Forest ANi> sfftfiAM. 



[Jan. 17, 1889. 



Mr. W. W. McFarland, of the Cumberland Club, by 

 some held to be as successful a duck shot as we have 

 here, has a blind of his own which he pins his faith to. 

 It is simply a piece of fish net, of light twine and a mesh 

 of 2|in. By means of light adjustable posts, Mr. Mc- 

 Farland stretches this net loosely about the comb of his 

 hunting boat, covering the projecting ends of the boat 

 with loose rushes or grass. Into the netting he weaves 

 a Light cover of grass or reeds. The body of the blind 

 has, therefore, nothing solid or stiff about it, but undu- 

 lates and changes in the wind just as the natural marsh 

 grass does. I don't see how anything could be better 

 than this. 



The fact of it is the art of blind shooting consists of 

 keeping still. At English Lake I saw a sort of semi- 

 blind called the "hay coat," which is capable of as good 

 results as anything. It consists simply of a cape made 

 of hay, tied and squared at one end and worn over the 

 shoulders, being fastened by a sort of gathering string, 

 tied in front. It was Mr. Chias. Willard, I believe, who, 

 covered by one of these coats, stood out in the middle 

 of a bare marsh, and assisted by no decoys, using only a 

 duck call, shot seventy -six in one afternoon, many of 

 them mallards. He kept still. 



Mr. Kinney, vice-president of the Mak-saw-bas, has a 

 coat which the boys all laugh at as "Kinney's overcoat." 

 It is simply a coffee sack, provided with arms, and is as 

 good a shooting coat as any. 



The English Lake members have a great many Green 

 Bay boats. Some of them got to thinking, however, and 

 it seemed to them that the Green Bay model was not per- 

 fect. Its bot f om was made of two boards, and after a 

 short use invariably began to leak. Its bow-rake also 

 was so short that it did not ride down floating rubbish, and 

 stuck into the water too far for a good poling boat. The 

 result was that Mr. Taylor had "Win. Hine, I believe of 

 Logansport, Ind., a skillful carpenter, build a boat 

 which lacked these objections. Hine never builds two 

 boats alike, but has got out better and better ones right 

 along, and now practically supplies that club. 



Mr. Geo. T. Farmer, of the Cumberland Club, has two 

 dugouts, one of which he always uses when he goes out 

 on the marsh. He ignores the graceful modern boats. I 

 wondered at this a little until yesterday I heard that Mr. 

 Farmer was long ago a scout and trapper in the employ 

 of the Northwestern Fur Company. That explains it. 



The best duck decoys I ever saw belong to Mr. W. B. 

 Chatfield, of the English Lake Club. They are imported. 

 They are made of rubber, covered with velvet, and 

 painted into so life-like a representation that they would 

 deceive the keenest eye. They are inflated by means of 

 a tube and key similar to that used on a football. They 

 cost $37 a dozen. The only trouble about them is that 

 when the pop-eyed rustic lets go his Zulu into the fleet he 

 is apt to spoil $37 worth of decoys. 



Chicago, Jan. 7. —Late dispatches bear the following 

 melancholy news of a well-known gentleman and sports- 

 man of Chicago: "El Paso, Tex., Jan. 4.— Dr. F. Sidney 

 Papin, the wealthy son of Dr. Papin of Chicago, who 

 arrived here for the benefit of his health in the fall, and 

 three weeks ago, accompanied by his wife and a number 

 of friends, started on an overland pleasure trip through 

 Mexico, Arizona and into California, died in Mexico of 

 consumption Tuesday last." Dr. Papin is the gentleman 

 of whose proposed extended pleasure trip mention was 

 made early last fall. Mr. Chas. Carhart, of this city, was 

 named as one of the party, which is now disbanded by 

 the deplored occurrence. 



Mr. F. A. Howe, president of the Yellowstone Club, is 

 in nowise daunted by the recent statements of "Ren" in 

 regard to the yield of wild rice, and reiterates that he has 

 yet to hear of the first wild rice bed that will yield any- 

 thing like a bushel to the acre, although he also has seen 

 what appeared to be a considerable quantity of rice 

 brushed into the boat in the course of a day's shooting. 



I saw a grand lot of Canada geese on South Water street 

 yesterday, and on asking where they came from was told 

 they got in from Montana. The common idea would be 

 that Canada geese would be far south of Montana at this 

 season. The weather is all knocked out of gear, out in 

 this country, and the oldest inhabitant has taken his 

 goose-bore and emigrated. E. Hough. 



BOONE AND CROCKETT CLUB. 



THE second annual meeting of the Boone and Crockett 

 Club was held in this city at the University Club, 

 Jan. 9. This association, which was organized only 

 about a year ago, has now a membership which includes 

 some of the very best sportsmen in America. Its good 

 influence has already made itself felt in more than one 

 direction, and there is every prospect that as it grows 

 older it will exercise a great power for good all over the 

 country, and especially in sections of the West, in which 

 for a long time the influence of the game laws will 

 scarcely be felt. A business meeting was held at 7 o'clock 

 P. M., and after the reports of committees had been re- 

 ceived and some new members elected an adjournment 

 was had to the dining room, where about a great round 

 table the members enjoyed themselves until a late horn-. 

 Among those present were: Gen. B. H. Bristow, Hon. 

 Theodore Roosevelt, Mr. A. Bierstadt, Mi-. Archibald 

 Rogers, Mr. Rutherford Stuyvesant, Mr. Elliott Roose- 

 velt, Mr. Arnold Hague. Mr. J. J.Pierpont, Mr. Wm. Milne 

 Grinnell, Mr. W. A. Wadsworth, Mr. H. C. DeRham, 

 Mr. John G. Roosevelt, Mr. Thos. Paton, Dr. J. West Roose- 

 velt and Mr. Geo. Bird Grinnell. 



Orleans County, N. Y„ Game Law.— An act has been 

 passed prohibiting the catching of fish of any kind, ex- 

 cept minnows, in any streams in Orleans county save 

 with a hook and line, or rod held in hand, or trolling from 

 boat. The penalty attached is $100. In response to a 

 petition from sportsmen of the central and eastern towns, 

 the Board has enacted the following game law: No per- 

 son shall within the county of .Orleans, kill or expose for 

 sale, or have in his or her possession, after the same has 

 been killed, any woodcock, between the 1st day of Janu- 

 ary and the 1st day of September in each year. Any per- 

 son violating the provisions of this ordinance shall be de- 

 clared guilty of a misdemeanor, and in addition thereof 

 sha 1 be liable to a penalty of twenty-five dollars, for each 

 bn-d so killed or had in his possession; such penalties to 

 be recovered and such misdemeanor to be punished ac- 

 ™ ing \°} he P rovisi °ns of Chapter 534 of the Laws of 

 1879, and the several acts amendatory thereof and sup- 

 plementary thereto, 1 



Deer's Vitality.— Grand "View, Tenn.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: I notice in your issue of Dec. 27 an article 

 by Mi-. C. H. Ames, where he relates an occurrence told 

 him by a man from Bangor, Me. The substance of this 

 was that a deer had run 192yds. after its entrails had 

 dropped out. That a deer should get ripped open by its 

 own act would be an unlooked-for occurrence, but that it 

 had run the distance above mentioned leaves consider- 

 able room for wonder. Many years ago I was informed 

 of a circumstance somewhat similar in some respects to 

 the one in question, and heretofore I have had some hesi- 

 tancy about relating the fact, because it appeared so im- 

 probable. The man King, whose name has been men- 

 tioned before in an article published in the FOREST AND 

 STREAM, lived near a deer lick, where he killed several 

 deer every summer, bringing home the saddles and skin 

 and leaving the forequarters for his neighbors. The lick 

 had got the name of Old King's meat market. His lick 

 watching one night continued until night had closed in. 

 Although a starlit night, it had become like Egyptian 

 darkness in the thick woods, when the roar of the old 

 smoothbore was heard by the boys at home. They im- 

 mediately started with a lantern, meeting the old man 

 just as he was groping his way out of the woods into the 

 clearing, and in answer to their eager questions, he told 

 them that he had shot at a venture at the slight sounds 

 made by a deer as it walked over some loose stones, and 

 that be heard the deer run after he had fired the shot; 

 and it would be useless for the boys to go up to the lick, 

 for he was pretty sure that he had not touched a hair. 

 However, the boys did go up to the lick early the next 

 morning and found a deer's paunch, and the small intes- 

 tines were strung along for several yards, and the deer 

 was found some 50yds. distant, as paced by the boys. 

 The examining committee reported that an ounce ball 

 (King never used anything lighter) had ripped open 

 (crosswise) the lower part of the belly, and, as a matter 

 of course, the whole mass fell out when it made the first 

 jump. Sometimes a deer will run some distance after 

 being shot through the heart, while others that have been 

 shot precisely in the same manner may fall in their track, 

 or very near it. — Antler. 



Pen Names.— Editor Forest and Stream: The little 

 correspondence on "Elk Hunting Ethics" you published 

 lately, gives me an opportunity to say what I have often 

 felt like saying before, viz. : That I believe it would be 

 more satisfactory all around if every person who writes 

 for the press would do it over one and only one signature. 

 This first occurred to me several years ago, when I found 

 in a Western paper, devoted to field sports, etc. (espe- 

 cially et cetera), an interesting account of a fishing trip, 

 written by "The Sergeant." I had not read far before 

 I soliloquized : "That's a well written article, but whom 

 does it sound like?" A little further on I struck an ex- 

 pression that gave the thing away as written by one of 

 Forest and Stream's most valued contributors, and 

 then I wanted to kick myself for not recognizing him 

 before, in spite of the strange nom de plume. I was not 

 altogether pleased, either, that my old friend had com- 

 pelled me "to penethrate his incognatio"a& Jimmy O'Brien 

 said; for, like the Turks, I hate trouble. Coming back 

 to the starting point, if Mr. Shields had written his 

 article for Harper's and his "Rustling in the Rockies" 

 and "Saunterings in the Snowies'* over the same signa- 

 ture any of us who had read the last named article would 

 have been slow to harbor for an instant the thought that 

 their author could possibly be a pot-hunter, and had it 

 not been for Mr. Hough (may his fingers be able to drive 

 the pen for [the next seventy-five years) my feelings in 

 the matter still have been about— well, in equilibrium. — 

 L. I. Flower. 



Shooiing and Fishing in Florida.— Peekskill, N. Y. 

 — We occasionally see the question asked through the 

 columns of your valuable paper, where can I go for the 

 whiter and find good shooting and fishing? If any desire 

 to spend a few weeks in a good quail section, and where 

 ducks, jack snipe and fish are abundant, and where the 

 climate is simply perfect, let tbem try Merritt's Island, 

 on the east coast of Florida, a large, narrow island lying 

 between the Indian and Banana rivers. Sportsmen or 

 others who simply desire to avoid the severe cold 

 weather of the North, can be accommodated with good 

 rooms and plain, home-like comforts at a very moderate 

 price, in the immediate vicinity of the shooting and fish- 

 ing grounds, by Mrs. W. G. Martin. Mr. Martin is an 

 experienced hunter and fisherman, has spent ten years of 

 his life on the east coast, and is familiar with all of the 

 best shooting and fishing grounds. From personal exper- 

 ience I believe this to be the healthiest and most comfort- 

 able climate on the globe. The weather is warm but 

 you are constantly fanned by a most delightful ocean 

 breeze, and it very seldom rains during the winter 

 months. You go direct to Titusville at the head of the 

 Indian River, then by steamer. Fare from New York to 

 Titusville and return, first class, $52. I will be glad to 

 furnish any further information necessary as to the 

 country, route, etc. Mr. W. G. Martin's address is 

 Merritt, Florida,— W. H. Pierce. 



Chicago, 111., Jan. 9.— As I look out on Lake Michigan 

 frequently I notice small flocks of ducks, but a visit to 

 the river or small inland lakes discloses not a solitary 

 duck, mudhen or any other living thiag that swims. I 

 observe, however, a greater number of geese flying over 

 than I have ever seen so late before. Three weeks ago a 

 gang of twenty-two were rising on Calumet Lake, fifteen 

 miles southward. Late in the afternoon they rose and 

 flew eastward. Dec. 30 a flock of fully a hundred flew 

 over the city also going in an easterly direction; and day 

 before yesterday, Jan. 7, another flock of fully one 

 hiindred come over the town from the east, this gang 

 flying westward.— H. R. B. 



The Oritani Snow Shoe Club officers for 1889 are 

 as follows: Honorary President, Erastus Wiman; Presi- 

 dent, G. M. Fairchild', Jr.: "Vice-President, J. E. Learned; 

 Captain, Wm. P. Ellery; Vice-Captain, W. A. Shortt; 

 Secretary and Treasurer, Wakeman Holberton, 18 Vesey 

 street, New York: Whippers-In, W. J. Weldon and Prof. 

 Wells. The organization is in a flourishing condition; 

 fourteen members were elected at the annual meeting. 

 The only thing the Oritani Snow Shoers lack is snow 

 shoeing; their chief weather clerk is on the lookout for a 

 blizzard, 



Pennsylvania,— Auburn, Susquehanna County, Jan 7. 

 — The shooting season just closed has been an average 

 one. Woodcock were conspicuous by their absence and 

 squirrels very scarce. Rabbits were plentiful and ahead 

 of the merry little beagles gave excellent sport. The 

 last quail disappeared from this section several years ago. 

 Ruffed grouse were found in good numbers, but were 

 never more difficult to bring to bag. I have always 

 noticed that when beechnuts were plentiful they were 

 always wild and strong of wing, and when flushed go 

 long distances, and the sportsman who made a good bag 

 this fall might well feel exultant. My best work resulted 

 in a bag of six grouse made inside of six hours; and my 

 score for the season was thirty-four — all but three of 

 which were killed within one and a half miles of my 

 door. Within that area at least fifty birds remain, and 

 with the open winter and abundance of food they should 

 winter well and rear large broods another season. I 

 inclose quills from the tails of three different birds that 

 fell to my gun. showing quite a variation in color. — Bon 

 Ami. [The great variation in the coloration of the ruffed 

 grouse is well known, and has often been commented on.] 



Buckshot Loading. — Can't we have something more 

 on this important subject? I have tried the plan recom- 

 mended by "Dentist" with good results, but found that 

 to get in even two shot of good killing size made a very 

 heavy charge for a 12-gauge gun. Is it considered safe 

 to load buckshot in a chokebore gun? Is there a wire 

 cartridge manufactured with shot large enough to be 

 really destructive to deer and other large animals? My 

 gun has a cylinder barrel, which is excellent for field 

 shooting with small shot, but it scatters buckshot intoler- 

 ably. What is the matter?— Aztec. 



Deer in Weld, Roxbury and Carthage, Maine.— 

 The subscriber will promptly pay $25 to the first person 

 or persons, who shall furnish evidence that will lead to 

 the conviction and punishment of any person killing 

 deer in either of the towns of Weld, Roxbury and Carth- 

 age, within the close time of 1889, which close time dates 

 from Jan. 1, 1889. The subscriber is authorized to make 

 the above offer by a friend of the law and deer. — S. M. 

 Locke, Roxbury, Maine. 



Ithaca, N. Y. — Messrs. O. Z. and O. H. Devenport, ac- 

 companied by Monroe Harvey, an old Pennsylvania deer 

 hunter, all of this county are now on a prospecting and 

 hunting trip to Seattle, W. T. The three men are long- 

 ing for the biggest kind of a bear scrimmage, and in an- 

 ticipation of such an event, carry with them a Marlin .32- 

 cal,, a Winchester .38-cal., and a double gun of Bonehill 

 make. Forest and Stream will hear from them. — M. 

 Chill. 



Minto. Dakota. — Two gentlemen, residents of lnkster, 

 passed through here last month with three moose, the re- 

 sult of a weeks' hunt in the Roseau Lake country, Minn. 

 One of the animals in particular was a "whopper." We 

 had no snow until the middle of December, conse- 

 quently deer hunting did not begin until then on the Red 

 River, twelve miles east of this place. Three were killed 

 there on the first hunting Friday last. — J. F. T. 



An Old-Timer.— Quebec, Dec. 21.— Our well-known 

 sporting grocer, Adam Walters of Quebec, completed his 

 one hundred and second year on Jan. 5. He is still hale 

 and hearty, looking as if he were only sixty instead of a 

 centennarian, and is still capable of bringing down a 

 caribou, and catching the big fish of Lake St. Joseph, and 

 also telling a real "Camp-Fire Flickering" story as of 

 yore.—* 



NEW YORK LEGISLATURE. 



[Special Correspondence of Forest and Stream.] 



ALBANY, Jan 14.— Thus far in the Legislature only three 

 bills have been introduced of interest to the field covered by 

 the Forest and Stream. The first, by Senator "Ives, provides 

 that if the members of any rlub so elect they may decide that 

 memberships in the club may be taken by heirs at law. The bill is 

 said to come down from some of the clubs in the Adirondaeks 

 where large amounts of money are expended in real estate and 

 improvements, so that a membership need not be a loss in case of 

 the death of a member. 



The second bill, by Mr. McAdams, of Oneida, amends the gen- 

 eral game laws so as to prohibit the spring shooting of ducks. 

 The close season is made from Feb. 1 to Sept. 1, instead of from 

 May 1 to Sept. 1. In the waters of Long Island the close season 

 still continues to Oct. 1. 



Mr. Baker, of Oneida, has introduced the following bill: Sec. 1. 

 Every person who shall trespass on any land within this State 

 owned by any private individual, firm or corporation, by cutting 

 or carrying away any trees or timber growing thereon, shall for- 

 feit and pay to such owner or owners the same penalty or penal- 

 ties as are now recoverable by law for like trespasses upon lands 

 known as the Forest Preserve, or lands owned by the State of New 

 York; and all remedies or proceedings in actions to prevent, or to 

 recover damages for like injuries or trespasses, and to enforce 

 execution upon judgments therein, which maybe had or taken 

 by law by or on behalf of the people of the State, against persons 

 trespassing in such manner on lands owned by the State, may be 

 had or taken by or on behalf of the owner or owners of any lands 

 upon which such trespasses shall have been committed, against 

 the person or persons committing the same. 



LEFFINGWELL'S "WILD FOWL SHOOTING." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



For several consecutive years it has been our great enjoyment 

 to engage in wildfowl shooting in river and bay. and we have 

 never found other sport equal to it. We have tried our guns in 

 various States and along all the line of sea coast from Maine to 

 Corolina, and enjoyed our share of pastime, after deer, prairie 

 chicken, partridge, quail, squirrel, rabbit and woodcock, but have 

 never found any sport equal in interest and result to that of wild 

 fowl shooting. We have never yet met with any work descrip- 

 tive of such sports that entirely satisfied us, until now we have 

 before us Leffingwell's superb work on fowling. In it he gives in 

 vivid and graphic style his experiences in shooting all sorts of 

 wildfowl; and so in musing over his descriptions we can live 

 over again and enjoy the pleasures and successes of many past 

 years. 



This is a work not only interesting to brother sportsmen, but 

 also to the general reader, and his amusing and picturesque chap- 

 ters on "Sculling for Fowl," "Shooting Mallards in a Storm," 

 "Out for a Lark," "In the Marshes," "A Morning With Nature" 

 and "Canada Goose Shooting 1 ' should be decided favorites with 

 most readers. The bookgivesseientifleand practical descriptions 

 of wildfowl, their resorts, habits and the mode of hunting them. 

 The work is indorsed by the Forest asd Stream and many other 

 leading publications and is certain to be the greatest authority in 

 all matters of fowl shooting. Isaac McLelland. 



Greenport, Long Island. 



Forest and Stream. Box 2,832, N. Y. city, has descriptive illus- 

 trated circulars of W. B. Leffingweirs book, "Wild Fowl Shoot- 

 ing," which will he mailed free on request. This book is pro- 

 nounced by "Nanit," "Gloan," "Dick Swiveller," "Sybillene" and 

 other competent authorities to be the best treatise on the subject 

 extant. 



