S64 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



(.Deo. 8, 1886, 



DEER IN THE NORTH WOODS. 



Editor Forest and St7'eam: 



Having returned from a camp out on tlie Beaver River 

 in the Adirondacks, I will report in relation to the same 

 and the working of our present game law. The fu'st half 

 of last mouth was spent in exploring the country north 

 and west of Moose Lake, taking in Twitchell Lake and the 

 country drained by its outlet. Until recently this section 

 has been noted for its abundance of game, chiefly owing 

 to its being inaccessible for most parties to reach by the 

 ordinary way of travel. Deer could be seen at all times 

 of day diuing the summer or fall months f eedmg in and 

 around the lakes and many ponds, and the trout were so 

 plenty that the sport often became monotonous within a 

 few" hom-3. That the above was not an illusion may be 

 seen in old sign still in existence, too deeply imprinted by 

 well worn paths and the cropping off of brush and foliage 

 to be soon obhterated. But what a change. I visited 

 Twitchell on the 13th of last month and for;nd that a road 

 at no small cost had been opened from the South Fork 

 seven miles over to the lake. Two hoiises for the ac- 

 commodation of summer guests had been erected, with a 

 supply of skilfs, jacks, etc., in store, and several times 

 during t he day I heard the baying of hounds on the hills 

 south of the lake in pursuit of game. The next morning 

 I took the trail and came out to the South Fork, scarcely 

 seeing the track of a deer aimmd the lake or on my way 

 out. In fact that whole country has been completely 

 stripped of its game> but not by the still-hunter, as there 

 is not a camjo in all that section. 



After this I tried still-hunting on the leaves. Let us 

 now see how this law works. I go several hrmdred miles 

 in October for a few days' recreation, it is dry, waxm 

 weather, and the ground is covered with a coating of 

 crisp leaves and sticks. After jumxiing up some half 

 dozen deer, and firing at each as they run, from one to 

 five shots, just owing to tlie distance off when first seen, 

 and to the density of the woods, I succeed in bagging one. 

 Several others are liit, some quite hard, but they all scvLny 

 away on the dry leaves, mix up where tracks ai"e plenty 

 and I soon lose the trail, give them up and go for others. 

 Now I have no chance for a choice, I take the first one 

 presenting « shot, be it large or small. Well, I skin out 

 and hang up the saddle, replenishing my larder from the 

 fore quarters. The wea.ther turns damp and muggy, and 

 the green flies swarm, the saddle will spoil if kept wraT> 

 ped in. the liide, and if opened will be covered vrith fly 

 blows in an hom-'s time. A week later, after shooting at 

 several more, another small one is secm-ed, shot tlirough 

 one ham; and is hung up to dry. After several moro i-un- 

 ning shots a third one is secured. By this time tlie first 

 saddle is so near spoiled, that I dare not risk it three 

 days on the road in ti-ansportation. So I take the last one 

 killed, telling a neighbor where he can find a stale 

 saddle at the camp, and by going a mile east can find 

 what the pine martin, ravens and venison birds have left 

 of the second one. 



Now I claim that this summer hunting for deer is all 

 wi-ong. Ti-ue, the quota can be filled, but in doing so a 

 wasteful extermination must necessarily follow. To 

 compel a man to hunt (if at all) upon the leaves, wound- 

 ing and losing three deer to get one, is a shame. Ahorse 

 will ti-ot a mile in less than two and one-half minutes. It 

 takes a ^ital shot to kill a deer in twee that time. If you 

 wound a deer it is going as fast and far as its strength 

 will permit. If it lives only one minute it is capable of 



Eutting at least one-third of a mile between it and the 

 unter. The question is, how many hunters are expert 

 enough to follow a deer for that distance on dry leaves; 

 or how many would think of doing it if they coidd? 

 Secondly, it gives the hunter no choice whatever to pick 

 out his game. He is compelled to take that presented as 

 he bunts through the woods looking for any and all. 

 Third, it is killed at a time of year Avlien it can neither be 

 kept, transported home, nor utilized to any advantage. 

 No other State in the Union has, I beHeve, so inconsistent 

 a game law as this. The clause limiting the mmiber to 

 three deer is aU right. But if it allows tlie killmg of tliree, 

 why not allow the sportsman to slnp them home for use ? 

 and if it is lawful to kill three in August, September or 

 October, when it is doubtful aboiit keeping even one, 

 would it be any worse for the hunter to wait and kill his 

 three deer in November when it could all be saved? I 

 think not. In fact, I never thought it economical in any 

 sense of the word to hunt deer except on a good snow, 

 then the fawns are all weaned and bucks and does are in 

 prime condition. A good snow is very essential in assist- 

 ing one to pick out, follow and get a shot at a nice buck 

 instead of a small doe or fawn, and more essential still is 

 it when a deer is wounded, as it can then be followed up 

 and secured by a second shot. Thus he is quite sure of 

 securiug the three first deer shot at, or at least seriously 

 wounded, and those only that he cares to bag, while on 

 the other hand he is groping, as it were, in the dark, 

 shooting at and woimding several undesiraljle specimens 

 to slip away and die where he succeeds in bagging one. 

 I am acquainted with no still-himter that ever preferred 

 October to November for hrmtin;^ deer. To have the 

 time extended for one month, or the latter month sub- 

 stituted in the place of the former, would in my opinion 

 be sanctioned by every still-hunter throughout the State, 

 and at the same time save at least one-half the number of 

 deer placed liars de combat during October, as the law 

 now stands. Cap Lock. 



Fbewsbubp, N. Y., Nov. 9. 



THE SITUATION IN MAINE. 



IT is pleasing to note that the position of the Foeest 

 AND Stbeam on the Maine game warden murder is 

 being fully sustained by the entire newspaper ]3ress of 

 that State. If ever an incident — a tragedy — was making 

 public opinion, it is that one. The Portland Ti^anscript, 

 one of the most popular jom-nals in the State, and one 

 having a wide circulation, says editorially: "Tlie cold- 

 blooded murder of the two game wardens at Wesley is 

 the legitimate outcome of the lawless opposition to the 

 preservation of game which exists in various parts of the 

 State, and which has hitherto shown itself in many out- 

 rages perpetrated on those whose duty it is to enforce the 

 game laws. It calls for the vigorous action of the State 

 authorities to insure the arrest and punishment of tlie 

 perpetrators of the crime. The lawless element must be 

 taught that the game laws, enacted for the good of the 

 whole community, are not to be set at naught by those 

 who would exterminate the wild animals of our forests 

 for the sake of temporary and petty gain. * * * In 



the hunting season the pui-suit of game is open to all who 

 choose to engage in it in a proper manner. All have an 

 equal chance, but those who unlawfidly hunt the deer 

 with dogs, which drive them from the State, are not con- 

 tent with tills, but are as reckless and selfish as those 

 fishermen wlio blow up the fish with dynamite and thus 

 slaughter more than they can use." 



The Lewiston Journal and the Portland Press ai-e both 

 equally outspoken in their denunciation of the ten-ible 

 crime, and in this they are closely followed by the 

 Augusta and Baugor papers. It is now understood that 

 Governor-elect Bodweli will, in his inaugm-al, call 

 especial attention to the persecution of tliose who attempt 

 to enforce the game laws, and also to the value of the fish 

 and game to the people of the State. And it is ex- 

 pected that he will recommend fm-ther legislation in the 

 direction most needed — in the way that shall lead to the 

 more perfect enforcement of the admirable code of laws 

 already on the statute book. He wiU, it is understood 

 from ^ood authoiity, touch upon the value of the sum- 

 mer visitors to the State, and will mention the fact that 

 it is the fish and the game which may or may not exist in 

 the State wliich foruis the chief attraction. "The fish and 

 game may exist in abundance sirfficient for the reason- 

 alile sportsman, who desire to fish and hunt in the proper 

 season, but it will be exterminated if left to the poacher, 

 which it is almost impossible to reach under the stinted 

 provisions which now prevail for the enforcement of the 

 laws. To say nothing of Governors past, it is now hoped 

 that Maine has one who is not lukewarm on the subject 

 of fish and game protection. It is also believed that the 

 inaugural will contain a recommendation that legislation 

 put a stop to the foolish kilhng of game and birds that 

 annually takes place in the so-called shooting matches at 

 Thanksgiving time. 



So it is plain tliat the prospects are excellent for first- 

 class legislation in the way of the enforcement of an ex- 

 cellent list of game and fish protective laws in about the 

 only State where there is enough of tlie nobler game fish 

 and larger garde left to be worth protecting. If Maine 

 should create an extia wai-den to attend to about every 

 poacher who will dare to go down there from any other 

 State next season with the intention of breaking the fish 

 and game laws it -will tickle the Forest and Stream im- 

 mensely. Besides if some legislation should be made that 

 should look toward the lumber camps in winter, where it 

 is usual to serve dried up moose and deer meat to the 

 jioor French Canadian laborers as often as it can be caught, 

 why this would give the poor fellow who does the catch- 

 ing a chance to make the acquaintance of a game wai'den 

 in the season of deep snows, when it is easier to catch 

 moose and deer than it is to chop logs. The proprietor of 

 the lumber camp may also be made to feel that the State 

 has appropriated money enough to enable the game 

 warden to make him a social call several times during 

 the winter. Then it is also possible that the Tobique 

 Indians who infest the borders of Maine for the sake of 

 crusting deer may be made to feel that there is a power 

 able to reach them, even when the snow is the deepest 

 and the crusting the very best. Ic is all a question of the 

 means to do it with, and the noble moose, deer and cari- 

 bou, and the gamy trout and salmon of Maine will be 

 preserved for the future pleasure of everybody who is 

 willing to fish and hunt within reasonable bounds. Give 

 the present able and earnest Commissioners of Maine the 

 monej' and some of the first woodsmen in the State will 

 suddenly turn game protectors. And woe be to the To- 

 bique Indian, the lumberman or Boston or New York 

 poacher when such a woodsman gets on their tracks. It 

 is only a question of the money to pay that woodsman 

 with, "and Maine can afford to grant it. It will prove a 

 mighty paying inveslment, and the returns from summer 

 visitors will come back in millions of dollai's. It is an 

 absolute truth that Maine's fish and game can easily be 

 made worth far more to the people of that State than her 

 lumber, 



McFarlan, one of the game warden murderers, has 

 crept into his own town and siu-rendered himself to the 

 officers, and he is now confined in IMachias jail. It seems 

 to be generally thought by his neighbors that as he did 

 not actually do the shooting he will escape punishment; 

 but the fact of his being in the company of Graves, who 

 did the shooting, and the fact of his hiding with him for 

 several days, will be used against him by the prosecution. 

 One report says that he was heard by the boy who saw the 

 shooting to urge Graves to shoot. If the boy swears to 

 tills in court, McFarlan must sufl'er the punishment of an 

 accomplice. The mm-der has set the true animus of the 

 section where it took place into a blaze, and there are 

 newspaper accounts of the terrorizing of the friends of 

 the game laws by their neighbors of a contrary belief. 

 There are accounts of the tying of a boy's hands behind 

 him and takuig of his gun away for the reason of daring 

 to be in the woods gunning; and accounts of firing four 

 or five rifle shots very close to a boy who had been cutting 

 hoop poles. These boys are understood to be sons of those 

 friendlv to the enforcement of the game laws. 



Special. 



Arkansas Gaime Notes. — Malvern, Ark. — Game of all 

 kind except quail is scarce in this neighborhood. Im- 

 mediately after the first of September, tlie dogs are turned 

 loose and every deer in the hills is driven to tlie swamps 

 in the eastern and southern iiart of the Srate, and we 

 hardly ever see the sign of one after the first two or tlu-ee 

 weeks of September. There are a few turkeys, but they 

 are very shy and hard to find. We had a cold spell about 

 the first week in November, and a good many ducks and 

 geese came from the north and furnished good sport along 

 the rivers and bayous for a few days, but the weather 

 since has been warmer and they have gone again. Quail 

 are very plenty in the woods and fields and fm-nish the 

 surest means of sport we have. Wolves have been very 

 numerous this fall and have destroyed large numbers of 

 sheep and hogs. The farmers have poisoned them upon 

 every opportunity until they are becoming beautifully 

 less." Probably they have kept the deer from increasing 

 much during the summer. A hunter a few miles north 

 of here, a few days ago, killed a very large animal of the 

 cat kind, which the hunters generally pronounce to be a 

 Mexican lion. — Lew Willow. 



Atlanticville, L. I., Nov. 26.— A young swan was 

 shot and killed by one of the Jackson gunners to-day. It 

 was a beautiful specimen and I believe the first swan that 

 has ever been shot in the waters of Shinnocock Bay.— 

 Old Gunner. 



THE CANADIAN BACK LAKES. 



rConcluded from page 845.1 



I SOON relieved the canoe of her load, and while doing 

 so a man came down to the shore and kindly lent me 

 a hand. He said he had a small tent close by, and had 

 l een here for a fortnight fishing. The troUing for mas- 

 calonge was excellent; had killed a gi-eat many fish, some 

 large ones; a day or two before he had cauglit one that 

 weighed over 8,51bs., and that morning he had got hold 

 of a monster, but it had broken away from him after a 

 severe struggle. From his account, and also from what 

 I heard from others, I should say tliat this part of Stur- 

 geon Lake, the reach between Fenelon Falls and Stm-geon 

 Point, must in the proper season be a very paradise^ for 

 those fond of mascalonge fishing. I found that I was 

 three miles from the hotel, and thinking that the wind 

 would go down with the sun, and as it was fuU moon, I 

 determined not to pitch my tent but wait, as it was about 

 half past five, and paddle around to the hotel by moonlight. 



On the rising ground above the lake shore was a nice 

 brick farm house, built beside a large old rambling 

 wooden one, with verandahs around it, but evidently un- 

 occupied and falling to inins. I went up to the f aitn and 

 got my milk pail filled, and the puppy and I made a 

 heiu-ty supper of bread and nice sweet milk. At the farm 

 I had seen the owner for a moment, and he now came 

 down to the lake shore, and, lighting his pipe, we sat to- 

 gether on a log and talked for an hom- and a half. We 

 then adjourned to the fisherman's camp near by and 

 talked for another hour, by which time it was 9 o'clock, 

 and the wind instead of falling had rather increased, 

 which made paddhng to the hotel that night quite an im- 

 possibility. The farmer said, "You have not put up your 

 tent; you liad better come up to the house and have a 

 bed." /'Thank you," I said, "but I can't leave my traps 

 lying about on the lake shore all night with no one near 

 them, so I will sleep m the canoe." "Well, you know 

 best. You are welcome to the bed, but I must say sleep- 

 ing in a canoe seems to me a queer way of taking pleasure. 

 Good night." 



I pulled the canoe a little way from the shore, stood my 

 dunnage bag up near one end, spread the fly of the tent 

 over it and each end of the canoe, the height of the bag 

 raising it sufiiciently, spread my blankets in the bottom, 

 slipped tmder and lay do^\Ti with the puppy at my feet; 

 and slept without moving till six next morning. On 

 waking I found it a beautiful still morning and the lake 

 quite smooth. So loading the canoe I paddled round to 

 the hotel in time for breakfast. 



In talking to the o^vner of the farm the evening 

 before I remarked the old wooden house, and asked lum 

 to whom it had belonged. He said, "This is the 

 old Langton homestead. I purchased the farm from Mr. 

 Langton when he left it. You of course know that he 

 afterward became Auditor General. But he did not 

 understand farming. And he got men to act as foremen 

 for him who had been only accustomed to cultivating a 

 few acres of land in Ireland. They know nothing of the 

 country and its ways, nor of farniing on a large scale, 

 and they could not make it answer. The jiresent owner 

 of the property, however, I heard, had been most success- 

 ful, and now owned over 300 acres there, this being one 

 of the finest farms in that part of the country. And 

 certainly the appearance of the large and conifortable 

 brick house he had built, -svith the commodious barns and 

 the number of fine cattle seen, would tend to corroborate 

 the' statement; but he was a practical farmer, and the 

 evening I was there his ^vife and daughters were milking 

 the cows themselves. Forty years ago there were only 

 about three families, all gentle people, who had settled 

 on the shores of Stm-geon Lake, the Langtons, the Den- 

 nistowns and the Dunsfords. It was then only access- 

 ible by Peterboro, and a long water carriage from there; 

 and it was verily in the backwoods in every sense of the 

 term. After a trial of a few years they all left, finding 

 the thing virtually impracticable, came out to tlie front 

 again and adopted the various professions, some took to 

 law and became judges. Mr. Langton became Auditor 

 General, and so on. How different that same part of the 

 country is now. It is tapped by railways from Lake 

 Ontario at three or four different points, and has many 

 fast and comfortable steamboats innning all over the 

 waters where, when these families settled there, was 

 only seen the bark and log canoe. The joumey to the 

 front (meaning any of the towns on Lake Ontario), which 

 then used to take days, can now be made in a few hours. 

 Had those early settlers lieen able to pierce the fntm-e, 

 and could they have known what the present state of the 

 country and the present value of their farms would be, 

 they rnight not have given them up as they did and fled 

 back to a better settled portion. 



My friend from Toronto joined me at the hotel on 

 Saturday evening, by boat from Lindsay, but by some 

 blundering a canoe which was to have been sent from 

 Lindsay to meet him, did not turn up, so we were com- 

 pelled to wait at the hotel till Monday morning, when he 

 had to go back by the steamer to Lindsay for it. On Ms 

 return we started down the lake in the afternoon for 

 Emily Creek, about fom- miles on the south shore, ex- 

 pecting to get some shooting therein the evening and nex,t 

 morning, but the wind wliich still blew freshly from the 

 west, made the lake too rough to cross to the south shore, 

 so we were obHged to camp on the north shore opposite the 

 creek, and lost the evening shoot. The next morning we 

 were up long before daylight and crossed the lake, but 

 the sliooting proved very poor. There were few ducks, 

 and these were wild and flying high, which made our 

 bag a very scrry one. We returned to camp, had break- 

 fast, and decided to follow the creek about twelve miles 

 up to Emily Lake, in which it takes its rise. Crossing 

 the lake to breakfast, my friend killed a nice mascalonge, 

 which made a very welcome addition to the meal. By 

 the time we had breakfasted, struck camp and loaded the 

 canoe, the forenoon was well advanced. 



We crossed the lake, which was pretby rough for om* 

 loaded canoes, safely, but only by careful paddling, and 

 went uj) the creek about six miles, where, finding a nice 

 camping place, we decided to remain for the evening and 

 see if any ducks flew up or down. Not a bird was seen in 

 the evening, which led us to doubt if there were many at 

 the lake, and what my friend was told by a yoimg farmer 

 who shot a good deal, decided us not to go on the remain- 

 ing six miles in the morning, but to return to the mouth 

 of the creek again and try the evening and moniing 

 shooting there. This we did, but without any success, 

 the ducks being as scarce smd wild eis on Tuesday niaria- 



