Mat SO, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



329 



point in such rapid succession that we were "bothered 

 entirely." 



I could take up columns of your esteemed paper in citing 

 cases from actual experience similar to the above, but I think 

 the two mentioned sufficient to show that from excessive 

 fright or other causes quail can and do withhold their scent 

 to the utter discomfiture of dogs and sportsmen. 



W. W. Mc, 



Sfhingvilt.e, Pa., May 3, 1880. 



RECOLLECTIONS OF A SPORTSMAN.— 111. 



ONE morning in November, after a severe and long con- 

 tinued northeast rain storm, which filled all the ponds 

 and swamps, the sun rose in a perfectly clear sky. The 

 atmosphere possessed that feeling of crisp coolness indicative 

 of approaching frost. It being a holiday the boys were out 

 in force. I had started early after quail, and soon found a 

 covey in our buckwheat patch. I bagged two on the rise, a 

 beautiful right «nd left shot, the first I ever made. Dash 

 behaved nobly, retrieving my birds in fine style and seemed 

 to say, "I'll do my part, if you'll keep your end up." "We 

 followed the birds into the woods where Dash soon pointed 

 a single, that 1 killed with my second barrel. While retriev- 

 ing this bird Dash came to a pretty point, with the dead bird 

 in his mouth — a picture to delight any old sportsman, much 

 more a youth like myself. I flushed the bird and missed it 

 with both barrels, and continued missing all that got up, 

 until I had fired perhaps ten or a dozen shots. When, at- 

 tracted by my firing, seven other boys joined me, having 

 with them one bird dog and two rabbit dogs, feeling that. 

 I had the best dog, and could beat any of them shooting, I 

 was anxious to show off. We proposed to take a short cut 

 through a piece of oak sprouts and woods about half a mile 

 to another buckwheat stubble where we knew a covey of 

 quail dwelt. In going through these oak sprouts, which 

 were eight to ten feet high, and still covered with dead leaves, 

 we struck the biggest lot of flight woodcock it has ever been 

 my luck to see. They had dropped down during or just 

 after the storm, and the place was literally alive with them. 

 I killed seven and probably tired thirty shots to accomplish 

 it. I think our party got thirteen woodcock in all. We then 

 had to go for more ammunition, and when we came back 

 could not find a bird. One of our party, a rather eccentric 

 fellow and one of the best players on our base ball nine, 

 though he couldn't hit a "barn flying" with a shotgun, did a 

 most remarkable thing. A woodcock that several of us had 

 fired at, made a direct flight toward him, flying pretty low 

 down; he threw his gun on the ground, jumped up and 

 caught the bird in his hand as neatly as ever a base ball was 

 caught. Now don't cry "fish story," for this man is yet 

 living, and there were plenty of witnesses. 



A little further on we came to a noted squirrel tree, a tall 

 poplar, dead at the top, hollow about thirty feet from the 

 ground clear to the top. As we came in sight of it I spied a 

 squirrel lying close against the trunk near a hole. I fired 

 quickly to prevent any others shooting first, and struck him 

 hard, but my shot being too small to kill, he got into the 

 hole. It was proposed to smoke them out, and as I was the 

 only one who could climb the tree, to me was delegated this 

 important task. The tree was the tallest in the wood, with- 

 out branches for at least fifty feet. The first hole was about 

 thirty-five feet from the ground, another about half way to 

 the top and one in the top. Tlie trunk near the ground was 

 too thick for me to hug, so we cut a tall slender birch sapling 

 some six inches thick at the but, two boys climbing it and 

 bending it over, while another cut across the but with a 

 jack-knife until it came down. This we leaned against the 

 tree, the boys holding it steady until T shinned up to where 

 I could get a hold on the larger tree. I succeeded in reach- 

 ing the first hole, and it was a pretty hole I can tell you, 

 worn smooth and slick where the squirrels ran out and in. 

 I lit a match and found the draft good. I then produced paper 

 from my pockets and fired it, stuffing it with a lot of leaves 

 into the tree. We waited patiently until it burnt out, but 

 no squirrels came. My stock of paper was almost exhausted 

 and 1 feared I would have to give it up, when some one pro- 

 posed putting in some powder. The difficulty was, how 

 was 1 to set the powder? I happened to remember that 

 1 bad a fishing line in one of my pockets. I let down the 

 line and the boys passed me up a powder flask and more 

 paper, I made a bundle of about two ounces of powder 

 and shoved it well up in the interior of the tree, then I 

 stuffed in more paper, set fire to it, and started cautiously 

 to slide down. I had descended about ten feet when I was 

 notified of the appearance of squirrels by the firing of some 

 half dozen shots. Just then a squirrel ran down the tree and 

 tried to pass me. I struck at him with one hand, when I 

 suddenly felt something like a dozen keen switches striking 

 me and burn like fire. I realized that some of the boys had 

 shot me, and for fear of getting more of it, I dropped some 

 fifteen or twenty feet into soft mud and moss, so my fall tlid 

 not hurt me. The next thing was to whip the boy that shot 

 me, but to this day I have been unable to find out which 

 one did it. There is, however, a standing invitation for him 

 to show up. I soon found I was not seriously hurt, so con- 

 tinued with the party. We could not find any quail, but 

 started a number of rabbits, which we all shot at without 

 effect, except when Dash pointed one in its nest, and I shot 

 its head off. 



As it was going to be moonlight that night, some one pro- 

 posed that we go after opossums, and swing around by the 

 old mill creek and shoot some muskrats, as they now had 

 on their winter coats. It took furs and the like to buy pow- 

 der and shot in those days, when shot sold for twenty-five 

 cents per pound and rifle grade powder at $1.25 per pound. 

 As my wounds were stiff and smarting considerably and I 

 felt quite sore, I declined, knowing well that there was 

 more fun for me iu one of the neighboring farm houses, 

 where dwelt one of the prettiest little Jersey maids to be 

 found in the county. Bedford. 



Albino Turkey. — A well-known resident of Wolf Hill 

 Prairie, Ind., who goes under the name of "Old Wabash," 

 while looking for some cattle in the bottom land the other 

 day, started a big wild turkey. The bird flew over "Old 

 Wabash's" head and was making for the treetops, when 

 "Old Wabash" fired a stick at him and knocked the turkey 

 down and caught him. It turned out to be a young male 

 bird and a partial albino. A large number of persons have 

 seen it, and it now allows them to feed it out of their hands. 

 Since "Old Wabash's" streak of good luck, a large flock of 

 twenty-five turkeys have been seen in the same bottom, 

 among which, it is said, there is one bird almost pure white 

 in color. Several attempts have been made t® shoot it, but, 

 as it w very wary, it has thus far saved its bacon by long 

 flights. 



Cleveland "Game."— Editor Forest and Stream: A huck- 

 ster called my attention this morning to a 'mice lot of game 

 just received from Chicago." The contents of the box I 

 Kive you as he counted it off. You will agree with me that 

 the slaughterer brought quite a variety to bag, especially if 

 the work was all consummated at one hunt: Three prairie 

 hens, 2 blue winged teal, 5 scaup ducks, 3 black-bellied 

 plover, 2 golden plover, 1 kildeer plover, 2 Bartram's plover, 

 23 lesser yellowshanks, 2 solitary sandpipers, 16 pectoral 

 sandpipers, 2 jacksnipes, 2 meadow larks, 1 bobolink. 

 Sixty-four head in all, mostly male birds in full spring plum- 

 age and poor in flesh. The ornithologist will appreciate 

 all this. In the evening I was informed by Monsieur the 

 Huckster, that he had disposed of the "whole lot" to a Mrs. 

 Dude, on the avenue, who is noted for her swell lunches, 

 local humane and foreign missionary efforts. How nice to 

 see those pretty fingers picking the spare meat off the bones 

 of the innocents. The old black cat that skulks in from the 

 meadow with a bluebird in his maw is to be admired when 

 contrasted with the destroyers and consumers of this lot of 

 birds "fresh from Chicago." Success to your game laws, 

 Audubon clubs, anti-hounding deer laws and your efforts to 

 keep railroads out of the Yellowstone Park; but for my part, 

 I quit, I "throw up the sponge," hoping that the coming 

 man will have only Passer domesticus for game and song 

 bird and the European carp for his bamboo rod. — Dr. E. 

 Sterling (Cleveland, O., May 8). 



Newark and Boston Gun Club.— Messrs. William R. 

 Wiliiaras, John lllingworth and Joseph Mundy of Newark, 

 N. J., and Henry A. Priest of Boston, Mass., have taken a 

 five year lease of a large portion of what is known as 

 "Middle farm," on Spesutia Island, Maryland. The organ- 

 ization, which is called the Newark and Boston Gun Club, is 

 limited to the above named members. They are building a 

 beautiful club house which will be well appointed. It faces 

 the famous Havre de Grace flats at the headwaters of 

 Chesapeake Bay, and is the nearest club house to the best 

 canvasback duck grounds. The club is building a large 

 iron steam launch at Newark, N. J., which is to be fitted up 

 with batteries, decoys and boats. Where the club has lo- 

 cated was several winters ago the trysting place for the 

 famous gang of big-gun night shooters. It was on the north 

 shore of Spesutia Island that they met at night at certain 

 periods throughout the year. Fortunately the Maryland 

 ducking shore owners were successful in capturing some of 

 the big- guns and arresting several of the outlaws, as de- 

 tailed at the time in the Forest and Stream. Wash. 

 Barnes, the ringleader, is now employed by Mr. Middleton, 

 who also resides on Spesutia Island. 



Rhode Island Game Law. — The statute enacted Apri 

 28, 1886, provides: Section 1. Section 4 of chapter 94 of tne 

 Public Statutes is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

 "Section 4. Every person who shall take or kill, sell, buy or 

 offer for sale or have in his possession any woodcock from 

 the first day of January to the first day of September; any 

 ruffed grouse or partridge from the first day of January to 

 the fiist day of September; any quail from the first day of 

 January to the first day of October; any Bartram's tattler or 

 upland plover, commonly known in Rhode Island as grass 

 plover, from the first day of April to the first day of August; 

 any dusky or black duck from the first day of March to the 

 first day of September; any wood duck or summer duck 

 from the first day of March to the first day of September; 

 any blue or green-winged teal from the first day of March to 

 the first day of September, shall be fined twenty-five dollars 

 for each of said birds." Sec. 2. This act shall take effect 

 immediately, and all the acts and parts of acts inconsistent 

 herewith are hereby repealed. 



Vermont.— Rutland county has a new game protective 

 club, with headquarters at Rutland and branches in different 

 towns. The officers are: President, W. R. Dorr; Secretary 

 ann Treasurer, D. N. Baxter; Executive Committee — C. L. 

 Howe, A. W. Higgins, J. C. Dunn, O. W. Sterl, S. E. 

 Burnham, G. T. Loop, A. Kilburn, John P. Hunt and W. 

 L. Ferguson. These vice-presidents by towns were elected : 

 Rutland, W. Y. W. Ripley; Benson, H. S. Howard; Bran- 

 don, E. Thayer; Castleton, H. L. Clark; Chittenden, Edwin 

 Horton; Clarendon, W. G. Marsh; Danby, Dr. Frank E. 

 Whipple ; Fair Haven, R. C. Colburn ; Hubbardton, Cyrus 

 Jennings; Ira, Simon L. Peck; Mendon, Alonzo Ormsbee; 

 Middletown, C. E. Green; Mt. Holly, Marshall Tarbell; Mt. 

 Tabor, Edward Foley; Pawlet, D. W. Bromley; Pittsfield, 

 Dr. C. W. Brigham; 'Pittsford, Edward Smith; Poultney, 

 M. J. Horton; Sherburne, D. W. Taylor; Shrewsbury, H. C. 

 Gleason; Sudbury, E. C. Spooner; Tinmouth, I. D. Tubbs; 

 Wallingford, Lyman Batcheller; Wells, R. M. Lewis; West 

 Haven, R. C. Abell. 



Vis Medicatrix Naturae. — A drake wood duck was shot 

 this spring near Eagle Pond, Ind., in whose under bill there 

 was a large hole, through which its tongue protruded. Evi- 

 dently the hole was the result of an old shot wound. The 

 tongue had become callous and enlarged at the tip and the 

 bird was unable to withdraw it. On the same shooting 

 ground this spring seven jacksnipe were killed marked with 

 old shot wounds. One had a No. 10 shot imbedded in the 

 second joint of one of his legs. Old Western gunners say 

 that there is not a live jacksnipe to-day that has not had at 

 least a score of shots fired at it. It would be interesting to 

 hear from shooting men of experience what they consider 

 the natural period of life of the snipe, woodcock, grouse, 

 quail and other game birds. 



A Captured Swan. — Charles Ross, of Lyons, Indiana, 

 made a lucky shot at swans this season at Bee Hunter 

 Prairie. Three came low down over the marsh. Ross saw 

 them coming, and although a flock of geese passed tempt- 

 ingly within range, he did not fire at them, and waited for 

 the approach of the bigger game. The swans came head on, 

 and were just about alighting when Ross fired and downed 

 them all with one barrel. Two fell dead, but the other was 

 only wing-tipped. He was captured after a long chase, and 

 when Ross started for home he made the swan walk in front 

 of him all the way. The town turned out to see Ross driving 

 a wild swan down the road, and a stranger was so much 

 interested he bought the bird for $5. 



Information Wanted.— Perry, N. Y., May 13.— We 

 want a place where a party of four or five can find good deer 

 hunting, and would like a few bear also. Give the name of 

 some party near the locality with whom we could correspond 

 regarding guides, transportation (if necessary) etc.— J. L. W. 



Different Ways op Camping.— I think "W. N. B." can- 

 not have tried the fur bag or he would not condemn it as he 

 does. After sixteen years given up to wild life and big game 

 hunting in all parts of the world, thirteen of which have 

 been spent in Western America, I find that there is no bed 

 so warm or so portable as a fur bag. Mine will go very 

 easily behind my saddle, including an outside waterproof 

 canvas bag, which entirely does away with any necessity 

 for a poncho or ground sheet. It weighs exactly ten pounds 

 and is warmer than three pair of blankets, which is the usual 

 allowance for a man in the mountains, and these would 

 weigh some twenty-four pounds, besides ground sheet and 

 cover. I always try every new and promising device for 

 camping before condemning it. — C. A. M. 



The Narrows. — A club, consisting of twenty -two mem- 

 bers, chiefly Newark men, have leased a ducking shore 

 in "The Narrows," which is six miles south of Havre de 

 Grace. The club has purchased a large sloop to carry the 

 game, and is making ready for a big shoot when the season 

 opens. Canvasbacks and redheads are now circulating a 

 notice at their breeding grounds at Alaska, to beware of 

 "The Narrows" next autumn. 



Florida. — Jupiter Inlet. — Hunting has been quite good 

 the past winter. Deer have been killed in large numbers, 

 especially by the numerous Indian pot-hunters. Wildcats, 

 panther, bear and other smaller game are numerous. Sea- 

 trout, bass, snapper and other fishing good. — G. G . F. 



New Jersey. — New laws prohibit killing red or gray 

 squirrels during months of November and December; im- 

 pose a fine for having in possession any sort of game after 

 the same has been snared; restrict killing European pheasant, 

 partridge or grouse for three years. 



A Pigeon Storm. — A Titusville, Pa., old resident recalls 

 that on March 25, 1852, in a tremendous snow storm great 

 flocks of pigeons were blinded and bewildered, and coming 

 to the ground were killed by hundreds. 



But Lots of Fun. — Vicksburg, Miss., May 6. — We had 

 an interesting trip after turkeys, but found the birds "up to 

 snuff," and got only three in a ten days' hunt. — P. 



East Berkshire, Vt, May 12. — No spring shooting of 

 ducks about here, because they did not come to be shot. 

 Trout fishing has started in fine. — L. 



m mtd |w <$ishing. 



FLY-FISHING FOR SHAD. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The shad season of 1886 has opened with brighter pros- 

 pects than the three previous years have shown at the same 

 date. Not having ray memoranda with me, 1 will have to 

 trust a treacherous memory, which reminds me that the sea- 

 son of 1883 opened some days after the 25th of May, with 

 very unsatisfactory results. The season of 1884 opened 

 about the 1st of June, and for some days the fishermen had 

 to be satisfied with from one to three fish per day ; 1885 

 opened with one shad on the 21st of May and no very per- 

 ceptable increase until June. The three years were un- 

 profitable except in blistered hands from persistent rowing. 

 The season of 1886 opened Saturday, 15th, with seventeen 

 shad, all good fish. To-day, Monday noon, shows consider- 

 able increase on Saturday's catch. How it will continue re- 

 mains to be seen. Let us hope the anglers will find a few 

 pleasant hours with the Connecticut River shad. 



The two seasons of 1884 and 1885 gave the fish a better 

 opportunity to do their own hatching than they have had 

 for the previous eight years. With the exception of three 

 days last summer and about a week of the summer previous, 

 surplus water was running over the dam. Through the close 

 seasons of both years (when out after bass) shad were plenty 

 and good size. 



One evening in September, 1884, I was wading and whip- 

 ping the rapids between the bridge and the dam. The fish 

 were so attentive to my personal pleasures I did not notice 

 that a storm was gathering. I was manipulating a 3-pound 

 bass in strong water between the large stones which dot the 

 bed of the river, unconscious of the then raging storm until 

 the fish swam up the rainstorm, passing over my head and 

 seeking refuge in another pool behind me — out of the 'vyater 

 into the wet. After he had found his way to the creel the 

 storm was about spent. Making my way across lots for my 

 boat below the bridge, I struck a pool about three rods long 

 and a rod and a half wide, in which were about two dozen 

 shad. They could not get out of it, as there was no flow of 

 water through. The water raised that night and set them 

 free. 



Will keep you posted on the prospects for the fly. 



Thos. Chalmers. 



Holyokjs, Mass., May 17. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your " Correspondents" column of last week I notice 

 the statement that "the only spot where the fly-fishing for 

 shad it successful is below the dam at Holyoke, Mass. " 



Very fine shad are taken with the fly on the Housatonic 

 River," near Birmingham, Conn. 



The shad of this river are widely known as being equal in 

 size and excellence to any found in the United State8. 

 Formerly they ran up to spawning grounds many miles above 

 Birmingham, and in those days I believe were never taken 

 with the fly, but several years since a dam twenty-two feet 

 in height was built at the place named, and at the same time 

 a huge timber box, so fearfully and wonderfully made that 

 it is a terror to all well-organized shad, was placed in the 

 dam and called a " fishway." The natural result is that all 

 fish now make Birmingham their terminus, and as no seines 

 or nets are allowed here, the shad congregate in great num- 

 bers, giving much sport to the local fly-fisherman. 



Thomas Clapham. 



Roslyn, N. Y. 



[We knew perfectly well that shad had been taken with a 

 fly on the Housatonic, having fished there for them with suc- 

 cess. The omission to mention this locality was an over- 

 sight for which we cannot account. We have always re- 

 garded it as an uncertain locality, however, and have never 

 considered it worth while to send anglers there. We are glad 

 to know that ahad take the fly freely on that river.] 



