106 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



bring big packs of hounds in and run the deer all out of 

 the country. The righteous native summer pot-hunter 

 rebels at this. One frank apostle of the native creed ad- 

 mitted to me that he had in Michigan taken pay as a 

 guide in putting out the h mnds, and afterward sold the 

 scalps of hounds he had killed for that same party on the 

 hunt. North wood's morals are touehingly fine and 

 elevated ! It is hard to say that all loose hounds should be 

 kilted, but it is easy enough to see that all hounds should 

 be kept out of thatcountiy. It may as well be definitely 

 announced that hounding will not be permitted on Gay- 

 lord Club territory, and any violator of this law will be 

 hunted for until caught and punished to the full limit. 

 Mr. Gay lord is a man not disposed to be quarrelsome, but 

 he says be is not spending money up there to be fooled 

 with: his determination is sufficient to make him fear- 

 less in enforcing the rights of the club. 



The beneficial results of a little honest work of this 

 kind will soon be apparent. Stock in a well-conducted 

 club like this will be worth more and more as the years 

 go by. To some extent these club preserves solve the 

 question of game and fish protection, and as such factors 

 they certainly deserve the interest of all sportsmen. I 

 have, in an earlier article or two, shown just how much 

 the law is respected in that country, and to just what 

 extent local protection is carried by the law and its 

 wardens in adjacent territory not thus preserved by a 

 club. The only just verdict is that the game law is 

 worthless as now applied in that region, I will cite one 

 instance as foundation of the belief that the law will be 

 enforced on Gaylord Club territory: On the last night 

 of my stay we noticed a light moving around the lake 

 shore near the outlet. At once the club keeper, Mr. 

 Thompson, was sent out, and quietly paddling up dis- 

 covered the poacher to be a man from one of the tempor- 

 ary log camps near by. He was ordered off the lake at 

 once, and went. Had there been no Gaylord Club there, 

 some doe or half-grown fawn might have been killed 

 that night. Be sure, in any other place in that big wil- 

 derness, the illegal hunter might have run his jacklight 

 undisturbed. I do not believe the wardens are efficient 

 in very many instances. 



I had a smart Aleck of a young Chicago fellow boast 

 to me the other day that he and bis party always killed 

 plenty of deer on their summer trips into Wisconsin, and 

 that the game waiden of Elk Eiver district had on one 

 occasion gone out deer hunting with them in the summer 

 time, la>t year. Neither native, nor Indian, nor city 

 smart Aleck will be allowed to break the law on the 

 Gaylord Club grounds. Mr. Gaylord does not boast of 

 the plentifulness of game and fish on the club property. 

 To the contrary, he says that the country has been nearly 

 ruined for sport; but be also says that in five years it 

 shall tell a different story, and this beyond doubtis true. 

 His ideas are moderate and intelligent, axd all he depre- 

 cates is the complaint of members who may come up ex- 

 pecting to catch a basket of trout in an hour, or to kib a 

 deer every time they go out. That is not to be wished or 

 expected. If members would see that most nearly approx- 

 imated, they will do well to keep Mr. Gaylord t ight where 

 he is, for he is unquestionably on the right track, and he 

 has got sense ahd sand. E. Hougf. 

 [TO BECONOLTJDED.] 



FIELDS TO BE HARVESTED. 



JAYTON, Kent County, Texas. Aug. 14.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: Through the warm summer days of 

 the past weeks work of nearly all kinds has ceased. The 

 mornings and late afternoons are pleasant while a good 

 breeze prevents the heat being oppressive at any time. It 

 seems to be a waste of nature tnat this country, which 

 would afford such fine and profitable sport to so many of 

 the denizens of the cities, is so far from them. The 

 prairies here teem with plover, doves, Bob White and the 

 crested quail, to say nothing of rabbits and jack rabbits. 

 The inhabitants of this country need no outings, their 

 every day life being spent in riding and looking after 

 half-wild stock, which are never fed. The small game 

 above mentioned is never hunted or shot at; becoming so 

 used to the stock passing about, they have little or no fear 

 of man. The jack rabbit, a hare approaching the size of 

 a fox, is very fleet, never going to any shelter when pur- 

 sued, but keeping on the prairie and depending on its 

 fleetness of foot to escape, which it generally does. 

 Large, strong and properly trained greyhounds can take 

 them. The chase is rare sport, but nothing of the kind 

 has occurred here for years. A neighboring ranchman 

 who had a truck patch too much infested went gunning 

 one afternoon recently and with a .22cal. rifle killed 47 

 out of 55 shots. They weigh 7 to 121bs. each. (No other 

 instance of shooting them has come to the knowledge of 

 the writer.) In riding a little over one mile yesterday 

 evening I counted 19 by the roadside. 



Tracks of bears, panthers and the large gray wolves 

 are very ferocious and live upon cattle and colts which 

 they kill. If there is any place on earth where hunters 

 or sportsmen would be welcome it is here, particularly' if 

 they were equipped to hunt the fiercer kinds. Foxes and 

 catamounts are quite common, but the coyote or prairie 

 wolf is the most common and most universally hated on 

 account of his cowardly, sneaking, thieving propensities. 



Stockman. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I noi ice with regret that some of the able sportsmen of 

 our big State are quite content seemingly to have her lie 

 in oblivion as far as making any representation of game 

 is concerned. To many Northern and Eastern sportsmen 

 it may be news to hear that the very best quail shooting in 

 the Union is to be had in Texas. When I say best 1 do so 

 advisedly, as there are more birds than I have ever seen 

 anywhere else, and but little or nothing to bother the 

 dogs, such as burrs, etc. There is plenty of water with 

 lots of shade, and if a man gets tired of killing quail 

 there is a large variety of other game, such as deer, bear, 

 turkey, antelope, and ducks and geese by the million. 

 Another advantage this country has over others is the 

 nice, soft bottom for dogs' feet; the dogs will go for 

 weeks in the soft mesqaite grass without being footsore. 

 The only drawback, if it can be called so, is the mild 

 weather. Upland plover are giving us pretty good sport 

 just now, and are in great numbers on the prairie. The 

 young quail are well grown, and judging from the num- 

 bers close to town the outlook for a good fall's shooting 

 is grand. The best time to come here for a shoot is about 

 Nov. 1, wben the weather is cool enough for the game 

 to keep. Cottontail 



Dallas, Texas, Aug. 21. 



WORCESTER'S OPENING DAY. 



WORCESTER, Mass., Aug. 26.— As the open season 

 on partridge, and woodcock draws near, and re- 

 ports of plenty of birds are heard, bird hunters begin to 

 make up their parlies for opening day. 



As Monday, Sept. 2, the opening day this year, comes 

 on Labor Day, the number of hunters out will probably 

 be large. 



Worcester sportsmen usually hunt in pairs, and the 

 season is usually spent with the same partner year 

 after year. It is a little early yet for the final arrange- 

 ments to be made, but the following partners have been 

 selected: "Lisha" Knowles and Uncle Nathan Harring- 

 ton, who, with their famous opening day lunch (including 

 home made apple pie, carroway seed cookies, bottled 

 cider and cigars), have hunted opening day together for 

 years, take with them Congressman Walker and his son, 

 who could scarcely have fallen into better hands. E. F. 

 Swan and Austin Warren, the only pair who hunted 

 through the rain a year ago, will try it again. They 

 know where there are a lot of them, too, "by Jinks." 

 L. E. Divol goes to Lancaster to bunt with Geo. Samp- 

 som. G. J. Rugg and Robt. Mason will endeavor to 

 duplicate their usual large opening day bag. E. T. 

 Whitaker and Harry Morse will hunt together. Dr. 

 Harris and Col. Dreniian go down to the cape after shore 

 birds instead of trying the covers about here. E. T. 

 Smith goes to Alilford to hunt with Charlie Howe, and if 

 Milford birds don't get a hustling for an opener then 1 

 am no prophet. Two better bird shots can't be found. 



Less illegal shooting is reported this year than usual, 

 and the present week, the last of the close season, during 

 which most of the illegal shooting is done, will probably 

 not be a very profitable one for violators of the game 

 laws. 



The Worcester Sportsmen's Club has shown more than 

 the usual amount of interest in the matter, and last week 

 arranged with one of the keenest and most resolute detec- 

 tives in the State to look after the early shooters. He is 

 thoroughly acquainted with every mile of country about 

 here, kno > s where illegal shooting is likely to be done, 

 and when he goes after a man he usually gets him. We 

 look for one or two examples this week, but hope they 

 will not be necessary. 



The club has also published in all the local papers the 

 following notice, and any one who gets into trouble inu&t 

 do so wantonly and with his eyes open: 



"To Bird Hunters: The open season on partridge and 

 woodcock begins Sept. 1, and uuti. that time it is ex- 

 pected that all who respect the law will hold up until it 

 is legal to shoot game. A reward of $10 will be paid by 

 the Worcester Sportsmen's Club for information that will 

 lead to the arrest and conviction of any one violating the 

 law. We are willing to wait. If you don't, look out for 

 trouble.— G. J. Rugg, Pres. ; A. B. F. Kinney, 1st Vice- 

 Pres.; E. S. Knowles, 2d Vice-Pres.; M. D. Gilman, Treas. ; 

 E. F. Swan, Sec; V. F. Prentice, C. H. Morse, W. R. 

 Dean, E. T. Smith, Executive Committee." 



They mean business, too, and have the cooperation of 

 about all the farmers in this vicinity, who are as anxious 

 for the enforcement of the game laws as sportsmen. 



Hal. 



SMALL-CALIBER RIFLES. 



Editor Forest avid Stream: 



Much has been said about a new size of small-bore rifle, 

 .25 and ,27cal. being mentioned. I do not like the ,25 

 for several reasons: It is too near the .22 for much 

 greater killing po wer and it cannot be made from a .22 

 as well as can a ,27. If the idea is to get a new size as 

 near the .22 as possible the .25 is all right, but if greater 

 killing power is wanted and the .32 is too large, why not 

 split the difference and mnke a .27? No trouble would 

 then be expt-rienced by any rifle manufacturer :n cutting 

 the many rusty .22s out to the new .27. I prophesy that 

 for some time after the new size is out a great many 

 more .22s will be rebored for the new size than new guns 

 will be sold, and consequently let us have a size that 

 makes it possible to produce a perfect barrel from a ru ty 

 .22. W. W. L. 



Medfobd, Wisconsin. 



A Novel Refrigerator.— Chicago, HI., Aug, 19,— A 

 young friend of mine, who has for several years each 

 summer gone with his father cn a camping trip on the 

 south shore of Lake Superior, tells me of a novel expedi- 

 ent they often employed for preserving their venison in 

 warm weather. In that country some of the streams are 

 flanked by long rows of sandhills, whose composition is 

 so loose that they shift about continually under a wind 

 of any force. In the winter time the high winds often 

 blow the sand over the great snow banks which lie upon 

 the north side of the sand dunes, covering up the snow 

 to a depth of several feet. The snow is thus kept un 

 melted, and even in the middle of summer one can dig 

 down through the sand to it and find the best imaginable 

 sort of a natural refrigerator. In this way, sdd my 

 young friend, they buried their deer and trout, and 

 found them kept entirely fresh so long as they cared to 

 leave them. This is certainly a new instance of nature's 

 bountifulress with the sportsman. I wonder if my in- 

 nocent informant knew that he had wronged kindly 

 nature in killing during the smnmer season the deer they 

 buried in the snow? It would be better to bury just the 

 trout next time. Trout and deer do not go together. — 

 E. Hough. 



Idaho Game.— Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Aug. 20. — I am 

 told that game in this and adjoining counties is very 

 plentiful. Owing to the very extensive forest fires which 

 are raging hereabouts, hunting is considered to be more 

 practicable than it usually is at the commencement of 

 the season, deer having remained in the bottoms and 

 being greatly confined in range. Good hunters and fair 

 shots give stalking up in disgust at the expiration of a 

 week of hardest work without coming to shot, and either 

 leave or hound. What deer are killea hereabouts with 

 the exception of an occasional one by a fishing party or 

 roving Indian are killed before the hounds. Of aJl deer 

 killed by hounding parties I have to see the first one 

 offered for sale or shipped. Grouse and pheasants having 

 wintered well and being but little disturbed at any time, 

 will offer good sport.— Muse. 



Rail and Reed Bird Shooting will be in order next 

 Monday in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn- 

 sylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia, 



Manitoba Protective Association.— The Manitoba' 

 Game and Fish Protective Association's headquarters are 

 at Winnipeg; Colin In kster, President; Chas. A. Boxer,! 

 Secretary -Treasurer. Per-ons learning of cases of in- 

 fraction of the game or fish laws a^e requested to im- 

 mediately communicate with the secretary- treasurer of 

 the Association, in order that proceedings may he in- 

 stituted. All information of this nature will be treated 

 as strictly confidential, and the names of the pesmsi 

 furnishing it will not be divulged. Copies of the game 

 law and warning posters containing the principal pro- 

 visions of the law will be supplied free of charge on ap- 

 plication to the secretary treasurer of the Association. 1 

 Kor open seasons on game see head of this department. 



A West Virginia Resort.— Columbus, O., Aug. 28.— ' 

 In your issue of Aug. 15 E. R. L. asks where a partv of 

 three can go in Virginia, and find sport for a month with 

 turkey, deer, etc. Permit me to say in reply, that I' 

 know of my own knowledge Romney, West Virginia, to 

 be one of the best and rno.-t accessible points for such an 

 outing. Romney can be reached by the Baltimore and 1 

 Ohio R. R, A letter addressed to C.pt C. S. White. 

 State Fish Commissioner, Romney, W. Va., himself an' 

 ardent sportsman, will be pretty sure to elicit all the in- 

 formation desired. — M. P. P. 



The Field Plover have been exceedingly common in 

 the vicinity of Laurel, Maryland, flocks of from one-half 

 dozen to fifteen being found in the stubble fields. Con- 

 siderable destruction of young quail is reported by their 

 being cut to pieces by mowing and reaping machines. 



The Connecticut Association, at its annual meeting, 

 re-elected Mr. A. C. Collins president, and be well de- 

 served the. place for another year. 



"That reminds me." 

 376. 



SOME two years back there lived in this city an aged 

 woodsman, who had been given over in his boyhood: 

 days to the sports of gun and dog. One evening several 

 of his hunting friends were telling nbout the running 

 qualities of their dogs, and no doubt some rather careless I 

 iiandling of the truth was done lor his .-pecial benefit., 

 After each one had given an instance of the marvelous 

 staying qualities of a certain dog he used to own the ohL 

 fellow guve them the following: "Well, boys, some, of ! 

 you have had some pretty fair dogs, I admit, but before 

 this meeting bieaks up I must tell you of a dog I owned i 

 when I first came to northern Wise nsin in '72. He was 

 a handbome and intehigent creatuie, and had I think the 

 sweetest voice of any hound I have ever seen or heard. I 

 We started out one October morn im/, and before going far 

 Zeph was running a deer. After listening to him a ruin- 1 

 ute, I stared for a runway, where I knew they would go, 

 but they passed and were far away before I reached my j 

 stand. I waited round about for two or three hours, 

 when I heard Z^ph in the distance, coming closer and 

 closer, though not coming near enough for a shot. Then i 

 they made three nrnre rounds and I got a shot at the > 

 buck, while I noticed Zeph was gaming on Uim. The i 

 next time they got within heading I whistled and called 

 to the dog, but he did not or would not hear, and I 

 started for home expecting he would soon follow, but I 

 went to bed ramus my dog. Being a little anxious I was 

 out early next morning, but found no dog; and so I 

 started back to the woods. After reaching the spot 

 where I last saw Zeph 1 began looking around and call- 

 ing to him. Soon [heard the old familiar chorus Hear- 

 ing me, and sho> tly 1 saw the buck ahd Zeph running f or 

 all they were worth (though it was nut v^ry fast), withi 

 their tongues out, Zeph yelping as usual,' but he was 

 about three rods anead of the bucit!" W. W. L. 



277. 



The geese were coming in thick; there was no doubt 

 about that. Every morning and evening for a week or 

 ten days the sky r was filled with the peculiarly formed 

 flights, and the air was melodious with vigorous honks. 

 Now, one day of thi3 is usually enough to cause a long 

 ing for action, but let a spnrtsman stand a ten days' 

 siege, and only those who have experienced it can tell 

 what my feelings at that time were. But relief was at 

 hand. A friend proposed that we should drive out to the 

 farm of a mutual acquaintance and bag some geise. 

 '•Right you are, Van, I will be with you in a minute." I 

 got my gun, a couple of dozen shells, and was ready. 

 Upon reaching the sidewalk I found another gunner 

 added to the party, Mr. A. This was a welcome addi lion. 

 We climbed into the buckboard, the nondescript, by 

 courtesy called a horse, was, by a little persuasion, in- 

 duced to get into a cross between a trot and a canter, and 

 we slowly left Hastings behind. 



We arrived at the farm on time, tied the horse to a 

 haystack, took five tir geese decoys over on to the edge 

 of a cornfield, stuck them up, built up some hou-es out 

 of cornstalks, filled a pipe, and prepared for business. 

 Van was on my right, about 25yds. away, while Mr. A. 

 had gone to my left fully fifteen rods. The geese de- 

 coys were directly in front of me on some newly plowed 

 ground, and as it had been recently seeded it was "just 

 the spot." 



Van and I were talking, when he exclaimed, "Look 

 out, here they^come." And come they did, hundreds of 

 them, right over our heads, near enough to be touched 

 with a fish pole. I cocked both barrels, when a tearful 

 voice uprose from my left, "For the Lord's sake, don't 

 shoot, boys, until they come my way." It was A., who 

 was just out of gunshot. Van hurriedly whimpered. 

 "We'll give him a chance;" and we both lay still. 



The main flock passed over to the south; but fully one 

 hundred swung out over the decoys, and commenced to 

 slowly circle round them fully a dozen times. Van and 

 I could have knocked down a. dozen with our four shots, 

 but every time the flock would swing away from us, the 

 suprjlicating voice rose up, "Oh, boys, remember I'm 

 here. When they work down my way, we'll all get a 

 shot. Now, boys, don't shoot until I get a whack at 

 them," Van and I told him that we would not spoil his 



