Auo. 25, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



161 



considering his age, as I know. On the night I refer to 

 he was feeling rather blue; he had been out that day and 

 found the track of a large buck and followed it about 

 two hours, when he saw him get up about 30yds. away, 

 behind a fallen treetop. All he could see was the middle 

 of his body, and he put a bullet from his .40-65 through 

 him, but did not get a chance for a second shot until he 

 had followed him some distance. He struck him in the 

 neck the second time, then spent nearly all the rest of 

 the day following, and finally lost him by his taking to 

 some open water. This man killed a buck the next day, 

 also a two-year old moose while on the trip, and had to 

 shoot several bullets into each before getting them. 



The rifle I have used durinng the last four seasons is a 

 Winchester .45 90 half magazine weighing 9ilbsi. I had 

 it made to order and hesitated at the time between a .45 

 and .50. I load my cartridges with lOOgrs. of powder 

 and a 300grs. Keene express bullet. My old bone-breaker 

 has done good work so far, I have killed fourteen heads 

 of game such as moose, caribou, bears and deer. None 

 of it has gone 50yds. from where it was shot at. I have 

 been fortunate in getting a number of good shots, but I 

 think some of my game would have gone quite a distance 

 if the caliber had been smaller or solid bullets used. A 

 rifle of 7lbs. is easier to carry on a long tramp, but if you 

 do much hunting you are pretty sure to make up for the 

 2lbs. or so of weight in the number of miles you will 

 travel after some of your wounded game. Also I believe 

 in a repeater, although I have never been obliged to call 

 on the magazine for more than a second shot, except 

 once: in this case I saw two bears at quite a distance on 

 an open barren; I crept up within 25yds. of them and 

 found there were three, they were in some low scrubby 

 bushes. No. 1 sat up and got shot, so did No. 2 and 3; it 

 was pretty quick work — less than ten seconds. I did not 

 want a single-shot rifle just then. It was very easy, 

 about like shooting at tihree flour barrels at less than 

 25yd8., only they were bears. 



I have talked with parties who questioned the penetra- 

 tion of the bullets I use, some of them saying they did 

 not think they would be eflrective on a moose at distances 

 over 100yds. My companion on my first trip to Nova 

 Scotia used a rifle, a duplicate of mine, and cartridges of 

 my loading. He killed two moose one afternoon, one at 

 295yd8. and the other at 175. (We measured the dis- 

 tance.) The first dropped at once, got up and staggered 

 a few yards and went down to stay; was struck back of 

 the shoulder just over the heart. The second was struck 

 at base of ear and dropped in its tracks, Last fall I shot a 

 bull which came to our calling; he came without answer- 

 ing and was working around to get to leeward of us. We 

 suspected he was trying something of the sort, so we 

 tried still-hunting him and came unexj)ectedly on him at 

 close quarters in some quite thick timber. I could see 

 parts of him, but not his shoulders, and shot at what I 

 took to be the center of his neck: afterward found it wa« 

 his head. The bullet struck him fair in center of side of 

 head. He wheeled around in his tracks and I put a sec- 

 ond bullet in his shoulder; he just folded his knees under 

 him and went down. The penetration of the Keene bullet 

 with lOOgrs. of powder is not as great as a heavier solid 

 bullet with less powder. The trajectory is pretty flat, 

 and I have found them very killing. They will not go 

 through a moose. On the caribou and deer they went 

 clean through, coming out in from three to live places. 

 They will spoil some meat, but not more than several 

 small solid bullets would, . 



I was told that some members of the Massachusetts 

 Rifle Association tried the Keene bullets at targets and 



THEEE BEAUTIES OY NATTJEE. 

 I.-The Buffalo. 



found them very erratic. I have used between 200 and 

 300 of them at targets from 50 to 400yds. when testing 

 my rifle, and I never saw any signs of their spreading 

 before reaching the targets. At 50, 75 and 100yds. I shot 

 at sheets of cardboard dipped in melted wax; the holes 

 were clean cut, with no sign of spreading. Before start- 

 ing on a trip after game I always test my cartidges, rifles 

 and sights to be sure they are all right. When you are 

 on the hunting grounds and in presence of game, it will 

 not lessen your chances of securing it if you know your 

 tools are to be relied on. 



As for hunting sights, those usually put on American 

 rifles as sold by the trade, consisting of a chunk of brass 

 or copper at the muzzle and a sort of buckhorn with 

 high sides and a fine notch at the bottom for a rear sight 

 are about the worst. Good hunting sights should show 

 clearly and quickly and as uniformly as possible in dif- 

 ferent lights. I think this can hardly be claimed for the 

 above. In difiierent lights the reflection from the front 

 sight will vary considerably, also when shooting quickly 

 you are very likely not to get down into the fine notch of 

 the rear sight, causing over-shooting. A good deal of 

 game is missed at very short range, and two-thirds of it 

 by shooting too high. I have experienced a good deal 

 with various so called hunting sights and have not found 

 anything eqaal to Lyman's, and I have used the latter on 

 all my hunting trips. I think the Winchester express 

 sights are pretty good, and should choose them next to 

 Lyman's. It may take a. Little practice to get accustomed 

 to the latter: but iis I have said, it is well to test both 

 your rifle and sights liefore starting on a trip. Do not 

 start oft' as 1 have seen [jartiea do Avith rifles they liad 

 just bought, with no knowledge whatever of their shoot- 

 ing qualities except what they had been told by ' the 

 salesman, 



Mr. O. and I expect to be on some good moose ground 

 the latter part of next month. We may not get the game 

 we are after, but we expect to, and at all events we 

 shall try. C. M. Stark. 



Dltnbarton, N. H. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[By a Staff Correspondent..] 



Chicago, 111., Aug. 18.— The biblical names seem to be 

 out of luck on South Water street. Last year it was B. 

 Aaron & Son who were found with a couple of barrels of 

 illegal prairie chickens in their clothes. And now come 

 Moses Gray & Co., of the same delectable neighborhood, 

 and admit in open court that they had twenty-five illegal 

 chickens secreted on their persons last week. Warden 

 Bortree developed this fact. .Justice White assessed the 

 outfit 1125 and costs, which caused patriarchal tears to 

 flow last Wednesday when the case came up for trial. 

 The way of the poor but honest South Water street man 

 is growing harder every year. It looks like some of 

 thpm will have to take to work before long. 



The new president of the State Sportsmen's Associa- 

 tion, Mr. R. B. Orga.n, has been doing a lot of qniet 

 hustling in game protective matters lately, and while it 

 would not be wise to disclose his plans, it is safe to say 

 that he will fully sustain the work so ably inaugurated 

 last year by Mr. Price. This week Mr. Organ got wind 

 of some illegal prairie chickens in the hands of the 

 Adams Express Co. here, three bpxes consigned to a 



THKEE BEAUTIES OF NATURE. 

 II.— The Moose. 



South Water street firm. He wont to the superintendent, 

 who made examination, and opened not three but five 

 boxes of illegal chickens. All these were destroyed and 

 the promise of the company was given that they would 

 not knowingly handle any such game. This will not save 

 game unless in the form of an order extended to local 

 agents along the line, and such an order should be issued. 



Last week ccmplaints came in that a great many young 

 ducks were being killed along the marshes of the Calu- 

 met, now lying within the corporate limits of the city. 



Mr. Organ entered complaint to Chief of Police Mc- 

 Claughry, who at once detailed some officers and the 

 Calumet duck shooting came to an abrupt close. It 

 would be well if Chicago would extend her limits fifty 

 miles further out still. 



world's fair committee. 



President Organ has announced his choice of an execu- 

 tive committee, upon whom will fall the arduous labors 

 of preparation for the World's Fair Tournament of 1893, 

 on which much interest centers. The names are as fol- 

 lows: F. C. Donald, chairman: W. J. Edbrook. M. J. 

 Eich, H. D. Nicholls, E Hough. The fair committee 

 will be, W. N. Low, chairman ; F. S. Baird and B. F. 

 Cummings. 



OfllCKEN COUNTRY. 



Perhaps some light can be thrown on the Forest and 

 Stream's want for good chicken country. My "game 

 pocket" man writes me that he has sold out his former 

 ranch and will start on the 23d of this month for 

 Laramie, Wyo. I asked him to state something about 

 the game prospects, and also to give me a few addresses 

 of good chicken points outside of his country, which I 

 could publish for the general. He replies as follows: 



"Chickens are too thick for sport, only fit for murder. 

 Ducks are fine and lots of 'em. Snipe in countless num- 

 bers; tatlers, etc., ad lib. Deer are more plentiful than 

 for some time, and lots of moose and a few elk. Caribou 

 further north. 



"Grass very heavy, you want good dogs and lots of 

 'em. Thanks for your kind references. Business un- 

 fortunately prevents my remaining. I think there is 

 lots of game in Wyoming. Will write you on arrival. 



"Write Ed. Cavileer, Pembina, N. Dak.; tell him I 

 said so, and he'll answer you all right. There is a fine 

 place some twenty-five miles west of Pembina. He 

 knows it. 



"W. B. York, of Badger P. O., Kittson county, Minn., 

 will guide men over to good shooting on chickens. I 

 don't advise ladies to go anywhere there without a tent." 



I think that the above addresses will secure good 

 chicken shooting to any one who cares to go after it; but 

 I have been having so much fun all by myself over my 

 game pocket that I do not intend to give the name of rny 

 man or of his sacred game packet publicity. I will 

 gladly inform any proper inquirer by mail as to the 

 whereabouts of this mysterious spot, which I verily be- 

 lieve just a leetle lays over anything up to date. 



As to the chickens nearer home, it is feared that the 

 wet spring wrought great damage. Reports come in 

 from Du Page, De Kalb and other counties of this State 

 that there are very few young chickens yet apparent. Of 

 quaila, however, the greatest abundance is reported. 

 There is every reason to believe that this fall will bring 

 unusually good quail shooting all over northern Illinois 

 and Indiana, contrary to the earlier imijrefsions. 

 Major J, M, Taylor, well knowa authority on dogs, wa,s 



this morning talking with me after reading my remarks 

 last week on the old-fashioned chicken dog. 



"I am a firm believer in the excellence of the modern 

 dog," said he, "but you want to give him a chance. Your 

 old dogs were tough because they had the exercise. You 

 can't take a soft city dog out in the country and expect 

 him to do the work of a country cousin that is in con- 

 stant training." 



That may do all very well for an excuse, but it doesn't 

 explain everything. Now, the Major is going to publish 

 a fine book about- field trial dogs. He showed me the 

 picture of the first field trial winners in America, a big, 

 husky, stout dog, about as big as a yearling ox. That's 

 the sort of dog for me — the kind you can run a wagon 

 over without making 'em holler. No dog is a good 

 chicken dog unless you can run a wagon over him with 

 impunity to the dog; the wagon to take its chances. 

 Torn loose a lot of your flyers in that "high grass" my 

 chicken man speaks of, and see what they will do on a 

 warm day. They'll be hunting a place to die in a patrician 

 way, and I'll guarantee it'll take two generations of 

 them before they learn to stay. When they do, they'll 

 be wider out, and higher through, and plenty tougher 

 than they are now. Try running the wagon over your 

 modern dogs. That's the way to see whether they're any 

 good or not. I used to run over my old dog, every once 

 in a while, when he was busy thinking of something, and 

 he never seemed to mind it much. That's what I call a 

 good dog. 



SHOT A FOX. 



A friend of mine in Indiana writes me the following in 

 regard to an incident which in the West or South would 

 naturally be thought to require explanation or apology. 

 Out here we do not hunt foxes with a gun. It would seem 

 that the fox in question was aware of that fact. The 

 worst of it is, I had loaned my friend the gun with which 

 he did this deed. This constitutes a lawful taboo for that 

 instrument, and I reckon now he'll have to keep the gun. 

 His letter is as follows: 



"Landersdale, Ind., Aug. 17.— I would have written 

 you sooner but have been busy hunting squirrels. Was 

 out yesterday and killed five squirrels, a big black snake, 

 a ground hog and a big red fox. I didn't intend to shoot 

 the fox, but he kept passing in front of me till I got mad. 

 He had passed the third time, and I said to myself as I 

 put a shell containing some No. 4 shot in the gun, 'Now, 

 you cross my way again and I will try to kill you.' In a 

 short time I saw him in a canter in front of me. It was 

 a good long shot, but I blazed away. Old Mr. Fox 

 jumped it seemed to me about Oft. high. I did not think 

 I had hurt him much, but my dog lit out and soon had 

 him in her mouth. He was a fine specimen of fox, but 

 he crossed my path once too often.'' 



If there can be any consolation for the owner of a dis- 

 graced and tabooed gun, it may lie in the reflection that 

 the latter proved itself a good shooter, even in the ways 

 of crime. I always thought that used to be a good gun, 

 when I was on speaking acquaintance with it, and I will 

 sav that now, though henceforward our ways must part. 



Speaking of squirrels; another friend and I tried for 

 some this week when we were out fishing. We had along 

 two ,22cal. rifles, splendid little arms, accurate to a hair. 

 We found nine squirrels and got seven of them. I can 

 not call it right to shoot squirrels with a .22. The head 

 is not always visible, and unless you hit a squirrel fair in 

 the throat with a ,22 bullet, you will not kill it outright 

 one case in ten. We shot one squirrel six times. This 

 seems to me cruelty. A .22cal. may be big enough to 

 shoot deer, but a .32 is none too large for squirrels. The 

 old whirling-round ball of the muzzle-loading squirrel 



THREE BEAUTIES OF NATURE. 

 III.— The MouBtain Goat. 



rifle used to take a squirrel out of a tree if it ever barely 

 touched him, or perhaps if it did not even touch him. I 

 shall use my father's old squirrel rifle next time, before 

 I would use a .22 on squirrels. 



TOLING ANIMALS. 



In an interesting little brochure, "The Development of 

 a Pawnee Myth," Mr. Grinnell continues the idea of one 

 of the stories of his earlier book, "Pawnee Hero Stories," 

 and tells of the way the Indians "called the buffalo." 

 That buffalo could be called, or toled into a surround 

 will, I imagine, be news to many white men in these 

 days. Incidentally the author mentions the toling of 

 canvasback ducks as practiced on the Chesapeake Bay. 

 I remember that "old man Wood," a well-known char- 

 acter around Senachwine Lake, in this State, once told 

 me he used to tole flocks of mallard ducks up to shore, 

 by the use of a dog trained to play up and down along 

 the edge of the water. This is the only instance I ever 

 heard of whpre mallards were toled, and perhaps I men- 

 tioned it in Forest and Stream at the time. 



E. Hough. 



Three Beauties of Nature. 



"I don't wonder they shoot at you," said the young 

 Moose to the Mountain Goat. 



"If I looked like you I'd join a menagerie," said the 

 Goat. 



"Humph! there'll be some beauty left in the world 

 after you are both gone," said the Buffalo. 



The silhouettes are from photographs of living speci- 

 mens: that of the moose (a young female) was sent us by 

 Mr. Henry Austeu, of Nova Scotia, 



