g'i FOREST AND STREAM. [Feb. 3, i893. 



OUR BLUENOSE BUDGET. 



Frbdeeicton, N. B., Jan. 26.— I note that Mr. Peter Le 

 Royer is delighting the cultured natives of Boston with his 

 justly celebrated live cow moose. Also that Mr. LeEoyer 

 "claims that his animal is the only hvmg adult cow moose 

 in captivity." It is to be regretted that Mr. LeRoyor should 

 mar his missionary efforts by a claim like this. At Monc- 

 ton, in this Province, there resides one PhiUp Selick, who 

 has no less than two cow moose and one bull moose for his 

 constant playmates. Mr. SeUck has exhibited the former 

 throughout the Provinces for several years, and Mr. LeRoy- 

 er's moose would have to ' 'hump itself" to be any homelier 

 than they are. Mr. Sehck had been yearning a long time 

 for a bull moose for breeding p)urposes. Last winter he 

 spent over two months in the wilds of the Renous in order 

 to capture him, and when he emerged from the forest in 

 the spriirg of the year he had the animal in tow-. He 

 floated him down the Miramichi on a raft, and landed hun 

 home .safe and sound. I have written to Mr. Selick for 

 particulars of the capture and breeding experiment, which 

 I hope soon to supply to Forest and Stream:. 



A wonderfully favorable season for the preservation of 

 moose, deer and caribou Avas that which closed on the 15th 

 inst. Scarcely any snow fell in any part of the Province 

 until a week after New Year's, and this made the success- 

 ful pursuit of big game almost impossible. It is probable 

 that not over 100 head of moose, caribou and deer com- 

 bined were killed in ISTew Brimswick during the open sea,- 

 son. Last week Dr. Bliss, of Amherst, and his friend, 

 Leander Allen, had a successful cruise in the woods be- 

 tween Maccan and Athol. Abram Hood acted as guide. 

 The party captured two large moose, the largest of which, 

 when dressed, weighed 6901bs. 



Nat Price, of Peniac, the veteran trapper, reports a 

 singular absence of foxes in that region this winter. He 

 thinks the lack of snow during November and December 

 must have had the effect of driving them from their 

 usual haunts. Early in the fall Mr. Price had a strange 

 experience. He was just about starting for a look at his 

 traps, when something thumped against the roof of his 

 house. It sounded like the clatter of a chain, and Mr. 

 Price had a vague conviction that his time had come. 

 He rushed to the door, and just arrived in time to see an 

 immense crane flying over his dooryard with what seemed 

 to be a chain attached to its feet. Mr. Price grabbed his 

 g-un and gave chase. The crane flew aroimd in circles 

 and gave evidence of mental derangement. After a 

 while he banged into Mr. Price's favorite apple tree and 

 the chain stuck fast. Mr. Price chrabed the tree and 

 reached for the crane. Then the crane reached for Mr. 

 Price and jabbed him with its beak. Then Mr. Price 

 came down and reached for his gun. Then the crane 

 came down and reached the end of his earthly troubles. 

 Attached to his leg was an otter trap and chain that Mr. 

 Price had set with a sliding pole in the creek up the in- 

 tervale. 



A similar thing took place right across the river from 

 Mr. Price's place only last week. Spafford Wade shot a 

 large Arctic owl which he had noticed in the locality for 

 several davs before, and which had the singular habit of 

 alwavs Ugliting on the groimd. "Wnen shot the owl had a 

 mink trap chnging to his leg. The trap belonged to a 

 lad named G-oodspeed, and, not being properly secured, 

 had been lugged off by the owl about a fortnight before 

 he was harvested by Mr. Wade. 



Speaking of owls, reminds me. A few years ago three 

 of us floated down Cain's River, one of the wildest and 

 least frequented fishing streams in New BiTinswick, in a 

 dugout. On the fourth day out we routed a large owl 

 several times during the afternoon. As soon as we poled 

 within rifle shot he would start from the bank and fly a 

 few hundred yards down stream. At last he ht in a tall 

 pine tree in open sight, and when we were about 100yds. 

 away I stepped out of the canoe with a .38cal. rifle and 

 took a standing shot. The owl flew across the river and 

 gave signs of bemg wounded. When followed he rose 

 from the ground and recrossedthe river. There we routed 

 him again and he flew up stream, lighting, as before, upon 

 the gromid. We stirred him up once more and he started 

 for the opposite bank, but fell into the water when half- 

 way over. We despatched him with a revolver, and that 

 evening by the hght of the camp-fire skinned him for 

 mounting." Now the only injury the owl had sustained 

 from the shot that I fired was the loss of one of his toes. 

 Can any of vour readers explain why such a woimd should 

 disable the owl? Was it pain, or paralysis, or was the owl 

 simply rattled? 



Some years ago a well-known natiurahst in Saint John 

 had a domesticated owl. He had also a neighbor who 

 was a young man of strong 

 sportive proclivities. The 

 young man sized up the owl 

 one dull, rainy day and he 

 allowed that 'his gamecock 

 could do up that iiarticular 

 owl in a period of time which 

 he described as "the shake of 

 a lamb's tail." The rooster 

 was conveyed to the scene, 

 his spurs adjusted and the 

 arena cleared for action. The 

 rooster walked round the owl 

 and the owl followed him with 

 his eyes till the interior works 

 of his neck must have resem- 

 bled those of a Waterbury 

 watch. The rooster made a 

 limge at the owl, but the lat- 

 ter dodged the blow and count- 

 ered so heavily with his lar- 

 board claw that the rooster 

 was nearly knocked out of 

 time. By and bye the rooster 



g lucked up courage again and 

 egan to spar for an opening 

 while the owl calmly unwound his Waterbury, Then 

 there was a flash, a clash of spm-s, a ripping of feathers, 

 a loud desi3airing squawk and all was over. The owl had 

 scooped in the neck of the rooster with his claw in that 

 momentary scuffle and crushed his life out in a trice. 

 He seemed to be saying as he gazed on the boys with his 

 big, round eyes: "Well now, you wouldn't have thought 

 it, would you? Strictly on tlie quiet, boys, I'm just a httle 

 surprised 'myself." 



. It is wonderful how quickly an owl can move when he 

 Tvants to. One day in October last, while after woodcock, 



I saw a large cat owl in a tree. His attention seemed to 

 be taken up with something that was transpiring on the 

 ground below him, and he gave no heed to my approach. 

 His feathers were ruffled up, his neck stretched out, and 

 he was moving his head slowly from side to side. I 

 glanced at the spot to winch his gaze was turned, and 

 there, daintily picking his way through the crisp, dead 

 leaves, was a handsome cock grouse. The latter had 

 become alarmed at my approach and was quietly sneaking 

 to cover. Every one "of his jaunty little steps brought him 

 closer to the owl. Soon he struck the edge of a little 

 patch of sunlight and cast a backward glance at me before 

 he ran across it. The owl silently poised himself on the 

 branch overhead for the fatal swoop. In another second 

 the grouse would have been safe in the shrubbery beyond, 

 but just then the owl— Oh! he did, did he? Well, perhaps 

 he did, but aU I know is that just about the time the owl 

 struck the sun patch a big gray rocket shot iTp through the 

 treetops with a roar like a mail train, and a moment later 

 the owl. looking very sick indeed, was back again upon 

 the same old limb calmly unwinding his Waterbury. He 

 seemed to be saying as he winked and blinked at the sim 

 patch, "Well nmv, you wouldn't have thought it, would 

 you? Strictly on the quiet, boys, I'm jiist a little surprised 

 myself." 



Charlie Gallop came into town from HanweU the other 

 day and announced that a big bear had gone into winter 

 quarters near his place. He asked the boys to come out. 

 John Risteen, Harrj'^ Atherton and George Hoegg accord- 

 ingly went out. They had two express rifles, a Marlin, 

 tlrree sher.th-knives, two hatchets and an ax. Hariy 

 wanted to take his big revolver along, biit the boys were 

 opposed to this as they wanted to give the bear a chance. 

 When they reached HanweU, Charlie said he couldn't just 

 lay his hand on the bear himself, but he guessed that old 

 LigeWhalen could. Then the boys drove over to old 

 Lige Whalen's place. Old Lige was threshing oats, while 

 his boys turned the tread. He said the bear he told 

 Charlie Gallop about wasn't any particular bear of his'n, 

 but he allowed that old BiU Powers had a chunk of a 

 bear yarded up down somewheres handy to his place. 

 Then the boys drove over to BiU Powers's place, and found 

 Bill sphtting wood in his dooryard. Bill said he never 

 knowed such a shockin' bad season for bears. Fact was a 

 man wouldn't be able bimeby to get a bear at all if times 

 didn't mend. Three years ago, six mUes back of his 

 place, one of his boys had seen what looked powerful 

 Uke the track of a bear. He was just remarkin' to old 

 Lige Whalen the other day. Then the boys drove home. 



Frank Wright, Herman Bragdon and Asa Bragdon, of 

 Grafton, had better luck. They located a den at South 

 Newburg last Monday, occupied by Mrs. Brain and two 

 fat cubs. The boys gathered in both of the cubs at the 

 first volley, but while this was going on old Lady Bruin 

 was making the tallest kind of tracks through the tim- 

 ber. Tliey foUowed her aU day, but were obliged to give 

 her up. 



The skin of a black bear in very exceptional cases meas- 

 ures 8ft. from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. A 

 bear of this caliber will squirm out of a dead-faU eveiy 

 time. The biggest hide received by any of the local deal- 

 ers this season was trapped by Tom Evans, of Zionville. 

 It length was 7ft. 6ui. 



Since Sept. 1, Bradford Currier, of Gagetown, claims'to 

 have trapped and shot 57-5 muskrats, 5 foxes, 110 ducks 

 and 3 geese. Bradford is so reasonable in his fox and 

 goose score that it makes a man feel shaky about disputing 

 his record for ducks and muskrats. Prowler. 



Frederictox, N. B., Jan. 26. 



SOME NEW BRUNSWICK TRAPS.-V. 



Otter or Beaver Trap CFig-. 5). 



The trap shown in the iUustration was built for otter 

 on the Tobique River, New Brunswick. Similar ones are 

 set for beaver. Such traps as these are not baited, but 

 built across the "sUde" of an otter or road of a beaver, 

 and arc meant to be sprung as the animal passes through. 

 Built upon the groimd, they can be used only in tlie early 

 winter and in the spring when the snow is going off. The 

 otter is a shy animal and is apt to notice any distm'bances 

 m the neighborhood of its haunts, so these traps are built, 

 whenever possible, in the early faU, so as to be old looking 

 and weather worn when the time for trapping arrives. 

 The diagram explains its construction. The upright 

 stakes stand a little over 2ft. high, on opposite sides of the 

 otter "shde." The upper ends are tied together with a 

 withe, and a stick about an inch thick is laid across the 

 top. A short 3in. pole serves as a "bed piece." The '"fall" 



Fig. o.— Otter or Beaver Trap. 



is about 8ft. long and 2iia. thick. When ready for work 

 it should be heavily weighted with logs. The " trigger" is 

 a stick about ^in. thick and 2ft. long. It is placed on top 

 of the "bed piece," and one end is tacked to one of the 

 upright posts, the other end being free. Another stick is 

 cut, called a "crooked stick" (Fig. 6). It is made from the 

 butt of a small sapling, and is about 23in. long. One end 

 of a withe is tied aroimd the large end of the "faU," 

 which has been pushed in between the pott above the 

 "bed piece." The butt end of the "crooked stick'* is laid 

 aoroea the upper cross stick, and the other end of the withe 



is fastened to the projecting end, into the notch cut for it. 

 The other end of the "crooked stick," which is made flat, 

 is pushed downward until it points straight toward the 

 ground. It should fall short by several inches of reaching 

 to the "bed piece." The "faU" should now be suspended 

 about 9in. above the "bed piece." The loose end of the 

 "trigger" is then raised up far enough for the flat end of 

 the "crooked stick" to catch behmd it (see Fig. 5). The 

 trap is now set. Tlien brash should be carelessly thrown 

 at either side of the path to insure the passage of the ani- 

 mal, or one or two stakes maybe driven around, as shown 

 m Fig. 5. The otter in passing through depresses the 

 "trigger;" the "crooked stick" is released and flies up- 

 ward, and the "faU" drops upon its back. 



Tappan Adnet. 



THE USE OF ACCIDENTS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



A few weeks since mention was made in Forest and 

 Stream of a tm-key himter having been shot in his blind, 

 and the item was accompanied with a weU-timed editorial 

 regarding a prevalent cai'elessness on the part of such 

 hunters. It is not probable there wiU be an imnecessary 

 amount of criticism in regard to carelessness in himting 

 that game. There have been so many accidents in himt- 

 ing, especiaUy in tm-key himting, that it is improbable 

 the subject wiU become worn threadbare, the importance 

 of the theme warranting much being written. 



It is plainly the duty of the sportsman who has had ob- 

 servation and experience, to bring to the mind of the 

 younger members of the sporting fraternity, yes, as a re- 

 minder also to the older members, by precepis and by 

 Ulustrataons drawn from obser^-ation and experience, the 

 danger likely to result from carelessness, and through 

 Forest and Stream to give such experience as broad an 

 influence as possible. 



Education of the young in habits of carefulness in the 

 use of the firearm in the open and in the covert wiU not 

 end with that special teaching. It is weU known to the 

 sportsman who has arrived at middle life that there are 

 few boys who wiU not listen with intense interest to the 

 recital of sports in the field and forest and of hair-breadth 

 escapes. Such recitals produce a profound impression on 

 the youthful mind, as profound, perhaps, as actual ob- 

 servation in more mature years, remembered and profited 

 by through the whole fife when sporting and elsewhere. 

 The narrator should take special pains to impress upon 

 the mmd of the youthful reader the result of carelessness 

 by a vivid description of accidents, giving details. De- 

 taUs are powerful aids in fixing the essence of narrations 

 in the memory. Boys like detaUs. 



The sportsman as a rule disUkes to arouse rmpleasant 

 memories, is more given to the rehearsal of pleasant 

 scenes than to the rehearsal of scenes which harrow up 

 the finer feelings. Our object in Avriting should be to edu- 

 cate as well as to amuse. However unpleasant such re- 

 citals may be to the writer and reader, they should be 

 given in view of tlie probable benefit resulting therefrom. 

 There can be no well groxmded excuse for f aiUng to dis- 

 charge a moral duty. 



Many hunters of large experience are unlettered men, 

 and they dislike to place on paper their exjierience, fearing 

 their i)roductious may be the subject of ridicule. Such 

 fear is groundless. A homely recital of a fact by such a 

 himter wUl be more interesting and produce a greater 

 effect than well tunied sentences and rhetorical flourishes 

 of a man who has seen but little of the forest and field, 

 because of the fact that it bears the impress of honesty, 

 truth, noble intent, hiding aU imperfection in composition. 



I recall to mind a forcible illustration of the result of 

 teaching tlie young, although not drawn from the field or 

 forest, yet it will answer for an iUusti-ation. The XJarents 

 had a daughter, who when a chUd was naturaUy inchned 

 to dress fashionably, mclined to have very tiglit fitting 

 dresses about the waist, much tighter than nature de- 

 manded for physical development. The child of coui-se 

 obeyed, but the parents knew that in a few years the chOd 

 would be beyond their control in that respect. The father 

 was accustomed to give the daughter instructions in studies 

 suitable to the age of the chUd. He jjrocured a text-book 

 on physiology suitable to the age of the daughter. The 

 text was weU iUustrated with cuts, among which were 

 cuts iUusti'ating deformity produced by tight lacing. The 

 father heard the recitals of the chUd without comment on 

 the result of tight lacing. 



The result of the study was, the chUd became frightened 

 to such an extent the mother had difficulty in placing 

 dresses on the chUd close fitting enough to look well. The 

 child when having its dresses fitted would cringe, saying 

 the dresses were too tight, they hiu-t. That teaching held 

 good when the chUd became a young lady, yes, ever after- 

 ward. As effective impressions would be made ujion the 

 minds of boys by a vivid and detailed statements of acci- 

 dents in the use of the firearm. 



Many of us can "look backAvard" and recall to mind 

 having received injuries, or barely escajjed receiving them, 

 when, so far as we could then foresee, were exercising 

 great prudence, caution, when, in fact, there was an 

 element of carelessness oiu- mind did not grasp at the 

 time, but which was afterward apparent. 



To iUustrate. Many years ago, when crossing the 

 plains with a wagon ti-ai'n. two companions and myself 

 decided to take a himt while the train Avas in motion. 

 We Avere well-mounted and armed, because the Indians 

 were troublesome. 



I was riding between my companions. A jack rabbit 

 sprang up in front of our ponies, ran a short distance and 

 squatted under a sage brush. I drew my revolver, a 

 navy; taking aim, I found the head of the pony in line of 

 the aim and threw the muzzle of the revolver into the 

 air, bringing the cylinder of the revolver in front of my 

 eyes and a short distance away, as such an act would 

 naturaUy place it. AAath finger on the trigger, the rcA^olver 

 being cocked. With my left, or bridle, hand I pulled the 

 rein so as to tum the head of the pony out of the way of 

 a shot, and m so doing my revolver was fired, the gas or 

 fire escaping from between the ban-el and cylinder strik- 

 ing me in my eyes. If I had been struck in the face Avith 

 a sandbag or a fist I think I would not have been more 

 shocked. For a few moments I was stunned, but when 

 senses returned I could not see. I was bhnd. We re- 

 tm-ned to the train and bandaged my eyes Avith clothes 

 wet with cold water. After a few days sight returned. 

 The question is, how did the revolver come to be dis- 

 charged. My theoiy was that when my fingere of the 

 left Hand in hajotdling the rein claaped, the fingers of my 



