Aug. 8, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



46 



maize field and takes himself again to the woodland and 

 thicket, which become his abode for the residue of the 

 season, shifting from low to high ground as the weather 

 changes. Toward the latter part of September and 

 October he will have become more shy and much wilder 

 than when found in the earlier part of the season. 



The young birds having attained their full growth in 

 size and strength, are with difficulty distinguished from 

 the old parent birds. All now rise strong on the wing 

 and take long flights, and for the most part will be found 

 in strong cover and more dense woods than heretofore: 

 and it requires more exertion and assiduity on the part of 

 the dogs to discover them. Nor will they be so tenacious 

 of lying in their feeding places or the immediate vicinity 

 of the ground: their attention being more directed to re- 

 treats of safety than contiguity to their food, they will be 

 found more dispersed over the various beats. 



Toward the latter part of October they will have be- 

 come very fat and plump, fully one-quarter heavier than 

 in either July or August. Should it now be unusually 

 dry for the 'season, you may look for them in strong 

 thickets which skirt swampy ground, and rough, uneven 

 places, rendered impervious by briers and the like. After 

 a heavy rain storm or a repetition of showers, the wood- 

 cock at this season takes to the high, dry woods, and if 

 any such have in the neighborhood strong and extensive 

 patches of blackberiy bushes, although in other respects 

 Bomewhac free from underbrush, you will there be sure 

 to find him. November having arrived, accompanied by 

 a bitter frost, the woodcock begins to think of winging 

 its way southward; his time of departure is expedited at 

 this period or retarded two or three weeks, depending on 

 the holding off or setting in of cold weather. 



i At about this date the birds are found in perfection, 

 and are very different from the meager fledglings of July 



1 or the moulted birds of August in gamy flavor and flesh. 



I To fall in with them at this period is highly gratifying to 

 a keen sportsman. What can exceed the rapture of de- 



| light of hearing one risft with its strong, loud, whizzing 

 noise, going off with the strong flight velocity of a ha wk? 

 Then to hit him full, and as he falls fully sixty yards 

 away, his bounding sound upon the ground tells surely he 

 is down. 



As the frost becomes more sensibly felt, he will resort 

 fto the springs for a week or ten days, but upon being 

 pinched rather too severely seeks more temperate quar- 

 ters for the winter, and by the last of nut-brown Novem- 

 ber or the first week in December scarcely a woodcook 

 remains north of the Potomac unless the season is like 

 [that of 1869-70, or that of 1887-88, and this of 1888-89. 



Canonictts. 



I North New York. 



SMALL-CALIBER RIFLES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I agree with the suggestion that the new rifle ought to 

 be of larger caliber than .25, say .27. In fact, I thought 

 of suggesting the same, but did not do so for fear that 

 if opinions were not unanimous nothing would come of 

 it. As to killing large game with the .22-caliber, I know 

 of more than one instance in which deer have been killed, 

 but they usually ran some distance; and much smaller 

 animals will often do the same, even escape when hard 

 hit. The cheapness of the .22-caliber ammunition is a 

 great argument in its favor, however. Aztec. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



For the benefit of those seeking a first-class .22cal. out- 

 fit for all purposes that they can possibly be used for, let 

 me say that if they would follow "Iron Ramrod's" sug- 

 gestion, which I have done, and procure a Maynard rifle, 

 sighted with Lyman's rear and front sights, using two 

 barrels, one barrel 24in. long, chambered for the ordinary 

 .22cal. short rim-fire cartridge, and one barrel 26in, long, 

 chambered for the Winchester center-fire 15-45 cartridge, 

 they will have the best, most convenient and most accu- 

 rate .22cal. outfit to be had. There are others, but they 

 do not combine with their other good qualities the con- 

 venient principle of using a number of different barrels 

 on the same stock. With my .22cal. barrel, using the 

 ordinary short rim-fire cartridge, I find it perfectly 

 accurate up to 100yds. or more, shooting remarkably 

 close and hard, in one instance shooting it 200yds. and 

 penetrating a lin. pine plank, not the soft northern white 

 pine, but the hard yellow pine of the South. 



The .22cal. barrel using the Winchester center-fire 

 15-45 cartridge is the most remarkable shooting iron I 

 ,have ever seen or used for so small a caliber. I have 

 never used it on deer, but think that under favorable 

 circumstances by making two splits in the bullet down 

 to the shell, taking care not to destroy the shape of the 

 bullet, making the splits cross each other at right angles 

 in the center, it would do fine work. 



I intend trying this, and in the meantime would be 

 glad to hear through your columns of any one trying it, 

 also would beg "Iron Ramrod" to let us have some more 

 of his valuable information in reference to the .22cals. 



GrRBENvrtyt/E, Texas. TWENTY-Two. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



During the summer of 1888, while I was building a 

 house about 1^ miles down the Indian River, we saw a 

 deer in a small clearing. My companion, Mr. Arnell, 

 took his .22cal. short Stevens and when within 85 steps 

 dropped the deer so dead that it never even kicked. He 

 struck the neck bone about Sin. from the head. Soon 

 after, some boys hollered that there was a bear swimming 

 .across the river. We both ran, he for his gun and I for 

 a rowboat. When within about 60ft. of the bear, though 

 the waves were high, he told me to stop and soon after 

 crack went his gun; the bear made some flounces but 

 soon was in the boat. Since then I have bought me a 

 .22cal. repeating Winchester, and for daylight hunting 

 at not over 100yds. I ask but little odds. 



We go bear hunting here at night, with a bullseye 

 lantern on the head, or on a bright moonlight night 6n 

 the ocean beach where the turtles come out and lay their 

 eggs; the bears are very fond of turtle eggs and travel 

 the beach to get them. I was over there about four weeks 

 ago and came up to one that was eating eggs out of a 

 nest with his head down in the hole. I got up within 

 30ft., and as I had a shotgun for night hunting, I fired. 

 It surprised the bear, but off he ran, I after him and tried 

 to fhe the other barrel, but the old muzzleloader it would 

 not go off, as usual; so having a revolver I pulled that 

 and shot him three times while running down the beach 



in the sand about 100yds. ; then lie ran off into the thick 

 scrub; and as I was by myself with no light, and being a 

 little bashful, I came home after a light. I found him 

 about 50yds. in the scrub. While skinning him I found 

 my revolver bullets first under the hide as they had all 

 gone in the upper part of his shoulder; but the buckshot 

 struck him just behind the foreshoulder very low down. 

 I also found while skinning him eight to ten other buck- 

 shot and bullets. He was A-ery fat. It took three loads 

 of two strong men to carry his flesh a short distance; and 

 finer meat I never saw or tasted. 



For sport the Indian River county near here is second 

 to none I know of in the United States. There are bear, 

 deer, panther, wildcats, coons, possums, quail, turkeys, 

 ducks by the acre in the fall, and fish and oysters by the 

 mile square and of the very finest kind. The early fall 

 or late spring is the time to come here, or a good time 

 can be had at most any season. M, C. M. 



Orchid, Florida. 



RECESS-BORED SHOTGUNS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In the Forest and Stream for July 25 and Aug. 1 , are 

 the published results of a gun trial that you kindly had 

 made on your range. As the recess system of boring is 

 apparently but little understood in this country, perhaps 

 you will allow me a little space to describe its advantages. 

 It is not really a choke, but an enlargement of the barrel, 

 commencing about 2in. from the muzzle and extending 

 toward the breech for from 2 to lin., the last 2in. of the 

 barrel being practically of the same, diameter as that part 

 on the breech side of the recess; there is, therefore, no 

 obstruciton to the passage of a ball. Without reference 

 to the use of the latter, some English gun makers adopt 

 the recess method of boring in all their guns, and obtain 

 with it as close a shot pattern as with the more common 

 form of choke. It is much used by sportsmen for jungle 

 shooting in India where game can only be seen at close 

 range, at which the effect of a 12-gauge round ball is 

 found to be quite as deadly as that of a .45 or .50 express 

 bullet, 



Many know from experience that in thickly wooded 

 countries, as in some parts of the South and of the North- 

 west, such would be a most useful gun, as in collecting 

 birds or shooting grouse or ducks, one is always liable to 

 run across a bear or other large game, which is certainly 

 lost unless shot can quickly be changed for ball cart- 

 ridges. In watching at night over bait for a bear such a 

 gun is quite as deadly as a rifle and much more conven- 

 ient. The "Paradox" gun, made by Holland, is a suc- 

 cessful device for obtaining similar results, which, in 

 my opinion, is more than can be said of the various three- 

 barreled guns and inserted rifle tubes. The boring of my 

 gun was experimental, and had not been tested by the 

 gun maker. The shot patterns were, of course, very un- 

 satisfactory, but this may easily be remedied by deepen- 

 ing the recess, which at first was purposely made shallo w . 

 Targeting balls at 100yds. was an extreme test, and as 

 such the results were by no means bad. Sixty yards 

 may be considered as long range for accurate work from 

 such a gun, and at 40 or 50yds. I believe the results would 

 answer all reasonable expectations. Creasing instead of 

 crimping the shells would probably give better results, 

 and it should not be forgotten that only the usual round 

 shotgun fore sight was used, there being no rear sight on 

 the gun. The object of using type metal was to reduce 

 the weight of the ball as much as possible. That used 

 for the tests gave a ball weighing 524 grains, but another 

 lot gave balls averaging only 484 grains, an important 

 reduction of eighty grains, as compared with those cast 

 from pure lead. It may again be repeated that this 

 method of boring can be made to give a very clear pattern 

 with shot, and in addition permits the safe use of a round 

 ball with reasonable accuracy up to 50yds. It is not in- 

 tended as a substitute for a rifle for general hunting pur- 

 poses, but for the uses indicated above, and in its proper- 

 sphere is a very useful "all-around" gun. 

 Phit.a/detjPhia, Aug. 3. J- 0. Mkrriu., 



HOW TO TRAP OTTERS. 



A CORRESPONDENT writing from Louisa county, 

 Virginia, wishes to know how to trap otters. Pos- 

 sibly the subject may be of interest to others also. The 

 writer, having served an apprenticeship in trapping the 

 wild animals formerly found in the lake regions of Min- 

 nesota, Dakota and Iowa, respectfully offers a few sug- 

 gestions for the benefit of our Virginian friend, hoping 

 that they may call out from "J. Gr. R." and others a state- 

 ment of their methods, as the subject is of interest to 

 every old trapper, and few of us are too old to leam. 



Among my trapper friends the otter was regarded as a 

 much more difficult animal to trap than either the fox or 

 beaver. His habits are peculiar and his cunning a sur- 

 prise to many a young trapper. He will travel for miles 

 up and down streams or across country from one lake to 

 another with an interval commonly of several days be- 

 tween his journeys. The trapper, consequently, visits 

 his otter traps at intervals of three or four days. 



A narrow-necked peninsula in the bend of a creek or 

 river is almost certain to be crossed by the narrow path 

 of the otter, and a point of land extending out into a lake 

 is a favorite romping place. Where the slide of the otter 

 terminates at the edge of the water is the safest place for 

 the new beginner to set his trap, provided that the slide 

 shows that the animal always enters or leaves the water 

 at the same place. If the water is shallow at the bank 

 of the lake or stream the trail often spreads out on ap- 

 proaching the water, showing that the otter enters the 

 water at any one of half a dozen places. Such a spot is 

 to be avoided. 



Get a Newhouse trap, No. 3 in size, go to the spot, 

 either in a boat or by wading along in the edge of the 

 water from a point on shore three or four rods distant 

 from the otters trail, having the trap opened ready for 

 setting, and a strong stake well sharpened inserted in the 

 ring of the trap chain. Now we are ready to set the trap 

 without making any disturbance above water. Arrived 

 at the spot select the point where it appears that the otter 

 will step when next he comes that way, and in water 

 about six inches deep smooth the bottom to make a good 

 place for the trap ; place the trap so that the jaws will spread 

 out on each side of the otter's line of approach, extend 

 the chain full length up or down the stream, and, with a 

 hatchet brought for the purpose, drive the stake firmly 

 into the bottom with the top of the stake driven below 

 the surface of the water. 



Then if the top of the stake is bright in color like green 

 timber, gather some rnud from the bottom and smear 

 over it. Now gently sift some mud in the water above 

 the trap, until a very thin coat of soft mud hides airy 

 brightness of the trap from view. 



Wade back to where the stream was first entered, hav- 

 ing been careful not to touch the bank, and the trap is 

 set in the manner known as the "water set.'" Another 

 good water set may sometimes be obtained in the center 

 of the channel of a narrow stream, on shallow rapids. 

 Two things must be carefully noted here. First, that the 

 otter does not travel on the shore at this point, and sec- 

 ondly, that a point be selected for the trap where the 

 channel is narrow and the water shallow. 



Sometimes, however, open waters cannot be found, 

 and ice covers the suiface of both lake and stream. And 

 again, a good water set is sometimes impossible when 

 the otter does not enter the water in any particular 

 place, as for instance along shallow sloughs. Here the 

 "land set" must be used. This is much more difficult, 

 yet if done properly is much the better set of the two. 

 A careful study of one very peculiar habit of the otter 

 enables the trapper to outwit him, cunning as he is. At 

 some certain point on the otter's line of travel on the 

 land, and commonly near the tcp of a bank down which 

 he has a regular slide, is a spot selected by this strange 

 animal for voiding excrement. He will travel for long 

 distances to reach this spot rather than do so at any 

 other place. Sometimes it is depoi-ited all in one heap, 

 and sometimes scattered over a space a rod or so in diam- 

 eter. If it is not in one pile, the trapper, making as few 

 steps as possible, must gather the dried accumulations 

 and deposit them on the greatest heap already formed, 

 and having a perfectly clean trap ready (some trappers 

 prefer having the. trap well smoked with the smoke of 

 dried grass), together with the stake for fastening, pro- 

 ceed to dig a hole in the ground with the blade of the 

 hatchet, in front of the heap of excrement, and about a 

 foot distant from the edg^e of it, on the side next 

 the otter's trail, using the fingers as little as possible 

 to avoid leaving scent. Dig just deep and wide 

 enough to hold the trap, and use all possible skill in cov- 

 ering the trap, to have just as little matter covering it as 

 may be and have it well hidden, in order that the trap 

 jaws be not hindered from gripping firmly when sprung, 

 and to leave the general appearance of the ground the 

 same as before the trap was set. Be careful also to set 

 the trap so that the jaws lie open on each side of the 

 otter's line of approach. Now drive the stake below 

 the surface of the ground and cover it and the chain 

 carefully. 



The job is now complete, and the trapper— who of 

 course will have been careful not to blow his nose or spit 

 tobacco juice near the trap — walking carefully away, 

 and on afterward coming to visit it once in two or three 

 days will only approach near enough to see that the trap 

 is all right, stands a very good chance to make the ac- 

 quaintance of the sleek brown creature with the much 

 coveted overcoat, provided his work has been well done. 



The otter when next he comes to the spot, if the excre- 

 ment be piled in one heap and everything else apparently 

 undisturbed, will, almost inevitably, approach the heap 

 walking backward and dancing around until it would be 

 difficult to find room for a silver quarter between his 

 tracks. No fear of him getting loose if once well caught 

 and the trap hold. His foot is a mass of bones and sinews 

 as tough almost as wire, and impossible for him to gnaw 

 in two. The beaver with Ms chisel teeth will often cut 

 off a forefoot to free himself from the trap, but the otter 

 never. I never knew but one to get loose from a trap. 

 He was caught only by the little dew claw or fifth toe 

 on the side of the foot, and this held him all right and 

 until he had whipped two dogs in the morning, when it 

 pulled out of his foot, and in spite of the charge of 

 small shot sent after him the plucky animal escaped into 

 the lake, while a certain dejected trapper about my size, 

 stood on the. shore gulping down his disappointment as 

 he watched the circling waves that rose above the disap- 

 pearing otter. Orin Belknap. 



Thetts, Washington. 



Two Bears in One Day. — On June 12 I received a let- 

 ter from Emmett Harris, of No. 4, South Branch of 

 Beaver River, Herkimer county, N. Y., saying that on 

 May 13 "he caught a female bear in a trap, and while on 

 his way home from the trap he killed the largest male 

 bear he ever killed or ever saw; it weighed 300lbs. and 

 was twice as heavy as the female caught in the trap." 

 Two bear in one day is pretty good work for a man of 

 65 years. But Mr. Harris is an old hand at it, as the 

 many skulls of panthers, bears, wolves, beaver and other 

 animals that hang upon the rafters and roof poles of his 

 camp attest. I made the acquaintance of Mr. Harris 

 during a tramp through the Adirondacks from NoTth- 

 ville, Fulton county, to Lowville, Lewis county, last 

 September and October. Since then I have sent him (as 

 he states it) "a good deal of reading," among which were 

 a number of copies of Forest and Stream, and for 

 which he says "he does not know how he is ever to pay 

 me;"' but adds, "if I live and nothing happens I will send 

 you a deer head next fall to put up," and for the bal- 

 ance which he considers he is indebted to me, he invites 

 me to come about the middle of October and still-hunt 

 deer for a couple of weeks. All this I am offered (and I 

 have assured him I would like nothing better) for a few 

 copies of Forest and Stream. Verily, it is a valuable 

 paper.— J. L. Davison. 



North Carolina.— Rockingham, Aug. 1.— We have 

 had a very heavy rainfall for the last few weeks, and I 

 fear that the young birds — Perdrix virginianus — have 

 fared badly, especially in the lowlands. About July 1 

 the prospects for an abundant supply of Bob White in 

 most of the central coun lies of this State were excellent. 

 Where birds are generally plenty, I was told, there 

 seemed to be very few. Though not migratory, as are 

 the quails, ducks, snipe, etc., Bob White now and then 

 shifts his usual haunts and takes to the woods, or other 

 places where he escapes observation, returning to his 

 native fields later in the season. — Wells. 



Kansas. — Uniontown. — The quail -crop is short in 

 Bourbon county this season on account of heavy rains. 

 Prairie chickens are scarcer than ever known before. — 

 H. E. 



