310 



POOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 8, 1890, 



SMALL GAME IN NORTHERN MEXICO. 



WHAT anticipations were indulged in on the eve 

 of a protracted trip in the Northern States of 

 Mexico! A trip, not by rail, but "outside a mule;" camp- 

 ing out free from restraints of civilization, and so far 

 from population or towns that the rifle and shotgun must 

 be depended on mainly for supplies; offering all the pos- 

 sibilities for hunting and observation of game, known and 

 unknown. Since boyhood, for thirty years resident of sev- 

 eral States from New York to Texas, accustomed to hunt- 

 ing of small game when the cares of business would allow, 

 the mere idea if such a trip renewed the feelings of youth, 

 which many middle-aged persons think passed forever. 



A good rifle was purchased, a good shotgun was already 

 pgssessed, and what is better, a full knowledge of how 

 to use it, for as a rifle shot I freely confess that in shoot- 

 ing at game I am not a success judging from the hunting 

 accounts usually seen in print. 



I shall confine myself in this article to the small game 

 to be found in the States of Chihuahua and Sonora. We 

 had protracted camps on the rivers San Pedro and San 

 Baraardino, and other waters in the Sierra Madre, which 

 range is merely a continuation of our Rocky Mountains 

 after the depression which exists at the southern boundary 

 of Arizona. On these waters were killed the usual varie- 

 ties of birds of plumage, mallard, widgeon and teal pre- 

 dominating. Nearly all varieties of waterfowl, from the 

 swan to the ox-eye snipe, are common to the elevated 

 plains of Mexico, where water is abundant and may be 

 had until February in the best of condition. 



It is often asked, "Where has the game all gone?" 

 Here geese, ducks, cranes, snipe, curlew, etc., abound, 

 seeking a haven of rest with our neighbors, who, as a 

 rule, are not hunters of small game and look upon a shot- 

 gun as a curiosity. A bunch of mallards will at any 

 town collect a crowd, and the elated hunter be asked in 

 all seriousness if they are good to eat. The American 

 sportsman should rejoice that at one point on the conti- 

 nent the breechloader is practically unknown. 



The resident varieties of small game are not many, but 

 some of them are important. Wild turkeys are fairly 

 plentiful in the Sierra Madre, and afforded fine sport as 

 well as welcome addition to our larder. These turkeys 

 are not identical with those of the United States, being 

 much lighter in color of plumage, as well as having the 

 head less covered with hair, and being somewhat greater 

 in size as a rule. 



The common or Bob White quail is unknown, as are 

 the grouse family. They are replaced by the blue and 

 topknot quail, which are very plentiful, but afford little 

 sport, as they run before the dog, and when shot, if not 

 instantly killed, will roll and struggle like a prairie dog 

 until some hole is reached, when they are lost to the 

 hunter, for in a section of country where snakes and 

 tarantulas, to say nothing of scorpions and the lesser 

 venemous pests, abound, it is exceedingly dangerous to 

 run one's hand in dark places. 



In the mountains in scattered timber another variety 

 of quail is found, called "fool quail" in New Mexico and 

 Texas. It is probably one-third larger than the common 

 quail, and a handsomer bird and superior for the table. 

 Usually the coveys are small, not more than four to seven 

 birds being found together. I question very much the 

 scent-exuding properties of these birds, for a very fair 

 pointer that I had with me could never be induced to 

 work them satisfactorily. The usual plan of killing them 

 is the primitive one of "busting with a rock" or breaking 

 their necks with a stick or whip, or a cowboy very expert 

 in the use of a pistol may shoot their heads off. They lie 

 extremely close and only start up after one's passage, 

 unless actually disturbed by the feet; then it is a snap 

 shot or nothing, for it is rarely that one can be flushed 

 the second tune. 



Woodcock are probably unknown in the States named, 

 but the jacksnipe or English snipe are abundant on suit- 

 able grounds, while the grass plover is plentiful on the 

 great plains, especially in Chihuahua, and I have seen 

 some in Sonora. 



Of doves, in many places classed as game, the northern 

 portion of Mexico possesses at least four varieties. The 

 smallest compares in size with the robin, and is afamiliar 

 bird, often nesting in the crevices of the adobe buildings 

 of the country. The plumage is in general the same as 

 our common dove, except the dark spots on the win^s are 

 more decided in color, and they show less white in the 

 tad. Our common dove is also plentiful and at times 

 becomes a decided nuisance at small water holes, befoul- 

 ing the water so as to make it undrinkable. The next in 

 size— say one-third larger than the common dove— pre- 

 sents the same general appearance, but shows a large 

 white spot in each wing, very noticeable when flying 

 These doves are plentiful on the Sonora River, and are 

 fine eating, as I can personally vouch for. The fourth 

 variety is nearly identical in size with the domestic 

 pigeon, with bronze-blue back, chestnut breast, growing 

 lighter underneath. In full plumage they have a white 

 ring around the neck, and, with their red feet and 

 plumage with its metallic sheen, are unquestionably the 

 handsomest bird of the family Columbida? that I have 

 ever seen. I killed a number of them in the southeast 

 end of the Huachucas only a few miles from the Ameri- 

 can boundary, and have also seen them in mountain 

 regions lower down the country. 



Rabbits, both jack and cotton-tails, are plentiful and 

 too common to be considered game in Mexico or anv of 

 our own Western States. 



Of the squirrel family, neither the black, gray nor fox 

 varieties are found, being replaced, however, in rocky 

 brushy regions by two varieties of rock squirrels compar- 

 able m size to our gray and fox. These rock squirrels 

 are gray m color, with hair coarse and harsh to the touch 

 and living as they do in the crevices of rockv bluffs, are 

 extremely hard to kill or at least to get in hand. Their 

 flesh is sweet and tender. In the heavy pine forests of 

 the Sierra Madre is found a beautitul tree squirrel, a soft 

 bluish fur covering the back and head, shading into 

 nearly black on the sides and down the legs, whde the 

 throat and belly are again toned into pure white. The 

 eye is fine and black, while the ears are tipped with black 

 haus fully art inch in length, and the tail is fine and 

 beautifully shaded with black and maltese blue. Thev 

 are very active, being somewhat less in size than the fox 

 equirrel and would make interesting pets, but frequent 

 dollars that I offered for young ones failed to secure a 

 single living specimen. 



On the San Pedro River, an unknown semi-aquatic 

 bird— seen frequently afterward— attracted my attention 



and a load of shot. This bird compares in size and 

 general appearance with the long-billed curlew, only 

 the bill is about one-half length, and plumage is a jetty 

 bronze black in color. It was dressed, but unfortunately 

 lost from a pack before camping time, so its game quali- 

 ties were lost to me. It has no local name. 



In this same San Pedro River numerous beavers can be 

 found, especially in its upper waters, where they seri- 

 ously interfere with attempts to use the water for irri- 

 gation, for the heavers, according to Western usage, ex- 

 ercise the prior right of possession and dam up the 

 acequias regularly every night. One was killed by our 

 party, but as we were tenderfeet and fully provisioned at 

 the time, did not test its edible qualities. Whether this 

 is the southern limit of beaver in Mexico— lat. 31° — I can- 

 not say, but I have seen none in other streams. 



This list of game is not large, nor is mention made of 

 new species, but what we saw afforded much sport, and 

 when this country is once opened will attract visitors 

 from all sections, for I have only given a plain statement 

 of the small game found, leaving my impressions of the 

 climate, scenery and the actual experience of the trip for 

 future articles if they may be desired. B. 

 Austin, Texas. 



A BEAR HUNT IN TENSAS. 



POINT PLEASANT, La., April 15 — In the latter part 

 of December, 1886, Mr. A. A. Skinner and myself 

 started from home to meet W. R. and T. S. Osborn at our 

 old camping grounds on Mill Bayou. 



We arrived there about the middle of the day, some 

 time before the Osborns. About 1 o'clock we heard their 

 horses, and shortly afterward they came into camp. 

 After a hasty lunch we took the dogs, some thirty-six in 

 number, and drove the bear-den cane. We soon found 

 that the bears had eaten all the mast around that cane 

 and had moved off. Back to camp we went, packed up 

 and struck out for the Tight-paper Cane, some six or 

 seven miles distant. 



On our way Trueman and Lucy, our start dogs, struck 

 the trail of a traveling bear. They began giving tongue, 

 and it was no time before the whole team were in full 

 cry after the bear, a large he. T. S. Osborn unloaded 

 his horse and followed the dogs. The bear led them a 

 lively race of about a mile, when he stopped to fight, but 

 the dogs soon made it too hot for him, and he took to a 

 tree, where he was killed by Osborn. 



The sun was getting low by the time we got the bear 

 dressed, but we made it to our camping ground on Spring 

 Bayou in time to get up wood enough to last us during 

 the night. The night was very cold and we had no tents, 

 so we had to have wood enough to keep up big fires. We 

 ate a hearty supper of broiled bear ribs, liver and pre- 

 visions brought from home, washed down by coffee such 

 as only campers know how to make. 



We had a good night's sleep, and next morning before 

 it was light were up and preparing for the day's hunt. 

 By the time we had eaten a hearty breakfast, the sun was 

 up and we were off for the drive. We had not got more 

 than a quarter of a mile from camp before the dogs struck 

 a fresh trail where the bears had been feeding on over- 

 cup acorns. They trailed only a short distance into the 

 cane before the bear got up, with every dog after her. I 

 let my horse out, and it was a nip and tuck race to the 

 stand, about three-quarters of a mile. I got there first, 

 and as she ran into the slough I let her have a load of 

 buckshot broadside and tumbled her over nicely. It was 

 a barren she and fat. Before I could take the entrails out 

 of her the dogs had another bear up. It ran down the 

 opposite cane ridge and was killed by Jim Corbett. Skin- 

 ner's horse saw the bear as it crossed the stand, got 

 frightened and threw him, then took the trail for home, 

 about twenty-five miles distant. 



After I had finished dressing the bear I had killed, I 

 rode in the direction of where I had last heard the dogs. 

 I had not gone very far before I heard them coming back 

 toward me in full cry. I gaUoped back to where I 

 thought the bear would cross, and sure enough it came, 

 and I killed that one. 



Corbett and Skinner came up with the one they had 

 killed, which was a small one; so was the one I just had 

 killed. We got it on a horse and started back to where 

 I had killed the first one, when the dogs started a fourth 

 bear, which I killed not far from the first one. 



We then blew our horns and got all the party together, 

 on consulting our watches found it just 12 o'clock. As 

 the dogs had not eaten anything since the morning we 

 left home, we concluded to go to camp, feed them and 

 try the bears next day, as none of the bears we had killed 

 were extra large, and we saw signs of some monsters. 

 We got back to camp in time to dress and hang up all 

 the bears before dark. We had a delicious supper, all ate 

 heartily and then rolled in our blankets, thinking to 

 sleep the sleep of the tired. But alas! about the middle 

 of the night it began to rain, then sleet, and by morning 

 everything was frozen tight, and to make matters worse 

 my horse had gotten loose, leaving me 25 miles from 

 home. Skinner very coolly remarked that he now had 

 company for his tramp, of course. 



We broke camp and started for home. Skinner and I 

 each had a negro boy along, so we packed all our traps, 

 meat, etc., on the two mules, bidding the balance of the 

 party good-bye we took the trail homeward. After 

 going about 15 miles Skinner got his horse, but mine I 

 did not see for two weeks. 



It continued to sleet and snow- off and on for two or 

 three days. That was the last hunt that I was on for 

 that season, but the Osborns went back after the weather 

 cleared up and killed two large bears. Hunter. 



New Brunswick Big Game.— Fredericton, N. B., April 

 29,— Editor Forest and Stream: The moose are increas- 

 ing here very fast, and if properly protected will soon be 

 very numerous. There are now plenty of caribou and 

 red deer. I was informed the other day that the wolves 

 had put m an appearance, but cannot vouch for the cor- 

 rectness of the report. I hope that I was misinformed 

 as the deer are getting very plentiful in certain localities, 

 and it these pests come among them there will soon be an 

 end of them.— H. B. R. 



♦i Th . e - Spangler crimper, advertised in another colum a, receives 

 the ugliest commendations from those M-ho have used U , for its 

 regular and even work. Every part of this crimper is made by 

 machinery, thus insuring the utmost accuracy, and all parts are 

 interchangeable Special tools are now being made for its manu- 

 facture, and will be completed soon, when %1t. Spangl.er will be 

 able to fill all orders, many of which have been uuavoidahly 

 U8ed y tomakTthe n m ^ oveva ^ in fciie crimpe? an* the tools 



A CALIFORNIA SPRING DAY. 



WHILE driving along in the warm sunshine and 

 in the midst of the beautiful green grass, bloom- 

 ing roses, and many varieties of wild flowers in the fields, 

 we could look away to the eastward some sixty or eighty 

 miles and see the snow covered Sierras rearing their 

 white heads heavenward, and we could scarcely realize 

 that the snow upon the range in many places is now lying 

 to a depth of fifteen or twenty feet. Calling at the home 

 of a friend on our way, the writer was permitted to pick 

 some beautiful ripe oranges from a tree in the garden, 

 and growing close under the branches of the orange trees, 

 heavy with golden fruit, was a bed of beautiful white 

 lilies in bloom. I gazed from the fruit and flowers away 

 to the cold white mountains in the distance, and my 

 thoughts made a sudden journey to my far away Eastern 

 home, where the mercury hovered between twenty and 

 thirty degrees below zero, and a full-grown blizzard pre- 

 sided over all only last week, and I thought, "who would 

 not be content to dwell in the land of the far-famed and 

 deadly tarantula and centipede!" We saw farmers at 

 work making gardens, plowing, etc., and the much-loved 

 Celestial sdiligently at work pruning vineyards; and upon 

 all hands a busy scene of industry. 



The first creature we encountered in the way of game 

 was a little prairie owl, sitting demurely by the roadside 

 and twisting his head nearly off in his endeavors to keep 

 his eyes on us; but he looked so very wise that we con- 

 cluded he belonged to a different family from the villain- 

 ous creatures described by Fannie Pearson Hardy, and 

 deeming his innocence worthy of protection we couldn't 

 harm him. 



We were driving along enjoying the beautiful scenery 

 and listening to the joyous songs of the larks, when my 

 husband suddenly called a halt in a mysterious under- 

 tone, and when I stopped the buggy he hastily dis- 

 mounted, and taking the shotgun out proceeded to load 

 it. He was somewhat disappointed to find upon opening 

 the cartridge box that he had brought only No. (K and 

 this looked a little extravagant, considering there were 

 nothing larger than larks, blackbirds and robins to be 

 seen. Still there was no remedy at hand, and he had to 

 do the best he could under the circumstances. 



Driving on a little distance that our steed might not be 

 frightened at the shots I heard two reports, and in breath- 

 less expectation awaited developments. My astonish- 

 ment was not small when I saw my stalwart gunner come 

 tugging along with two great big blackbirds in his hand. 



A faint smile took possession of his countenance as he 

 apologetically excl aimed : 



"I couldn't help it, dear, there was nothing else I could 

 get, won't they do better than nothing?" 



"Certainly," I replied, "we will have a nice pie for our 

 dinner, though of course it will scarcely reach the di- 

 mensions of the famous blackbird pie which was once 

 upon a time supposed to have been set before the king." 



We spent a few hours very pleasantly, the cartridges 

 were rapidly disposed of and we reached home heavily 

 laden with nine birds in all, including one little robin. 



Game seems very scarce, as we saw nothing larger than 

 the birds mentioned, yet we had a sumptuous dinner, 

 and shall certainly be thankful if we always meet with 

 as good success. Marion. 



Sacramento, Cal. i 



THE PROFITS OF TRAPPING. 



Editor Forest and Stream:. 



Doubtless there never was more sense and pith given 

 in so few words as is contained in the last sentence of the 

 article under the heading "Snap Shots" in the issue of 

 March 6. Why, there is scarcely a boy in the back farm- 

 ing settlements who has not his traps and uses them for 

 all they are worth, even where there is no fur larger than 

 mink and muskrat. Then, as you go further back to the 

 newest settlements the grown up sons and even heads of 

 families have lines of traps ten and even twenty miles, 

 with outlying camps, and lateral lines extending to lines 

 of other trappers in adjacent settlements. Then there 

 are those who go still further, even as far as the furthest 

 lumber camps, where they make their home camp, with 

 outlying camps beyond; and should an outsider set up a 

 line of traps on such grounds he will soon find his traps, 

 if found at all, "hung up," but most likely they will be 

 in the bed of some stream if not confiscated. This is ac- 

 cording to the unwritten law that obtains in the w T oods. 

 Let the boys take their outing, all the same. Take tent 

 and provisions for camping not far from some back set- 

 tlement fairly easy of access. Always there are plenty 

 of partridges, and in nearly all the back settlements of 

 western Maine deer and caribou can be found in easy 

 distance, which the nearest settler will be glad to pilot to 

 for a reasonable recompense. 



Don't be ambitious of big scores, but go for a fairly 

 good enjoyment of camp life in the woods and you will 

 not be disappointed. On the other hand, if you go think- 

 ing of dollars and cents in the way of trapping you will 

 come back sadder and wiser men. I am led to these re- 

 marks by being almost constantly in receipt of letters of 

 inquiry as to best places to go to trap; to all such I wotdd 

 emphasize the ultimate of the article referred to at the 

 head of this— don't. Old Man of the Woods. 



Game Prospects.— Paol a, Kan.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: I have noted with interest notes on the welfare 

 of game after the past winter. In this locality I do not 

 think game ever fared better. Quail are very' abundant 

 here now, principally females, and as the nesting season 

 is approaching, and there is no danger now to the lives 

 of the quail, I predict a great crop this season. The fall 

 shooting here was fine, and after the 1st of January but 

 few quail were killed, as the law is pretty universally 

 respected. The migrating ducks are now upon the rivers 

 and creeks near here, and all sportsmen are happy. The 

 principal kinds killed are scaup, mallard, pintail (red, 

 brown and blue), and a few woodduck. Pinnated grouse 

 are rapidly being exterminated in this county, as they 

 are hunted with such perseverance as the quail had never 

 known. A good many spring birds have arrived, che- 

 winks, field and wood sparrows principally.^ Robins, tits, 

 woodpeckers and bluejays, crows and hawks stayed with 

 us all winter. — J. W. M. 



Fowl in Michigan.— Newaygo, Mich., May 1.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: Ducks and geese are plentiful, with 

 an occasional white swan. All are now moving north- 

 ward, but their fate is only postponed, — Limbo. 



