Oct. 10, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



22B 



Hawk Migration.— London, Ont., Oct. 2.— On Friday, 

 Sept. 30, an immense flight of hawks passed south over 

 Port Sta nley. Elgin county, Ont. The flight continued all 

 day. Numbers flew quite low while the others circled 

 round as high as the eye could discern them. — R. G. M. 

 [Hawks have recently appeared in unusual numbers in 

 Connecticut; one town has paid out $49.25 hounty on 

 them at 25 cents per head.] 



Recent AuRrwAns at the Philadelphia Zoological Garden. 

 -Purchased— "Nine hedgc-noRS (Erinaceu.s ewrojpqus), fnTee Rich- 

 ardsonM spermopliiles (Spermopliiius riehardxuniU one collared 

 pee< ary (Dieotijles tarquatus), two cuckoos (Cuculus eanorum), one 

 hoopoe ( Upupa epops), two Siva inson's lorikeets (Trieotjlossus nom;- 

 mllantlioe), tnree ureat eagle owls (Ifidw ifHiamw), one wood owl 

 Kj/rrtfMCT aluco). two green lizards (Laexrla viridis), four basilisk 

 cbama?leons (ChamaHeon hasiliscmh one European glass pnake 

 (Pseudop us pcdlasii), two common European snakes (TropidanoLvs 

 \tiatrix), one iEsculapian snake (Coluber cv.sculapli), one four-rayed 

 snake (Elaphis tjuaterradieittis), six ring-necked snakes (DiadophLs 

 ■punctatus), three uog-nostd snakes (Hctcradon platyrhinus), two 

 wafer snakes (TtopMonottiS sipedon), oue ("yclop's water snake 

 {Tropidonotus cycilopcum)* one green snake (Cyelophis icstivus), one 

 Osceola's snake (Osecola dapK'oicLed), one water moccasin (Ancistro- 

 tdon piscivarus), one coach-whip snake (liascanium HageUiforme), 

 eijilu common iguanas (Iyumut tithcrcvlata), one royal python 

 APython regius), three handed rattlesnakes (Orotcdus horridus), 

 twenty-seven spotted salamanders (Salamander maculosa), eleven 

 r'spotted salamanders (Dicmuctyltts niiuiatus) and six black sala- 

 aaandois (Desmuanothus nigrr). Presented— One gray fox (Canis 

 rirjinnttins), two raccoons (Procyon totnr), two great hlue herons 

 XArdea nerollias), one night heron [NyotteorttX grise,us ntvviws), one 

 common hiitern (liolattrvs minor), one turtle dove (Turlur rixorhtx), 

 four al iiia tor.- (Alligator mUsissippiensis), five musk terrapin 

 (ArontiH'htiit* ndonitus), one handed rattlesnake ( Orotcdus Iwrridus) , 

 two pice snakes (I'itophte nulanoletictis). one hog-nosed fnake 

 (Hctcradon plabyrhinus), iifteen wave-lined lizards (Scc.loporuts un- 

 dulatus), two chameleons (AnolUs principalis), three Arizona dia- 

 inond rattlesnakes (Oroialus adamantcus atrox), one water snake 

 ( T> Opidbnbt us sipedon ) and three Gila monsters (JleJodernia suspec- 

 t\n,n. 



'time §<tg nnd %m\> 



OPEN SEASONS. 

 West Virginia. 



\ Deer, Sept. 15 to Dec. 15; no hounding season. Quail, Virginia 

 partridge, Oct. 10 to Dec. 1. Wild turkev, Sept. 15 to Jan. 1. 

 Untied arouse, pheasant, Oct. 1 to dan. 1. Wildfowl, Oct. I to 



I April 1. 



Texas. 



Belton. Tex., Sept. 23.— Editor Forest and Stream: Referring to 

 "Guadalupe's" letter in issue of 12th, let me say that, our open 

 seasons are: Deer, Aug. 1 to Jan. 20 (Act of April 11, 1883. which 

 was amended April 1, 1889, to exempt 110 counties. Pinnated 



► grouse, pra'rie chicken, Aug. 1 to March 1 (Act March 15, 1881, 

 with the 116 counties exempt;. Quail, partridge, Oct. 1 to April ] 



. (Act March 25,1887. amended April 4, 1889, to exempt 12B counties'). 

 Wild turkey, Sept. 1 to May 15 (Act amended April 4, 1889, to ex- 

 empt 133 counties). 



A WEEK IN NEBRASKA. 



^l^HE russet year brings back the whir of the partridge, 

 1 the piping of the quail and the chatter of the great 

 gray squirrel. In this region it would be more in accord- 

 ance with fact to speak of the flight of the ducks and of 

 the flushing of chickens. September has come with a 

 rare combination for the sportsman — ducks, chickens and 

 snipe. Those who have not the fear of the law before 

 their eyes add quail to this list. Hot days and cold nights 

 has been the rule, and this is as the hunter would have it. 



The open season commences Sept. 1, but ever since the 

 first of August chickens have been shot without attempt 

 at concealment of the fact. As a result shooting wa3 re- 

 ported very poor when fall opened. Hunters would take 

 long trips to the northwest or go among the sandhills 

 south of the Platte and return with empty bags. The 

 knowing ones shook their heads, laughed in their sleeves 

 and declared that they would have better luck within 

 five miles of town. 



So it proved. On the afternoon of Sept. 2 a party of 

 five of us started to investigate on our own account — 

 three men, two ladies, who enjoyed the sport as well as 

 we did, and two dogs, one a young Llewellin which was 

 broken last season on quail, the other a six months old 

 pup that owned old Count Rapier as his grand sire. 

 Scarcely had we got outside the city limits, when a 

 young bird flew across the road. This was taken as an 

 indication that we were near a covey, and at the first 

 stubble field we alighted. The older dog knew instinc- 

 tively what was wanted of her, and the yard-broken pup 

 was not slow in showing the result of his breeding. We 

 had not gone 50yds. from the wagon, when Sid came to 

 a stand, and we flushed three young birds that dropped 

 before they were fairly under way. Three coveys were 

 flushed in that stubble and then we drove on to the next, 

 keeping up the work until the last ray of daylight was 

 gone and raising chickens in every field where we 

 alighted. When we arrived home and the birds were 

 dressed the veteran of the party proposed that the next 

 day he and I should make a thirty-mile trip up Wood 

 River and try the wheat stubble near the Loup. I did 

 not need a second invitation. 



Early Tuesday morning we set out, the faithful Sid 

 resting in the bottom of the buggy. The day wa3 ex- 

 tremely hot and not a feather did we see except in the 

 copses near Wood River, where young quail were abund- 

 ant. About 5 o'clock we reached our destination, Mc- 

 Donald's ranch. It was still too hot to look for chickens 

 but the prospect was inviting. Far away as eye could 

 see were quarter-sections and half-sections of wheat and 

 oat stubble, checkered with fields of ripening corn. An 

 hour passed and then we donned hunting coats and boots; 

 McDonald brought out his muzzleloader and his red Irish 

 setter and off we went. Why it is I do not know but 

 the old sportsmen would not touch a field of oat stubble. 

 They said that chickens would not go into it when they 

 could get wheat. At first we had no luck, but as twilight 

 fell, the birds came from the shelter of the corn to their 

 feeding grounds. Webster and I took one stubble field 

 with Sid, McDonald took another with Frank, whom I 

 despised as a very lazy "purp." But first appearances 

 were deceitful. We wandered about for fifteen minutes 

 not getting a shot nor did we hear a sound from our part- 

 ner. At length a break in the intervening cornfield dis- 

 closed him, gun poised and that dog Frank standing as 

 prettily as ever a dog could, and he held his birds there 

 for full ten minutes until we came up. Then the guns 

 tracked and kept cracking, for chickens rose in front, to 

 tight and to left, until our ambition was fully satisfied, 

 rod in the cool of the evening we went back to a splendid 

 impper. 



The next morning was cold and cloudy. We were up 

 at gray dawn and out in the stubble, but the chickens 



were very wild and but one fell before Webster's gun. 

 After breakfast we started homeward, intending to hunt 

 most of the way. The day was so cold that the birds 

 would not seek the corn. Every field yielded its quota of 

 game, though the birds were found only in twos and 

 threes. At high noon we were at an oat stubble, and I 

 proposed that Webster get out and go across it. He did not 

 believe in oat stubble, nevertheless he went. I held the 

 horse and watched the fun. Sid ranged freely for a few 

 minutes and then — bang ! and a single young bird went 

 into the bag. He was going over the hill and Sid was 

 sneaking along as though on a, fresh scent. I lit my pipe 

 and stood on the seat in time to see two more birds fall. 

 I longed for a fence-post, a tree, or anything to which I 

 could tie the fractious steed, but fate was against me, and 

 there I had to stay while five coveys rose right in front of 

 my friend's gun. 



However, I had my revenge. We were far away from 

 any road, and decided to push eastward until we struck 

 one. In going over a hill we saw just ahead an immense 

 cornfield, and in the middle of it a lagoon. Above a pair 

 of mallards were circling, and then the appearance of a 

 hawk caused a large flock of small waterfowl to rise and 

 fly impatiently from one pond to another. At the dis- 

 tance we took them for teal, and we cautiously approached 

 until within a quarter of a mile, then the Colonel drew 

 on his wading boots and disappeared down the corn rows. 

 In about ten minutes firing began, and kept up with such 

 rapidity that I thought a heavy wagon would be needed 

 for the game. By and by Webster appeared plowing 

 slowly through the mud, and in his hand were a couple 

 of little yellowlegs. That was all. The next lagoon gave 

 us a young widgeon, and then we drove home perfectly 

 satisfied with the day's work. 



I was taking a week's vacation, and so cotdd not afford 

 to lay aside my gun for a single day. After breakfast 

 the next morning Ben Marston, a most genial sportsman, 

 and I, with the afore-mentioned pup, Dude by name, took 

 a buggy for the county poor farm, nine miles northeast 

 of town. The country in the immediate vicinity of the 

 farm promised good shooting for ducks and chickens. 

 About it are corn and stubble fields, and within a half 

 mile on either side are "draws," or canyons, and old buf- 

 falo wallows that, at this season, are full of water. We 

 put out the horse at the nearest ranch, and after Ben had 

 finished his business we rambled out on the hills without 

 a sight of fur or feather. At length a flight of ducks ap- 

 peared, and though we could not mark them down we 

 decided to try the lagoons. Before we reached the wafer 

 two other sportsmen appeared over the hill, and as they 

 drew nearer we recognized the colonel, my old companion , 

 and his chum Johnson. Well we amused ourselves g] loot- 

 ing at kildeers until dinner time, and then Ben and Web- 

 ster returned to the ranch through the draw, while John- 

 son and I took an upland trail. The other pair brought 

 in a teal and a mallard. 



After dinner Johnson and I determined to distinguish 

 ourselves, so we stole away and went to another draw. 

 No matter how cautiously we stole along the bank, the 

 ducks would rise ahead of us, just out of range. At 

 length we got upon a pair of teal, winged them both and 

 they dropped into the w r ater. What a time we had to 

 get them. They dove and hid and it took four shots to 

 kill them. Then we pursued a big mallard that seemed 

 bound to elude us. Finally as we were about to give up 

 the sport, Johnson fell flat and pulled me with him. A 

 tremendous flock of teal were coming toward us. Over- 

 head and around us they circled and finally dropped in a 

 buffalo wallow 300yds. away. The grass was light and 

 short and the ground was damp, but we managed to 

 flatten ourselves sufficiently to get within 82 steps of 

 them. (We paced the distance afterward). Then we 

 arose and they arose; four shots and eight teal. Wew^ent 

 back to the house and found that Ben and the Colonel 

 had left, but a shot let us know that they were not far 

 away. When we reached them Dude was getting his 

 first lesson in standing quail. 



The homeward ride was broken every few minutes by 

 the sight of ducks, that one by one found a resting place 

 beneath the buggy seat. At length in a pasture near the 

 woodside we saw a small lagoon that was perfectly black 

 with ducks. The buggies were driven by and the horses 

 tied. Three of us lay in the grass waiting for the ducks 

 to fly over, while Johnson repeated the crawl act. He 

 bagged seven ducks as they rose, but the rest of us were, 

 doomed to disappointment, for the Colonel's hunting- 

 coat was in the buggy and his white shirt sleeves were a 

 warning to the flock. 



One day more brought the sport of the week to a close, 

 and it came about in this way : During the duck flight 

 last spring a couple of boys left town every afternoon 

 about 6 o'clock. They would return about 10 o'clock 

 just loaded down with ducks. They went invariably in 

 one direction, but told very contradictory stories as to 

 the location of their ground. This fall the old sportsmen 

 were on the lookout, and finally their resort was dis- 

 covered. It was a marsh four miles west of Kearney. 

 There were several small ponds on the forty-acre tract, 

 the rest of the piece was deep bog covered with tall 

 rushes and cat-tails that afforded the best of cover. It 

 was just the spot that the ducks chose for passing the 

 night when they came in from the lakes and rivers. 



I went out early on Saturday morning, but the ducks 

 had about all left. I saw one flock of mallards and 

 secured a fine young bird. But here were what I had not 

 seen before in Nebraska, jack snipe in abundance. And 

 rare sport I had with them, though among the reeds 

 scarcely half the birds that fell could be recovered. With 

 them w r ere kfldeer, yellowlegs, avocets and soras. In the 

 afternoon I returned to the same spot and was surprised 

 to find five buggies fastened about the field and eight 

 sportsmen in the marsh. I thought it would be useless 

 to stay, but still would not go off defeated. I would wait 

 as long as any one. About six o'clock the first ducks put 

 in an appearance, but they were frightened away long 

 before they were within range. It was very cold and 

 very wet. Just as darkness fell there was a whir- of 

 wings close by and the guns flashed into the dark mass. 

 Before we could hunt the slain another flock came down, 

 and so it went on for an hour, filing almost as fast as we 

 could load. In the darkness it was impossible to take 

 aim, and yet we were very successful. Probably a num- 

 ber of ducks were killed that were never secured, but we 

 had load enough of mallards, teal, widgeon and a shovel- 

 ler. 



While at McDonald's ranch on Tuesday night I learned 

 t hat five years ago the prairie sharp-tailed grouse was 



very abundant. The cold weather made the birds very 

 tame and they refused to be flushed. Since that time 

 few have been seen. 



Quail are abundant. Every park in Kearney, even the 

 grounds around the school buildings, boasts its covey, and 

 as firearms cannot be discharged within city limits, the 

 birds are safe. 



There was a time when Nebraska did not seem to me 

 much of a State for game, but I am more than satisfied 

 to carry a gun through a thickly settled farming coun- 

 try and close to a city of 12,000 inhabitants. And from 

 every sportsman's door the latch, string hangs out to our 

 Eastern confreres. * Shoshone. 



Kearnuiv, Neh„ September. 



LIGHT-WEIGHT OR SMALL-BORE GUNS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I want to say a few words in favor of the small-bore 

 gun. There is an old maxim, "where ignorance is bliss 

 'tis folly to be wise," which some people stick to as long 

 as they live. It seems to me that gunners are particu- 

 larly prone to follow it. I know it is good in its place, 

 but if we wish to advance we must drop it; also the old 

 flint lock and Queen's arm. Why not as well the heavy 

 10 and 12-gauge guns? They are (for the field) entirely 

 out of place, and in a few more years will be considered 

 as relics of the past. Can a man convince himself, or 

 any one else, that he goes out for sport and enjoyment 

 when he tramps ten or more miles carrying a small can- 

 non, which uses up 4 or odrs. of powder and 1.} to 2oz. of 

 shot? What must a bird think that gels through such a 

 charge, and is not scared to death by the noise? For the 

 benefit of any brother sportsman who is about to buy a 

 gun, and does not already "know it all," I will advise 

 him, by all means (if you are going for sport, and not the 

 market), to get a 16 or 20-gauge gun. This may be too 

 light for a heavy man, who could handle a light 12-gauge 

 better. * 



I thought ten years ago that it was fun to lug a 9£lbs. 

 gun through the brush all day, and have a lame shoulder 

 for a week after into the bargain; but now I am perfectly 

 satisfied that a 61bs. gun weighs more at night than it 

 did when I started in the morning. Ten years ago I lived 

 in the city of Taunton, Mass. At that time there was 

 not a gun smaller than 12-bore in the city, as far as I was 

 able to find out. Now the gun dealer keeps a good as- 

 sortment of 16-bores, and the number used in proportion 

 to the larger bores is increasing every day. 



A sportsman goes into the woods for pleasure, and if 

 he shoots, to use his nerve and show his skill. He wants 

 to act as little fatigued as possible, consequently he 

 dresses light, reckons close on shells and lunch, and car- 

 ries the lightest gun that he believes will be effectual. 

 It is difficult to make a man believe that a small-bore gun 

 will kill as well and sure as a large one, although he 

 knows that rifles are small bore, and that a small-bore 

 rifle is preferable to a large. For proof we have but to 

 look abroad. Foreign nations are adopting the small-bore 

 rifle for their armies, while we are content to use a rub- 

 ber pad to keep our shoulder blade in place and use the 

 old "back number." If the 16 and 20-gauge are not 

 powerful enough, how is it that such scores are made 

 with them? For instance: Miss Oakley, at Gloucester, 

 N. J., used a 20-gauge with a charge of foz. of shot, 

 weight of gun S^lbs., and killed 49 out of 50 live birds. 

 Was it accident ? No. They get there every time. I 

 have owned a good many guns and of all weights and 

 gauges, and the most satisfactory gun I ever owned was 

 a 16-bore 61b. W. & C. Scott gun. Do not think from 

 this statement that I favor the English guns, for I do not. 

 I believe that the American-made gun is a better gun to- 

 day, and base my opinion on a considerable experience. 

 I have to-day a 16-gauge gun with 24in. barrels, and only 

 5lbs. in weight, that will make as nice a pattern at 85yds. 

 as any large bore used for the same purpose, and it kills 

 every time it is held right. Two of my friends (both 

 collectors) have Parker guns. One, a light 12-gauge, has 

 been used from Florida to Maine, and has been shot until 

 its barrels are as thin as paper at the muzzles. The locks 

 and breech mechanism are just as good as new. This 

 gun has been under salt water nearly a week while lost 

 on a gunning bar. The other, a 16-bore, was made to 

 order and has been from Newfoundland to Mexico, and 

 has been shot many thousand times. It is in use to-day, 

 apparently as good as ever. I do not wish to discrimin- 

 ate in favor of the Parker, as I believe that any of the 

 regular §80 grade guns of Parker, Colt, Smith or Lefever 

 will last any ordinary man a life time. And also that a 

 Davis gun will give any of them a good battle. Almost 

 any of these dealers will supply you with a fine, light- 

 weight gun to suit. 



Here in southern New England the small-bore has come 

 to stay and is gaining rapidly in favor. Every known 

 advantage but one (heavy charge) is in its favor. Quick 

 aim, short barrels, light weight, little smoke and not 

 much recoil, economy, etc. All favor the little gun. It 

 will fill the bill on every thing but wildfowl. To my 

 certain knowledge nothing will stop a deer so quick as a 

 charge of buckshot from a 3mall-bore shotgun. If a man 

 goes after wildfowl, or guns for the market, he takeB 

 every chance and wants a big gun with all the load that 

 he can stand behind. To such I have nothing to say, but 

 as I remain devoutly thankful to the man who first in- 

 fluenced me in favor of a light gun, I take it upon my- 

 self as a sort of missionary work, to try to convince 

 others that their pleasure afield depends largely on the 

 weight and size of their gun. No doubt some who read 

 this will call me a crank, but if they will go out with me 

 here for a day, they can have one of my heavy guns to 

 use, and if they can honestly say (toward night) that they 

 would as soon carry it home, as to exchange for a while 

 and carry mine, then they can have it and welcome. 



COHAXNICT. 



Quail in South Carolina. — A correspondent highly 

 recommends Rocky Hill, South Carolina, as a stamping 

 ground for quail shooters. One person who spent sixty 

 days there bagged in that time 495 quail, with a good 

 score of woodcock, snipe and rabbits in addition. Howell 

 Cobb, of the Carolina Hotel, controls 12.000 acres of 

 shooting ground for his guests. Snipe and duck shoot- 

 ing may be found in the vicinity. 



Oil Hints and Helps for .Sportsmen. A book of 340 pages. 

 Send for table of contents. Price $1.50, postpaid, from tliis office. 



