Oct. 1, 1891.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S07 



converged all the chaotic wishes of his fellow members 

 into the happy focus of that event so eagerly awaited 

 each year, the day of days, the "opening day." This 

 year he had an additional and most serious source of 

 trouble— the water on the marsh was too low to let in the 

 boats. This occiu-s about once or twice in five or six 

 years, and while it does not atfect the number of ducks, 

 it does seriously affect the shooting. About four weeks 

 ago, therefore, Mr. iStonehad a dam built across the river, 

 just below the "iirst channel," about oppjsite the spot 

 marked on the map as "Stony Island." The river here 

 runs through banks of peat and muck, its bottom yards 

 down in fairly fa.thomles3 mud. The dam was built of 

 plank, peat, hay and mud. The river promptly burrowed 

 under the dam, and blew a great hole out of it. This 

 was temporarily filled, and lOin. of water at the dam set 

 the water back in the channels so that the boats could 

 go in all right. This was just in the last of August, but 

 unfortunately, only a few days hefore the moment- 

 ous 1st, Mr! Stone got a telegram that the dam had 

 gorie out again. It was therefore with some despond- 

 ency that the shooting party started for the marsh. 

 Work on the dam was continued persistently, and 

 on Sunday, the 30Lh. the leak was gotten nearly 

 under control. There seemed to be no bottom to the 

 mud. I saw a 16t't. fence board driven clear to the end 

 into the mud at the dam, and the last blows of the sledge 

 seemed to send it on down aa easily as the first. No one 

 can fathom the mud on Hoi'icon Marsh. When this was 

 Horicon Lake, the -whole hog, rice, reeds and all, rose 

 and floated, miles and miles of it. When the water was 

 drained off most of the hog sank again. If the water 

 rises the bog rises also. There are two kinds of mud on 

 Horicon, the kind that floats and the kind that sinks. If 

 you break through the bog while wading through the 

 wild rice, you may sink up to your- hips, or up to your 

 waist. You may strike terra firma in a layer of sunken 

 peat, or in one of the solid ledges which underlie portions 

 of tlie marsh; or then again you may sink a thousand 

 feet into the soft mud, the kind which doesn't float. I 

 dropped my jack knife while putting out my decoys. It 

 fell in 3in. of water, but though I plunged my arm up to 

 the shoulder after it, I never caught it, and think it is 

 going yet. Study the infinite combinations of these two 

 kinds of mud, the kind that floats and the kind that does 

 not float, and you will soon learn that pushing a boat on 

 Horicon Marsh is better when the dam holds. 



It held all through the 1st, 3d and 3d, but the water 

 rose all too slowly. This dam cannot be permanent. It 

 is much an engineering feat to make one permanent that 

 side or Horicon Ledge: but granted that, and you have 

 the key to the prettiest shooting situation in this part of 

 the West. We have no marsh here which appraaches it. 

 The fastnesses of the marsh protect the birds, and they 

 are there in untold thousands. E. Hough. 



NORTH CAROLINA GAME REGIONS. 



AWAY from the immediate vicinity of the region of 

 which I am writing comparatively little is known 

 of the attractions offered the sportsman. Little do the 

 disciples of William Henry Herbert dream of the para- 

 dise for the lover of sport in the Albemarle section of 

 North Carolina, of the numberless resorts for water fowl 

 ■on its boundless waters, of the endless chains of forests, 

 iabounding with deer, and bear and turkey, and of the 

 toroad fields where the quail and partridge feed. Curri- 

 iiuok Sound has enjoyed an enviable reputation among 

 ishore shooters, long unchallenged by any rival within 

 the United S!;ates, but of the other vast tracts of inland 

 waters, and of the Southern home of field and forest 

 ;game which has not been pounded to death by the con- 

 tinual hammering of the holiday shooter, an " ignorance 

 •exists which is almost unjust. 



The design of this paper is not to depict incidents of 

 ffleld life, but to afford specific information to those who 

 ■care to enjoy it, consequently I shall confine myself 

 mainly to pointing out localities which can be readily 

 reached. To enjoy the sport in the Albemarle section 

 <one must take several days if he be from the North, but 

 ithe expenses need not be heavy, as all of the points I 

 ishall mention are within a few hours ride of Norfolk, by 

 ithe Norfolk & Southern Eaikoad or its steamers. Nor- 

 jfolk is connected directly by rail with nearly every por- 

 tion of the United States, and by daily steamers with 

 ^Baltimore, Washington, New York, Providence and Bos- 

 •.ton. The fare for the round trip from the two latter 

 -cities is $18, by the Merchants' & Miners' steamers, and 

 Jfrom New York by the Oid Dominion is S13. These 

 jprices also include meals and staterooms. At Norfolk the 

 isportsman should stop at the New Atlantic Hotel, which 

 ?not only provides the comforts of a Northern hostelry, 

 but a special rate is given. 



Currituck Sound, on the coast of North CaroUna, un- 

 'doubtedly affords the best duck shooting to be found in 

 ■■this country; and it does notrequu-e a greater expenditure 

 'of time and money to indulge in it than the sportsman 

 (can usually afford. All the conditions of shooting there 

 :are pleasant, for although, as in other places, there are 

 fgood and bad days, still when the fowl do fly, they fairly 

 swarm. It is nothing uncommon for a sportsman to kill 

 150 head of geese, swan and duck in a day's shooting. 

 Then again there is little or no exposure or hard work 

 about it; the points are not remote, and the thermometer 

 rarely falls below 40" ; the grasses and reeds, not being cut 

 down by the heavy frosts as they are further north, afford 

 natural blinds, where one can stand or sit at pleasure 

 without finding it necessary to lie on his back; indeed, 

 one often sits in a chair and waits for the birds. The Cur- 

 rituck, the Swan Island, the Lighthouse, the Narrows 

 Island, the Palmer Island, and the Monkey Island clubs 

 h&ve shooting stations there. The shooting is best during 

 the winter months, and in the main is done from a 

 blind, a battery, or over decoys. Snipe shooting in the 

 marshes is very good in season, and the forests are full of 

 deer and bear. The route to Currituck from Norfolk is 

 by the Norfolf & Southern Railroad to Saowden, the fare 

 is $1.20, then by stage to the shooting grounds. Board is 

 $3 per day, and the use of a boat and decoys about the 

 same. 



At Snowden the fields are always fiUed with coveys of 



Eartridge. This year the birds are unusually plentiful, 

 adeed, they are almost as numerous as Eoglish sparrows 

 in Central Park. The law is oft' Nov. 15, Living is 

 jreasopable, about |3 per day. 



From Snowden one also enters the Dismal Swamp, where 



! deer and bear hide. Deer are very plentiful this year, 

 and bears so unusually promiscuous that all the farms 

 are posted with danger signs warning the sportsmen to 

 look out for the bear guns which are planted in every 

 conceivable locality. 



Narrow Shore, Church's Island and CoUington Island 

 are most readilv reached from Shawboro, which is 3a 

 miles from Norfolk, fare 11.30, on the Norfolk & South- 

 ern. The first two are best fot duck, geese and swan, 

 while Collington Island presents unusually good opportu- 

 nities for the killing of deer, which, aa I have said before, 

 are very plentiful this year. 



At Elizabeth City, 44 miles from Norfolk, on the Norfolk 

 & Southern, fare $1.70, the grounds lie adjacent to the 

 town, and snipe, squirrels, partridges, duck, fox, deer and 

 bear are abundant. Fox driving is a very popular sport. 

 The new Albemarle Hotel provides the best of accommo- 

 dations at $2 per day. Bear hunting from boats in the 

 Pasquotank River and Dismal Swamp Canal is very good. 



Nag's Head, reached from Eliz ibeth City by the steamer 

 Neuse, which, by the way, is an ocean steamer, fitted for 

 ocean travel with its necessary accompaniments, presents 

 good all-around shooting all the year around. In the 

 season, snipe, curlew, willet, duck," geese, brant, swan, 

 rabbit, squirrel, deer and bear ofler excellent shooting. 

 At Okisko, 53 miles from Norfolk, on the Norfolk & 

 Southern, fare $1.95, squuTel, partridges, coon and bear 

 are found. They are al^o prevalent at Winfall and 

 Yeopim. 



1 1 At Avoca, on the Chowan River, near Edentin, and 

 reached by the Norfolk & Soitthern steamer Roberts for 

 $3.70 from Norfolk, can be found nearly all game. Tur- 

 key is especially abundant. Bear and deer also offer ex- 

 cellent sport. Di-. W. R. Cipehart, who has there a plan- 

 tation of several thousand acres, can furnish all particulars. 



An excellent inn has recently been erected at Bell 

 Haven, on the Norfolk & Southern, for the express ac- 

 commodation of sportsmen. It is 113 miles from Noi'- 

 folk and the fare is $4.05. Good waterfowl shooting 

 may b3 had thereabouts-, but deer are the attraction 

 this year. Fourteen were shot in one day by two men 

 recently. 



No man who has not visited the Albamarle section of 

 North Carolina can have any conception of the plentitude 

 of game. During the winter months the streams are 

 alive with waterfowl. In the fields and forests is game 

 without limit. No great judgment is required in select- 

 ing a good spot, for the game is there, and any one who 

 can pitll a trigger can find satisfactory sport. 



Frank A. Heywood, 



THE CHATHAM ASSOCIATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Your readers have been advised from time to time of 

 the very commendable and successful efforts of the 

 Chatham Fish and Gime Associaiion to restock the lands 

 in the Upper Passaic Valley with game birds and the 

 river with game fish and prevent illegal shooting and 

 fishing. The association is an incorporated body, and 

 the statutes of New Jersey give power to members of 

 fish and game protective associations to aiTest without 

 wai-rant any parties found illegally trespassing in shoot- 

 ing and fishing. It may not be known, however, to 

 many of your readers that the laws of New Jersey also 

 forbid the shooting on stich territory by any one not a 

 resident of New Jersey. The penalty is exceedingly 

 severe, being not only a fine, but imprisonment and con- 

 fiscation of guns. 



The territory included in the reservation of this Asso- 

 ciation lies in the townships ,of Hanover, Livingston, 

 Millburn, Summit, Madison, Chatham, New Providence 

 and Passaic. The lands have been thoroughly posted 

 with "No Trespass" notices, and printed condensed state- 

 ments of the game laws have been widely distributed. 

 We learn that it is the intention of the Association to 

 defend fully the rights given them by the statutes and 

 through their contracts with land owners. It will there- 

 fore bs wise for those who are now arranging for locali- 

 ties to be visited at the opening of the season to seek 

 other points. We are heartily in sympathy with the 

 course pursued by the Association, which seems to be the 

 only effective way of restoring to the lands and waters 

 the old time abundance of game and fish. 



A large number of quail were turned out in this terri- 

 tory last spring and numerous coveys have been seen 

 daily during the summer and fall, but the number that 

 may be shot by any one member has very wisely been 

 limited. The Association is in a very flourishing condi- 

 tion. It has raised among its members a very large sum 

 of money for further stocking the lands and waters, as 

 well as for the erection of a commodious club house. 

 The contracts for the erection of the building have been 

 let. Its location is very central and extremely conven- 

 ient for members and land owners. It is situated oti 

 Fairmount avenue, opposite the station of the D. L. & W. 

 R.R, at Chatham. Jeeset Bltje. 



TO MASSACHUSETTS SPORTSMEN. 



PABTICULAELY OF MIDDLESEX, NORFOLK, PLYJIOUTH, 

 BRISTOL AND BARNSTABLE COUNTIES. 



THE Massachusetts Fish and G-ame Protective Associa- 

 tion, in its efforts to restock ttie public shooting 

 grounds of this State, last spring loosed 350 or more pin- 

 nated grouse (prairie chickens) in different parts of the 

 above mentioned counties. 



From reports received thus far it appears that the birds 

 have thrived so well that at the present time there are 

 probably at least 700 to 1,000 scattered throughout the 

 eastern portion of the State; and without doubt many will 

 be seen this fall by sportsmen. 



The association^ through its committee, most earnestly 

 requests that every sportsman let go unshot at, any of 

 these birds, thereby helping toward success a work being 

 cai-ried on entirely by private subscriution for the benefit 

 of every person in the Commonwealth who loves a gun. 



If not molested for a, few years a splendid addition to 

 our game will result, and Massachusetts wiU be the only 

 State on the Atlantic coast where sportsmen may find 

 this kind of game. 



Nothing except failure can be expected, however, unless 

 every sportsman shall aid in protecting from harm these 

 birds now for the first time in this State for over 150 years. 

 Give the birds a chance to live. 



Henry J, Thaybb, Seo'y of Committee, 

 BOSTON, Sept. 28, 



Maine's Big Game,— We refeired the other day to a 

 letter written by Mr. E, E, Harlow, of Greenville, Me., 

 in the Bangor News, stating that several moose, deer and 

 caribou had been wantonly killed in the vicinity of 

 Moosehead Lake, by persons undetected. The NevJs re- 

 turns to the topic, and says; "From a personal acquaint- 

 ance with Mr, Harlow, the Neios knows him to be the 

 soul of truthfulness. He has been around Kineo and 

 Greenville for several seasons past, and knows a majority 

 of the guides intimately. Hence, he is not liable to be im- 

 posed upon by 'htmter's yarns.' The inference is that he 

 was rightly informed, that the guide.^ saw what thej re- 

 ported, and that Mr. ilarlow consequently gave a correct 

 account of actual events. Since printing Mr. Harlow's 

 communication, the Neus has taken pains to ascertain 

 how far the law is violated in the Moosehead region, and 

 while it is not ready to j)ublish all the details learned, 

 enough was found out to show that INIi-. Harlow's report 

 did not half tell the tale of illegal slaughter that is prac- 

 ticed in that vicinity. Employees of the Bangor & Pis- 

 cataquis Raikoad state that deerhounds and foxhounds 

 are constantly going 'up Moosehead way,' and that the 

 owners nf these dogs declai'e openly they are going to dog 

 deer. Names of parties who keep dogs at Greenville for 

 the purpose of chasing moose were also given, and many 

 other valuable pointers to show where the law breakers 

 hide. The same story with variations comes from other 

 parts of eastern Maine. The name of a sporting rendez- 

 vous atChemo where dogs are kept to run deer has been 

 given to the Neics with other particulars that would be of 

 value to, and is available for any honest game warden in 

 the State. The Forest and Stream, with the instincts 

 of a true sportsman, would be glad to learn that the re- 

 ports are exfiggerated. So would the News; and while the 

 News is practically convinced that the reports are true, it 

 still waits, hoping to hear of arrests for law breaking, or, 

 what is better still, a cessation of the most unholy prac- 

 tices that now prevail. The State of Maine is a" grand 

 old State, It is full of brave, law-abiding men and noble 

 women. It is a shame, the Neics confesses, that there are 

 cowardly lawbreakers who lay claim to citizenship. Yet 

 it is a lasting shame and disgrace to the game commis- 

 sioners and wai'dens to allow such deeds to go on from 

 year to year without making a vigorous attempt to bring 

 the offenders to justice. In conclusion, the Neics requests 

 all persons who know of parties who are violating the 

 game laws of this State to send full particulars to this 

 paper. The names of those sending the particulars must 

 accompany every letter, but will not be used if the writers 

 desire to I'emain unknown. It is time that the pirates of 

 the forest were shown up. They have ruled the State too 

 long." 



Ways of the Ruffed Grouse. — The ruft'ed grouse be- 

 haves at times in so strange and unusual way as to lead 

 the most experienced observer and keenest student of 

 woodcraft to wonder what its motives are. While in 

 pursuit of this bird, in company with my brother, I was 

 wallung on a pasture land along the edge of a woods and 

 had stopped at a point I deemed favorable, my brother 

 being at the time some distance within the cover, when 

 a grouse started. The bird flew toward me, and making 

 a rapid swerve alighted on the greensward directly in 

 iront of me, just outside of the woods. He certainly was 

 not over 25Et. away. As soon a,s he lit, as is their nabit, 

 he straightened up, and turning his head from side to 

 side, looked around him. On the impulse of the moment 

 without thinking, being somewhat excited perhaps, I 

 drew up, and without taking aim fired at the bird. I 

 had now done an unsportsmanlike act, and yet I had not 

 shot a grouse on the ground. For strange to say not a 

 shot had iut the bird. The whole charge went over and 

 tore to atoms the foliage behind him. When I took the 

 gun down there was the bii'd as before, he had not moved 

 a particle. Thus we stood looking at each other for about 

 a half mmute, when my brother having heard the report 

 of the gun, approached, the bird turned his head at the 

 noise, and then taking a few steps flew and like a bolt 

 disappeared through the foliage. When my brother 

 came up I related the incident -t:-) him, and it was his 

 opinion that the groitse remained after I had shot at him 

 because he was paralyzed with feai-. Was this the fact? 

 or was it courageous conduct, combativeness? or was the 

 bird fascinated by the sound of the gun? I leave the 

 reader to decide this point and add another to the ways 

 of this mysterious bird of the woods.— Dorp. 



Hunting Deer wnn Bird Dogs.— Portland, Ore. ~ 

 Clear out here (at so near the "jumping off place" that 

 we smile when reading of people going out into the far 

 western Avilderness of Montana or Dak:ota, which to us 

 seems a long way east), I wish to echo the request of 

 "Aztec" that we may hear more from "H. L." or others 

 who know anything about still-hunting deer with bird 

 dogs. Although it is hardly necessary in this compara- 

 tively little hunted country to use a dog, yet a dog com- 

 panion is naturally desirable. Especially is it the case 

 with one who as myself much prefers hunting alone 

 rather than with human company, cronies excepted of 

 course. Now, if we can train our faithful bird dogs to 

 assist us in locating close game or in tracing the trail of 

 wounded "meat," cannot we all see how much more of a 

 fellow feeling and love we may justly claim for our glossy 

 chum of the silken ears? — ^LouiS B. Akin. 



Hajimerless G0NS. — The reason why I mentioned 

 hammerless guns as being dangerous was that many 

 persons are apt to be careless in theu- use on account of 

 theu" fancied security, not that I intended to hint they 

 were insecure because of their mechanism. A gun, no 

 matter what make or chai'acter, should, like the working 

 end of a strange mule, be treated with consideration. — 

 Reignolds. 



For "Chicago and the West," see page 331. 



Owe Mostent, Pjleasb.— Do you contemplate visiting Dubuque, 

 St. Paul. Minneapolis. Marshalltown, Des Moines. St. Josepli, 

 Leavenworth, Kansay City, or any point in the Northwest, the 

 Piiget Sound recinn or the halmv South or Southwest? The 

 Cinoae'--, St. Paul and Kansas City Railwn.y will furnish you 

 trauBportalion enabling you to safely, quickly and comfortably 

 reacu your destination. Its splendid equifmput and excellent 

 management havp made it a popular favorite, F. H, Lohd, Gen- 

 eral Passenger and Ticket Agent, Ctiicago, 111.— ^rtu. 



A Book About Ikdiass.— The Forest ajtd Stream will mail 

 freeon applicatioD a descriptive circular of Mr, Grinnell's book, 

 "Pawnee Hero Stories ajid Folk-tales," giving a table of contents 

 Rnd epeolmen Ulustratlons from the volume.— 4<iv. 



