126 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



IHept. 6, 1888. 



Few Rail as Yet.— The season for rail shooting which 

 opens late in August or the first of September in differ- 

 ent States, has so far been an utter failure in the various 

 localities which have been heard from up to this writing. 

 In the lower part of New Jersey the birds are said to be 

 rather abundant, but along the Hackensack River, which 

 has always been a favorite ground for rail shooters, there 

 seem to be no birds at all. On the Housatonic meadows 

 in Connecticut, there are but few birds; not enough in 

 fact to make it worth while to go out. The birds shot 

 at present are those raised on the grounds where they 

 are found, for there are no indications as yet that any 

 flight has taken place, and none is likely to occur until 

 the next moon. A reason which is advanced for the 

 total absence of the rail from the Hackensack meadows 

 is given in the Evening Post as follows: "A few years 

 ago the sea broke through and flooded a section of land 

 on the coast of southern New Jersey. The following 

 year this newly flooded region was found to be alive 

 with rail. Parties from Philadelphia, who discovered it, 

 have made in the last few years bags of several hundred 

 birds at one tide. It is thought that the rail which used 

 to feed on the Hackensack have been attracted to this 

 new ground. If so it will probably be long before there 

 will be a rail year in northern New Jersey." Before 

 long we hope to have reports from other rail grounds. 

 More recent reports from the Housatonic meadows in- 

 dicate that a flight of birds has come on and that there 

 is some shooting. A correspondent writes as follows: 

 "Milford, Conn., Sept. 3.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Flight rail are quite numerous in this vicinity. On Sat- 

 urday my wife and self went up to the cove and I got 

 thirty- five. Mrs. G. bagging eight. To-day with an un- 

 favorable tide I got twenty-eight. The birds are in ex- 

 cellent condition, being large and fat. I have seen no 

 snipe, nor have I heard of any, though the meadows have 

 been well hunted. The weather to-day is quite cool and 

 we hope for a flight of birds to-night— M. G." 



The Flight op the Wild Goose— The Sacramento, 

 Cal., Record- Union of Aug. 7 reported: "At an early 

 hour yesterday morning those who were abroad were 

 greeted with the 'honk' of wild geese, showing that these 

 annual visitors from the far north are already putting in 

 an appearance in this section. This is the' earliest, by 

 two weeks, that these fowls have arrived here in their 

 migration toward the south for twelve years past, accord- 

 ing to the reporter's data. It is possible that some strag- 

 gling bands have arrived earlier, as not a few of the wild 

 fowl breed about the lakes and marshes in southern 

 Oregon, and they are apt to arrive a little in advance of 

 then 1 Arctic brethern. However, as none of them take 

 the trouble to register on their arrival, it is impossible to 

 say whether they hail from the North Pole or the Oregon 

 Lakes. The first locality visited by wild geese in this 

 vicinity is Fisherman's Lake, some eight miles north of 

 the city. A few flocks show up there each season earlier 

 than elsewhere, and it is believed that they are piloted 

 directly thither by old geese who had wintered there the 

 proceeding season. The last of the wild geese to leave 

 this section last spring took their departure as late as the 

 1st of May. It will thus be seen that these fowls tarry 

 with us nearly , if not quite, nine months of the year. A 

 greater compliment to 'the glorious climate' of the Sacra- 

 mento Yalley could not be paid, as these fellows are ex- 

 perienced travelers and good judges of climate. Follow- 

 ing are the dates of arrival of the wild geese for the past 

 twelve years: 1887, Sept. 14: 1886, Sept. 12: 1885, Sept. 

 13: 1884, Sept. 2: 1883, Sept. 12; 1882, Sept. 12; 1881, Sept. 

 3; 1880, Sept. 17; 1S79, Aug. 30: 1878. Sept. 6: 1877, Aug. 

 31; 1870, Aug. 14." 



Ontario— Millbrook, Ont.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Permit me to correct an error which recently appeared 

 in the columns of Forest and Stream, which if not cor- 

 rected might occasion considerable trouble and incon- 

 venience to American sportsmen contemplating a deer 

 hunt in Ontario this coming season. Under the heading 

 "Ontario Game Law" the open sea-on for deer is from 

 the Mth of October to the 15th of December, both dates 

 inclusive, which should be from 15th of October to the 

 20th of November, both dates included. The taking or 

 killing of moose, elk, caribou or reindeer is entirely pro- 

 hibited until the loth day of October, A. D. 1895.— Geo. 

 Sooth eran. 



DEER HUNTING ETHICS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The mica, N. V., Iltrald of Aug. 28 contained a letter headed 

 '•A Clergyman** Vacation^' describing the experiences of a partv 

 m the North Woods. It contained these paragraphs: 



"We take an early row on the lake and a visit to the huoy, which 

 we have permission to use. Will this answer for luck and for a 

 breakfast? One salmon trout that weighed 31bs., one 41hs., one 

 Bibs., that, is our catch, brought up from a depth of 15ft., with 

 meat icy cold. It was indeed gilt edged in color and flavor, as it 

 came soon upon our table. While these lish lasted, well kept in 

 our ice house, we feasted; but the truth must he told, we have 

 caught not another one in these ten days since. Have we then 

 gone hungry ? Hal, we brought well filled packs. Moreover, we 

 are La the woods as well as near the lake. We have not oulv rode, 

 but givns, and why should anyone suffer hunger in this land? 

 Morover, lawful days have come. The sun of Aug. 15 rose none 

 loo earlTtO find two of our party dressing a buck that would 

 weigh 2G01bs., who went down where he stood looking in wonder 

 at a bright light seen over the water. His head will lie mounted 

 as a trophy. His flesh has given us daily feasts, boiled, roasted, 

 and in other shape. One such specimen of game ought to be 

 enough for our party. But who can refuse fortune, when she 

 holds forth her prize before your eves? 



'•We were all at the landing, and two were .hist stepping into the 

 boat to try the buoy, when one said, '"Sec, what's that in the lake? 

 It is not. a loon. Is it not the head of a deer?" It was more than 

 Half a mile away, but. we thought it worth while to know. The 

 boat sped on its way as fast as oars and paddle and our utmost 

 strength could send it, and not in vain. There was the deer, it 

 was a question, indeed, whether we could gel between her and the 

 shore, it was done. Then came a contest, over many paths, to 

 and fro, for we had neither gun nor club. But, there were two 

 against one, and we had an oar and a knife, and we towed the doe 

 to our shore, and were greeted with cheers by those who had 

 looked on with excitement hardly less than our own. We shall 

 carry home jerked venison. Speckled trout have also furnished 

 delicacies fit for a queen. Wo got them with rod and fly as we 

 waded down the outlet, now knee deep, now waist deep." 



Having been over the same "happy hunting ground" thirty 

 years ago and many times since, 1 read the "Clergyman's Vaca- 

 tion" with great interest, but was sorry to find the cause of the 

 statement. "We were greeted with cheers." Allow me to ask 

 what this sportsman had done that he— or they, for there were 

 "two against one"— should he greeted with cheers? They had, 

 without fear or trembling, or even the slightest touch of "buck 

 fever," rowed up to a timid deer, and with "knife and oar," for 

 they had no "gun or club," killed it. And this deer a doe, which 

 undoubtedly had beautiful spotted fawns on the mountain side, 

 under The protecting pines and spruce, waiting for the maternal 

 support to return. Call you this worthy of cheers, or an exploit 

 to be published abroad? It is simply murdering the innocents on 



their own stamping ground. This style of sporting is equal to 

 that of !i, [skillful hunter and angler from Ithaca, who in the pros-' 

 ence of my party some years since, ordered the stalwart guide, 

 much to his disgust, to fasten a, buoy hook to the deer's tail and 

 allow it to swim off sonii yards, when the aforesaid hunter and 

 crack shot hurled from a double-barreled shotgun quite a hun- 

 dred buckshot into the struggling, helpless creature, mercilessly 

 deprived of every chance for escape by the cruel book, which held 

 it to the boat side. 



If you wish to secure your deer during the running season, do 

 it. as the writer lias seen it done— yes, as he himself Has done it 

 repeatedly. If the fleet animal is in the water, place your boat 

 beside it, if you can, and if you find you have "cut off" a doe, 

 allow it to escape to the mountains, and by so doing help in the 

 best possible manner to protect tne venison. If you have rowed 

 down a buck, drive him to the' shore, and when his feet strike 

 the ground and his body presents a fair target, level vour rifle 

 with its single shot and "drop him." Then vou will merit the 

 cheers of your party. If you miss him he will live to run "an- 

 other day," and you will bave the satisfaction of knowing that 

 you bave acted tne part of an honorable hunter by giving the 

 deer a fair chance. 



A few years ago the writer landed on the beautiful beach just 

 south of Stone Point, head of Fourth Lake, Fulton Chain. He 

 had started to row from GuU Rock Point to Cedar Island, but 

 "the wind was wild and the waves ran high," and his boat was 

 carried at a lively pace to the head of the lake, and hauled on the 

 beach. While admiring the water dashing up into the hU3hes off 

 toward the inlet, he discovered a buck with fine antlers bounding 

 through the flying waters directly toward him. It was a. fine 

 sight, and a good opportunity for an attack of buck fever, if not. 

 an attack by the buck himself. On be came with the speed of a 

 railroad flyer, but not a Winchester, not a finger, not even an eye- 

 lash moved till the creature with a "rocking-chair on his head 

 and a white handkerchief in his hip pocket" was about to pass, 

 when a M long crashed through his brain. His last and first 

 hound was toward the lake, and instantly he disappears beneath 

 the dashing waves. Being sure he was my venison, with no clog 

 nor guide to claim bis hide, I calmly waited for wind and water 

 to subside sufficiently to allow me to lauuch my boat and fish for 

 my venison. In this case 1 felt justified in using "hook and line" 

 to capture a deer, and was soon back on sLore with the magnificent 

 prize, my boat full of water and myself in the state described by 

 the term "fisherman's luck." 



My party, with their guides, Hess and Halliday, had witnessed 

 the encounter from Cedar Island, where they were camping, but 

 it was several hours before the guides could join me at the beaeh 

 to assist in bringing the game to camp, for the water was too wild 

 for their light Saranac boats. As soon as it was safe, however, 

 they set out and were soon blown to the scene, when the deer was 

 laid in Hess's boat , his head made fast to the stern while his hind- 

 feet reached to the bow seat, where sat Fred ready to start, when 

 he was asked, "What are going to do with that deer?" "Take him 

 to camp, of course; what did you kill him for if not for that?" 

 "No you don't," answered the soaked and hungry hunter, "I've a 

 quit claim deed on that venison, and it is not going to the bottom 



A 



— and 



the deer ahead, Halliday and the proud deer slayer following. 

 We. also were, greeted with cheers from our party, one of whose 

 number was the late lamented M. H. Griffith, of Utica, who, 

 on being presented with the head, induced Halliday to deliver it 

 by sunrise at Boonville the following morning. The antlers were 

 in the velvet, and now grace a dining room where good cheer and 

 hospitality are dispensed to the writer when he is fortunate 

 enough to be found in that beautiful city. B. P. G. 



Boonville, Aug. 29. 



"That reminds me." 



240. 



MY boy Carl and I had put out a few decoys near the 

 foot of a lake that emptied into the Missouri, and 

 had stationed ourselves in the bushes near by, when in 

 came a pair of mallards. The drake was on my side, and 

 I "downed him" with the second barrel. The boy missed 

 his duck. After that two small bunches of redheads 

 came in, and I got a pair each time and the boy killed 

 one. As fast as we got any he would wade out and set 

 them up for decoys. He had just bought a fine Parker 

 gun; I have a Fox that I swear by; and many a time had 

 we discussed the relative merits of the two guns. He 

 was out setting up the last ducks killed and feeling rather 

 sore over the results of the shooting; so thinking it a good 

 time to give him a dig, I said, "Carl, there are but two 

 things you need to make you a duck shooter, the first is a 

 Fox gun and the other is to learn how to use it." "Yes.'' 

 he drawled out, without looking up, "there is one thing 

 more — gall enough to claim every duck that is killed." 

 Blair, Neb. HEMATITE. 



\m nnd Mit er 



Angling Talks. By George Dawson. Price 50 cents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle. By H. P. Wells. PiHee $2.50. Fly- 

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

 Pice $1.50. American Angler's Book. By Thad. Nonis. 

 Price 85.50. 



LAKE EDWARD. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



In a recent communication giving my brief experience 

 of the fishing at this place, I stated that I should try it 

 again as soon as I learned that those delightful little black 

 flies had left. Well, here I am, and there are no black 

 flies. A few nights of white frost laid them out cold, and 

 now there is nothing to excuse profanity; any deacon of 

 the church can come without risking his moral status. 



I have been here a week and have seen more big trout 

 caught than I ever saw in all my fishing experience: and 

 yet it is said they are not biting so well as a month earlier: 

 but the black flies were biting then, too. On the whole, 

 the present condition of things is preferable. 



The minors of the splendid fishing at Lake Edward has 

 started out a large delegation of fishermen; and every day 

 the train lands more or less pilgrims to this piscatorial 

 shrine. There are many amateurs, whose outfits make 

 us old stagers smile. Some of them are the veriest dudes, 

 in stiff shirt collars up to then ears, looking as if sus- 

 pended by them; immaculate nickel-plated reels and 

 bamboo rods; boots resplendent with Day & Martin; kid 

 gloves, etc. 



We of the regular army of old fishermen wonder how 

 long it will require in this Scotch misty country to take 

 the starch out of man and raiment. We lean against the 

 door posts of our unpretentious hotel, smoking our 

 pipes, in blue flannel shirts, canvas suits and thick boots 

 and watch the arrivals with interest; and not unfre- 

 quently a lady alights; then you should see every man 

 of us come to "attention," hide our pipes behind us and 

 essay to look innocent and respectable, feeling at the 

 moment that the despised dudes have the best of' us. It 

 is wonderful what a check upon utter recklessness of 

 appearance the presence of a woman exercises. 



There arrived a few days ago certainly one of the 

 most beautiful young women one may see in a life time. 



A glorious creature, a young widow with her father, am 

 enthusiastic fisherman." It was amusing to see every old. ' 

 stager rush to his room and dive into his valise in search, 

 of a stray boiled shirt and white collar, and when they 

 appeared at dinner it was like a dress parade, and 

 thereafter every one of us sneaked out doors to smoke 

 our pipes, or over to the grocery store, to sit on the 

 counter, smoke and swap fishing experiences. I refrain 

 from saying lies, for everybody knows the truthful 

 character of a fisherman, little George Washingtons, | 

 every one of them. 



It won't do to laugh at all times at the seeming green? II 

 horns, for some of them have put us old hands to the 

 blush. A party of three college youngsters came in from 

 camp last evening with more fish and larger ones thdH 

 any experienced fisherman has caught this season, and!]) 

 one of them never caught anything beyond a sun fish in 1 

 his life before. It is a lamentable fact that the fishing 

 here requires no science. Skill is all thrown away, be*a 

 cause it is not strictly fly-fishing. It is the paradise of 

 the lubber, for unfortunately these trout of the wilderness 

 are so uneducated and benighted as to prefer a chunk offl 

 chub or a mouthful of worms to the more refined artificial 

 fly. It is amusing to see with what scorn a newly-arrived 

 old fisherman repels the information that these deep- 

 water fish will not bite at a fly. He smiles a supercilious 

 smile and says, "We will see about that," implying thani 

 we stupids have not the science. Next day he goes out? J 

 in a boat with a guide to row him, puts on a killing fly 

 and begins to cast. Hour after hour as he works down 

 the lake he whips away with an occasional rise and gets? 

 a half dozen small ones. He gets down to where he finds? 



boat anchoi-ed and the occupants pulling in big 

 fellows. He looks on a few moments, sees a big fel«* 

 low lifted over the side of the boat, and can't standi 

 it any longer, science has to give way: and* 

 all prejudice put aside, off comes the fly, on goeud 

 the bait hook, the guide hands him a piece of chuUj 

 he puts it on with a wry face and says: "Well, I 

 have come a long way to catch these fish, and if they avm 

 so blankety blank stupid as not to know what a fly meanaH 

 here goes for what they will take." He soon gets jM 

 strike and hauls up a two-pounder, which warms him up J 

 to his work. He comes in at evening with some fine fish. 1 

 We are on the qui v we for him. "Oh! very good, yoim 

 have done very well. Fly, probably?" He colors up, is a 

 little embarrassed, hesitates, hates to acknowledge tke|fl 

 corn, but finally says: "No, not all of them: some wifcljB 

 fly." After that we hear no more about not wanting to- 

 fish where trout will not take the fly. He drops into thH 

 ranks of still-fishing, accepts the situation, goes homM 

 with a fine lot of trout, and his friends are none thH 

 wiser as to his methods. That is about the history ofl 

 Lake Edward fishing. 



We fish in about thirty-five feet of water, and the fisnl 

 don't show much gameness, don't fight as fiercely till 

 when caught on the surface, seem to get a little tired on 

 the way up. They have some peculiarities not withim 

 the range of my experience with our brook trout. FoH 

 instance, I hooked a medium sized fellow, got him. along-- 

 side, when he dropped off and swam around near the 

 surface. I threw my bait out again near him, which haj- 

 immediately took the second time, and I hauled him im 

 A gentleman at my elbow tells me that he hooked a 

 fish, lost him with hook and snell, five minutes later h$ 

 caught the same fish with the first hook in his lower jaw. 

 What shall we say of such fish? Can we excuse such un 

 troutlike proceedings on the score of their being unsra 

 phisticated denizens of the wilderness, deprived of tm 

 benefit of clergy and good moral example? 



I don't wish to defame these trout and place them ofl 

 too low a scale of morals, for I have had some fair sport 

 with the fly during my week's sojourn, have caught some 

 fair fish, what would rate as nice ones at home. A matt 

 can, by following the shores around in shallower watet 

 pick up a good many fish; but they are small comparea 

 to the deep water catches with bait, and to come in witta 

 a couple of dozen small ones caught with fly and see a 

 boat land at the same moment and the guide bring ashorf 

 an equal number weighing five times more than you$ 

 catch, is rather discouraging to science and skill. 



Of course this bait fishing is demoralizing. It is niorta« 

 fying to the flesh. But what shall we do? 



At "the discharge" as it is called, i. e., outlet, in ruhi 

 ning water, fish can be taken with the fly, and in th« 

 Batiscan River, a large stream supplied by the severed 

 outlets of this and other lakes. In this river plenty 

 small, ordinary-sized brook trout can be caught with the 

 fly and occasionally a good sized one; but it is rough 

 fishing. This stream was formerly a good one, but dim 

 ing the process of budding the railroad the hands fished 

 it morning, noon and night; and in a measure cleaned ill 

 out. But it is gradually being replenished and will 

 eventually be good fishing. The Canadian government 

 has refused to lease any fishing privileges on this river? 

 retaining it for the public 



There are undoubtedly many lakes further bick in the 

 wilderness that have never been explored, being ahnos$ 

 inaccessible by reason of its density and the depth of moga 

 into which one sinks to the knees, and also the steels 

 mountains over which the explorer must laboriousTj 

 climb. Some day they will undoubtedly be reached, but 

 not for a long time, and even then it does not follow thai 

 they all contain trout. For instance, there is anothei 

 large lake some twenty-five miles beyond this, on the 

 line of the railroad, that contains no trout. 



There are quite a number of camps along the shores 

 Lake Edward, but the weather is too unpleasant for com 

 fortable eainping. It has rained almost incessantly fol 

 the past two weeks, clearing off for a day with a whifc§| 

 frost at night, making heavy blankets essential. Cam* 

 ing out has its fascinations, and occasionally some epi- 

 sodes not agreeable. A party of young gentlemen iiJ 

 camp below caught a fine lot of trout, and to preserve 

 them nicely cached them in moss back of their tent. Jl 

 couple of days since they broke camp and loaded the boat, 

 the last thing being their trout, which they proceeded fc< 

 uncover; but what was their astonishment to find nothing) 

 not a fish. The thieving little minks had cleaned out the 

 lot. There are occasions when the best of men ari 

 justified in using strong language, and this was one w 

 them. 



We had a little episode of our own. One. of those little' 

 animals that don't rely on Lubin for his perfumery, man< 

 ufacturing his own, came nosing around the camp, anc* 

 being of an investigating turn of mind poked his hear • 

 -into our coffee pot: this being a close fit, the head wouk 



