DEC. 80, 1886.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



44B 



km^ Hnd 



AMrm aU commwnicaVions to the Forest and Std'ecm Pub. Co. 



SOME UNSUCCESSFUL HUNTS. 



IT is not all of hunting to get game; and when I return 

 from an unsucceEsful quest and my friends laugh at 

 me, I do not mind, for I feel a satisfaction in my outing 

 they cannot understand. 



Our house is situated about 100yds. from a small creek 

 which runs through a swamp, the abode of numerous 

 coons, possums and otter, with an occasional wildcat just 

 to keep things in motion. The household has a few 

 fowls, the price of whose safety is eternal vigilance. We 

 also have a setter, who, on account of having demolished 

 a varmint under our porch one night, has adopted the 

 place as Iris permanent quarters, and as he made war on 

 all noctm-nal prowlers we became the other party to the 

 bargain and Paul was left in charge nights. 



Bury and I returned home late one night from an en- 

 tertainment and shortly afterward retned. I had scarcely 

 settled myself when I heard Paul yelping down by the 

 barn, which stood at the edge of the swamp. I knew at 

 once there was fun on hand, and I hastily donned the 

 first garments that came to hand, which, of course, were 

 those I had just worn at the entertainment. I lighted a 

 lantern and nished into the front room for a gun, when I 

 heard Bury, who slept up stairs, yell, "Hold on, I'm com- 

 ing;" and down he came in his best trowsers, and we 

 made quick time for the barn. We ran past it and down 

 to the edge of the swamp, and listening, heard Paul 

 splashing among the bushes, and shortly he plunged into 

 the creek and swam across. A short distance below there 

 was a foot bridge, to which we hurried and across, and 

 then down through the orange grove to the edge of the 

 woods. We jumped over a fallen tree and discovered the 

 other side was about fom- feet lower than the side we 

 jumped from, and we alighted in about a foot of mud 

 and water. We stopped to tm-n up om* best trowsers and 

 then forced our way as fast as possible through saw pal- 

 mettoes as high as om- heads. Meanwhile Paul had evi- 

 dently treed something, for his yelps and howls were 

 frantic. "These conformded palmettoes are rasping my 

 legs like blazes," growled Biuy. I was ahead with tlie 

 lantern and announced my intention of turning down my 

 trowsers, mud or no mud, which I did, for the palmettoes 

 were teiTibly sharp. We found Paul on the bank of the 

 creek, at the foot of a tall sapling, and he was evidently 

 ovei-joyed to see aid at hand. "Shine his eyes," said 

 Bury, "and I struggled through the tangle to obtain a 

 position to do so. I held the lantern up, and dii-ectly I 

 caught sight of two red spots and called to Bury to come 

 around on my side of the tree. When he had forced his 

 way to me I pointed out the eyes, about 25ft. up. He 

 fu'ed, and crashing tln-ough the branches to the ground 

 came a possum, on winch Paul immediately poimced and 

 shook it until all life was gone. 



Not until then had we appreciated om- ludicrous plight. 

 Only partly dressed, om- clothing wet and muddy and 

 our "legs scratched by the palmettoes, we laughed heart- 

 ily at each other's appearance as we slowly worked om- 

 ■way out to dry land. I vaguely wondered, as I surveyed 

 my torn and bedraggled trowsers, what my mother would 

 say if she could see them, for my destruction of clothing 

 as a boy had been a sore subject. 



High out of Paul's leaps I held the possum until we 

 reached the house, and ere we turned in for good we 

 voted the adventm-e the best twenty minutes sport of the 

 season. 



This little excursion made us keen for a regular coon 

 hunt, and one evening not long afterward Bury, Joe, 

 Dizzy and I met at our quarters, the usual rendezvous, 

 and with Paul set out for the Bridge bwamp. We crossed 

 the footbridge and started the hunt up the riglit bank of 

 the creek. We had scarcely gone 200yds. when Paul 

 opened and away we went through brush and j)almettoes 

 at om- best speed. Suddenly I caught a dim glimpse 

 from the light of Bm-y's lantern who was just behind me, 

 of a pool right in my path. There was no time to stop, 

 so I made my best jximp and just failed to reacli the op- 

 posite bank and slid backward in to my waist. I crawled 

 ou.t just as Bury came with a rush and dei:)0sited his 

 2001bs, with a splash exactiy in the middle of that mud- 

 hole and on top of the lantern he was carrying. We left 

 the lantern right there; its usefuhiess had departed. We 

 found Paul at the foot of a tree, but although we searched 

 carefully and even climbed the ti-ee we could find no 

 coon. The tree was a live oak and the Spanish moss so 

 completely covered it that it was quite possible for an 

 animal to be there and we unable to discover it. 



Calling Paul we made our way across the road and 

 down into the densest portion of the swamp, where we 

 found mud and water galore. Paul struck some sort of a 

 trail and the chase he led us will certainly never be for- 

 gotten by any of the party. Deeper and deeper into the 

 ewamp we went, and still Paul's yelps were ahead of us. 

 The going was something awful, but once into the spirit 

 of the chase we hesitated at notliing. I saw Joe, who 

 was the shortest one of the party, in above his waist once, 

 and then he smashed a lantern and we had only one left. 

 "We eventually passed entirely across the swamp and 

 emerged on dry ground near the church. There Paul 

 finally ran something to earth, and we set to work to dig 

 it out with only an ancient "G. W." hatchet and some 

 sliarpened sticks to work with. We were thoroughly 

 di'enched and covered with mud , but the night was warm 

 and our mn had heated us, so we felt no discomfort in our 

 condition. We worked at digging out the hole for about 

 half an hour, all four huddled close together eagerly en- 

 couraging the dog, and our zeal was finally rewarded by 

 Pard jerking a skunk out in the midst of txs. We left at 

 once. Dizzy was a trifle slow— only a trifle, but he suf- 

 fered for it. Paul accompanied us home and keiit the 

 memory of that night green for a week or more. Dizzy's 

 absence from church the next day was compulsory, and 

 his callers, who came to condole, smoked vigorously. 



I went on a tTirkey himt one day -with Dizzy and Sam. 

 Sam took his dogs and we loaded ourselves into a dugout 

 and paddled up the creek about a mile and went ashore 

 at Maple Landing, in the forks. We put out the dogs, 

 but for the first three miles or so started nothing. At last 

 the dogs openerl on the black-jack ridge, and Dizzy, who 

 was nearest to them, saw several turkeys run into a patch 

 of l«w palmetto. W« hunted through it some time bef or« 



we found anything, and then a turkey rose directly in 

 front of Dizzy and Sam. Sam had only one barrel cocked 

 and frantically pulled on the wrong trigger, and Dizzy, 

 who is big enough to do better, missed him fair and square. 

 There wasn't much said as the tm-key sailed away down 

 through the swamp, but that was because we could not 

 do justice to the occasion. We could find no more and 

 continued on up the ridge about a mile further, when Sam 

 exclaimed "Look, look!" and we saw a flock of about a 

 dozen or fifteen tm-key s that we had startled, flying 

 down across the creek into the swamp. We marked them 

 down near a big cypress and cautiously worked our way 

 toward the place. We crossed the creek on a fallen tree 

 and then our troubles commenced. I never saw mos- 

 quitoes worse. They bit through our clothing and 

 swarmed about us so we could do nothing. We tried to 

 quietly brush them away with our handkerchiefs but at 

 last had to leave the swamp in self-defense. Sam was the 

 only one who saw a tm-key after entering the swamp, and 

 he failed to get close enough for a shot. 



For some time Sam had been urging me to cross the 

 creek into St. Johns county, and try a drive for deer, and 

 at last we set a day to go. Sam lived about five miles 

 away, and I di-ove out. I had a village cart which was 

 i-ather narrow, and on the way some one hailed me. 

 Without checkLog the horse, I tm-ned my head to see 

 who it was, and the next instant I was lying by the road- 

 side together with my gun and other dunnage. The cart 

 had struck a stump. I hung on to the reins and stopped the 

 horse; no damage done and I was soon under way again. 



I put the horse up at Sam's, and we were soon aci'oss 

 the creek and wading through the low lands adjacent. 

 Tlie fall had been very wet and everything was afloat. 

 We had a hard time of it, and tramped for ten miles 

 before we saw anything. While we were lying at the 

 foot of a big pine resting, we caught sight of a doe and 

 yearhng slowly ambfing along bv the edge of the woods 

 opposite, and distant maybe 800yds. We hastily ran to 

 head them, keeping concealed as much as possible, but 

 when about lOOyds. from them the doe saw us and stopped 

 and stood looking at us over a bunch of palm etto. * ' Shoot I 

 shoot!" whispered Sam, but having only buckshot and so 

 small a mark as a deer's head, I knew the chances were 

 too small. Sam, however, could not wait, and let drive a 

 load of blue whistlers that made havoc with the palmetto 

 but never touched the doe, and away the deer went and 

 were out of sight in a jiffy. The dogs were on the track 

 of them, and at the report of the gun they opened and 

 soon after came up and continued the chase, despite om- 

 efforts to prevent them. We saw nothing else that day 

 except a heavy shower on our way home that drenched 

 us through and through. 



It's all in a lifetime, and I hope I shall have many more 

 hunts in the brave State of Florida ere I resign, and 

 whether successful or not in obtaining game, I shall 

 count the time well spent. Calumet. 



Cincinnati, O., Dec. 1. 



NOTE BOOK OF A HUNTING PARSON. 

 I. 



THAVE always loved to hunt. My first recollection of 

 literature is "The Life of Daniel Boone" and "Cooper's 

 Stories of the Frontier." When scarcely ten years old 

 how often I stole my father's heavy rifle, making a tripod 

 out of three laths to' rest it on, for it was too heavy for 

 me to hold ixp, and many a gray squirrel did I interrupt 

 in hulling the nuts among the branches of the old hickory 

 and chestnut trees of the woods of Pennsylvania. Oh ! 

 the delights of those boyhood days. 



I was not well nor strong through my earlier life, and 

 if there were corn to plant or potatoes to drop, my back 

 was sure to ache, but it always rested me to drag out 

 that heavy rifle. Father said it was the gun that kept 

 me aihng, but of com-se he was wrong, for what father is 

 not ? Since boyhood my vacations and other spare time 

 liave been passed in camp, rolled in my blankets at night 

 under the trees and stars, and roaming with no other 

 companions but my dogs; and I have traversed the wilds 

 from Lake Itasca on the north to the other side of the 

 equator on the south. By the camp-fire at night I have 

 filled many a leaf in the note book that now for the first 

 time comes to light. 



On some of these I find the record of a week's rare 

 sport. 



Being on one occasion worn out with excessive labors, 

 my parishioners united in saying, "You must have some 

 recreation." So I picked up my rifle, a handsome one, 

 presented by the young men of my congregation, and in 

 a few days I was in the heart of the Sien-as, near the base 

 of Mount Whitney, the highest of the range. On my 

 way I called on my friend, a bank oflicial in the town of 

 M. and told him of my projected trip. He said: "I know 

 a little vaUey where I used to keep cattle when I first 

 came to California for my health. Now (October) it is 

 just below the snow line and deer will be plentiful there, 

 and if we can get over the high ridges without encounter- 

 ing too much snow we can have rare si)ort there for a 

 season." My friend was an old and enthusiastic hunter 

 and quickly added, "I'll be glad to be off with you for a 

 few days.'"' A pair of mules, a brace of dogs, a light 

 spring wagon, om- camp fixtures, a day's climbing toward 

 the sun and we were near the giant Sequoias on the line 

 between the counties of Fresno and Tulare in Cahfornia. 

 Neai'ly a mile perpendicularly beneath us stretched a 

 beautiful valley, about three miles long, green with groves 

 of poplars and luxuriant grass. It looked indeed like a 

 hunter's paradise. We were soon in it, throwdng up logs 

 to break the cold winds, and camp was quickly estab- 

 lished. Bacon and slapjacks were the first meal; and a 

 sound sleep found us at daylight ready for action. My 

 friend took one direction and I another. 



If I had not stai-ted out to follow my note book jottings, 

 I would not chronicle the following, but here goes: After 

 crossing a little ravine, I stood in the midst of a flat cov- 

 ered with short shrubs and long grass. It was only half 

 light; I thought I heard soft footfalls on the leaves, and I 

 listened more eagerly. In an instant a snort, a bound, a 

 rusliing and springing. AU around me were bucks with 

 branching antlers, does and fawns. I stood in the very 

 center of a vast herd of them. I flung my rifle to my 

 shoulder. Witliin ten yards of me there was a tremend- 

 ous buck. Bang! — sure he's down. Another, and another; 

 I whirled round that center and soon emptied my maga- 

 zine. Waiting a moment for the smoke oi the carnage to 

 clear away, I proceeded to count the spoils. How many 

 do you suppose were elain? Not one, I could not believe 



it. I hunted the brush over and over. Not even a sign 

 of blood. It was a desperate case of buck fever. After 

 years of hunting, for the first time in my life I believe I 

 had been banging away without ever seeing the sights of 

 my rifle. 



But "a bad beginning makes a good ending." I sat 



down on an ancient log and wiped the beads of perspira- 

 tion from my dizzy brow and refilled my magazine. I 

 took my bearings and thought my head level enough for 

 another trial. I walked down the ravine, then crossed to 

 the other side — what's that? Flashing in the rays of the 

 morning sun there were the antlers of a noble buck. His 

 nostrils were wide distended. He seemed to be smelling 

 the "battle afar off." A monarch of the forest! Does it 

 not make one's pulse thrill? But no nervousness now. I 

 raised my rifle carefully, up the foreleg, now a little be- 

 hind the shoulder, and touched the hair trigger. A wild 

 bound in mid-air. Well, we'll have meat in camp for a 

 day or two anyhow. 



Half a mile down the valley another fine buck springs 

 out from the cover of a ^ove of cottonwoods and 

 plrmges down into a gulch. He has caught wind of me, 

 but as his horns and neck appear on the opposite bank he 

 stops. Ah, a fine shot, though a long one. At the ci-ack 

 of the rifle he disappears. I hurry to the sjot. There he 

 lies hardly moved from his tracks. True to the aim the 

 ball broke his neck. 



But what's that rushing through the brush? Our friend 

 S.j attracted by the fusilade, is coming down the moun- 

 tain. As he reaches me, almost breathless and panting, 

 he cried exultingly, "Well, I declare, I hardly expected 

 to get him; it was a long shot." "You," I replied, "you 

 never shot him; I killed him myself." He laughed and 

 threw out his empty shell. I did the same. Well, here 

 was a problem and how was it to be solved? He suggested 

 that we draw cuts. "No, sir," said I, "you're an old 

 himter, and although our guns are both of the same cali- 

 ber, you know where the ball goes in it covers its track, 

 and where it comes out it makes a ragged edge." We 

 examined from all sides on this basis, and "Sure enough," 

 said he, "it was your ball." We had fired simultaneously 

 and neither had heard the report of the otlier's rifle. 

 While dressing him my friend lauf-hed again, and said, 

 "Look here," and he showed me half the breadth of the 

 bullet cut out of the right ear by his bullet. 



Tm-ning a leaf in my book I find: Quite a ludicrous in- 

 cident occurred yesterday. We found bear sign down 

 the valley. We had stopped in a beautiful, sunny cove 

 to eat om- midday meal. Down below us was a deep 

 gulch. Friend S. went down to explore for water to wash 

 down the cold fried venison and flapjacks. Finding it 

 dry he laid himself down on the long bunch grass that 

 matted its banks, placed his hat over his eyes to shield 

 them from the rays of the sun, and was enjoying a well- 

 earned rest. I was about to follow suit on hearing his 

 report on the water question, when I noticed that old 

 Rough, one of om- dogs, was very uneasy. With raised 

 bristleB he walked round and round, snufiing the air. I 

 threw him a piece of meat to which he paid no heed. At 

 last I made him He down beside me, and was just in the 

 first stage of a sweet doze when: What on earth 1 What 

 a noise ! A snort like a bm-sting steam valve brought me 

 to a perpendicular position instantly. I looked toward 

 the inace lately occupied by S. and saw him illustrating 

 the Dutchman's flying leap. The distance described 

 would have done credit to the propelling power of dyna- 

 mite. Out of the gu^ch from the very place where he" had 

 been resting there rushed a Iiuge black bear. It climbed 

 the opposite bank and tore down the gulch, making the 

 tamarack thicket rattle a.s if swept by a Colorado cyclone. 

 I fired a parting salute as it disappeared and the dogs 

 fairly roared, but the canon was rough and almost im- 

 passable and we caUed back tlie dog, while I rolled on 

 the grass and laughed till my sides ached. 



At night by the camp-fire as we laughed again over 

 our adventure of the day, my friend told me of an ad- 

 venture he had with bruin, when he, in '51-2, kept cattle 

 in this little valley. "I came," said he, "to get cured of 

 the asthma and in this succeeded. Nothing in the world 

 is like this free air and mountain life. Thousands of peo- 

 ple die in our cities because they are too lazy or too ignor- 

 ant of the mountains to get well. My wife and I came 

 in here and built a little cabin down where I showed you 

 the pretty site. We made butter thi-ough the summer. 

 The dairy was some distance from the house among a clump 

 of pines. Bears were plentiful here then. Wehad grizzlies, 

 black, cinnamon and brown, and no httle trouble to keep 

 them from the calves andthe milk. Sometimes they would 

 take out a log or lift off the roof and in the morning there 

 was not a drop of milk in the troughs; for as for pans we 

 had none of them. One night I heard a gTeat rattling 

 around the milk house, and more asleep than awake I got 

 up, and without waiting to dress, walked out the path. 

 I listened and heard notiiing. I went a little further than 

 further, till I reached the milk house. I started back, 

 and half way to the cabin there stood in the path between 

 me and my bed and clothes and trusty rifle, an old grizzly 

 with his eye balls glai-ing. He uttered two or three low, 

 significant growls which I interpreted to mean "Get up 

 one of those pine trees as qrnck as you can shin it." Like 

 a cat I reached a limb about 80ft. from the grormd. I 

 got astride and soon found out that the bark had never 

 been sandpapered. It was not a soft seat, and without 

 ulster or any approach to it, in fact with little more than 

 Adam wore before the fall, the night being exceedingly 

 chilly, my situation soon became, to say the least, a httle 

 monotonous. My teeth chattered. I changed from side 

 to side. My hands were cramped and numb, and I was 

 tormented with the fear of falling off. Meanwhile old 

 bruin was pawing the ground faithfully or else walking 

 round and round the tree, keeping constant guard. My 

 wife had gone out to the town to make some purchases 

 and there was no one in the house to give me help. AU 

 night long I held on to that Umb, and all night long that 

 old bear kept his faithful watch. Oh ! the horror of those 

 hours, for not till broad daylight did he say "Good bye," 

 each of us thinking concerning the other, "I'U see you 

 later; ta, ta." PXCIPIC. 

 Stockton, Cal. 



HOQUIAM, Washington Territory, Dec. 8. — There ie 

 plenty of game here of aU kinds, but I have very little 

 time to try my luck. Perhaps that is the condition of 

 affairs in some other good game regions. — L. H. 



The TaAVBt^BRS paid 17,8S§ (Mcidaut olalmi in 1S84, iLiEOii&tlns 

 to nearly $950,000.-^dv. 



