8*rr. *8, till] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



167 



other side of the "pond," tramped many a weary mile 

 between night and morning, to get a few shots and enjoy 

 the strange weird sounds only to be heard on the saltings 

 of a winter's night, At last a faint light to the eastward 

 proclaims the approaching day. and we quietly carry our 

 cmoe over the narnrwneck of land which separates the 

 '•Thoroughfare" from the waters of lower Timber Lake, 

 and steal slowly along through the rushes propelled by 

 Noel's noiseless strokes, while I sit on the forward bar 

 with gun at full cock, trying eagerly to pierce the gloom, 

 but in vain, and ma uy a vigorous black duck or blue- 

 wing teal do we start out of the reeds without getting a 

 phot, until at last the brightening light gives a better 

 chance, and one unwary bird allows us to-come nearer 

 than usual, and presenting too fair a mark, pays the 

 peualty Avith his life. As the dull boom of the heavy 

 charge breaks the stillness of the scene, hundreds of ducks 

 spring from their feeding ground in alarm, and after cir- 

 cling round the lake, start for some of the distant ponds 

 which stud the back country in every direction; and in 

 some of these most of the fowl pass the day, returning to 

 their feeding grounds at evening. HoAvever, we run the 

 oalioe into some high rushes, having open water to the 

 east ward and wait, and in a short time a flock of innocent 

 teal, fresh from their northern breeding grounds, give an 

 opportunity to empty the murderous barrels into the 

 midst of them, adding five A-ictiuis to the list. Then the 

 climbing sun warns us it is time to return to camp and 

 give the lake a rest until the evening flight. 



The setting sun finds us, however, once more safely 

 enseonsed under our disguise of rushes, and soon the fun 

 begins. Now a small flock, now a solitary bird, makes a 

 dart at the open water to our front, only to be greeted 

 with hea vy charges of single B, delivered at short range, 

 generally causing them to leave some of their number 

 stark and stiff upon the surface of the unruffled water. 

 But all good things must come to an end, and soon it 

 becomes impossible to see the birds through the gathering 

 gloom, and nothing remains but to retrieve the spoils and 

 Work our way as best we may through the reeds and lily 

 pads back to'the landing, and so to camp. Once there a 

 fry of black duck with "fixings" puts us in an angelic 

 frame of mind, and swapping yarns over our pipes we 

 gradually yield to the drowsy god. 



There is also other game in these regions to vary the 

 monotony of toujours canard. Snipe and woodcock 

 are to be found, the former on the meadows which sur- 

 round the lake, the latter in the dense fringe of alders 

 that line the thoroughfare. In fact in most years there 

 is a considerable amount of rough sport to be obtained at 

 and around Timber Lake, but of course like all wildfowl 

 shooting, it varies greatly from year to year. Take it all 

 in all, however, and I think the reader will agree with 

 me. that many a worse way exists of "putting in" a week 

 or two in the fall than to pass that period duck shooting 

 Avith the Abenaki. C. A. B. 



FrtEDERICTON, N. B. 



LOADING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have a 12-gauge gun, 8-pbs.Aveigbt, 32in. barrels, choke 

 bore, from which I secure very satisfactory results with 

 the following charge, using brass shells and No. 10 wads: 

 4xlrs. Dupont's FFg powder with one cardboard and one 

 pink-edge Avad, foz. shot and one pink-edge Avad, the 

 charge compactly placed. 



Should this meet the eye of your last week's correspond- 

 ent "J. H. B." before he has the choke taken out of his 

 32in. barrels, I hope he will try it and report results. 



I load my own shells and with my loading outfit keep 

 a half pint of common dark shellac in a strong bottle with 

 wooden stopper that can be loosened and withdrawn 

 easily, also an empty primer box and a piece of wire 6in. 

 long! After loading shells I pour a couple of spoonsful 

 of shellac in box, and Avith wire held as a pen dip into it. 

 With the drop adhering I draw segment at angle of shell 

 and shot wad, repeating till circle is complete. Thus a 

 ring is formed adhering to both shell and wad, prevent- 

 ing charge from jarring loose or falling out. Being of 

 an elastic nature it does not endanger shell or gun, and 

 burns at discharge, leaving no trace. Before adopting 

 this method I received many a "kick* from loosened 

 charges, but since I have found the minimum of recoil 

 and uniformity always. I also have an iron rammer turned 

 to fit the shell exactly. "With this I start the wad through 

 a Barkly tube folio whig as far as springs will permit; 

 withdrawing it, I insert common rammer and push wads 

 home. Removing, I again insert iron rammer, and a few 

 smart taps of wooden mallet sets wads flat and smooth, 

 leaving no turned up or crumpled edges, as when placed 

 with rammer smaller than shell. 



Four drams of powder Avill doubtless to many be sug- 

 gestive of enormous recoil, and such would be the resiilt 

 if 1 J or even loz. of shot Avere used, but as the shot charge 

 is diminished the recoil is also and the penetration in- 

 creased. It is the theory of strong powder charge, light 

 bullet and flat trajectory in rifle shooting and applied to 

 shotguns and has the advantage that fighter shot can be 

 used and, therefore, closer pattern obtained. Davis. 



DireeAirarow, Pa., Auk. 22. 



New York Meadows Alive with Game.— A few days 

 ago, while proceeding with a survey over the Dykeman 

 Meadows, at Kings Bridge, at the extreme upper end of 

 Manhattan Island, where the new Bhip canal is to pass, 

 we had the pleasm-e of coming in range and raising three 

 woodcock, five meadowlarks and two snipe. On Sept. 

 17, when engaged on the line of the old aqueduct, passing 

 through the grounds of Mr. LeAvis G. Morris, at Ford- 

 ham, we marked down fifteen fine, fat, plump meadow- 

 larks within a line of 200yds. of the old aqueduct, which 

 is there quite secluded by a cedar Avail environment. 

 Again in various meadows on the river line the like 

 pleasant things occur, with a continuous call note from 

 morn till nightfall, and erewhile the night moon sheds 

 its modest silver rays upon the gloaming, we hear the 

 most welcome call of King Bob White.— Canonicus 

 (Westchester, Sept. 17). 



Fredericton, N, B., Sept. 10.— A. A. Nason, of New 

 Maryland, while on his way to Fredericton, Friday morn- 

 ing, came upon a deer by the roadside, about three miles 

 from town. He reports deer quite plentiful in that local- 

 ! ity, which, he says, ought to afford some fine sport for 

 so'me of the city's sportsmen. Two deer were seen the 

 other day grazing in Henry Morgan's back fields in New 

 Maryland. This is the result of better protection in 

 Maine.— C. A, B. 



The Man Target.— Chicago, 111,, Sept. 17, — A Laramie, 

 Wyoming, dispatch says: "A young Englishman, A. W. 

 Whitehouse, while out hunting antelope last evening, 

 near Howard Windham's TAvin Mountain ranch, shot 

 and instantly killed his companion, George H. Gordon. 

 The two were graduates of Oxford College and the sons 

 of wealthy English parents. They arrived in America 

 three weeks ago and came West to engage in the stock 

 business. Yesterday, while at Windham's ranch, they 

 saw two antelopes, and, with their rifles, started in pur- 

 suit. They soon lost sight of one of the animals, but 

 finally located the other in a gulch. Gordon started up 

 one side and Whitehouse crept along the bottom. It was 

 now dusk. Suddenly Whitehouse caught sight of an ob- 

 ject moving in the sage brush about 100yds. ahead of him. 

 After Avatching it for some time he decided that it was a 

 mountain lion and fired. The object fell. Fearing that 

 it was only wounded, and having heard of the ferocious 

 nature of these animals when in that condition, he fired 

 three times more, and then parting the bush approached 

 the spot where the object had fallen. He was struck 

 dumb with horror on finding that one of his bullets had 

 entered the temple of young Gordon and that life was 

 extinct." 



Dories for Coot Shooting.— I have just read "S. de 

 R.'s" note in Forest and Stream of Sept. 15 with regard 

 to dories for coot shooting on the New England coast. I 

 have shot coots from dories, small keel rowboats, and on 

 one or two occasions from a two-masted whaleboat. The 

 decoys, which were strung out, were eight in number, 

 and. the birds would come down to them as if there was 

 not a boat within half a mile. Moreover, the decoys 

 were not more than forty or forty-five yards from the 

 boat. I agree with "S. de R." that the dory is the best 

 boat to shoot coots from, on the whole, along the New 

 England coast. — J. W., Jr. 



North Carolina Game. — Belvidere, N. C, Sept. 12. — 

 The prospect for quail shooting was never more promis- 

 ing than at present, and Ave hope after the 15th of October 

 to find the delicious little fellows in abundance. The call 

 of Bob White is resounding on every side, and the coveys 

 are generally fine and well groAvn for the season. Bears 

 have been playing havoc with the cattle, killing from 

 two to five a week, but the water has continued so high 

 in the swamps that we could not hunt them with any 

 degree of success. Hope soon, though, to "hit them ahard 

 lick." Deer are scarce, and growing more so. — A. F. R. 



Railbirds are rather scarce on the South River marshes. 

 Poor tides and a heavy groAvth of weeds, reeds and oats 

 make their pursuit too laborious for pleasure. An east- 

 erly storm is needed to remedy this. — J. L. K, (Perth 

 Amboy, N. J., Sept. 19). 



QUEBEC CLOSE SEASONS. 



47 Victoria, Ch, 25. 50 Victobia, Ch. 16. 



Caribou and deer, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1. Moose (male and female) 

 at any time until Oct. 1, 1800. The hunting of moose, caribou or 

 deer with dogs or by means of snares, traps, etc., is prohibited. 

 No person (white man or Indian) has a right, during one season's 

 hunting, to kill or take alive— unless he has previously obtained a 

 permit from the Commissioner of Crown Lands for that purpose — 

 more than 3 caribou and 4 deer. After the first ten days of the 

 close season, all railways and steamboat companies and public 

 carriers are forbidden to carry the whole or any part of (except 

 the skin) of any moose, caribou or deer, without being authorized 

 thereto by the'Commissioner of Crown Lands. 



Beaver, mink, otter, martin, pekan, from April 1 to Nov. 1. 



Hare, from Feb. 1 to Nov. 1. - , «, 



Muskrat (only in the counties of Maskiuonge, Yamaska, Riche- 

 lieu and Berthier), from May 1 to April 1 following. 



Woodcock, snipo, partridge of any kind, from Feb. 1 to Sept. 1. 



Black duck, teal, wild duck of any kind (except shelldrake and 

 gull), from April 15 to Sept. 1. And at any time of the year, 

 between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise, and 

 also forbidden to keep exposed, during such prohibited hours, lures 

 or decoys, etc. N. B.— Nevertheless iu that part of the Province 

 to the east and north of the counties of Bellechasse and Mont- 

 morency, the inhabitants may, at all seasons of the year, but only 

 for the purpose of procuring food, etc., shoot any of the birds 

 mentioned in this paragraph. . . t . 



Birds known as perchers, such as swallows, kingbirds, warblers, 

 flycatchers, woodpeckers, whippoorwills, finches (song sparrows, 

 redbirds, inditjo birds, etc.), cow-buntings, titmice, goldfinches, 

 grives (robins, woodthrushes. etc.), kinglets, bobolinks, grakles, 

 grosbeaks, hummingbirds, cuckoos, owls, etc., except eagles, fal- 

 cons, hawks and other birds of the falconidaj, wild pigeons, king- 

 fishers, crows, ravens, waxwings (recolk.ti), shrikes, jays, magpies, 

 sparrows and starlings, from March 1 to Sept. 1. 



To take nests or eggs of wild birds forbidden at any time of the 

 year. Fine of $2 to $100, or imprisonment in default of payment. 



No person who is not domiciled in the Provinceiof Quebec, nor m 

 that of Ontario can, at any time, hunt in this Province without 

 having previously obtained a license to that effect from the Com- 

 missioner of Crown Lands. Such permit is not transferable. 



take the eel worm, oatawba, June or May-fly, with an 

 eagerness which shows that their tastes have not been 

 cultivated. Trout, bass and jack take the troll spinner 

 or bait freely. 



Hunting on and around the lakes in season is ahvays 

 good. Deer are plentiful. There are a few bears. Squir- 

 rels and smaller game in great plenty. During winter 

 months many varieties of ducks and other Avaterfowl 

 are here in abundance. 



Around the lakes at intervals are sparse settlements 

 where the hunter or fisher always finds a hearty wel- 

 come, and guides in every direction whose love of sport 

 is sufficient compensation. Board can be had on the 

 lake at from $ 12 to $15 per month, every comfort at 

 hand; or if the sportsman wishes to rough it, he can do 

 so with only an expense of breadstuff to meet. The days 

 are warm, but always tempered with a cool breeze from, 

 the sea; nights cool and bracing. Health is as good as in 

 any lake region in the South; in fact, splendid. Several 

 extensive orange groves along its borders give a pleasing 

 variety to its natural attractions. You will find plenty 

 of good stout skiffs, and in sevaral places sailboats, for 

 lake navigation. Mosquitoes are only troublesome after 

 nightfall, and are always shielded from your person by 

 the ordinary net; in fact I have slept many nights within 

 one-quarter of a mile from the lake without any protec- 

 tion whateA r er. 



I wish to correct an error that your able correspondent, 

 Mr. Charles Hallock, has fallen into, namely, that the 

 lake is landlocked. It has one large and many smaller 

 streams that empty directly into it, and is formed and 

 fed by a deep branch from its larger neighbor, the Apa- 

 lachicola River. 



The ingenuous theory advanced by your correspondent 

 that landlocked lakes can be stocked Avith the Salmonida? 

 and other migratory fish is fully sustained in this instance, 

 because if there was no direct communication with the 

 ocean, yet there Avould be free communication by reason 

 of freshets along the Apalachicola River, which once in 

 every three or four years, and sometimes oftener, sub- 

 merge many thousand acres of low, swampy lands that 

 lie between the river and lake. 



Any information that the sportsman or angler may 

 need can be had of James A. Glenn or Richard McCarty, 

 Iola, Fla., either of whom Avill show you the character- 

 istic and cordial welcome so common to all lovers of tha 

 Forest and Stream. Viator. 



WEWAHITCKA. 



COLUMBIA, Ala., Sept. 12.— Some time in May last I 

 penned an article for your journal, the object of 

 which was to call the attention of anglers and sportsmen 

 to one of the finest fishing and hunting grounds in 

 Florida, Lake Wewahitcka, or Chipola, Calhoun county, 

 West Florida. 



From all physical appearances the lake was formed by 

 a rapid channel, or cut-off, from the broad, deep Apa- 

 lachicola River, precipitated across the smaller sluggish 

 Chipola River, which for miles runs nearly parallel with 

 and only two or five miles from the larger stream, de- 

 positing debris and mud across the broad swamp and 

 forming a levee or dam which has forced the waters of 

 Chipola on itself some four miles wide and twenty miles 

 long. The lake is bordered by a dense growth of cypress, 

 which in places extend 200yds. into the lake. The open 

 water is interspersed with innumerable submerged islets 

 of cypress; these break the force of the waves caused by 

 the constant sea breeze which is ever rippling the open 

 water. Here from October till June the fishing is simply 

 superb. An ardent sportsman is often cloyed by the pro- 

 fusion and variety of the catch. Nature has evidently 

 provided this lake as a great hatching ground for all the 

 species of fishes common to Southern waters. The black 

 bass, trout, pike (or jack), catfish, striped bass (or rock- 

 fish), suckers, bream, goggle-eyed perch, shellcracker (a 

 large speckled perch), all grow here to perfection, and 

 are of the finest flavor. The water is clear and pure, fed 

 by clear, limpid streams. I also think that owing to its 

 nearness to the Gulf of Mexico many varieties of the 

 anadromous fishes come here to spawn. Of these there 

 I are several varieties of the mullet. Many of the fish 



CARP AND BUFFALO FISH. 



C\AMDEN, Carroll County, Lnd., Sept. 12.— Oftentimes 

 ) I see in your paper inquiries about carp and how to 

 catch them, and I desire to give you a bit of my experi- 

 ence in catching carp and buffalo fish. 



I was fishing in two ponds, one of Avhich contained 

 scale and mirror carp, while the other only held large 

 buffalo. My tackle consisted of a spool of thread, size 

 36, and a minnow or fly-hook baited with bread. I held 

 the spool hi my left hand so that the spool turned toAvard 

 me and the thread ran out between my second and third 

 fingers, guiding the thread with my right hand. The 

 first fish I caught was a scale carp, lib. in weight, which 

 took the bait from off the bottom of the pond. My next 

 catch Avas a mirror carp of this year's spaAvn, and it took 

 the bait just under the surface and in about the same 

 manner as a black bass Avould, except there was no jerk. 

 It weighed 8oz. At the buffalo pond I caught with this 

 same tackle a buffalo weighing on the scales 71bs. 2oz. 

 The thread burned my fingers some as it ran out, but I 

 stuck to him and landed him after eight minutes' fight. 

 He fought very well, except there was an absence of the 

 quick, lightning-like movements of our black bass, and it 

 reminded me more of a dogfish than anything else, but 

 gave up much quicker than they will. The carp were 

 much quicker in their movements than the buffalo; and 

 the mirror carp would rise to the surface, but not so with 

 the scale carp nor buffalo, which seemed to feed on the 

 bottom. Of the three fishes, the buffalo is shyest and 

 hardest to catch. I am going to try for the 8 and 91b. 

 carp, using the same tackle, as it is much fighter than my 

 reef lines, and the hook just the thing if you strike easily 

 and plant the hook in the tough part of the mouth. A 

 very light strike is sufficient to bury the tiny barb. Let 

 some of your readers try it and see how much fun can be 

 got out of a spool of thread and a fly-hook. 



Our black bass fishing is good, no trouble being found 

 in taking from fifteen to twenty-five a day. We fish in 

 Deer Creek, a small stream of cold Avater, along which 

 large boulders prevent much successful seining, and in 

 the deep pools we find many large bass, some 4 or 51bs. 

 in weight, and lots of them from 1 to 4. J. P. H. 



The Dungarvon Hooper.— "What is the Dimgarvon 

 hooper V" asked my friend and fellow angler, T., one dark 

 night as we camped on the headwaters of this noble 

 stream. It was a question not easily answered, and I 

 could relate only a few facts noted down from time to 

 time as given by guides on the Mirainichi. To begin, I 

 never coidd learn whether he was a biped or quadruped, 

 feathered or hairv, but I assumed long since that he must 

 be a ferocious animal whose wails have frequently been 

 heard from Dungarvon River to McKeel Bank on the 

 S. W. Mirainichi. The veteran salmon fisher, Abe Munn, 

 once caught a glimpse of his tail bounding through the 

 woods, swaying the tall pines from side to side, and his 

 howl deafened him for days. The nearest victims of his 

 fearful wrath were a party of four Avoodsmen on the 

 Mh-amichi (the names I have forgotten) who were over- 

 taken one dark night on Rocky Brook by the terrible 

 monster. The horses were lathered to foam in making 

 their escape, and but for a friendly hovel that intercepted 

 his mad career these four men would never have lived to 

 tell the tale. They were never again seen out at night 

 on Rocky Brook. It was the Dungarvon hooper.— L. 

 (Fredericton, N. B., Canada). [The existence of the Dun- 

 garvon hooper is hrnily believed by residents on Mira- 

 michi Avaters, and is a standing bit of fun to all anglers 

 and hunters frequenting these waters.] 



Mackerel in the Great South Bay. — A few mackerel 

 were recently netted in the Great South Bay, something 

 which the oldest fishermen never have heard of before. 

 There never has been such fishing in this sheet of water 

 as they have had this year. One boat went out a few 

 days ago in the morning, and by 2 o'clock had 94 bluefish, 

 and then gave it up, tired out. A boat going through tha 

 channel took one ou a fine carelessly thrown overboard. 



