Jersey coast. The flights are not large; only strag- 

 glers have appeared. Look out for big flights after the next 

 change in the weather ; a storm will bring them. Some grass 

 plovers are this week passing over Philadelphia at night. It 

 is a little early for them, but by the 1st of August we shall 

 hear many more. — Homo. 



"In C.4KOOT" — AxL expressive slang phrase in use by all 

 classes here as an opprobrious epithet; meaning a concerted 

 partnership or conspiracy to do come illegal act, or, at least, 

 one that is not open or fair. Worcestei puts it too narrow 

 and a little too strong (for us) when he says, "Particularly 

 a party of men engaged in a predatory excursion." "Ca- 

 hoots" not used. — Graeme (Southwest Virginia). 



James Cumminos Drowned.— Utica, July 26. — James 

 Cummings, age sixty, a well-known Adirondack guide, was 

 drowned in Jack's Lake Saturday evening whQe swimming 

 after a drifting boat. 



New Jersey Woodcock.— Brick Church, N. J., July 27. 

 — Woodcock have been very scarce here this season, the 

 greatest number bagged by one man being five. — G. D. L. " 



"That reminds me." 

 157. 



LT^OUR miles east of Connecticut Lake, Magalloways 

 Jl Mountain rises above its waters 1,000 feet. A few 



years ago, on its slope roamed one of the largest specimens 

 of the moose family. The old fellow had escaped from the 

 crust hunters for many years, and the Deacon and friends 

 resolved to try him once. Old Bose, an experienced moose 

 dog, the Deacon's property, must go, no yelping curs would 

 be equal to the task, when once the bull was out of his yard, 

 en route for some more secluded resort. Many weary miles 

 of lake and forest before the first floats were found. I need 

 not describe the exciting cha.se. Bose did his work in a 

 style approved by those who are fond of dog-chewed venison, 

 and the bull was compelled to halt and prepare a "bed" to 

 drive away his tormentor. Bose sat down to wait for the 

 Deacon, as usual. But his blood was up. He had tasted 

 blood, and hardly restrained his anxiety for the coming 

 hunters. The bull was now prepared to meet him, and the 

 tempting nose was not long to be resisted. Bose, just to 

 show off, did take hold. "Land sakes," said the Deacon, 

 "you'd orter see him fly." The nose passed him to the fore, 

 and that to the hind foot, and with ribs crushed and nearly 

 lifeless Bose lay on the crust fifteen feet away. There was 

 no delay on the Deacon's part to avenge the" death of him 

 who had shared his dinners and blanket in many a moose 

 hunt. After the hide was removed from the moose and 

 supper, eaten from the sirloin, the boys were "hugging the 

 muskeeter smudge" as the Deacon remarked, for the night 

 was bitter cold. The Deacon prepared for bed and first en- 

 cased himself in blanket, then rolled the moose hide around 

 him, several feet away from the others. Dayhght and break- 

 fast came, but all was quiet in the moose hide, save for an 

 occasional grunt. A call did not arouse the object under the 

 fir tree, and a vigorous tug at the unwieldly mass awakened 

 the boys to the fact that the "muskeeter smudge" must aid 

 them if they wished to see the Deacon. The object was 

 drawn up to the fire and the Deacon was slowly thawed out 

 to take another look at the remains of Old Bose. 



Ned Norton. 



158. 



Reading the experiences in the columns of your valuable 

 paper lately on battery and sinkbox shooting reminds me 

 of what iny friend, a thorough sportsman, told me happened 

 to him a few years ago. On a eertain Friday early in the 



i 



