844 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



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CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



C CHICAGO, 111., Nov. 12.— The late severe storms have 

 / at length started the tardy wildfowl south, and they 

 have, gone down with a vengeance. Instead of stopping 

 at their accustomed feeding grounds, the great bulk of 

 the flight seems billed straight through to the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Thev only stop when their wings get a hot box. 

 Abe Kleinman. one of the oldest and most successful 

 market hunters' of this place, says that the shooting has 

 not amounted to anything this fall at any place near 

 Chicago, although there have been a few good days at 

 some of the reliable localities. Mr. Kleinman is in receipt 

 of letters from different parts of the South which tell the 

 same story. Even in southern Missouri the ducks are 

 passing on down without stopping much— a thing almost 

 unheard of. He thinks this situation is due to the fact 

 that the heavy storms came too late in the fall, so that 

 when the ducks did get down into this middle country, 

 they found the feed scanty and poor, and so did not tarry 

 with us. The water has been generally low also this fall. 



Still, it should not be supposed that no ducks at all have 

 been in this country. To the contrary, there has been a 

 very heavy flight for the last four or five days. Indeed, 

 the lake front, right within the city limits, has at times 

 been fairly black with ducks, and the novel sound of the 

 shotgun in the city has been almost continuous. Some 

 shooters have had fair sport along the lake. The twelve- 

 year-old son of a prominent north side citizen was nearly 

 drowned a day or so ago while out hunting, just off shore. 

 His cranky boat upset when he reached for his gun in 

 order to salute a passing flock of ducks, and the youth 

 sank in about 800ft. of water. He clung pluckily to the 

 bottom of the boat when he rose to the surface, and was 

 seen by the fireman of a passing railroad train , who j umped 

 from his cab, pushed off in a rickety skiff, and rescued 

 the boy from a cold close call. The whole affair was 

 rather singular. 



A week ago there were thousands of geese on the Kan- 

 kakee, near Roselawn, Ind., but they went on South after 

 a short rest. 



Dakota has afforded good shooting this fall. Messrs. 

 W. W. McFarland and C. D. Gammon, who have lately 

 returned from a little shoot at Lake Preston, report that 

 they bagged 132 on their first day's shoot, and 57 on the 

 day following. 



Lieut, Phil. Reed, inspector of rifle practice, U. S. A., 

 stationed here, has just got in from a short trip to Fox 

 Lake, the Chicago general sporting resort. He bagged 

 22 ducks on his first day and 17 on the second. He re- 

 ports that there were plenty of ducks, but that the num- 

 bers of shooters kept them off the water after the morn- 

 ing shoot; by waiting over another day he could have 

 added somewhat to his bag, for the ducks were unques- 

 tionably there. 



Mr. Ward returned from the marshes of the Kankakee 

 Land and Cattle Co. last Saturday with 23 good mallards. 

 Nobody was shooting, and the' ducks were not well 

 stirred up. 



Mr. J. Palmer O'Neill reports that two friends of bis 

 killed 78 ducks at Fox Lake last Saturday. Numerous 

 bags of a dozen to two dozen per gun are reported at the 

 different gun stores. 



Mr. John Gillespie, just in from English Lake, Indiana, 

 says that ducks were not seen in any great abundance. 

 He bagged only fourteen mallards, and bad a rather slow 

 time, although the weather was disagreeable enough for 

 good shooting. 



I said something about Mr. Abe Kleinman. Every- 

 body in Chicago knows him as one of "the Kleinmans." 

 He is one of seven brothers, all noted for their shooting- 

 ability and experience and all of trap or market shooting 

 fame. The names of the Kleinman brothers, in the order 

 of their ages are John, Abe, Henry, George and William. 

 They challenge any five brothers on the face of the earth 

 to shoot them a match at trap or in the field. Henry 

 Kleinman rejoices in the euphonious and apt name of 

 "Swamp Angel." John Kleinman is a member of the 

 Audubon Trap Club. George, Abe and William all 

 belong to the Chicago Club, George won the diamond 

 badge last year, making two years out of three he has 

 carried it. Abe claims that he is the poorest shot of the 

 family now, as he has not fired a gun this fall. 



Harry Loveday, a duck shooter of experience and 

 success, got in to day from the Cumberland Club's 

 grounds on the Kankakee, reporting only fair sport. The 

 shooting is spasmodic. Now you see it and now you 

 don't. 



Nov. 13.— Mr. A. C. Black, of Armour's, is lately back 

 from the Kankakee with fair luck. The Kankakee 

 country is a favorite locality. The members of the 

 Tolleston Club, who own the big marsh just over the 

 Indiana line, have, however, had about the' best shooting 

 done by Chicago club men this fall, although even there 

 it has been spasmodic. 



Fox Lake, 111., Nov. 15.— Last night we heard the 

 "mewing" of redheads out in the lake, and judged there 

 must have been quite a body in. From the balcony of 

 the Howard House this morning we can see that the con- 

 clusion was warranted. There are probably 2,000 red- 

 heads and bluebills in the big bank of ducks visible on 

 the middle of the lake, about two miles out. The 

 weather is very open and warm. The boom of the guns 

 began with the rise of the sun, and the main body of the 

 ducks is already showing restlessness. The poor crea- 

 tures have small chance for rest, for they are harried 

 even from the middle of the lake by inconsiderate shoot- 

 ers who do not know that it is the surest way to spoil the 

 shooting for themselves and everybody else. 



There is plenty of wild rice and celery vet to be found 

 here, and the deep-water ducks, redheads', bluebills, rin«-- 

 bills and some canvasbacks, still hang to the lake The 

 mallards and teal have all left for the South or else- 

 where. It is the unanimous verdict of the residents and 

 visiting shooters here that this is a poor season. No very 

 good bags have been made, although last week a number 

 of scores of one or two doz-m ducks were made. I can 

 learn of only one bag of over thirty, and a dozen ducks 

 to a boat has been something in the nature of a surprise. 

 Walter Clark and George Beckwith got twenty-nine last 

 Saturday, including several mallards, shooting in the 

 bay at the head of the river. 



Chet Howard brought in eight bluebills and rin°-bills 



and one canvasback to day from the "Hogback" pass on 

 the lower lake. Ed. Howard bagged nine last Tuesday. 

 John Gillespie got one canvasback among the dozen he 

 killed a week ago. The Howard boys killed thirty-five 

 teal one day earlier in the season. The Stanley and 

 Dunn ell boys, persistent coasters and pot-shooters, can 

 claim no large records for this fall. Everybody looks 

 gloomy, and the resort keepers begin to talk of closing 

 down their houses. 



Nov. 16.— Yesterday I went with George Beckwith, 

 one of the two very test pushers on the lake, and a man 

 of twenty years' experience on these lakes. We had a 

 good fleet of decoys, and we put out our blind on the 

 best points on the'lake, and also visited Grass Lake and 

 the Long Channel, hunting hard and patiently all day. 

 Counting out the mudhens, we bagged two ducks, one of 

 them a sawbill (merganser) and the other a ruddy duck. 

 The latter was killed clear out of range, and it is safe to 

 say that we did not have a shot all day long. The 

 weather was clear and bright, and the ducks all went 

 over to Pistaqua Lake. 



The body of Mr. Hendershot, who was drowned in 

 Pistaqua Lake eight days ago, was recovered last Tues- 

 day. The xmfortunate gentleman attempted to cross 

 from one point to another in a boat which is said to have 

 been leaky, and there being some sea on, he and his com- 

 panion were in some way thrown out. Mr, Hendershot 

 swam half way ashore, then turned and swam back to the 

 boat, where he finally lost his hold and was drowned. 

 He was a strong and confident swimmer. When found, 

 it was seen that he had managed to get rid of one of his 

 hip boots; the exertion of trying to get them off is prob- 

 ably what exhausted him. 



Nov. 17.— Yesterday there was a sudden and severe 

 change of weather. A half inch of snow fell night before 

 last, and yesterday morning dawned very cold and windy. 

 George Beckwith and I went around to Pistaqua Lake and 

 put up our blind in a bay out of which we drove a couple of 

 dozen redheads. We sat in our blind patiently all day, 

 the coldest day, I think, I ever passed in a blind. What 

 few ducks came into our bay decoyed nicely. We had 

 only about eight shots, and missed two of them vilely, 

 owing probably to the wind, which was blowing a gale, 

 and which drifted shot worse than any wind I ever shot 

 in. We lost three of our ducks, two of which were 

 picked up to windward of us by a piratical "coaster" who 

 was prowling along the shore. There were plenty of 

 ducks on Pistaqua Lake, quite a flight coming in from 

 Fox Lake from 9 o'clock till noon. We were out of the 

 line of this flight, and although they would probably not 

 have decoyed out in the open water, we could probably 

 have had fair shooting on the fly-way had we thought 

 the flight would last as long as it did. The ducks banked 

 up out in the open water, and sat all day in a swell where 

 our boat would hardly ride. At dark, when we pulled 

 up our blind and decoys, the big bank was still out in the 

 deep water, and showed no disposition to move. Their 

 wisdom is shown this morning, when all the bays are 

 seen to be frozen up. 



Chet Howard brought in sixteen ducks last night, all 

 shot out of a sudden flurry that came in after 3 o'clock. 

 He was at the upper end of Fox Lake. 



The best shooting here is had from the newly-invented 

 canvas bliuds, of which, as well, indeed, as a great many 

 other things about this noted locality. I shall speak as 

 soon as I find time. 



Chicago, 111., Nov. 18.— Mr. Chas. E. Willard, of the 

 Blatchford Cartridge Co. and vice-president of the Eng- 

 lish Lake Duck Club, was down at the club grounds last 

 week and got some mallards, but reports the shooting slow. 



The members of the Tolleston Club have had about 

 the best shooting of anybody this fall. They have fed 

 their ducks nicely on wheat screenings and the refuse of 

 a glucose factory. The ducks have appreciated this, 

 and in return have "staid by" the Tolleston marsh. 



Messrs. Chas. Mears, R. W. Cox and Jesse Cummings 

 got back to-day from Swan Lake, on the Illinois River. 

 They say the shooting was without form and void. 



E. Hough. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



On account of the weather being unfavorable for some 

 weeks past, quail shooting has been almost a complete 

 failure here, there being but few birds killed; but should 

 the rain and wind cease some good bags will likely be 

 made during the remainder of November. The birds that 

 have been bagged are well-growm and in good condition. 



No pheasants (grouse) nor wild turkeys have been 

 bagged worth noting. The former are plentiful and the 

 latter scarce. 



Our marshes are seldom visited by woodcock, and con- 

 sequently none are harmed. 



Generally by Oct. 1 wild ducks are plentiful on our 

 water courses, but up to this time this season I have not 

 heard of one being seen on our ponds or streams. 



Squirrels have been quite numerous since spring, and a 

 great many are beiog bagged. 



Rabbits are also quite plentiful this season. Heretofore 

 "Mollie Cottontail" was seldom seen by the sportsmen. 



As yet no deer have been killed. They are reported as 

 being very scarce. It seems as though some parties have 

 no regard for the game laws of West Virginia. Whose 

 fault it is I don't know, but it looks as if the officers 

 could catch up with some of the chaps who chase deer 

 with dogs before the time expires set by the West Virginia 

 Legislature, if they wanted to do so. All kinds of game 

 are killed here out of season, and I for one would be in 

 favor of seeing the game laws enforced against anyone 

 who does not respect them enough to abide by them. The 

 matter is this, that our officers don't seem to take any 

 interest in game and don't care whether it is killed in or 

 out of season. Last year one of our prominent lawyers 

 chased deer with dogs, and siuely he knew it was unlaw- 

 ful. When this is the case what can we expect of the 

 mountaineers, who do not know there is a law? Let the 

 Jaw be enforced and game will be plentiful. P. C. O. 



Lbwtsbubo, West Virginia, Nov. 15. 



The New Jersev Coast.— Perth Amboy, N. J,, Nov. 

 17.— Why is it that the New Jersey coast is so seldom 

 heard from in the Game Bag and Gun department? Is 

 no information to be had concerning wildfowl in Barne- 

 gat and Egg Harbor bays, or are they among the things 

 that were ? Let us hear from Chadwicks, Cedar Creek, 

 Harvey Cedars, Tuckerton and Atlantic Citv now and 

 then. — J. L. K. 



MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA. 



LAKE LINDEN, Mich., Nov. 5.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: The fall shooting in these parts has been 

 very good, although the past two weeks of continuous 

 rain and snow have made it somewhat disagreeable. 



Partridges have been plentiful, though extremely wild. 

 Still a bag of from sixteen to twenty in a day's tramp is 

 not a bad showing and has been repeatedly made by 

 sportsmen here. 



A few bear have been killed on Keweenaw Point dur- 

 ing the summer past. The last one on record, a full 

 grown one, was brought to town by a fellow who did the 

 cooking at one of the lumber camps. He received a good 

 price for bruin, together with many complimentary com- 

 ments on his success, and was in the height of his glory, 

 when there appeared upon the scene several boys from 

 the woods, overflowing with wrath and fury, and the 

 would-be sportsman hid himself out of sight. 



It appears the boys had been feeding that bear on salt 

 pork, etc., all summer, and were only waiting for the 

 time for bruin to be in his best possible condition, when 

 they would dispatch him and receive the reward for their 

 patience. During their absence from camp, however, the 

 cook stole a march on them. 



Deer are not so plentiful on the Upper Peninsula of 

 Michigan as they have been in years past, a fact which 

 is attributed to the unusually large number of wolves 

 which abound in the forests, and if the multiplication of 

 the latter keeps on at the present rate, deer hunting will 

 soon be a thing of the past with us. Unless the bountv 

 on wolves is increased, this will surely be the result. In 

 the lower part of the Peninsula, however, and in Wiscon- 

 sin, sportsmen are reporting better success, and venison 

 sells for 6 cents per pound there. In Marquette county, 

 the other day, a party of hunters went out on a deer- 

 hunting expedition, making their journey over the rail- 

 road by means of a hand-car. It happened that a certain 

 hunter, already on the grounds, knew of their coming, 

 and having shot a large deer the day previous, but not 

 securing him until the following day, when he was found 

 stiff in death, he concocted a scheme to have a laugh on 

 the boys. He stood the deer up against a tree at a con- 

 venient distance where it could be seen from the railroad 

 track, and hid himself on the opposite side to witness the 

 fun. It soon commenced; the +'orernost on the car, spv- 

 ing the deer blazed away, and failing to bring him down, 

 was followed by the entire company, but without any 

 better success. The firing continued, until the owner, to 

 save his venison, interfered. — Curtain. 



Last week a half-breed, while out hunting partridges 

 in Baraga county, came upon two fine looking otters and 

 secured them. Otters are seldom met with here now- 

 adays. Lank. 



RESORTS IN THE NORTHWEST. 



CI RAND HAVEN, Mich., Nov. 10.— Editor Forest and 

 X Stream; In looking over an old number of Forest 

 and Stream to-day I noticed an inquiry by "Princeton 

 Students" as to the hunting and fishing possibilities of 

 the Northwest, with Duluth as a starting point. Now, 

 while too late for this season, my communication may 

 help some one to a pleasant trip next year, and I here- 

 with send you my views of the matter. 



Once in Duluth, nothing is easier than to get good 

 trout fishing, every stream on both the Minnesota and 

 Wisconsin shores swarms with the speckled beauties. It 

 is simply shut your eyes and throw your fly, you are 

 sure of a strike. My way would be to charter a small 

 steam tug, or if you prefer it, a sailboat, and go down 

 the south or Wisconsin side; there are dozens of streams 

 and all well stocked. But don't stay too long. I want 

 you to go for larger game. 



Three years ago I availed myself of the privilege Uncle 

 Sam extends to all his sons, and homesteaded 160 acres 

 in northern Minnesota. I got my supplies at Tower and 

 traveled to my claim by canoe. For six months I don't 

 think I slejrt; a dozen nights under a roof and I enjoyed 

 every minute, We portaged, and ran rapids, and poled 

 up them again, hunted and fished, enjoying the best of 

 health, till it is a wonder we ever forsook the wild free 

 fife. 



From Duluth go to Tower about Sept. 1. It is only 

 half a day's run over the Duluth & Iron Range R.R. 

 You can get a good guide for from $1.50 to $2.00 per day, 

 your birch canoe will cost from $5 to $10. You will do 

 well to be prepared for both large and small game, for 

 you must know you are going to the home of the moose 

 and caribou. Go twentv-five miles or one day's paddle 

 through Vermillion Lake to Wa-ke-mow-up's portage. 

 The trail leads you to the "Little Fork" of the Rainy 

 River. If you are there anywhere near Sept. 1, I will 

 guarantee that you can't paddle down the stream one 

 day without seeing a moose standing in the edge of the 

 water. You may see a deer, a bear or a caribou, but a 

 moose you are almost sure of. At least such was my 

 experience and I ought to know. On the portage and in 

 fact everywhere along the river you can get good shoot- 

 ing. There are any quantity of ruffed grouse, spruce 

 paitridges, rabbits and pinnated grouse. The country is 

 timbered with silver birch, poplar, sitruce and balsam, 

 and is full of openings, making it good, ground for work- 

 ing dogs. If you don't know how, your guide will 

 show you how to make a balsam bed that you will want 

 to take back to civilization. 



Here it is in a nutshell. Within a day's canoe travel 

 of the railroad you get into the best moose country in 

 the world. The water is full of pickerel and piKe and 

 the woods swarm with small game. Any novice who 

 tries may shoot a moose there. R. G. M. 



Worcester, Mass., Nov. 17. 1888.— At a meeting last 

 evening of members of the Worcester Sportsmen's Club 

 it was voted to omit the annual hunt this year. It was 

 also voted to have the annual game supper on Monday 

 evening. Nov. 20, and that A. B. F. Kinney, E. S. Knowles, 

 Major "S. G. White, Gilbert J. Rugy and E. F. Snow be 

 the committee of arrangements. Messrs. Chas. Cromp- 

 ton. Dr. W, P. Bowen, G. N. Wheeler, Eben Jewett, A. 

 G. Larkin, A. E. Davis, J. Kennedy and C. R. Holman 

 were admitted as members. 



Dakota Geese.— Eureka, t>ak., Nov. 9.— On Nov. 4 

 J. E. Regan, Geo. C. Knickerbocker and myself took a 

 morning with the geese. We left Eureka at 8:30 A. M. 

 and drove five miles, returning at -4 P. M. with thirty- 

 five geese and brant, among which were one snow goose 

 and nine Canadas.— W. Bach, 



