168 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. ?A, 1885. 



It Was Eot Sportsmanship.— "Umatilla, Oregon, Sept. 

 9. — Elk are more plentiful in tlie Coos Bay and Umpqua 

 Mountains in Western Oregon this summer than for years, 

 and would-he sportsmen are holding high carnival. One 

 party of three went out and Ivilled six from one band. Two 

 fellows did all the killing, as the third party's gun, a .38-cal., 

 was too small to he effective, but he iired into them until his 

 magazine was empty, and there is no telling how many died 

 a lingering death from his pure wantonness. From all this 

 slaughter they took only two hundred pounds of meat, thus 

 putting themselves far below the skin hunter. Another 

 party killed ei^ht elk, not even going to two of them after 

 they fell. With any kind of care this noble game would 

 tprive in these mountains, and they would be sport for all 

 time to come for the tnie sportsman; but a few more years 

 and tlie vandals will have made them a thing of the past. 



New Jersey Game ant* Fish Protective Society. — At 

 the sixth annual meeting in Plainfleld, Sept. 16, the follow- 

 ing officers were elected for the ensuing year: Directors — 

 Jas. S. Yosscller, William E. Jones, Edward P. Thorn, Wm. 

 L. Force, Martin W. Schenck, Wm. B Dunn, Israel D. Ten 

 Evck, J. W. King, Clias. Smith. Vicc Preaidents — Percy 

 C. Ohl, K. M. Stellc. Jos. B. Miller. Honorary Vice-Presi- 

 dents — Fred. Volckmau. New Tork city; Gen. William 11. 

 Sterling, Plainlield, K J.; .IoIju I. Holly. Plaiufield, N. J,; 

 James K English, Elizabeth, ]N. J. ; William J. Thompson, 

 Gloucester City, K J. Counsel— George P. Suydam, Plain- 

 field, In. J. The Board of Directors subsequently met and 

 elected the following named officers: President, Jas. S. Vos- 

 seller; Secretary, Wm. L. Force: Treasurer. Wm. E. Jones. 



Canadian Non-Export Law.— Deer, wild turkeys, quail, 

 partridges, prairie fowl and woodcock, are prohibited to be 

 exported from the Dominion of Canada by the customs laws 

 passed last session, and all customs officers have been or- 

 dered to be on the alert.— M. 



Taken pgr a Tukkiey.— A Liberty (Mo.) hunter last Fri- 

 day shot at what he supposed was a wild turkey, but was in 

 reality his hunting companion. The victim lived about 

 twenty-four hours. 



INS-OEMATION VTanted.— Wishing to complete our record of Westley 

 Richar ds hamnierless guns, we desire to obtain the address of the 

 present owner of the highest quality gun. No. 13,289. Any sportsman 

 will confer a favor by sending such address to (he undersigned^ A. 

 G. Spalding & Bros,, 108 Madison street, Chicago. J. Palmer O'Niel 

 & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.— ^dv. 



"Bob White," "Partridge," "Quail." — Editor Forest 

 and Stream: If "Wells," "Coahoma" and "S." ai'u througb 

 their discu.ssion on this point, please give us all leave to go 

 on calling the birds by the names we have known them bV 

 They are just as easy" (or hard) to shoot by one name as by 

 another. The prolongation of the discussion recalls the 

 speech of a North Carolina colored member of the State 

 Legistature, who rose and said: "Mistah — Spea-kah — I — 

 yah — did not maginate dat de extenuation o' dis line would 

 extenuate unter dis time, sah," and then sat down again. — 

 Meat Hawk. 



A Mother Doe's Strategy. — ITmatilla, Oregon, — While 

 hunting last June I was eye witness to a neat piece of 

 strategy played by an old doe. I was bear hunting and my 

 dog, while ranging the woods, started a doe and fawn. They 

 came by at race horse speed, not seeing me as I stood 

 perfectly still, and dashed iuto a clump of young fir, and, as 

 I thought, passed on. But directly the doe carafe back with- 

 out the fawn and retraced her course until she met the dog, 

 when she bounded off up the mountain with him following, 

 thus leading all danger away from her baby. — Rifle. 



Ontario. — Paris, Sept. 14. — Fishing and shooting have 

 been rather poor in this neigbborliood this year. I seem to 

 have had extra luck iti the fishing line, having caught over 

 100 pickerel, or as I think you would call thein, "wall-eyed 

 pike," and aljout the same number of bass, the average 

 weight of each kind of fish being one and a half pounds. 

 We hnve hterally no game laws here and the result is that 

 our game is nearty a thing of the past. We have a game 

 and fish protective society but I have never joined them, as 

 1 consider them pot-hunters. — Xl. 



Rail SnooTn^G. —Philadelphia, Sept. 19.— The rail shoot- 

 ing up to two or three days tigo has been very poor. A 

 flight of birds arrived, how^ever^ on the 16th and 17th, and 

 better scores were reported. The rail are now arriving in 

 good numbers, and can be heard every night passing over 

 the city. A run of afternoon tides will take place next week 

 and good shooting is expected. Snipe are arriving and more 

 teal are seen, but the latter keep well up the unfrequented 

 creeks flowing into the Delaware. — Homo. 



A 1«1ew Georgia Law. — Newton, Ga., Sept. 16. — Editor 

 Forest and Stream: Birds plenty this season, thousands of 

 them all over the county, and but few hunters. No market- 

 hunters here, though some in the adjoining county. Under 

 our law parties owning fenced land by posting the same can 

 keep market hunters off their lands. Our Legislature now 

 in session has just passed a law protecting deer, turkeys, 

 squirrels and insectivorous birds till the 1st of October; open 

 season till 1st of April. — Wire Grass. 



High Point, N. C, Sept. 19.— The game prospects in this 

 vicinity are better than I have known tor many years. Quail 

 were never more plenty within my recollection, there are 

 also plenty of squirrels and rabbits and a fair amount of 

 turkeys. It is very dry here, and the hunting is, of course, 

 poor, but we hope for rain soon when we shall have some 

 capital sport. Those four old gobblers still live. Come 

 down and give them some exercise and get them in con 

 dition fur the field trials. — Turk. 



Stale Goods. — The evening papers inform their readers 

 that canvasbacks. redheads and terrapins are in market. 

 Yes, there are a few last year's ducks iu market, that were 

 kept in ice houses all summer, but the pretended epicure 

 who would order tliem sent home now would probably steal 

 sheep. As for terrapin, they are the sickly pen terrapin, 

 the livers of which taste like rancid oil, even in winter, 

 while in hot weather this objectionable flavor is still more 

 pronoimced. — The Cook, Sept. al. 



St. Louis Convt<)ntion. — The arrangements for the St. 

 Louis convention are rapidly approaching completion. The 

 "formulating committee" will meet several prominent gentle- 

 men from other cities, at Mr. J. D. Johnson's office, on Sept 

 28, the day before the meeting of the convention, to draw 

 up suggestions for the open meeting, Mr. Gates has been 

 appointed chairman, and Mr. Peck and Dr. Swander of a 

 committee to arrange for grounds and programme of shoots. 



MiDDLBBURY, Vt., Sept. 31.— Gi'ouse are more plenty 

 with us than they have been in several years. Gray squirrels 

 are not here yet, but as there are plenty of nuts we expect to 

 see them later. Foxes are everywhere, and we look forward 

 to fine sport with them. — Seldom. 



"That reminds me." 

 168. 



I WONDER how many times this old joke has been played 

 on greenhorns, and how many times it will be played. 

 Johnny was night operator at Magnolia and boarded with 

 Mr. H He was a very green youth from somevrhere in 

 New Jersey, and had never before seen so many ducks or 

 heard so much duck talk. He was just crazy to shoot a 

 wild duck or goose, and was generally found wandering 

 around the shore with an old gun he had borrowed. One 

 day he went out without his gun and walked up toward 

 the creek. Here he saw several large white birds moving 

 about among the cattails. He asked Hickey, a curiosity of 

 these parts, what kind of birds they were. Hickey said, 

 "Them's wild swans; why don't you git'your gun and shoot 

 one of them?" Johnny did not wait to hear more, but 

 started off for the house on a full run for a gun. Arriving 

 there pretty well blown, he spurted out with his eyes as big 

 as saucers, "Lend me a gun! lend me a gun! the creek is 

 full of swans; Hickey said they were, and I can get close 

 enough to kill one." The gun was loaned him, and off he 

 went. In about fifteen minutes there was a report, and in 

 about an hour Johnny was seen approaching covered with 

 mud from head to foot, and with a large white bird on his 

 back. He marched proudly up to the porch, where all those 

 about the place had congregated to see what he had got, and 

 with a most consequential air threw down his swan and said, 

 "There, now, let's see j^ou fehows beat that." At this 

 moment Mrs. H. appeared upon the scene, and taking one 

 look at the swan, she went for Johnny. "You dratted fool," 

 she said, "don't you know a tame goose from a wild swan? 

 That's my best young gander you have killed, and you have 

 got to pay for it." The shout that went up from us ' 'fellows" 

 caused Johnny to slink away awfully crestfallen. After he 

 had shot the goose he had a terrible time getting it. He cut 

 several poles and lashed them together, and waded out in the 

 mud most up to his neck before he could get it ashore. The 

 boys never let up on him about his "swan," and it was not 

 very long before he appfied to be transferred to another 

 station. E, H. R. 



Baltimore. 



169. 



Quail are abundant here; squirrels are found in all of the 

 bottom lands, rabbits are plentiful on the uplands and in the 

 fields, and we have a good sprinkhng of wild turkeys, geese, 

 and ducks. The quail shooting here is as fine as there is in 

 the State, and some of our crack shots made some extraor- 

 dinary bags during the last season. All kinds of game win- 

 tcrcd'finely. Our game laws are generally respected by the 

 hunters. Two of our local sportsmen are still quite sore 

 over a joke that was perpetrated on them early in the spring. 

 One of their country friends was coming into town late in 

 the afternoon, and in a bottom close to his house he flushed 

 a fine gang of youug turke3''s. Will and Ed requested him 

 not to telL any one else, as they did not want too many. 

 Great preparations were immediately begun, and long before 

 day the next morning, two men could have been seen with 

 breechloaders on their shoulders and visions of turkey gob- 

 lers in their minds, quietly making their way toward the 

 bottom. A brisk walk oi twenty minutes found them close 

 to the house of their friend, who was waiting for them. An- 

 other short walk of five minutes and a suppressed sh-h-h-h 

 brought the three to a stop. Peeping through the heavy 

 timber, the outlines of several dark objects could be seen 

 high up in the trees. There was a hurried whispering and 

 three guns went up to aim, a low command, and three 

 flashes and three loud reports were followed by the fall of 

 several heavy bodies into the thick underbrush and a loud 

 flapping of wings. There was a quick rush to prevent escape, 

 followed almost immediately by a choice selection of lan- 

 guage, with something about buzzards, fools, efc. If any 

 one thinks those men won't flght, just ask what size shot is 

 best to shoot at buzzards. Bob. 



Graves County, Ky. 



Hartford City, Ind, —Ruffed grouse shooting will be 

 excellent with us this season; birds very plentiful. — 0. 



I was waiting for the train at our station a morning or two 

 ago, talking to an old sporting man and the village parson, 

 when the former told us about a fox-terrier he had bred 

 out of a bitch from the FitzwiUiam Kennels by a dog belonging 

 to a colonel near here, Avho never had a bad one. The pup is 

 about six or seven months old. Late in the seasons a fox was 

 chopped in the gorse and left by the hounds, which went 

 away vsdth another fox. The master ordered the watcher 

 to get liim out, which he did next day, finding a very good 

 head on him. This was .sttilf ed and found its way to a spot a 

 foot or so over the nai-iator's mantelpiece in the dining-room. 

 The terrier, commg in shortly afterwards, began sniffing 

 about untfi. he caught sight of the head To spring on to 

 tile seat of an easy-chair and from the back of that to the 

 mantelpiece, was an iiLstant's work. His owner, coming in, 

 attracted by the smashing of glass the dog had upset in his 

 rush at the head, found him worrying it right merrily. A 

 very gentle chiding was all he got, and the head was put up, 

 as was thought, out of bis reach, 2ft. higher. Shortly after 

 this, as the family sat at dinner, an unaccoimtable scratching 

 noise was heard, and all calls for Gyp proved unavailuig, but 

 a search discovered him up the chimney scotching himself on 

 a disused pot-hook, and tearing with aU his little might at 

 the bnckwork -.vhere tlie brush ought to be, as the head he 

 no doubt reasoned was coming out of a hole on the other side, 

 and the mounting of t ie head gave color to this, and must 

 have a body and brush behind it. So, no doubt, thought Gyp, 

 who, being baulked in his wish to worry tUe head, thought 

 he would liave a go at the other end, but had to bolt up the 

 chunney to do it. — J. L. W. in the Stock Keeper. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



SALMON IN THE COLUMBIA. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



This scrap, cut from an old copy of Land and Water, gives 

 some idea of the great numbers of salmon once found in the 

 Columbia River, and now in a fair way to be exterminated; 



"1 take the liberty of writing to communicate to you a 

 fact respecting the vast incresse of salmon in their native 

 rivers when unmolested, and therebj'" showing that if the 

 poor things had but the chance of getting past the nets at 

 the mouth of our rivers, and of avoiding those horrid small 

 mesh nets along the Kentish coast, which inclose manj'- tons 

 of fry of the smallest and most valuable flsh, which are used 

 merely as manure, what an immense increase of valuable 

 food might be procured from the waters for our population; 

 but I am induced to send you these facts about salmon also 

 because I have never seen them mentioned in any work On 

 ichthyology, so that they may possibly be new even to you. 

 1 have never heard here of salmon being caught in the sea, 

 or In any of out harbors at the mouths of saltnon rivers, but 

 in the year 1846 I was a lieutenant in H. M. 8. Modeste on 

 the N. W. coast of America, and when lying in the inlet of 

 Pugct Sound, a branch of the Straits of Juan de J^'uca. the 

 Indians used to catch salmon of thirty and forty pounds 

 weight almost alongside the ship, by trolling for them in 

 their canoes, using as bait a fish about the size and appear- 

 ance of a four ounce roach. 



"In the Willarrette River, about thirty miles from its 

 junction with the Columbia River, there are falls which, 

 when the waters are high, are about fifteen feet deejj; the 

 river being half a mile broad, at the bottom of the falls is a 

 very deep pool; when the salmon are going up the river they 

 leap these falls, and get over them by the aid of a natural 

 ledge of rock that is about half way up their perpendicular 

 face, but though numbers succeed iu getting up them, a 

 vast number also fail, and these are so bruised with their fall 

 that they die in the pool at the bottom, and such great quan- 

 tities die there as, when the water gets low in August and 

 September, to cause an abominable stench, and to make the 

 river water putrid and undrinkable for a long distance down, 



"In the same year on this N. W. coast, iu about lat. 56", 

 we wH-nt in a man of-war's gig, drawing about eighteen 

 iuches water, up a small stream about as large as the River 

 Adur above Shoreham Bridge; there was a depth of water 

 of about four feet; it was in August, and the fish were re- 

 turning to the sea after spawning; the whole stream was 

 full of them, and so full that they were swimming, or 

 rather floating, on the top of each other, for they were in so 

 very weakly a condition that they could scarcely move a fin 

 or wag a tail; many were dead, and we lifted several out of 

 the water so as to be able to say that we had caught live 

 salmon with our hands, which if in condition would have 

 been 30-pound or 40 pound fish; some were iiooked by the 

 gills and lifted out witb the boathook, so as to be able to say 

 that we had done such a thing, but of course they were 

 quite unfit to eat. The stench from the dead fisii that had 

 been left on the bank by the tide was abominable, but we 

 tried to get on to see what the river was like, but after forc- 

 ing the boat through salmon for about a quarter of a mile 

 we had to give it up, the boat in four feet of water having 

 fairly stuck fast upon the salmon. 



"I am afraid of relating this story, for it Seems .so in- 

 credible that it may be thought to be a 'Traveler's Story,' 

 but I assure you that it is a fact, and the present Admiral 

 Baillie and Captain Maitland Rodney, who were with me in 

 the boat, would tell you the same thing, 



"Thomas George Drake, Captain R.N. (July 16, 1870)." 



I thought this worth sending iu these days of annihilation 

 of all animal life. During 18o6 I visited inost of this region, 

 and I assure you Capt. Drake has not drawu too long a bow. 

 It will not be long before the Colum))ia wiU be as depleted 

 of salmon as our Eastern rivers. Dr. E. C:^terling, 

 Cleveland, O. 



THE PIKE FAMILY. 



V T a recent meeting of the Toledo (0.) Fishing Club, Hon. 

 ^"4- Emory D. Potter, the veteran angler and former Fish 

 Commissioner, gave the following description of the mem- 

 bers of the Esocidm: 



Mr. President, without taking up your lime I would say 

 that I have always been on iniimide terms with the pike. 

 Without further preliminary remarks 1 will give you a short 

 history of the pikes (family of Esocidm). This family of 

 fishes is known by the long cylindrical body, large elongated 

 jaws, armed with strong, sharp hooked teeth, one genus and 

 six or seven species. The species most abundant in Lake 

 Erie and tributaries is the muskalonge {Eso.r, noUUor) the 

 great lake pike, {Esox lucius) the green pike, {Esox reUcula- 

 ius) or Eastern pickerel. We do not propose to enter into a 

 minute scientific description of the varieties of this fish, our 

 aim being to give such description as will enable the fisher- 

 man to recognize them at once, with some account of their 

 habits and the best modes for their capture. 



First— The muskalonge breeds in tbe latter part of May, 

 seeking the shoal waters of rivers and bays, when they pair 

 (they are not polygamous), the pair running side by side, in 

 water so shallow that their dorsal and caudal fins are seen 

 above the water. Here the spawn is fertihzed and dropped 

 upon the sand or gravel. Nature does not seem to have en- 

 dowed them with much wisdoai, for their eggs, laid at high 

 water in the spring on these shoals, dry or become food for 

 the birtis. This fish seldom takes the bait m the upper 

 waters of Lake Erie. In Buffalo Creek, New York, he is a 

 vigorous biter, and Esquire Slade and George Clinton have 

 captured many in that stream. In the St. Lawrence and the 

 tributaries of Lake Ontario they take the bait or the spoon 

 readily. 



In the streams in Southeastern Ohio and Western Penn- 

 sylvabia, they are ravenous biters and are known as the 

 Ohio river pike. They were formerly abundant in the 

 Mahoning and Coshocton in Ohio, and the Beaver and AUe- 

 ghany in Pennsylvania. Without question they are the best 

 table fish, next to white.fi.sh, that is taken in our waters, 

 They grow to a large size, sometimes as high as sixty pounds, 

 and are very rapid growers. At one year of age they will 

 average one pound; at two years, three to five jiounds; three 

 to four years, twenty to thirty five pounds. 



Second— The Great lake pike (Esox liicius) is the most 

 numerous of the species in our waters and the one with 

 which our fishermen are most acquainted. They are found 

 in'Maich and April as soon as the ice is out of the shallow 



