28 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. is, 1893. 



with rod and reel the past season. Charles Fell has lately 

 caught eighteen in aboiit t]ie same location. Several 

 Boston fishermen — I ha\-p not their names at ]iresent^ — 

 liare gone to the eelebratefi Belgi'ade Ponds, in Maine, for 

 jnckerel fishing. There is more of an interest maiiilVsted 

 in pickerel fishing than nsnal iliis season, and later there 

 must be good eatclies to report. Indeed the infcei-est in 

 spoi-t with the fine and rod is greatly on the inerease. 

 Mr. Geo. B. Apioleton, of (!eo. B. Appleton & ('o., the 

 well known Boston taukh^ dealers, tells me that one of liis 

 salesmen, Mr. Sisson, actually sold a full trouting outfit 

 the other day, the buyer desiring to be "ready for the 

 next trouting season." He bought a fine rod aiid other 

 tackle, * Special. 



AN ENCOUNTER WITH A DEER. 



It was one of those clear, beautiful mornhigs of a 

 Nortliern winter. "Old Sol" could be seen just lising 

 through the dense foi est of spruce and balsain, easting 

 flickering shadows here and there, giving our ijlace of en- 

 campment a cheerful and inviting look. The strong wind 

 moaned as it rushed througii the tall monarclis of the. 

 woods, bending their gigantic boughs in gi acetid, bow- 

 like curves. Tke echoing sound of the clioi^j^er's ax as he 

 struck his first blows, and the loud •■Clee" and "Haw" of 

 an oxen driver on a. near by lumber job warned us tliat it 

 was high time to rise and pi-epare for our hunt. Our party 

 consisted of three — our guide Parslow, Ned Com-tney and 

 myself. 



Breakfast over, we picked up our luggage and strapped 

 it on our shoulders, unchained the hounds and Avere off. 

 Our path led us thi'ough innumerable waterways and 

 swamps covered with fly grass, which hindered our pi-o- 

 gress considerably. In crossing a treacherous sjjot on one 

 o{ the latter we all sank to our thighs in soft mud. It was 

 so massed that it took us nearly an hour to extricate our- 

 selves. Our guide, in trying to free iiimself , dropped his 

 rifle, which sank almost in an instant. He made desper- 

 ate thrusts with kis hands, till at last he succeeded in 

 gi'asping the stock of the piece and bringing it to the^surf ace 

 covered with "enameline." as lie termed it. Even ahunt- 

 er's merry tongue could hardly express how comical he 

 looked standing there begrimed from head to foot. 



We had twenty miles to make, and at this rate it would 

 take at least two days to com] )lete our journey, so Ave 

 quickened our pace, endea voring to avoid as many swamps 

 as possible. 



Deer tracks were numerous, there was every indication 

 that the region we were tra,versing was "chucked full of 

 'em" as Parslow said, Avhich afterward proA-ed to lie ti'ue. 

 The A'eil of night A^'as fast closing round as as \A'e neared 

 camp number two. 



"The shades of night come sloA^4y dOAvu. 



TheATOods arc drajied m deeper brown, 



The ow] aw atceiis I'roia hei- dell. 



The fox is heard uiioii the feh; 



Enough remains i if ghnnnermg hglit 



To guide the ^vanderer's steps aright." 



Three o'clock in the morning! All Avere a slee] > Imt my- 

 self when the report of a rille In-oke the stillness. St-u in Id- 

 ling to my feet, and at the satne time grasping my jiiec-e, 1 

 rushed to the shore of tlie stream and peered tlnHnigh the 

 darkness. I could see nothing, but I heard in llie ilintaii<'e 

 the snort of an aninial. Jumping noiselessly in to a small 

 canoe tliat lay on the bank, I jDushed it off and proceeded 

 to paddle up sti-eam, hugging the opi^osite .shore as close 

 as possible. Three or four strokes brought me to the place 

 from Avhence thescauul caiiie. as near as I could judge. I 

 waited fuUy fifteen ntinntcs. and was rewarded by seeing 

 a pair of antlers and a liead rising aboA^e the Avater. Upon 

 seeing me the animal turned and sAA^am toward shore. I 

 waited until his shouldei'S appeared, and then fired. The 

 ball lodged in the neck but did not instantly kill him. 

 Shaking his head, he gave several graceful leaps— and fell 

 dead. 



I took up my paddle and Avas just about to pro] )el the 

 craft Avhen, to my utter astonishment, two bucks and a 

 doe jumj)ed into the stream. Leveling my piece, I fired 

 at the nearest one, but my hand was imsteady. The ball 

 went far from its mark. Once more I fired ,Jbut experi- 

 enced the same result. I gaA-e up. 



Paddling the canoe to the shore I got out. My com- 

 panions had eAddently awakened on hearing the report of 

 my rifle, for not two minutes had elapsed Avhen ra])id 

 sliots came from their direction. I left the deer where he 

 liad fallen and retru-ned to camp. The sight which 

 greeted my eye Avas a pleasing one, for therf^, stretclied 

 out on the ground, lay two noble-looking buclis, each ])os- 

 sessing a magnificent pair of antlers. On fieeing from me 

 they had gone too near camp, and Avere shot by Parslow. 



By the time Ave had finished dressing the animals it Avas 

 G o'clock. After breakfasting we departed for home. The 

 rai3id progress Ave were making Avith the heavy load that 

 we cari-ied was simply wonderful. By noon AA^e had cov- 

 ered three-quarters of the distance, and were just neai'ing 

 Camp No. 1 Avhen Ned fell exhausted. Hanging up the 

 game, Pai-sloAv and I carried him into the hut and a.dmiu- 

 istered restoratives, whicli soon set him on his feet again. 



The night AA^as bitter cold, and it AA^as all that avo could 

 do to keep from freezing, Ovn- stock of blankets was in- 

 adequate;. I had none and was obliged to resort to |.)hysical 

 exercise to keep my blood in circulation. Ned happened 

 to have a pocket thermometer; he looked at it- — ""ten de- 

 grees below zero, boys," said he. "Don't you wish you'd 

 gone liome last night! " ParsloAv said he could stand it if 

 the rest could; so Ave remained loyal to our determination to 

 go forward. Morning found us nearer dead than aliA'e, We 

 drank a cup of coffee to warm us up and AA^ere oft". T took 

 the lead and was trying to find the ti-ail, when I discovei-ed 

 fresh deer tracks in tlie SJiow. I called back to the rest 

 to Avait for me. I then foUoAved it up. It letl me to a 

 high knoll. 



I stealtlrily aijproafdied and saw the head of a. large 

 sized buck behind a clump of brush. Stopping .sliort 1 

 fired, but missed. The animal sprang, attacking me with 

 his front legs. Quickly turning my body I succeeded in 

 getting on my hands and knees, at the same tune holding 

 my head doAvn to protect it from the sharp IdoAvs of liie 

 infuriated Ijeast. Had it not been for the padded buck- 

 skin coat Avhich I was lucky enough to have on, I sliould 

 liaA'e been torn to pieces ere niy faithful hound, liearing 

 iiiy cry. came to my deliA-erence. In an instant's time he 

 made a .spring and buried his teetli in the animal's .tlux^at. 

 A desperate fight ensued, iu Avhi.eli tire liomid came out 

 victorious. 



The deer fell, the sharp teeth of my rescuer haAring 



seA^ered an ai'tery. As I approached he feebly tried to 

 i-ise and sIioav fight, but his life blood was fast ebbing 

 aAvay. A moment later and he f eU back lifeless. 1 le lay 

 gracefully on his side Avith liis long antlers re.sting on "a 

 great stumx?, at tlie back of which was piled a heap of 

 hemlock bark fresldy felled. What would I have given 

 at that moment to have had a "Hawkeye" with me! 

 What a grand picture the scene would have made! 



In a few minutes my companions came on a dead run. 

 I sat doAvn on a log and proceeded to examine my in- 

 juries. AA'hich, although slight, Avere ncA-ertheless jiainful. 

 In the meantime Ned and Pai-slow dressed the deer (Ave 

 had succeeded in disposing of the smallest one to a 

 lumberman at $5. the price agreed upon). 



A very laughable incident occiu-red during the rest of 

 oiu- tram]3. We lost the trail. The suoav had blown 

 against the trees and ccjvered the blazed part. Our guide 

 was leachng the Avay when suddenly, to our amazement, 

 Ave saAv liis legs rapidly disapi^earing. We ran to his 

 assistance and pulled him out of the A-ery sa-me liole that 

 but tAvo days agt.i he had fallen into. We laughed 

 heai'tily. Not so (.lid the unfortunate and irrittd.cd victim. 



Our coui"se AA^as south, but mstead of going in that 

 direction Ave made a complete circle, coming out on the 

 swamp, 



Tavo hours later foimd us in the village, and after mak- 

 ing due prex^aration and wishing Parslow good luck and 

 better (understanding) we dexjarted. 



Whenever I riieet Parslow I greet him: "Hallo, Pars, 

 can you give me a definition of a swamp?"' He isn't in 

 loA-^e AA'ith .swamps. TAMARACK. 



BLACK DUCKS FROM A BATTERY. 



Thk dusky or black duck — A nas ohseura—is as canning 

 and warA" in Ins liannt among the Avild oats oi' in the 

 Xionds, or wlierever he inay lie found, as the fox is on the 

 land. By carefully stu(lyin<i,- then- habits and neces.sities 

 thousands are shot every year along otu coast notwith- 

 standing their Avariuess. 



Many are shot by ••layhig for black ducks" concealed in 

 the shade under a bank or in a hole dug near their f aA- orite 

 feeding grounds. In the evening many are shot while 

 fljdng uxj the course of the riA^ers to the ponds or river 

 banks. AA here the Avild oats are xilenty. But x)erhax)S the 

 best time is Avhen a sno\\ storm is coming on late in the 

 fall. They leave the salt A-i'ater and fly uxi tlie riA'ers to get 

 the shelter of the Avild *.>ats or any other ])l.ace that will 

 X:)rotect them. They seem to be partially blinded liy the 

 snow, or rather, the suoav xJreA^ents their seeing CA^ery- 

 thing, as they always do, under ordinary circumstances. 

 The shooter by lying down or hiding behind a. haystack 

 will get many good shots in a short time. One of the 

 best jilaces that I CA'^er kncAV in the A icinity of NeA\' HaA en 

 is on the Quinnipiac Eiver, just above "the brickyards," 

 AAdiere there are hundreds of acres of wdd oats stretching 

 far and wide, w^here they feed every night. (It is also a 

 most famous xilace for rail shooting in the fall). 



Many black ducks are shot in the Avinter by the shooter 

 coA-ermg himself Avith a Avhite sheet when the snow 

 coA^ers the shores, and also by lying on a big cake of ice 

 on a blanket near the channel. When the tide rises the 

 ducks swim tip the channel to feed on the roots of the 

 sedge and to dig uxj with their bills the small long clams 

 that are found along the .shores. 



This ijractice of shooting black ducks in the dead of 

 Avinter should be x)rohibited by law. The ducks are then 

 miserably xjoor and rank in flavor. Tlie black duck is too 

 good, in its season, to be desiaroyed in this way. In the 

 fall they are fuUy as good, and many thmk better, than 

 the tame duck or the maUaxd. 



Alluding to the exti'enie wariness of the black duck I 

 never knew of but one excexrtion, and that Avas nearly 

 thirty years ago. 



At NeAv HaA'en in oui' open harbor, contrary to their 

 usual habits, a flock of about fifteen black ducks Avere to 

 be seen f eedmg every day not more than thirty rods from 

 Long Wharf, nor more than fifteen rods from where the 

 N. Y. & N. H. R. E. dexiot noAv stands. Altliough men 

 and teams Avere x)assing every few minutes on the Avharf , 

 the ducks seemed to pay no attention to it. This Avas early 

 in the season. 



Whether these ducks were reared near some farmhouse 

 where thej saAV men and teams every day, Avith aH the 

 usual noises about a farmhouse, and were not disturbed, 

 and so had more confidence and faith in jnankind than 

 they did soon afteiAA'ard, is more than I can say, but it 

 looks to me like the most probable solution of the question. 

 They fed and played about there ' Svith such a shocking 

 lameness'' as to attract considerable notice. And I am 

 sorry to say (V) that I was the first one to desti-oy that 

 faith. 



But as all men and ducks find out sooner or later that 

 they cannot x^ut much faith in man, I thought it be.st to 

 disabuse their minds of that idea at once, and to see its 

 utter folly. 



At this time I had a batteiy, the same as those used oij. 



the Chesax^eake Bay. I xiroi:)Osed to a.storekeexjer on Long 

 Wharf, and he Avas an old duck shooter, the bringing 

 doAvn to his store of nry batteiy, and there to laimcli it. 

 and he to let his man assist me and to x^ick uj.) any ducks 

 that I .might shoot, whicii he agreed to do; but he re- 

 marked that "Their man would haA^e no ducks to [lick u]i,'" 

 and afl that. "Who ever heard of black ducks being shot 

 on their open feeding grout ids from a battery." Well, the 

 battery was launched and toAved out to the XJlace I selected. 

 The decoys, altout a dozen of white-winged coot decoys, 

 the nearest thing I had, were properly set. 



I lay down flat on tny liack with my head restitig on a 

 sandbag, so that I cottld jttst look over the edge of the 

 battery, and facing tlie mouth of the harbor. In less than 

 an hour I saAv the ducks coming, a half mile aA\'ay. On 

 they came, straight tOAVfird me, flying very high. I had 

 made ux^ niy iitind to shoot on the first reasontiltle chance. 

 As they came it seemed as though they eyed those old 

 coot ducks with susx)ici<m; at any rate they could claim 

 but slight relationshixi. 



They flew ])ast rather out of shooting distancte, aad cir- 

 cled aromid toAvard Long Wliarf ; it looked to me as 

 though it was niy only chance, so I let go, and down came 

 one, AA'inged. The next tnomeut I saAv .Jolin. my assist- 

 ant, coming in his shar|.iie to pick up the first ••Itlack duck 

 ever shot on tlieir open feeding grounds from a, liattery." 

 He had a long chase as he sailed jiartly on tlie water and 

 partly on the niud, but he got him. 



The next day I Avent again and had the decoys set as 

 usual, and theji lay on niy back Availing for anything 



that might turn up — or come doA^Ti. I waited long, but 

 no duck appeared. 



Knowing it to be the habit of black ducks to fl.y up if 

 they hear a gun fired anywhere within a mile. I rose to a 

 sitting x^osition and liredone barrel and immediately drop- 

 Xied back, and peering over the edge of the batterj^ I saw 

 the flock rise straight up., a half mile away, and fly 

 toAvard the old spot. 



I had but one barrel (I used a percussion gun in those 

 days) and they came in the same way they did before, 

 A'ery high up and tdmost right OA'er me. I iiulled and 

 down came one. dead, and struck Avithin 30ft. of me. 

 The Avind being favorable, lie drifted within reach and I 

 secured him. 



In shooting from a battery or a boat it is A^eiy desirable 

 to be able to shoot from both the right or the left shoulder. 

 When shooting from the right shoulder, while in a sit- 

 ting position in a battery, you Avill find that you cannot 

 twist around and shoot to the riglit; but if you can shoot 

 also from the \ett shoulder you can shoot to the riglit 

 quite well aftei' some x>ractice, by bringing uxi the gun 

 qiuckly and tiimitiii,- at some object witliout firing, I met 

 witli a funny incident in my first practice at shooting to 

 the right from my left shoulder, I had selected one of 

 my decoys that Avas furthest to the right, but it being 

 awkAvard Avoi'k at first I haxapened to touch the trigger 

 and the decoy went end OA*er end. full of shot. 



B. F, ARLINaTON. 



PENNSYLVANIA PROTECTION. 



Pennsyuvania State Sportssiek's Assocjation, Harris- 

 burg, Pa., Jan. 6. — Editor Forest and Streauu Yours of 

 the otli at hand. Your Iciud offer to helx) oiu' Association 

 in the first united eft'ort for game ijrotectioii in our State, 

 coming so quickly after the receipt of om- circular letter, 

 shoAA^s that the deeji interest you take in the sidiject makes 

 you remarkably alert to grasp opportunities to lielp the 

 cause. "Forest and Stream and game protection" would 

 not be a bad campaign cry. Their interests ai i- identical, 

 and one cannot exist Avithout the other. Tlu ■ wa.v you at- 

 tack the subject from different standpoints, and air the 

 views of those wlio Avish to have them aired, Avith occa- 

 sional XTOugfut comments, shows that yon must be a 

 "crank" on the subject, and that is Avhat is needed in our 

 State — a fcAs- more game protection cranks. We ward it 

 to become a ••fad" to be posted on game protection and in- 

 crease. 



We want tlie feeling to become so Avidespread that it 

 Avill lie considered more of an honor to be known as a 

 game x^rotector tlian a killer of game. 



We Avant the sentiment to become so strong that the 

 gourmand avIio eats game out of season aamII feel as guilty 

 as the HebrcAv temxiteii to eat the flesh of swine, and we 

 want Forest asd .Str.\:m"s helxi to siiread this feeling. 



You can, from your immense store of infimnatioii and 

 knoAvledge of tlie subject, aid the lay x)ress of our State 

 to help intelligently, for they Avill quote you as a x>rofottnd 

 authority. 



They are ready to help, a.nd have already started the 

 work.' Quite a, number of editors of influential x'lapers 

 have offered sxiace for anything we may send theni hear- 

 ing on the subject, but a number of them state, Avhile they 

 feel the game must have protection or bo anr.iliilated. 

 they are Avofully ignorant of the methods jicccHsary to 

 Xirotect it. 



So Ave haA^e the press of the State Avith us, and with 

 them on our side it is only a matter of time to have the 

 masses ]iroperly educated. 



We thank you again for your prompt offer of assistance 

 (and you may rest assured we will call on you). 



C. E. H. Brelsfoed, Pres. 



Pittsburg, Pa., January. — The sjiort-smen of tliis end of 

 the State are A'ery much interested in the Legislatm-e Avhic-h 

 began its regular session at Harrisburg .January 3. A 

 number of bills affecting the game laA\ s have been pre- 

 pared including one from New Castle, which makes it a 

 misdemeanor to shoot quails at all. Uf course that is out 

 of the question but all sportsmen here agi ee that our game 

 laws are A'ery bad. The most systematic effort at refomi- 

 ation has been undertaken by the PennsylA'ania State 

 Sportsmen's Association, which at its la,st meeting at Read- 

 ing appointed a conimittee on legislation Avhose duties 

 Avere defined to be to secure such changes in the laws as 

 seemed to it advisable, and also to secure tlie recognition 

 by the State goArernment of the Pennsylvania State 

 SxJortsmen's Association as the proper body to haA'-e cliarge 

 of the x^rotection and propagation of the game birds and 

 animals of the State. .Elmer E. Shaner is tlie local 

 member of the legislative committee and says the local 

 members of the Legislattn-e and Governor Pattison can be 

 depended on to do AvhateA Cr the State Associa tion [iro- 

 Xioses. One of the objects is to secure an ax)pi-opi'ifition 

 Avith which to attemxit the propagation of game and the 

 protection of Avhat little we hav^e left. 



Mr. Shaner says the association AA-ants at least as much 

 protection and assistance for the game as is now jiroAdded 

 for the fish. There is a fish commission of six in this 

 State and Mr. (leorge H. Welshons is the local member. 

 They get hcmor for tluii' salary but liaA-e soniething of an 

 ax^proxiriation e;ic]i year. This they exjiend in i)huiting 

 the streams and |.ia,ying tlie exxienses of the wardens, etc. 

 The AA^ar dens, of course, direct their energies toward fish, 

 but a fcAA- of them, such ;is J. AV. Hague, the Avai-den for 

 this district, wage a desultory AA'ar an the game laAV at.o- 

 lators. But he is not x>aid to dp so. The association aims 

 to x^roAdde the means for employing men esx'eciaily to look 

 after the game. Then the association desires to make the 

 seasons for game more uniform. One season for pheas- 

 ants, quails and rabliits is almost sure to be urged. 



Mr. Hague desires to see a bdl introduced enlarging the 

 XioAvei^s of the fish c<:)mmission so as to give it sux)ervision 

 of the game as well. Tlieti he Avants to see an apxiroxma- 

 tion that Avill justify good reliable men in accepting the 

 office of game' and fisli Avardens. He thinks $l,00h a year 

 and the necessary expenses of i^ursuing and prosecuting 

 offenders is the least smn that should be set aside for one 

 AA'arden. He also thinks the Legislature .sliould empoAver 

 the Avardens to search the persons of susx)ected hunters. 

 For instance, he would have a A\'arden so emxJowered 

 that he could go t(..) one of the depots and oveihatd any 

 hunter his judgment dictated and a.scertain liy searching 

 his pockets wliether he had Adolated any of tlie game laAvs. 

 Of course sucli a tight Avould be rarely exercised, but in 

 extreme cases he thinks it is necessary. But there are 

 grave doubts wliether a laA\- granting such exti'aordinary 



