390 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Deo. 8, im. 



duck shooting on the club grounds had been very good, 

 bags running over 50 and 60 birds being not uncommon. 

 Mr. Ed. Bangs bagged 78 big ducks one day a.nd 83 the 

 next. Dr. Henrotin got 57 one day and 62 the next, 

 mostly mallards. On the 23d the keepers wired up that 

 the birds were in by the thousands and wanted some 

 one to come down. The first heavy cold snap drove the 

 birds down and they had worked back north by the 23d, 

 The cold storm of this week will doubtless send them 

 nearly all south, except a few mallards. 



Last week Mr. Oliver bagged 115 quail in 3 days neai" 

 New Vernon, 111. He says they started 17 bevies in one 

 day. This will give an idea of the quail shooting in this 

 region for this fall. Mr. Oliver seems one of the fortu- 

 nate sportsmen. This fall he killed his sixtieth deer. 

 And he told me about a trout stream up in Michigan — 

 but that would freeze everybody's young blood. 



The raw and disagreeable cold of yesterday. Thanks- 

 giving Day, has to-day changed to heavy snow. It is 

 too early yet to learn who went hunting and who did not, 

 but it is probable that only a few went afield. There 

 was the usual amount of trap-shooting. On the whole, 

 Thanksgiving Day here was not exceptionally brilliant 

 in a field sportsman's point of view. Fort Dearborn 

 Club is the only sporting organization I know of which 

 is effusively thankful about anything. It is thankful 

 that the Milwaukee team didn't beat it 37 birds out of 

 200, instead of 17, as see trap columns. It seems that 

 the Milwaukee shooters fell on to the Chicago boys in a 

 very harsh, abrupt sort of way last Tuesday. 



Nov. 29.— The cold storm has brought in from the 

 north a scurry of fowl, probably the last of the season. 

 Six inches of snow yesterday, about the heaviest re- 

 corded for November, E. Hough. 



WAYS OF THE RUFFED GROUSE. 



WHEN the grouse leaves his home to visit the feeding 

 ground, he flies swift and straight at the distance 

 of from 3 to 30ft. from the ground. When he arrives 

 within about 50yds. of the place, he sets his wings and 

 sails in a straight line and alights on the ground. Gener- 

 ally he does not take a circle or sweep around on this 

 occasion. The grouse does so only when, disturbed and 

 frightened, he vrishes abruptly to check his flight and 

 alight at some point while in full flight; by doing this he 

 saves himself from being injured by coming in violent 

 contact with the ground. 



The places to which the grouse resorts for the purpose 

 of obtaining his food are usually from 200yds. to, a half 

 mUe or more away. On these excursions many" grouse 

 are killed by coming in contact with telegraph wires and 

 other obstructions. A section boss informed me that his 

 men have picked up along the tracks as many as three 

 grouse in as many miles in one morning, and that for 

 days together during the months of September and Octo- 

 her they rarely failed to find one. This occurred in the 

 Mohawk Valley, where in places the birds are rather 

 abundant. 



One of these places where the grouse obtains his food 

 is lowland adjoining streams where the wild grape 

 flourishes. The grouse is passionately fond of this fruit, 

 so much so that he will linger around the vines for hours 

 together, feeding as opportunity permits, and when shot 

 at this season his beak will be found stained purple with 

 the juice of the grape. Another place to which the 

 grouse resorts is those woods where the chestnut trees 

 abound. Of these nuts the grouse consumes great quan- 

 tities, swallowing them whole. The grouse also eats 

 clover leaves, small frogs and the fruit of the sumac, 

 which will be found scattered over the snow around 

 the tree where he has fed. 



In the early part of September the grouse resorts to 

 the pine woods for the purpose of eating the huckleber- 

 ries; when disturbed by an intruder he moves swiftly, 

 with a darting sort of zig-zag motion, at the same time 

 jerting his tail from side to side in such a manner as to 

 display the white feathers, and when he does so he looks 

 extremely like the rabbit when he jumps away. On one 

 occasion under these circumstances I actually shot a 

 grouse, supposing that it was a rabbit. 



Another place that the grouse visits is an apple 

 orchard. He does so for the purpose of eating the tender 

 buds. I knew a farmer to kill three birds one afternoon, 

 shooting them from a window of his house, which was 

 close to the orchard. He apologized for taking such an 

 advantage by asserting that the birds damaged his 

 'young fruit trees. 



At times a ruffed grouse may be foixnd under an apple 

 tree that stands solitary far out in the field. He goes 

 ^ there to pick up the seeds of those apples that have re- 

 ' mained ungathered. I recollect once in the month of 

 December walking along a woodman's road about 4, 

 o'clock in the afternoon and seeing oft' in the field 

 about GOyds. away an old apple tree. I noticed that the 

 ground was bare under it, while there was a snowy wil- 

 derness all around. I noticed also that several dead 

 branches lay under the tree, and that among these there 

 was one branch that had rather a peculiar and suspicious 

 look to me. Iproi)osed to go nearer and investigate. 

 After I had gone about 25yds. I came to a pile of stones, 

 and I sat down and looked under the tree again. The 

 same appearance was presented as when I had looked be- 

 fore, 1 was still in doubt. Cocking my gun, however, I 

 advanced toward the spot. I had taken but a few steps; 

 when the mysterious looking branch moved, then 

 darted a short distance and flew. As it left the ground I 

 fired. 



When I went up to the tree I did not find a grouse but 

 a handful of his feathers scattered over the ground. This 

 bird flew about 300yds. to the woods. As I approached 

 he fluttered out from under a dwarf hemlock and went 

 skimming away about 4ft. from the grotmd. When 

 30yds. off I sh ot him. Dorp, 



OUR FICKLE GAME LEGISLATION. 



THE record for the year 1891 comprises alterations in the 

 statutes of the thirty-three following:, all of which are noted 

 in the current edition of the Book of the Game LatDs: 



Alabama, Massachusetts, North Dakota, 



Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, 



California, Minnesota, Oregon, 



Ooloi-ado, Missouri, Pennsylvania, 



Delaware, Montana, Texas, 



^lorida, Nevata, Wa-hinaton. 



Georgia, New Hampshire, West Virginia, 



Idaho, New .lersey, Wisconsin, I 



Illinois, New Mexico, Wyoming, 



Indiana, New York, Manitoba, 



JIaiae, North Oaroljaa, Nova Scotia. 



OUR GAME SUPPLY, 



IN the present day of repeating rifles and shotguns and 

 improved breechloading firearms generally, the im- 

 portant question is, Where is our future supply of game 

 to come from? The sporting papers are full of sugges- 

 tions more or less crude, and the sportsmen themselves 

 are worried and divided over the best way to overcome 

 the difficulty. Many are "taking time by the forelock" 

 and solving the question for themselves by joining clubs 

 or buying large tracts of land. This, while ' it is to a cer- 

 tain extent successful, seems to be rather a selfish, though 

 natural, way for looking out for Number One; but it ap- 

 pears to me hardly the true way. There is, I think, 

 always a feeling in the heart of a true sportsman when 

 shooting over jireserved ground that he is killing com- 

 paratively tame birds or animals, and it does not afford 

 the same satisfaction as when the game is entirely wild 

 and the shooting free to every one. I do not wish "to put 

 myself on record as being opposed to clubs, for they have 

 many good points, and one of them is the fact that they 

 do much to preserve game and invariably help stock the 

 surrounding country. Their members generally obey the 

 game laws; in fact, the first thing a club does is to limit 

 the number of fish and game to be killed and to increase 

 its stock by careful breeding. 



The average sportsman is natuj-ally selfish when shoot- 

 ing or fishing on unpreserved ground; he knows that 

 game is scarce and hard to find, so when he does happen 

 to get a good chance he kills all he can. Now, it seems 

 to me that the first duty he owes to his brother sportsman 

 and to the coming generation is to content himself with 

 a moderate bag. Sportsmen are naturally loath to do 

 this, for the reason that they feel that the next man that 

 comes along vsdll undoubtedly take advantage of his gen- 

 erosity and kill to the last one, particularly if he happens 

 to be a market gunner. And speaking of 'the latter indi- 

 vidual, we ought to "face the music" at once and pro- 

 hibit all shooting of game for the market. Our small 

 supply of wild game is too valuable to waste in that way. 

 This fact I believe is universally admitted by all except- 

 ing the market men and those who make believe they 

 like the stale and tainted stuff that is kept year in and 

 year out in the freezing houses and sold in season and out 

 at the restaurants. The State of New York and some 

 other States are already moving in this direction, and the 

 present law prohibiting the transportation of game out of 

 the Forest Preserve unless accompanied by the person 

 that shot it is doing much good. I am sorry to have to 

 say that this law as far as venison is concerned is evaded 

 by the residents of the North Woods. The temptation to 

 provide themselves with a good supply of meat for the 

 winter's use is too great. Deer killed during the cold 

 weather are hung up to freeze, and in that climate will 

 keep until spring. Of course it is impossible in that great 

 wilderness when the snow lies deep to prevent it with 

 the very small force of wardens now employed by the 

 State. 



Much good is being done by the Forest and Stream 

 and other sporting journals in the way of educating 

 sportsmen to a higher standard, and if it were only pos- 

 sible to induce the public to read up more on these matters, 

 still greater benefits would follow. Even with the present 

 increase of guns and gunners there ought to be in this 

 great country sulficient game to provide our overworked 

 people with a fair amotmt of sport, certainly at least 

 enough to tempt them out to enjoy an occasional health- 

 giving tramp through the woods and fields. 



Our wealthy sportsmen, who can travel from one end 

 of the country to the other in search of their favorite 

 ganie, might easily lend 3, helping hand, not only by 

 setting a good example themselves, but also by making it 

 a point to force others to respect the laws whether they are 

 so-called sportsmen, marketmen or keepers of restaurants, 

 Wakeman Holberton. 



OHIO NOTES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



It was estimated that from our city alone fully 600 left 

 by train Monday P. M, for different sections of the 

 State, and all were bound to that particular place where 

 the birds were most abundant. Such a motly throng of 

 shooters has not been seen at our depots for many years. 

 Generally in pairs they came, some decked in canvas 

 coats and vests and rubber boots, all ready for the mor- 

 row; others more modest, and probably the most capable 

 had their outfits in big valises, and would have passed for 

 commercial travelers if it were not for their dogs and 

 guns. With such a collection of dogs, guns and hunters, 

 it would seem that the quail family would soon become 

 extinct; but from latest reports there are enough left for 

 fair sport next fall. The writer, accompanied by two 

 congenial spirits, left here Monday evening for Green- 

 wich, a small hamlet on the Big Four road, where quaU 

 were reported "thicker than bees at harvest time," 



In fact, there were a great many and we had very fine 

 shooting, but left most of them there when we came 

 away. Altogether we had a most enjoyable time. Our 

 host, Mr. Tom Thompson, of the Thompson House, ex- 

 erted himself to make it pleasant for us, and was ably 

 assisted by his estimable wife, who, besides furnishing us 

 with edibles fit for an epicure, insisted on preparing some 

 of our quail for us. Shooting was fine, feed good; but 

 writer enjoyed the evenings at the "grocery store" as 

 much as anything else. Such stories M^ere related! One 

 man had killed 105 squirrels in less than two hours, 

 within a mile from town. Another had seen turkeys 

 more plentiful than quail were now, and had killed nine 

 at one shot, etc., etc. But it all happened about thirty 

 years ago or just before the war. What interested the 

 writer most was the fact that there was owned in the 

 town a common hound and a shepherd dog that would 

 find quail and stand them as staunch as any setter. The 

 shepherd dog woujd also retrieve. C. F. P. 



OliEVELAND, 0., Nov . 31. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Since the first day the weather has been favorable, 

 large numbers have taken advantage of the same and 

 vast quantities of game have been bagged. There are 

 far more gunners than ever before, and they have better 

 guns, but there are more quail than for many years past. 

 This is caused, first by favorable winters, and second, by 

 the action of farmers, A large portion of Ohio farmers 

 were, like the writer of these lines, raised principally in 

 this State when there was more forest than field, and 

 both forest and field were alive mtb- gaoje, The result 



was that most of us boys became pretty fair hunters. 

 As old men, there is still a lingering desire to spend an 

 occasional day with the gun. The farmers have formed 

 game protective societies and keep pot-hunting hoodlums 

 from their premises. They also feed the quail during 

 severe winters. The result is that very good gunning 

 prevails nearly every season. Our State tish and game 

 wardens, as they average, are not of the least advantage, 

 but the end sought by our game laws is mostly accom- 

 plished by our farmers. Any reputable gunner can ob- 

 tain the privilege of gimning to a reasonable extent from 

 his farmer acquaintances, or by introduction from proper 

 parties knoypn to farmers. Thus the game question here 

 is being satisfactorily solved, and without visible assist- 

 ance from the State Commission. Milton P. Peirce. 

 Columbus, O., Nov. 16. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. George Rowland and I had a most delightful outing 

 of a week in October, catching three pike, total weight 

 451bs., one 38in. long, the other two 36in. a piece; and 

 killing all the small game we could use in camp and 

 sending a good lot home. Our local paper the other day 

 recorded: "R. 8. Dupuy. and his sons, James and Frank, 

 of this city, and Dr. Van Dupuy, of the Soldiers and 

 Sailors Orphans' Home, at Xenia, O., went hunting yes- 

 terday, over on Tygart, and will be gone until to-morrow 

 evening. We hope they will be loaded with game." We 

 did have a splendid time, bringing home a buggy load 

 and dividing it out among sick friends at home. 



Ikonton, Ohio. JamES Duprey. 



THE GAME FIELDS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Shooting in northwestern Iowa has been good this year. 

 A great many chickens were killed before the season 

 opened, but there was fair shooting, even then, after 

 Sept. 1. A friend and I bagged 167 chickens in four days' 

 shooting. Our shooting was mostly done in Dickinson 

 county. 



October rains filled a great many sloughs that were 

 di-y, and brought more ducks about here than I have seen 

 before in this locality in several seasons. Most of the 

 ducks that came early were gray ducks and pintails, some 

 spoonbills and teals. Lately there has been good shoot- 

 ing at mallards and bluebills. Nov. 7 two of us killed 28 

 mallards, 4 widgeon and 8 bluebills in one morning shoot 

 near Newell. We were through shooting at 9 o'clock 

 A. M. Three days later, in the same slough, we shot 46 

 mallards in four hours. It was snowing at the time, 

 though not very cold. Several good bags of ducks have 

 been made along the Desmoines River since the ponds 

 froze up. C. E, Willey shot 24 mallards on the 14th in 

 Lizard Creek, a small branch of the Desmoines, where 

 ducks are never foimd except in severe weather. There 

 are a great many quail here, but they are protected this 

 year, CoNOis, 

 Fort Dodge, Iowa, Nor. 15. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I noticed one of your numbers said that Jackson's Hole 

 was becoming settled, and that it would be only a ques- 

 tion of time when the large game of this place would be 

 destroyed. There have been more Indians here this sum- 

 mer than ever before, and they have killed hxmdreds of 

 deer, elk and antelope. And that is not all. J. D. Sar- 

 gent, who claims to be Hamilton's agent, has just sent 

 out a wagon load of elk heads to be shipped to New York, 

 which he claims to have killed himself. Now Sargent 

 claims that through the influence of the Hamiltons, the 

 laws of this State have been changed so as to permit non- 

 residents to kill game, but even as it is he is trying to 

 keep a hunting resort, as you can see by a letter which I 

 inclose. Nearly all of the settlers are 'in favor of pre- 

 serving the game of the State, but there is no court of 

 justice of any kind here, and we are powerless. 



Fred. E. White. 



Jackson's Hole, Wyoming, Nov. 10. 



ONTARIO MOOSE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Regarding the comments made by the Toronto World, 

 as printed in to-day's Forest and Stream, I should like 

 to say that nothing in the account of "Moose Hunting up 

 the Ottawa" would imply that the moose were killed in 

 Ontario; as a matter of fact this was not the case. The 

 Toronto World knows that the Ottawa at Mattawa is the 

 boundary between Ontaria and Quebec. AU the moose 

 we heard of being killed by visiting sportsmen wpre 

 killed on the Quebec side, though we must confess that 

 we did hear of many killed by the natives in Ontario, 

 We are readers of the Forest and Stream and Book of 

 the Game Laivs and therefore knew that it was a closed 

 season in Ontario. It was a buck deer that the New 

 York lawyer shot from the steamboat, not a moose, and 

 the account should haA'e so stated. We dodged no in- 

 spectors, excepting to bring the head home, and we do 

 not understand that we violated any law in doing this. 

 Nkw York, Nov. 25. NIAGARA, 



RHODE ISLAND GAME INTERESTS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In reply to your inquiry as to the work of the Rhode 

 Island Association for the Protection of Game and Fish, I 

 have to report that all of our suits, in the main, have 

 been decided in favor of the association. We have won 

 a suit for shooting out of season on the evidence of being 

 in the woods with dog and gun, "pursuing with intent to 

 kill"; having birds in possession and snaring, on evidence 

 brought against one of the worst offenders, convicting 

 him of tending and setting snares. We have established 

 the fact in the courts that we can get conviction and 

 sentence under our laws, and we practically stopped 

 shooting out of season and snaring. We lost one case 

 where we had a buyer for the summer resorts convicted 

 of having twenty-one birds in his possession. The case 

 was brought wrong, in my opinion. Twenty-one war- 

 rants were made out to get a conviction on each bird. 

 We won the case on one bird, and sentence was given. 

 He was ably defended, and escaped on the others on the 

 plea that having been fined on one bird, it could not be 

 proved on which one of the twenty-one he had been con- 

 victed on, and therefore he should not be fined twice for 

 the same offense; rather weak, but as he virtually owned 



