246 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



fOcf . 18, 1888, 



GAME AND GAME GROUNDS. 



GROUSE shooting in Maine this year is something 

 very irregular and somewhat mixed. In the first 

 place the weather all through the latter part of Septem- 

 bet was very wet, with a good deal of high wind, con- 

 ditions not at all favorable to partridge hunting, and the 

 result has been very small scores. Better weather will 

 probably bring better sport, but the birds in the more set- 

 tled portions of the State, where they were plenty last 

 year, are very scarce this year. A young man living in 

 Hebron, in Oxford coimty, whose score up to the last of 

 September, 1887. was a dozen birds, told me the other day 

 that he had shot but one this year, and that was all he had 

 seen. The same report comes from several sections in 

 Massachusetts, and the southern part of New Hampshire. 

 On the other hand grouse are more plenty in the further 

 forest sections of Maine this year than usual. In the 

 lake regions they arequite plenty, where in other sea- 

 sons but few have been found. But it is a curious feature 

 that there are absolutely no berries of the varieties on 

 which these birds feed in the lake regions this fall, and 

 the partridges have early taken to buds and leaves for a 

 subsistence. One which I shot on the borders of the Big 

 Beaver the other day had a greatly distended crop, and 

 being curious to see on what the bird had been feeding, I 

 opened the crop and found it full of the leaves of the 

 white birch and poplar. The season has been so wet that 

 leaves of this sort in sheltered nooks had not then been 

 turned by frost, and the bird had been feeding on them. 

 Further curiosity was awakened, and the crops of other 

 birds were examined, with much the same results, no 

 berries whatever being found. Still the birds we dressed 

 for the camp seemed to be in very good condition. — 

 Special. 



As you invite game reports from your readers, accept 

 an item from a part of the State not often reported, 

 though one in which Forest and Stream is a great 

 favorite. Have lately retured from a week's outing in 

 Herkimer county. I hunted ruffed grouse in the valley 

 of the West Canada Creek and the tributaries and found 

 them in fair numbers. They seem to hold their own 

 very well in this rough country. I flushed but one wood- 

 cock, although my companion spoke of getting seven the 

 first day of August and but two during the remainder 

 of the month. I fear the longbill is doomed, as such 

 reports are not infrequent. One strong reason is that 

 the season opens too early: and another that is rarely 

 thought of, the bird raises such a small brood. Gray 

 squirrels are about exterminated in this section, and 

 even reds are a rarity. 



Mr. James H. Bucklin, of Little Falls, an experienced 

 fox hunter, with his genial son L. O., gave me a day 

 after the hounds. He had one deep-chested black fellow 

 in particular, I suspect of Virginia stock, that ran a very 

 fast trail and was tireless. We hunted all day and 

 started three red foxes, of which we got two, the third 

 holing. The honors fell to the other gentleman, as luck 

 had it, and I returned home brushless. though they 

 courteously offered me their trophies. I shall try the 

 grouse in this locality over my pointer Beau, son of 

 Beaufort, when the leaves are gone, and anticipate a 

 good time.— H. A. R. (New York, Oct. 15). 



Deer hunting in Maine has not yet been much of a suc- 

 cess since the season opened, Oct. 1 . The weather has 

 been against the sport. From Oct. 1 to the 5th it either 

 snowed or rained every day, and a part of the time the 

 high mountains in northern Maine were white with 

 snow — snow which extended well down into the timber. 

 A couple of hunters from Andover went up Aziscohos, 

 the mountain which separates the Androscoggin Lakes 

 from the Magallaway region, on Oct. 1, and they found 

 snow 2 inches in depth in the ravines on the side of the 

 mountain. In this ravine the tracks of deer were very 

 plenty, but the woods were wet and soon it began to rain . 

 Deer hunting in such weather was next to impossible. It 

 was the intention of this same party to jack some of the 

 ponds in that section every night till they secured a deer, 

 but up to the 5th of Oct. they had not once lighted then- 

 jacks. Every night the wind howled, and generally 

 either the rain or snow fell. Two Boston sportsmen have 

 just come out from the Dead River region, where they 

 were on hand when the season opened on deer. But the 

 weather was against them with all the force mentioned 

 above. From the 8th to the 9th of the month they waded 

 in damp snow ankle deep. The woods were loaded, mak- 

 ing the tracking of deer next to impossible. After several 

 days' trial, they gave up the hope of getting a deer and 

 broke camp. They were obliged to leave their baggage 

 in catnp, to wait better weather for transportation. Such 

 weather in early October is bej r ond the recollection of 

 those who have hunted the Maine woods. Deer appear 

 to be plenty. The signs are fresh and numerous, but 

 woods loaded with damp snow are not favorable to deer 

 hunting, especially when the leaves are yet on the trees. 

 — Special. 



To wanda, Pa., Oct. 9. — A party of sportsmen camping 

 out near this place found game of all kinds scarce. Oc- 

 casionally a few ducks are seen, one killed on the river 

 opposite this place this A.M. Ruffed grouse in fair num- 

 bers but very few as yet brought to bag.— Sus Q. Han- 

 nah. 



The farmers in the vicinity of Castleton, Vermont, re- 

 port the woods as full of grouse; and all who roam 

 around much scare up nice coveys of them. It was too 

 early for them and for gray squirrels when I was there 

 last month, but I hope to have a try at them soon. Foxes 

 are frequently shot. — Neshobee, 



Connecticut. — I think the Lyme correspondent ex- 

 pressed my views exactly in last week's issue when he 

 says there was no game in the vicinity of Lyme. The 

 season thus far throughout eastern Connecticut has 

 proved a failure, so far as heavy bags of birds are con- 

 cerned. — A. W. J. 



Red Hook, N. Y., Oct. 15. — The woodcock are moving. 

 I shot some flight birds yesterday; the swamps are full of 

 water from the recent rains, and they are hard to find. — 

 J. W. B. 



Lincoln, Del,, Oct. 13. — Quail, rabbits and squirrels are 

 very plentiful in this county (Sussex) this fall, and there 



is an u ..usual quantity of ducks, black, sprigtail and teal, 

 on the Delaware Bay marshes, seven miles from this 

 place. Snipe, willet and yellowlegs are also plentiful. 

 This is a first-class section for all of the above-mentioned 

 game. — W. R. 



Fort Qu'Appelle, Assiniboin, Northwest Territories, 

 Sept 30.— We have just formed here a boating club, and 

 in connection with it an organization for the protection 

 of fish and game. — F. C. Gr. 



A MASSACHUSETTS LEAGUE. 



NEW BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 12.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: It is proposed to form and organize a 

 society in southeastern Massachusetts under the name of 

 the "Southern Massachusetts Fish and Game League," 

 for the purpose of protecting and preserving the fisheries 

 and game. The object of the League will be to procure 

 such legislation as will be necessary to prevent destructive 

 and exhaustive methods of fishing, and hunting and trap- 

 ping of birds and animals. 



It has come now to be pretty well understood that the 

 present wholesale methods of catching fish in season and 

 out of season is so destructive to the fisheries themselves 

 as to leave but little doubt that, if continued, they will 

 sooner or later be practically exhausted. It is also well 

 known that our game laws are so defective in themselves, 

 or are so little enforced, that our birds and animals are 

 rapidly decreasing in numbers. 



The plan is to induce as large a number of persons as 

 possible to join the League, and to support it by a fixed 

 annual assessment. To this end a number of gentlemen 

 of this city have united and now cordially invite others 

 to join them. 



It is believed that an annual assessment of $2.00 each 

 will be sufficient for the general objects of the League 

 and to provide the necessary means to procure the passage 

 of laws for protection, and to prevent legislation tending 

 to the destruction of the fisheries and game. It is well 

 known that there is a powerful organization of those who 

 are opposed to any restrictive or remedial measures, and 

 who use money without stint to carry out their own ends. 



It is proposed to hold a meeting on Monday, Oct. 22, at 

 my office on Rodman street, under the Mechanics Bank, 

 in the city of New Bedford, at 11:30 o'clock A. M., tem- 

 porarily to organize, and to discuss a plan of permanent 

 organization. 



It is quite time we were doing something to secure the 

 objects herein set forth, and, in so far as possible, more 

 fully to instruct the people upon questions of so much 

 consequence. A hearty co-operation of all the lovers of 

 the fishes and the birds will certainly insure success. The 

 acts of single individuals, however well intended, are not 

 sufficient to meet the emergencies of the situation. In 

 union only is there any strength. 



The committee are: Messrs. Geo. H. Palmer, Arthur 

 Ricketson, Leml. LeB. Holmes, Francis Hathaway, Robert 

 Bennett. Geo. H. Palmer, Chairman. 



NOTES FROM PUGET SOUND. 



LA CONNER, Washington Territory, Oct. 2.— Hunters 

 are bringing in large numbers of pheasants now, 

 Ducks are flying thickly, but very high. The wet season 

 will soon begin, when they will settle down on the bays 

 in myriads. A few young mallards are to be found now 

 on the sloughs, but few have yet been taken. Although 

 the open season for deer begins on Aug. 15 there has as 

 yet been little deer hunting. As they can be hunted 

 with dogs during October, November and December the 

 hunting will soon begin now. Deer appear to be more 

 numerous on the islands than usual. There are only a 

 few elk left in this country. 



I am much pleased to note that there are not so many 

 violations of the game laws here as formerly. This is 

 probably partly owing to the fact that the Seattle Rod 

 and Gun Club offered liberal rewards last spring for in- 

 formation sufficient to convict any person or persons of 

 such violation of the law, and partly to the fact that the 

 young men are becoming more sportsmanlike. I am in- 

 clined to think that a proper training of the young men 

 to sportsmanlike ideas will do more toward preserving 

 the game than the wisest laws our legislators can frame. 



Jtjne. 



THE DROP OF STOCK. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I do not think a straight broom-stick stock is the most 

 effective for good square shooting. The rage for straight 

 stocks did not break out in this country until American 

 shooters adopted the English baby rules, which allow the 

 shooter to stand with the gun against his shoulder and 

 aim at the bird on the ground. A quick shooter can do 

 this after saying "pull" and before the bird starts. 

 Straight stocks were unavoidable in former times for the 

 reason, I suppose, that gun makers did not have conveni- 

 ences for making them crooked. Most of the shooting 

 done in those days was at still objects. Then the hunter 

 had time to draw his head down until his ears rested on 

 his shoulders. Shooting at still objects is past except in 

 the case of squirrels. Probably a good reason for straight 

 stocks in by-gone days was because they could be used 

 for making an effective thrusting blow when in combat 

 with a dangerous animal. I think the English shooting 

 rules are accountable for three-quarters of the straight 

 stocks made in the three years just past. It does not 

 seem reasonable that all men should require the same 

 drop of stock. H. E. W. 



Newark, N. 'T- ________ 



Vermont Deer.— South Boston, Sept. 25.— Will you 

 kindly inform me through your columns as to the protec- 

 tion which the deer have in the extreme northern part of 

 Vermont? Is there a game warden, and if so, who is he? 

 The deer are killed openly through the winter. — F. E. P. 

 [If you have authentic information of this, send it to 

 Hon. Herbert Brainerd, St. Albans, Vt. He is a Com- 

 missioner, and means to enforce the game laws.] 



The Man Target Again.— Mr. John R. McLachla,n 

 furnishes us particulars of a fatal shooting. On Oct. 6 a 

 party of five hunters arrived at Newberry from Oakville, 

 Mich. , for a week's sport. After going into the woods 

 some distance they located camping grounds, when each 

 took a different direction, in quest of game. About 3 



P.M. one of the party returned to the place selected fot 

 camping, and was gathering dry chips, etc., to kindle a 

 fire, when one of their number, while stealing through 

 the bush, saw him and, mistaking him for a deer, fired, 

 putting a ball through him, and causing instant death. 

 The ball entered about an inch and a half to the right of 

 the center of the unfortunate man's breast, passed clear 

 through and came out between the shoulders. An inquest 

 was held on the remains, and a verdict returned of acci- 

 dental shooting. The remains were sent Sunday to his 

 late home in the southern part of the State. — Torch Lake 

 Times, LaTce Linden, Mich. 



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

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

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

 Price $1.50. American Angler's Book. By Thad. Norris. 

 Price $5.50. 



THE WINNINISH DISCUSSED. 



[Reported for Forest and Stream.'] 



THE first regular meeting of the Massachusetts Fish 

 and Game Protective Association this season was 

 held at the Hotel Thorndike, Boston, on the evening of 

 Oct. 10, President E. A. Samuels in the chair. 



The meeting was a large one, nearly sixty members 

 being present. After the very enjoyable dinner had 

 been discussed and the usual routine work of the Associ- 

 ation attended to, the remainder of the evening was 

 devoted to a discussion of the winninish. The discussion 

 was opened by President Samuels, who said : 



1 had heard so many glowing accounts of the winninish 

 or landlocked salmon of Lake St. John, Quebec, and its 

 contiguous waters; such thrilling stories of their im- 

 mense numbers and gamy qualities, and had heard so . 

 much controversy concerning the identity of the fish that 

 I determined to visit the lake this season, first in the 

 interest of science, to study the fish, and second for the i 

 purpose of obtaining material for another chapter for 

 my forthcoming book on fishing. 



I did what I could in carrying out my plan and now 

 will present a brief resume ot what I accomplished, and 

 note the conclusions I have arrived at. 



I will state at the outset that I have, in common with 

 some other students, for a number of years entertained 

 the belief that all so-called landlocked salmon in this 

 country are really distinct varieties, or perhaps a variety 1 

 of the ordinary sea salmon (Salmo solar), that have 

 attained their characteristics as a variety (yet which are 

 not sufficiently pronounced to be specific) by being not; 

 really landlocked, that is, prevented from passing to and.' 

 from the salt water, but which have, in periods more or 

 less remote, lost, or if you prefer, abandoned, the anad-s 

 romous habit of then ancestors and taken up a permanent I 

 residence in fresh water. I have made a very considera-i 

 ble effort to substantiate this theory, and have through 

 many personal interviews with residents of sections where 

 these fish are found, and also through a quite extensive' 

 correspondence, obtained many interesting facts which 

 will in due time be collated and laid before those who 

 are interested in our game fish. 



Fjntertaining this belief, my visit to Lake St. John was \ 

 therefore likely to be of more than common interest to 

 me, for I expected to be able to throw further light oni 

 the theory that I held, and I did not regret having lost my 

 annual sea salmon fishing, taking in this trip for study. 



On arriving at Lake St. John I found that the descrip- 

 tions of its great size and picturesque surroundings had 

 not been overdrawn. It is truly a vast body of water, i 

 nearly fifty miles in length and from twenty to forty in 

 width. Emptying into it are, I believe, eleven large 

 rivers, besides many smaller streams. I had but littlei 

 time to explore any of these rivers, and in fact visited 

 but three or four. Two of these, the Peribonca and Ash- 

 uapmouchouan. are rivers of great size and length. 



The Peribonca has been, as I am informed, ascended 

 by Indians and trappers something like 600 miles. At< 

 its mouth it is of about the width and volume of the Con- 

 necticut River, at Springfield. It is navigable by steamer 

 quite a distance, and its inflow into the lake is something 

 enormous. 



The Ashuapmouchouan River is also a very large stream. 

 At St. Felicienne, which is, I think about ten miles above 

 the lake, I found the river to be of about the size of the 

 Merrimac at say midway between Lawrence and Haver- 

 hill, or about the size of the Restigouche at its junction 

 with the Matapedia, perhaps a little larger. Now with 

 this enormous lake and with all these rivers emptying 

 into it, there is practically an unlimited water system, 

 which undoubtedly furnishes the best possible conditions; 

 for the preservation, growth and wide and general diffu- 

 sion of the Salmonidas that here find a home. Establishing 

 this fact at once in my mind, I of course made inquiries 

 of every one who could give me any imformation and 

 learned from all sources that the winninish are very 

 abundant in the lake in early June and even earlier if 

 the ice melts about the shores, and the fish are taken 

 readily with bait and even with the fly at that early 

 season. So very abundant are they in fact, that as I 

 was informed even boys and girls, as well as older fisher- 

 men, might be seen landing the fish with all sorts of 

 tackle, from the most primitive to the most elaborate. As 

 regards the great, the astonishing abundance of the win- 

 ninish in the early part of the season, the statements 

 made by all my informants agreed, so that I have no 

 doubt that at the period I have named, this magnificent 

 game fish may be obtained in great numbers. Probably 

 the average fishing would be about the same as that 

 which we used to get at the Schoodic Lakes in the six- 

 ties. The fish are so abundant and come to the lure so; 

 greedily that the number one may kill is as«great as his 

 selfishness mav limit. 



Later in the season the winninish move into the deep 

 waters of the lake and into the cold streams. 



A favorite haunt of theirs seems to be the Grand Dis- 

 charge, the outlet of the lake into the head of the Sague- 

 nay River, where, in the rushing waters of the rapids and 

 wildest of all whirlpools and eddies, the winninish are 

 taken with the fly until late in September. 



I regretted very much that my visit to the lake had not 

 been earber timed; in fact, my arrival Sept. 10 was almost 

 too late, and I had no little difficulty in obtaining even 

 one specimen. 



