48 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 20, 1895. 



THE PORCUPINE AS FOOD. 



A Party of us left Providence late one fall for a two 

 week's camp in the woods of Maine. One pleasant fore- 

 noon, Mell Tucker, our guide, asked me if I didn't want to 

 still-hunt deer. We struck a trail some distance from the 

 camp, got a shot at deer, missed and started back, as it 

 was getting late. On the way back, as we came down 

 through a ravine out into an opening, away up on a side- 

 hill I noticed a tree with a peculiar looking bunch of 

 wart toward the top. I stopped and tried to make out 

 what it was, and Mell, noticing me looking questioningly 

 toward the sky, asked what was up. I pointed the 

 object out to him. 



"It's a bear cub, sure as you're alive. Sneak up on him, 

 don't let him hear you." 



I ''sneaked." Mell didn't come, but, as I'afterwards 

 learned, sat on a log shaking his sides with laughter to 

 see me still-hunting a porcupine. He said it took me half 

 an hour to work up to the tree, and that the beast had 

 probably been up there for a week and if I had not 

 brought him down he would have remained there an- 

 other week. 



I got near enough to draw bead on the dumpy black 

 animal, and let drive. He came dawn like a hod of 

 bricks, and yelling like a loon I started for him. Mell 

 now came running up and between his smiles told me not 

 to touch the animal; it was a porcupine and would "quill" 

 me. I told him I knew it all the time, but somehow he 

 didn't swallow that and when we reached camp my bear 

 cub was the plague of me for several days. The only 

 consolation I had was that I had shot him clean in the 

 head. 



We dragged him to camp. He was an old one. He 

 had been in a trap once, for one of his fore-feet was gone. 



When Dan W. saw the peculiar looking animal, he de- 

 clared we would have it for supper and as long after as 

 it would last. At this the Maine men turned deathly pale 

 and in feeble tones implored him not to do anything of 

 the kind, but to take it away over the hills and bury it; but 

 the Providence party were hungry. Sour meal, sour 

 baked beans and fat pork were monotonous. We wanted 

 fresh meat. 



Dan peeled the porcupine, spitted him on a huge pole, 

 and over the big camp-fire roasted him to a turn. I can 

 see that picture now. While we were setting the table 

 for supper, in came the Indian with the porcupine, which 

 he tenderly laid in the center, and with John's big bowie 

 proceeded to carve the pig. We sailed in, rather gingerly 

 I will confess at first, but after getting a fair taste of the 

 meat kept Dan busy serving up the "porky." The Maine 

 men went hungry. But we found the porcupine a very 

 good substitute for fresh pork. The meat, it is true, was 

 a little strong, and had a gamy flavor. It was also a 

 trifle tough, but that we attributed to the age of our 

 prize. It' I were ever cast away on a desert island and 

 there were plenty of porcupines around, I would never go 

 hungry. 



Several days after, when we broke camp on account of 

 the scarcity of provisions, and Mell and John stood guard 

 over the broken camp wagon while the rest went to the 

 front for a new set of wheels, Mell is declared to have 

 said, "John, I actually believe I could go a small piece of 

 that porcupine now!" 



What is the matter with the animal anyway, that peo- 

 ple should have such a prejudice against it? It feeds on 

 the bark of good, clean, healthy trees, and, unlike many 

 other animals which we delight in eating, is practically 

 fastidious in its food. Certainly it is preferable to the 

 genuine porker as far as cleanliness goes. 



Our party is much separated now, but I will guarantee 

 that when the porcupine subject is mentioned in the 

 presence of any one, the animal is well defended. 



Tode. 



Wanted, Some Fan-tail Deer. 



Philadelphia, Fa,.— Editor Forest and Stream: I was 

 much interested in Capt. Kendall's letter two weeks ago 

 on the small deer of the Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend 

 of the Rio Grande, as I believe that I am one of the few 

 civilized men who have been unfortunate enough to get 

 into that desolate region, where I spent some weeks two 

 and a half years ago. 



The game conditions there now are very different from 

 those Capt. Kendall speaks of ten years back. There is 

 no sign of antelope, black-tail, nor the small deer. There 

 are a very few common deer in the mountains, but so 

 little game of any kind that a poor hunter would soon 

 starve. Nor do I believe that the country has ever sup- 

 ported much game, as there is little food and less water. 



Arthur Erwin Brows. 



[In connection with the subject of the fan-tail deer, 

 wnich has so frequently been mentioned in these columns' 

 the Forest and Stream announces that it is authorized 

 to offer the sum of $100 in payment for a pair— buck and 

 doe— of fan-tail deer from the North. These must come 

 from some point north of the Union Pacific Railroad. 

 Of course, it is understood that this price will be paid for 

 these animals only in case they prove distinct from the 

 Virginia deer (Cariacus virgiuiciniis) or the mule deer CO, 

 macrotis). The opportunity is thus afforded any hunter 

 who is confident of the existence of the fan-tail deer to 

 settle the question at little or no expense to himself.] 



Deer Whistle-Moose Horns. 



Lowell, Me.— Notjong'ago I noticed in Forest and 

 S l ream the remarks of some one about the snort or 

 whistle of the white-tailed deer, and different opinions as 

 to how they produced the sound. If I remember rightly 

 it was said to come from the throat. This is a mistake. 

 They do it by forcing their breath through their nostrils 

 and it is similar to the snort of a horse. I have been near 

 to them and have seen them do it. 



Then again the same article spoke of their doing it 

 after being wounded. A badly wounded deer seldom or 

 never does it. I used to hunt by night and when I shot 

 at a deer and he ran away a short distance and stopped 

 and whistled, I never went to look for him, but took it 

 lor granted that he was not hit. 



Then again I was surprised that your Bethel corre- 

 spondent, an old woodsman and hunter should differ so 

 much from my own experience on moose. He never saw 



where a moose took the bark entirely around a tree, but 

 1 have, and it makes a difference whether the snow is 

 shallow or deep, or there is none at all. They cannot get 

 the bark when the tree is frozen hard; but in the early 

 fall or warm days in winter they usually take the bark 

 off from the tree on the side that they come to, then pass 

 on to another tree and so on. . 



Then his observations about their shedding their antlers 

 are different from mine; He believes that a thaw.in the 

 winter takes them off. My experience is that the colder 

 the weather the quicker the horns loosen and come off. 

 Then he states that the new horns by the first of June 

 have attained their full size. The horns don't get their 

 full size until into August, and it is usually the case with 

 all beasts and fowl to "go where the best feed is, unless 

 driven by their, enemies. 



Ha states that wa have two ktnd3 of moose in Maine 

 and that they never were known to yard or mate to- 

 gether. This is all new to me, except that there is some 

 difference in their color and shape of body, and so there 

 is in all animals— deer, bears, etc. J. Darling. 



[Two correspondents have now written that a deer 

 whistles; but the original question still remains, does a 

 deer challenge?]. 



fag md 



inn. 



SPORTSMEN AND TRANSPORTATION 

 COMPANIES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In an editorial of July 6 you speak of the laws relat- 

 ing to taking out game and fish by sportsmen, from the 

 Maine and other hunting and fishing resorts. 



I will give some of my experience on this subject both 

 in Maine and the Province of Nova Scotia. I have made 

 several hunting trips to Township No. 7, and to the region 

 above Oxbow in Aroostook county, Maine. The Bangor 

 and Aroostook road was not open when I made my last trip, 

 and I went there as formerly from Bangor to Mattawam- 

 keag, some sixty miles each way, by the Maine Central 

 road. I found this road to be an expensive one to travel 

 over, and the accommodations rather poor. My last trip 

 will illustrate how a sportsman (who is fortunate enough 

 to kill some game and unfortunate in trying to bring it 

 home) is treated. 



Returning from No. 7 early in December of '93, I 

 brought out whole a bull caribou, a buck and the hind 

 quarters of a cow caribou. At Mattawamkeag I was told 

 that they must go by express (I knew this before), and 

 that I must put them on the train myself, as the station 

 men were not allowed to handle game. I have usually 

 found the trains somewhat behind time at Mattawamkeag 

 and the stop there was very short, and I knew perfectly 

 well that I could never get those animals on the train 

 alone, even if I bad some time. I said so to the station 

 agent. I do not know whether the intention was to make 

 me leave my game there, but it looked that way to me. 

 By the use of the almighty dollar I got one of the men at 

 the station to help me put the game on a truck and wheel 

 it to about where the express car would stop, and also the 

 promise that he would be there and take hold of one leg 

 of the big caribou. By hard and quick work on my part 

 I got them into the car, but came very near getting left 

 myself, having to jump on a rear platform as the train 

 moved off. I had my rifle slung over my shoulder and a 

 heavy ulster on; and as it was, I lost a new pair of expen- 

 sive gloves, not having time to pick them up. 



The next proceeding was to see the express messenger. 

 He, after looking the game over, said that $9.50 was the 

 charge. I objected, and he then told me they would 

 weigh so much. Now, I think the big moose, caribou 

 and deer we hear about must have been weighed by some 

 express agent, that is, he estimates the weight. I know 

 he did not weigh mine, and as I had weighed them while 

 waiting at the station, I thought I knew the actual weight. 

 The expressman, however, set the weight some 3001bs. 

 more than the scales showed. After some kicking I got 

 a slight reduction. 



At Bangor the game warden was seen, and everything 

 was satisfactory as far as he was concerned. While 

 waiting for the warden I had a pleasant talk with Mr. 

 Sumner L. Crosby, the expert taxidermist, and he intro- 

 duced me to the warden. In fact, I never had the least 

 trouble with the wardens at Bangor, and found them 

 gentlemanly in every way. 



Reaching Boston, I waited until the game was in the 

 express room at the station, and asked to have it weighed. 

 As the weight was the same as when it was put on the 

 scales at Mattawamkeag, I demanded that the over- 

 charge be refunded. At first they were not inclined to 

 do so, but as I insisted, I was given a document and sent 

 to the general office, a few blocks away. There I was in- 

 formed by an elderly individual that I had broken the 

 game laws by bringing any game out of Maine. I told 

 him at once that he knew nothing whatever about the 

 game laws. From there I was sent across the town to the 

 offices of the grand mogul, general manager, or some one 

 else of the express company, and was told that it should 

 be looked up, and the over-charges, if any, would be sent 

 to me, which was done a few days later. The amount I 

 recovered was not worth the trouble I had in getting it, 

 but I was bound to have it if it cost twice what it°was 

 worth. 



The last few lines of the editorial I have referred to ap- 

 ply well to this particular road— get the last cent a 

 sportsman has when he is returning from a trip. The 

 road charges all they can for his ticket and turns him 

 over to the express company, who will try hard to get 

 anything, he has left. I know that, as far as I am con- 

 cerned, I will never undertake again to bring out the 

 carcass of any game if I have to travel over the Maine 

 Central under the present rules. I would rather give 

 the meat to the first lumber camp or settler I can 

 Una. Should I get a head and horns I will do as the 

 gentleman spoken of by your correspondent "Special." 

 and bring it out in my hands, and should the horns be 

 too wide I will saw open the skull lengthwise so that I 

 can handle them. 



Now in comparison I will give my experience when on 

 hunting trips in Nova Scotia; and it has been the same 

 in the different parts of the Provinces which I have been 

 to. Returning home one fall by way otf Die;by, we had 

 two moose heads, two moose Bkins and four bear skins. 



With our packs containing our blankets, sleeping bags 

 and hunting rig we had quite a number of bundles, and 

 I did not know how we should get them to Boston. Ask- 

 ing the agent at the wharf in Digby he said, "I will 

 check them all through to Boston." I expressed my j 

 thanks, and he said, "Oh, that is all right. You sports- 

 men come down here and spend your money and we 

 want to make it as pleasant as we can for you. Hope 

 you will come again and have good luck." Again re- 

 turning once in January from moose hunting I went , 

 from Digby by rail to Yarmouth, and from there to Bos- 

 ton. I had considerable baggage, including a pair of ; 

 large snowshoes and some moose meat, Everything was 

 checked to Yarmouth, and from there to Boston. In 

 fact, I have always found without a single exception that 

 the officials of the steamboat lines, the custom house, the 

 railroads and stages were very courteous and obliging, 

 and this without feeing of any sort. 



Verily, it would be a good thing for the managers of 

 some of our railroads to take a trip through Nova Scotia 

 during the hunting season, and to see, mark, learn and 

 inwardly digest the way in which non-resident sportsmen 

 are treated by the officials of the Provincial transporta- 

 tion companies. Certainly it would not do them any 

 harm. C. M. Stark. 



Dunbaeton, N. H., July 8. 



A DAY IN MISSOURI. 



We had determined on a good day's hunt for quail and 

 chickens as soon as the weather would permit. Reports 

 from the surrounding counties toward the opening of 

 quail shooting had it that "quail were thicker 'n rabbits," 

 and that was saying considerable, although we had had a 

 light winter before, and quail had not suffered here as 

 they had in some States. 



Finally everything was settled and the rendezvous: 

 named. I was the farthest away from it and the youngest 

 of the party. I had not had a gun or rod in my hands 

 for very near two years, except for a day's trojit fishing, 

 in the streams of McKean county, Pennsylvania, and I 

 very anxiously wanted and I might say needed the exer- 

 cise and open air, being confined as I had in an office! 

 where exercise was an unheard-of thing. 



The day that I was to start came, bright, sharp and) 

 breezy. I hitched my pony to a light road wagon, threw 

 in my traps and was off for all the quail I could get. The 

 road led me west from Brookfield through a waving 

 country, where nothing but corn and blue grass met th6 

 eye, as the farmers of Missouri all raise corn as their prin- 

 cipal crop. I arrived at the rendezvous at just 6 o'clock, 

 sixteen miles from where I started. M. and A. were both 

 there and they predicted a "rattling quail day" for the 

 morrow. 



The sun rose the next morning bright and clear, and on 

 getting out we found there was a strong breeze from the 

 west. Indeed, it was a quail day. Putting in our "traps" 

 and dog, we started for Grand River bottoms, which are 

 nothing but prairie land overflooded by Grand River ini 

 the spring. Arriving there— an hour's ride from A. 'a 

 place — M. and myself got out and started to work a 

 "draw," A. saying, "I'll go around to the head and work 

 back toward you." 



Stepping over the fence, we had barely straightened up 

 before wh-r-r, wh-r-r-r, went a half dozen birds from 

 under M.'s feet, who got in one barrel with no effects 

 "They're here," he said, as he let drive right and left at a 

 brace his dog flushed. "Yes, but why don't you stop 

 some of them?" "Oh! I haven't got down to work yet," 

 he answered. We took opposite sides of the draw, which 

 was about five rods wide and had a cornfield on each side. 

 We could not see each other and at intervals I heard his 

 gun, but nary a bird did I see. Thinking my time would; 

 yet come, I kept on up the draw. Getting half way up, 1 

 saw him flush a bevy and raise his gun to shoot, and look- 

 ing for the cause I saw A. just rising up about where the 

 birds went down. "Close call," said he, "but never mind, 

 we'll have those quail." 



The dog stood the birds, which lay very close and got 

 up in pairs and threes. The first two got away clear, but 

 the next three A. and M. got one apiece. The balance got up 

 and most of them got free, as it was in very thick brush, 

 and you had no time to lose if you even saw one. Out ol, 

 this bevy I got three, and A., two— M. still keeping in his 

 bad shooting form. 



Going a rod further we got up a bevy and here M. 

 redeemed himself by killing right and left, which was a 

 usual thing with him, as he was by far the best shot ol 

 the three. After this we separated and I continually 

 heard the bang, bang of their guns, while I was busy be- 

 tween rabbits and quail. After a two hours' stay we 

 came out on the road and counted up; twelve quail, twc 

 squirrels and four rabbits having been killed. "Well, 

 that's not so bad," remarked A., "but I am out for chicken.'' 

 I ventured we go after them and M. consenting we started. 

 On our way over the bottoms we stopped in on a few 

 bevies of quail and got some more rabbits. 



The chickens here in Sullivan county are quite plenti- 

 ful, but very wild. They lie in the cornfields and stubble 

 all the morning, and in the blue grass through the mid- 

 day heat, going back to the stubble to feed at about 3 or t 

 o'clock in the afternoon. 



We arrived at our "chicken roo3t," refreshed with 

 lunch, with cider, and started after chicken. "I bet we 

 don't get a chick," said I, well knowing how wild they 

 were and how they fly. "I'll make feathers fly if I get 

 near enough," said M. The first piece of corn wat 

 about a fifty acre piece and we started through that, 

 about five rods apart. Getting about half way through I 

 was startled with "Look out, Ed," and bang, bang, bang, 

 bang. Looking over the corn I saw one lone chick going 

 like a bullet for the grass. Asking A. and M. what the 

 matter was they said they didn't know as they "ought tc 

 have knocked him down with a club." 



We got up two more, letting them both get away. A.< 

 and M. then went across the road into another piece of. 

 corn and I took off for the lone chick that I had marked 

 down. I worked a stubble going over with no success, 

 and was looking sharp for my chick, but as they run 

 when they light I didn't know how near I was to him. 

 In my front was a hedge, which I had to climb — a diffi- 

 cult thing to do and save clothes. By the aid of a board 

 I had got on top, and was just about to jump off on the 

 other side when whr-r-r went my bird out of the grass, I 

 four rods away. Turning, I let him have one barrel,! 

 which broke his leg and knocked me off the board in the 1 

 hedge and tearing my clothes in rents; but that wa r 

 nothing, I wanted that chick, Following him I got hin 



itb 

 we 



