see 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Dec. 9, 1886. 



RUFFED GROUSE IN MICHIGAN. 



MONEOE, Micli., Nov, 29.— Having just returned from 

 a trij) after ruffed grouse in the Saginaw Valley, I 

 am sorry to say that these noble and wary birds are far 

 from being so numerous as they were in the same locali- 

 ties a few years ago. One principal reason is in the 

 increased number of the shooters, both city sportsmen and 

 market-shooters, who can be met at almost every station 

 along the line of railroads leading out of the city. And 

 probably no city of equal size in the Union possesses more 

 excellent ruffed" grouse shots or more good ruffed grouse 

 dogs than Saginaw. While there I saw some excellent 

 setters, English, Irish and Gordon. The largest bag of 

 ruffed grouse I learned of was 327 birds in eight succes- 

 sive days' shootmg by two brothers, over an Irish setter, 

 son of Elcho, and a pointer bitch of an excellent old 

 native sti-ain. Our best day, for two of us, gave twenty- 

 seven bhds; and a most enjoyable day it was, over Eng- 

 lish setters. A party of four in the same neighborhood, 

 over Gordons, did nearly as well. They had a brace and 

 a half of excellent dogs; one, pai-ticularly, a real beauty, 

 and said to be a most careful killing bitch. The others 

 were also quite handsome, active, hardy -looking fellows. 



Unlike sportsmen from other States whom I read of 

 but have never met, who merely go out to see dogs run 

 and don't care for the shooting, a sportsman in Michigan, 

 when he goes out with a gTin and dog, goes out to shoot, 

 and the dbg that gives him the greatest number of shots 

 in the time out with the least ti'avel or fatigue is invari- 

 ably the best dog. 



For om- State a rushing, blundering dog is a nuisance 

 in the field. Quail are now so scarce as not to be worth 

 looking after. Oiu shooting depends on ruffed grouse, 

 woodcock and snipe; and we find that an active, courage- 

 ous, plucky dog, carrjnng a high head, ranging and quar- 

 tering the ground systematically in front of the shooter, 

 under easy control^ -with a fine' nose, staunch and saga- 

 cious, is what is wanted for oui- shooting; in fact, a dog 

 that can be hunted all day without being spoken to, and 

 that wiU wheel to the slightest whistle. Euffed grouse, 

 when out feeding, are exceedingly wary, and great cau- 

 tion and silence must be used to successfully approach 

 them; and in a heavily timbered counti-y uponbemg once 

 flushed, they almost invariably make ol.;' into the timber, 

 where it is very difficult to find them, and in many in- 

 stances useless to follow them at aU. Unless you have a 

 dog that will find and point them where they may be 

 feeding, your chances are very small for a respectable 

 bag. To hunt the skirts of the timber or barrens (their 

 usual feeding grounds when mast cannot be found after 

 the season for berries is over) with such a dog as I describe, 

 Avhere gi'ouse are fairly plenty, is equalled by no shooting 

 I know of, and certainly none requires more skill in the 

 shooter or more merit iii the dog. John Davidson. 



BROUGHT TO BOOK. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The Sportsman's Club have, after wearying delays inter- 

 posed by the guilty parties, including bogus convictions 

 in country magistrates' courts, secured before the papers 

 from the court here were served, by interested friends, who 

 thus ti'ied to defeat the ends of justice, succeeded in 

 having two of the lawbreakers convicted and punished, a 

 third escaping by turning "Queen's evidence," while a 

 fom-th swore lumseLf clear and was not proceeded against. 

 The particulars of the cases, which were tried on Monday 

 last, are thus given by the Intelligencer in its issue of 

 Tuesday: "A case that has long been pending hi the 

 Police Court Avas up for a hearing yesterday afternoon. 

 It was intended as a gentle warniug to those gentlemen 

 of leisrue who delight in the pastime of killing deer out 

 of season. The plaintiffs were the Sportsman's Club, of 

 Belleville, and the defendants, Peter Grass, David Sager, 

 Peter Vandervoort, of Trenton, Sanger Golding and his 

 son, Wni. Golding, and Dr. Faulkner, Reeve, of Stuiing. 

 Anson Cummings, who went to Horse Shoe Lake on Oct. 

 15, was an unwilling witness. He said when he reached 

 the camp the parties named were there with the excep- 

 tion of Dr. Faulkner, Avho arrived a few days after. He 

 miderstood from conversation he had that the doctor had 

 been there before and shot a couple of deer. He also saw 

 some eight oj- ten deer skins in camp, sonre of which were 

 pretty dry, as though the deer had been killed for some 

 time. The hunters also had hounds with them. Peter 

 Grass, one of the party of hunters, who killed the 

 most deer, on being promised the protection of 

 the court, gave a graphic description of camp 

 life; how they got their supplies, both liquids and 

 soUds, and who the successful hunters were. He 

 said he went into camp on Sept. 20 with S. Golding. they 

 took hounds and partridge dogs. Dr. Faulkner followed 

 in a day or two, and the others finally came, a few pieces 

 of venison were sent to Stirling. 'To sell?' 'No, they 

 were traded.' 'What was got for it?' The witness hesi- 

 tated and looked at the floor. 'AVhat was it?' 'Well, it 

 was whisky.' 'How much did you get?' 'God bless me, 

 I don't know.' Fi'om his evidence it was shown that 

 Dr. Faulkner killed two deer before Oct. 15, S. Golding 

 three, and he, the witness, admitted shooting four. Mr. 

 Golding showed a discharge from A. Chard, Esq., of 

 Stirling. From the discharge it appeared that Thomas 

 DoAvnes, of Stu-ling, had charged Mr. Golding before Mr. 

 Chard with lolling deer out of season, and he was fined 

 $10 and costs. As Mr. Downes was the party who gave 

 fluids for the meat the discharge was not taken as a full 

 atonement for Mr. Gelding's offenses." The magistrate 

 reserved judgment until this mornuig, when he fined Dr. 

 Faulkner and Sanger Golding $10 each and costs, which 

 amounted to $11.60 in Faulkner's case and $8.95 ui the 

 case of Golding. Faulkner's is a pai'ticularly bad case, as 

 he is a county counsellor and a magisti-ate. Other cases 

 are in prospect, as the club are determined to put a stop 

 to illegal hunting of all kinds, particularly fire and cxiist 

 hunting of deer, by which means immense numbers of 

 the noble game have been slaughtered in our back 

 country. The minimum penalty has so far been imposed 

 at the club's request, but future violators of the law will 

 be punislied with the utmost rigor of thelaw. 



R. S. Bell, President Bay of Quinte Sportsman's Club. 



Bblx-eatlus, Ont., Dec. 3. 



The Messrs. Alfoed & Berkele Co., of New York, 

 are sole agents for a new spinng gun and pistol, wliich 

 shoots large shot, marbles, peas, beans, putty balls, etc. ; 

 also arrows and darts for target practice. See advertise- 

 ment in another column. 



California Ga3ie.— During the past month (Nov.) 

 ducks and geese have been coming down from the far 

 north in great numbers— the canvasback, the maUai'd, 

 the widgeon and teal, the common brown duck, the diver 

 and the grebe, the latter so well-known for a breast of 

 doMH or soft feathers, much sought for trimming hats and 

 outside garments. The ducks come to the wnter-f eeiling 

 grounds, the shallow estuaries, the tidal creeks and the 

 bays. They like the soft moliusk and know exactly where 

 it is to be found. Acres of ducks may be found all along 

 the Contra Costa and Alameda shores", and the small tidal 

 pools of marshes. The game markets and stores are now 

 well-stocked with them. When a pair of mallards can be 

 bought for fifty cents, and they are sometimes sold as low 

 as thirty cents, a game dinner need not be a costly affair. 

 Wild geese pay particular attention to the grain fields. 

 A great deal of wheat is just now sprouting, and the 

 young blades are just above the ground. California is 

 the \raiter home of millions of wild geese. They are the 

 largest of all the game birds. A couple of expert hmiters 

 will frequently knock down a wagon-load in a day. The 

 brant, the gray goose and the large white goose, are 

 found on the same grounds, and are piled up by the 

 hunters in a promiscuous way. Last winter many farm- 

 ers were compelled to protect their- wheat fields by em- 

 ploying huntei-s on horseback to ride aroimd and over 

 the fields, slaughtering great numbers and preventing 

 clouds of these bu-ds fi-om alighting. The same methods 

 will probably be necessary this year. The wild goose is a 

 valuable game bird, but when the fai'mer finds acres of 

 his yoimg wheat destroyed he is apt to have a modi- 

 fied opinion about the value of this game bird. Quail, 

 snipe and raU have been abundant this season. It is 

 doubtful if the quail need now the protection of game 

 laws. In some parts of the State two broods are brought 

 off by one pair in a smgle season. The food supply for 

 this bird has greatly increased of late, and there has been 

 a corresponding increase of luimbers. The gram fields 

 and vineyards are good feeding gTounds, and the dry 



frass of pastm'es where the small seeds have matured, 

 he wildcat, the lynx, the fox and the coyote destroy 

 thousands of these Birds every year. Hunters take thou- 

 sands more, yet the number has increased so rapidly that 

 they have become pests in some parts of the State. The 

 wildcat begins on the young quail before they leave the 

 nest, and he follows up this game nearly all the season. 

 When an old bird rises from the brush a wildcat will 

 sometimes spring from six to ten feet into the air and 

 down his bird nearly every time. If one vdshes to know 

 what are the game I'esources of this State, let him go 

 tliTough the market on the tliree or four days preceding- 

 Thanksgiving, or on any other days prior to Christmas. — 

 San Francisco Bidletin. 



Incidents op a Day.— Taunton, Mass., Dec. 4.— Yoiu- 

 correspondent, J. C. C. , and I went out for a day's tramp 

 Thursday. Although there had been snow the night 

 before, it was warm in the morning. It grew colder as 

 the day passed, and we took the woods and swamps as 

 much as possible. The partridges must be educated, for 

 we did not start the same bird twice in an all day's htmt. 

 The quail, like the pai-tridges, on being flushed would dis- 

 appear m the dim distance. Only once could we find 

 them, although we had three dogs, two first-class setters 

 and a very promising pointer puppy. Wliile hunting a 

 corner of b'u-ches for a partridge the dogs pointed a wood- 

 cock in the brush. We flushed but missed him. As 

 it was Dec. 2 and two mches of snow on the ground, 

 was it not rather late for liim to be here? Perhaps some 

 of your readers may have had a like experience. If so, 

 will they tell us of it? Afterward we started a flock of 

 quail in a field, and as they rose wild we got but one. 

 We followed them, and after a half hour or more Zip 

 pointed on a bmsh heap that we had been tramping over 

 for some time. Nothing came out, so J, C. C. put Ms 

 hand under, and after feehng around for some time 

 brought out a live quail in as perfect health as ever. He 

 was not wounded and J. C. C. will probably keep him and 

 try to mate him in the spring. We managed to get home 

 at night half frozen, with one rabbit, three partridges and 

 seven quail. The bag was not large, but the experience 

 and enjoyment of the same were. — Cohannet. 



Deer and Geese in Dakota. — Bismarck, Dak., Nov. 18. 

 We have the most charming weather imaginable, bright 

 and beautiful, without a speck of snow; and yet I see any 

 number of deer hanging at the market places. Usually 

 we wait for snow to ti'ack, but the deer are plentiful this 

 year. A friend of mine kiUed two this morning, just two 

 miles from town. Riding out six miles, a few evenings 

 ago, my wife and I saw two by the side of the road within 

 50yds. They allowed us to pass without seeming frightened. 

 Two miles further we saAv three more coming toward us, 

 playing and skipping like lambs. They stopped just 

 seventy steps away; I had occasion to step it a few days 

 after. ' I have done but little hunting this fall. Went out 

 a few mornings, getting back at 9 o'clock. I killed 

 seventy geese, twenty-five in one mornmg. That same 

 morning I had twenty-one shells misfire; they were loaded 

 last year and had lain in a damp place. More than this, 

 another shooter was in a pit 40yds. west of me, the geese 

 came from the west, and he often shot at and tiu-ned them 

 away from me. Had my shells been good, with no one 

 to interfere, I think I could have killed seventy-five or 

 a hundred. I had hoped that some of the gentlemen who 

 come out here would wilte you of it; but so far I have 

 not heard from them. I know one pai'ty who killed nearly 

 300 geese, another 600. They should report, I write these 

 letters to let spoilsmen know what is here, — W. H.Will- 

 iamson. 



Athens, Pa,— Most of the gun club were out on Thanks- 

 giving Day after gi'ouse and rabbits, but the heavy snow 

 which f elT all day made game bags very light. A great 

 many grouse have been brought to marls et, which shows 

 they have been plenty in the woods. Few quail have 

 been killed. Squirrels, unusually plenty on the 1st of 

 Sept., seem to have disappeai'ed by the last of that 

 month as quickly as they came. Rabbits are getting 

 scarcer than ferrets, and one or the other will "have to 

 go." The deer hunters in Sulhvau county, Pa., are hav- 

 ing good success, Sam Lee retiu-ned oii the 20th Nov. 

 from a week's hunt, having killed three deer. J. Struble 

 and Jesse Barber left for the same place on the 18th. Ely 

 Murray and R. Watkins started for Potter county on the 



I 15th Nov. They will stop at Fi-ed Martin's camp on the 

 East Fork Sinnemohoning, and there wiU be venison in 



I market when they return. — ^P. 



Notes from Utica.— Centi-al New York himters are 

 having- a good deal of sport this fall in rabbit sliooting. 

 Techmcally speaking, it would have been well to have 

 said "hare'sbooting," for the species L. americanus is the 

 most plentiful in this portion of the State, although it is 

 said that a few of the genuine rabbits, a much smaller 

 species, are found in some paxts of Schenectady county. 

 A party of Uticans left the city at 5:30 A. M. via Uie Utica 

 & Black River Railroad, one day this week, visited the 

 swamps above Remsen in this county and returned at 10 

 o'clock that night with fifteen as plump liares as one often 

 sees. A few days before that a party from this city killed 

 fom-teen hares and two grouse diuing half a day's shoot- 

 ing in the same locality,^ Good hunting is also to be had 

 above the village of Grant, Herkimer county, in the 

 swamps near the West Canada Creek. A few hares yet 

 remain in the Oriskany swamp, some six or eight miles 

 west of Utica, but probably not more than one could be 

 found there now, where ten years ago there were fifty. 

 Almost anywhere on the outskhts of the Adirondack 

 wilderness hares are now to be found in great numbers. 

 PORTSA (Utica, N. Y., Dec. 4). 



North Carolina Game.— New York, Nov. 30.— I have 

 just retm-ned from a shooting trip in eastern North Caro- 

 lina. I found quail rather scarce and had bad weather, 

 but still had fair sport. The early heavy rains flooded 

 the low lands and the early broods sufl'ered. very few 

 escaping. We had to leave many bevies on account 

 of their small size. The season in North Carolina is 

 entirely too long, from Nov. 1 to April 1, and the darkies 

 trap the quail terribly. The most bhds were found where 

 the owners of the plantations were in the habit of shoot- 

 ing and were sportsmen. What I mean by that is, where 

 they looked after the welfare of the bird's, not allowing 

 their dogs to inn loose and break up the nests, and not 

 allowing trapping. I find, as a rule, that the spoilsmen 

 there obey the game laws better than with us. There is 

 no Srmday shooting, no pot shots on tlie ground, no shoot- 

 ing for numbers, no lark or blackbird shooting; but 

 when they want a few quail for themselves or a friend, 

 they kill them in good style and then quit. — W. IIolber- 

 TON. 



Bear Kjlung with Small Shot.— Parry Sound, OHt. 

 — Killing a bear with small shot is undoubtedly a rare 

 occm-rence, nevertheless it's a fact. Two or three years 

 ago a bear was killed about a mile from this village by a 

 young man with a gun charged with small shot. It was 

 some time in the month of November. Two young men 

 were coming home one Sattu'day evening from a lumber 

 camp. They were scampering through the woods trying 

 to get out to the main road, and w^hile scrambling over a 

 fallen hemlock tree a large black bear made out from 

 under the hemlock tm-n up, where he was making up his 

 den for the winter. Without a whisper of surprise or 

 inqiuiy , Kirkland planted the charges of both barrels into 

 bruin's hump ribs, and m ten minutes that bear was as 

 dead as lead could make him. — Caberfeiqh. 



Indebted to Forest and Stream.— Kent's Hill, Me.— I 

 had a magnificent time wliile in northern Maine; was 

 gone a month and liad the good fortune to shoot one 

 moose and two caribou and a large number of grouse. I 

 owe all of tills fall's grand htmting trip to yom" excellent 

 paper, wliich I have read constantly for over a year. For 

 over twenty years past I had not used a gam or fishing 

 rod. A year' ago I bouglit both and all the necessary out- 

 fit, together witli a fine rowboat, and have used them 

 more or less every Saturday during the year, and nearly 

 aU my vacations. I have been doubly paid for the outlay 

 in health, not to say anything about the pleasure, Again 

 I am thankful to the Forest and Stream for it aU, and 

 wish every teacher in the country would enjoy tne same. 

 — M. 



Virginia. — Game notes from the Petersbm-g Index- 

 Appeal of Nov. 19: Pailiidges are said to be more 

 abundant than they have been for years, and huntsmen 

 ai-e having a fine time shooting them. Congressman 

 Hamner, of Pliiladelpliia, witli a select party of friends, 

 passed through Petersbrug yesterday en route for Weldon, 

 where thej^ will spend some days luuitiug for paitildges 

 in that section. The party will be the guests of Jlajor T. 

 L. Emory and Mr. H. J. Pope. Master James Bince, aged 

 foui-teen years, son of Mr. S. D. Bruce, of Chesterfield 

 county, a few days ago killed three wild turkeys at a 

 single shot, and wounded the fourth, which was captxu-ed 

 by another party a short distance off. Wlio can beat 

 this? 



A Shot from the Doorstep.— Atlanticv-ille, L. I.— I 

 think that there are more quail this season than I have 

 known in years. Several large bags have been rnade; 32 

 on the first day's shooting and several other like bags 

 have been made. Tlie otlier mornuig, when kindling a 

 fire, I chanced to look out of the window, and saw near 

 the barn, 80 yards distant, a bevy of quail. Being in my 

 night shirt I did not knoM^ what to do, but on second 

 thought jumped for my old Parker and a couple of 

 cartiidges, carefully opened the door and stepped out on 

 the step. The quail started to fly, but I brought down 

 two. Tliis was the fii'st shot at quail I ever made in my 

 night shirt.— E. A. Jackson. 



Snow Geese on Long Island. — Atlanticville, L. I,, 

 Dec. 3.— A flock of white geese flew within a few rods of 

 me to-day. I think they numbered thirty. Please inform 

 me what geese they are and if often seen so far south. — 

 Old Gttnner. [No "doubt snow geese {Chen hyperhoreus), 

 the "white brant" of the Western States; not uncommon 

 on this coast, but for several years x>ast large flocks are 

 reported to have wintered at the mouth of the Delaware 

 River. Rarely observed on Long Island coast, though we 

 have seen occasional sijecimens from there. Two snow 

 geese were seen in company with a single Canada goose 

 at Cold Sjiring Harbor, on the north shore, on Tuesday 

 last, and we have heard of several others having been 

 seen near that place.] 



A Pennsylvania Puzzle.— Leechburg, Pa., Nov. 22.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: In a late issue of Forest 

 AND Stream you give a list of game laws of Pennsylvania, 

 in which the kilUng of deer is made lawful for fifteen 

 days after tlie season has closed for having them in pos- 

 session. I am aware of the fact that our pamphlet laws 

 read that wav, but what are we to understand by it? If 

 we can kill deev to the 15th of Dec., can we not have pos- 

 session of them as well?— Clarion. 



