April 24, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



269 



AN OUTING. 



ONE afternoon in October, -'one of those autumn days 

 that cannot die." I went with my gun for an out- 

 ing. I longed to be in the woods, to breathe the aroma 

 • of the pines, the cedars and the junipers, and to enjoy 

 the sight and tbe smell of the dying autumn leaves; to 

 be again among the mosses and the ferns, that are asso- 

 ciated with all that is beautiful and romantic in scenery. 

 I had no expectation of getting much game, yet a brace 

 of ruffed grouse would certainly make the stroll more 

 pleasant. 



On tbe way I met an old gentleman, who asked, "Are 

 you out for a bunt ?" 



"I have come for an outing," I replied. 



"Your outing," said he, "you will get, but no birds. I 

 have been about here for a month, and, although I have 

 seen plenty of hunters, I have yet to see the first part- 

 ridge out of that woods." 



I entered the forest and prepared for shooting. Stand- 

 ing under tbe immense pines I raised my right hand and 

 breathed a wish for success. Now for the grouse. Soon 

 after I got on an old grass-covered road that ran through 

 the wood to the low ground adjacent. I had gone but a 

 short distance when a grouse arose. He was fully 50yds. 

 away; he was wild indeed. I did not fire at him, 'but 

 marked his line of flight, and following after I went 

 down the road to the "flats" and walked along the base 

 of the hill, when up sprang the grouse not more than 

 30ft. away. With the roar of my gun the whirr of his 

 wings ceased and a feather was seen floating in the air. 

 The bird lay on the sidehill among the brown leaves. 



I went back up the road to the place where the grouse 

 started, and among a clump of evergreen shrubs I nearly 

 stepped on another. He took me entirely by surprise 

 and escaped. I followed his line of flight, but failing to 

 raise him I went back to the evergreens and took his line 

 again. This time he rose about 25yds. away, and cover- 

 ing him 1 fired and was delighted to hear something fall.. 

 On going up there was the bird. 



|* I had now a brace so I gave over for the day, as it was 

 near nightfall. As I passed to the station there was the 

 old man in about the same place. 

 "What success?" said he. 



Taking the birds out of the game bag I placed them in 

 fais hand. Holding them in his left he raised his right 

 hand, as I had done under the pines, and looked upward 

 in astonishment. 



Those grouse created quite an excitement among the 

 people in the depot. I have never since. that day hunted 

 'over that ground, or even been on it. Dorp. 



Schenectady, N. Y. 



A TREATY RIGHT. 



QEEING the article from Golden City signed "R. W. A." 

 kJ concerning the vast amount of "game destroyed by 

 so-called sportsmen and non-residents in direct defiance 

 of the game laws of this Territory, I have decided although 

 not a subscriber now to your valuable paper, to call your 

 attention to the work of these people, and ask your valu- 

 able assistance iu putting a stop to it. I don't think the 

 residents or the non-residents do half the damage the 

 Shoshone Indians do. 



Last fall I and my two comrades were eye witnesses to 

 the slaughter of more than one band of elk, where every- 

 thing from a bull to a three months old calf was killed, 

 not for the meat, as some say, but for the hides. These 

 Indians do not even tan these hides before selling. They 

 find a ready market for them green over on the Green 

 Eiver slope, the buyers shipping them with the utmost 

 impunit y. Within a radius of eight miles of our camp 

 these several outfits of Indians killed 1,500 to 2,000 elk. 

 In fact the very air was tainted Avith the smell of decom- 

 posing elk, blacktail deer and antelope. These Indians 

 are personally known to me, and when I would remon- 

 strate with them about killing so much game, they would 

 laugh at me for my pains. We (three men) could not 

 force thirty or forty Indians to stop, so we had to give 

 it up. Should we call the attention of the officers of the 

 law to this outrage, as has been done time and time again, 

 you would only be answered for your pains to bring the 

 Indians iu and they would be punished. Can a poor 

 man, no matter what his feelings are, do this ? 



The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, together with the 

 agent, have been notified to interfere with these Indians 

 and stop them in their destruction, and still the slaughter 

 goes on in all months of the year, no matter whether it 

 is calving season or not. Any one who gives this their 

 attention can well see the elk will be as the buffalo in a 

 few years. The head or sub-chiefs of these Indians re- 

 ferred to are as follows, viz: Ta-boon-she, Bishop, Moon- 

 ha-vy (Lies down on his horse), Pe-ah-ri-bo (Big white 

 man), Pe-shit-se (Stinking), Cut Nose, and some others 

 whose names I cannot call to mind now, but these were 

 the ringleaders upon this occasion. These Indians were 

 not satisfied with the damage they did to the game, but 

 before leaving set fire to the mountains in many places 

 to "make grass good next time," as they said. 



These Indians have an increase now in then- beef issue, 

 which is issued to them every Saturday, of 180,0001bs.' 

 Add that to the old issue of 820,0001bs., and you see they 

 have a million pounds of beef a year to 1,800 or 2,000 In- 

 dians. This gives them about an average of a pound and 

 a quarter of beef to the man, woman and child, every day. 

 They have a liberal amount of flour and other subsistence 

 issued at the same time (Saturday), and have a moderate 

 amount of game on their reservation, but prefer to hunt 

 off of it. it seems. 



Could not the Forest and Stream stretch a point and 

 use then- influence with the Indian officers in this matter? 

 They would receive the eternal blessing of numerous 

 feood people in this section of the countrv should they 

 B£p their paddle in this affair. Put a stop to the Indians 

 IJeavmg the reservation whenever they see fit, and in my 

 humble opinion the time will not be far off when we 

 ;an find a way to "choke off" the market and other 

 jutchers. I am informed that the Indians cannot leave 

 the reservation without a pass from the agents. They 

 lo it, all the same, and the agent is aware of it. But 

 :hey are not brought back and are allowed to continue 

 sheir destructive work. Who-in-ah-ka. 



"WYOMING. 



[If our correspondent will examine back files of the 

 Sorest and Stream he will find that all this matter has 

 jeen thoroughly gone over, It appears that by their 

 fteaty made with the TJ. S. Government in 1868, these 

 Indians were granted a perpetual right to hunt upon un- 



occupied lands of the United States, and the opinion is 

 expressed that this right cannot be taken from them 

 now. They might be induced to sell, however. It will 

 be seen, therefore, that the parties responsible for this 

 destruction of game are not the Indians, but those who 

 framed this treaty. We are firmly of the opinion that 

 if the settlers of western Wyoming will work hard to 

 have the new game law enforced— especially to stop the 

 traffic in hides— they can very largely reduce the 

 slaughter of game that now takes place. Much might 

 be done by judicious handling to keep the Indians from 

 unnecessary killing.] 



Belleville, Ont., April 15.— Although yachting is 

 virtually dead here— to experience soon, I hope, a glori- 

 ous resurrection — field sports and angling are on the 

 boom. The Forest and Stream Club, which was named 

 in honor of your admirable journal, did such excellent 

 work last season in the protection of fish and game, that 

 its popidarity is remarkable. The membership is about 

 160, and will shortly reach well up toward 200, which, in 

 a place of about 10,000 inhabitants, is evidence that the 

 people are on the side of the law, and disposed to patron- 

 ize manly sport. The club met recently and re-elected 

 the popular and efficient officers of last year, namely: 

 H. Corby, M. P., President; W. H. Biggar and H. K. 

 Smith, Vice-Presidents; E. G. Porter, Secretary-Treas- 

 urer; Directors: R S. Bell, Chairman; G. Twining. G. 

 L. Thompson, W. P. Clarke, R. A. Davis, Wm. Armand 

 and J. Burrieux. The plan is to give representation in 

 the directorate to the trap-shooting, rifle and angling in- 

 terests. We have two game inspectors and two fishery 

 officers on the lookout, so poachers had better beware. 

 The movement is spreading in the county. Mudoc vil- 

 lage has formed a club, Marmara will do likewise, and 

 the indications are good elsewhere. Within a year it 

 will be difficult for poachers to slaughter game or fish 

 out of season in this district. The wild geese are here in 

 numbers on their journey northward, but only three 

 have fallen before the guns of local marksmen. Mr. 

 Harry Pretty got two and Mr. John Gilbert bagged the 

 other. The migratory ducks have also been quite numer- 

 ous.— R. S. B. 



A Game Country.— Point Pleasant. La., April 3.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: I must write and let you 

 know how I enjoy reading your paper. I have been a 

 hunter ever since I was large enough to handle a gun, 

 and though I am now on the shady side of 40, I still fol- 

 low the chase. We have plenty of game yet, but it is 

 not so plentiful as of yore. The overflows in 1882 and 

 1884 destroyed the deer by the thousands. Our party 

 consists of four. We commenced to hunt on Oct. 10 for 

 deer, bear, etc., and up to Dec. 16 we had killed 25 bear, 

 22 deer and 2 panther. Cats we did not count. We hunted 

 from two to three days each week when the weather was 

 favorable. We seldom hunt partridges until the months 

 of January, February and March, our close season com- 

 mencing April 1 and ending Oct. 1. This season the birds 

 were not very plentiful, as so many of them were des- 

 troyed by eating tbe cotton worms after they had been 

 poisoned by the general use of paris green. I fear if 

 we are forced to continue to use paris green, we will 

 soon destroy the birds. I notice that most of the hunt- 

 ing in your country is done on foot. With us we hunt 

 entirely on horseback, only getting down when the dogs 

 come to a stand. We must have more birds than you or 

 get around faster after them, as we average twenty birds 

 or more to the gun each hunt. Our game fishing is not 

 good, but for other kinds can't be beaten. — Hunter, 



Iowa Shooting.— Scranton, Iowa, April 10.— The sea- 

 son for wildfowl shooting has about closed with us. 

 Probably owing to the scarcity of water, not very many 

 good bags were made this spring. Shooting on the prairie 

 and in the cornfields was almost a failure. However, 

 lake and river shooting was very good, but only lasted a 

 few days. Snipe are beginning to arrive, but as it is still 

 very dry with us we do not expect a very big flight. 

 Prairie chickens are quite plentiful, and with a good 

 breeding season we will undoubtedly have good sport in 

 the stubblefields this coming fall. Quail are unusually 

 numerous. Although this being a prairie country, owing, 

 I think, to the recent mild winters, quail have multiplied 

 wonderfully. At almost every hedge fence (and thev are 

 numerous) flocks of from a dozen to 25 or 40 could be"seen 

 most any day during the past winter. Very few have 

 been shot during the last few years. Sportsmen in gen- 

 eral do not take an interest in them around here, as they 

 are generally after larger game. A big crop of young 

 birds is expected. Already Bob White can be heard in 

 the quiet of the evening, which is rather earlv, I think.— 

 E. E. F. 



Protection in Illinois.— The Charleston (111.) Fish 

 Protective Association met April 2 at 8 P. M., and was 

 called to order by the president, Isaac Winter. Otto 

 Weiss secretary. Mr. Ed. Chilton was elected treasurer 

 to fill the vacancy caused t»y the death of David Calvert. 

 The Association offer $100 reward for the conviction of 

 any person or persons using seines, nets and traps to 

 catch fish, or shooting, spearing and snaring. They will 

 have a fish and game warden here soon to look after the 

 violators of the law. The hoodlums have threatened any 

 person with death that dare punish them.— J. B. D. 

 (Charleston, 111., April 15). 



Poor Shooting Here.— Charleston, 111., April 15.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: The hunters have had very 

 bad luck here this spring killing water fowl. There were 

 only two bags of any note that I heard of. Ed. Chilton 

 killed three geese about March 20, and Thomas Knoch 

 killed seven ducks and one brant on the 28th and also 

 killed six ducks on the 31st on the prairie about three 

 miles north of here. He was at the same place on both 

 dates. Hunting water fowl is about plaved out here, the 

 ponds are about all drained.— J. B. D. 



New Hampshire Shooting.— Portsmouth, N. H.— 

 Snipe began their spring flight here during the first week 

 in April, and some fair bags have been made. On tbe 

 11th four gunners were on the grounds and killed ten 

 birds. Black ducks are very plentiful on the local 

 marshes, and many have been brought in bv local sports- 

 men. Woodcock are nesting in greater numbers than 

 for several years, and good shooting lis anticipated next 



fall,- Pl§PA.TA^UyV s 



From the Flooded South.— New Orleans, April 17.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: The backwater from the Nita 

 crevasse (60 miles above in St. James parish) is playing 

 sad havoc with game in St. James, Ascension and Liv- 

 ingston parishes. Deer are reported plentiful in that 

 section, but this state of affairs only tends to diminish 

 their numbers. Large and small game are seeking shel- 

 ter on the tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad, and 

 some deer have been killed by the trains. Pot-hunters 

 have also been at work. A friend of mine, lately from the 

 Ainite River, reports that several deer have been killed 

 by sailors of schooners engaged in the lumber trade on 

 that river. He also reports that a man killed five deer on 

 a shaving pile in the swamps, where they had taken ref- 

 uge from the encroaching waters. All these deer were 

 killed after the closing of the season. Our game should 

 have better protection, or we will soon see the last of it 

 if this slaughter is kept up much longer. — G. P. F. 



Remarkable Flight of Duces.— Lansing, Mich., April 

 Id,— Editor Forest and Stream : The storm of Sunday the 

 13th brought the ducks into the city and surrounding 

 lakes and ponds in such numbers as never has been seen 

 here. They were so thick in the pond that they might 

 have been killed with clubs and ah- guns, and all who 

 could get a gun went to the lakes after fowl. Whitehead 

 Smith, Larnard and another hunter killed nearly three 

 hundred in two days. Chas. Davis killed nineteen in a 

 small pond back of the reform school. They were mostly 

 bluebills and blackjacks, as they call them. All the 

 sportsmen are nearly crazy, and it is nothing but bunt 

 now for them. The friends of the successful hunters 

 were made happy by coming in for a share of the spoils, 

 and now as the ducks have taken wing tbe fish will have 

 to take it, and they are biting very well at the present 

 time. — Kilmer. 



Spring Shooting near St. Louis.— St. Louis., Mo., 

 April 18.— A number of warm showers during the past 

 week have been the means of furnishing excellent snipe 

 shooting in these parts. Messrs. William Hettel and E. 

 E. Mohrstadt spent two days, the fore part of the week, 

 at the Dameron Club's grounds, in Pike county, this 

 State, and bagged all told 126 birds. They were in most 

 choice condition as to fatness. Several other large bags 

 are reported as having been made, but the writer could 

 not ascertain the names of the parties making them. 

 Bluewing are now also here and quite a number have 

 found their way into the sportsmen's bags. From reports 

 to hand from points south of here, there are plenty of 

 snipe to come up and the prospects in store for the lovers 

 of the gun are very favorable for good sport until the end 

 of this month.— TJnser Fritz. 



Protection in California.— We are informed that 

 Mr. Thomas Tunstead, one of the California Deputy 

 Game Commissioners, has recently been. engaged in seiz- 

 ing bales of deer hides, which have been arriving in San 

 Francisco by steamer and schooner from San Diego and 

 other southern Calif ornia ports. If this traffic in hides 

 can be put an end to by Mr. Tunstead's good work, the 

 destruction of deer in that State will be greatly dimin- 

 ished. The San Diego Fish and Game Protective Associ- 

 ation offers the reward of $25 to any person who shall 

 cause the arrest and conviction of any one guilty of vio- 

 lating the game and fish laws. Similar action taken by 

 clubs all over the State would no doubt have a most 

 beneficial effect. 



A Shot to Crow About.— New York, April 14.— Last 

 Friday morning about six o'clock, while looking out of 

 my bedroom window from the farmhouse where I live in 

 Westchester county, I saw two crows fly and alight in a 

 cherry tree about one hundred and twenty-five yards 

 from the house. I took down my .38 Remington to try a 

 shot at one of them. I did not have a very good sight on 

 account of having to look through some other trees, so I 

 drew a fine sight on Mr. Crow and Mr. Crow dropped. I 

 went out to gather him in, but instead of one I picked up 

 two. The other crow flew in line with the one I fired at 

 and the ball went through both. I think that was very 

 good for a New York tenderfoot, don't you?— E. A. S. 



A Well-Bearded Turke v.— Beeville, Tex., April 15. 

 —Editor Forest and Stream: I have heard of many 

 strange freaks of nature, but none so strange as the fol- 

 lowing: About five years ago Mr. J. C. Beasley, of this 

 jlace, while out turkey hunting, killed a very large gob- 

 jler, and found that it had six well developed beards 

 equally distributed and spaced across its breast, all 

 being of equal length. Mr. B. kept them for a time and 

 they were seen by many experienced hunters, who pro- 

 nounced it something unheard of. I have seen several 

 double beards. — T. J. S. 



The Seatuck Club,— A certificate of incorporation has 

 been granted to the Seatuck Club, giving this association 

 tbe right to maintain a club house and grounds at East- 

 port, Suffolk county, L. I., and elsewhere, for hunting 

 and sporting purposes, to stock the grounds with game, 

 and to perform other acts incident to such a corporation. 

 The trustees of the club are: Thomas W. Lowell, John 

 S. Spencer, Albert E. Hochfield, Edwin M. Baker, Henry 

 G. Preston, Chas. A. Gil berg, Arthur W. Perego, Daniel 

 B. Horton and William T. Hay ward. 



Iowa Notes.— Davenport, la., April 18.— Editor Forest 

 and Stream: The directors of the Forester Gun Club are 

 having plans and specifications drawn for a new club 

 house, to be erected at the park this spring. It is the in- 

 tention to have the building completed before the State 

 tournament, which will be held here in June. There is 

 considerable discussion among sportsmen here regarding 

 the shooting of ducks at this season, the general opinion 

 being that there should be some means adopted to stop 

 it.— W. M. p; 



A Horse's Foot.— The Journal of the U. S. Cavalry 

 Association for last September contains under the above 

 title an extremely interesting paper by Lieutenant Chas. 

 D. Parkhurst, whose interesting contributions on rifle 

 shooting and yachting are remembered by many of our 

 readers. 



Names and Portraits ov Birds, by Gurdon Trumbuu. a 

 book particxilarly interesting to gunners, for by its nse they can 

 Jdentu y without question all the American game birds which 

 they may kiU. Cloth, 220 pages, price $2.50, For sale by Forest 

 and Stream. . 



