Nov. 30, 1895^ 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



469 



Monday morning the rain was coming down aB though 

 engaged for the rest of the day. Dick said to me, "Now 

 I will leave it to you whether we start to-day or to-mor- 

 row. Either way will suit me." "We start to-day," said 

 I. That settled it, and we got down to business in short 

 order. Into a light two-horse wagon we packed enough 

 straw, hay and grain to last the horses a week, a tent and 

 small stove, rations for ourselves, and last, but not least, 

 a good boat. About 10 A. M. we weie off , and just before 

 dark reached the East Branch of the Penobscot, after a 

 hard drive of eighteen miles. 



A short distance down stream Dick knew of an old 

 logging camp, which we headed for, but when in sight 

 saw smoke coming out of the chimney, and knew some 

 one was ahead of us. Then we drove down stream to 

 another place he was familiar with, but that was "rented" 

 also, so we compromised by camping between the two, 

 and making ourselves as comfortable as possible, went to 

 sleep full of supper and bright hopes, for the law would 

 not be on big game after 12 o'clock of that night. 



Tuesday morning we turned out bright and early, fin- 

 ished up our chores, ate breakfast, and before sunrise had 

 our canoe in the water. Our course lay up stream, and 

 until the time we landed I did not see a canoe on the 

 river that morning. I sat in the bow, rifle in hand, while 

 Dick paddled the canoe, his rifle lying on the bottom. I 

 do not believe I ever enjoyed a trip of any kind better 

 than that early paddle up stream. The rain of the day 

 before had left everything bright and fresh, and the air 

 was keen and bracing with just a touch of winter in it, 

 enough in fact to make you turn the coat collar up and 

 wish for another jacket. 



"We went on for about a mile, and finding a suitable 

 place to land hauled the canoe up on the bank. By this 

 time I was getting a little excited, and knew that if every- 

 thing worked well I would have my first deer before 

 night if I had anything to say in the matter, which latter 

 proved to be the case, Dick said to me, "Now you go 

 ahead, and I will follow about a rod behind. Creep along 

 and make just as little noise as possible, and above all 

 things be ready to shoot at a moment's notice." I started 

 on, and we entered a fine piece of hardwood growth. 

 We had gone about a mile in this fashion, and I had 

 stopped for a moment to wait for Dick, who had fallen 

 some way in the rear, when I heard a crash in the bushes 

 some distance ahead, and almost at the same moment saw 

 a fine doe coming in my direction, but well down to the 

 right. She evidently had not sighted me yet, but when 

 about 30yds. away she stopped and looked in my direc- 

 tion. The rifle was already at my shoulder, and before 

 she could bound away I fired, and through the smoke saw 

 her lying on the ground. Well, I believe I was the hap- 

 piest man in the State of Maine, and when Dick came 

 running up, his congratulations only added another 

 feather to my hat. 



Now, I have read lots of fiction and heard all sorts of 

 stories about "buck fever" and "buck ague," etc., etc., 

 and although that deer was the fir3t wild one I had ever 

 seen, and she came on me suddenly, I do not believe I 

 held my gun a bit steadier when I fired at the soap box 

 the day before. The men who tell of their soul-stirring 

 and harrowing experiences, about how their false teeth 

 dropped out and the cartridges exploded in the gun, they 

 had the "ague," or whatever they call it, so badly, will 

 find no sympathy from me, for I do not believe it, and 

 my own experience backs up what I say. (That is pretty 

 strong, Mr. Editor, but it is funny that I didn't have an 

 "attack.") 



After bleeding and dressing her we cut two stout poles, 

 and with the line which Dick had about his waist bound 

 the carcass to the poles, took the ends on our shoulders 

 and started for the canoe. Ju3t as we got there we saw 

 three canoes passing up the river containing a party who, 

 answering our hail, said they were going into camp near 

 Mt. Katahdin, and, congratulating us on our luck, passed 

 on. We loaded our game and started for the camp, 

 where we arrived about noon. After eating a hearty 

 dinner Dick said we would go up the river again, but 

 land on the east side. On the way up we passed an old 

 lumber camp, and noticing that one of the buiLdings was 

 fitted up in very good shape I asked Dick what it was, who 

 told me that an old guide by the name of Fred Brackett 

 took all his parties there, and had a large one stopping at 

 the place then. Inside of a mile we passed four camps in 

 sight from the river, which showed very plainly that the 

 hunters were out in full force. 



We landed and struck back through a territory recently 

 visited by the lumbermen, and where the traveling was 

 very rough, unless you kept in the old lumber roads. All 

 the afternoon we tramped without seeing or hearing any- 

 thing in the shape of game. We concluded to return 

 again to the river, and turned into an old tote road that 

 led up over a small rise. I was about 10yds. in the lead, 

 and had reached the top of the hill, ween out jumped two 

 deer from under the brush and started like a whirlwind 

 down the road in front of us, The first one had not 

 taken more than three leaps when I clapped my rifie up 

 and fired point blank without taking aim. I saw the doe 

 stagger, and I pumped another bullet in, and down she 

 went in a heap. In the meanwhile Dick had picked out 

 the on*e in the rear, and brought her to earth almost at 

 the same time I fired my second shot. Well, it was the 

 nicest bag I ever expect to make, and we paced off the 

 distance between them as they lay and found it to be less 

 than 20ft. I began to feel quite like an old hand at the 

 business, and was ready to meet anything from a chip- 

 munk to a moose. 



We dressed them as quickly as possible, and then had 

 to hang them up, it now being so late in the day that we 

 could hardly reach the river before dark. We blazed the 

 trees on our way out, and in the morning had no difficulty 

 in finding the game. They were both full-grown does, 

 and after getting them to the river found that they made 

 a good boatload. After several minor mishap3 we landed 

 them safe in camp before noon, and then hustled around 

 to get dinner. We were pretty tired by this time, and 

 decided to lay around the rest of the day and go to bed 

 early. 



Along in the afternoon about 3 o'clock we saw a large 

 canoe coming down the river loaded with five fine deer. 

 Two men from Haverhill, Mass., were the lucky hunters, 

 I asked them how it was that two men had five deer, and 

 they told me that there were three in the party, but one 

 had gone out to Grindstone the day before, as he was 

 taken sick. The deer made a heavy load for the canoe, 

 and one man went forward with a long line and towed it, 

 while the other kept it from the bank with a pole. They 



had been traveling all that morning in just such fashion 

 and were wet to their waists. The men said that they 

 had gone in several days ago without a guide, and from 

 the results it was evident that they were fully able to take 

 care of themselves. Upon seeing cur team they made a 

 bargain for us to take them down to Grindstone Station, 

 so we loaded the deer in and Dick drove the team down, 

 while I stayed around camp and got supper, as he would 

 be back before 7 o'clock. 



The moon rose early that night, and we sat around the 

 camp-fire and discussed the events of the past two days, 

 yawned a little, yarned considerable, and about 9 o'clock 

 turned in. 



Tuesday morning it was decided, as I had shot all the 

 deer the law allows one man to shoot, that I should try 

 the«river for fish and shoot partridges around camp, while 

 Dick was going to strike up river again for the other deer. 

 He seemed worried that I had shot my two while he had 

 only got one, but said he was going to stay in the woods 

 until he got his other one if we stopped there until the 

 snow came; and I knew he meant it. 



It was nearly 4 in the afternoon when I heard a shout, 

 and looking up river saw Dick coming down in the canoe 

 at a rate that would have made Bob Courtney hustle to 

 keep up. He said he had shot a fine deer with a good set 

 of horns, and that we could hitch up the team and get it 

 back to camp before dark. In five minutes we were 

 riding over an old lumbermen's road that had apparently 

 not been used for the last seventeen years. We went as 

 far in this with the wagon as we could, then hitched the 

 horses to a tree and started to follow the line Dick had 

 blazed when coming out. It was now getting dark, and 

 with his axe Dick would strip off a good-sized piece of 

 bark from the trees we passed, so the white would show 

 if we did not get back to the team before nightfall. It 

 got so dark within the next few minutes that we could 

 not follow the line at all, and had to start back for the 

 team, which we reckoned was about a mile away. I 

 verily believe we walked over the whole of Aroostook 

 county trying to find that team, and I was minus part of 

 one ear from running into an alder swamp and getting 

 tangled up in the bushes, and about 13in. of skin from 

 various places on my shins before we struck an old tim- 

 ber road, and if ever I was thankful to get back to camp 

 that was the time. There was a run on the arnica bottle 

 that night (which Dick had fortunately brought along), 

 and several very uncomplimentary remarks about things 

 in general were passed the following morning when we 

 found the lantern under the seat of the wagon. 



Having relieved our feelings somewhat by getting on 

 the outside of a substantial breakfast, we hitched up the 

 team once more and started for the deer. This time we 

 had no trouble, and by 10 o'clock were again at the camp; 

 at 10:30 we had finished our dinner, packed up, struck 

 tent, and with four nice deer and nineteen partridges 

 started on the return for Dick's home. 



When we reached Staceyville Station there was a man 

 waiting for the train bound for home with two nice deer 

 which he shot on the E ist Branch near Mt. Katahdin. 



Saturday morning I started for home, and at all the 

 stations hunters were getting aboard with their game. 

 At Norcross Station I counted fifteen deer, one caribou 

 and two moose heads that were put aboard, and the 

 brakeman told me that on one trip they took out over 

 fifty deer. 



So ended my first hunting trip in the Aroostook, and 

 being so successful I thought Forest and Stream would 

 like to hear of it. 



Next year I am going again, and before I start I shall 

 inscribe on my banner "A Moose or Bust." 



D. Roberts. 



Nov. 2. 



BOSTON MEN AFIELD. 



In a Forest and Stream issue of about six weeks ago I 

 mentioned a proposed big game hunt in Maine by a party 

 of Bangor and Boston men. They were to be gone five 

 weeks and intended penetrating to the best moose hunt- 

 ing region in the State. The party consisted of W. L. 

 Miller, C. P. Webber and A. L. Bramm, of Bangor, and 

 W. T. Jenkins, of the Babcock Varnish Co., of Boston. 

 They have just returned to their homes, having stayed 

 in the woods the full time intended, and tell a story of 

 their experiences which must prove interesting to the 

 many hundreds of Forest and Stream readers who find 

 their way annually to the Maine woods. When all ready 

 to start (about Oct. 1) they found, much to their indigna- 

 tion, that the guides whom they had engaged for the trip 

 had abandoned them for another party who had overbid 

 their services, and right here I would remark that this 

 kind of business is getting altogether too common in 

 Maine. I have heard of a few other cases like it this 

 season, and I believe the blame rests almost entirely on 

 the sportsmen who do it. It is more than unsportsman- 

 like; it is mean. The guides are nearly all poor men, and 

 while they cannot be held blameless, they should not be 

 tempted to such dastardly acts by men who call them- 

 selves gentlemen. In most cases such a proceeding would 

 cause the abandonment of a trip, but the Miller party 

 pocketed their disappointment, and procuring a couple 

 of good canoemen, started out to do the best they could. 

 Mr. Miller waB especially well equipped for the situation, 

 having been moose hunting for twelve successive years. 

 He has a well-earned.reputation as a moose caller, and is 

 generally able to bring his victim right to the water. 

 Their trip was wholly a camping one, and owing to the 

 low water in the many streams and thoroughfares proved 

 to be a hard one. At one time they spent nearly a day in 

 hard work, damming a brook in order to send the dead 

 water back so they could canoe up the stream, thus sav- 

 ing a long carry. They went first to the Allegash country 

 and stayed for a time around Eagle and Churchill lakes. 

 Afterward they went far into the woods from these points, 

 and it was there they had the best results. The entire 

 party saw thirty-four moose during their five weeks' stay 

 in the woods. Mr. Jenkins saw six spike bulls at differ- 

 ent times all in range, but did not shoot at any of them. 

 On one night he called a spike bull down, but did not 

 shoot. 



The next morning occurred the grand scene of the tt ip. 

 While paddling up stream with guide they heard a cow 

 moose whine and a great noise ahead. Rounding a bend 

 in the stream they beheld a sight only forty pac»3 eff 

 which it is safe to say neither of the men will ever have the 

 good fortune to see again. There in broad daylight stood 

 two great bull moose battling for dear life, their only 

 witness (other than our friends) being a demure-looking 



cow moose, who with head above the bushes off to one 

 side stood watching the scene. The fight was terrific. 

 With lowered heads they would charge like mighty rams, 

 each seeking to turn the other's guard in order to reach 

 the exposed side. Then rising on hindlegs they would 

 dash the forefeet full at each other's heads with lightning 

 rapidity, all the time bellowing and making a frightful 

 noise. It was a never-to-be-forgotten sight. Finally Mr. 

 Jenkins fired at the largest one, wounding him with a 

 .45 90 bullet. Filled with excitement he clambered up 

 the banks of the stream only to find the angry moose 

 almost upon him. The guide shouted a word of warning, 

 and realizing his danger he quickly fired again. Straying 

 off a short distance the moose dropped dead. Mr. Jenkins 

 then propped him up and took a fine picture, which I have 

 had the pleasure of seeing. He measured 6ft. 5in. from 

 forefeet to withers^ estimated weight between 1,000 and 

 l,1001bs. He had a fine head, crowned with very regular 

 antlers, and was indeed a prizes Mr. Jenkins also killed 

 a bull caribou, the animal having an excellent head. Mr. 

 Miller got a bull moose, and called the animal down him- 

 self. He wounded him with the first shot, and the moose 

 went into the woods. The next day they followed him 

 until 3 P. M. and finally found him lying down. Another 

 shot killed him before he could get up. A fine bull cari- 

 bou with a head resembling the Newfoundland species in 

 wealth of horns also fell to the lot of Mr. Mdler. A large 

 number of deer were seen, but only enough were killed 

 to provide them with venison. Chas. Morris, the guide 

 who so fearfully wounded Warden Collins in the Aroos- 

 took country some time ago, walked into the camp one 

 day. He looked careworn and threadbare, and is evi- 

 dently suffering many hardships alone in the woods. He 

 stated that he had seen the sheriffs go by him, and when 

 told they would come after him when the snow came, 

 declared he would never be taken. He held to his rifle 

 all the time he was in camp, and would not receive some 

 clothing tendered him as a gift, although sadly needing 

 it. By bis ghastly act he has made himself an outcast, 

 and I fear will do more harm before he is captured. 



Haggett's Pond, near Andover, Mass., is a favorite place 

 for pickerel fishing just now. Some good catches have 

 been made there lately, and it is said that luck had no 

 part in it either. The Haggett's Pond pickerel has a reputa- 

 tion for cuteness. He is educated and the man who suc- 

 ceeds in taking him out of his native element must know 

 all the points. John Saunders, of Andover, is posted 

 about him, and is therefore high line among the fisher- 

 men who go there. Mr. Saunders is a born angler, one of 

 the kind that studies the sport from pure love of it, and 

 gives every detail of preparation the most minute atten- 

 tion. This quality combined with a good knowledge of 

 the water he fishes almost insures success in advance. 

 Last Saturday (accompanied by a friend) he went to 

 Haggett's, and brought home fourteen pickerel, the largest 

 weighing nearly 4ilbs. His generosity is proverbial, and 

 a nice, fresh pickerel for breakfast, as a reminder of Mr. 

 Saunders, is a common occurence among his friends. 



Geo. D. Loud, of Boston, has made several trips this 

 season to Bonny River country, in New Brunswick. He 

 has just returned from the last one, and as usual expresses 

 himself as well pleased with the results. Partridge shoot- 

 ing was the mam object of his trip and he bagged seventy- 

 five birds during his thirty days' stay. Another Boston 

 party were down there during his stay. They were Chas. 

 D. Sias, Mr. and Mrs. Grant, and Mr. and Mrs. Pierce. 

 Ten days was the length of their stay, and they killed 

 about sixty birds during that time. Mr. Loud saw a 

 number of deer, but did not get a shot. 



The Florida tourists are beginning to show activity, and 

 are only awaiting the advent of real cold weather to start 

 them on their journey southward. G. W. Pitcher, of Prov- 

 idence, R. I. , will leave veiy soon for Homosassa, intending 

 to stay all winter. He has been South for many successive 

 years. The Gulf coast is his favorite country, and he has 

 hunted and fished over a good part of it. For many 

 seasons he went to Miakka, but lately seems to prefer the 

 Homosassa region, where he says he can be very comfort- 

 able, and at _the same time find good eport with rod and 

 gun. 



One hundred and fifty birds (woodcock and partridges) 

 killed in a little over two weeks' time by F. H. Talcott 

 and a friend, both of Boston, demonstrates the fact that 

 Massachusetts covers can still furnish some good sport in 

 spite of ripe old age and long years of abuse. It all 

 happened pretty near Boston too. A large share of credit 

 is due Mr, Talcott's very excellent dog. What is the use 

 of going two or three hundred miles away when shooting 

 like this can be found so near at home? 



C. A. Taft, J. M. L tsell and C. V. Dudley, of Whitins- 

 ville, Mass., left on Nov. 8 for a two weeks' stay at Mr. 

 Taf t's camp near Flagstaff, Maine. Big game hunting on 

 the fiist snows is the object of the party. They have gone 

 to a good region, and ought to do well. 



Boston, Mass., Nov. 23. — Boston boasts of many great 

 sportsmen, but there are few among the number who are 

 so indefatigable as Dr. Heber Bishop. One trip a year 

 satisfies the most ardent, as a rule, but the Doctor is made 

 of different stuff, and a moderate vacation such as most 

 men take only serves to whet his appetite for more. Last 

 spring he went into Maine on a fishing trip. Early this 

 fall he went to Nova Scotia " and the Moosehead region 

 with a party of three or four others. They were at the 

 latter place at the opening of the shooting season and 

 came home a few days later with a very creditable assort- 

 ment of big game killed on the trip. Now the time and 

 desire are ripe again, and in a few days the Doctor is off 

 to the woods again, this time bound for the great northern 

 Aroostook wilderness. The men who will accompany him 

 this time are Wdliam Farley, Charles C. Williams and a 

 Mr. Wilbur, all of Boston; Dr. George McAleer, of Wor- 

 cester, and I. K. Taylor, of New York city. Moose and 

 caribou are the game they expect to get, and surely they 

 are going to a region where these animals are said to be 

 more plentiful than anywhere else in Maine. I believe 

 they enter the woods from Caribou, and will devote three 

 weeks to an attempt to provide each man of the party 

 with his full legal number of animals allowed. Deer are 

 more abundant than anything else up there, but they are 

 not after them and will only kill enough venison to pro- 

 vide for ttie table. 



The most delightful reminiscence of the average New 

 England hunter is the recollection of how he got his first 

 deer. The scene, even to its smallest detail, is indelibly 

 impressed on his mind, and memory never proves treach- 

 erous to him who would recall the experience. The head 

 always graces the home of the ambitious novice, and he is 



