66 



NEW YORK GAME LEGISLATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



At a special meeting of the Lewis County Sportsmen's 

 Association, held at Lowville, Jan. 30, several new mem- 

 bers were elected and the following officers chosen: 

 President, G. R. Easton: Vice-President, J. D. Hough; 

 Secretary, Dr. O. S. Bamber; Treasurer. C. K. Daig; Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, E J. Richardson, W. H. Morrison, 

 F. E. Slocum, H. Gray, George Campbell; Finance Com- 

 mittee. Dr. C. P. Kirley, Wallace Brooks and Dr. O. S. 

 Bamber. 



The meeting of the Adirondack hotel keepers, guides 

 and others, mentioned in a late issue of the Forest and 

 Stream by a Holland Patent correspondent, was then 

 discussed, especially their bill on deer hunting, and a 

 letter was read from Assemblyman Crawford to one of 

 our members, stating his views on the subject. After 

 further discussion the secretary was instructed to draft 

 resolutions indorsing Mr. Crawford's views and urging 

 the passage of such a bill. A committee was also ap- 

 pointed to present them to Mr. Crawford. The bill as 

 suggested is a follows: "An act defining the legal time 

 for hunting of deer. Deer may be hunted in this State 

 during the months of August, September and October, 

 and it shall be lawful to hunt with dogs between the 10th 

 day of September and the loth day of October, and at 

 no other time. All acts Of parts of acts in conflict with 

 the foregoing are hereby repealed.'' 



We are well aware that this will not meet with favor 

 among all sportsmen, but as it shortens the hounding 

 season, and believing that deer will be killed from the 

 first of August and earlier any way, so might as well be 

 killed legally, it seems a case of "between two evils 

 choose tbe lesser," so we indorsed the bill. 



Your correspondent is also informed on good authority 

 that a member from Franklin county, who is on the 

 game law committee, intends to introduce a bill making 

 the open season during September and October only, 

 with hounding permitted during entire open season. 



Northern Ne w York. OSCEOLA. 



WEIGHT OF GROUSE. 



Editor Forest mid Stream: 



I have been deeply interested in the different articles 

 published in your valuable paper concerning the weight 

 of our beautiful and gamy ruffed grouse. I have heard 

 numerous tales of grouse being shot that weighed 2, 2i 

 and 2flbs. Now, I have killed grouse every season for 

 the past fifteen years, and have handled more than any 

 man in the locality in which 1 reside. I have weighed 

 hundreds, and never in my life have I seen or had posi- 

 tive proof of a grouse that weighed 21bs. In the summer 

 and fall of 1887 I was in business in sportsmen's supplies 

 and furnishings, and during that fall 1 made a standing 

 offer of a five dollar bill to any one who would bring me 

 a grouse that would weigh, without deception, 21bs. or 

 over. My money was never taken. 



I do not believe there is a single grouse in the State of 

 Pennsylvania that will weigh 21ba. I killed on the 30th 

 of last month (December, 1889) four birds, three of them 

 averaged 26oz,, the other a cock bird of the gray variety 

 pulled the scale to 30oz. strong. Should I ever in the 

 future have the luck to kill a ruffed grouse in Pennsyl- 

 vania that will weigh 21bs., I will have the bird weighed 

 before a justice of peace, make affidavit to the same and 

 ship bird and document to the editor of the Forest and 

 Stream for publication, hoping that some of the 21bs. and 

 up gunners will do likewise. Remember I am speaking 

 exclusively of the ruffed grouse, commonly called pheas- 

 ant of Pennsylvania and the other Middle States. 



Ltkens, Pa. "W. Y. B. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



CHICAGO, III., Feb. 8.— The northern flight of the 

 ducks has already commenced. During the past 

 week telegrams and letters have been pouring in from 

 all the shooting points announcing the arrival of ducks 

 in large numbers. Mr. C. D. Gammon had a telegram 

 Thursday stating that Cumberland Marsh was alive with 

 ducks, and in response thereto he promptly went to the 

 club. He killed a dozen mallards on Friday in less than 

 an hour and quit beeause he had enough. He said the 

 air was full of birds all the time. The same report came 

 from the Mak-saw-ba and Hennepin clubs, and some 

 good bags were made at each place. From Mak-saw-ba 

 Ben Dicks reported that lue never saw so many ducks on 

 the marsh. Walter Hough states that the ice is all gone 

 from Fox Lake, and that the bluebills and ringbills are 

 coming in in large numbers. Fred Allen, of Monmonth. 

 was in town yesterday and reports the arrival of a great 

 many mallards and pintails at New Boston. He leaves 

 for tbere on his annual spring shoot to-morrow night. 



This is certainly a remarkable winter, and the duck 

 season is about six weeks earlier than usual. All the 

 duck, shooters will be at the various club houses during 

 the coming week, and sport will be lively. 



AIMING THE PISTOL. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Referring to the letter of "Americus" in Forest and 

 Stream of Dec. 25, there is a third method of holding a 

 pistol, quite as good as either of those mentioned by him. 

 Grasp tbe right arm just above the elbow with the left 

 hand; bring the right hand inside the left arm and hold 

 the pistol with the barrel resting in the angle of the left 

 elbow. It is a splendid way for single-barreled pistols, 

 but is objectionable for revolvers, because the flash in 

 front of the chamber singes the cloth of the left sleeve. 

 This method was shown me twenty-five years ago by a 

 rifle maker named Booth in Ottawa. He used to make 

 long-barreled smooth-bore pistols, with which he was 

 always ready to match himself against any one with the 

 Enfield rifle up to 500yds. J. J. Meyrick. 



Comb Martin. 



The Massachusetts Legislature has been asked to 

 provide for more strict trespass laws, extermination of 

 minks and foxes, a change of opening of woodcock and 

 partridge season from Sept. 1 to Oet. 1, a license for mar- 

 ket-shooters, an appropriation of at least $20,000 for the 

 fish and game commissioners, a law that all dogs running 

 at large shall be muzzled or killed, to permit wildfowl 

 shooting between low and high water mark, to forbid 

 carrying firearms for sport or pursuit of game on the 

 Lord's day, and to prevent the further introduction of 

 foxes and raccoons into Martha's Vineyard. 



Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Feb. 4.— A strange thing 

 happened the other day, Jan. 25. Fred Hawkins shot a 

 beautiful specimen of the wood duck, a drake in full 

 plumage, in an air-hole in the outlet of the lake. Every 

 thing else is frozen up solid. The duck has beenmounted. 

 All our game is doing well. Charley Gilbert shot four 

 red foxes the last week. I wish they would offer a royal 

 bounty on them; they destroy many game birds while 

 nesting. Monday evening at the town hall, Seymour C. 

 Armstrong, the State game warden for our section, has 

 called a meeting of all those interested in the preserva- 

 tion of game and fish and the restocking; also with a 

 view of forming a permanent local organization for the 

 enforcement of the laws and breaking up generally 

 illegal fishing and shooting out of season. I hope some- 

 thing solid will come of it, for there is lots of missionary 

 work to be done here. — W. 



A Boy, an Axe and a Buck. — Surry Court House., Va., 

 Feb. 6. — Editor Forest and Stream: A few days ago a 

 nine- j ear-old boy was playing in the yard one afternoon 

 when he heard the dogs after a deer. Running to the 

 wood house the boy took an axe and started across the 

 field to intercept the deer, which he did. The dogs had 

 nearly broken it down, so it was not running very fast. 

 The bof knocked it down with the axe and killed it. 

 Running back to the house be told of it, and sent out 

 " er it. It was a nice buck with seven prongs. — A. B. G. 



James River, Va.— Here are extracts from three letters 

 recently received from friends living along the James 

 River, at and below City Point. "Weather too warm for 

 ducks this season-, which has been non-lucrative for the 

 pot-hunters. There has been little sport." "The shoot- 

 ing has been generally poor on the river." "Ducks is 

 very schers here now. I have not kill over dozen ducks 

 sence Christmas it is so worm." Observed a flock of 

 crossbills on Friday. Also a robin and a song sparrow. 

 T. L. K. (Perth Amboy, N. J., Feb. 10.). 



Beeville, Tex., Feb. (j.— Wild geese, brant, cranes, 

 ducks of almost all species, are here in abundance this 

 season, and afford great sport to the hunter. Quail are 

 still found in large flocks, and are yet fat and nice. The 

 old turkey gobbler is making himself heard from tbe tall 

 treetops in the early morning, though the gobbling sea- 

 son has not fairly set in. — T. J. S. 



Apropos of the discussion as to whether a woodcock 

 whistles with his wings, the treasurer of the Massachu- 

 setts Fish and Game Protective Association submits as 

 conclusive testimony for the wing side of the house the 

 legend on a Dearborn street Chinese laundry sign which 

 declares dogmatically, "Wing Sang." 



A Great Game Preserve Tract is advertised in this 

 number. It is a choice location in the Blue Ridge Moun- 

 tains, and Mr. Tappan tells us is well stocked with game 

 and fish and well adapted to meet the requirements of 

 an ideal game preserve. 



A Tame Wild Turkey trained to call other turkeys 

 and bring them to the hunter's blind has been invented 

 by a Birmingham, Ala., newspaper genius. 



"That reminds me." 

 299. 



SPEAKING of owls, sometimes serious results arise from 

 being frightened by owls. 

 We were camped, ten of us, soon after our unpleasant- 

 ness with the South, in a weird place in the sunk lands 

 in the vicinity of New Madrid, Mo., then on a hunt for 

 turkey and deer. The trees about our camp were orna- 

 mented with game. On this evening, while sitting in 

 tent engaged in a lively chat, there came suddenly from 

 the deep still forest about us a wild unearthly scream, 

 frightful enough to make the hair stand erect on the 

 head of the uniniated, and it would have made it stand 

 on the head of Mat, our colored cook, whom we had 

 taken from Cairo, had it not been for the kinks. As if 

 by concert of thought, every countenance of the teu as- 

 sumed an anxious look. "Panther!" exclaimed an old 

 hunter. "Yes," responded another. "Smells our game," 

 says the third. Soon, naturally enough, we were en- 

 gaged in the narration of blood-curdling stories in relation 

 to panthers. Then one of the party thought we needed 

 fresh water in camp and Mat was detailed to bring it 

 from the creek a fewrods away. He hesitated, but went, 

 taking the ax with him and making the quickest trip on 

 record. We noticed after that when night set in, we 

 always had abundance of fresh water in camp. 



The next year Mat was with us again in the same re- 

 gion, but in a wilder camp, if possible, than the old one. 

 One afternoon I came into camp earlier than usual and 

 found Mat sitting on a log, the whitest darky I ever saw, 

 grasping with both hands one foot, the blood dripping 

 from them. I found a frightful wound; he had put the 

 full edge of the ax deeply and lengthwise into the top of 

 his foot. With the aid of thread and a glover's needle, I 

 closed the wound, and with bandages from a linen coat 

 I had in camp, staunched the flow of blood. 



The next year Mat did not accompany us, but procured 

 another darky who was several degrees darker than the 

 ten of spades, but sharp, raised on a plantation in Mis- 

 souri. One day while chattering with Billy he said, 

 "Mr. L., Mat says there are a great many panthers here, 

 and that I had better keep a good lookout and have the 

 ax handy. Did he tell you how he came to cut his foot? 

 He said, one day he was chopping and when the ax was 

 raised ready to strike, a panther screamed behind him in 

 the timber and he looked around suddenly, and somehow 

 the ax came down on his foot." 



A few days after that I came into camp and found Billy 

 preparing food, and a few yards in front of him sitting 

 on a branch of a tree, was a small owl looking wisely at 

 the darky. Billy, with a twinkle in his eye, pointed to 

 the owl and said, "Mr. L., there is Mat's panther." 

 Moral. — Never frighten poor darkies with owls. H. L. 

 Illinois. 



ON THE NORTH SHORE.-III. 



A THREE WEEKS' TROUTING TRIP ON THE NORTH RIVER 

 OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 



ON the third rooming of our stay the wind had quieted 

 sufficiently to permit of our departure, and we 

 therefore hurriedly embarked and started for the rocky 

 haunts where the trout are known to lie in concealment. 

 As we passed by Goulais Point, Ned discovered that his 

 bundle of rods had bpen left behind, and just as we were 

 on the return for them, a distant hello was heard and 

 then the dip of paddle fell upon the ear. Joe said it was 

 some one bringing the rods. It so proved, for soon a 

 canoe was observed rounding the point w r ith the fisher- 

 man of a few evenings ago. He held up the rods on see- 

 ing us, and on coming alongside gladly returned the 

 bundle and was given some coin for his trouble. 



As our craft glided onward and onward along the wild 

 and silent wilderness that skirted the shore, new scenes 

 were constantly unfolding. Sky and cloud, tree and | 

 branch, rock and rift, were plainly mirrored in the now 

 quiet waters: the green-embowered islands, the lovely 

 nooks and the far away crags and rugged hills, were ever 

 in pleasing review, while the long lines of color from 

 balsam, fir, pine, maple and nodding; grasses that ran 

 along the shore, lit it with a wondrous beauty that was . 

 really Arcadian, leading one to exclaim with the poetic 

 Thompson: 



Who can paint 

 Like Nature? Can imagination boast, 

 Amid its gay creation, hues like hers? 

 Or can it mix them with that matchless skill, 

 And lose them in each other, as appears 

 In every bud that blows? 



A few hours' pull brought us to a lovely bay just off 

 Maple Island and which our dusky boatmen assured us 

 were good trouting waters, as were both sides of the 

 shore that formed the bay. Being satisfied with the 

 statement, we rounded into the bay and soon found cap- 

 ital grounds for camping. The tents were quickly pitched 

 and everything put in apple-pie order, and as it was near 

 noon we concluded not to cast a fly till the evening 

 shadows were growing, as the waters were entirely too 

 quiet and the scene too bright for the trout to be easily 

 fooled with a few colored feathers drawn o'er the niir- 

 ored surface of his rocky haunt. 



Time never hung heavy on our hands when in camp, 

 as there was the crib board and cards ever ready for the 

 combatants when the cheery conversation lagged or the' 

 songs of Ned grew too familiar. He was always busy, 

 and nothing pleased him more than when engaged in 

 overhauling his tackle, which was of such proportions 

 and such variety that he carried it in a bushel sack — I 

 called it an angler's junk bag, as it evidently contained 

 everything applicable to the gentle art. There were lines, 

 hooks, reels, trolling spoons, ferrules, dowel tips, reei 

 holders, patent bands, artificial baits, tools, etc., ad in- 

 finitum. His flies and leaders he was very careful of, 

 for these were in an elegant and capacious fly-book. You 

 had only to ask him for what you desired and a dive into 

 that magic sack by Ned was sure to bring it forth. He 

 had been so convinced since we left Gros Cap that red 

 was the taking color with the fontinalU that he deter- 

 mined as he had a few idle hours, to build a red fly on an 

 improved system, and on a much larger hook than any 

 he had been using. So out came the wonderful junk 

 shop and on to the table its contents were poured. He 

 secured and screwed his small vise to the table, and then 

 gathering all his materials and tools necessary for the 

 work, took a seat, and adjusting his "specs" commenced 

 the construction of his ideal fly that was to depopulate 

 the waters of many a radiant trout. I watched him with 

 eager interest as he progressed in his creation of the 

 feathery lure and advised him to build it on the principle 

 of the poet Gay's instruction to the angler, which was: 



To frame the little animal, provide 



All the gay hues that wait on female pride; 



Let nature guide thee; sometimes golden wire 



The shining bellies of the flies require; 



The peacock's plumes thy tackle must not fail. 



Nor the dear purchase of the sable's tail. 



Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, 



And lends the growing insect proper wings, 



Silks of all colors must their aid impart, 



And every fur promote the fisher's art. 



So the gay lady, with expensive care, 



Borrows the pride of land, of sea, and air; 



Furs, pearls, and plumes, the glittering thing displays, 



Dazzles our eyes, and easy hearts betrays. 



He agreed with me, but said he would make one that 

 Gay himself would approve, but that red must be the 

 dominant color. He soon gave it form and symmetry, 

 but it grew to such immense proportions and writh such 

 a long tail that I protested against his red idol, and de- 

 clared he would frighten all the tenants of the transpa- 

 rent waters when he commenced the bombardment. He 

 was not at all nonplussed by my criticism, but declared I 

 would soon be drawing on his talent for one of the same 

 kind. He took the monster out of the vise perfect as I 

 thought and handed it to me for inspection. I praised 

 his skillful work, but condemned its colossal size, its 

 flaming color, and above all its long tail, so peacock-like. 

 He stated there were but two things to complete it, and 

 they were the eyes and the horns, and these he secured 

 and" put on much to my disgust. I laughed particularly 

 at the horns, which stuck out like the waxen ends of a 

 Frenchman's mustache. 



I dubbed it the "horny-headed ibis." After he had put 

 away his cherished fly he stated that he would like to 

 give me correct authority for the horns, and would take 

 the author I had quoted a few minutes ago, and then he 

 rattled off the following: 



"When if an insect fall (his certain guide), 

 He gently takes him from the whirling tide, 

 Examines well his form with curious eyes, 

 His gaudy vest, his wings, his horns, and size; 

 Then round his hook the ehosen.fur he winds. 

 And on the hack a speckled feather binds, 

 So just the colors shine through every part." 



"It's the horns I am trying to prod you with, and now 

 drop on that fly," 



