Nov. It, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



423 



weighed between fifty and sixty pounds. The men were 

 on their way into the woods, in the extreme northern 

 part of the State, to spend the winter trapping. In the 

 morning the packs were gone. 



Mr. Coggin was pleased with the ride from Ashland to 

 Preeque Isle. It runs through a new farming and forest 

 country. Here farms and farm improvements are to be 

 seen in all stages, from a log house and a "cut-down" 

 to some of the finest farms in Maine. Some of the log 

 houses, built a few years since, are being hewn, and 

 some even planed and painted. Other farms have hand- 

 some modern houses and noble barns. At Presque Isle 

 the journey home by rail begun. 



The amount of pleasure Mr. Coggin has experienced 

 in this, his first hunting trip into the Maine woods, is 

 hard to tell of in cold letters. He is satisfied that a visit 

 to the lumber camps in the Northwood is the way to go a 

 hunting, and he believes that the " latch string hangs 

 out " for the right kind of men to make such hunting 

 trips. Invitations would be more generally in order did 

 not the sturdy lumbermen fear the bal)yi8hnes8 and 

 meanness of the city d.ade and would-be sport. For the 

 dude and the shirk there is no room in these camps. For 

 the true gentleman, who expects hardship, and is willing 

 to rough it, invitations are in order. Special, 



THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN. 



The prairie has been likened to the ocean, and the 

 simile is not altogether wide of the mark, and as one 

 looks out over the boundless expanse of rolling grass land, 

 that spreads on every side until land and sky meet on the 

 horizon line, it does not require such a great effort of the 

 imagination to see the resemblance. 



Though the waving grass gives life to the view it lacks 

 the mighty heave of the ocean; that ceaseless pulsing of 

 the waters is wanting; the swelling waves of prairie land 

 seem to have stiffened and died, deserted by the impulse 

 which gave them birth. 



The mere turning of the sod reveals a rich, dark loam, 

 that without fertilizing will yield several crops of corn, 

 and produce a wonderful return in golden grain. 



In late autumn the chickens resort to the fields of stand- 

 ing corn to glean, and rich pickings they find. They 

 speedily become plump on this diet. Killed to-day and 

 broiled to-morrow over a quick fire of corncolss, served 

 immediately when done, they are perfection. 



On a still, clear morning the scolding of the cocks be- 

 gins at sunrise and the air resounds with their A-efc-A-efc/ 

 JceJc-kek! until long after the hoar frost has disappeared. 

 Then you will see flock after flock leave the prairie and 

 enter the corn, there toremain, unless disturbed, through- 

 out the day. A short hour before sunset they run out to 

 the edge and spring into sturdy flight for the night 

 bivouac on the open plain. 



At this season these camps of the prairie chicken often 

 contain thousands of individuals, representing hundreds 

 of coveys, that arrive from all quarters, coming some- 

 times from a distance of miles to this favored spot. 



One will frequently see some belated party string 

 across his path as he tramps along just after sunset. 

 Silent as owls, they flit past on outspread wings and van- 

 ish in the gloom. 



I first met the prairie chicken in Lee county, Illinois. 

 It had been close season for several years, consequently 

 the chickens were abundant and furnished delightful 

 sport. 



Tbe shooting among the standing corn is, to me, the 

 most exciting of any of the methods pursued in hunting 

 this fine bird. * * * 



It is early in the forenoon, and I will see if I cannot 

 find some of the birds I saw enter that eighty-acre piece a 

 while ago. 



We are presently in the thick of it, and save for the 

 rustling leaves on the tall stalks which rise above our 

 heads it is very still. 



The chickens are running, as I see by the trailing of 

 my dog: and it is necessary to step out briskly in order to 

 keep him in view. 



There! He has struck a hot scent: hear how his tail is 

 beating tattoo on the stalks as he worms his way along, 

 crouching close to the ground in his eagerness to locate 

 the birds. 



At last, with head almost at right angles with his body, 

 he stands rigid. 



There they go. A dozgn chickens whizz up through 

 the corn about us. I catch a glimpse of one just as he 

 clears himself, and pull on him almost without sighting. 

 Crash! thud! down he comes, and quickly I have him in 

 hand, a fine young bird, as I find by holding him up so 

 that his whole weight falls on the under mandible, which 

 breaks under the strain. 



The difference in plumage of these full-grown birds is 

 very slight, and it is by this simple test that we may dis- 

 tinguish young from old. In an old bird the lower man- 

 dible always sustains the weight of the body without 

 breaking. 



The old dog is pointing again 1 



A single bird rises this time and sails off uninjured, 

 though I give him the contents of both barrels. 

 _ How easy it is to miss them in this cover in spite of their 

 size. We move on. 



' There has been a covey about here, as numerous tracks 

 tend to show. It will take careful wort to put them up 

 now, as they have doubtless taken the alarm ere this and 

 are keeping well ahead of tis. 



There they go again oft' to the left! If we flush another 

 bunch in this cover they will jjrobably get up all together, 

 as is their habit after being so disturbed. Try to pick 

 your birds, for though they rise with a thundrous roar of 

 r wings and look very large, you will find, as in quail 

 shooting, that pot shots can seldom be made. 



Here is the edge of the field. I think we will work 

 round to where we entered, and after trying that little 

 patch between here and the house. I will wait until toward 

 sundown, when they come out, and perhaps I may get a 

 little flight shooting. 



Chickens feed quietly among the corn, rarely betraying 

 their presence, save to the keen nose of your dog. Once 

 flushed they lie very close for some time after alighting, 

 and will not scatter until thoroughly satisfied that 

 danger is past. 



This, however, is only in cover when they have been 

 -tBcd to feeding undisturbed. Later in the season when 

 constant gunning has made them wary, they will make 

 I for the open at first flight, and rarely return before next 

 i aiorning. Look here! see where they have been dusting 

 I in this dry loam, just like so many old hens, 



Four o'clock ! I walk out on the prairie to an old hay 

 stack, that seemed to be located near the center of their 

 flight, as they left the corn last evening and lie down to 

 await developments. 



High overhead, a flock of wild geese is moving south, 

 travelers I guess from the height at which they fly, and 

 the silence and regularity of their action, 



Blackbirds in dense flocks are sweeping past, with in- 

 cessant noise of harsh rasping cries. 



Close by a miniature whirlwind is sucking up the stray 

 heads of buffalo grass, and careering with them a short 

 distance, where it leaves them awaiting the next puff, 

 that shall waltz them off again. 



Keeping a sharp lookout in the direction of the corn- 

 fields I presently see a covey of chickens rise. They come 

 down well to one side, far out of shot but affordi)ig ine a 

 fine opportunity to observe their manner of flight. 



Rising with a bm-st of strong wing strokes they attain 

 an elevation of from 20 to SOyds,, and scale oft" on ex- 

 tended pinions for long stretches, then with a renewal of 

 wingbeats they acquire fresh impetus. In this manner 

 they alternate, now scaling, now Hying along until lost 

 to sight over the prairie. 



Here comes another covey, now they are close upon 

 me. Bang! one — bang! again — as two cross each other 

 in flight, and down they come. There ai'e numbers of 

 chickens sailing by, but none venture in my direction. 

 It is nearly dark when I reach the house, as niglit shuts 

 in very quickly. How cosy the firelight makes the room 

 seem, after the silence of the prairie. The solitude on 

 these plains after nightfall is depressing to me. 

 BAY Ridge, Long Island, N. Y- Wtlmot ToWNfiENH, 



GAME IN SOUTH DAKOTA. 



Englewooi>, 111., Nov. 7,-1 have once more enjoyed 

 the pleasures of an outing in South Dakota; and thinking 

 some of the incidents of the trip, and especially the in- 

 formation as to where, when and how. to go to good 

 shooting grounds, may be of interest to your readers I 

 send you this brief account of the trip lately made. 



With Dr. A. Vanderveen, of Grand Haven, Mich., I 

 started on the evening of Oct. 18 for a two weeks' shoot. 

 We met in Chicago, and having a few hours' spare time 

 devoted them to looking; up rates and routes. Our last 

 call was on Major Heafford, genei-al passenger agent of 

 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St, Paul Railroad, and we 

 could well have spared ourselves the extra tramping we 

 had done had our first call been on him, and we were at 

 once provided with tickets, sleeping car berths, etc. 

 Left Chicago via C, M. & St. P. R, R. at 6:30 P. M., our 

 first stopping place to be Vermillion, S. D, Here we 

 were the guests of Prof, and Mrs. H. W, Dubee. The 

 Professor is the musical director of the University of 

 South Dakota, and is very proud of the young univer- 

 sity; and well he may be, for it is a striking example of 

 the enterprise and liberality of the new State, Two oi 

 three days were very pleasantly spent under his hospit- 

 able roof, or more properly speaking, the nights were 

 spent there, for the Doctor and I put in our days on the 

 Vermillion River and the fields adjacent, which were 

 "swarming" with quail: we also foundfair duck shooting 

 on the river. 



The second day of our stay we took a boat for an all- 

 day's trip up the river; and had only left the boat house 

 when just ahead of us we saw about a dozen ducks, 

 which leisurely swam ahead of us, directly toward the 

 shore where a barnyard came down to the water's edge, 

 I was taking the first turn at the oars, the Doctor, with 

 gun in hand, sitting in the stern of the boat. He, of 

 course, was first to see the ducks, and got ready for a 

 shot. Glancing over my shoulder and seeing the ducks 

 headed directly for the shore, I at once concluded they 

 were tame ducks, and warned the Doctor not to shoot. 

 We drew nearer and nearer to the birds, and the Doctor 

 exclaimed, "Well, G., those are the first tame redheads I 

 ever saw." But so sure was I that they belonged to the 

 barnyard that I gave the boat a short whirl round to 

 bring me facing the flock, when away they went down 

 the river, flying as only redheads can when thpy let 

 themselves out. The turning of the boat cut the Doctor 

 off from a shot, and I only had the satisfaction of saying 

 something more emphatic than polite as I counted eleven 

 fine birds as they whirled round a bend out of sight. I 

 did not hear the end of the story during our whole trip, 

 and I presume I never shall so long as the Doctor can 

 repeat it. I only hope that on my next trip I may get a 

 goose or a duck for every cigar I have had to ''set up," 

 Had we been out of sight of the town I should have 

 looked before calling them tame ducks; but right at the 

 public landing and only a few rods from a house, I thought 

 the story would never stop should we shoot some good 

 woman's ducks. 



The sequel to the story, however, is more satisfactory. 

 The birds lit a short distance below us, were fired at and 

 came back up the river; we had the pleasure of thropping 

 three of them, two to the Doctor's gun and one to mine, 

 which he declared was more than I deserved. 



On Monday we left Vermillione for Chain Lakes, north- 

 east of Watertown, and made but a short stay there, find- 

 ing the shooting not at all satisfactory. From here we 

 went to Redfield, intending to take the Milwaukee & St. 

 PauIR.R. to Aberdeen, thence east toWaubay; but at 

 Redfield we learned that Cottonwood Lake was again 

 partially filled with water, and we decided to try it. 

 Here for four days we had all the duck shooting we 

 wanted. When I last wrote you from Cottonwood it was 

 a large lake, three miles long by one mile wide, with 

 seven or eight feet of water; since then it has been dry, 

 but now has about one foot of water, and is grown up 

 thickly mth grass and rushes: in short, is a big marsh 

 about two miles long, and is a paradise for mallards and 

 redheads. On quiet days we waded through the tall 

 grass and rushes, "jumping'" the birds. On wlndv days, 

 taking our stations around the lake we kept them flying, 

 and had excellent shooting. The last morning of our 

 stay two of us brought forty-seven mallards and red- 

 heads, two canvasbacks and a number of snaaller ducks, 

 which were "not counted." 



At Radfield we met John Trail, of Rosendale, Wis., the 

 noted dog trainer. He has been spending the past 

 season at this place and other points along the C. M. & 

 St. P, R. R. and reports having had a very successful 

 season, with plenty of chickens and good sport. He 

 still had twelve dogs with him, some of them beautiful 

 specimens. We had one day with him, but the season 



was too late for good chicken shooting, the birds being 

 bunched in big coveys and very wild. We got but seven- 

 teen birds. In the season, from August to last of Sep- 

 tember, there is no better chicken ground than can be 

 found from Armour north to Aberdeen, Two friends 

 whom I recommended to try Armour in August came 

 back reporting themselves more than satisfied. They 

 spent ten days in the vicinity or Armour and killed 353 

 birds, hunting only for amusement and doing no hard 

 work. 



For goose shooting Waubay is the best point we found. 

 There are several lakes and all are good. The place is 

 easily reached. Leaving Chicago at 6:30 P.M., the C. M. 

 & St. P", R. R. lands you at Waubay the next night, 

 going via Aberdeen. For duck shooting alone Cotton- 

 wood Lake is good enough for any one, and to reach it 

 one must leave the railroad at Redfield. 



We found nay old friend Wm. Sutton still living on 

 the lake and the latch string was out for hunters as of 

 yore. 



The coEiing season the Doctor and myself hope to take 

 our outing in chicken season and will go directly to 

 Armour or Redfield. Armour is only about eighteen 

 hours run from Chicago and no better shooting can be 

 found. S. C, G. 



DENVER NEWS. 



f ir there are any who doubt and have not seen 150 trout in a 

 himoh, let them call at the office of Henry Wilcox this afternoon, 

 143 being the number caught by Mr. Wilcox in one day. They 

 vary in weight f roni 2i/albs. to the yearling, and are as flue a lot of 

 finny beauties as were ever tenapted by a fly. Wilcox caught 330 

 on Saturday and Sunday, and is now in a position to deny the 

 sta tement that Sunday is a bad day for troiU tishins. This is Mr, 

 Wilcox's first season in 1 i-ont fishing, his total catch being 1,330. 



The above appeared in the Creede Chronide of Tues- 

 day, Nov. 1. Wagon Wheel Gap is but a short distance 

 from Creede and was considered one of the finest places 

 in the State for trout fishing. If such catches as the 

 above are permitted, in a very short time it will be entirely 

 fished out. Our laws prohibit the catching of more trout 

 than the fishermen can personally use, and there is a 

 penalty for retaining fish less than Gin. long. If above 

 clipping is correct Mr. Wilson violated the law in two 

 particulars. I have called Game Warden Ijand's attention 

 to this and he will investigate it at once. 



The Rocky Mountain Sportsmen's Association meets 

 here this week. A number of gentlemen who are very 

 much interested in game protection will ask the Associ- 

 ation to appoint a committee to revise the old or to pre- 

 pare a new game law, and to bring all the pressure possi- 

 ble to bear on the coming Legislature to enact it. The 

 present law is very ambiguous, and in some cases the 

 open seasons on large game begin too early. 



G. H, Lambson arrived in Denver Nov. (i, in charge of 

 a special car of the National Fish Commission, He went 

 to Leadville Monday night for the purpose of getting 

 150,000 yearling trout from the Government hatchery at 

 Evergreen Lake, for distribution throughout the State. 



Buffalo Bdl is in the city preparing: for a hunt for big 

 game. He is accompanied "by Alfred E. Hatton, of Brad- 

 ford, England; T. E. Haworth, of Manchester, and Col, 

 H. McKinnenand Major Milvehy,of Her Majesty's army. 

 Several other Englishmen will join the party before they 

 start. It is the intention of the party to spend several 

 months in the mountains and to slaughter large game in- 

 discriminately, I presume. 



Captain Bedam, of the Kennicott Gun Club, has opened 

 a shooting park a short distance out of town. It has a 

 good club house, electric pulls, and all the paraphernalia 

 necessary for trap-shooting. 



No v. 11,— The Rocky Mountain Sportsmen's Association 

 held its annual meeting in Denver, Nov. 10. 



President Hampson addressed the meeting at length. 

 He recommended certain changes in the game laws, de- 

 plored the lack of interest among a large class of the 

 population, and proposed that it be made a misdemeanor 

 for a man to have more than one elk, deer or antelope in 

 his possession at one time. He also asked that the bounty 

 on bear be removed, but favored its retention on coyotes 

 and gray wolves. 



A recommendation that the name of the society be 

 changed, as soon as it could be effected under the provi- 

 sions of the constitution, to the Colorado Fish and Game 

 Protective League was adopted. 



Game Warden Land made an interesting talk on the 

 game law question. He favored the' shortening of the 

 open season for trout fishing, and suggested that it begin 

 J une 15 instead of May 1, extending, as under the present 

 law, to Dec. 1. He thought the open season for deer 

 began too early, shooting should be prohibited imtil Sept. 

 1. There were more deer killed by the skin-hunters dur- 

 ing the summer than at any other' period of the year. He 

 thought a proper open season for four-footed game would 

 be from Sept. 1 until Dec. 15, Under the present laws 

 much of the work of the game wardens proved futile, 

 and without a seizure clause it must continue to be so. 

 He also declared that the shooting of game for winter u«e 

 should be prohibited. 



He also touched on the question of Indians killing 

 game, and asserted that they killed large numbers of elk 

 and deer for their hides, which they sold to the Indian 

 agents. 



The chair announced that 100 members belonged to the 

 association, and in addition nine new members had been 

 ad mitted that evening. 



The following were elected a committee on game law 

 revision: F. A. Williams, L, Butterfield, Gordon Land, 

 L, B, France and Mil ward Hewitt, and the chair was in- 

 structed to appoint a advisory comjnittee of five. 



Secretary Ilewitt read a letter from William N. Byers 

 regretting his inability to attend, as he was obliged to be 

 present at a meeting of Colorado Pioneers, 



F. A. Williams offered a resolution, which was adopted, 

 calling on the Governor to use all vigorous measures 

 within his power to have the Indians returned to their 

 reservations, stating that it was the sense of the associa- 

 tion that in the enforcement of the game laws Indians 

 should receive no better treatment than whites. 



President Hampson offered his resignation, as his time 

 was so occupied that he did not feel as if he could longer 

 attend to the duties of the offioe. 



The meeting then adjourned, subject to the call of the 

 chair, to meet for the imrpose of electing officers and 

 hearing the report of the oommittfip on game law revision. 



Teseeby, 



