368 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 3, 1885. 



A "JUMBO" BUCK. 



THE largest deer killed in this section for fifteen j'earswas 

 recently shot by Mr. Isaac C. Haas, of Baltimore, Md., 

 a iunter of considerable experience in the mountains and 

 lields. On tbis occasion the party consisted of the foUowin^c 

 buntsmen : Mr. James W. Miller and Mr. Jebu Wilson, of 

 Mill Gap, Hardy county. W. Va.; Mr. Levi C. Stewart, of 

 Wardensville," W. Va,, and Mr. Isaac C. Haas, of Baltimore, 

 Md. Thursday, Nov. 12, at davbreak, the party hurfiedlv 

 climbed the craggy cliffs of Mill Mountain, and when they 

 reached a desired point a halt was made for a few minutes. 

 After exchanging a few words in regard to the drive, two of 

 the party entered the dense undergrowth and the other two 

 remained at crossings, where deer generally pass when 

 driven from their haunts in the brush. Probably an hour 

 elapsed when Mr. Haas saw a big buck coming toward him 

 in double-quick time; but in a second the gun came to his 

 shoulder, and as his finger pressed the fatal trigger, simul- 

 taneously with the crack of the gun the noble old' buck fell 

 backward and died in a minute or so. When Jehu Wilson 

 came he exclaimed, "Great Scott! He's big as a steer!" 

 The deer weiglied 203 pounds, and measured 5 feet 7 inches 

 from the tip end of the nose to the tip end of the tail. The 

 most remarkable thing is that this big buck was instantly 

 killed with N"o. 3 shot at a distance of forty-seven yards, 

 about thirty pellets hitting him in the neck and breast. The 

 gun used w-as a Greener 10-bore 'choke. A rather siucular 

 coincidence in this connection is that Mr. Haas liilled a tour- 

 prong buck twenty years ago near this same spot, and hit 

 him in the neck with four buckshot, though the deer ran 

 more than 100 yards before he yielded to death. 



Unless the States pass rigid laws prohibiting the hounding 

 of deer, it will not be long before this noble game will be 

 completely exterminated. A law should be enacted in every 

 State giving a premium of $2.50 for every hound scalp when 

 caught running deer. Then the mountaineer would feel en- 

 couraged in exterminating the hounds. Nim. 

 Lost Hiver, Hardy County, W. Va., Nov. 20. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Two deer were brought into market last week, one weigh- 

 ing 250 pounds, undoubtedly the largest buck shot in this 

 section in years. They were killed near Bear Lake. It is 

 snowing to day and several gunners are preparing for rabbits 

 to morrow. W. B. L. 



BCRANTON, Pa., Nov. 33. 



Who Takes the Deer?— Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 25.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: If one parly is chasing a deer 

 and another kills it, it is the property of the man killing it. 

 Wild animals are the subject of qualified propert_y so long as 

 man retains his dominion over them. Kent. 348. In Pier- 

 son V. Post, 8 Caines, l7o, the Supreme Court of New York 

 held that pursuit alone gave no property in animals ferte 

 miura. In Buster v. Newkirk, 20 Johns. 75, the same 

 court held that the mere pursuit and being in sight of the 

 animal did not create property, because no possession had 

 been acquired. The Roman law provided that property in 

 a wounded wild beast did not attach untQ the beast "was 

 actually taken. I think the rule actually laid down by all 

 authorities is that the animal must be so restrained by nets 

 or otherwise that it cannot escape before the right of prop- 

 erty attaches. This rule may be modified by general custom 

 in particular localities, but evidence of such a universal 

 custom in that locality would be necessary to establish any 

 right in the pursuer. The New York Legislature provided 

 that in the counties of Queens and Suffolk that any person 

 chasing deer shall be deemed to be in possession while in 

 fresh pursuit thereof. I know of no other attempt to change 

 the general rule. — Casual. 



How THEY Have Gone and Why. — Berthoud, Colo., 

 Nov. '- 8. — Editor Forest and Stream: I have just returned 

 from my third annual hunt in Wyoming. We were out 

 thirty-five days and our party of four wagons and six men 

 brought home in all eighteen elk, nineteen deer, four moun- 

 tain sheep and a number of antelope, white jack rabbits and 

 sage hens. My part of the bag was eight elk, six blacktail 

 deer, one whitetaU buck and several antelope and one moun- 

 tain sheep. The antelope we used mostly for camp meat, so 

 we don't keep much track of how many we do kill; just so 

 long as there is any antelope in camp it is used as camp 

 meat by the outfit. We saw some bear sign and plenty of 

 Bob cat and mountain lion sign, but did not happen to run 

 across any of them. 1 killed the largest bull elk 1 ever saw. 

 These hunting trips are not all fun. About the time we 

 started for home we had an eight days' storm so that in some 

 places it took six horses to the wagon to pull through. The 

 hUls were full of hunters; and elk in Wyoming will soon be 

 gone, like the buffalo. There are now only small bands of 

 ten or fifteen, where two years ago I saw them in bands of 

 five hundred to one thousand. — A. A. K. 



G.\>rE IN THE Southwest. — Memphis, Teun., Nov. 27. — 

 I saw to-day at a commission merchant's on Front street, 

 three large white swans. They were killed near Cottonwood 

 Point, on the Mississippi River, near the south line of 

 Missouri. These are the largest bu'ds I ever saw, saving the 

 great American Thanksgiving bird, called by the convivial 

 "Shepard" of ''Ettrick Forest," the "bubbly jock." I sup- 

 pose the swan is a very rare bird, as in all my wanderings I 

 have never seen a live one in the wild state. The Memphis 

 mai'kets are full of game, ducks, geese, wild turkeys, deer 

 and bear predominating. Game of all kinds is unusually 

 abundant this season. Several hunting parties from the 

 upper country have passed Memphis on their way to the 

 swamps of Mississippi and Arkansas. One of these parties, 

 from Cincinnati, traveled in a small light draft steamboat, 

 fitted up for hunting purposes, and seemed prepared to have 

 a very comfortable and jolly time. They were going up the 

 St. Francis, into the region of the "Sunk Lands," said to be 

 a very paradise for hunters. — Coahoma. 



Kansas Quail.— Capt. W. W. Jndy, of St. Louis, 

 recently returned from his trip to Council Groves, Kas. 

 During their stay at Council Groves the four guns accounted 

 for 400 quail and one grouse. Capt. Judy says that he never 

 saw game so thick in his life. There were any number of 

 bevies of quail, while the grouse had formed into immense 

 packs, and were, as usual under such circumstances, very 

 wild. One pack must have numbered, the captain thinks, 

 quite 5,0C0 birds. The shooters only obtained stragglers. 

 The honors of the town and the rights to obtain shooting 

 were very kindly and generously obtained for the visitors by 

 Messrs. Charlie Schaeffer and H, E. Hagger of Council 

 Groves, 



_ A Baltimore Buck's Escapade.— A deer hunt took place 

 111 the .streets of Baltimore yesterday. It was more exciting 

 than a chase of the Elkridge hounds after a fox The deer 

 belonged to the Druid Hill Park herd, and was a youno' 

 buck, about two years old, with budding antlers. He 

 escaped from the Park between 11 and 12 o'clock in the 

 morning, and entered the city by way of the Hookstown 

 road, brom there he ran into Fremont street, and was seen 

 by several small boys and a little yellow cur. The boys and 

 the yellow cur went for him, and the deer let himself out. 

 They all came down Fremont street as fast as their legs could 

 carry them, the deer with head erect, the boys yelling and 

 the yellow dog barking. The deer distanced his pursuers 

 after running three or four squares, and slackened his pace 

 for awhile, but the pursuit was taken up again by more 

 small boys, and he had to e;o even faster than before, for at 

 each corner his pursuers increased in numbers. Children 

 and grown persons walking along the streets hid themselves 

 behind doorsteps, and by their cries scared the deer so much 

 that he fairly leaped through the air. From Fremont street 

 he turned into Baltimore street, and startled the pedestrians 

 to such an extent that there was a stampede- into various 

 convenient retreats. Down Baltimore street he flew, and 

 when near Pearl street was confronted by a man armed with 

 a hoisted umbrella. The man shoved the umbrella toward 

 the deer, and the animal leaped through a $60 plate-glass win- 

 dow at No. 447. There was a tremendous crash, and a mo- 

 ment afterward the deer emerged from the window with blood 

 streaming from his head and sides, where deep gashes had 

 been made by the sharp edges of the glass. The deer was now 

 almost beside himself with terror. His feet barely touched 

 the stones as he went straight ahead toward Eutaw 'street. A 

 number of persons on Eutaw^ street, corner of Baltimore sti-eet 

 blocked his way on Baltimore street, but he eluded them and 

 ran down Eutaw street to German street, and from there to 

 Sharpe street, and then to Barre street, from which point he 

 made a bee line for Light street wharf. Men and boys and 

 dogs were after him, shouting and barking. At Light street 

 the frightened animal sped southward. A crowd of young 

 fellows at the corner of York street saw him coming and 

 tried to head him off. His enemies were now behind and in 

 front. The only way to escape was to take to the water. 

 At Lee street he saw his opportunity and took advantage of 

 it. He made a desperate leap and cleared the top of the 

 engine house of a mud machine and reached the water in 

 safety. The leap was fully thirty-five feet, and was so unex- 

 pected and so amazing that his pursuers stopped on the wharf 

 and looked at him with admiration as he swam around the 

 basin. Then somebody suggested that he might be pursued 

 in a rowboat, and five minutes thereafter two boats were in 

 hot chase. Robert Slainc was the first person to catch hold 

 of him. He grasped the deer by the tail, and held on so ten- 

 aciously that that part of the hide slipped off, and the deer 

 came near getting away. Slaine w^as pulled partly into the 

 water by the deer, and his clothes were soaked. Daniel 

 Burns and Martin Conley went to his assistance, and by 

 holding the deer's head under water they finally succeeded 

 in capturing him and fetched him ashore, where they were 

 received by nearly 600 persons. They took the deer to 

 Slaine's house, No. 40 Lee street, and tied him up in the 

 yard. He succeeded in breaking loose once or twice, but 

 was soon overcome by exhaustion. Crowds of people called 

 at the house to see the captive, and the hunt was the talk of 

 the day. Captain Cassell will make a requisition tor an 

 ambulance and restore the runaway to the park herd. The 

 store on Baltimore street where the window was broken is 

 occupied by Frederick Lang, merchant tailor.— Baltimore 

 Sun. 



Michigan Deeb Killed eok Export,— From every side 

 reports continue to reach the Marquette Mirdng Journal con- 

 cerning the wholesale slaughter of deer in that vicinity. If 

 such reckless destruction is allowed to continue it will not 

 be long before the deer will be as few and far between here 

 as are elephants and boa-constrictors. During the month of 

 October alone there were shipped from the station of Munis- 

 ing 17,500 pounds of venison, to one firm in Detroit. Only 

 the saddles were shipped, the rest of the deer being allowed 

 to go to waste where killed. Nearly 18,000 pounds of veni- 

 son saddles, shipped to one firm from a small station on the 

 D., M. & M. ! It does not require much foresight to show 

 that soon our boasted hunting will be a thing of the past. 

 Many carca.sse8 were shipped fi-om Munisingtothis city and 

 other points, but these do not enter into the amount given, 

 the gi-and total would be still more alarming. Up to some 

 time in October, it is stated, over 700 deer had been shipped 

 from Au Train, many of which were killed out of season. 

 Recently a man drove to Munising and dumped ten large- 

 sized deer upon the platform for shipment. Such facts, and 

 nearly every person acquainted with the subject can add to 

 them, go to show that something must be done to stop this 

 illegal and wholesale killing of deer. From Negaunee and 

 Ishpeming accounts come of pit-falls, steel traps, set in run- 

 ways, set-guns and other unlawful devices being discovered 

 in the woods about those cities. Marquette once had a 

 society for the protection of game; if not dead, it certainly 

 is in a slumber so profound as to be alarming. Everybody 

 is ready to admit that such slaughter as is now going on is 

 shameful, but (.'nergetic, determined men are needed to put 

 a stop to it and see that the guilty receive the punishment 

 they richly deserve. It is true that the present is the law- 

 ful season for killing deer, but it is not lawful even now to 

 kill them in every way, .shape or manner possible. 



Why Not Gr\ e It a Chance?— Every once m a while 

 an item like this goes the rounds: "A deer came down 

 Franklin _ street, Saginaw City, yesterday morning, and, 

 jumping into the river, commenced swimming for the oppo- 

 site shore. Officers Sheehan and Baskius procured a boat 

 and took after the animal, and succeeded in killing it near 

 the other side of the river. The deer was a doe and about 

 two years old, and had evidently been hunted for some time, 

 as it was very much distressed' when it took to the water. 

 It weighed 115 pounds." When a deer, hard pressed and 

 frantic, leaves the woods and takes to town, why not give it 

 a chance? Is there any sport in water-killing such game? 



Luck —Kent county, N. B., Nov. 24.— I have been down 

 on two different parts of our coast goose shooting this fall 

 at different times, but did not have enough luck to secure a 

 good bag. Geese and brant were very wild and did not 

 decoy well, and unfortunate tides did not suit, being low all 

 day. There were others of the party who rather prided 

 themselves on their shooting capabilities, who got little or 

 nothing, so I console myself. Perhaps my luck may turn. 

 — H. 



A Deer Near Town,— Last Saturday morning Rev. 

 lather Kelly went out on the hill half a mile west of To- 

 wanda, Pa., to look for partridges, taking one of his fine dogs, 

 with him. Getting tired he sat down on a I02; to rest, and 

 while resting he heard a slight rustling a few rods away 

 Looking, he saw a splendid buck within forty feet, standing 

 broadside and still, his head behind a tree where he could 

 not see the hunter. He raised his shote uu. tonk aim at the 

 deer's tempting side, and then remembering that lie had only 

 No. 8 shot, and not wishing to merely woimd the noble ani- 

 mal, he put his gun down and left him unharmed. After a 

 few moments the deer scented him and went away leisurely. 

 A Towanda hunter does not often see such game, "and a deer 

 is not often in such luck when discovered. A number of 

 hunters have since been out looking for the deer, but none 

 have seen him. — B&poi^ter, 



_ Fish and Game PROTECTtON.— Notwithstanding the 

 inclement weather, the Massachusetts Fish and Game Pro- 

 tective Association held a well attended meeting at the- 

 Parker House Tuesday evenina:, full forty members being- 

 present. Many were the stories of the fall campai'Tu in- 

 wood and field (evidently not without health and pleasure to 

 many), but it is to be doubted if all the accounts were ac- 

 cepted without some suspicions as to the veracity of the 

 narrators; but they were good stories. After suiaper the 

 Association was called to order, and proceeded to business. 

 Messrs. Thatcher Magown, Wra. S. Stevens E. J. Ward- 

 well and M. P. Clough, proposed at the last meetiTig were 

 elected members. Letters from different localities in regard 

 to gawe law violations were read, accounts of prosecution 

 were presented, and various other matters of routine busi- 

 ness transacted. 



Galveston, Tex., Nov. 25.— Duck shooting has fairlv 

 begun here, and there will be good sport from now on. 

 Hunters report very good sport with the ducks and geese at 

 Bolivar, Smith's Point, Caranckway Shoals and Diddnson. 

 The birds do not decoy well in consequence of the Idockade 

 they have to run before they arrive within fifiy miles of this 

 place. Very good shooting can be had at any of (be above- 

 named places, especially Smith's Point, for brant and canvas-' 

 backs. Indications point to very good sport this winter in 

 consequence of the late fall rains, waich filled every slough 

 for miles around, and the acorns were never in better condi- 

 tion for eating. If any of your corresjiondents ever happen 

 to wander down here I nan promise them good duck and 

 goose shooting over decoys, providing the weather is good.— 

 Redbreast. 



Quail in West Jersey.— Notwithstanding over 5,000 

 quail were liberated in the five counties of New -lersey over 

 which the West .Jersey Game Protective Association has 

 jurisdiction, everybody complains of the apparent scarcity of 

 coveys found in the lower counties. It is stated, however, 

 by those that know that there are still plenty of birds there' 

 but the thickets that harbor them are left only at dawn and 

 at sunset, and the birds feed but a short distance from these 

 briar patches, where they cannot be approached by either 

 dogs or sportsmen when they take to them for shelter. Rab- 

 bit shooters who scour the woods with beagles stal;e that they 

 put up many coveys. This would prove that there are plenty 

 of quail still, but that they have changed their habits through 

 fear of man. — Homo. 



Philadelphia Notes. — Canvasback ducks have shown 

 themselves in increased numbers since the cold weather. 

 Many redheads are also on; the latter are beconiina: very 

 wild. Rabbits are unusually plentiful in New .Jersey this 

 season. A large deer was killed at Woodbine. Atlantic 

 county, N, J., last Tuesday. I have heard of twenty-eight 

 thus far being killed in this county since Nov. 1. Hawks, 

 are numerous on the New .Jersey peninsula, and the bounty 

 for their pates should not have Deen reduced from fifty to 

 twenty-five cents. Duck shooting at Barnegat and Tucker- 

 ton bays has been good during the week; the cold weather 

 is bringing the brant. A few geese were kiUed from the 

 Bunches on Thursday last. — Homo, 



Toronto, Canada, Nov. 10.— Hare hunting this fall ha& 

 been unusually good, some fine bags having been made. 

 Within a radius of thirty miles from here you can get your 

 dozen or more hares if you have a couple of good dogs, trained 

 to the business. About a week ago three of our local sports- 

 men went to Mono Road, thirty miles from here, returning 

 with eighteen hares and three brace of woodcock to their 

 credit, only being in the bush six hours, Will give you an 

 account of a hunt later on, which is to take placemen the 26th 

 inst, (ThanksgivingDay)weather permitting.— Dread Shot, 



HAitE AND Wildcat.— Hornellsville, N. Y.— A man 

 named Hare shot a lynx or wildcat in the woods near Cam- 

 eron yesterday and brought the animal up to J. O. Fellows 

 where it now" is, in his shop. The cat is a young one, ap- 

 parently two years old, but would not have been a very at- 

 tractive partner to balance to in a scrimmage. 



A Fox ON the Line,— Fair Haven, Vt., Nov. 27.— The 

 first fox of the season was shot on 'Thanksgiving day by 

 .John Harrison near the boundary line between this and 

 New York. Gray foxes are reported quite plenty, and 

 good sport is looked for the coming season.— Ned. 



An Albino Quail was recently shot by F. N. Peabody,. 

 of North Stonington, Conn. A snow white quaiLshot some 

 3' ears ago by C. C. Treanor. of Deckertow^n, N. J,, is on: 

 exhibition in that town. 



One Gate an Many Roads.— A curious little leaflpt, published by 

 the Traveler's Insai-aiice Company, of Hartford, gives a stardin^r 

 collection of varieties of accidental injuries, oa which claims have 

 been paid by the Company. Tew people realize the varied scope of 

 such casualties. "They have," says this document, 'involved every 

 part of the body, from scalp to toes: have occurred thi-ough in-stru- 

 mentahty, animate or inanimate, from babies to oxen, from tacks to 

 hydrauhc presses, from teakettles to locomotives: in every depart- 

 ment of hfe, at home and abroad, at work and atplay. day and night, 

 walking and riding, in one's occupation and out of it." It cites cuts, 

 stepping on sharp articles, and running theui into the hands and 

 fingers ; sticking tools into the flesh, getting limbs or body mashed, 

 bruised, pierced, kicked, bitten, broken sprained or crushed; eyes 

 hurt, falls and slips, riding and driving accidents, biirns and scalds, 

 accidents from firearms, from burning bmldiags, railroad and eleva- 

 tor accidents, etc., etc. Its own part toward the alleviation of these 

 hurts has been to pay out over S.S,(WO,000 for rhem , «.S4;).000 of which 

 was in 1884. Out of 115,000 men insured in it, it paid claims on|17,eo0, 

 or over one-seventh of the whole— certainly good evidence of prompt 

 equity in adjusting the claims,— 



