Jan. 5, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



467 



assumption, as this is precisely one of the many things I 

 did not know, my knowledge of game not having been 

 derived from market stalls, I never having purchased a 

 head of any description in my life, and have my own 

 opinion of those who do while professing to shoot it. The 

 man buying powder and shot and with perhaps the 

 equivalent of a comfortable annuity invested in guns and 

 shooting paraphernalia, must be of uneasy conscience, 

 and but an apology for a sportsman, if he buy game too. 

 My former facilities for shooting as compared with my 

 financial status have rendered it far easier for me to pro- 

 cure my game in the field than in the market. 



''Pacific wildfowl" is too vast and comprehensive a 

 term for me to grapple with of my own knowledge, fur- 

 ther. Shades of Audubon! why not say "Fowl of the 

 universe." So small and insignificant a slice of the con- 

 tinent as that embraced by the Pacific surely cannot con- 

 tain all the fowl within the ken of the benevolent Breeder 

 and Sportsman. J. G. B, 



San Francisco, Cal., Dec. 16. 



This town. Hot Springs, N. O, is in Madison county, 

 near the Tennessee line on the French Broad Eiver, right- 

 in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These moun- 

 tains seem to be fairly alive with deer and abound with 

 turkey, quail, ruffed grouse and other game. A deer 

 hunt in this region is started by Sending out a man with 

 a pack of foxhounds to act as driver. He climbs up the 

 mountain, and turns his hounds loose. The dogs beat 

 around until they strike the scent of a deer, when they 

 are off in full cry. The deer when pursued makes for 

 the river, along the banks of which arc stands where the 

 hunters are placed, and the animals are shot as they run 

 by them or after they get into the water or while swim- 

 ming the river, and it is very rarely that one is lost, 

 unless in a case of buck fever. A friend of miae was on 

 one of the stands when a fine buck came charging down 

 the mountains, and passed within 10ft. of his stand. It 

 was Ms first deer, and he was unable to shoot. Buck 

 fever had him, and it was also expensive, as the law for 

 a hunt is very rigid down here. Anybody failing to fire 

 when a deer passes his stand has to pay all the expenses 

 of the hunt. It is an excellent rule, and serves to keep 

 everybody on the alert, for it does not pay to be caught 

 napping. On our hunt everybody was on the lookout. 

 A fine doe came charging down, and it was brought to bag 

 without a bit of trouble; everybody was pleased, and we 

 have been revelling in venison ever since. There are 

 plenty of deer in the mountains and Ave never go out 

 without getting two or three. Sportsman. 

 Hot Springs, N. C. 



Our lakes are now closed, and the flight of ducks is 

 over. We had some fine sport here during October, as 

 ducks were more numerous than I have seen them for a 

 long time. The open season closed Dec. 1 for deer and 

 antelope, and as we have no snow few have been killed 

 tins fall. I was at my mountain ranch in November for 

 a week, killed some nice fat grouse, and saw one deer, 

 but there being no snow could not do much hunting. Mr. 

 Foy. who has a cow ranch near me, has killed three. 

 Our last Legislature stopped the sale of game, so there 

 lias been none on our market. I am informed that a great 

 many elk were killed during October up in the Horn's 

 Peak country, where I was last fall when we camped at 

 Camp Coe. My old chum Bob, who was with me last 

 fall , was out again this fall in North Park and got eleven 

 antelope. My oAvn business was such that I had to 

 abandon my usual fall hunt and take revenge on the 

 ducks in my lake. 



Coyotes are very numerous here now, and make frequent- 

 raids' on our hen roosts and turkeys, if not well guarded 

 by a good dog. There is not a night we sire not favored 

 with their music. A few good greyhounds are needed to 

 thin them out. A. A. K. 



Berthottd, Colorado. 



I have had many fine days among the cottontails, one 

 of which I never shall forget. It was not nearly so suc- 

 cessful as many other hunts that I had taken, having 

 only brought two cottontails at full run and one Bob 

 White on the wing to bag. While in search of more 

 game I came across two pot-hunters, one with a gun the 

 other carrying a mattock. They had nine rabbits to gun 

 and mattock. They wanted to know which route I had 

 come, so they could dig out the ones I had tracked to 

 earth. Is this not as bad as taking them with a ferret? 



Cadiz, Ohio. Buckeye. 



SHOOTING NOTES. 



WITH the outgoing year shooting ceased in this 

 State, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

 Generally throughout the West quail shooting stopped on 

 Jan. 1. The sportsman must therefore go South for his 

 sport. . In some sections of Virginia until the loth inst.. 

 North Carolina until April 1, and South Carolina until 

 March 15. 



Among those who have just returned from shooting in 

 North Carolina are Dr. John A. Wells, of Englewood, N. 

 J., and Howard W. Hayes, of Newark. The former, be- 

 sides being an accomplished sportsman, is a most grace- 

 ful writer on subjects pertaining to the field. One of the 

 prettiest stories ever written of a quail is from his pen. 

 These gentlemen spent a week among the birds and 

 enjoyed good sport. 



O. Von Lengerke, of Newark, and three friends are at 

 present shooting quail in Maryland , where the law in 

 several counties is not up until the 15th. 



Benjamin Hilton, of East Orange, and twenty shooting 

 friends, contemplate making a raid next Saturday on the 

 Chelsea plantation, near Grahamsville, South Carolina. 

 Among those of the partv are: Chas. R. Hedden, M. L. 

 Freeman, C. T. Wills, E. N. Booth, N. S. Smith, W. N. 

 McCord and John Curtis. Wise Acre. 



New York, Jan. 2. 



Ohio Seasons. — A bill introduced into the Ohio Assem- 

 bly names the following close seasons: Squirrel, Jan. 1 to 

 July 1: woodcock, Oct. 1 to July 4: ruffed grouse, pin- 

 nated grouse, blue-winged teal, mallard, woodduck or 

 other wild duck, Jan. 1 to Sept. 1; quail, turtle dove, 

 rabbit, Jan. 1 to Nov. 10; wild turkev, Jan. to Oct. 1. 

 Sunday shooting is forbidden. The meadow lark is, by 

 another bill, placed among the birds which are protected 

 at all times. The revision of the game warden system is 

 noticed in our editorial columns. 



He Set Out to Buy a Dog.— Riverpoint, R. I.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream; I realize how much pleasure I have 

 lost by not taking Forest and Stream years ago. I 

 began taking it last March. It came about in this way. 

 I wanted to buy a dog. I went to the local news store 

 for a sporting paper and bought a copy of Forest and 

 Stream. The result is that it has continutd to come to 

 me every week since, and it always will. But that is 

 not all. My two boys of ten and twelve years noticed the 

 Audubon Magazine advertisement. I bought them a 

 copy. The consequence was that I had to buy all the 

 back numbers; and now that comes regularly, and I am 

 as much interested in its pages as the boys are. Birds 

 are my hobby and have been for the past eighteen years. 

 The Forest and Stream lies close at hand and several 

 times a day I go limiting or fishing in its pages and just 

 about get through it as Friday night brings me a new 

 copy and I hail it with pleasure. — C. E. B. 



Michigan Sportsmen's Association. — The following 

 gentlemen constitute the standing committees, whose 

 duty it is to consider the subjects included in the several 

 headings, and make full reports at the next annual ses- 

 sion of the association to be held in Detroit, Mich,, Tues- 

 day and Wednesday, Jan. 24 and 25, 1888: Committee on 

 laws, T. F. Shepard, Bay City; A. L. Lakey, Kalamazoo; 

 Mark Norris, Grand Rapids. Committee on enforcement, 

 Joel C. Parker, Grand Rapids; Wm. B. Mershon, East 

 Saginaw; E. O. Lancaster, Flint. Committee on nomen- 

 clature, Dr. Morris Gibbs, Geo. H. Wynans, E. H. Ran- 

 nev, Kalamazoo. Committee on publication , Mark Nor- 

 ris, T. Stewart White, F. E. Blakeley, Grand Rapids. — E. 

 S. Holmes, President M. S. A. (Grand Rapids, Mich.). 



Columbus, Ohio. — At a.meeting of persons interested in 

 the organization of an association for the protection of 

 fish and game, the following officers and committees were 

 selected: President, P. E. Fleck; Vice-President, James 

 Kershaw; Secretary, Jonas Hedges; Treasurer, J. T. Gale; 

 Executive Committee — C. H. Damsel, J. T. Harris, W. S. 

 Ide, John H. Gugle, George F. Stone; Legislative Com- 

 mittee—Charles E. Burr, Horace Park, S. F. Marsh, W. 

 F. Burdell, B. H. Brooks, A. W. Thurman, G. H. Bargar: 

 Committee on By-Laws— J. T. Gale, I. E. Stevens, Geo. 

 L. Graha m. The association numbers 105. The organi- 

 zation will take up and press upon our Legislature the 

 necessitv of measures to prevent stream pollution in 

 Ohio.— F. 



Deer on Long Island. — Oakdale. L. I., Dec. 28. — A 

 three-year old buck chased bay hounds came down through 

 Sayville, and was driven into the by half frightened to 

 death, and would have been drowned, but was saved by 

 some bay men. — Alfred A. Fraser. 



m mid Jf/w fishing. 



Addrem all communications to the Forest and Stream Pub. Cv. 



Angling Talks. By Geo. Da wson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By H.P.Wells. Price $2. 50. Flu- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keene. 

 Prices 1.50. American Anglers' 1 Book. By Tliad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



SALMON LAKE. 



ON the morning of Tuesday, the 26th of July last, E. 

 F. Milburn, my brother Herbert and I left Belleville 

 by the Grand Trunk train passing west at 6:30, and 

 arrived at Trenton at 7 o'clock, where we had to wait for 

 the Central Ontario train, which left for the north at 

 11:55 A.M. We proceeded up this road 59 miles to St. 

 Ola siding, where we arrived at 2:18 P. M. Having got 

 all our tops off the train and loaded on to the wagon 

 (ordered a few days previously) we started without loss 

 of time for St. Ola Village, about four miles from the 

 railway station. Our boat, canoe and camping traps 

 were as much as we could put on the wagon, so we had 

 to walk to St. Ola. The road was exceedingly dusty, and 

 the day scorching. Although the road was a little 

 rough, we managed to reach the water at St. Ola afc 5:30 

 without damage to any of our goods. It took us quite a 

 time to get the boat and canoe properly loaded, as we had 

 a fair quantity of camp utensils with us. However, at 

 6:30 we bade adieu to the driver and made a start for 

 Salmon Lake, about three miles north. First of all we 

 passed through Little Gull Lake (about half a mile long) 

 then Big Gull Lake (about one mile long) and then up 

 Beaver Creek about a mile and a half. 



We were delighted with the scenery on reaching 

 Salmon Lake, the water of which was' very cold and 

 clear. The lake is surrounded by hills-, many of them 

 being quite high, and is about three and a half miles 

 long by an average of half a mile wide. It is said to be 

 very deep in some places, particularly near the outlet, 

 where a line 600ft. long did not find bottom, and of this I 

 have no doubt. We reached the island in the northeast 

 portion of the lake about 7:30 o'clock, and at once put up 

 the tent, got something to eat, and then made things as 

 comfortable as possible for the first night. After that we 

 sat around the camp-fire smoking and chatting till about 

 10 o'clock, when we turned in, feeling a little tired from 

 our long day's work. 



The next morning I was up bright and early with the 

 hope of taking a black bass, which I did, not more than 

 100yds. from the camp. He was not a large bass (about 

 21bs. I should judge) but he gave me some good sport. 

 I was trolling with a large dark fly of my own make, in 

 fact I always make my own bass flies. During the day 

 Herbert and I tried to find a spring on the mainland, 

 northwest of the island, that we had been told about, but 

 were not successful. We spent most of the day in the 

 canoe, paddling about, trolling,' etc., but did not meet 

 with much sport, as the bass did not appear to be on the 

 feed, owing, no doubt, to the very calm and dry weather 

 we were having at that time. Milburn spent the day 

 Chiefly on the island, arranging things about the tent, 

 reading and sleeping, as he did not feel very well. Din- 

 ing' the evening we had a little music (flute and cornet), 

 and Milburn sang some capital songs with his magnificent 

 baritone voice— a voice of which any one might well feel 

 proud, 



What could be more enjoyable than an evening around 

 the camp-fire after a good meal? The noise and smell of 

 the pines and camp-fire, the occasional (I may say fre- 

 quent in this region) cry of the loon, the rise or play of 

 the fish and all the other kindred sounds tend to make 

 one enjoy the serenity of the scene and camp life, while 

 he often thinks of the loved oues at home. 



On Thursday we did not get up early, as we found our 

 hay bed (made the day previouslv from drv hay found 

 on the island) so comfortable. After breakfast Herbert 

 and I tried to find the spring northwest of the island and 

 were this time successful, but we preferred the water 

 from the lake, as the spring was very low. By sinking 

 an empty bottle 60 or 70ft. in the lake near the camp we 

 were able to obtain ice-cold water of an excellent quality 

 and this was when the thermometer stood between 90 s 

 and 93° in the shade on the' island. In the afternoon we 

 shot with Milburn's revolver at a fife-sized man which 

 we drew on some boards. The range was 50yds. and we 

 made some capital shooting, at least we thought so. 

 Milburn, however, carried off the palm. Later on divring 

 the day Milbum and I rowed to St. Ola, got the mail 

 matter and purchased a few necessary articles for the 

 camp. We caught a few bass on the way, trolling in 

 the creek, but they were not large (about 141bs. each). 

 Un our return to camp, about 7 o'clock, we found tea ready 

 and were not long in disposing of a few luxuries received 

 from home. During the evening I tried still-fishing in 

 water for gray trout, but did not meet with any success. 



We all got up early on Friday morning, and after 

 breakfast I caught a beautiful bass, about 5 o'clock, with 

 a small frog. I was alone in the canoe at the time, still- 

 fishing, about 100yds. from the easterly point of the 

 island. As we had been having such poor success with 

 the bass (owing, we believed, to the calmness and dryness 

 of the weather), I did not think it worth while to anchor 

 the canoe, but simply held on to a stake in the water with 

 my left hand and took the rod in my right. I, however, 

 found on striking the bass that I could not manage him 

 with one hand without the risk of breaking my light 

 trout rod, and I had to let go the stake. For a time I had 

 lively work, as there was a heavy wind blowing from the 

 northeast, and the canoe drifted rapidly toward the rocks. 

 I was, however, determined not to lose my fish, if I could 

 help it. After a fight of about ten minutes I managed to 

 get him well under control, and ventured to land him in 

 the canoe, by no means an easy task, as I had no gaff or 

 landing net with meat the time. He was, as near as we 

 could judge, about S^lbs. weight. Certainly he gave me 

 more play than 1 ever experienced from a bass of the 

 same size. We had often heard of the game qualities of 

 the bass in Salmon Lake, but found them to be better 

 fighters and more tenacious of life than we had antici- 

 pated. 



Herbert was the first up on the following morning, and 

 Milburn and I awakened by hearing hini calling for us. 

 He said he wanted the gaff, as there was an immense 

 trout on the night fine. We went out and were some- 

 what astonished at what we saw. There was, sure 

 enough, a beauty on the line, but hooked in such a way 

 that he might easily have torn the hook out unless care- 

 fully handled. He had, in some mysterious manner, 

 hooked himself through the skin between the shoulders. 

 Milburn gaffed him and we havded him in. He certainly 

 was a handsome fish. At the time we judged him to be 

 301bs., and from actual weight at the St. Ola post office 

 afterward we coidd not have been a pound out in our 

 calculation. We got several trout on the line at the same 

 time which we cleaned and salted. We also caught a 

 number of ling (a disgusting looking fish, somewhat like 

 an eel), these we threw away. Afterward we heard they 

 were excellent eating if salted. Milburn took the trout 

 to St. Ola to send to Belleville by train the next day as a, 

 present to our families. It weighed, on Monday morning 

 at St. Ola, 241bs., so that it must have been about SOlbs. 

 when taken out of the water. 



During the remaining days we were at Salmon Lake 

 we did not capture many fish, owing, no doubt, to the 

 extreme heat and to the dry weather. We enjoyed our- 

 selves chiefly paddling, rowing and loitering about, 

 shooting with the revolvers, admiring the beautiful 

 scenery, reading, etc. 



On Thursday Mr. Sargent, an intelligent farmer from 

 near St. Ola, paid us a visit and kindly offered to pilot us 

 to the Blue Lakes, about three miles east of Salmon Lake. 

 We started about 10 o'clock in the morning, Milburn and 

 Sargent in the boat, and Herbert and myself in the canoe. 

 It was a lovely day for such an excursion, as it was not 

 quite so hot as it had been during the past week. We 

 went up a number of lovely creeks with trees overhang- 

 ing, and through several pretty and wild-looking lakes, 

 namely, Dark Lake and Dixon's Lake. On the edges of 

 the creeks we put up quite a number of young partridges. 

 When we got to the creek at the eastern end of Dixon's 

 Lake we were much disappointed to find that we could 

 not get up the creek, owing to the scarcity of water, and 

 we were compelled to abandon our trip to the Blue Lakes 

 in consequence. We had heard that these lakes were so 

 named on account of the appearance of the water, which, 

 we were told, looked as blue as the water used for blueing- 

 clothes when washing, and that they were simply full of 

 bass of an immense size; that they were seldom visited 

 or fished, and that there were no apparent outlets to some 

 of them. There are, I believe, three in all. 



We then paid a visit to Devil Lake (about half a mile 

 south of the main creek), so called from its wild appear- 

 ance and the difficulty frequently experienced in finding 

 one's way out of it. This is a handsome sheet of water 

 in which there are several small and pretty islands. We 

 caught a few bass still-fishing with small chub, and saw 

 hundreds of black bass about 3in. long in the lake. I 

 took several of them with a small fly to satisfy id v self 

 what they were. Sargent told us it was a capital lake 

 for trout. About 3 o'clock we returned to our island, and 

 all of a sudden we made up our mind to strike camp this 

 afternoon instead of the next day, as previously arranged, 

 in order that we might have a little trout fishing at 

 Springbrook on the way home. It did not take us long- 

 to pack up and stow the things in the boats. Having 

 left Sargent near his farm, we proceeded down the creek 

 to St. Ola, and having pitched our tent near the village, 

 arranged with the carter to take our traps down to the 

 station in the morning. 



We turned in early and slept well until 4 o'clock, when 

 we got up, loaded the wagon and started for the station, 

 where we arrived about 6 o'clock. We took the train for 

 the South at 6:40, and arrived at Springbrook at 9:15. We 



