Feb. 3, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



9B 



right hand involuntai'iiy obeyed the will directed to my 

 left hand, clasped and result, the revolver was fired. 

 Some one may aay you should liave kept the finger from 

 the trigger. True^ as result proved, but who would have 

 suspected that involuntary movement of the fingers of 

 the right hand. Of course, I profited by tlie lesson. 



Most turkey hxmtefs, himting with the aid of a call, re- 

 sort to the blind. For me the bhnd is not the best posi- 

 tion; is a dangeroits one \Aiiere tliere are a number of 

 hunters in the same timber. I did, foi" several years, use 

 the blind, but expevience taught me that an open space in 

 the timber where I could have a good range of sight, good 

 view of an approaching tm-key, is the liest position. 



I have called tiu-keys, old gobblers, up within pistol 

 range when thus situated. Sometim&s thej'^ would come 

 slowly and at other times raj)idly. Old gobblers are the 

 shyest, as a rule, of those birds, but many times they 

 would act stupidly. I am satisfied that the sense of smell 

 is not one of the safeguards of that fowl. Its safegnaxd 

 aside from its leg-s and wings is seemg and hearing. Let 

 the hunter when calhng be seated on a log or back to a 

 tree, or other comfortable position, keeping motionless, 

 not moving his head, and if manipulating a call with his 

 hand, keep the movement out of sight of the turkey and 

 the gun ready for a snap shot. 



I adopted this plan many years since by reason of 

 having been shot witli a buckshot by a companion, or 

 rather by reason of a large copper powder flask filled with 

 powder carried in the breast pocket of my hunting coat, 

 having been mortally wounded with a buckshot from the 

 gun of that companion. H. L. 



THE LAST WOODCOCK OF 1892. 



LowviLLE, N. Y. — "Do you want to go for woodcock? 

 If so go home and get ready. WUl c^l for you in half 

 an hour. — F." 



Just as I was stepj)ing into the office with a busy day 

 before me this message was given me. Did I want to go? 

 "Will a duck swim?" Making a hasty disposition of the 

 day's work I was soon back at the house, and before the 

 half hour had passed I was ready. Right on time F. 

 drove up and we were off for what proved the last shoot- 

 ing of the season. I detest a day's outing with one who 

 is never on time. It puts me in bad shooting trim to 

 wait beyond the appointed time. 



It was a late October day, cloudy, nearly cold enough 

 for snow, and we realized that we must improve our 

 chances. An eight-mile drive brought us to the first 

 ground, a thick belt of alders backed up by a dense tam- 

 arack swamp. 



Nathan, my. friend's thoroughbred black and white set- 

 ter, had a "wire edge" on and hated to mind, but was too 

 well trained to make any very bad breaks. We had 

 barely reached the aldei-s, F. taking the inside while I 

 kept on the outer edge, when Nate came to a jioint, the 

 bird flushing wild, came my way, and a clean miss was 

 scored; but as on the report of my gun a ruffed grouse 

 spi-ang from a log I retrieved my reputation by bringing 

 him to bag. At the same time F. captured a second one, 

 and almost immediately Nate pointed another woodcock 

 which F., missing with his first barrel, caught with his 

 second, just as he was disappearing in the swamp. The 

 birds were all neatly retrieved by Nate and we were elated 

 with our start, having been in the brush hardly three 

 minutes and bagging three noble birds. 



Following the com'se taken by the first bird foimd, we 

 failed to again locate him, but put up several more grouse 

 beyond the point where he should have been, all of them 

 giving F. long shots which failed to kiU. Retracing our 

 steps, Nate found our first woodcock which was neatlv 

 kiUed by F. 



The brush was flooded from the recent rains, and F. 

 found it hard walking. We were back to the place where 

 our first bird was found, and working toward the other 

 end of the alders, Nate soon found and pointed. F. 

 flushed the bird, and his merr\'- whistle, as he made for 

 the swamp was cut sliort by a simultaneous rexjoi-t from 

 both gims. 



"Point," caUed F, a minute later, and just inside the 

 bushes, in the thickest of thickets, stood Nate. "Bad 

 place that; 'twill take a dandy shot for him I" I called. 

 But the "dandy shot" was there; the bu-d went F.'s way, 

 and fell a victim to his skill; a quick snap shot through 

 the bushes as a second bird rose added one more to my 

 scoi-e. Misses were scored on the next two found, and 

 they disappeared in the darkness of the swamp. 



Retiirning to our buggy we each scored a miss on a 

 grouse. We found 7 woodcock on this ground and bagged 

 5; these with the 3 groiise made a good start, and it was 

 with great complacency that we pulled out for the after- 

 noon's shooting place, about five miles distant. 



Reaching there about noon we stabled and fed the 

 horses in Uncle Y.'sbarn. Wlule disposing of our own 

 lunch we discussed the prospects and chatted with Uncle 

 Y. The old man was full of enthusiasm about three deer 

 that were feeding in his pasture, and was very anxious 

 that we shotild hunt them, but we were not loaded for 

 deer that day. 



Fifteen minutes' walk brought us to our shooting groxmd, 

 fom" or five acres of a species of low willows, flanked on 

 the south by an alder bush swamp. The vnnd had risen 

 and was blowing a gale; Nate had hard work to locate his 

 birds here, and the birds were wild and flushed at incredi- 

 ble distances, so that misses were frequent. 



The first point was on a single bird, which disappeared 

 over in the center of the willows and could not be found. 

 Beating back, near the place from which he flushed, Nate 

 again came to a point, and for the next ten minutes 

 Ijointed in every direction and bird after bird rose wild, 

 six of them in all, three of whom were gathered in, two 

 by F. and one by myself. Then followed a long hunt and 

 no birds; the wUlows w-ere beaten tlioroughly, but not a 

 point. Crosshig into the alders, Nate found another bunch. 

 F. had these all to himself, and, while the shooting was 

 not easy, added three more to his bag. WhUe picking my 

 way over the remnants of an old cordtu-oy road, a bird 

 flushed at my feet and feU an easy victim. Two more 

 single birds paid for the hard work in this place, then back 

 to the willows, where F. kdled wlmt we judged to be the 

 first bird fliished. As nearly as we could tell, fifteen 

 birds were fomad on this ground and ten of them killed. 



"Let's take in that little patch of alders, it's only a 

 quarter of a mile and we liave plenty of time before dark," 

 says F. Down by the edge of the creek that llo^vs just 

 outside of the alders began as pretty a piece of work as 

 one eiver sees. Right at the edge Nate stiffened into a point 



then slowly crept on, then stopped again. "Now we have 

 him," but not yet, Nate is again moving on, and two men 

 are holding their breath in their anxtety, for w^hat will 

 probably be the last shot for the season, and still Nate 

 creeps on and on, even to the end of the alders, and no 

 bu-d is found. "They are there sure," says F., "the old 

 dog wouldn't lie." Nate is working back now, out nearer 

 the fence, the wind is more in his favor, F. is in the 

 alders, myself on the outside, and "bird" from F. proves 

 his faith in Nate to be well founded. F. shoots and "dead 

 bird" rewards Nate for his good work. "Birds" again, 

 and this time I Imd my reward, and still Nate is pointing, 

 and this time two birds rise, one for each of us, and there 

 are no "misses" now, and once more "bird" from F, fol- 

 lowed by a quick shot, and F. has killed the last bird for 

 1892. 



We go back to Uncle Y;'g now and pockets and bags 

 are emptied. Twenty of the brown longbills, ^dth a 

 rufl'ed gi'ouse at each end, for om- day's oixting, and not 

 these only. Years ago, when boys, F. and I had many 

 pleasant days with our old muzzleloaders, but for fifteen 

 years my home had been in the West, and this was our 

 first hunt together; an old friendship was renewed to-day, 

 old memories wakened. It is good to leave the present, 

 at times, and go back to the old days, 



"Back to the jjlace where you had to decide. 

 By thi.s or that thi-ough your life to abide; 

 Back of the sorrow and back of the care, 

 Back to the place where the future was fair.'" 



From the past we may gather strength and courage for 

 the j)resent, and we feel as we reach home that the day 

 has been well spent, and that while our woodcock shoot- 

 ing for 1892 is now Uke many of our other enjoyments, 

 gone forever, yet we know that the seasons follow one 

 another and the hope for woodcock next year is but 

 typical of the hopes that have been kindled by our day's 

 outing. Everett. 



TWO BACHELORS' VACATION. 



Cairo, IU., Jan. 18.— I was eating sujjper at a restau- 

 rant not long ago with my friend, the Chief-with-two- 

 Stomachs. He had ordered a Ught bit, merely a ' 'New 

 England Dinner," his favorite dish, consisting, I beheve, 

 of coi-ned beef and cabbage, with a few carrots, turnips, 

 etc., thrown in — ^I can't be positive about it. The Chief 

 ate this, and when the waiter asked him what he would 

 have for dessert he said he believed he would have ham 

 and eggs, or soup, he didn't much care which, as he 

 wasn't feehng very w-ell. From this, one thing led to 

 another, untU finally I concluded I wasn't feehng very 

 well either, and we both concluded we needed a trip 

 South, out of the wretched Northern winter. The Chief 

 suggested that as a certain toothsome contemporary was 

 laying stress upon a future series of articles to be published 

 tmder the head of "A Bachelor's Vacation in the South," 

 it might be well to see that one bachelor, and raise it one, 

 and so keep up the record of Forest and Stream for being 

 always in the lead. This, lie explained, would be possible 

 if he and I should go South for our health and say some- 

 thing about the trip under the caption of "Two Bachelors' 

 Vacation." To this I demurred a good deal, butheseemed 

 to have so much faith in the idea that at last I consented. 

 Accordingly I started South last night, and the Chief is to 

 follow if he regains his appetite. 



Where is the South? 



Jackson, revm.— Almost anywhere in the South Is good 

 enough for a newspaper man, but how was one to know 

 when he struck the South, that was what bothered 

 me. I knew that in the Sou.th the afllx ' 'sir" was more 

 common than in the North, and I had it figured out that 

 when I struck a country where everybody said "Yes, sah," 

 and "No, sail," I would be in the South. I laid a trap for 

 the people. I would ask each certain resident the question, 

 "What is the real line that divides the North from the 

 South?" I spnmg this on a man north of Cairo, and he 

 said, "What's the matter with you?" I asked a man at 

 Cairo, and he replied, "I really coiddn't say." South of 

 Cairo I asked another man and he said, "Well, now, I 

 never thought it out.'' At HoUy Spruigs I spnmg it on 

 another stranger, and he said, "Dam 'f I know." So I 

 can not teU where lies the line between North and South. 

 I felt no jog if the car ran over it. I am inchned to 

 believe this is a great big country, w-ith no North and no 

 South to it. 



So far as the snow is concerned, and the winter, and the 

 shivers, we are not yet in the simny South. At Holly 

 Springs there is a foot and a half of snow. The station 

 hands have .shoveled out a path over to the eating house 

 and the banks are two or three feet high. Still it is not 

 so cold as in Chicago. Indeed, I feel like taking off my 

 shoes and playing in this warm snow. Tlie despatches 

 to-day caU tliis extreme weather for the South. At Hunts- 

 viUe, Ala. , they have 18in. of snow, and at Tuskaloosa 

 they are improvising sleighs for use in their snow, so 

 unusual for that region. At Columbus, Ga., the snow is 

 heavy, and at Savannah the people are wild over the 

 novelty of a snow battle. At Columbus and CoffeeviUe, 

 Miss., the snow is several inches deep, and at Pine Bluff, 

 Ark., there is 15in. of it. Helena, Ark., has Tin. of snow, 

 while at Charleston, S. C, the heaviest snowstorm of 

 forty years is in progress. The sunny South is off color 

 for a few days. 



Yesterday I saw an unusual thing. It was above Cairo 

 somewhere that the train started up a bevy of quafl, and 

 for some distance two or three of the bunch flew along be- 

 tween the fence to the train and keex^ing up with us. One 

 was near the window, and instead of passing us, as I sup- 

 posed a quail naturally would outspeed a railway train, it 

 only drew ahead a little, others fell back as it slackened 

 up to alight. As the bird was opposite the window, and 

 almost stationary, I had a rare opportunity to note its ap- 

 pearance while in flight. It seemed as though the -whole 

 flgm-e of the bird was ch-awn up into verj- convex shape, 

 the back being "humped up," and the wings apparently 

 strongly curved up, as if hollow underneath and pulled in, 

 so to speak, at the lower edge. .The head was plainly vis- 

 ible, and the cmve of the head and neck was in posture 

 easy, confident and indescribably graceful. 



Bear and Deer. 



They tell me that over in Arkansas, opposite Cairo, there 

 is a great country for bear and deer. Grenada, Miss., is 

 another great point for big game, being on the edge of 

 50 miles of wilderness. A party of three hunters from 

 I New York killed five beai- and a number of deer back of 



this point last month. This must be a wdd country, for 

 in the New Orleans paper I note the foUowing story of t-^)?o 

 hunters, who are at this present time lost in the swamps: 



"Greenwood, Jan. 17.— H. O. Rolluis, W. B. Hoffer, B. 

 C. Hoffer, B. C. Dunn, T. R. Lyfold and Henry Berry, all 

 connected and prominent young business men of Gi-enada., 

 started out the fii-st of the week on a huntuig and fishing 

 expedition in canoes down the Yalabusha River to this city, 

 and on their way down last Saturday. Rollins and Hoffer 

 concluded to leave the rest of the crowd and go out in the 

 overflow, and were to nleet the party some fifty miles dowh 

 the river. The others reached the meeting place in the 

 afternoon, and after waiting until Svmday mofning, aaid 

 their friends Hot returning, commenced exj)loring the 

 country, which was very difficult, owing to everything 

 being overflowed. After searching in vain until Tuesday 

 evening they proceeded to this citj'^ and telegraphed to 

 Grenada that a relief party be sent out at once. Mr. 

 RoUins is a young married man and a. printer by trade." 



The river bottoms of the Mississippi and its tributaries 

 all through this section are good grounds for deer, bear 

 and turkeys, and one understanding the country methods 

 of hunting could have good sport at this big game. Quail 

 and other small game seem abundant. The manager of 

 hotel at Holly Springs told me they had bought over 4,000 

 quail since Oct. 1, this season. 



Mose, the porter on our car, is a great character. He is 

 an ex-prize fighter, Avas once head bouncer at Stewart's 

 Twenty-second street place, in New York, has been assist- 

 ant steward, and about everything else on the lakes and 

 on Eastern boats, and also cook on many special-car 

 hunting excursions. He has odd ideas about bear meat. 

 "Hit so strong," says he, " 'ut ef yo cook bah meat, 'thout 

 f ust hangin' it up fer a monf or so, moh'n er thousand 

 little anermals, cats 'n painters 'n things, shohly gwii * 

 come roun' yore camp whah you cookin'. Bali meat is 

 pow'fid sleepy stuff, too, lea.stways fresh bah meat. Ef 

 pahty gemmen gwine eat fresh bah meat, jes' aftah it 

 done been kilt, they all shohly gwine faU ersleep t'reckly 

 aftah dinner, same like as ef they all colorformed." 



I can't vouch for the accuracy of Mose's statement, as 

 it has been some time since I have eaten fresh bear; but 

 judging from Mose's other stories, I would take Ins bear 

 with a little salt. For instance, Mose describas a steam- 

 boat disaster which a few years ago took place at the foot 

 of Randolph street, in Chicago. "They was more'n fom- 

 hundred folks kUled," says he, "bless yo' haht. Yes, sah, 

 they was men, 'n' legs, 'n' jawbones, 'n' things hangin' 

 up on the telergaf wire fer five blocks, any way yo' could 

 look. Yes, sah, it ceht'ny was a awful time." Evidently 

 he means the Tioga disaster, in which he was really 

 caught, but his account was far more vivid than that of 

 any of the reporters who did the story in then- faint, fact- 

 fid way. Mose would make a good reporter, if no such a 

 tiling as a blue pencil or a hereafter were known. 



Not Responsible. 

 _ The bill of fare of a certain wayside restaurant on our 

 line has the foUowijig legend in printed and written char- 

 actei-s: "Not responsible for hats, coats, umbrellas, apple 

 duniphngs, etc." The last part is written in, but ought 

 to stand as a wise warning. I can see how the soda bis- 

 cuit and the apple dumpling of the Southern hotel may 

 constitute a great natural game protection. You have to 

 surmount the biscuit before you get at the quail. But 

 maybe it isn't so all the way South. And may be I am 

 not yet South. 



New Orleans, La. , Jan. 19. — I believe I am South now. 

 There is no mistaking it. The cypress swamps of Maure- 

 pas and Pontchartrain leave no doubt of it. 'There is no . 

 snow here, and though the people are complaining of 

 cold, I feel like unbuttoning my vest and sporting a lawn 

 tie. 



There is a barber at the St. Charles Hotel who has 

 shaved me in a way I never dreamed possible. No Chicago 

 barber can shave like this. It is not pain, but luxury. In- 

 deed, I don't know but it would be about as good a way 

 as any to pass a vacation, just to stay right here and be 

 shaved every morning. I will spend the day thinking it 

 over. If I conclude not to stay here I may go over to 

 Galveston (it is 300 or 400 miles, but it doesn't seem far) 

 and get mixed up witli some people who are shooting 

 canvasback over there. Then I may come back to Ope- 

 lousas and have a quad hunt, if the chief's appetite im- 

 proves so he can come on down and meet me there. I 

 want to go to Opelousas because Opelousas is such a pretty 

 name. I don't see where you could find any better place 

 than Opelousas for a vacation. It sounds hke pearls and 

 honey, or spring and Arcadie, or maybe ham and eggs, 



E. Hough. 



Effect of Crude Oil.' 



Cincinnati, O., Jan. 25. — Editor Forest and Strettm: 

 St. Mary's Reservoir if fast becoming a ducking resort 6t 

 the past. The Standard Oil Comiiany's deri-icks help to 

 scare the fowl away, while the crude oil does its deadly 

 work with the cripples. The Standaixl came tlirough 

 that district a few years ago, placing derricks all along 

 the shores of our then famous ducking waters, and, not 

 being satisfied with that, even stuck them up in the 

 water, which ahows a great quantity of oil to esca]ie on 

 the water. 



I have spent fifteen seasons in a shanty-boat on this 

 reservoir (which I beheve covers 17,000 acres), conse- 

 quently I keep pretty well posted as to the game in and 

 around that vicinity. One morning while strolling along 

 the shore for about a mile I found a great many dead 

 ducks and was at a loss to account for their death, know- 

 ing that at least half of the cripples take wing the sanie 

 season. I soon discovered it. Having walked up pretty 

 close to a cripple it dived, but came beUy up, and, after 

 sti-uggiing for some moments, was unable to upright and 

 was drowned. Upon examination I found the feathers to 

 be saturated with this foreign agency, crude oil, and some 

 had accumulated in large lumps on it during the tune the 

 cripple was unable to take whig, consequently it could 

 not control itself \\])on the water. 



The oil spoils the flavor of the fish, but does not affect 

 it otherwise. 



Geese rarely, if over, stop on the reservoir any more. 



F. B, Magill. 



Florida Quail. 



Melrose, Fla.— Quail are not so plentiful liere as last 

 year, but by going five or six miles from town a ooutite 

 of good guns can get a fair bag. H. W. •EE=''i 



