DbO. 1891.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



411 



WHERE HAS ALL THE GAME GONE? 



"rpHE blackhearts used to come to Toronto Bay in 



X hundreds of thousands every spring. Once, about 

 fifteen years ago, 1 killed 400 at a single discharge of my 

 double-barreled, but they don't seem to come any more, 

 somehow," said an old sport. 



"Thirty-five years ago this fall," said a lumberman, "I 

 went with a lot of fellows up the St. Lawrence River on 

 a steamer, and we fairly plowed our way through ducks. 

 Why we killed hundreds with our revolvers just for fun, 

 and even knocked them down with sticks and stones." 



"What could jon do with so many?" I said. 



"Do! Why we never bothered about them again after 

 they fell." 



"In 1867, 1 and two other fellows discovered a herd of 

 200 odd elk yarded up in the snow, in Oregon. We 

 killed every one of them in a few hours," says an old 

 miner. 



"I've seen a hundred thousand hogs fattened on wild 

 pigeon equabs in Kentucky," says an ancient pioneer, 



"Forty years ago," said the first settler of Peel county, 

 Ontario, "I stood by that rock in the river, with a pitch- 

 fork, and pitched out fat salmon till I had a pile on the 

 banks nearly as high as a man." 



' 'And then;" 



"Oh, I took a dozen or so of the best and left the rest to 

 rot. We all did it every spring. But there has not been 

 a salmon seen here for ten years now; it's a judgment on 

 us." 



"Yes," says an old ranchman, "I've seen the prairie 

 north of the Canadian River so thickly strewn witn dead 

 buffalo, left untouched where they fell, that one might 

 have walked sixty miles on them without ever touching 

 ground." 



These are only a few out of thousamds of well known 

 facts, and yet people keep on asking "What has become 

 of all the game?" If they wish for a fuller solution let 

 them turn to the department of this journal in which 

 each sportsman tells of the size of his latest "bag," and 

 further let them turn to the cover and advertising pages, 

 and mark the growing muitiplicity and perfection of in- 

 fallible, deadly, wholesale engines of destruction of every 

 possible kind: each year shows us something new, with 

 greater precision, range, power and rapidity than ever 

 before, while the luckless wild things are endowed no 

 better than when a bow and arrow were their worst foes. 

 Let them note these facts, I say, and ask once more 

 where has the game gone to. For my part I should be 

 quite contented to see the total abolition of what is 

 known as sport with the gun. Ernest E. Thompson. 



INDIANA SPORTSMEN AND FARMERS. 



WE have received from Mr. F. M. Gilbert a copy of 

 the subjoined resolutions, sent to him by a com- 

 mittee of the leading sportsmen of Evansville: 



EVA.NSVILLE, Ind., Dec. 3, 1891.— F. M. Gilbert, Esq., 

 Game Warden First District, Indiana: At a meeting 

 to-night the following resolutions were adopted, and I 

 herewith present tkem to you: 



Whei'eas, We represent the citizens of Evansville who 

 believe in recreation when possible to leave our work, 

 and we love gun and dog, and find our only sport in the 

 pursuit of quail ; and 



Whereas, We are not market shooters, but shoot only 

 for our own pleasure and the few quail that our families 

 eat, and we therefore do not gain any recompense from 

 slioothig; and 



Whereas, Matters have reached such a pitch among the 

 farmers that no matter how gentlemanly in deportment 

 we are, we are ordered off (often with curses and all 

 kinds of foul abuse) from nearly every farm in this sec- 

 tion, and it has become impossible to realize any enjoy- 

 ment from our guns and dogs: and 



JVhereas, We learn and firmly believe that the farmers 

 keep U8 from shooting the ^ame (which is the property of 

 the State and not theirs) in order to themselves kill it, 

 contrary to law, and sell it; therefore be it 



Resolved, That we call on you to do your duty as Game 

 Warden, and arrest and cause to be prosecuted to the full 

 extent of the law, every farmer who brings in netted or 

 trapped quail, or quail taken in any illegal manner 

 against tne statutes of the State of Indiana. That we 

 (3all on you to cause to be prosecuted the proprietor of 

 any store, gi'ocery, provision store or restaurant that sells 

 or offers tor sale any quail illegally taken. That we call 

 on you to prosecute any express company, steamboat, 

 railway company or common carrier of any kind that 

 shall take game of any kind out or the limits of the State 

 of Indiana. 



We hei-eby pledge ourselves to assist you by any means 

 in our power. Respectfully, 



Ed. L. Durham, Secretary _pro tern, 

 J. F. Knight, President pro tern. 



A Quail's Freak, — One afternoon last month I shot a 

 quail which fell near a brook. When told to "find," my 

 dog Bang surprised Let and me by jumping into the brook 

 and puttrag his head imder the overhanging bank, locat- 

 ing the bud without doubt. I gave a stamp and out came 

 the quail and paddled for dear life across the brook. Our 

 eft'orcs to make the dog understand the situation only re- 

 sulted ia his redoubling his attempts to get under the bank, 

 and so Let jumped into the brook and retrieved the quail 

 himself. M''e found that I had broken his wing, and so 

 had made this cunning and unique attempt at escape. 

 — F'LIN (Plaiu Hill, Conn.). 



Missouri Game.— Alexandria, Mo,— Quail appear to 

 be an average this year. I have seen three flocks of a 

 dozen birds each. The common rabbit is fairly numer- 

 ous. This seems to be a great year for coons. The gila 

 monster in the Keokuk Park is flourishing. — Jasper 

 Blines. 



Books tnak& good li^liil(.(,y gifts, mid give taore pleasure in 

 proportion to ilu money expended than, anytliing elmi. If you 

 'Want a good, hook on shooUny, fishing, natural history, or any 

 other aiifjjeet con-tmtei with oiitiloar life, eonmlt the- list of the 

 Sportsman's Library in this papei\ or tjetler still, send for 

 FoKEsi" ANii 8TKEAM's//'tt: illHsfrated CMlologm of loorks on 

 oiLliloor sports. 



Angling Talks. By George Dawson. Price SO eents. Fly- 

 Rods and Fly-Tackle, By H. P. Wells. Price $2.50. Fly- 

 Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout. By J. H. Keene. 

 Price $1.50. AmeiHcan Angler's Book. By Thad. Norris. 

 Pnee $5.60. 



The full texts of the game fish laws of all the States, 

 Territories and British Provinces are given in the J5oofc of 

 the Game Laws. 



FISHING THROUGH THE ICE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



When the Frost King with chilling breath congeals the 

 sm-face of many thousands of lakes and ponds through- 

 the Northern States, he is hailed with delight by those 

 who, either for pleasure or profit, enjoy the sport of 

 catching pike, pickerel and other varieties of fish from 

 holes cut through the ice. The art of taking fish in this 

 manner is an ancient one, much skill having been dis- 

 played and ingenuity shown in the construction of the 

 various appliances and forms of tackle used, the essential 

 point being so to arrange the tackle as to give the greatest 

 possible _ certainty of hooking the fish securely. To 

 accomplish this there must be an abundance of coiled 

 line to run freely out when the bait is seized, the bait 

 being secui-ed in such manner that it can not be strii>i)ed 

 from the hook, although easily gorged by the fish, and 

 the hook of such a pattern as will give the most uniform 

 results. 



That the readers of Forest and Stream may profit by 

 the teachings of those whose many years of experience 

 have taught them the proper thing, a plain description of 

 the most killing and successful tackle known will be 

 given with instruction, which if followed can not fail to 

 bring ample reward to him who will brave the cold and 

 wintry winds in pursuit of this exhilarating pastime. The 

 lines used should be good and strong, not less than 45ft. 

 in length and plenty of them, as the more lines used the 

 more are the chances of success, Seine twist, hai"d- 

 twisted (which can be purchased by the pound and cut 

 into proper lengths), makes very substantial lines. To 

 arrange the coil of the line bend a piece of spring braes 

 wire (size No. 16) 9in. long into a spring the shape of 

 a hairpin (Fig. 2), with an eye or loop in the bend. Make 



from a shorter piece of wire a ring iin. diameter (Fig, 3), 

 having a downward projecting stem an inch in length, 

 with a small loop at the end . 



Tie the hairpin at eye into and a few inches from the 

 end of the line, pass the opposite end of the line through 

 the ring and the loop of the stem, a half-hitch of the line 

 around' the stem will hold the ring iu position, the dis- 

 tance from the ring to the end of snell being the depth 

 that the bait will hang below the ice and can be easily 

 changed according to the varying depth of the' water. 

 Coil that portion of the lijie between the hairpin and the 

 ring by cross-winding around the thumb and little finger 

 of the'open hand ; place the coil in the hairpin, compress 

 the ends of the hairpin and insert them into the ring, the 

 spring pressure of the hairpin against the ring will hold 

 the coil in place (as seen in Fig, 7). When in use the 

 ring slips easily from the hairpin the instant the bait is 

 seized, freeing withovit resistance the coiled line and 

 giving ample opportunity for the wary fish to swallow 

 the bait. 



The ring should be sufficiently tight upon the hairpin 

 to prevent the opening of the coil from the exertions of 

 the live minnow bait, which may be of any variety of 

 small fish. Chubs, suckers and dace from 5 to lOiii. in 

 length are preferrably the best, being hardy, they live 

 longer upon the hook, and when properly baited are as 

 lively at'the end of a week's time as when first put on 

 the hook, proving of great advantage where the lines are 

 to remain set in the ice for several days' duration. The 

 hairpins, rings and snells should always be made of brass 

 wire, as steel or iron wire corrodes, rusting the lines. In 

 making snells (Fig, 4) use soft wire, size No. 24, double 

 and twist a piece of the wire 28in. long, leaving a small 

 loop at the end for the hook, twist and fasten with solder 

 a strong loop at the other end for the line. The hooks 

 (Fig. o) used are very killing, being especially suitable 

 for the taking of those varieties of fish which kill their 

 prey before swallowing the same and are called tlie 

 •'barbless double-pointed" hook. They are but little 

 known at the present day, although hooks of the same 

 pattern, crudely made, were used during the bronze age 

 and are still found among the remains of the European 

 lake-dwellers. 



They are easily baited, leaving the bait perfectly natural 

 in appearance, and do not arouse the suspicions of the 

 fisli; but once swallowed, whether large or small, the 

 hook will not tear out, break or become dislodged. They 

 should be carried in a small box separate from the lines. 

 In baiting, break the skin of the minnow just ahead of 

 the dorsal fin with the point of the hook, push the end of 

 the snell under the skin at least an inch toward the 

 minnow's head, prick through the skin and loop with the 

 point of the hook, and bring the loop to its place in the 

 shank of the hook, drawing the shank back under the 

 skin with the points of the hook flaxing upward, outward 

 and backward (as in Fig. 1), 



In setting out lines, they may be tied to sticks laid 

 across the holes in the ice, but if allowed to remain for 



any length of time are apt to become frozen in, making 

 caution necessary in cutting out not to sever the line. 

 To guard against this, as well as to mark the holes in 

 case they should become covered with snow, get as many 

 pieces of heavy galvanized wire 2ft. long as there are 

 lines in number, bend at two-thirds of the length in each 

 an eye or loop of l^in. diameter, also a small loop at the 

 longer ends. The longer ends, with lines attached, 

 should hang in the water and the sticks placed through 

 the large loops and across the holes. A miss blow of the 

 ice chisel or axe in cutting out will not harm the wire, 

 and the short ends of the wires projecting above the ice 

 mark where the lines are set, the wires also preventing 

 the fraying of the lines against the ice at the bottom of 

 the holes. 



The coiled line hanging below the ice can not clog nor 

 freeze, and a glance will reveal by the coil being broken 

 that a fish has seized the bait. Fish often bite best dur- 

 ing the very stormiest and coldest of weather, when the 

 ice is forming rapidly. At such times all devices which 

 are used above the ice to indicate the hooking of the fish, 

 or give out line, are practically worthless. 



In cutting holes an axe is often used, making the work 

 quite fatiguing when the ice is thick, the ice chips, 

 clogging and breaking the force of the blows, the water 

 rushing in causing a great deal of splashing, help to make 

 the work disagreeable before a dtrcent hole can be fin- 

 ished; an ice chisel will remedy all of this, and with such 

 an implement nice round holes, neatly bevelled out at 

 bottom, can easily be made. Any black&mith can make 

 a good ice chisel by welding into the end of a fin. round 

 iron bar 4ft. long a piece of tool steel, drawing out thin, 

 3in. in width and chisel-shaped, sharpening well, and 

 forming a knob at upper end of the bar to prevent slip- 

 ping through the hands. 



Pike or pickerel do not gather in schools, but go about 

 singly in search of their prey, making it necessary in set- 

 ting lines to place them where the fish in search of food 

 will find the bait, the fish moving from the deep to the 

 shallow water. In setting lines cut the holes from 20 to 

 SOyds. apart, following the contour of the shore, along 

 the edge of deep water, which can generally be told by 

 the rushes. Find with a sounder the depth of water at 

 every hole and lower the bait half way to the bottom, 

 never using holes where the water is more than 30ft. in 

 depth. 



Snags and stakes of all kinds should be avoided, as fish 

 instinctively go to them when hooked, to free themselves 

 fi'om the line, winding it into a labyrinth of puzzles, and 

 though rarely escaping, causing much annoyance and 

 trouble. When the line has become snagged, follow its 

 course from the hole, by cutting a row of' holes directly 

 over it until the snag is reached, if the fish can be located 

 it can be gafl'ed by tying the gaff hook to a pole, and a 

 strong pull will break the line or snell, which if badly 

 snagged is not worth fretting about, providing the fish is 

 land"d. The sticks when placed across the holes should 

 be parallel with the shore, that an even strain may come 

 upon the line and stick, as most fish when hooked make 

 a rush for deep water, and a large one is apt to break the 

 line or stick if misplaced. The lines should be looked at 

 twice each day, the fish taken off, rebaited and reset. 

 Always play a large fish until well spent, as they make 

 their final struggle at the hole. Kill, when lande'd, by a 

 blow on the back of the head. In removing the hook a 

 thin, flat stick makes a capital disgorger, by inserting in 

 the bend of the hook and removing from the gullet of the 

 fish. 



The hooks patterned after models made in this city can 

 be procured from the leading tackle dealers in New York 

 city. A hand-sled with a box thereon, in which may be 

 carried the fish, minnow pail and other things, will be 

 found very convenient and save much time when used. 



Mr, Lewis Bullard anil the writer visited a small lake 

 situatpd twenty-five miles distant from this city, on Feb. 

 2o, 1891, and set out sixty lines that day, taking them up 

 on the morning of the 2t)th, our catch being twenty-eight 

 pike and two bass, aggregating a total weight of 220lbs., 

 the ten largest weighing 32jbs,, 221bs., 21ilbs., ISlbs., 

 lelbs., lllbs. 6oz., lllbs., 91bs. 13oz., Bibs. 4oz., 71bs, lOoz. 

 respectively, the largest fish being 44in. in length. In the 

 capture of the largest two we had an exciting time, one 

 of them being taken where ice was barely sufficient to 

 withstand our weight, and so clear that the fish, seeing 

 us, could not be brought near the hole without arousing 

 all its energies and having to be played for several 

 minutes before becoming sufficiently subdued to be gaffed. 

 The other fish had wound the line several times around 

 a pole which had been pushed into the muddy bottom to 

 serve as an anchor for boats. His struggles had loosened 

 from the bottom this pole weighing several pounds and 

 we found the fish towing it around beneath the ice. This 

 fish in its efforts to get free had so contused and bruised 

 itself that it literally sweat blood when taken from the 

 water. 



The passage by our last Legislature of a bill prohibiting 

 the use of night or set lines in fishing is construed by the 

 State Game Warden to apply to fishing through the ice 

 as well. This will deprive many of their winter's sport 

 and cut off a large supply of food fish, as our pike can- 

 not be taken with any certainty of success by any legiti- 

 mate means except through the ice in winter. 



The pike (Lucius lucius) is the shark of the fresh 

 waters. The terror of the inland seas. He enjoys not 

 the company of his kind, but roams about alope, seeking 

 what he may devour. There is a greener glitter in his 

 wicked eyes as he perceives the sucker bait, and glides 

 toward it with scarce a movement of the fins or ripple of 

 the water. The sucker, aware of danger, in obedience to 

 nature's greatest law, endeavors to be free. Alas! poor 

 sucker. One sweep of that might tail, one grasp of those 

 cruel jaws, another victim to the greed of that msatiable 

 maw, one more tragedy iu Nature's lalay. The ring slips, 

 the coil unwinds, the hook pricks. Alarmed, what a 

 grand rush he makes for the dark blue of the deep water! 

 Kerchug! The good stout line comes taut, the hook tears 

 at his vitals. Thoroughly frightened now, he swims 

 round and round in seai-ch of friendly stake or snag to let 

 him free. The nasty bit of wire, rasping between those 

 cruel jaws, is the goad that spurs him on. One more 

 great surge to part the line, and the fight is over. Far 

 out beneath the ice he lies, sullen and morose. Con- 

 quered is the monarch of the lake. Ben O. Bush. 



Kalamazoo, Micli. 



The YjiLVisr Tkain of the JMonoii Route Tietween (Jhicago and 

 Omcinnati ofiEevs tho best ar"l most luxurious service obtainable 

 between those points,— ylcto. 



