470 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 30, 1895. 



ever ready to tell his friends just how the deed was done. 

 The latest aspirant of my acquaintance for honors of this 

 kind is Mr. Horace S. Dame, of Boston. It was a buck, 

 and a big one too, that first broke upon the vision of my 

 young friend when seeking sportsmanship honors, and 

 barring a slight touch of the fever which closely follows 

 in the track of every tenderfoot, it may be said that he 

 did exceedingly well. The first shot broke one of the 

 animal's hindlegs, a fact which only seemed to increase 

 the speed of the fast-running deer. The next shot went 

 clean through his neck and tumbled him to the ground. 

 He was on his feet and off again in an instant, but one 

 more leaden messenger just back of the shoulder caused a 

 complete somersault, and our young hunter with his guide 

 ran up only to find him again on his feet and inclined to 

 show fight. It was but a moment, however, before he 

 toppled over and died. The scene was laid in the burnt 

 lands just off the Eustis stage road, some five or six miles 

 from the ''Greene" farmhouse, where Mr. Dame was stop- 

 ping; and after cutting off the head and skinning the ani- 

 mal a large part of the meat was hung up where it could 

 be found later, and the two men started for home, loaded 

 with a good part of the anatomy of the victim. It proved 

 to be pretty heavy before Greene's was reached, but Mr. 

 Dame confidently declares that he would have car- 

 ried that head clear to Boston rather than abandon 

 even a fraction of an ear. His companion of 

 the trip, Mr. L, Dana Chapman, went on to Chas* 

 Pond, about six miles from Eustis, a day or two later and 

 succeeded in killing a doe and buck. This gentleman is 

 a veteran of the woods and very persistent in the chase. 

 If there are any deer in the region he visits he is pretty 

 sure to find them. Mr, Dame's buck had an exceptionally 

 fine head, and I believe all three of the heads are being 

 mounted by Frazer. On the week previous to their visit 

 there was quite a fall of snow, and while it lasted twenty- 

 two deer were brought into the town of Stratton. Harry 

 Haines, of Boston, killed two bucks near Chase Pond that 

 week, and Blyn Viles a fine doe. 



The 2,000 young salmon taken in to Big Island Pond for 

 the Megantic Club by Mr. Chapman arrived there in good 

 shape, only four or five dying out of the lot. 



Aparty of Worcester sportsmen, consisting of Gilbert H. 

 Stone, Oicar R. England and Joseph G. Vandreuil, have 

 just returned from the Katahdin region. Mr. England is 

 happy over the killing of an immense moose with a head 

 second only to the one recorded in Forest and Stream of 

 la3t week as killed by Mr. Cardeza, of Philadelphia. The 

 spread of the antlers was about 62m,, and the sportsman 

 and his guide followed him all of one day, camped on his 

 trail over night, and killed him the next day after two 

 hours' hard work on the edge of a swamp where he had 

 taken refuge. Mr. Vandreuil also killed a moose. Mr. 

 Stone was ambitious to make the ascent of Mt. Katahdin. 

 His guide advised him to take his gun, but he thought he 

 would travel light, and has ever since bemoaned his lack 

 of judgment. On reaching the flat table land near the 

 top they found about thirty caribou simply waiting to be 

 shot and not even a popgun to do execution with. What 

 strange things we see, etc., etc. 



Stories about the great abundance of deer in Maine are 

 still coming into Boston. John Carver, Fred S, Moxon 

 and Sejh Waterhouse, of Atlantic, Mass., have just re- 

 turned from the Aroostook country. They went in from 

 Grindstone, up East Branch of the Penobscot and stopped 

 at their guide's camps on Soldiers' Pond. During the 

 eight days they were in the woods they saw sixty -seven 

 deer and brought out six handsome bucks. It is a good 

 bear country in there, and signs of bruin were every- 

 where visible. When trapping last spring their guide 

 (Frank Cram) made a record of nine bears, catching them, 

 it is said, in nine separate traps which he had set for a 

 grand round-up. Hackle. 



Nov. 28.— Mr. L. P. Daniells is just out of the Maine 

 woods with a nice buck deer to his credit. He went to 

 Bethel, Me., and from that point to Upton, and up into 

 the Magallaway region. "Very hard hunting came to his 

 lot, with a lack of snow for tracking. It took a good many 

 days of hard work to win success. Hounding from over 

 in New Hampshire has made the deer of the Magallaway 

 very shy and thinned their numbers Mr, H. L. Hub- 

 bard ia back from King and Bartlett lakes with a deer of 

 his own shooting. He also found rather slow hunting 

 for want of snow, Mr. L. Dana Chapman, treasurer of 

 the Megantic Club, and Mr. H. S. Dame, of Dame, Stod- 

 dard & Kendal, have been to Big Island Pond with 1,500 

 young salmon, purchased by the club of the State, and 

 taken from the hatchery at Auburn, Me. The salmon 

 were taken through without any loss whatever. Mr. 

 Chapman had the good fortune to secure a couple of deer, 

 while Mr. Dame, who is a beginner at hunting, got a fine 

 buck. L P. Washburn has returned from a Maine hunt- 

 ing trip. He found bad weather and no snow. It rained 

 for several days of his absence nearly all the time. He 

 got no deer and no moose, though a novice at hunting. 

 He says that the rule that the beginner always gets the 

 game and the largest fish did not hold good in his case. 

 He also says that one should go over the Bangor & Aroos- 

 took R. R,, as he did, in order to see how many green- 

 horns at hunting there are going into Maine this year. 

 Nt arly every train is loaded with them. A deer to every 

 man would exhaust the game supply of any country in 

 the universe. He says that to see the crowd that embarks 

 on the trains of that road to Bangor, to listen to their 

 talk, to see their toggery, is enough to make one sick. 

 '•Talk about game. Why, there isn't game enough in the 

 world to satisfy such hunters! If Maine had a law to 

 keep such fools out of the woods, now!'' Here the con- 

 versation was cut short. 



There are reports of the shooting of a big white moose 

 at Grafton, Me. Reports say that the animal was a large 

 one, weighing nearly 700lbs. when dressed; also pure 

 white, and the first instance of the kind on record. 



___ Special. 



Vermont Small Game. 



Sheldon, Vt., Nov. 15.— Ruffed grouse are more numer- 

 ous in this vicinity than for many years. It is not an 

 unusual thing in a day's shooting to flush from thirty to 

 fifty of these king of game birds. Gray squirrels are also 

 fairly numerous. Northern hares plentiful. Foxes 

 sen ce. Woodcock shooting at both native and flight 

 birds has been poor; Stanstead, 



The Forest and Stream is put to press each week on Tuesday 

 Correspondence intended for publication sfuyuld reach us at the 

 latest by Monday and as much earlier as practicable. 



The Season and the Game. 



Stockton, Worcester County, Md., Nov. 21. — We are 

 having splendid success with the quail. I have never 

 known them so plentiful as they are this year. The cover 

 is quite heavy and some skill is required to pick out your 

 birds after they flush in the covey. Mr. C. Clark and 

 party from Darby, Pa., were here last week, and although 

 the weather was bad and the wind northeast all three 

 days they were here they shot nearly 100 quail and sev- 

 eral woodcock and jacksnipe. They also got quite a 

 number of ducks, although it is yet too early for good 

 duck shooting. 



Quite a number come here shooting and fishing. We 

 have geese, brant and ducks in winter, jacksnipe and 

 yellow perch in the spring, thousands of all kinds of beach 

 birds in August and September and lots of partridges 

 (quail) and rabbits. The whole eastern shore, as you 

 know, is a famous gunning ground, and why gunners go 

 way down to North Carolina when quail are so plentiful 

 here is more than I can say. Two good shots with a pair 

 of true dogs ought to get at least fifty birds here a day, 

 with a few jacksnipe and woodcock thrown in. 



O. D. Foulks. 



Bruceville, Ind., Nov. 14.— Quail in this section were 

 early and the flocks full, from 12 to 20; never so plentiful 

 before. The dry season was certainly favorable for hatching 



MOUNTED IN VERMONT STYLE. 



See Page 472. 



and raising young. Our season opened 10 th inst., but no 

 shooting to any extent. Mr. J. A. Gude shot one hen quail 

 that had eggs in her ready to lay. Would she have 

 nested? I. T. M. 



[She probably would have carried out her mission so far 

 as she could by nesting and sitting. ] 



Elmendorf, Texas, Nov. 13.— The bird supply in 

 this section is larger than it has been for the past three 

 years. I find that the birds were late in hatching, as there 

 are still some very small birds, but I think this is due to 

 the fact that the small birds are from the second hatching. 

 I found about a month ago an old bird with a brood that 

 couldn't have been over a week old. Have been out on 

 several hunts and found birds fairly plentiful, as we had 

 most excellent shooting;. Last week Mr. J. R Hooper, Z, 

 O. Stocker and myself found seven coveys of birds in one 

 field about five miles from the ranch, and I am certain 

 that this amount of birds over so small ground has not 

 been found before for the past three years, so I can say we 

 are not short in this section this year, though we were last 

 year and year before last. 



Why we have more birds than usual I cannot say, but 

 think it is caused from the rains we have had that has 

 made most excellent cover. C. M. Rounds, 



The Jackman Country. 



Several of my friends who are lovers of the rod and 

 gun have requested me to write you regarding the quality 

 and quantity of game in this region — especially to extol 

 the virtues of Jackman as a center from which to make 

 their circuitous excursions. Having Bpent six seasons in 

 this vicinity— from May to January, each year— I feel 

 somewhat gratified to make a comparison between this 

 and other regions. 



Jackman is a border town of Maine, situated on the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway, and has been hitherto an unex- 

 plored region. Though easy of access at present, it for- 

 merly was an entirely isolated settlement, the nearest rail- 

 road being 100 miles from it. 



It lies in the valley of the headwaters of the Kennebec 

 River. Its main stream is the Moose River, which derived 

 its name from the abundance of that game which for- 

 merly existed along its banks. This stream is the largest 

 tributary to Moosehead Lake, that yaradise of sportsmen. 



In formfr years my friends and self had been annual 

 visitors to the Rangeley region, Since Rangeley has be- 

 come so esthetic in its habits, many sportsmen who rather 

 enjoy their flannel outfit, and not the conventional dress 

 suit, have been making Jackman their headquarters. 

 Within a radius of thirty miles I can now number fifty- 

 four camps where three years ago not half a dozen camps 

 existed, Possibly the most acceptable place of all for 

 those desiring to bring their families with them is the 

 Parlin Pond establishment. N. W. Murphy, proprietor, 

 and pioneer caterer to the wants of sportsmen, is an ideal 

 landlord. He was the first in the vicinity to see that an 



inexhaustible supply of fish and game would naturally be 

 a source of good revenue to this region, and accordingly 

 made preparations to advertise for and entertain the 

 lovers of the rod and gun. 



Hts judgment was good, for to-day he controls the 

 largest and best class of sportsmen coming to northern 

 Maine. His hotel is a model of convenience and his camps, 

 situated within easy distances of the hotel, are located at 

 ponds that teem with trout. Ex-Gov, Burleigh of Maine, 

 ex U. S. Sanator Williams of California, Rt. Rev. Bishop 

 Healy of Portland etc., are annual visitors to this resort. 



The Hotel camps, L. P. Kinne, prop., are scattered 

 throughout ten thousand acres of land. They are the 

 "happy hunting grounds" where abound moose, caribou 

 and deer. Its ponds, besides its natural supply, have 

 been liberally stocked by the State Fish Commission. 

 He is a most entertaining host. It is to the "wild and 

 woolly" North, though, that the true lover of roughing it 

 finds it to his heart's content. 



No place in all Maine can compare with the headwaters 

 of the Penobscot and St. John's rivers for game in super- 

 abundance, and fish large and small without end. 



More moose and caribou are taken from this region 

 alone than from all the rest of Maine combined. Espe- 

 cially on the St. John's waters is this true. 



One of the most beautiful specimens of the moose ever 

 seen here was recently brought from that region by Mr. 

 Vaughan, of New York. He intends mounting it entire 

 and placing it in the Maine sporting building in New 

 York city. 



It will surely be a speaking advertisement of Maine's 

 noblest animal. The Heald Pond camp3, the Churchill 

 and Parlin Stream region alike abound in game. In my 

 next letter I will tell you of them. T. J. M. 



Wild Turkey Vitality. 



Duncannon, Pa., Oct. 18.— One day last week I was 

 fortunate enough to get a shot at a wild turkey which 

 came down at the report of the gun and started to run. I 

 put my setter, Gipsy, on the scent and soon found her 

 holding the turkey and waiting for me. The turkey was 

 still alive and with the exception of a broken wing was 

 apparently uninjured. It had gone a distance of nearly 

 200yds, from where I shot it. Now there is nothing 

 peculiar about this, but when the turkey was served for 

 dinner the next day a No, 4 shot was found imbedded in 

 the heart. I have always been under the impression that 

 the heart was a vital spot, but after this occurrence I am 

 not so sure about it. Is it not remarkable that it should 

 have run so far under those conditions? 



Some years ago I shot at a gobbler which was not more 

 than 25yds. from me, and which at the discharge of the 

 gun fell over, but quickly righting himself started to run 

 at such a rapid pace that, had his wing not shown that it 

 was broken, I would have thought I had missed him. I 

 stopped him with the second barrel. On examination it 

 was found that almost the entire load of No. 4 had struck 

 him the first shot, and the side that was toward me some- 

 what resembled a porous plaster. Eight of the shot had 

 gone completely through him. Had I not stopped him he 

 certainly would have died in a short time from the 

 wounds, and I would have lost a turkey that I would to 

 this day have believed was only winged. C. C, R. 



Old Weeks, of Erie. 



Weeks was all gun. Gunsmithing was his trade. He 

 not only worked at it, but it was the sun and moon of his 

 ambition; yea. the sidereal system of his universe. He 

 practiced what he preached; was the famousest turkey- 

 shooter of Erie; winning when all others failed. His one 

 perpetual song was: 



"I want to be a gunsmith, 

 And with the gunsmithB stand." 



For many peaceful, prosperous years he was what he 

 aimed originally to be; then deceased, a true son of a gun. 

 Peace to his empty cartridge! 



Once upon a time I called at Weeks's gun shop to buy 

 a gun for my son Conyers, On making known my mis- 

 sion to good old gun Weeks, he, evidently taking me— be- 

 cause of my somewhat somber cut of jib— for a member 

 of the clergy, remarked sententiously as he handed me 

 his best double-barreled English shotgun: "My friend, if 

 a parent wishes to rear his son so that his boy will be an 

 honor to his parents, an upright citizen, a manly man, in 

 every sense of the term, he should buy him a gun." 

 Then he glanced over his spectacles at me in a way that 

 satisfied me of the simple-hearted old fellow's perfect sin- 

 cerity and confidence in his estimate of what constitutes 

 a model son. C. Crozat Converse. 



Highland, N. Y., Nov. 23. 



A Virginia Game Countrv. 



Surry, Va., Nov. 15. — This county is on the south 

 bank of the James River and is very easy of access to 

 Northern cities. Game consisting of deer, turkey and 

 ducks can be found in large numbers in this section. 

 There has been killed in the immediate vicinity in the 

 past few weeks sixteen deer and about twenty turkeys. 

 A week ago a friend of mine while out on a hunt of only 

 about three hours killed three turkeys and a deer. I 

 killed a large turkey about three days ago only about 

 500yds. from my house, and it is no unusual sight to see 

 them from the house. 



Since the cold weather set in ducks have begun to come 

 in in larger numbers than I have ever seen them before. 

 With good blinds and decoys good sport can be had with 

 them. 



Black bass have been biting very well for the past two 

 weeks, and several large catches have been made. The 

 sportsman who desires a few days' outing at a small ex- 

 pense can secure it in this section. He can leave New 

 York in the evening via the N. Y., P. & N. R. R, on Mon- 

 days, Wednesdays and Fridays and connect with the 

 James River line of steamers at Old Point, arriving here 

 about 12 M. the next day. By writing beforehand he 

 can have things arranged for a hunt the afternoon of his 

 arrival. A. B. Gill, 



Advices from the Seat of War. 



Memphis, Nov. 21. — I am just from our camp on Sun- 

 flower River, where we have had three or four days of 

 splendid shooting. We killed one bear Friday, one Satur- 

 day, two Monday, and two Tuesday. This would indicate 



