April 4, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



213 



CROSS SHOOTING. 



THE WHEATLAND3, Maryland.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: There is a subject of discussion among the 

 knights of the trigger that is periodically brought to the 

 fore, discussed, never settled and dies out, only to be re- 

 Tived again, and that is whether it is necessary to shoot 

 ahead of game or other objects in making cross shots, 

 and if so the amount of allowance needful in order to 

 bit the object. I think the large majority of good shots 

 "itf¥ld well ahead" in cross shots: but I have known sev- 

 eral good shots who maintained that they never made 

 any allowance, but "held on." My own practice being 

 to hold ahead of all objects moving fast across the line 

 of fire, I have often tried to reconcile the statements of 

 sportsmen making the above claim, with my own method, 

 their position heiug stiengthened by my own experience 

 at times, when rather to my astonishment I have occa- 

 sionally killed these fast cross-flyers with my gun on or 

 but very little ahead of the bird, swinging the gun as 

 fast as I could, but not having it as far ahead as I wanted 

 it to be. Every man who shoots much will understand 

 what I mean by being astonished at the result of killing 

 under such circumstances, since to an old shot the killing 

 or missing, except for an occasional "unaccountable" or 

 where the game gets through the spread of the shot, is 

 settled in his own mind before the gun cracks; in other 

 words, he kuows when he is "on" though sometimes he 

 can't help pulling the trigger when he isn't. 



"Well, how to adjust the claims of the two styles of 

 shooting was a problem to me until I settled the matter 

 to my own satisfaction by thinking they might both be 

 right'in a measure. 



It is very evident that game is, and can be killed in 

 cross shots by the shooter pointing his gun ahead of the 

 moving object and liring while it is in this position, 

 held still. This is the method adopted by many sports- 

 men with success. The case is simply that the shot goes 

 to the point aimed at, and if the object aimed at goes 

 fast enough to reach the point where the lino of fire in- 

 tersects the line of flight it is sure to bo hit. The other 

 method is to bring up the gun on, or better beliind, the 

 moving object, swing it rapidly abead in the direction of 

 the line of flight and pull trigger at the instant it bears 

 on the object without stopping the motion of the gun. 

 When this method is thoroughly acquired it obviates the 

 necessity of aiming so far ahead of the moving object as 

 is necessary by the other method, for the reason that the 

 shot acquires a lateral motion in the direction of the line 

 of flight before and during the discharge by the swing of 

 the gun, 



I do not mean, as I have heard some persons assert, 

 who were more familiar with guns than with the laws 

 of motion, that shot could be distributed in the form of a 

 much elongated parallelogram by swinging the gun very 

 fast, but that the act of swinging and firing together 

 give the whole body of shot two motions, the powder 

 throwing it toward the object aimed at, and the motion 

 of the gun giving it a motion in the direction of the line 

 of flight, the amount of this motion depending upon the 

 rapidity with which the gun is swung along the line of 

 flight from behind the object aimed at until the moment 

 of discharge. I inclose the accompanying 

 diagram to illustrate my meaning. C rep- 

 resents the butt of gun at shoulder of 

 shooter. C B A line of aim when gun is 

 first pointed. C D E line of aim when 

 gun is discharged. Now the shot having 

 acquired a lateral motion from B to D, 

 and that lateral motion being kept up 

 until the shot actually leaves the muzzle, 

 the flight of the shot will not be from D 

 to E, but taking both motions will carry 

 it along the dotted line to F, thus render- 

 ing it unnecessary to hold so far ahead 

 as by the other method, thus in a measure 

 reconciling the claims of the two classes 

 of shooters. Those of my friends who shot 

 well at cross shots and were sure they 

 did not hold ahead, were shooters of up- 

 land game. I am certain every old duck 

 shooter finds it necessary at times to swing the gun 

 as fast as possible and until well ahead at that, if he 

 wants to stop a quick darting duck, or one coming with 

 a gale of wind after him. Any one who acquires this 

 habit of swinging the gun from behind on to or ahead 

 of the object will, I think, make better shooting at cross 

 shots than he who depends on the other mode, except 

 for quick snap shooting in brush or woods when it is 

 often necessary to shoot by faith and not by sight. 



' SlNKBOAT. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, 111., March 26.— Mr. Henry Ehlers of the 

 Diana Club bagged 133 ducks last Thursday on the 

 Kankakee, some distance above the Kankakee grounds. 

 He said they were using on marsh that had been burnt 

 over. There were not many bluebills in the bag. The 

 bluebills are not up yet. • 



Outside of this bag there seems to be a pronounced 

 hiatus in the duck business. English Lake and Mak- 

 sawba report fair, still weather and no ducks moving, 

 water low, and the best sloughs hard to reach. There 

 were twenty out of the twenty-five members of the 

 Hennepin Club down at their grounds last week, but no 

 reports of consequence came up. 



Fox Lake country has not yet shown any bag worth 

 mentioning. Last Saturday Mr. Burton went up, but 

 did not take his gun out of the case. No birds were 

 moving. 



I was at Grand Calumet Heights Club Monday last, but 

 could not stay to shoot, Lake Michigan had been full of 

 ducks for two or three days, and a heavy wind Monday 

 morning coming in shore had driven the birds off the 

 lake. They were flying along the shore, and lighting in 

 the basin of" quiet water formed inside the ledge of shore 

 ice. There would have been good shooting there on 

 Monday. The ducks were mostly small mixed deep- 

 water ducks, with very few bluebills and redheads. A 

 few mallards were working between the lake and the in- 

 land marshes. There seemed to be a great many pintails. 

 Mr. Bird killed five ducks in the sandhills on Saturday, 

 but there was no real shooting. It is probable that the 

 high wind of Monday drove the ducks a good way inland, 

 and I should not be surprised if good bags would now be 

 reported from the Kankakee marshes. 



Mr. Matt Benner is another Chicago man who has 

 visited Greaserland. In his late trip Mr. Benner shot 

 quail in Mexico, and grouse in British Columbia and the 

 Northwest. He made the grand rounds. 



Mr. Walfred N. Low, president of the State Sports- 

 men's Association, is now in Louisville. Mr. Low's 

 work at Springfield has been diligent in this session of 

 the Legislature. There is no more unselfish and untiring 

 a worker for the sportsmen's interests than Mr. Low, 

 and the manner in which he devotes his time and means 

 to such work show that he has certainly a high standard 

 in view in his efforts. Mr. Low is an attorney. He has 

 in hand the prosecution of the celebrated Smith case, 

 illegal game selling, which may be tried some day, if 

 the world doesn't come to an end. 



Mr. Jenney, of the Jenney & Graham Gun Company, 

 is a member of the Grand Calumet Heights Gun Club. 

 He lately presented to the club a $100 new Lefever 13- 

 gauge. The club drew lots for it, and it was won by 

 Mr. George I. Maillet of Crown Point, Indiana. Mr. 

 Maillet has announced his intention of voting for Mr. 

 Jenney for president of the United States. 



Some very decent bags of ducks have been made on 

 the "Sag," about fifteen miles below Chicago, this spring. 

 This is usually a great snipe ground, and the jacksnipe 

 are expected there now almost daily. No snipe reported 

 on the other marshes yet, but Mr. Joel A, Kinney killed 

 half a dozen upland plover near Mak-sa.w-ba Marsh last 

 week. 



I met a man in Mr. Fisk's gun store the other day, and 

 he looked wild. He wanted to go duck hunting and he 

 didn't know where to go, and didn't know what kind of 

 a gun to use, or what it cost, or how to load it, or whether 

 he needed rubber boots or not, or whether his business 

 suit would do for a duck suit, or whether he could shoot 

 ducks all summer, or whether almost anything else. 

 Pretty fair looking kind of a man too, but I guess he had 

 just got out. I sat and talked to him for about an hour, 

 and when I came away I left a copy of Forest and 

 Stream in his hand. A tear came into my eye as I 

 thought of the heathen near at home whom we neglect 

 in favor of the inhabitants of Borneo and Siam. This 

 man troubles me when I think of him. He was so por- 

 tentously ignorant. He didn't know there was such a 

 thing as a sportsman's paper; yet he was a well-to-do 

 man, apparently of more than average means. Likely 

 enough he had softening of the brain, and his physician 

 had prescribed duck hunting. 



March 27. — Messrs. C. D. Gammon and W. W. McFar- 

 land returned from their Hennepin trip and soon there- 

 after went down to the Cumberland Club on the Kanka- 

 kee. They seem to have met the birds in numbers, for a 

 day or so ago they shipped 200 ducks and a number of 

 geese. 



Mr. John Taylor, superintendent of the English Lake 

 Club, telegraphs Mr. John Gillespie to-day that the blue- 

 bills are beginning to make their appearance on the lake, 

 and that there are large numbers of ducks on the north 

 marsh. This telegram is displayed on the Jenney & 

 Graham bulletin board, they having put up such aboard, 

 with spaces bearing the names of the different clubs, for 

 the posting of telegrams and letters from the different 

 club grounds. This is a mighty good idea, too. 



The birds seem to have slipped on up the Illinois River, 

 as that section does not show very heavy shooting. Fox 

 Lake remains silent, and the inference is that the blue- 

 bills and other deep-waters have not got up there yet. 



Ducks are reported in large numbers pretty much all 

 over Dakota. The flight is now well in the north. Open 

 weather and low water in our section have taken the 

 birds past us again, it is feared. The harder and heavier 

 and longer the winter is here the better the spring shoot- 

 ing is. A gradual opening of the waters, such as we 

 have had this spring, brings the flight up in scattered 

 squads and buncheB. Such a flight is not held beautiful 

 by the man who wants a hundred ducks a day, but it is 

 all the better for the ducks. 



March 29.— O. F. Overly writes from English Lake, 

 March 28, that there are more ducks in than at any time 

 yet. Mr. Ab. Price had gone out again after geese. John 

 Taylor, club superintendent, March 28, says in a tele- 

 gram, "Shooting good. Simmons killed fifty yesterday." 

 This news has sent a crowd of shooters down to English 

 L^ke to-day, and more will follow to-morrow. It ie 

 probable that this good shooting is due to the storm on 

 Lake Michigan, which drove the ducks inland. 



It snowed vigorously here this morning, but the snow 

 melted at once. The cold snap may put a new phase on 

 the ever-changing features of duck shooting here. 



Fox Lake reports one good bag for last week; nothing 

 regular is in there vet. 



A letter to Mr. D. P. Wilkinson from Mr. Bullock, of 

 Fort Atkinson, Wis. , says that the ducks are having great 

 times on Lake Koshkenong, where they are protected by 

 the Wisconsin law in the spring. There are large bodies 

 of fowl out in the lake. There is still some little ice left 

 in Lake Koshkenong. 



March 30. — Under date of yesterday Mr. W. W, Mc- 

 Farland writes Mr. W. P. Mussey from the Cumberland 

 grounds: ' If any of the boys ask about shooting, tell 

 them there is good shooting here. C. D. Gammon and I 

 have in three days killed 350 ducks, 21 geese, 2 sandhills 

 and a lot of jacksnipe." 



Mr. McFarland, Mr. Gammon, Mr. Wolfred N. Low 

 and one other shooter last Monday killed over 150 ducks 

 on Cumberland Marsh. For some unknown reason thai- 

 part of the Kankakee is looming up this spring. Mak- 

 saw-ba Marsh is in hard luck. The water is very low, 

 and it is impossible to get into the best part of the marsh 

 at all. Dr. Buechner says that last week he saw thous- 

 ands of ducks over the State ditch, within three miles of 

 the Mak-saw-ba Club house, but a camping party of 

 Hoosiers were driving them out of that end of the 

 country. 



Capt. Hill, of Fox Lake, says that there are some good 

 bunches of bluebills, redheads and canvasbacks on Fox 

 Lake. It is a pretty safe prediction that by about next 

 Tuesday or Wednesday some big bags will be made on 

 Fox Lake. The ducks are now evidently well up into 

 the country, and the music has begun. 



The E. W. Blatchford building, next to the Blatchford 

 shot tower, was destroyed last night by a stubborn and 

 dangerous fire, which came very near making ruin of 

 the Blatchford cartridge plant. Charlie Wiilard, man- 

 ager of that business, is a little bit scared yet, and a good 

 deal thankful matters are no worse. 



Loading for Targets.— Philadelphia, March 29. — In 

 reply to "Wing's" communication in your last issue, 

 after several experiments, I have found the following 

 load to give the most satisfaction : 3drs. Oriental powder 

 No. 2, one card and two Eley pink-edge, pushed well home 

 but not pounded, l^oz. No. 8 Spark's chilled shot, one 

 card board wad on that and the whole crimped tightly in 

 a clnb shell. The above measures are B. G. I. Co.'s 

 struck. Other loads tha t I have tried gave too much 

 penetration, making shot holes but not breaking the tar- 

 gets. Since I have used the load above mentioned I feel 

 confident that I have not hit a single target that did not 

 break.- Robin. 



He Hires Guns.— Meriden, Conn., March 28.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: Please caution gun dealers to beware 

 of a man, medium height and weight, or a little above, 

 black heavy moustache around corners of mouth, who 

 hues a gun to try, with idea of buying, and skips out. He 

 has just stolen two here in that way, one an English 

 breechloader, the other a Parker 10-bore, Damascus barrels 

 with stock cracked and checked around the tang higher 

 up than usual to cover the crack. The gun is somewhat 

 noted for its kicking qualities, and I hope will kick that 

 man's conscience if he has any. It is needless to add I 

 am one of his victims. — J. F. Ives. 



Maine Deer.— Oxford County, Me.— Splendid winter 

 for deer here; so little depth to the snow that the deer 

 either punch right through to the ground or run on the 

 morning crust. I do not think the winter "deer hog" 

 has got in his work, or can without a good dog. — C. B. S. 



Titusville, Fla., March 29. — Ducks along Indian River 

 are about played out for this season, with exception of 

 some bluebills and spoonbills. Quail are fairly plentiful. 

 The plume hunters are commencing their slaughter of 

 the egrets, etc. — Max. 



First Snipe.— The Cedars, Oakdale, L. I., March 28.— 

 I bagged the first brace of English snipe this A. M. — A. 

 A. F. 



CLUMBER SPANIELS FOR QUAIL SHOOTING. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am frequently asked if the Clumber spaniel would be a 

 good dot; for quail shooting, more especially where the 

 birds scatter in covert; but as I have never had the oppor- 



written to me by Mr. W. J. Middleton, of Somerville, Mass., 

 answers the question conclusively and, as will be seen, 

 favorably to the Clumber. He writes: 



"I noticed * * * your most interesting article * * *. 

 I think a few more of like character would greatly advance 

 the now slowly (?) growing interest in that peer of field 

 spaniels, the Clumber. 



"Permit me to state in addition to your mature knowledge 

 of this valuable dog, that for quail shooting they are the dog. 



"I think I may safely say the most pleasant day I ever 

 spent afield was on the opening day of last season, in com- 

 pany with a friend in a cover known to few, and not three 

 hours from my home, with the quail. 



"1 had with me Bess I. (Jackey— Romp) and her daughter 

 Bess II. by champion Johnny. Talk about 'bird sense !' 

 I think Bess II. has more to the square inch than any other 

 dog I ever shot over does to the foot, and I have shot over 

 some pretty good ones of most other breeds of field dogs, 

 and her nose is phenomenal. 



."Now this trip was the third time she had ever been 

 afield and the very first time after quail, she having been 

 worked on snipe before. 



"We had been having perfect weather for a week and at 

 last when I could stand the strain no longer I arose one 

 morning fully determined to make arrangements for a day 

 of it on the morrow. My friend was notified, business ar- 

 rangements made, and 7 P. M. found my friend F. at my 

 house with gun, shells, etc. Next morning bright and early 

 we were off and arrived at the grounds at ahout 8 o'clock 

 and climbed over the fence, jumping right into a bevy, 

 which whirred up on all sides and scattered in the cover. 

 This cover has been considered impenetrable to pointers 

 and setters. We succeeded in bagging two when they 

 flushed. 



"The cover is composed of thick bramble bushes and low, 

 stunted thorn-apple shrubs, making an impregnable retreat 

 for the quail for many years, because they were not pursued 

 with the right kind of dogs, pointers and setters being used 

 principally here, with a few cockers. 



"F. sized up the cover there, with a disgusted expression, 

 turned away to hunt up another bevy. I told him not to 

 be in a hurry, but to walk around to the other side of the 

 cover, while I stood where I was and sent in the dogs. F.. 

 laughingly consented to do so, and at the word, in went the 

 Clu mbers. Being so low they could thread their way under, 

 not through, the bushes, and in a very short time the fun 

 commenced. Up popped the quail one at a time and when 

 they would rise above the' bushes they offered excellent 

 shots. Most of the birds went toward F., who bagged nearly 

 every bird, while a few came within range of your humble 

 servant. 



" 'Those Clumbers did work to perfection,' were the first 

 words spoken by F., after the dogs failed to put up any more 

 birds and we had sat down to compare notes and count the 

 birds. I could simply say 'you bet,' being as agreeably sur- 

 prised as be was, for I had never seen Clumbers work on 

 quail before, nor F, neither, and, as I said before, it was the 

 first time either dog had had experience on quail. 



"Every bird was retrieved in grand style and I don't be- 

 lieve thev left a foot of ground unsearched. 



"The rest of the time out was spent most pleasantly and 

 profitably, though our best shooting was in the forenoon. 

 We returned home about 3 P. M., and after a substantial 

 dinner my friend started for home, assuring me that the 

 next dog he purchased would be a Clumber. Another convert. 



"If my experience' with Clumbers in quail shooting will 

 be of any use to the breed in general, you are at liberty to 

 publish this and to use my name. I am anxious to see 

 Clumbers pushed to the front where they deserve to be. 



"As for their being too heavy, well, the less argument 

 with persons making this charge the better, for they are 

 simply a class of people we all meet during our lives, who 

 are satisfied with nothing belonging to any one else, and 

 think that the cross-bred cur, part terrier part most every 

 dog in the neighborhood is the only perfect dog in the world 

 if it will only 'tree partridges' provided it belongs to them." 



Clumber. 



NEW YORK LEGISLATURE. 



[Correspondence of Forest and Stream.'] 



ALBANY, April 2. — The Assemblv committee on game laws has 

 reported Mr. de Peyster's bill. Mr. Tefft's bvll relating to 

 fishing by nets and Mr. Fitt's bill relating to Ashing in Owasco and 

 Cayuga lakes. The Senate committee on game laws has reported 

 Mr'. Maynard's bill relating to Ushways in Chittenaugo Greek, and 

 it has been ordered to a third reading. 



