166 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 19, 1S89, 



BOSTON AND MAINE. 



THE open season on partridge began in Maine, New 

 Hampshire and Vermont, on Sept 1, but thus far 

 tbe shooting has been very poor. Monday, Labor Day, 

 was a legal holiday in Massachusetts, and many mer- 

 chants and gunners took the trains on Saturday evening 

 previous for a day's shooting. Indeed it is seldom that 

 more shooters from Boston go into the country in one 

 day, but the score of birds was as small as the number of 

 gunners was large. E. M. Gillam, of the Boston Adver- 

 tiser, with a friend from the Chamber of Commerce, 

 went to Franklin. New Hampshire for a day's grouse 

 shooting. Mr. Gillatn's dogs had been put into excellent 

 trim for this occasion. They had been exercised in the 

 field and in the brush almost daily, as early recommended 

 in the Forest and Stream. The dogs did excellent work, 

 but the birds were very scarce, and the entire score was 

 about one partridge. O. M. Smith, of the hrm of Smith 

 & Blanchard, lumber, hired an expert and took his new 

 dog into the brush, with a result of no birds at all. The 

 expert, who guns the most of the time during the open 

 season, says that there are partridges enough, but that 

 they are still in the swamps and the thickets, where it is 

 impossible to find them. In Maine the open season was 

 duly installed by the most of the boys "going a gun- 

 ning," but with very poor results. Boston shooters, who 

 went to that State for the day, also came back with very 

 few birds — in many cases none at all. In one case in 

 Oxford county, in a section about 14 miles from Lewiston, 

 four boys, experts after partridges, were out all day, 

 without getting a bird and seeing but one or two. One 

 of these boys, who has been on the same farm for several 

 years, and much interested in the subject, says that he 

 has never known the partridges so scarce. Where he has 

 usually had several flocks mapped out, ready for the 

 opening day of the season, he does not know of a flock 

 this year. From Lewiston and Portland the gunners have 

 been out, but the scores are very poor, so far as I have 

 been able to learn. The cause of the scarcity is laid to 

 the heavy rains at the time when the chicks were small, 

 followed by the superabundance of rainy weather, 

 which lasted nearly all summer. It is suggested by those 

 who ought to be well posted on the subject that the scarc- 

 ity of grouse is probably confined to a district included 

 within a line running with the seacoast and not more 

 than 50 or 75 miles from the ocean; that the great volume 

 of rain was within this area, or next to the seashore, and 

 that beyond this area the weather has been more dry, and 

 that the grouse are more plenty. Perhaps this is true. 

 Thus far I have no direct proofs to the contrary, and 

 perhaps in the deep forests of Maine there are at least the 

 usual number of grouse. Berries of all kinds have been 

 plenty in the woods of Maine, and this is a condition favor- 

 able to the growth and condition of the ruffed grouse. 



But to turn from the scarcity of ruffed grouse in Maine, 

 we will find a more pleasing theme in the remarkable 

 abundance of deer in that State. I saw a gentleman 

 from Hebron, Me., the other uay, and he tells a curious 

 deer story. In the first place, Hebron is an old town, the 

 seat of an institution of learning, thirteen miles from the 

 city of Lewiston, and Avhere the inhabitants know about 

 as much about the hunting of deer and their habits as 

 they do about whales in the Pacific; indeed, a wild deer 

 was never seen there till this summer, or at least since 

 the days of the Red Men. Still, there is a good deal of 

 rock and mountain and woods in the town, and of late 

 years some of the worn out farms have grown up to 

 woods. Well, a couple of deer came into a field of oats 

 on a farm there and were, seen several times. The farm- 

 ers were aware that it was unlawful to shoot them till 

 after Oct. 1, but one of them happened to hit upon the 

 idea of throwing a lasso over the head of one or both of 

 them. In good earnest he stirred about among his neigh- 

 bors to get them to help drive the deer into a corner 

 somewhere, and he would lasso the creatures. "I can 

 do it," he said. He had had some experience on the 

 plains at ranching and "rounding up" cattle, and though 

 the ground was too rough where the deer were last seen 

 and the thickets too dense to ride a horse, he somehow 

 conceived the notion that he could stalk up to the deer 

 and catch them with the rope. Some of the boys in the 

 neighborhood rather believed in the idea, or at least they 

 were willing to have the fun of seeing him try. So they 

 were williing, at a given signal from the huntsman that 

 the deer were again in the oats, to rush to certain posi- 

 tions and assist in the fun. They were to come together 

 at a certain point in the woods, and the lassoist fully ex- 

 pected that the deer would be surrounded like a flock of 

 frightened sheep. The signal came one morning, and 

 there was a grand rush of the boys and a man with a 

 coil of long rope, with a running noose at the end. Each 

 rushed toward the point where the surrounding was to 

 begin. The woods are very thick, indeed— low spruces and 

 ground hemlocks — so thick that the cattle have paths 

 beneath the lirubs where it is almost impossible to find 

 them. The hunters drew together. There was rustling 

 heard by one of the boys, and he gave the signal— three 

 whistles— to his companions and the man Avith the 

 lariat. The deer were in the thicket for sure. They 

 surrounded the point and gradually drew up to the 

 thicket. The man with the long halter was ready. There 

 was a rustling, then a pretty little -red head, with mild, 

 soft e3'es, peered through the brush. The rope sung in 

 the air. The aim of the lariat was sure. The noose fell 

 dextrously over the nose of one of Deacon D.'s heifers. 

 Those boys are not hunting for deer now, and that man 

 with the lariat does not want the story to get out. The 

 deer — I see some hunters smile. Ask Dr. Caton where 

 they were. 



But to go back to the number of deer in Maine, the in- 

 crease has been more remarkable than ever this year, and 

 the promises for sport this fall are excellent. In the 

 town of Rumford. on the Androscoggin, where a deer 

 was never seen till this year, one farmer complains that 

 a field of grain has been nearly destroyed by them. He 

 lay in wait one night, and a doe with two pretty fawns 

 came into the oat patch and helped themselves to the 

 fresh heads of grain. From all sections of the State come 

 reports of the abundance of deer. The prevention of 

 hounding and the maintenance of a close season has 

 resulted in a wonderful increase, and yet the cry is a 

 bitter one. from some hunters, that they are not allowed 

 to hunt deer with dogs in Maine. 



R. D. Richardson, of Richardson & Co., has returned 

 from his fishing trip to the north shores of Lake Supe- 

 rior. The Forest and Stream recently had an account 

 of his departure, together with his brother and friends, 



on the steam yacht of the firm. The sail along the north 

 shores of the lake was worth the whole trip, while tbe 

 lake happened to be calm most of the time. They 

 visited a new spot, instead of going directly to Jackfish 

 Bay. as at first intended, The fact of the matter is, they 

 desire to explore this north region, as much as to fish, 

 and they feel repaid for their trouble. They visited the 

 mouth of another stream or small river, and found the 

 fishing all that could be asked for. The trout were large, 

 running from 2 to 3 and up to 41bs. They could catch 

 them almost any time and all they wanted. Mr. Rich- 

 ardson is of the opinion that almost any of the streams 

 emptying into the lake on the north shore are well stocked 

 with trout. This is the story of the Indians and half- 

 breeds. There were no mosquitoes and flies this year. 

 The theory of the party is that these pests are done by 

 the first of August, or at least by the middle of the month, 

 the same as in the North Woods of Maine. Mr. Richard- 

 son is still very enthusiastic concerning a trip through 

 from the north shore of Lake Superior to Hudson's Bay. 

 Ho says that the Indians and half breeds frequently make 

 the trip. His idea is to take tents and guides and be about 

 fifteen days on the way, following up the rivers from the 

 lake to the head of the watershed; then down some stream 

 to Hudson's Bay. He thinks that the trout region of the 

 world is up in that almost unexplored wilderness. The 

 party hope to make the trip next year. 



Mr. H. S. Kempton, of the Boston Herald editorial 

 staff, has shot his deer this fall. He was at the Adiron- 

 dacks on the first night of the open season. His guide 

 paddled him up to a deer, no part of which Mr. Kemp- 

 ton could see, except the eyes, at which he aimed, with 

 the result of killing a fine doe, weighing lSOIbs. Since 

 this adventure he has been quite a lion with the news- 

 paper men, among whom he was al ways popular. 



Mr. Nat. Manson, of Bellows & Manson, has just re- 

 turned from his two weeks' vacation at Camp Stewart, 

 Richardson Lake, Me. Mr. Manson was accompanied by 

 his friend Binner, of Cambridge. They had a splendid 

 time, with fishing good, but partridges very scarce in- 

 deed. They got only one bird on the whole trip, the only 

 one they saw, in fact. As near as Mr. Manson can learn , 

 it is a poor year for grouse in Maine. They went one 

 day up the Mooselucmaguntic. and up the Cupsuptic, to 

 Soule's camps, and the celebrated Houghton & Dutton 

 camps. He describes the camps as all heart could wish 

 in the way of camps, but the little steam launch that 

 plies up and down the lakes carries a small electric 

 dynamo, and at night she is beached and her power util- 

 ized to produce incandescent electric lights in the eanips. 

 Alas! The days of true hunting and fishing are done. 

 Electric lights at Cupsuptic! Give us the old lean-to and 

 the fire of pine knots. Mr. Manson reports the deer 

 plenty, but the Commissioners are trying to protect them 

 till the open season, and thus far they have succeeded. 

 Or at least open violations of the law are not as com mon 

 as last year, for the reason that a warden is thought to 

 have been on the watch. In one case a splendid jack 

 light, made in Boston, was taken up to one of the lakes 

 in August, but the story that a warden was watching 

 every new comer prevented the light from being used. 



Late reports say that fly-fishing is still good at Moose- 

 head, and a party from Cambridge left for that region 

 on Monday. G. H. Smith, of Smith & Blanchard. with 

 Mrs. Smith, starts on Wednesday for a three -weeks' out- 

 ing at Camp Stewart, Richardson Lake. He will be fol- 

 lowed on the 25th by Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Johnson and 

 Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Moody. Mr. Bayard Thayer, of 

 Boston, with party are already at the Birch Lodge, on 

 the same lake, which property the Thayers have re- 

 cently purchased. Special. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST, 



C CHICAGO, Sept. 9.— Mr. Alex. T. Loyd and Mr. Reu- 

 I ben Donnelly have their plans all made, and will 

 probably start in a day or so for a few weeks' chicken 

 shooting in Iowa. They go to Hartley, in O'Brien county, 

 where they last year had excellent sport. They know a, 

 neighborhood where they "stand solid" with the men. 

 They will get plenty of birds beyond doubt. As I have 

 before remarked, northwestern Iowa is a good place for a 

 fall trip after prairie chickens. 



There is a blackbird roost at Washington, 111., of such 

 gigantic proportions that the mayor of the town has 

 issued orders for the destruction of the birds. Thousands 

 of the birds are kiUed each evening, it is said, but as yet 

 the numbers are not very perceptibly lessened. \t is 

 probably a preliminary banding for the southern migra- 

 tion. 



I offer the following from the Milwaukee Sentinel as 

 news regarding one of the most important of our West- 

 ern shooting marshes, known generally as the " Horicon 

 Marsh," of Wisconsin: "In September. 1830, the Hon. 

 Satterlee Clark visited an Indian village on the bank of 

 Rock River, where Horicon is now situated. The Indians 

 obtained a living by hunting and fishing on and near the 

 stream which was then, as it is now, a small river formed 

 by two branches, one rising in the northeast and the other 

 in the northwest of Dodge county, and uniting about four 

 miles above the village, after having broken through the 

 hills which bounded the east and west sides of the marshy 

 lands through which the tributaries of the Rock River 

 flowed, alternately widening into small lakes or ponds, 

 from which there would be several outlets, as there is 

 now, finally joining into one again. Throughout the marsh 

 wild rice abounded, and wildfowl made it a breeding 

 ground. 



" Martin Rich, in 1846, built a dam across the river 

 where the short bridge is at present and obtained a splen- 

 did water power, which was used to run sawmills, grist- 

 mills and other manufacturing industries. It took the 

 water two years to overflow the marsh, as it spread out 

 over an area of sixty-four square miles, being sixteen 

 miles long and four miles wide, making <.he largest arti- 

 ficial lake in the world, with an average depth of six 

 feet. When the bog or marshy land was overflowed, it 

 raised from off its clay bottom and floated wherever the 

 wind chanced to blow it, of ttimes drifting to the dam and 

 clogging up the flume and water-wheels so as to stop all 

 motion of the machinery until cleared. 



"Fish abounded also at this time, and hundreds of 

 wagon-loads of bullheads were drawn by the farmers to 

 their lands to be used as a fertilizer. 



"Mr. Hodge continually fought the parties interested 

 in the dam through the courts until they were tired of 

 defending themselves, They then formed a company 



called the Horicon Mechanics, and by a bill passed in the 

 Legislature purchased this land from the State for about 



5 cents per acre. After the dam was removed, thus 

 destroying one of the best water powers in the Northern 

 States, what remained of the bog resumed its former 

 position. The grand old lake was a thing of the vast, 

 and in its place was left one of the finest hunting grounds 

 east of the Mississippi River. 



"The marsh comprises about 30,000 acres of land, 24,- 

 000 of which were entered by the above named company. 

 In March, 1883. the "Mechanics" leased 10,000 acres of 

 the marsh to the Diana and Horicon Shooting clubs for a 

 period of twenty-five years. These clubs are composed 

 of sportsmen anxious for sport, and who shoot for no 

 other purpose. 



"The remaining land was rented to Scanlyn, Shepard 



6 Co., who for the last three vears have cut hay from it. 

 In 1887 they shipped 300 carloads of hay from Burnett 

 station. This year plans are on foot to drain the marsh 

 by ditching it, and surveyors have been here taking 

 levels. Hustisford dam will have to be removed before 

 it can be successfully accomplished. A scheme is also 

 afloat to induce the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- 

 road Company to lay a track for three or four miles on 

 the marsh from Burnett station, so the cars may be 

 loaded on the marsh, thus saving a good deal of expense. 

 Men have been seut to look into the matter by the rail- 

 road company, who have no doubt made a report by this 

 time. Every spring the marsh is again overflowed by. 

 the freshets, and for a few weeks there is a lake, but it 

 soon subsides, and by fall the hunters drive nearly all 

 over the marsh." 



Sept. ]$.— There have been several parties from this? 

 city who have been out in Iowa after prairie chickens. 

 They report dry weather and poor luck. A Mr. Babeuf 

 and two friends claim to have huuted pretty much all 

 over Iowa, and their best day was forty-two birds to the 

 party. Mr. W. L. Shepird is also back from northwest- 

 ern Iowa, with a very poor account of the shooting. He 

 says the water was so scarce they could hardly work the 

 dogs. The dry weather doubtless makes it difficult to 

 hunt, but it is probably true that some shooting m Iowa 

 can be found if looked for in the right place. Of one 

 thing a visitor may be sure; he will need get into some 

 settlement at least thirty miles away from the railroad', 

 and if t-uch settlement should be one of foreigners, who 

 do not shoot very much, his chances will be all the better. 



Mr. George Marshall, of Grand Calumet Heights Club r 

 tells me he last week killed about one hundred jacksnipe 

 within a mile or so of his home at Englewood, five or six 

 miles out on the Rock Island road. There is a long, 

 marsh t hat begins near State street there and runs around 

 to Auburn Park, forming the park lake in that prettv 

 little suburb. There were large numbers of snipe in here, 

 and Mr, George D. Hunter, of the latter place, tells roe 

 the duck shooting was fine there a little while ago. He 

 killed thirteen ducks in an hour or so one morning. This 

 is a rather singular state of affairs, I should say, in view 

 of the fact that all this is withiu the city limits and only 

 a few miles from the heart of the city. The marsh winds: 

 around through a sectiou which is all built up with sub- 

 stantial and tasteful homes. The building of Chicago in 

 the middle of this big duck country spoiled a lot of 

 mighty good duck shooting points. 



Mr. Al. Bandle, of Cincinnati— I presume it isn't 

 necessary to explain who he is — has just passed through 

 here on his way home from his fishing trip in Wisconsin 

 and Michigan. His exploit with the deer shall be kept 

 secret, according to his wish, but he should bear in mindi 

 that no news of that kind is getting away. Mr. Bandle 

 is looking well, and the boys who go down to his tour- 

 nament on the 24th will do well to remember Mr. 

 Weller's advice about "vidders," and "bevare." 



I presume it may be generally known by this time that 

 the Gogebic stage robber and late murderer has been 

 captured. He came out of the woods to the town of 

 Republic, Mich,, and slept over night in a hotel. His 

 boldness cost him his freedom. In the morning he was 

 surprised and captured. Had he stuck to the woods he 

 could never have been caught. The pursuing parties 

 had given up the chase, and the "bloodhounds" were 

 taken home. 



Small bags of ducks are being made, in a leisurely 

 way, by ntunbers.of our shooters. They are mostly wood- 

 ducks and teal. The snipe are not now quite so abundant 

 near the city, as the water of the late rains has dried off 

 a little. A few days ago I got about a dozen snipe over 

 on the Sag, but there were very few buds in. There ai*e 

 thousands of snipe on Mak-saw-ba grounds, but the 

 water is rather high there, and it is hard to walk for 

 them. E. Hough. 



PENNSYLVANIA GAME GALORE., 



f~ 1LEARFIELD, Pa., Sept. 15.— The season for blaok- 

 \J and gray squirrels in Pennsylvania opened Sept. 1. 

 Reports had come in that the squirrels in this county were 

 more numerous than usual, but the half had not been 

 told. For two weeks everybody that pretends to shoot 

 has been killing them by the dozen, both blacks and 

 grays, and still they are here. I have been out three dif- 

 ferent evenings and scarcely outside of town I have 

 killed 15 of the finest kind. The red squirrel or "piney" 

 is here by the hundreds and is only shot when other 

 squirrels can't be found. Saucy and impudent and des- 

 tructive, he has almost taken possession of the farmers" 

 cornfields, and is doing his best to drive out his bigger 

 and better cousins the blacks and grays. Some time ago 

 a white squirrel was captured near town and has become 

 quite a pet. Grouse seem to be on hand ready for Oct. 1, 

 and from the numbers seen last week fair bags are 

 promised. Bears and bear signs are reported more nu- 

 merous than for a number of years, and from the deer 

 and deer signs reported by huckleberriers, the coming 

 fall promises some rare sport out about our old cabin. I 

 have sold both my guns and have ordered a new one and 

 want to break it in in time for the fray. I will keep the 

 two old buck heads that hang in my* hall to remind me 

 of the faithfulness of my old Plainsman, and while I 

 part with it with regret I must keep up with the times 

 and get a better one. I still enjoy the Forest and 

 Stream. ' Frank T. Harris. 



Snipe Shooting on the Long Island meadows has been 

 capital the past week. The tremendous storm which 

 flooded the meadows brought along the biggest flight 

 known in years, and great scm-ee have been made, 



