286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Nov. 1, 1888. 



to sportsmen. So, thanks to memory, which I believe 

 to be immortal, I was not alone. 



Seeing the folly of attempting to sboot in cover so 

 thick. I returned to business, and on the 13th went back' 

 to finish my little outing. Then the rain kept me indoors 

 most of the time, but between showers I put in a pleasant 

 and very profitable week; not in the value of the game 1 

 bagged, but in building up soul and body; and only those 

 who enjoy such outings know how well and truly they 

 lift a man up. Quail and partridge were fairly plenty, 

 though the latter were scattered, the cold not having 

 been severe enough to drive them into warm and sheltered 

 ravines. Woodcock were unusually scarce, probahly 

 from the same cause, not having been driven by the cold 

 from their northern summer haunts. Still it takes but a 

 few birds to make rare sport for one who loves it simply 

 for the sport and good there is in it. 



I wish to say a word in relation to the law in Connecti- 

 cut against taking game out of the State. My shooting- 

 was done at Haddatn, where I found two young men 

 devoting then whole time to shooting for the Hartford 

 market. There were others who shot occasionally and 

 trapped, sending their game to the same market. Hunt- 

 ers and trappers in other towns are doing the same thing, 

 finding ready market in New Haven and Hartford. May 

 I ask the State club for the protection of game at Hart- 

 ford if these birds are all consumed at these two points? 

 One man, whom I met on the Shore Line R. R., on his 

 way to New Haven with game, told me that last fall he 

 took to New Haven over 3,000 game birds. Remember 

 that this is only one, and from one point; and when you 

 multiplv the number of market men and market hunters 

 as the case will reasonably bear, you will see that the two 

 large towns of the State must consume a very large 

 quantity of game, or — ship it somewhere else. 



I examined some of the partridges this man was taking 

 to New Haven and found that every one I examined had 

 been killed by the deadly snare. If those interested in 

 the preservation of game in Connecticut, who have an 

 opportunity, will look into this matter, they may find a 

 very large hole through which much game leaves the 

 State in violation of the law. The few birds I shot I 

 divided with my friends there, bringing none home with 

 me, as the law prevented my doing so, although I have 

 sent several dozen Jive quail there years ago, when the 

 native birds had been nearly exterminated by a severe 

 winter, that the stock might be kept up. I may be just 

 a little selfish in my remarks, but I am quite certain I 

 like a square deal. * A. 



On the Borders of Indian Territory. 



Seneca, Missouri, Oct. 25.— The shooting season is now 

 open, and the prospects bid fair for plenty of fine sport 

 with quail and chickens. We have an extra supply of 

 quail, something unusual. They have raised as many as 

 three hatchings this season, which, I think, increases the 

 supply fully one-third. I have only been out twice this 

 season, each time for chickens. On my first trip Mr. 

 Walker went with me. We took the train at 8.30 o'clock 

 in the morning and soon landed at our destination, eight- 

 teen miles west. It was a fine day for the dogs to work. 

 When we got off the train a friend met us, and without 

 delay took us straight to a fine covey of chickens. Our 

 dogs, Rove and Sport, did some fine work, Sport pointing 

 the chickens and Rove backing him in fine style; a pret- 

 tier sight never greeted the eye of a sportsman. The 

 birds flushed as nice as we could ask for. I took out an 

 extra shell to be ready for a third shot, and it came in 

 good play, as just three came my way. I dropped them 

 as they came, W. only got two. The covey scattered out 

 in great shape. We soon followed up, our dogs doing 

 fine work, pointing and retrieving beautifully. We did 

 not do so well on our next round; but it would not do to 

 kill every shot. However, we got nine down and then 

 went to dinner. We had sent some of the birds on before, 

 and the lady at the camp had them dressed and cooked 

 in fine style, which was '"enough to make a hunter smile 

 from a way back." 



Our friend and Ins family were camped on the prairie, 

 making hay. The camp was very close to a fine spring 

 under a large lone elm tree. 



After a short rest we were off for the afternoon hunt. 

 We had quite a tramp over some fine prairie country, 

 and at last our dogs came to where the chickens had 

 been feeding; and in a short time they came to a dead 

 point, standing side by side. This time the birds flushed 

 a little wild and we did not do very much good. We 

 only got four, but they scattered out, and we each took 

 our own course, dropping the birds right and left in fine 

 shape, until we wound up the day's shooting to meet the 

 train at 5 P. M. We had thirty-four fine birds; and it 

 was an excellent day's sport. 



Our next trip was not so profitable. We did not get off 

 in time to reach the chicken country, but we had some 

 fun shooting quail. The supply was abundant, but we 

 found that the birds were of three sizes, which made it 

 difficult shooting. It is reported that further west you 

 can see chickens by the thousand, and ducks are begin- 

 ning to come in, which will soon make our shooting as 

 good as the best. Should any of the readers of this want 

 information about the shooting grounds they may address 

 the secretary and treasurer of the Seneca Gun Club. X. 



Deer in Northern New York. 



Elizabethtown, N. Y.— The deer hunters of this town 

 and vicinity had great sport during the hounding season 

 which closed Friday, Oct. 19. The greatest enthusiasm 

 prevailed throughout the season. An army of hunters 

 turned out the first day and the various hillsides were 

 kept pretty well covered until sunset on the 19th inst. 

 Some days the weather was disagreeable, but still the 

 "old-timers" kept up the chase. Everybody talked deer 

 and most everybody shot at deer. Venison was plenty 

 in the forests of northern New York this season, and the 

 hunters did not have much trouble in starting; and, as 

 much rain had fallen, the hounds could easily follow the 

 track and usually the deer would take to water as soon 

 as possible. Of course as the season was nearing its close 

 hunters were doubly diligent, as a result a large portion 

 of the venison was brought down the last week. More 

 than twenty deer were killed in this town, some of which 

 weighed, when dressed, 225ibs. Chas. H. Palmer, fore- 

 man in the office of the Elizabethtown Post, shot two 

 fine specimens during the last four days of hunting. On 

 Monday, Oct. 15, he brought down a three-year-old doe, 

 and on Friday he secured a buck, which weighed, when 

 dressed, 2201bs. G, t, b. 



Failure of the Woodcock Flight. 



Springfield, Mass., Oct. 28— In this region the flight 

 of woodcock is a failure so far, with no indications 

 that we are to have a "fall flight" anything like that in 

 former years. The birds are not only not here, but 

 industrious search in the covers shows that but few 

 birds have stopped in them. 



The October moon is the chosen time for the nocturnal 

 migrations, and for this locality from the 10th to the 25th 

 of the month the dates within which we find our birds. 

 A fair number of local-bred birds were found in Septem- 

 ber, but since then depopulated covers are the rule. This 

 is also the condition of things in Berkshire. 



I hope that sportsmen indifferent parts of New Eng- 

 land may be stimulated by this letter to give us the result 

 of observations in different localities. If we may get 

 advices from our coast, Maine, Vermont and New Hamp- 

 shire, it will be interesting. 



My own theory for the scarcity of the birds is the bliz- 

 zard of March 12. Woodcock in limited numbers were 

 here before the blizzard. It must be that the whole 

 migration were ready and largely on the way north before 

 the storm came. Were those that were here when it 

 arrived killed? And were our home-bred birds the pro 

 duct of a later detachment arriving after the tempest? 



The snow remained all over New England for two and 

 three weeks after the great storm. How was it possible 

 for the birds to go far north to breed? If none or but few 

 birds were bred to the north, it accounts for the light 

 flight this fall. If the bulk of the migration last spring 

 was hindered by the storm, it would "seem that in New 

 Jersey we should hear of xuiusually good shooting now 

 or when the close time is off Will some one observe and 

 give us the facts? 



At the time of the March bhzzard the birds must have 

 been pressed for the nesting and laying. I have known 

 here of young birds hatched as early as the last of March 

 in favorable seasons. 



Although it is inevitable that the woodcock must 

 decrease rapidly, the sudden drop of this season must 

 be accounted for otherwise than by natural and propor- 

 tionate depreciation. E. H. Lathrop. 



A Campaign that Should End before Nov. 6. 



Sacramento, Cal., Oct. 23.— Our dry season is hanging 

 on very late. No rains yet and no frosts. Quail shooting 

 in such dry weather (no rain since last May) is, of course, 

 very stale sport. There is no inducement as yet for one 

 to start out, though it has been tried. The weather con- 

 ditions, however, do not have, much effect on the Cali- 

 fornia hide-hunters who mean business. It is reported 

 by parties who have returned from the neighborhood 

 of the Rubicon within the past few days that a most 

 outrageous slaughter is going on among the deer in that 

 vicinity. It is said that there are now at Uncle Tom's 

 Cabin, south of the Rubicon, in El Dorado county, thirty- 

 five miles above Georgetown, over one hundred doe hides 

 and hundreds of pounds of jerked venison. It is reported 

 the men who are doing this work are four brothers from 

 Plymouth, Amador county, and that the most of the deer 

 were killed on Long Canon, about Big Meadows and at 

 the head of the North Wallace, in Placer county. The 

 Placer county officials should see to it that these men are 

 prosecuted. Shot. 



Shore Birds and Quail on Cape Cod. 



Boston, Mass., Oct. 27.— Shooting around here in 

 eastern Massachusetts as far as I have learned is quite 

 poor, though in early summer we anticipated the reverse. 

 1 suppose, however, that the almost unheard of amount 

 of wet weather has "damaged the crop." I went to the 

 Cape for four days, Oct. 12 and 13 for marsh birds and 

 Oct. 15 and 16 for quail. Only found one bevy the two 

 days (and got five out of a dozen) and came back much 

 chsappointed. I learn that it is better down in Plymouth 

 and this end of Barnstable counties, but the cover is too 

 thick to do much in until later. Partridge are quite 

 scarce and the woodcock more so. H. J. T. 



Quail of Late Broods. 



To wanda , Pa., Oct. 27.— Six of our most prominent 

 sportsmen, divided in pairs of two each, went out for 

 quail on Oct. 15, the opening day of our season in this 

 State. One party found two small coveys, bringing four 

 to bag, another party put up two broods, one bird to bag. 

 The third party, although told by a resident of the neigh- 

 borhood that a large covey could be found on his farm, 

 failed to find or put them up and scored an entire failure 

 ha the, quail line but brought two ruffed grouse to bag in- 

 stead. The birds killed were small (quail) showing them 

 to be late broods. Rabbits reported to be in fair numbers. 

 Season opens Nov. 1. Sus. Q. Hannah. 



• Led by Buffalo Bill. 



Early in this month Col. W. F. Cody, more jf amiliarly 

 known as Buffalo Bill, Col. Hughes-Hallett, Marshall P. 

 Wilder, Col. Thomas P. Ochiltree, Col. John A. Cockrill, 

 Mr. John Hecksher, Lord Charles Beresford, Lord de 

 Clifford and Lord Mandeville, will organize a hunting- 

 expedition to extend from Col. Cody's ranch near North 

 Platte, Neb., through the northern part of Mexico,, over 

 the Sierra Madre to California. Gen. Beale will be of 

 the party and they will be entertained at Senator Hearst's 

 ranch and other famous places on the Pacific coast. Gen. 

 Nelson A. Miles will furnish an escort. 



Ducks at Devil's Lake. 



Bismarck, Dakota, Oct. 24.— If any of your readers 

 have the "duck fever" let them come to Dakota on a 

 health torn. We have the remedy out here. The wild- 

 fowl are in hosts at Devil's Lake, forty miles west of 

 Bismarck, on the Northern Pacific Railway. Gunners are 

 flocking there from all quarters. The fun is fast and 

 furious and the bags are big. Blue Wing. 



Work for the League. 



Whitman, Mass., Oct. 22— The Fish and Game League 

 at New Bedford will I doubt not find warm supporters in 

 this place. Certainly such a league will meet with the 

 hearty indorsement of all sportsmen in this vicinity who 

 believe in the killing of game in proper season, and no 

 man deserves the name of sportsman whose only claim to 



the title is that he kills game with a gun. We ha ve suf- 

 fered here year after year from pot-hunters and those who 

 snare the game. Indeed an ardent sportsman and relia- 

 ble gentleman (did you ever notice that these titles al- 

 ways go together?) told me the other day that more par- 

 tridges are snared before the law is off than are shot 

 afterward. It is a pertinent fact, too, that here wmere 

 ponds abound and where the wood duck should be plenty, 

 the law-abiding gunner rarely sees one after the 1st of 

 September. All hail to the League and may it find allies 

 in the Old Colony and Cape gunners. Several pari ties 

 who own shooting stands at the pond have lost valuable 

 decoys, and woe to the wary mink, the guilty rascals, 

 when they are caught. A blue heron was shot at t he- 

 Essex street bridge the other day and measured a trifle 

 over six feet from tip to tip of wings. Dr. H. F. Cope- 

 land and Aaron Healy are on the Cape indulging in their 

 annual shoot, and W. H. Weston, Geo. Loring and Rod 

 Powers are enjoying the sport in Maine. Some fine gun- 

 ning is reported from Brant Rock. C'hokeborb, 



A Large Buck Shot on the Megantic Club 

 Preserve. 



Boston, Oct. 26.— One of the largest bucks ever lei lied 

 in the eiistern portion of the Province of Quebec was shot 

 a fortnight ago in the Spider River near Rush Lake, 

 between Spider and Megantic lakes, on the territory of' 

 the Megantic Fish and Game Club. Dr. Walter L. Hall, 

 of Medford, one of the club members, accompanied by 

 Mr. Latty, the fish and game overseer, were going into 

 Rush Lake looking after duck and came upon the deer 

 swimming across the river. He weighed 3401bs. upon a 

 Fan-banks platform scale. Tins weight is authentic. I 

 should be pleased to learn from any of your correspon- 

 dents if they have a record that is reliable of deer exceed- 

 ing this weight, and what is the weight of the largest 

 Cervus virginianus on record. Macannamac. 



A Michigan Bear Score. 



East Saginaw, Mich., Oct. 22.— You may look out 

 for an account of the last "Pilgrimage of the Saginaw 

 Crowd." We had a grand time; took in a few days' shoot- 

 ing in the Little Missouri River in the "Bad Lands," then 

 a few days on ducks and geese. Our local paper reports 

 this bear story: "Eli Brandell, of Whitemore, Iosco 

 county, shot seven bears in 12 minutes on Wednesday. 

 Three were full-grown animals and the other four -were 

 last spring's cubs. It is the champion bear story of the 

 season, but John C. Brown, of East Sagina w, vouches for 

 its truthfulness." Pilgrim. 



A Possible Catastrophe. 



Helena, Mont. Oct. 27.— Isadore Myer and Guillaume 

 Ladure of Helena built a small boat here for a hunting 

 trip on the Missouri River, and last Tuesday started with 

 their boat on a wagon. They set sail from Stubb's Ferry, 

 about tsvelve miles from Helena, and have not been 

 heard of since. It is feared they have been drowned. 



Pennsylvania Quail and Grouse. 



Columbia County, Pa.— The outlook for quail is veiy 

 fine. Although last autumn there were but few birds, 

 and we were afraid the hard winter had used them up, 

 yet from all accounts there are more than for several 

 years. Grouse are very plentiful; so we look forward 

 with much pleasure to the October days. Gunner. 



The Outlook in Ohio. 



Ironton, Ohio, Oct. 20. — The quail are here hi unusual 

 supply this season, and other varieties of small game 

 keep up then- average, and perhaps a little more. The 

 reports I hear from various adjacent quarters are all of 

 the right stamp. T. D. 



Ziegler Pays His Shot. 



Bangor, Me., Oct. 27— W. Ziegler, of Saratoga, N.Y., 

 who killed a cow moose in the Moosehead Lake region 

 last June, was arrested by a Bangor game warden Tues- 

 day and fined $200. The animal was followed by a suck- 

 ing calf. 



SOUTHERN MASSACHUSETTS LEAGUE. 



"VJEW BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 23.— Editor Forest and 

 LN Stream: In response to the invitation sent out by 

 Mr. Geo. H. Palmer a number of gentlemen met at Mr. 

 Palmer's office yesterday and organized a new game and 

 fish protective society, under the title of the Southern 

 Massachusetts Fish and Game League. 



The constitution provides that the objects of the league 

 shall be actively instrumental for the passage of laws to 

 regulate and pr-otect fisheries and game and to prohibit 

 the use of traps, pounds, nets and seines, and all other in- 

 jurious and destructive methods of catching fish in the 

 waters of the Commonwealth, and the indiscriminate \ 

 hunting and trapping of birds and animals, and the en- 

 forcement of such laws as now are or hereafter may be 

 enacted to that end; to investigate the conditions on 

 which depend the increase, growth and proper distribu- 

 tion of the valuable food fishes of Massachusetts, and to 

 publish the results obtained from time for the informa- 

 tion and instruction of people interested; to inquire into 

 the market value of such fish, wholesale and retail, and 

 to collect all possible information when and where they 

 are sold and to what extent they are wasted, to the end 

 that reliable information may be given to those whose 

 duty it is to legislate upon the subject, and generally to 

 inquire into all matters and things which affect directly 

 or indirectly the preservation of the fisheries and game, 

 and with this end in view, to invite citizens of other 

 States to assist in carrying out the objects of the league; 

 that the officers of the league shall consist of a president, 

 two vice-presidents, secretary (who shall also be corres- 

 ponding secretary), treasurer, executive, advertising and 

 printing, membership and statistical committees; that 

 the president shall preside a t meetings, and in his absence 

 the duty to devolve on the vice-presidents in the order of 

 their appointment; the president and secretary to call 

 special meetings, and the president to be ex-officio chair- 

 man of the executive committee; in case of the, death, re- 

 signation or any disqualification of the president, the first 

 vice-president shall preside for the remainder of the year or 



