Iteo. 81. 1885. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



449 



but the smallest kinds of deer, and not even then unless hit in 

 a vital spot. Two of my friends who had similar weapons 

 came to the same conclasion after givin.s; them an extensive 

 trial, although duriug the first year they were very well 

 pleased with the results of their shots. If I ever buy an- 

 other rifle for deer stalkiug I intend to try a .40-gauge, the 

 size recommended by "Nessmuk." I have used a .45 ex- 

 press rifle for several years, and am quite satisfied with 

 their killing: powers ; but fancy that a weapon with rather 

 less recoil might give finer oU-liand shooting. 



Mr. Van Dyke, in his remarks upon sights, evidently re- 

 fers to those provided with small steps for altering the ele- 

 vation. I have had three American rifles with sights of this 

 kind, but do not like them nearly so well as those used upon 

 English rifles, which have a fixed block for point blank 

 range and folding leaves for every fifty yards beyond. This 

 is the best possible arrangement for changing very quickly 

 when in the presence of game, and the fore sight need never 

 be raised to an imaginary number of inches above or. below 

 an animal's body, as is sometimes necessary with. American 

 sights. 



"l was glad to read, in Forest and Stream of Oct. 1, a 

 letter by "Nessmuk," in which he at last gives his idea of 

 the best kind of rifle for deer shooting, I was anxious to 

 know the result of his very long experience, having person- 

 ally always used for large game (with the exception of the 

 .36 express above mentioned) either round bullets not less 

 than about an ounce in weight, or conicals of .45-gauge. I 

 quite agree with "JSTessmuk's" opinion that a double rifle is 

 much better than a repeater for game shooting. It is more 

 handy, and there is no weapon with which the second shot 

 can be put in so quickly either to prevent a wounded animal 

 escaping or to stop a dangerous one when charging. 



American double rifles usually seem to be made, as "Ness- 

 muk" describes, with the barrels arranged so that the bullets 

 meet at from 30 to 50 yards from the muzzle. This answers 

 practically very well, at least for all shots up to 100 yards; 

 but I believe that it is better to fix them so that the bullets 

 may remain at all ranges the same distance apart as when 

 leaving the muzzle. It is then easy to acquire the habit of 

 allowing half this width when aimmg at small objects such 

 as a grouse's neck, and at anything beyond 50 yards no al- 

 lowaiice whatever is necessary. When the bullets cross each 

 other their distance apart is constantly increasing, and it is 

 most dillicult to know how much to allow when making a 

 long shot which requires great accuracy, such as at the cen- 

 ter of a deer's neck when looking at the hunter over bushes 

 70 or 80 yards distant, or the center of an antelope's breast 

 when facing the shooter at from 150 to 200 yards. Unfor- 

 tunately very few double rifles even by good makers are 

 really accurate. Usually at 100 yards the bullets will be 

 found to cross each other from four" to sis inches, or throw the 

 same distance apart, and the sights are very commonly ar- 

 ranged.- so as to divide the error between the barrels. 1 have 

 always altered the sighting of my own double rifles so that 

 the left barrel could be depended upon to throw its bullets 

 without deviating to right or left, up to the longest distances 

 at which they were accurate, and have used the right barrel 

 as far as possible for the shorter ranges at which no allow- 

 ance was necessary. 



With the heavy barrels and small gauges used in America 

 the recoil is so slight that there ought to be little ditflculty in 

 making double rifles to shoot well, even with varying 

 charges; but with the lighter weapons and larger bores made 

 in England, the shooting is changed with any alteration in 

 either powder or lead, and it is often impossible to remedy 

 this without producing some other defect. I once had a 

 double two-grooved rifle weighing nine and a half pounds 

 and carrying round belted bullets of thirteen to the pound. 

 It was an extremely true weapon up to over 200 yards, but 

 with only three drams of powder the bullets of the two 

 barrels crossed each other about four inches at 100 yards. 

 With three and one quarter drams they threw practically 

 together, and with three and a half they struck a little apart. 



I have now a 16-bore breechloader, made for naked spher- 

 ical balls of 15 to pound, and very accurate up to 150 yards. 

 Loaded with these and four drams of Curtis & Harvey's No. 

 6 powder, the two barrels throw into the same buUseye at 

 100 yards, but with the same charge of powder and patched 

 bullets of sixteen to pound they form two groups of four to 

 six inches in diameter, separated by an untouched space of 

 four inches, the group of the right barrel being on the left 

 side of the buUseye, and that of the left barrel on the right. 



J. J. M. 



London, Nov. 30. 



TALLAHASSEE GAME NOTES. 



Editor' Forest and Stream: 



The following is a clipping from a city paper : Mr, Frank 

 Hall, of WalkuUa county, came in yesterday with twenty- 

 five wild ducks, four wild turkeys, one deer and a big lot of 

 fine bream as the result of a little hunting expedition of his 

 on East River. 



Also this: John Johnson, a Polk county hunter, carried 

 the venison of nineteen deer into Bartow, last week, and 

 sold it. 



These items show the manner in which hunting is carried 

 on in Florida by a certain class of hunters; and at this rate 

 the depletion of the State of its present abundance of game 

 will prove but a matter of a few years. Tourists and'resi- 

 dent sportsmen hunt for sport ; but a large number of the 

 natives — countrymen generally or colored men — make it a 

 business to bring game to the city, as in the above instances, 

 merely for the money there is in it. Yenison is fairly plen- 

 tiful in this market at from 10 to 15 cents per pound, ducks 

 from 15 to 25 cents, and quails and doves at correspondingly 

 low rates. 



The paper from which the items I have given were taken 

 contained, a week or two ago, a paragraph similar to these, 

 saying that a man from a neighboring county had just 

 brought in a large quantity of game, from the sale of which 

 he was going to pay his taxes. The "honest farmer" turns 

 pot-hunter, and as the latter occupation is somewhat more 

 agreeable and less laborious, he neglects the soil for the 

 muzzleloader and the hounds with satisfactory results — to 

 himself. Market-hunting and hunters may be necessary 

 evils; but it is, in my opinion, being carried too far in this 

 State. It is not even limited as to seasons, for I am told by 

 those who speak authoritatively that the game laws are hon- 

 ored strictly in the breach, not in the observance, by those 

 tempted to shoot out of season ; and the few attempts made 

 to convict offenders have proved futile, as far as I can learn. 

 ]t is to be hoped that the new State Sportsmen's Association 

 will take the cause in hand. 



To one used to the winters of Michigan and HlLnois, it is 

 decidedly a novelty to find himself in a climate almost trop- 

 ical, beneath a clear sky specked by summer clouds, and 



green trees and flowers flourishing luxuriantly around him ; 

 while a day's sport in fishing or hunting is to be had easily 

 and comfortably. No fear of fingers too cold to pull a trig- 

 ger, or a nose too cold to breathe through. 



We have had several frosts, and cover and undergrowth 

 have been killed off sufficiently to make shooting profitable, 

 yet not too easy to be interesting. Little Bob White is 

 "catching it," and many fine bags are made in which he 

 figures prominently, while ducks of various sorts form no 

 inconsiderable part thereof. 



Forest and Stream is doubly welcome in this corner of 

 the country, where there is a dearth of news interesting to 

 sportsmen ; and its bright and readable pages are always 

 scanned with pleasure and the profit of a well-spent even- 

 ing. Bbe. 



Tallahassee, Fla., Dec. 34. 



DEER IN THE ADIRONDACKS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



1 can add to your reports on the enforcement of the anti- 

 hounding law in the Adirondacks, that until the end of Sep- 

 tember no attention was paid to the law by any one who cared 

 to violate it. in the region extending from the Upper Saranac 

 Lake down the Raquette River and thence through to Blue 

 Mountain Lake via the Tupper Lakes. I know that deer 

 were run by hounds all through this countrv, Pliny Rob- 

 bins's house on Little Tupper Lake being a leading head- 

 quarters for the offenders. Later in the season (so I am in- 

 formed) the law received more attention, at least along the 

 Raquette River and in the region of Big Tupper Lake and 

 the Wolf Ponds, and fewer deer than usual were sent out of 

 that country. 



I am convinced that to enforce the new law in this part 

 of the wilderness — and it is a very important part — a fund 

 must be raised by individuals as was done last year in the 

 Beaver Run country (described in your recent number). Three 

 (and perhaps two) vigilant and honest detectives could cover 

 the whole region about which I write, and so alarm bound- 

 ers that the latter would not venture to put out their dogs. 

 Could Forest ^vnd Stream do a better work in enforcing 

 the law -than by undertaking to collect such a fund and to en- 

 gage the necessary detective force? It might be easier to 

 collect the money than to find just the men who should re- 

 ceive it; but I think that among well-known guides they 

 could be found. 



I will subscribe |5 toward such a fund and double it if 

 necessary. L. 



New York, Dec. 23. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Now that the non-hounding deer law has had one j^ear's 

 trial, I am glad to read reports from various sections of the 

 Adirondacks regarding its working and enforcement, and 

 thus judge of what chance it has of becoming a permanent 

 law, "which necessitates being sustained by public opinion 

 and winning over the guides to its support. I see nothing 

 yet published from the south border of the woods. Game 

 Protector Bradley of this district wishes me to say for him 

 that he still adheres to the opinion he expressed in his last 

 year's report, viz., the deer would surel}' increase if the old 

 law was lived up to, and that the general sentiment of this 

 section was in favor of hounding. The new law_ of course 

 makes more work for him, and he thinks it inoperative 

 without some amendments, as his annual report will show. 

 I could give many interesting accounts of evasions and vio- 

 lations that he has discovered but was powerless to prose- 

 cute, but that would be anticipating his report, which would 

 be unfair. 



Personally I am in favor of no hounding, as are many of 

 our club here. Some sp®rtsmen here think that the new 

 law gives those Pennsylvania gunners (we don't call market 

 hunters sportsmen here) who have practiced all the arts of 

 the still-hunter for manj^ years past, an advantage over us 

 here who have generally shot our deer while running before 

 dogs, but a few years' practice would teach us their tricks, 

 if they don't kill all the deer off in the meantime. It would 

 be wise if each section around the woods would appoint a 

 representative, all to meet at Albany this winter, and confer 

 on the subject of proper amendments to the present law. 

 Such amendments if presented to the Legislature by such a 

 representation of practical sportsmen, would have gi-eat 

 weight and be sure to be tried at least one season. 



I think the Hon. R. U. Sherman, Secretary State Fish 

 Commission, would attend such a meeting, and his practical 

 knowledge would be a great help in straightening out the pres- 

 ent inoperative laws. No day passes but what we hear of gross 

 violations at present, and it is impossible for the game pro- 

 tector to investigate half of them. 



The Little Falls man who has paraded himself in the 

 newspapers lately as too virtuous a man to do what he has 

 been charged with, will probably find evidence more than 

 he dreams of, if he ever lets the case come to trial. But 

 such cases as the ex-State official of Albany who. common 

 rumor has it, hired five guides and their dogs to hunt what is 

 known as the Oregon Section, pledging himself to stand be- 

 tween them and the law and relying on said guides' false 

 oaths if arrested, probably will go clear, not only this time 

 but in the future, unless we can get proper amendments to 

 present laws. 



I am pleased to report that we have succeeded in getting 

 our board of supervisors to pass a law prohibiting market 

 hunting, and we hope that the scores of barrels of birds 

 which have every late year been shipped to market, will in 

 future enrich our own tables. 



I was one of four who spent four hours in a big swamp 

 one day last week with one good dog. Just seven shots 

 were fired and we brought home seven as nice rabbits as you 

 could wish to see. 



Every issue of your paper this fall has been very interest- 

 ing to me, and I look forward to many pleasant reminis- 

 cences of the summer woods while reading it by my fireside 

 this winter. N. 



Johnstown, N. Y., Dec. 21. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Agreeable to your request I learned as much as possible of 

 the sentiment prevailing on the deer hounding law in St. 

 Lawrence county. My knowledge is confined mainly to the 

 territory at or adjacent to Cranberry Lake and some parts of 

 the Grass and Oswegatchie rivers. The law, as far as could 

 be learned, had beeu fairly well observed in that section, 

 although there had been some violations. I learned of three 

 occasions on which dogs were put after wounded deer, the 

 game being secured in each case after a short chase. Once 

 I understand a dog was wilfully put out; and some half 

 I dozen doubtful cases were reported, but nothing authentic 

 I was established. TMs was in the immediate vicinity of 



Cranberry Lake, but back some miles from the lake I am 

 creditably informed most flagrant violations occurred, 

 chiefly through the instrumentality of a gentleman from 

 New York most eminent in his profession, but whose aim in 

 the woods seems to be to slaughter the greatest number of 

 deer possible by either filling them with buckshot on a run- 

 way or blowing their brains out in the water. 



I have been myself, in years gone by, an unwilling eye- 

 witness of his methods, and have know him to kill deer in 

 August when his camp held five deer killed within two days, 

 not a pound of which could be disposed of beyond that con- 

 sumed by the gentleman, his companion, three guides and 

 four dogs. 



The guides almost to a man unite in saying that more deer 

 are destroyed by jacking and buckshot than by dogs, but 

 say that if both could be stopped there would be no trouble 

 whatever in finding enough deer by daylight to keep any 

 camp supplied, and what man is there with any sense of the 

 sportsman in him that would not infinitely prefer placing a 

 single ball in the right spot by daylight, to blazing away at 

 thirty feet or less with buckshot at night, or braining the 

 victim with gun or club in the middle of a pond or lake by 

 day. 



The majority of the natives, other than the guides, seem 

 to approve the present law, and if the same feeling only pre- 

 vaOed elsewhere in the woods it would be but a few years 

 hence before the Adirondacks would again teem with game. 



Dm-ing a two weeks' trip still-hunting on leaves and snow 

 I killed three myself, and the rest of the party, my com- 

 panion and our two guides, killed three more, but our game 

 was well earned for it was all by hard work, and matching 

 human skill and patience against their cunning and vigi- 

 lance. Killed at this season of the year there was no danger 

 of waste and we were fortunate enough to be able to bestow 

 on our sportsmen friends at home a liberal allowance of our 

 trophies. 



During my tramps I was greatly surprised to note the 

 scarcity of the ruffed grouse, for where in previous years I 

 have flushed scores this year scarce one was to be found. 



X. 



Syracuse, N. Y. 



Editor Forest and Stre-am: 



Your favor of the 1 0th inst. is received. I am happy to 

 be able to submit in reply information derived from my last 

 year's ex'perience in the capacity of game protector. 



You are aware that my district comprises the counties of 

 St. Lawrence and Franklin, and in answering your in- 

 qukies shall speak principally with reference to them. 



In St. Lawrence county the sentiment against dogging 

 deer is strong and more pronounced than ever. The use of 

 dogs in the pursuit of deer has been less frequent there in 

 the last year than ever before. It is still practiced in the 

 more inaccessible parts, where fear of detection and punish- 

 ment is little prevalent. The offenders are men without 

 character, and, like the thief who steals from his neighbor's 

 hen house, are willing to risk detection for the prospect of 

 unlawful gain. When evidence can be seciu-ed to procure 

 convictions, punishment is prompt to follow. Violators of 

 the game law are treated like violators of other laws, because 

 the feeling of the county, based on the judgment and appre- 

 ciation of its best citizens, is not only radical in a law-abid- 

 ing sentiment, but thoroughly appreciative of the great 

 benefits to result from game protection. 



In Franklin county absolute prohibition of hounding is 

 treated as was partial prohibition under the former law, and 

 as all other provisions of law for the protection of fish and 

 game have been treated, that is to say is violated in the 

 interest of personal greed, and to gratify reckless and 

 wanton love of slaughter. This, so far as I am informed, 

 has been the condition in that county within all memory. 

 The consequence is that deer are so scarce there, particularly 

 in the vicinity of the hotels, that the last resort, the dog, is 

 employed to baffle every instinct of preservation and to over- 

 come every difficulty in pursuit and capture. The hireling 

 guide, in the employment of the mercenary hotel, uses every 

 means suggested by his own cunning and by his unscrupulous 

 "party" to capture the deer. 



The example thus set and encouraged by the hotels is too 

 generally followed by men who make pretension, at least, to 

 respectability, but who are careful, so far as possible, to 

 avoid detection by the meagre facilities the law provides for 

 that purpose. Such men are, of course, hostile to the law, 

 and theu- hostility is measured by the extent of its inter- 

 ference with their criminal practices. And here come in 

 the "sacred rights" of the free-born American — the right of 

 petition., They will petition for the repeal of the anti-hound- 

 ing law, that is to say, will ask to be let alone in their 

 wretched and Inhuman practices. This, of course, will 

 determine the consideration to be given them. 



However, a correct sentiment is gaining ground in Frank- 

 lin county. Many strenuous friends of the law there are 

 unsparing in denunciation of the law-breakers, and in time 

 they will make head against the mercenary interest at work 

 exterminating their game. Exposing them continually, in 

 and out of the county, will effect their purpose, for the dog- 

 gers, when asked for a justification, stand dumb like crim- 

 inals who have only to urge inclination. Sentiment in 

 Franklin county favoring the anti-hounding law is decid- 

 edly on the increase. 



In its working there can be no question but the law pro 

 hibiting dogging has saved large numbers of deer. Instead 

 of the open and declared preparations and practices, we have 

 now the secret and covert methods pursued by the doggers. 

 With such efforts as the game protectors and game protec- 

 tionists are able to make, the practice has been much abated. 

 With continued efforts it will be suppressed, except as 

 isolated cases shall occur beyond the reach of vigilance to 

 prevent, and to be classed with other crimes that, to an ex- 

 tent, always have and jilways will baffle the best police. 



In the last year I have recovered penalties as follows : In 

 Clinton county, |50, for illegal fishing; in St. Lawrence 

 county, two penalties for June killing in Franklin county 

 and one penalty for June killing in St. Lawrence, and six 

 penalties for illegal fishing in St. Lawrence. There are 

 pending in Franklin county one criminal information for 

 hounding, and in St. Lawrence six civil suits for hounding 

 in Franklin, and three civil suits for illegal fishing in 

 Frankhn. 



If this letter be not already too long, let me say that 

 grievous outrages are perpetrated by the still-hunters under 

 cover of moving venison in December. The privilege is 

 availed of to kiU continually in December to within the few 

 days necessary to carry to market before close season com- 

 mences, and this outrage is more secure of immunity than 

 any other violation of the game law. The killing is done in 

 the remote woods, without the possibility of detection. Can 

 not the period for having in possession and handling be lim- 



