Deo. 15, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



813 



gone far, and soon she nailed them. We each fired one 

 barrel, and each killed a quail, and Ihen, going on over 

 the brow of the hill, Dame pointed dead, and we found a 

 cripple which had gone down, hit by no one knew 

 whom. 



In the Swamp Again. 



Again we bad to go into the wet and boggy swamp 

 after the marked birds. Dame found them on the leaves, 

 and they went off wild, Mr. La Rue and Mr. Organ fail- 

 ing to stop any as they rocketed over their way. Then in 

 a boggy grass patch tbe bitch pointed again, and Mr. La 

 Rue dropped the bird in grea't style. As T went toward 

 him, I nearly stepped on a bird in the thicket, and took a 

 snap at it as it sprang. Mr. L\ Rue did the same thing, 

 and the result was that we disfigured the bird very badly. 

 This was the last shot of the day. and we now had 

 twenty-eight birds. They were all full-grown, strong 

 birds, and handsome as only Bob White can grow to be. 



As we went toward our wagon, we met two farmers, 

 who ordered us off the land. As usual, we treated them 

 politely, and agreed at once with a request which struck 

 us as being now a little late in the day, though none the 

 less stereotyped, and indeed, none the less distasteful. 

 We intend 'shooting a little bit further in this locality, 

 should there not prove to be too much posted land — a 

 contingency which seems not in the least unlikely. 



It may be that this portion of Indiana has not so good 

 a quail crop this year as was earlier in the year thought 

 to be the case, but it seems almost certain that there is 

 abundance to aiford good shooting at almost any place 

 in a circle of a dozen miles or so radius about this point. 

 Rochester is only 12 miles from here, and there is good 

 shooting near there. Over Warsaw way, 28 miles from 

 Argos, there are a good many birds, but also a good 

 many farmers. Around Winamac, 30 miles distant, the 

 birds have already been mentioned as plentiful, and that 

 is good quail country. Tippecanoe, Knox, Ora, and any 

 of a dozen other small country places in this part of the 

 State will afford a fair shooting for what little is left of 

 the season. Lake Maxinkuckee, the great Indiana sum- 

 mer resort, is only 9 miles from Argos. Make that the 

 center, say, of the quail belt, and go over a circle of 25 

 or 30 miles, and one certainly would meet Bob White in 

 royal form and democratic numbers. At Sidney, '62 

 miles east of here on the Nickel Plate, I am told the birds 

 are unusually abundant, and the farmers unusually 

 lenient. You have to take your chances, both as to the 

 birds and the farmers, but it seems sure that the two 

 above factors exist in ratio good enough to afford sport 

 of a highly 'satisfactory nature. Of course, the usual 

 trouble exists that we cannot stay long enough to find 

 out a great deal of the country. 



Along Mud Creek, the outlet of the Mud Lake, we dis- 

 covered to-day, there runs a black loam swamp, covered 

 with bogs, alders and thickets, which seems to me to be 

 the finest looking woodcock country I ever saw. 1 can 

 not learn much of any local shooters, but the landlord of 

 our hotel tells us that in the summer time he has killed 

 *' a good many " woodcock there. There is quite a body 

 of this swamp land, and I should think it a very good 

 point to keep in mind for woodcock next season. 



OhiuaiK), 111., Dec. 5.— Our little quail hunt at Argos, 

 which bid so fair to be a pleasant and successful affair, 

 came to an untimely and unfortunate end. Dame Bang, 

 Mr. Li Rue's gritty young pointer, sprung a limp in a 

 forefoot in the morning of our second day, and as this 

 left her but two feet to go on, we had not the heart to 

 ask more of her. During the morning we found only one 

 bevy, out of which we got nine birds. In all we found 

 five bevies on the trip and bagged thirty-seven birds. As 

 we lost a few birds knocked down, of course, it may be 

 seen that the work of the dog on the scattered singles 

 was of high order. It was indeed a pleasure to shoot 

 under such circumstances, for the sport was not a 

 scramble for a shot, but an illustrated pdition of (luail 

 shooting as it can be, the pictures by Dame Bang. On 

 the bevy of the last morning the dog pointed in a long- 

 drawn, telescopic attitude which made us all long for a 

 camera. We marked the bird down in a swamp, and as 

 we entered this cover Dame sprang up on a log to cross it. 

 Instantly, as she stood with all four feet gathered to- 

 gether in the act of springing down, she whirled her head 

 and pointed straight down under her feet, almost having 

 to balance herself to keep from falling forward. I do 

 not recall ever having seen a more singular or more 

 brilliant point. Needless to say, the birds were there, 

 under the log. 



It was disheartening to have to stop in the middle of 

 such fun, though no one could have wished to see the 

 game little one go on under such punishment. But this 

 was not all. We had left Mollie O'Brien, Mr. Organ's 

 borrowed dog, tied up in a comfortable stall in the livery 

 stable in town. When we got in we found that Mollie 

 O'Brien, whatever may have been her faults, was exempt 

 from all further criticism, by virtue of the old saying, 

 de morhds, etc. In short, Mollie was dead 1 We thoaght 

 she might have strangled herself in her collar, but soon 

 found that was not the case. Then we concluded .she 

 had been poisoned, but could see no indications of that, 

 and were told that no one bad been in that part of the 

 stable since we left. The body was still limp, and we 

 did not think the dog had been dead more than half an 

 hour. Mollie was of very corpulent habit of body, and 

 had been eating very heavily. She may very likely have 

 died of apoplexy, induced by the excitement of wishing 

 to join the hunt. Or her heart may have broken at being 

 left behind. The plainest theory is that of poison, and 

 it may be very well to warn any other shooters going to 

 Argos to be very careful of their dogs. The natives 

 there are none too friendly to city shooters. Mollie may 

 have been the innocent victim of an unreasoning and 

 unreasonable spite. At any rat.e, she was dead, and we 

 could find no trace of the cause of her death. This of 

 course brought all thought of further shooting to an end. 

 It was rather an unpleasant duty that devolved upon Mr. 

 Organ, that of telling Mr. O'Brien that his dog was not 

 coming back home any more. Mr. Organ showed some 

 sense of this when he sadly remarked, as he looked upon 

 poor Mollie's body : "I'm afraid yoiir father was a shep- 

 herd. Mollie, but' it's too late to help that now, and I'm 

 sure I'm not going to lay it up against you now you're 

 gone," 



CHlOAao, 111.. Dec. 10.— Mr. W. C. Jacue, long known 

 in Bu^alo, N. Y., as a prominent shooter, is in this city, 

 ^uest of his friend, Col. Chas. E. Felton. These two are 



: st b§c4 ixcm. % yeyy ple§ga»t; enccesaful shoot 



at Little Rock, Ark., and cannot speak too highly of that 

 spot for a shooting trip. They ran out on the railway 

 trains 8 or 10 miles into the country each day, and bagged 

 two or three dozen to the gun daily without any special 

 exertion. They epeak also in terms of the greatest en- 

 thusiasm of the Richelieu Hotel, of Little Rock, and its 

 proprietor, Mr. Jos. W. Irwin, who made thera so 

 thoroughly comfortable during their stay. A large Phila- 

 delphia shooting party was in during their stav, also a 

 isarty en route for Texas. Deer are described as abundant 

 within 25 to 40 miles of Little Rock, and quails in any 

 numbers. 



Eagle River Club, of Chicago, sent up a party of nearly 

 twenty deer hunters in all this fall to its large preserves 

 in Wisconsin. They sent out seventeen deer in one lot, 

 and this does not represent the season's total. 



At Peipbine, Wis., this fall, the hotel took fire. Mr, 

 Ackerman, of Lima, O., and a friend lost about all they 

 had, including seven dead deer, the rifle of one of them, 

 and a dog. 



Mr. Waiter Wilmot, late of base ball fame, now of Min- 

 neapolis, was in town this week. He says that in a deer 

 hunt he and some friends had this fall in Minnesota, they 

 killed an adult and full developed deer, a doe which 

 weighed dressed only 3 libs. This freak is now in the 

 taxidermist's bands. 



Mr. W. H. Parker, of Grand Piles, Quebec, Canada, 

 spent some time in Chicago this week, visiting with his 

 friend, Mr. A. L. Rose, one of Chicago's '49-ers. Mr. Par- 

 ker has long been interested in the formation of sporting 

 clubs in Canada, was the promoter of the Laurentian and 

 Shawinagan clubs, and is now forming the St. Maurioe 

 Club, with almost boundless preserves and endless trout 

 privileges. 



The Calumet Heights Club. 



Calumet Heights Club held bu-'iness session on the even- 

 ing of Df c. 7: present, Messrs. E, T. EUico^t, A. W. Car- 

 lisle, W. E Wilde, J. Gillespie. K" Marks, E. W- Carson, 

 W. tsbell. G. C. Lanphere, J. P. Fisher, R. W. Fleming, 

 J. E. Hinkins, C. S. Case, S. Booth, C. A. W. Piatt, Dr. 

 J. G Reid, Dr. F. A, Hodson, Dr. L. L, Divis Dr. A. W. 

 Harlan, Dr, Harlan was in the chair, Dr. Davis, secre- 

 tary. The following new members were elect-ed: Messrs. 

 L. B. Wilson, H. D. Dale, G. W. Selby and .J. D. Bisbee. 

 R'^pnlutions of respect were passed in memory of Mr, Geo. 

 Snffern. a member lately deceased. It was decided to 

 hold monthly pigeon shoots from next April to September, 

 and to choose on the records a team for competitions with 

 other club teams. The members were cordially urged to 

 be present at the social quiltine bee at Dr. Harlan's resi- 

 dence on the evening of Dec. 15, held by the ladies for the 

 purpose of of raising club funds. Calumet Heights Club 

 is now in better shape than it ever has been. Its tenure 

 on its grounds is thought safe for fifteen years to come, 

 and the present keeper is doing well, Durin^^fche past 

 year it has spent over $1,000 on the grounds. There are 

 about 75 quail now on or near the club grounds, and more 

 will be put down. Some of the members have been shoot- 

 ing these L| uail, one member killing nine in one day. This 

 should be stopped with a round turn, until the birds have 

 established themselves. Those now found are thought to 

 be strays from the lots put down by ToUeston Club. 



The Chicago Fly-Casting Club. 



The Chicago Fly-Casting Club held a business meeting 

 on the evening of Dec, 9, This club also is in flourishing 

 condition, and that it should keep up interest during the 

 winter months shows that it is of the right timber. 



The Pcassum Club. 



The Possum Club met at Werner's, 93 Thirty-fifth street, 

 Tuesday evening, Dec, (>, present, Messrs. W. S. Haynes, 

 F, A. Place, W. P. Mussey, Geo, Mailett, G. Hetherington, 

 L. M. Hamline, C. B. Dicks, W. N. Low, R. A. Turtle and 

 O, F, Malcolm, Adjourned late for a date after Christ- 

 mas, Many weighty matters were discussed, spring shoot- 

 ing among others. There were not absent those who sup- 

 ported the old chestnut that to kill one old duck and eight 

 young ducks left just as many ducks as though no duck 

 bad been killed: and who also stuck in the mud of the old 

 proposition that if all the States in the Union couldn't set 

 a day and hour for beginning at the same time to be good 

 and rational in shooting matters, it was of no use for any 

 one State, say Illinois, to be good and rational, Mr, Wer- 

 ner was strongly and openly opposed to spring shooting, 



175 MonHOE Stbbet, Chicago. E. HoUGH, 



NEW YORK ASSOCIATION. 



The New York State Association for the Protection of Fish and 

 Game is now thoroughly organized with a membership of olnbs 

 in all parts of the State. 



We are in perfect accord with the State Fish Commission and 

 the Game Protectors, and the future gives promise of great use- 

 fulness. 



The present game laws are a great improvement on those of the 

 past, and are in the main satisfactory, though there are some 

 slight imperfections which it is hoped soon to remedy. 



The ordinary expenses of the Association will be kept at a low^ 

 figure, in order that the assessments on the various clubs may be' 

 so small as to Induce a large, harmonious and zealous member, 

 ship. 



It is a tact, however, that if this Association is to Mil with credit 

 the available sphere of its usefulaess, funds will be needed in 

 order that legislation may be legitimately watched, to the end 

 that bad enactments may be prevented and desirable laws pro- 

 moted and encouraged. It has been the experience of those en. 

 gaged in the work, that bad laws usually come from a lack of 

 informat'on on the part of law-makers, rather than from ulterior 

 motives and perverse disposition. It is a legitimate and worthy 

 object of this Association to spread abroad the enlightenment, 

 and create a public sentiment wbioh shall result in real Game, 

 Fish and Forest Protection, thus bringing to the people of the 

 whole State tangible, palpable benefit. 



A special fund for this purpose has been instituted, and your 

 subscription is respectfully solicited. Contributions m9y be sent 

 to any member ol: the Ways and Means Committee and they will 

 be duly acknowledged in tbe columns of the Forest and Stream. 



May we not confidently rely upon your cordial co-operation in 

 the work? 



O. B. RET5fOM?8, President, Gen. H. h. Bhuce, Syracuse. 

 W. S. KiMBALt. Vice-President. F. J. AMsnEK, Bochester. 

 J, B, SAGE, Secretary-Treasirer W. H.Thompson, Alexandria Bay 

 W. S. Gavttt, Lyons. 



Ways and ^4.eaQ8 Oo|Q«4tte«'i 



AUTUMN DAYS WITH THE WOODCOCK 



Worcester, Mass., Nov. 30,— Did it ever occur to you 

 that it was a very long time to look forward, from now 

 to the middle of next October? The fact has been forc- 

 ibly impressed upon my mind during the past few weeks, 

 since I got back to my de.sk again, after an altogether too 

 short session with the birds. In looking over some old 

 numbers of Forest and Stream, and thinking over the 

 incidents of my last vacation (which will have to console 

 me for the next 11 months) I could not help but notice, 

 what 1 have frequently noted before, how the opinions 

 of different lovers of the fields and woods were often 

 opposed to each other. Take the old grind of the wood- 

 cock's whistle. Of course I have my opinion as to how 

 it is produced, and no doubt the advocates of the opposite 

 theory have equally as strong reasons for their belief, and 

 there is little probability that either of us could convince 

 the other against what seems to both "proof positive." 

 Then there was the question as to whether partridges 

 roosted oil the ground, or on trees. Those who declare 

 that they roost on the ground may have seen them mak- 

 ing use of the ground for such a purpose, and if so what 

 effect can we expect to have upon them with the argu- 

 ment that we have as surely seen them roosting in trees, 

 or at least have started them for their roosts in trees, as 

 could be clearly proven by the droppings directly under 

 the limb from wbich they started. And who shall say 

 that they are not as close observers, as good sportsmen 

 as we, even thoug;h our views seem to us correct beyond 

 contradiction. J ust a few weeks ago I read a very inter- 

 esting article in this paper on the wind, and that is what 

 brings me to my last vacation. The writer of tha.t article 

 no doubt finds the woodcock moving on a sotith wind, 

 if he did'nt he would not look for them at such times. 

 But to us it looks ridiculous, Wliy ? Because we do not 

 find them coming to us on a south wind, but on the con- 

 trary on a cold norther. Our observation and experience 

 teach us that the woodcock come to us as early in the 

 spring as they can get here, and stay just as late in the 

 fall as the frosts will let tlaem. Of course natives are 

 moving about all the fall, but the flight has to be driven 

 down from the north by cold weather, at least that is the 

 way we figure it. 



Columbus day was the date of the -''JSTessmuks' " annual 

 "Big Hunt" this year. Daylight found us behind the bob- 

 tails, putting Worcester behind us as fast as they cared 

 to travel. There is no earthly use in attempting to de- 

 scribe that morning, for probably every shooter in the 

 country was out just as earljr as we were, and enjoyed it 

 as thoroughly. Still I can't help remarking that it was a 

 "powerful"' fine hunting morning. It was high sun up 

 when we reached the ground?, and not much later when 

 w^e were "at em," We found a fair number of birds and 

 had a good forenoon's pport. About 11 o'clock every one 

 was hungry and the "Indian'" was started for a farm 

 house for a pail of milk, while the rest of us "took the 

 horses' heads off" and fed them, started a lire and soon 

 had the old coffee pot humming. There is something 

 about an oyster stew on a cool day that is most acceptable, 

 at least we found it that way, and after a liberal bowl of 

 this, together with several sandwiches and a cixp of coffee 

 it would seem that the most voracious appetite might be 

 satisfied, but not so, for the "Old Man" no sooner finished 

 his second cup than he began dressing a woodcock. The 

 rest followed suit, and the results of the morning's hunt 

 were soon broiling over the coals. 



After this no one was in a mood to continue the hunt, 

 8o we picked up and started across country to see "Char- 

 lie Puss," and from there drove home. It wasn't much of 

 a hunt as hunts go, but the "Nessmuks" don't get an 

 annual very often, and the day's pleasure is not meas- 

 tired by the heft of the hunting coats at night. 



A stretch of fine weather followed, and we had good 

 shooting, getting from 5 to 10 birds a day (two men), but 

 toward the latter part of the following week there came 

 a spell of weather. One night at the gathering at 'IJsha's 

 it was remarked that if there were not any woodcock the 

 next day there never would be any. The night was a 

 ripper, according to our theory, a cold north wind blow- 

 ing, with strong suggestions of vsdnter. The next morn- 

 ing as I went through Lincoln Square the depot platform 

 was pretty frosty, as I noticed with much satisfaction. 

 Oliver and Ned were out on the front steps waiting, just 

 as if a cold norther had put ideas of long-bills into their 

 heads, too. We hunted the same ground as on the first 

 day, and — well, we got as many as 3 or 10 that day. Yes, 

 I remember of man's getting more than that straight, 

 and he did not have them all either. 



Don't talk to me about your Italian sunsets; give me a 

 day with such dog fl.esh as we had that day, and with the 

 woodcock away out in the thin birches and scattered 

 scrub pines, not a breath of wind, the sun bright as it is 

 only in October, and that is as near the height of physi- 

 cal enjoyment as I ever expect to get. Then come back 

 to work and know that it must be nearly a long year be- 

 fore you can take the pup out again, it's "dead wrong, 

 dead wrong." As I look ahead to that next outing so far 

 off, there come before the eye pictures of ranging dogs, 

 points and backs, birds bursting from the cover, some to 

 be neatly stopped in mid air, others to keep right on until 

 out of reach, the fire by the spring and the whole two 

 weeks come back to me with a delightful reality, and I 

 am satisfied that I have had my share of the fun this 

 season. "It's an ill wind," etc. HaIi. 



Termont Quail* 



Rutland, Vt., Dec. 12,— On Dec. 9 a woodchopper near 

 the village of Bristol discovered a lot of birds, and as he 

 thought, about 100 in the flock. He reported this at the 

 village, and the next day he saw" the same birds again to 

 the number of fifty. He succeeded in capturing one of 

 them which had lost a leg and was about half starved. 

 They turned out to be the regular Western quail. It is 

 not known where these birds came from, and there a,re 

 two theories in regard to them. Some two yeai's ago the 

 Rutland Fish and Game Club put out quite a lot of quail 

 which they had received from the West, but have never 

 heard from them since they were distributed. Possibly 

 they have endured the mild winters of the last two years 

 and these are a part of them. Another theory is, that 

 they may have com^ from Shelburne Farms from a dis- 

 tribution made by Dr. Webb, although it is not positively 

 known that the Doctor has distributed any at that point, 



John Tixcom?, 



