168 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 19, 1891. 



COON PREYING ON RABBITS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



''B," in Forest and Stk.eam of Feb. 26 doubts my con- 

 clusions as to coons catcbing rabbits, publisbed in youi- 

 edition of i'eb. 12. He says: "Before we accept Mr. 

 Latbrop's conclusion in the matter of their preying xipon 

 rabbits, I think we should examine his practices closely 

 to see if bis observations have been made with that thor- 

 ough minuteness the importance of the subject demands." 



I bave hunted coons for years. The smallest number 

 captured in any one season was thirty- three, the larg- 

 est forty-five. This season, by reference to my records I 

 find I spent the whole or part of forty-nine nights in the 

 woods. My va,cation lasts from July 1 to Oct, 1. 1 keep 

 from five to seven coon dogs, and during July and August 

 spend many days with them on brooks and in swamps 

 looking for tracks and coon signs generally, so to know 

 where to bunt for them later. Among my friends I am 

 known as a "coon crank." The last of December, 1888, 1 

 took three old coons from a hollow tree alive, kept them 

 in a cage made on purpose to see if they would make any 

 crying noise that cou.ld be beard in the woods, and found 

 they did, These were full-grown coons weighing sixteen 

 pounds each. The next year (having disposed of these) I 

 had four tame ones. I have often let them out in the 

 yard after a snow storm, just to see their tracks and 

 notice how they looked when walking, trotting, pacing 

 and running. I spent many hours thus during that 

 winter, and feel very competent to tell a coon track from 

 a cat track, I am very sure the tracks seen following 

 those rabbits were made by coons. 



"B." says "it is a death blow to formerlj'' received 

 theoi'ies of abstinence while in a state of hibernation, 

 etc." If "B." supposes that coons at a given time go into 

 a state of hibernation to remain so until the season for 

 that state is over, then to come out of it and remain so 

 until the next winter, he is mistaken. A coon hibernates 

 the least of any hibernator. Any warm foggy night dur- 

 ing December, January or February, after two or three 

 weeks of severe cold weather, coons are out, principally 

 to drink water: but they eat acorns, chestnuts, birds or 

 anything they can get that is included in their bill of 

 fare. 



The three old coons captured as above were tracked by 

 me to a hollow tree in the last part of December, after the 

 ground had been covered with snow for about three 

 weeks, and we bad severe cold weather during that 

 month. I was in the same swamp the day before during 

 a hard rain and captured two coons, located by my dog 

 by scent, the hole in the tree being but five or six feet 

 above ground. There were no tracks in the snow that 

 day, but this rain brought the other coons out that night. 



Now as to my practices on the day in which 1 made the 

 discovery, which "B." doubts, I had hired a livery team 

 and driven two hours from Cambridge for the express 

 purpose of looking for coon tracks; spent the whole day 

 there; left Cambridge at 9 A, M,, returned at 6 P. M., so 

 you see I spent five hours with those coon tracks. 



If "B." will send me his address, and ask what questions 

 he wishes about coons, I shall be glad to enlighten him to 

 the best of my ability, James G. Lathrop. 



Cambhidge, Mass. 



The full texts of the game laws of all the StateSj Terri- 

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Book of the 

 Gam e Laivs. 



A DEER HUNT IN FLORIDA. 



DUEING the month of January, 1890, scarcely a day 

 passed but that a prominent physician of Cincinnati, 

 a fruit grower of Rochester, and myself, a resident of 

 Pennsylva,nia, gathered at Lake Helen, did not have an 

 hour's talk on our proposed deer hunt to the southern part 

 of the State. 



Though daily Hay ward and myself bagged a number of 

 quail and pigeons, which the chef of the Hax-lan Hotel 

 served up in good style to the appreciative guests, a deer 

 hunt was quite beyond anything we had undertaken, 

 with the exception of the doctor, who had shot deer in 

 the northern woods of Wisconsin. 



We were ready to leave Lake Helen the first week in 

 February, having secured Paul Long as our guide. He 

 was a native of Florida, an excellent hunter and a good 

 cook. We had decided to go to Polk county, where a 

 brother of our guide lived and where there was reported 

 to be an abundance of game. Eagle Lake we found to 

 consist of but one house, the property of Martin Long, 

 our guide's brother. Orders were immediately sent to 

 Bartow for provisions, and about four P. M. the following 

 day the mules were hooked up to the large lumber wagon 

 whose broad tires prevented it sinking in the sandy soU. 

 One camp chest in which had been packed bacon, flour, 

 potatoes, canned goods and the necessaries was loaded on 

 the wagon with a large tent, and with Long as driver we 

 started off, followed by two deerhounds. Quail flew up 

 at our approach, but though the guns were nervelessly 

 fingered, they were left to fly away in peace. 



Camp was made late at night along a small creek of 

 clear, pure water, and as the silvery moon came peering 

 over the treetops, we ate our supper of bacon, crackers 

 and coffee. After gathering a quantity of pine knots for 

 fuel, our couches were sought and all was still save the 

 quiet breathing of the sleepers. As w^e were to penetrate 

 still further into the forest our eariy breakfast was eaten 

 by the light of a huge camp-fire, which cast weird 

 shadows about us. 



The rude trail wMch we had been foUovsdng was left 

 and a southerly direction was taien toward Lake Ar- 

 buckie. As we arrived near a beautiful lake about a half 

 mile in diameter the guide thought we had better make 

 our permanent camping place on its banks. It would in- 

 sure us plenty of pure water, and deer and turkey tracks 

 were visible. If no game fell to our guns, plenty of fish 

 could be caught. 



Ere we had pitched our tent the rain began to fall in 

 torrents, the first good shower we had had in eight weeks. 

 When we awoke the following morning it was still fall- 

 ing copiously, but it did not dampen our spirits, and the 

 forenoon was pleasantly passed listening to stories related 

 by our guides. 



The rain ceased about noon, and Long thought it would 

 be a good time to go out and look for deer, and I accom- 



panied him. The camp had scarcely been lost to view 

 when we jumped a big buck. Both fired, but, alas! he 

 escaped us. Nothing daunted, however, we crossed a 

 marshy plot of ground and found where a deer had been 

 feeding since the rain. We tracked him by his trail in 

 the damp sand, but lost it when it entered the swamp. 



While meditating whether to go on or return to camp, 

 the quick eyes of the guide caught sight of three deer 

 coming out of the brush along the edge of the swamp. 

 We quickly dropped on the ground and were hidden from 

 view by the scrub palmetto. The wind being favorable 

 and the deer feeding toward us, we waited until they 

 were within SOyds. from us, w^hen they were laid low by 

 the shots from our guns. As evening was approaching 

 and we were two miles from camp, it was necessary to 

 work rapidly in order to get them into camp. The greater 

 part of the next day was occupied in cutting and salting 

 the venison to take home. 



Early the following day, before the sun arose, Long- 

 started out to look up the tui'keys we had heard gobbling 

 the previous day, but his search was in vain. The after- 

 noon of the day all went fishing and our supper would 

 have delighted the most fastidious hunter — deer steat, 

 fish fried in bacon, sweet potatoes, flapjacks and coffee. 



Then followed two days of unsuccessful hunting. The 

 weather turned very warm, our provisions were running 

 low and we were fearful of our deer meat spoiling. So, 

 the next day, we put out our hoimds into the baj'ou, two 

 of our party going on one side, the others on the opposite 

 side. It was not long before the dogs struck a trail of 

 some kind and gave tongue. This was kept up for a 

 half-hour, yet jjeer as we might into the brush nothing 

 could be seen or heard. Suddenly we heard three reports 

 of a gun and upon running up to where they came from 

 we found Hay ward standing over an old bear, which was 

 quite dead, while a ctib, which we soon killed, was mak- 

 ing things lively for the dogs. The combined weight of 

 the two was 7001bs. and with much difficulty they were 

 brought into camp, and it was late at night before we 

 could rest our tired bodies. 



The next morning's sun found us with loaded wagon 

 ready to start for civilization. It was with delight we 

 turned our faces homeward with our trophies. Night 

 found us at Eagle Lake and the morning train bore us 

 northward, well pleased with our deer and bear hunt in 

 Florida. L. R. S. 



SCBANTON, Pa. 



TRAITS OF THE VIRGINIA DEER. 



NONE of the wild animals of America is better known 

 in a general way than the common or Virginia deer. 

 It is my purpose in this article to mention some, only, of 

 the peculiarities of this animal as the result of many years 

 of careful observation, and which may have escaped gen- 

 eral notice. I regard this variety of the deer family as 

 likely to remain longest among us, in a wild state, and as 

 the one best adapted to furnish sport to the hunter. For 

 lithe and graceful motion he excels all other American 

 varieties. In this respect he equals the action of the 

 proudest horse. The mule deer under like circumstances, 

 that is, when alarmed by the approach of the hunter, is 

 awkward in his movements, making his few first jumps 

 striking the ground with his feet close together, and 

 stiff -legged like a bucking horse. 



The Virginia deer has a natural inclination to remain 

 in one place or neighborhood, and about clearings in 

 forest and farms, even after cover has become scant, 

 leaving scarce a dozen acres of timberland between 

 cleared farms. For twenty-five years I lived in a well- 

 cleared and cultivated valley. During that time deer 

 were always to be found on the mountain sides within a 

 half mile of the clearings, and where they could at all 

 times see and hear the usual farm operations, inclttding 

 a view of the house dog as he lay in the farm yard or run 

 about the fields. 



This deer is a great lover of water and of the food he 

 finds about lakes and rivers. I have known at least one 

 to be out in Lake Huron twelve miles from shore and 

 making for an island a couple of miles further from the 

 shore of the main land. I saw a large buck go into the 

 breakers of Lake Michigan when every wave knocked him 

 over on to his back. He did not like such rough water, 

 and came back to shore in spite of hounds and hunter. 

 When pursued by a full-blood staghound a buck takes to 

 water in about half an hour. A doe will require aboiit 

 twice as long. And a four-months-old fawn will fre- 

 quently run before the hound from four to six hours 

 before it goes for water. Of course trained cur dogs and 

 crossbreeds of many sorts run a deer much faster. 



Some of his methods of escaping the shot of the hunter 

 show great sagacity. I have many times known deer to 

 be driven to a public road where a hunter was stationed. 

 If a wagon was passing the deer would cross the road 

 close behind the wagon, and so the hunter hidden a dozen 

 rods away could not fire. I have seen this occur too often 

 to believe it an accident. I w.as digging potatoes one day 

 when a buck came up behind me and lay down about 

 10ft. away. Half an hour after a hunter approached and 

 inquired where his deer went to. 1 had seen none and 

 told him so. While we were talking the deer jumped up. 

 If the hunter had carried a hoe instead of a I'lfle I doubt 

 if the deer wotdd have moved so much as one of his ears. 

 Their returning upon their track, or "back tracking," 

 when pursued, is known to all hunters. 



The mule deer, so far as I have discovered, knows 

 nothing of these tricks. Judge Oaton once said to me, 

 speaking of the difference in sagacity of the two 

 varieties, "The mule is a fool." Whether or not that 

 criticism is just, it is certain that living as the mule deer 

 does in the solitude of these great mountains, he does not 

 need to practice so much cunning to keep himself fairly 

 safe. 



To discover the approach of danger deer depend on 

 their sense of smell. A single hunter, if skillful, when 

 there are two paths or runways, will walk into the forest 

 on one of them, then take his stand near the other in 

 order to shoot the deer before his hound. One day I saw 

 a band of five thoroughly frightened deer strike the track 

 where a hunter had passed but a short time before. They 

 all stopped when they reached the track as suddenly as 

 if their necks were just then broken. After sniffing the 

 air a few seconds they all set off again, but in an opposite 

 direction to that taken by the hunter. 



One Smiday morning found me in a lumber camp on the 

 Rabit River in Michigan, where I must stay all day. 

 After breakfast I strolled up one of the log roads aud saw 

 where five deer has crossed on their way to some hard- 



wood bottom land bordering the river, I followed on 

 their trail, intending to find them and spend an hour or 

 two in their company. I found them scattered out over 

 an acre of ground, but all in sight and browsing. The 

 one nearest me, and in no caver, soon saw me. At fii'st 

 he only looked at me when I was sitting down on the 

 snow and covering my face with my hand. He looked at 

 me sharp and often, but continued to browse. When 

 they were busy feeding I managed to approach. The 

 wind blew from them toward me. Sometimes I whistled 

 as if calling a dog. They all looked at me, but my face 

 was covered , and I sitting on the snow. After a while 

 the deer furthest to my right had got nearly in my rear, 

 when he gave a big snort and ran with great apparent 

 alarm . The others, startled by his warning snort, ran also, 

 but only a few rods. After a quarter of an hour of stand- 

 ing motionless, they slowly made tbeir way back and 

 began again to browse. I continued to approach as I had 

 a chance, while they were busy eating, until I had got 

 within a few rods of one of them. Just then he stepped 

 behind a big pine and I stepped forward briskly and made 

 a jump for his hind leg. I missed it by an inch. The 

 deer was too much frightened to jump more than a length 

 at one spring, until it had got ott' some rods, and then 

 made what might be called fast time. The others ran at 

 the same time and I saw my friends no more. 



From the experience of a tolerably long lifetime in the 

 woods I am satisfied that the Virginia deer was intended 

 by nature to run before a deerhound. He is not afraid of 

 the hound and has no reason to be. But wolves, cur- 

 dogs and cross-breeds are his terror. I have seen a deer 

 pass me in the woods, bleating most piteously at every 

 jump. A black cur-dog was only a few yards behind. I 

 have seen deer running before a staghound and loping along 

 as happily as a fox in the same situation, stopping at top 

 of every considerable hill and waiting for the hound to 

 come up. When tired the deer will go to water, or if a 

 buck may stop and beat off the bound. I have seen a 

 buck beat four as good hounds ar ever were in the United 

 States. 



The deer after a day's run goes back at night to the 

 bed he was started from in the morning; and I have 

 started the same buck with my hound from the same 

 bed several times. And the testimony of my friends is to 

 the same fact. 



Often a hound gets beaten by a particular buck and 

 will not after that follow it a ro'd. In a case of that sort 

 I got a farmer to go with me, taking a large dog of his. I 

 got up the buck; and in fifteen minutes the fai-mer's dog 

 came back with a hole in his side as big as a hen's egg. 

 My hound was within 20ft. of the buck when he sprang 

 up, but did not follow the buck a dozen rods, notwith.- 

 ing I did my best to urge him on. 



I learned when a boy to still-hunt deer. But I would 

 not give a straw for all the sport I can get from shooting 

 deer. I would as soon walk in the autumnal forest with 

 a cane as with a rifle. My only idea of sport in good hunt- 

 ing is shooting on a runway before a deerhound, a,nd with 

 a party of my friends. 1 never saw a party of deer hunt- 

 ers that could kill as many deer in a week as either one 

 could kill in the same place at still-hunting. For myself 

 I never killed more than two deer in one day before 

 hounds, and that but a few times, while I have shot as 

 many as five in as many minutes while still-hunting. It 

 is not the killing of deer that makes "sport," but the 

 chase, and 1 am as well contented without the killing as 

 with. I hunted for twenty years more or less every fall 

 with hounds, most of the years about the rivers and lakes 

 in northern New York; and never shot a deer in a lake 

 nor saw one killed from a boat except in two cases. I 

 saw one Indian and one half-breed each kill one in Lake 

 Hm"on. In the first case I was watching a deer floating 

 about in the breakers near shore and waiting for her to 

 come out. Suddenly she sank, nothing except the tip of 

 her black nose remaining above water. Surprised at this, 

 I looked up and down the shore for the cause. Soon I 

 saw coming round a sharp point of land jutting into the 

 lake on the north an Indian canoe, containing an Indian 

 and his squaw and children. I showed myself and he 

 passed the deer without pretending to see it. One of my 

 party, however, whom I did not suppose was near, hailed 

 the Indian a quarter of a mile below and engaged him to 

 land his family and go out and catch the deer. I was dis- 

 appointed. I could have shot the deer any time dui'ing 

 the last half hour, but did not wish to do so until it had 

 left the lake and was on the jump through the scant 

 timber lining the shore. Geo. H, Wyman. 



Boise City, Idaho. 



PA'TRIDGE. 



WILL you kindly tell me througb your columns the 

 difference between a "ruffed grouse" and a "part- 

 ridge"? 



I was raised in Vermont, and recall with pleasure 

 many a ramble, while yet a boy in my teens, over her 

 forest-crowned hills, lugging guns that were not infre- 

 quently dangerous at both ends, particularly the closed 

 end. Nevertheless the blood of Nimrod coursed through 

 ray veins, and on these tramps I occasionally brought 

 down one of those magnificent birds which in my neigh- 

 borhood I never heard called anything but partridge. 

 During those early days I often heard and read of grouse 

 in other States and other countries, but supposed them to 

 be an entirely different bird. When about twenty-one I 

 left my native State and came to Kansas, where I have 

 since lived. I do more or less gunning every season for 

 prairie chickens, quail, geese, ducks, etc., but have never 

 yet fell into a "ruffed grouse" locality. 



From reading about the habits and tricks of the latter, 

 I have long since had a suspicion that the "ruffed grouse" 

 and the old "partridge," friends of my boyhood days, are 

 one and the same bird. Web3ter does not make it en- 

 tirely clear to me, or at best he gives different names for 

 different localities, but does not make the difference plain. 



I am aware that a man who has carried a g^ln for quite 

 a number of years ought to be posted on so simple a 

 question, but my boyhood's birds were partridges, and 

 known in our part of the State as such, and by the time 

 I had grown to manhood I was far away in another State, 

 and my hunting since has been for different birds, either 

 in open field, brush thicket or water, and having had no 

 opportunity to form the acquaintance of ruffed grouse, 

 or renew my partridge acquaintance, I am obliged to 

 settle my doubt from the knowledge of others. Tfiis 

 much I do know, that a partridge— be he known by that 

 name or any alias — is wise enough to lead anyoldgunne^ 

 a long chase, and when flushed within range thatgunne^ 



