Sept. 20, 1888.] 



165 



off dat young Poling Chiny pig flat dey was keepin' fur 

 Thanksgivin' day. Bently seen it an' ho went home arter 

 his gun, and when he got back Mr. Bear was done gone, 

 cleared out." 



"Boys, we must fix bruin's hash before we leave. A 

 few juicy steaks and the pelt to take along home as one 

 of the trophies will fit us all right, won't it?" 



"And when we get it — of course we will get it — we'll 

 let Mr. Whist decide who takes it, regardless of who the 

 slayer may be," said Sysiphus. 



"That won't go; no sir; that's far and away the cheekiest 

 yet. You are a lucky whist player, we admit, but there 

 isn't much danger of you getting any bear meat with 

 your gun." 



"I was not aware that there were any bears to be found 

 about here nowadays, but I remember the time when it 

 wasn't considered much of a week's hunt that did not 

 score a bear or two; and sometimes there was a scrim- 

 mage. I call to mind one now that came very near re- 

 sulting in the death of a farmer sportsman," said the 

 Doctor, dropping into a reminiscent vein. "I remember 

 an accident that happened to a man by the name of Skin- 

 ner, a noted fox hunter, some years ago." 



"Skinner! Why that was the party that I have in 

 mind." 



"Well, let's have the circumstance, Doc, if it's worth 

 repeating." 



"I doubt if Skinner thought it worth repeating. The 

 story is that he shouldered his gun one morning, and fol- 

 lowed by his dog started out in pursuit of game. During 

 the forenoon he came in sight of a huge bear, which he 

 shot and mortally wounded, the ball taking effect near 

 the spinal column and practically breaking the animal's 

 back and rendering the hind limbs entirely useless. 

 Skinner then reloaded his rifle, and, through excite- 

 ment, it was accidentally discharged, consequently with- 

 out effect. Again he reloaded, with the same result, 

 except that the dog made a narrower escape than the 

 bear. The dog had closed with the brute and was getting 

 about all he could stand. Skinner, taking advantage of 

 the situation, approached the monster and attempted to 

 dispatch him with his knife, without success. The spot 

 where the conflict took place was on a steep hillside im- 

 mediately above the decayed trunk of a fallen tree. No 

 sooner had Skinner mounted this log in rear of the bear 

 than he was tripped by some vine or branch, falling pros- 

 trate with his head down the hill, his legs resting on the 

 log. The bear caught his leg, drew him up and com- 

 menced biting and gnawing at a fearful rate. Skinner 

 realized his precarious predicament and that 'something 

 had got to be did.' Eaising himself partially to a sitting 

 posture, his right hand still grasping his knife, with which 

 he aimed at the bear several effective blows; one, how- 

 ever, missing its mark, inflicted a deep horizontal gash 

 in his right leg above the knee. So soon as the bear, 

 eager for revenge, discovered the mistake, he caught the 

 wound in Ms jaws, tearing it horribly. Finally, by her- 

 culean efforts and the aid given by the savage attacks of 

 the dog on the enemy, Skinner released himself, while 

 ihe bear, well-nigh exhausted, retreated some yards, and 

 from the effects of his numerous and severe wounds soon 

 died, 



"Skinner feeling his helpless condition, and fast grow- 

 ing weak from loss of blood, resolved in his weak state to 

 prove more than conqueror, re loaded his rifle for the 

 fourth time, dragged himself to where the bear lay and 

 shot his antagonist again, although he was already dead ! 

 (making assurance thus doubly sure) and with nothing- 

 more to fear from that quarter, Skinner began to turn 

 over in his mind the possibilities of escape from the pres- 

 ent perilous circumstance — four miles from home or any 

 house that he knew of, almost dying, beyond the reach 

 of human aid — his chances looked slim indeed; but he 

 was a plucky chap, an old '49-er, who had crossed the 

 plains amid hardships and dangers, and saw plenty of 

 them after he reached the El Dorado. A thought sud- 

 denly occurred to him, which he immediately acted upon. 

 Tearing off a portion of his shirt front containing the 

 buttons, he stained this with his blood, bound it round 

 the neck of his dog and endeavored through gentle means 

 to persuade him to leave him and go home, and thus give 

 the alarm. The dog advanced a short distance, but re- 

 turned to his master, licking his wounds and howling 

 piteously. Skinner then took a piece of his hunting 

 shirt, attached that also to the neck of the dog and struck 

 him with a branch several times, ordering him home, as 

 the only resort left. This time he was successful. Skin- 

 ner now dragged himself to a point on the hillside where 

 he could watch the movements of the dog, and in case he 

 did not go directly home he would be in a position to 

 make his shouts heard more easily. The dog, however, 

 was faithful, and by the mute appeals of the stained frag- 

 ments of clothing gave the alarm, A party was at once 

 formed to look for the wounded or, as then supposed pos- 

 sible, dead man; following the dog in almost a direct line 

 to the spot where the suffering Skinner lay, now almost 

 unconscious from loss of blood. He was carried home on 

 a litter made of boughs, and came very near dying, but 

 finally pulled through. They returned and secured the 

 carcass of the bear also, which was a monster, and Skin- 

 ner always related that adventure with a good deal of 

 pride and satisfaction — notwithstanding a very percepti- 

 ble limp in his left leg told that he had something moi - e 

 than the bear's skin to remind him of the conflict." 



"Skinner was very fond of telling how his black mare 

 once treed a bear and saved its colt." 



"What are you giving us? A bear treed by a horse! 

 That's good enough for the rankest greenhorn; but you — 

 you ain't going to tell us here that a horse treed a bear!'' 



"Skinner, the veracious, is my authority; he said his 

 mare was in the pasture with her colt by her side, when 

 there appeared on the scene three bears; these animals 

 were very plenty and very bold that fall, frequently com- 

 ing into the fields for food, and doing considerable dam- 

 age in one way and another. This trio consisted of the 

 dam and two cubs, the latter were then half grown. 

 Alarmed for the safety of her colt, the mare forgot the 

 usual fear of the horse for these animals and attacked 

 them with such vigor that they were forced to retreat, 

 and were pursued so fiercely that one of them was forced 

 to take refuge in a tree, and there remained while the 

 cubs pranced around in the bushes. Meanwhile, Skinner 

 says, he saw the close of the game, rushed into the house 

 for his rifle, and accompanied by the hired man similarly 

 armed, they captured all three of the brutes. 



"Skinner, by the way, always claimed that the wildcat 

 was the biggest coward of the animal kingdom, and in 



Support of this related an experience of his own. He 

 said he was going along through the woods one day with 

 his gun, and followed by a little whiffet dog, was brought 

 to a standstill by the animal barking violently at some- 

 thing up a tree. It being nearly dark, Skinner could dis- 

 cover nothing but the shapeless mass of some wild animal 

 lying far out on a dead limb. He fired at this object, 

 and, by the scream which followed the discharge, he 

 know it to be a wildcat. The animal dropped to the 

 ground, and tore away for dear life, the whiffet boldly 

 rushing after it and keeping up a continual barking. At 

 length the cat took to a tree again, and while the dog 

 watched, Skinner reloaded his gun and gave the creature 

 another dose, when he came to grass, dead as a door nail." 



"This Skinner of yours seems to have been a remark- 

 able sort of man," was the comment of the General. 



"He was an odd stick, certainly, but as well posted in 

 the science of woodcraft as any that profess far more, 

 and in hunting large game so successful that his services 

 were always sought for by hunting parties from far and 

 near. It was with him that I learned what I know about 

 the habits and best methods of hunting bears and 'sich'." 



Keuka. 



NOTES FROM QUEBEC. 



QUEBEC, Can., Sept. 11.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Our nimrods are now bent on an outing. It were 

 premature to anticipate their game bags. The Sorel 

 Islands, I have no doubt, will furnish then: usual quota 

 of black and gray ducks and snipe. There has been a 

 decided falling off in game a.t Crane Island since the 

 removal of the alder bushes on the swampy shores, which 

 afforded a cover to snipe against easterly gales. Night 

 shooting has scared away the ducks, and the dastardly 

 persecution infl icted by boys and dogs on the young birds 

 bef ore they^can fly is beginning to tell severely. Governor 

 de Montmagny, if recalled to this planet, would scarcely 

 recognize his marvelous game preserve of 1646, con- 

 ceded from the French Crown. The Chenail and Reinseau 

 des Sarcelles, to use their vernacular names, seem at times 

 even shunned by their old inmates the gray duck and 

 teal. 



The August high tide, as of yore, calls forth from their 

 northern nesting places clouds of small beach birds, the 

 sanderling, ring plover, jack snipe, curlews and godwits, 

 and the island for a couple of weeks in August continues 

 to be famous for this small game. 



This year unusual congregations of golden plover have 

 invaded the fields and beaches of Crane Island, as well 

 as those of the adjacent islands of Ste. Marguerite, 

 Madame and Orleans, rolling in fat, delicious morsels for 

 our gourmets. The flat rocks (Batture Plattes) of St. 

 Joachim, thirty miles lower than Quebec, on the north 

 shore of the St. Lawrence, will of course be, as formerly, 

 a favorite resort of the Canada goose and white goose. 

 This preserve, owned by the Quebec Seminary, is under 

 lease to an old sportsman, Mr. Etienne Michon, of Mont- 

 magny. 



Woodcock, once so abundant, are getting scarce in the 

 environs of the ancient capital of Canada. Buffed grouse 

 (partridge, to use a popular misnomer) are likely to afford 

 good sport. The hatching month (June) was dry and 

 sunny, no heavy rain to kill the young birds on leaving 

 the egg, and plenty of ants' eggs, their tisual provender 

 in infancy. 



I may, with your permission, forward a second bulle- 

 tin on game matters later on. J. M. Le Mowe. 



NORTH WOODS INCIDENTS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have a very important problem to submit to you as 

 judge. It is said that the too free use of fresh venison, 

 without the proper admixture of vegetables, such as 

 onions and tomatoes, causes loss of memory. I cannot 

 vouch for the truth of the theory, but the probabilities are 

 strong in its favor. At all events, I will state a few facts 

 to be considered. Our party at Camp Le Boy lived pretty 

 much on venison. The huntsmen and guides put it away 

 twice a day at a rate unknown to civilization. By the 

 way, don't forget that there is nothing like a blue shirt 

 and a parti-colored cravat for an appetizer. It is amaz- 

 ing how much provender disappeared under one of those 

 blue shuts, and not even a gray one will do, though it 

 holds its own pretty well. 



The three sportsmen and two guides, who left the camp, 

 had been feasting on broiled, roasted and stewed venison. 

 They were also * supplied with a splendid saddle to take 

 with them on then - projected trip across country to Lake 

 George. One of the party was to take up his good lady 

 and little fairy daughter" After spending the night in 

 those uncomfortable things called beds, they made an 

 early start in two wagons with guides, etc. When they 

 reached the first resting place our friend took the land- 

 lord aside and informed him that they had a fine saddle of 

 venison with them, and would be glad to have some 

 cooked for dinner. Then they repaired to the wagons 

 and began a search among gun cases, bandboxes and the 

 like, until things began to be serious, ending in not find- 

 ing the saddle. Could they have dropped it on the road? 

 Or had the memory of that whole party failed, and the 

 much-coveted venison been forgotten? 



If it was a loss of memory from the injudicious in- 

 dulgence in the tempting edible, there could be no help. 

 But can there be any other plea offered by the true sports- 

 man for leaving that fine saddle of venison in the ice-box 

 at the hotel ? There were five men (the ladies, of course, 

 are out of the question), and yet they tell me memory is 

 very faint about that brace of partridge, too. All had 

 lived on the delicious diet until you might expect to see 

 the horns begin to sprout. 



But before your decision let me relate a circumstance. 

 You know that new waters disagree with one at first, one 

 is apt to become snow blind, and there is a peculiar effect 

 produced on any one at the first sight of a deer. I knew 

 a parson who was asked by an indignant guide, why he 

 let that fine buck pass him without a shot. The parson 

 declared he was mistaken, no deer had passed him, "but 

 the devil had with a stolen kitchen chair on his head, and 

 the old lady's dish-rag sticking out behind. You don't 

 suppose I would trust a shot at him." "Yes, but I would. 

 You lost the best chance man ever had to get rid of the 

 old thieving reptile. I'm afraid you made a great mis- 

 take." But to the circumstance. 



One of our party was renowned as a sportsman; his bag 

 of birds was the envy of his comrades, and he had won 

 prizes at Creedmoor, but he had never killed his deer in 



the woods. Some days before breaking camp he had 

 a wild encounter with a wounded buck, which may 

 have been too much for him. The guide who wit- 

 nessed the scene said he never would forget it. 

 It seems that our friend was waiting for a deer, 

 which he judged could not be far away from the 

 clear voice of the hounds, and then the near crack 

 of the rifle, and behold the noble animal appeared, 

 alas! on three legs, the guide having broken one badly. 

 Our friend fired and wounded the fated creature again , 

 and still again; but the plucky fellow fought for his free- 

 dom and for life. The hunter followed and the deer led 

 him up a wild ledge of rock, slippery with moss, among 

 great boulders, and finally into a burnt slash, where the 

 exhausted animal stood at bay. Our nimrod, thoroughly 

 in earnest, had thrown off his coat and vest, and when 

 he got among the burnt and charred limbs in the wind- 

 fall, he lost some of his nethers; his hat was off; and when 

 the guide, who had wounded the deer, came up, he said 

 he could not tell whether he was talking to a white or a 

 black man; that he was standing near the dying deer, and 

 the perspiration had run down and around his face and 

 hands, making him look like an Indian in his war paint. 

 Streaked with charcoal, our handsome athlete could 

 hardly be recognized. The guide cried out, "Diabolo! 

 What has come over you?" In answer he received a 

 short, incoherent speech that could not be understood. 

 He said it might be Greek or Choctaw, for all he could 

 make out of it. The hunter pointed to the deer, as un- 

 canny looking as himself, and asked, "How the mischief 

 are we to gftt that thing out of that snarl?" The guide 

 told me privately afterward that our friend did not act 

 natural; and when he heard the affair about the neglect 

 to take the Venison, "There," he said, "I knew they all 

 had too rnucfi venison, something was bound to happen; 

 they were all a little off, and did not act the same as when 

 they came in." The guide sticks to it that the meat was 

 too stimulating for their constitutions; and when they 

 come again we will feed them on frogs, fish and feathers. 



H. C. 



Tahbytown, N. Y. 



BAY SNIPE. 



NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 12.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 It might not be uninteresting to your readers to 

 know something about the bay snipe shooting near Nor- 

 folk, or in the vicinity of the Virginia Beach Hotel. At 

 Virginia Beach , Virginia, and below will be some bags of 

 birds killed this season. 



Early in August, O. M. Etheridge and myself shot near 

 the hotel, in one forenoon, ninety-one bay snipe. This 

 bag was principally of graybacks and yellowlegs, with a 

 few grass plover. 



Later Capt. Geo. W. Taylor, Mr. Wm. Camp and my- 

 self, all of Norfolk, made another large bag of the same 

 kind of birds on the same grounds. I have not heard of 

 any parties who went down bagging less than 35 snipe 

 in one day. 



Monday last, Sept. 10, Capt. Geo. W. Taylor and myself 

 killed on our club grounds, the Currituck Inlet Club, 325 

 bay snipe in the forenoon. They were as follows: 200 

 yellowlegs, 100 grass plover and 25 golden plover, doe 

 birds and cmdew. We have a fine property there and I 

 have often made big bags on the grounds, but never suc- 

 ceeded in bagging 325 with two guns in one day before; 

 and I would be glad if you would tell me if you ever 

 heard of a larger bag. These were all shot over decoys, 

 made by Herman Stroter & Sons, of Boston, Mass, , and I 

 think they are the best bird decoys made. The above is 

 uo exaggeration but my actual experience this season. 



J. B. White. 



A NEW GEORGIA ASSOCIATION. 



SAVANNAH, Ga,, Sept. 12.— The Game Protective 

 Association met last night and effected a permanent 

 organization by electing the following officers: President, 

 T. P. Bond; Secretary, James H. Hunter; Treasurer, R. 

 R. Dancy; Directors, J. N. Johnson, H. W. Palmer, D. 

 Y. Dancy, J. S. Schley, J. P. White. 



The association starts off with the following member- 

 ship: R. R. Dancy, J. C. Manning, Arthur Schaaff, J. A. 

 Hirschbacb, G. Noble, M. W. Low, J. N. Johnson, W. G. 

 Miller, F. F. Sweet, T. P. Ravenel, T. P. Bond, W. A. 

 Friend, E. R. Middleton, W. H. Connerat, B. S. Wells, 

 J. S. Schley, J. J. Hearn, D. Y. Dancy, W. R. Curtis, J. 

 S. F. Barbour, J. P. White, H. W. Palmer, George S. 

 McAlpin, C. B. Westcott, James H. Hunter, J. F. 

 Glatigny and H. B. Lemcke. 



A constitution and by-laws governing the association 

 were drafted and were adopted. The object of the 

 association, as set forth in the preamble, is as follows: 



Resolved, That this association is formed for the benefit 

 of all honorable sportsmen, both of the gun and rod, and 

 we feel it our duty and will, as law-abiding citizens and 

 lovers of true sport, to do all in our power by legal means to 

 enforce all existing laws and all laws and ordinances that 

 may hereafter be passed for the protection of game and fish, 

 and will generally guard such matters and interests as may 

 be to the advantage of sportsmen. 



It was also resolved that all members coming in pos- 

 session of knowledge of any violation of the game law, 

 as killing game out of season, or catching fish contrary 

 to law, it shall be their duty to report the same to the 

 secretary and he will take the necessary steps toward 

 enforcing the law. 



It was further resolved that if any member should 

 violate the law such member should be excluded from 

 the association and will also be liable to prosecution by 

 the society. The directors elected last night were in- 

 structed to frame game laws which the representatives 

 from Chatham county will endeavor to have passed by 

 the next Legislature. They will also request the "in 

 season" and "out of season" for shooting game, and the 

 matter will be submitted to the president and members 

 of the association at their next meeting, Oct. 2. 



Barnegat Bay. — Mantoloking, Ocean County, N. J., 

 Sept. 17. — The bay snipe shooting at this end of Barnegat 

 Bay has not been a success this year. There was only 

 one day when any number of large birds were killed. 

 That was Aug. 22, when there was a flight of yellowlegs 

 and willets. A number of the latter were killed along 

 the surf. A wild pigeon was shot here on Saturday on a 

 telegraph wire near the Life Saving Station. A few 

 English snipe have come on. I killed three Sept. 5, one 

 Sept. 10, and four Sept. 15. Ducks have not begun to 

 come yet. — H. 



