488 



FOREST ANt) STREAM. 



|Dbc. 27, 1888. 



A DEER'S TENACITY OF LIFE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



One of the incidents related to me on my Maine woods 

 trip this year was told by Mr. Wm. H. McCrelhs, of 

 Bangor, as I journeyed, homeward, on the train. 

 Mr. McCrellis is now an elderly man and one of the 

 wealthiest and best known in the State of Mame. He 

 told me the story with permission to print it, and gave 

 me the name of a gentleman now resident in Boston, who 

 was with him a witness to the event, which was the dis- 

 emboweling of a deer by its own act and an astonishing 

 display of vitality thereafter. The gentleman named, 

 with a guide, and, I think, one or two others, were years 

 ago on a prospecting trip up the West Branch, and were 

 near Nickatous— or Nickatow as it is often called— when 

 they discovered several deer feeding in a grassy meadow 

 near the stream. By advice of the guide they governed 

 their movements so that the deer when alarmed would 

 run in a certain direction. If I mistake not one of the 

 party was sent with the canoe to make a detour and drive 

 the deer past the others. 



Be this as it may, one of the deer was seen to run 

 swiftly past, leaping over a large log as it went. On fol- 

 lowing on in the direction of its flight what was the sur- 

 prise of Mr. McCrellis and his companions to find the deer 

 lying in the grass stone dead and disemboweled as com- 

 pletely as if done by a butcher. Following backward on 

 the trail they found the entrails in a mass where they fell 

 — "a fan would have covered them," said Mr. McCrellis— 

 and just in the rear the instrument which had performed 

 this surgery, viz., a sharp-pointed stub projecting up 

 from the log and almost unnoticeable in the tall grass, but 

 so placed that the deer in its flight had caught upon it 

 and ripped itself completely open. The astonished men 

 then carefully paced the distance from the entrails to 

 where the deer fell dead, and found it 192yds. This they 

 determined with all possible exactness under the circum- 

 stances, and Mr. McCrellis told the story with apparently 

 complete memory of every detail, adding that so far as 

 he knew he and Iris companion were the only persons 

 who ever saw a deer so effect its own destruction, 



I have heard of the Southern negroes setting scythes in 

 the runways of deer in such a manner that in leaping a 

 log or gap in a fence a deer would now and then kill 

 itself and furnish venison for the cabin, a method most 

 repulsive as it has always seemed to me. 



The long run of the deer after the accident described 

 by Mr. McCrellis will not, I think, be doubted by hunters, 

 most of whom have at some time seen instances of great 

 tenacity of life in the case of mortally wounded animals. 



I remember seeing once on the Fox River in Illinois a 

 woodcock, through whose eye and brain a shot had 

 passed, fly an eighth of a mile before the automatic 

 action of the wings ceased. It seemed to have alighted 

 naturally in the long grass of a meadow where I marked 

 it down, and I supposed it unwounded till, in quartering 

 the ground to put it up again, I discovered it lying gently 

 on the grass with wings full spread, without a feather 

 ruffled, but stone dead. C. H. Ames. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, 111., Dec. 19.— I notice last week's Forest 

 and Stream contains an editorial on the.question of 

 the failure of the duck supply in this sectien. The 

 grounds taken are quite similar to those of a note or so 

 sent in by myself just before I had seen last week's 

 paper, and which may perhaps appear this week. The 

 duck question this fall has been rather a puzzler, even 

 for our old duck shooters here. At this writing, I am not 

 so sure but what some of the apprehension expressed is 

 ill-founded. A couple of weeks or so ago I had a short 

 note about a Kankakee hunter, who declared that the 

 ducks were still north of us. To-day I was talking with 

 Mr. Henry A. Sloan, a very well known game dealer of 

 this city, and he tells me that even at this late date ducks 

 are still going south, and that the shooting below here 

 is at some points better than its has been this season. 

 Mr. Sloan says he has all fall had reports of exceptionally 

 good feed to the north of us, and although the feed in 

 some localities near here was very fair indeed, the ducks 

 have lingered where they were, the low waters of this 

 region being no inducement to them to come on down. 

 I know on the Skunk River, in Iowa, where my boyhood 

 shooting was done, we always had plenty of ducks when 

 we had high water, spring or fall. 



Abe Kleimnan, as noted a market hunter as this city 

 has, is now at Pawpaw, Mo., on the line of the New 

 Madrid swamp. He has been gone eight days, and yester- 

 day sent in his first bag of ducks. He says the flight is 

 just getting down. The Swan Lake boys , who went down 

 to the New Madrid country got back too soon, it seems. 



Last Monday night as Mr. Sloan was going home after 

 business, he heard a big gang of honkers going over. 

 There were over one hundred in the flock. They went 

 down into Lake Michigan, just beyond Mr. Sloan's house, 

 which is on. Prairie avenue, a street that runs parallel to 

 the lake front and near to it. These geese probably just 

 dropped into the lake to rest, on their flight south. ' 



Mr. Sloan told me that ducks appear to get thin and 

 poor very soon after they get south of here. Those com- 

 ing in consignments from the south now are in full plum- 

 age, but are light in weight. 



"I wish that I never had to sell a duck in the spring," 

 said this same hberal-minded sportsman; "ducks are 

 then lean and poor, and there is no satisfaction in hand- 

 ling them, quite aside from the moral wrong of killing 

 them at that season. I would emphatically do all I coulc 

 to assist a movement for prohibiting spring shooting. 

 We need such prohibition and ought to have it." 



The other day Mr. Peter Mack, of Hammond, Ind., 

 killed on the Little Calumet a milk-white teal duck. It 

 was shipped to Mr. Sloan, who presented it to a brother 

 game dealer, Mr. Mauprine, to add to his very choice 

 collection of mounted specimens. Last year, standing 

 at nearly precisely the same spot where he killed this 

 duck, Mr. Mack killed a perfect specimen of an albino 

 blackbird. The occurrence is singular. 



The Chicago game markets are a sight for a sportsman 

 now, and there is hardly any sort of game in the United 

 States which is not now on display at South Water 

 street. Two elk were shipped in last' week. They came 

 from the Indian Territory, and were accompanied with 

 a blacktail deer and several antelope. The -game must 

 have come from the very extreme west of the Indian 

 Territory, I should think. I thought all the elk were 

 killed off, even in the black-jack country of the western 



end of the Nations. A number of black bears are shown. 

 I am told that these bears are shipped in earlier, in the 

 fall, and are kept in refrigerator rooms for the holiday 

 trade, as bears by that time have holed up, over the 

 greater part of the country. A few are sent in during 

 the winter from the Indian Territory. I know from ex- 

 perience that they are all in the ground in that country 

 m January and February, if the winter is a severe one. 



A lot of sharptail grouse had just got in from Kansas 

 when I was down on the street. They looked almost 

 white and were beautiful birds. I never saw them look- 

 ing so much like ptarmigans. 



Abundance of jack rabbits and great Northern hares 

 are seen among the cottontails, marsh rabbits, etc., which 

 festoon the markets now, and gray and fox squirrels 

 fairly litter the sidewalks. Pinnated grouse, ruffed 

 grouse, quails, and all sorts of feathered same are coming 

 in rapidly to the markets. Dealers say, however, that 

 their observation teaches them that the three-years prairie 

 chicken law has been very well respected in Illinois. _ 



The opossum is growing in favor as a game bird. 

 Numbers of them are in our markets, with a great many 

 raccoons also. 



The supply of wild turkeys does not seem scant. Most 

 of these come from the Indian Territory. There are few 

 wild geese in the markets, and almost no canvasback 

 ducks 



While we were looking at the antelope Mr. Sloan told 

 me of a little incident which occurred during his hunt 

 last fall: 



•'We were down in the Chickasaw nation," said he, 

 '•not far from Henrietta, Texas, and while we were at a 

 ranch a little round-up was made near the home camp. 

 We didn't know there were any antelope near there, and 

 not one of us had a gun along; but when it came to cut- 

 ting out the beef cattle, we found twenty-one antelope in 

 among the herd of cattle. The guns were all at the house, 

 and we didn't get an antelope. They had been driven in 

 by the boys from the flats, but had kept so close among 

 the cattle that nobody knew they were there." 



E. Houoh. 



THE WOODCOCK SUPPLY. 



MANCHESTER, N. H. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The experience of sportsmen in this vicinity in 

 woodcock hunting last fall differs but little from that of 

 others in other sections. It is the general feeling here 

 that there was an unusual scarcity of birds; whether the 

 flight went by unobserved during the heavy rains of early- 

 October is a matter of opinion; some of our most experi- 

 enced bird hunters think it did. At any rate, fewer birds 

 were killed about Manchester last fall than for many sea- 

 sons before. Here, as elsewhere in New England, fall 

 birds were found upon their summer feeding places; it 

 was a rare exception when a cock was started on high 

 ground. I have talked with some of the best woodcock 

 mnters in this vicinity, and they all agree in rating the 

 season of 1888 as one of the most unsatisfactory they ever 

 knew of. Not over fifty birds were killed by any party 

 here, and many failed to get one-half this number. It is 

 within easy remembrance when a. two or three days' hunt 

 would bring to bag better results. 



Partridge shooting was better through November and 

 December than in any other part of the season, and more 

 birds were killed: but at no time was the sport up to the 

 mark. Bird hunters hereabout are talking strongly of 

 using their efforts in favor of the passage of a law by the 

 next Legislature placing a bounty on foxes, which have 

 not been so numerous for years as they are at the present 

 time. It is a well-known fact that foxes are most de- 

 structive to young partridges, and by some the scarcity 

 of the crop in this locality the past season is largely 

 attributed to their numbers. Bird hunters have also been 

 multiplying here within a few years, but the wily grouse 

 manages to hold his own pretty well witli most of them. 

 The following, taken from the Manchester Mirror and 

 Fanner of a recent date, is an interesting incident of the 

 woodcock season: 



"Simon E. Young, the well-known Massachusetts bird 

 hunter, and one of the finest brush shots in New England, 

 had an experience with woodcock this season that he 

 says will never happen again in his lifetime. It was the 

 last week in October that he met with it, and the story 

 can best be told in 'Sim's' own words: 'I started out that 

 afternoon,' said he, 'to look for woodcock. I looked into 

 several covers and found a few scattering birds. Just 

 toward night I dropped into another cover and there I 

 started one cock which got up wild and flew across a 

 stone wall into another patch. 1 followed after. My dog 

 Prince jumped over the wall and when he landed he was 

 'froze stiff.' I then got over as carefully as I could, but 

 when I landed up jumped a woodcock right under my 

 feet. I killed the bird, but the old dog didn't budge an 

 inch. I told him to go on and repeated the command, 

 but he clung to his point. Then I moved forward a little 

 and a bird got up. I killed her and began to wonder 

 what kind of a place I had got into. I hadn't much time 

 to decide, for it was then too dark to see a bird unless one 

 got well up into the air, and it was not long before it 

 became too dark for even that. I got one more bird and 

 then left. How many birds were in there? I don't know, 

 but more than I ever saw before in a single cover. The 

 piece was not over an acre in size and it was white with 

 plasterings. Prince couldn't move a rod without getting 

 on to a bird, and finally I had to take him by the collar 

 and drag him out of the cover. In going out I started 

 from a dozen to fifteen birds. They got up all around 

 me and flew, but it was too dark to shoot and I had to 

 leave them. I honestly believe there Avere close to fifty 

 woodcock in that pieceg of round and it was as nice 

 shooting there as a man ever need to wish for. I went 

 home and the next morning entered the cover bright and 

 early. The chalkings Avere all there, but every bird had 

 left. They got out during the night. It was a chance 

 that I shall never have again, and what wouldn't I have 

 given for a few hours more of daylight.'' 'Sim' doesn't 

 tell where that acre patch is located, but rest assured he 

 will watch it closely in the future." 



A Maine G ame Seizure.— One of the Bangor papers 

 last week reported: "The largest haul of game, being 

 transported in violation of law, made in this State was 

 accomplished yesterday by Game Warden Allen, on a 

 through car from Ellsworth to Boston at the Maine Cen- 

 tral depot in this city. Warden Allen has a sharp eye 

 upon all attempts to evade or violate the game laws and 



regularly visits trains arriving in this city from the north 

 and east. While engaged in this duty on the Ellsworth 

 train Avhich arrived yesterday afternoon, his attention 

 was attracted to a way-bill which contained the following 

 entry: '13 barrels and 13 cases M. T. bottles,' addressed 

 to Hamilton Campbell, wholesale liquor dealer, 216 Com- 

 mercial street, Boston, It struck him as peculiar that so 

 many 'M. T.' liquor bottles should be shipped from the 

 law-abiding precinct of Hancock county, and he at once 

 made an investigation which resulted in the discovery 

 that instead of empty bottles the packages were filled 

 Avith saddles of venison, packed in hay, and surrounded 

 by a few bottles to add to the deceit by their clinking 

 while being handled. The Aveight of the seized venison 

 Avas over two tons. Game Warden Allen and Fish and 

 Game Commissioner Stilwell are highly elated over the 

 successful capture of so much 'contraband' deer meat, 

 and the more so that they have information which will 

 fix the guilt upon the parties who shipped it and who 

 will be made an example of to the extent of the law. It 

 is an illustration on a large scale of the great amount of 

 poaching which is being carried on in the eastern 

 counties and which is made possible by the repeal of the 

 law giving a moiety of the fines to the wardens, the whole 

 now'going into the treasury of the counties Avhere the 

 seizures are made. The meat is frozen and in fine con- 

 dition, and we understand will be sold by order of the 

 Commissioners to private parties, who Avill thus be en- 

 abled to lay by a nice saddle for use as wanted. We con- 

 gratulate Warden Allen on his magnificent capture." 



Hallock, Minn., Dec. 17.— Benson brothers returned 

 to town to-day Avith four moose, eleven elk and Dine 

 deer, results of a ten days' hunt to the eastward. They 

 will spend the next thirty days in capturing Avolves, 

 Avhich are said to be very plenty where they have been. 

 Their hunt has certainly been a success this season. 

 Game is nearer Hallock than before. The Roseau shoot- 

 ing has not been a success this season for some reason. 

 October and part of November were very stormy and dis- 

 agreeable months, Avith much rain and some snow. The 

 last part of November clear and bright, no snow and best 

 of skating on glare ice. The past four weeks convince us 

 that we beat the Eastern climate. We have a grand 

 country, grand climate and grand atmosphere. — E. H. L. 



"That reminds me." 

 349. 



" SPECIAL'S" account in your last issue of the singular 



moose hunt on Moluncus Lake in Maine ' 'reminds 

 me" of a story which I have often in boyhood heard my 

 father tell, and the truth of which I never heard ques- 

 tioned. "Special" seems to think it very firnny that the 

 guide who told the moose story to the Messrs. Moore be- 

 lieved it. I for one think it not at all incredible, and 

 perhaps the following may make it appear less so to 

 "Special." 



1 have forgotten details, but the gist of it was that dur- 

 ing one of those periods of deep winter snow in New 

 Hampshire, Avhen, as many of us can attest, there some- 

 times come some hours of rain and sleet and then a freeze, 

 leaving a crust of glare ice over eA erything strong enough 

 to hold up an ox team, some young fellows conceived the 

 idea of having some coasting extraordinary. They 

 dragged from a dooryard and with much effort and 

 pains a large lumber sled and took it far up a slope be- 

 yond the house. They mounted the sled in high spirits 

 and "let her go," intending to bring up in the dooryard 

 from Avhich they had started. So great was the weight 

 of the sled and its load and so slippery the surface that 

 they attained a terrific speed in a few moments, and not 

 only dashed through the dooryard but clean through an 

 open barn and down a long slope beyond, finally bringing 

 up in a meadow many rods away, not, however, without 

 remarkable adventure en route. 



There happened at this time to be an old white horse 

 standing in the barn and quietly munching hay. Quick 

 as a flash the darting sled knocked his legs from under 

 him and landed him on to the sled, half killing the 

 astonished and helpless boys, and carrying them all to 

 the foot of the hill. Nor was this the end of it. Up that 

 hill on the icy crust no horse could come, and for nearly 

 a week he had to be supported on hay carried to the 

 meadow by the boys. 



The account of the sled knocking the legs of the moose 

 from under him and landing him on to the sled, the 

 sharp stakes of which pierced his side, does not really 

 seem to me so impossible an occurrence. 



350. 



While I am about it let me also tell a moose story, of 

 the truth of which I think there can be no doubt. I have 

 several times heard it from the lips of the hero of it, who 

 was no other than Mr. Sylvester Abby, of Brownville, 

 Me., well knoAvn throughout all that region as Uncle 

 Vet Abby, a man of somewhat remarkable character, a 

 great reader and talker, and one who had in his day 

 killed a great amount of game. My favorite guide, Bill- 

 ings, and Uncle Vet were comrades on many a hunting 

 and trapping expedition, and it was from Billings that I 

 first heard the folloAving story. On my recent trip to 

 the Maine woods I learned that Uncle Vet died only a 

 few months ago, and I remembered how lying in camp 

 one snowy First near to Merry Lake he told me how 

 narrowly he once escaped death years before. 



He had started with one companion on a moose hunt. 

 They dragged a light moose sled by which to bring home 

 the meat, for meat they were very sure of in those days. 

 They killed a bull moose and the other man started back 

 with the sled and a load of meat, while Uncle Vet pushed 

 forward on the trail of the mate of the first one. She 

 was an enormous beast and he was particularly anxious 

 to secure her, and as he had succeeded in wounding her, 

 his prospects seemed good. He followed fast and far on 

 his snowshoes, and found that going down hill the moose 

 gained on him, but going up hill he gained on her. Be- 

 coming greatly heated and thinking to rush in and finish 

 the moose, he discarded his coat, but the chase led him 

 on and on, and it was almost sunset, when, in going up 

 the northern slope of a mountain, he brought his game to 

 bay, and firing quickly, put out one of the eyes of the 



