206 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. h 1888 



MARSH SHOOTING IN CAPE COD. 



BTJR-R-E-RI Wliat an infernal noise that old alarm 

 clock makes, and sure to break into the best dream 

 and sotmdest slumber. 



Up it is, however, for if a certain proveib is true that 

 "the early bu'd catches the worm," even more so is it that 

 the early sportsman taJies the cream of marsh bird shoot- 

 ing. 



The stai's are still faintly shining thi-ough the morning 

 mist as, after that best preparation for'a day's work, a 

 good hot breakfast, my friend C. and I, laden with de- 

 coys, guns and limch, tramp over the barren hillsides of a 

 sleepy Gape Cod town toward the boat landing, startling 

 on oiir way an old upland plover almost too fat to fly, but 

 much too wary and respectful of himself to be caught 

 within gunshot. 



The sail of oui* little sharpie is hoisted and soon we are 

 mnning down the crooked chamiel of the bay, now and 

 then hearing the soft whistle of a bimch of peep or ring- 

 necks, or watching them while feeding on Qie pebbly 

 shore as we glide silently along, and hardly is the sun 

 well risen when we reach the ixieadows and prepare for 

 business. C. noting the northerly wind concludes to try 

 the mowed land to the south, expecting thereby to have 

 first opportunity at any birds trading as they usually do 

 up wind, and builds his stand on one of the oijen places 

 in the marsh a mile or more away, while I prefer to try 

 my fortune at a large shallow pond hole with oj>en muddy 

 edge, as better for aU-aroiind shooting. The night tide 

 has washed the bUnd, but eelgrass is abimdant, so it is soon 

 repaired; the decoys are set out as naturally as possible, 

 the plover in a bunch at the water's edge facing up wind 

 with one a little apart from the rest, after regulation 

 style, but the "summer" and "winter" yellowlegs scattered 

 over the shallow portion of the pool wherever they may 

 most easily attract the attention of any passing bird or 

 flock, and'then make myself as comfortable as possible, 

 resting on the soft seaweed. 



While thus occupied two men come up and take pos- 

 session of stands to the north and east; and soon it is evi- 

 dent we are to have plenty of company, for surely there 

 is another team toiling tlu:ough the soft deep sand, laden 

 with two others. 



A faint whistle diverts all interest from these new 

 comers, and instead centers our attention on a small 

 bunch of "summers" rapidly approacliing. These soon 

 are ctrchng in the air replying to om- calls, and finally 

 drop to the decoys at the most northerly stand where, 

 just aUghting, two fell dead; the other two, terror- 

 stricken, dart on, agaia wheel to the next decoys, but go 

 no fm'ther on their southern journey. Soon another flock 

 of five come straggling along and scale downward, wMst- 

 ling sociably at sight of then- supposed relations feeding 

 in the pool.' 



Of these two "summers" fall to my right barrel, and 

 one, a "winter," to the left; while the two survivors, not 

 wheeling, make off and soon are out of sight and hearing. 



The long wait following is not heeded, but interested, 

 I watch the nimble movements of the peep and ringiiccks 

 running to and fro aimmd the stand — often looking up in- 

 qtdsitively at me not more than four or five feet distant — 

 feeding and almost incessantly bathing in the warm shal- 

 low water. A short note or squeal, and accepting our 

 invitation a single grass bird, which has passed each of 

 the northerly stands unseen, alights not ten feet distant, 

 composedly smoothes his ruffled feathers a httle and goes 

 industriously to work seeking his breakfast. 



Evidently, however, all is not satisfactory, for with 

 another squeak he flirts up as he came, but departing 

 di'ops Ufeless into the hedge some 20yds. away. What! 

 two more guimers"? yes, and there is still another! Nine 

 persons on this one piece of marsh alone and reports of 

 the guns are heard of others also further down the shore. 

 What wonder that each year birds are reported more and 

 more scarce, and bunches fewer and smaller in size? The 

 last comers prove to be boys who (foi-tunately for us) do 

 not intend to waste then- opportunities; but wish to 

 cruise over the marsh that they may have aU the shooting 

 possible; and after inquu-iug what the show for birds 

 may be, keep on down the shore, and soon are heard 

 banging away at the peep: leaving us in quiet. 



It seems to me that the small boy has never been rightly 

 aijpreciated in shore bird shooting; he very seldom man- 

 ages to secure many of the larger and more shy birds, is 

 well satisfied to shoot some peep (perfectly happy to tramp 

 all day for a few), and is a blessing when bii-ds are scarce, 

 being almost as ' good as a hawk for stirring up birds, 

 vrhich when so driven seem to decoy better than when 

 merely changmg feeding ground. 



Soon another singling grassbird comes along, but makmg 

 a bad miss I have to use a second cartridge, making 

 amends a few minutes later on another single one. Two 

 long hoirrs are whiled away with lunch, pipe and a good 

 nap, from which last the report of a gun arouses; and 

 then the whistles are heard of three birds far away in the 

 west. These wUl not decoy, but nevertheless flying past 

 far up overhead one falls to the occupants of a westerly 

 stand, and one with broken wing to one of those at the 

 east; the first bhd proving to be a jack cmdew, the second 

 a doebird, while the sui-vivor, a blackbreast, completes a 

 very unusual trio. Half an hom- later a single chicken 

 plover comes along, and then foUowiag a pair- of red- 

 breasts passing in a hurry comes from over the bay the 

 attractive note of a blackbreast, and in company with it 

 that of a whiter yellowleg. Replying to our calls they 

 circle once and agam and with set Avings drop down. 

 Just alighting the plover takes alarm, but darting away 

 a charge of shot overtakes him and he falls splashing in 

 the pool, the vidnter. out of range, escapiag without hm-t. 

 My friend C. now comes by on his way to the boat, and 

 hardly is he well past the stand when a bunch of summers 

 comes sailing along over the marsh from the south. These 

 hear our call, tm-n, and in striking contrast to the shyness 

 of our last visitors, with set wings confidingly di-op to 

 the decoys and ahght in the shallow water. 



A pretty sight it is to see the six birds scattered over the 

 pool dipping over the water and arranging then- plumage, 

 and so unconscious of any danger that it seems a shame 

 to disturb them. After some little tune their todets are 

 completed and they make readv to leave, so choosing the 

 only pair I make sure of them, but as the rest rise, too 

 confident of another, make an inexcusable miss with my 

 second barrel. 



One heads away, the other thi-ee, bewildered, turn 

 again to my call, and having hastily reloaded one drops 

 to mj right barrel, and crossing, both the others are cut 



down by my left. It is now too late to hope for more, 

 so decoys are taken up, and after a tiresome walk through 

 the sand reach the boat and soon we are drifting home- 

 ward with the tide, over the smooth water tinted by the 

 setting sun, thed yet content. 



C, brmgs back for his share of the spoils a doebu-d, two 

 blackbreasts and one beetleliead plover, four summers 

 and four grassbu-ds, while I count out one blackbreast and 

 one chicken plover, a winter yellowleg and seven sum- 

 mers, and tlu-ee gi-assbu-ds, also two bluewing teal pitched 

 up on my way to the boat in the evening, 



A rather poor showing for a hard day's work, you say? 

 Well, perhaps it is as compared with sport exjoected only 

 a few years since, bxit very fan- for an ordinary day now. 

 Be that as it may, however, both of us were satisfied, each 

 enjoyed the day; what more can be asked for? 



Boston, 



MY FIRST BEAR HUNT. 



IN the year 1863, while trapping with a friend on Rich- 

 ardson's Lake, in Northern Maine, after a very pleas- 

 ant fall, during which we had explored every stream and 

 pond for many miles around, settmg traps wherever signs 

 indicated any chance for fur, and the season being near 

 its close, snow having begim to fall, we made a trip to the 

 settlement of MagaUoway, a distance of eight miles 

 thi'ough the forests without a ti-ack on the way. In passing 

 a large rock, some ten feet hign, we smprised a Canadian 

 lynx which was crouched upon the top ready to spring 

 upon a rabbit or fox that might pass near by. 'He leaped 

 down upon the opposite side and escaped without giving 

 us a chance shot. Soon after we came upon the fresh 

 track of a bear, and as I stood beside that noble track in 

 the fresh snow, so soft and resj)lendent in the morning 

 light, I felt a thrill pass over me such as I remember 

 having experienced when, a. small boy, from time to time 

 I would ventiu'e to the edge of the forest after a light 

 snow and allow my eyes to feast upon the track of a fox 

 or rabbit. To stand for the fu'st time beside the track of 

 our most noble game will awaken every dormtmt feeling 

 and create a strong deshe to follow the trail and see the 

 home of a bear, at least that was my feeling, so after 

 arriving at the settlement I sought a inan, Mr. Leavitt, 

 who had had some experience with bears, and found him 

 very willing to go. 



Early the next morning we started. Upon coming to 

 the river the ice was found too thin to bear us, so we got 

 some boards which we pushed along one after the other 

 and were enabled to cross. In due time we came to the 

 track in about four inches of snow. It led due south 

 toward Moose Mountain, and over a hardwood ridge 

 which divides the waters of the Uinbagog from those 

 running into Richardson Lake. We had t^vo dogs; one a 

 good bear dog about half bull, the other a fine hound. 

 When we crossed the ridge the dogs shot ahead like an 

 arrow and routed several deer, which stiaick dhectly for 

 Cranberry Bog Pond, which lies about a mile north of 

 tliis ridge. They were soon out of hearing. The hound 

 was never seen aftei"ward. We suppose he broke into 

 the pond or was Idlled by the deer. The other dog found 

 liis way to the settlement. We continued to follow the 

 bear's track, which led us, after many turns, do^vn into a 

 low cedar swamp; and just as darkness began to close 

 ai'ound us we came to an old logging road that leads to 

 Lake Umbagog and called B. Carry. We decided to fol- 

 low it to a camp at the foot of Richardson's Lake and 

 camj) for the night. Soon after we came to a trail cross- 

 ing the road; we made out to see in the darkness that it 

 was an enormous bear's track, the creature having but 

 three feet and one stub, or as we afterAvard found, a fore 

 foot gone except the ball. He stepped only about ten 

 inches and must have made slow progress. Mr. LeaAdtt 

 said he would have that bear at any rate, so we made our 

 Avay to the camp, which we soon had aglow vnth a good 

 fire; and after passing a comfortable night we took an 

 early start for the trail. 



We soon f oimd that this old A^eteran was not so fine to 

 follow as our young dandy bear of yesterday, for the 

 latter chose the best walking ground, while this old 

 fellow AvalloAved and crawled through the most inac- 

 cessible swamps, along the Lake shore to the marsh. No 

 one can imagine what one has to encounter folloAving a 

 bear's trail unless he has once had a taste of the sport. 

 We crawled tlirougli thickets of dead cedai's and over old 

 logs and rocks for miles, then we came to a great tract 

 of burnt land where the pine trees lay across each other 

 in some places ten to fifteen feet deep. We had some 

 hard falls in crossuig on these logs, but as everything bad 

 has an end we came to better ground at last, and were 

 soon sm'iMsed to see a great fine stub haAong rotten wood 

 newly tlnown out over the snow for many feet around. 

 We felt that Ave had got om- bear at last, but upon passing 

 around the stump we saw that he had rejected it and left. 

 With much disappointment we pulled on his ti-ack. He 

 turned to the Avest and crossed the deers' trail near the 

 pond. Many times since I have wished we had followed 

 to the pond' and seen what had occurred there to have 

 caused the death of oiu- noble hoimd, had Ave known that 

 he was lost aa^c should have done so. Our big bear soon 

 crossed the small bear's track along the side of Moose 

 Mountain; there we found where he had been eatmg 

 mountam ash berries, having broken the trees down hi 

 many places, and at last he had made a bed upon a flat 

 rock, but after resting a Avhile he had taken his leave. 

 We followed him to within two miles of the settlement, 

 then as night came on Ave struck for home and came out 

 soon after dark at a clearing. We were very thed: with 

 clothes Avell Avom out, and om- courage not a httle 

 dampened. 



After a good night's rest and plenty of food Ave started 

 upon the morrow, took the track and followed it south to 

 a ledgy hill, where bruin had tried for a den, but could 

 not suit himself. Then he had plunged into a shaky 

 bog and wallowed in sloughs so deep Ave felt siu-e he must 

 get mu-ed; but thev Avill go thi-ough mud that would mhe 

 an alligator. At 'last, after an endless tramping back- 

 Avard and forward, he came to the MagaUoway River and 

 SAvam across. We set to work and made a raft. After 

 breaking away the thm ice so we could launch it, we set 

 sail. One stood upon the forward end with a pole to 

 break the ice so that we could draw it along a narrow 

 canal toward the other shore. The river here is deep and 

 has but little cm-rent. We had the old bear dog again. 

 In attempting to cross on the ice he broke through and 

 came near di-ow^ng; his strength was so nearly exhausted 

 by the breaking of ice and a long cold bath that we had 

 to build a fire and riibhim to revive his energies. We 



were soon again on the trail. After much the same expe- 

 rience, from hill to swarajj and through aU the bad jjlaces 

 he coidd find, we stood at tha close of day upon the shore 

 of the Androscoggin River, and saw a newly frozen track 

 from shore to shore Avhere om game had gone across. As 

 Ave stood there we held a comicil of vrar. I had bad 

 enough of it. I did not lielieve the bear would ever den; 

 and so I thought it of little use to follov,- hiia further. 

 Had I known wliat I liave since learned, I should have 

 felt sure of soon finding him snugly housed. Mr. Leavitt 

 said probably he Avas just across the river, and that we 

 could go down to EitoM, cross there, and, aft<;-r stoppmg 

 over night, go up ujjon the other side and get our bear; 

 but I was anxious to go to the lake to attend to my traps, 

 so I left my companion to go to EiTold, while I returned 

 to MagaUoAvay. 



The remainder of this hunt I wiU relate as I got it from 

 IVIr. Levitt. After passing the night at Errold, he took 

 with him a boy with a sliotgun, he hunselP iiaA ing an axe 

 only, and proceeded to take up the trail on the nposite 

 side of the river. He had gone only a very short distance 

 when he saAv the bear's head protruding" frcjm a hole in 

 an old pine stub. The dog nished up and snapped at him 

 while he struck Avith the back of the axe at Ids head. The 

 bear struck the dog upon the back and took him up on 

 his paAv, fastened by his claA\'s to the skin and was about 

 to take liim in his mouth when a severe blow Avith the 

 axe caused bim to drop tlie dog and make an effort to 

 escape. This he did by breaking through the backsida of 

 the stump. A heavy blow administered upon Ids rump 

 caused the axe to rebound, the thick fur mnktng; a coni- 

 j)lete protection. The boy fired ids gtm to vo <MTcct, while 

 the bear disappeared in thick coA'er. Islx. Leavitt sighed 

 for my heaA^^ repeating rifle, and took tli? ' road nine miles 

 for home. \Yhen he reached home his courage and ener- 

 gies Avere Avell nigh exhausted, bTitupou rehiting his story 

 to his brother-in-law, I\ir. West, ha was persuaded by him 

 to go and ti-y it agam. So they started the next day 

 witli the dog, which had a large wound in bis back. 

 They followed the track into New Hampshire, up 

 among the Diamond River Mountains; fotmd lodgings at 

 a lumberman's camp and started againtlie next morning. 

 About noon the dog, being ahead, came up with the 

 bear on the side of a hiU, and Avhile the dog and bear were 

 engaged the men ran up and sliot him in the side of the 

 head Avith two balls in a little quill gun, Avhich kdled him 

 at once. They found a coat of about 3tn. of fat covering 

 the Aviiole body. They took the skin and fat and reached 

 the lumber camp (where they had stayed the last night) 

 at dark and returned the following morning for the meat, 

 winch proved a valuable addition to the supplies at the 

 camp. All was left there except a fine piece which was 

 awaiting my return when I arrived from the lake. The 

 fat made nine gallons of oil. 



I never have recovered from the disappomtment that I 

 felt when I learned ho^v near I was to that bear when I 

 tm-ned back. Many times since I have remained fiiTn 

 Avhen all others have given up. Just a thought of it Avill 

 cause me to rally Avhen otherwise my courage would 

 falter. I have since folloAved several bears, but none so 

 large as that one. It was found that all the toes of one 

 forward foot had been taken off by a trap. Bruin. 



HUNTING IN THE LONE STAR STATE. 



CAMP LOWER CHEROKEE, San Saba County, Tex. 

 —As I have been a reader of Forest and Stream 

 for some time, and am now in camp on a two Aveeks' bunt 

 and fish, will attempt to give you a history of our trii) 

 from daA^ to day. 



On Tu'esday, the 31st of August, Aveleft Belton with one 

 tAvo-horse wagon and one two-horse truck loaded with 

 tents, cots, blankets, cooking utensils, provisions, guns 

 and dogs, for the Avaters of the Colorado and San Saba 

 rivers. Our party consisted of Mr. M. Lusk, myself and a 

 negi-o called Ben, as driver and cook. Ben is a true type 

 of the genuine African, about 30 years old, fuU of super- 

 stition, fear and creduhty, Our'oatfit Avas ample and 

 complete. 



As the game law was out on Sept. 1, we did not expect 

 to shoot anythmg but squirrels until we arrived at this 

 camp. The first day Ave drove t-went>'-fivc miles and 

 camped at Soev's Gap. On the next day Ave camped on 

 the banks of the beautiful Clear Cherokee Lake, which 

 heads in Llano county, or neai- the line, fi-orn a large 

 spring of pure water, and is supplied through its entira 

 course by large, bold, lasting springs. It abounds in the 

 finest catfish— blue and yellow, black bass and goggle- 

 eyed perch. It has lakes or ponds fi-om * to 1 juile in 

 length, 20 to 40yds. m width, and from 2 to 15ft. deep. 

 We an-ived here about sundoAvn and at once prej)ared om* 

 suijper. We had killed four sqinrrels on tlie way, and 

 Ben di-essed them nicely and made what he called a stew, 

 squirrels cut up in six parts placed in a porcelain-lined 

 pan. He stewed them awhile and then added potatoes 

 cut up A\dth onions and mixed freely with red pepper pods. 

 Wliat a dish it was to a hungry man and how we relished 

 it, as we ate our supper on an improvised table placed 

 over a cot, sitting under large pecan trees with our torch 

 flaring in the south breeze, the young moon peeping 

 tlu-ough the trees, and the atmosphere as clear and pure 

 as man coidd msh. 



Om- horses, after being fed, were staked out onmesqmte 

 grass some distance back from the creek. Mr. Lusk and 

 myself placed our cots under a large pecan tree to protect 

 us' from the deAV. Ben put his cot close by the hack and 

 near the road, and Avas soon asleep. While we were talk- 

 ing about the trip further on, and discussing the character 

 oflhe country ahead, Avhich I knew perfectly well, I was 

 telling Mr. L. there Avas a heavy cedar brake to pass 

 through, which was full of Avolves, panthers, Mexican 

 hogs, chapparal cocks, quail, and almost everything else 

 but bear. At this moment a wolf set up a howl on the 

 opposite side of the creek, and was answered by another 

 not far off, with which Ben Avokc up and remarked that 

 some one lived across the creek and had a lot of dogs, as 

 they were hoA\ding aU around. When I explained that 

 they were not dog's but wolves, he was at the camp-fu-e in 

 a nioment, and lav down there, calling the two dogs, 

 Trustv and Shep, to he down by him. We went to sleep, 

 and about midnight I awoke, and got up and lighting my 

 pipe, sat bv the fire. I thought of the times, only lb 

 years ago, 'when I would not have dared to camp in this 

 place witli a fire burning, for the mmxlerous Comanche 

 Indians at that time made monthly visits, stole horses, 

 murdered all the Avhites they could reach, and kept the 

 people in constant alarm. On this spot in October, 1839, 



