March 33, 189S.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



2B1 



having been broken by Pedro's first shot, and gave him 

 an ugly squeeze. The poor dog yeUed and growled but 

 held on to prevent being bitten ; then I fired,' sending a 

 ball through the body, at which he dropped the dog and 

 moved off. All the other dogs were on him in a second, 

 and he stopped to fight, giving me another chance. This 

 time I hit him square in the head, and P. got a shot in at 

 his side at the same time, so that there was nothing more 

 left but to skin him. wliich we quickly set about. 



"When we were ready to go, my consternation was great 

 to find that Tiger was badly hurt, though no bones were 

 broken; he managed, however, to follow until within 

 about 50yds. of camp, when he dropped and stiffened out. 

 For about two hours he seemed to hover between life and 

 death, but eventually his youth and strong constitution 

 began to tell, and in two days he was able to move. P. 

 told me it w^as the second hug that he had had that day! 



The other bear that we sighted was followed many 

 miles by Bulger, another half-bred dog, but we had no 

 time to go and help him. What became of the remaining 

 three I never found out. 



It was high time to be getting away from the Cagilone, 

 for the snow was becoming more than pleasanb; we ac- 

 cordingly started down the mountain in the direction of 

 the Chama Canon, which we reached in two days, liaving 

 passed nothing on the road but a beaver dam and a bunch 

 of turkeys. We remained a week in this camp, during 

 which time a gray fox, a beaver and a bay lynx were all 

 the game secured; there had been bear quite recently, also 

 deer and turkey; but we were not in it, so retired to the 

 ranch for winter, finishing our season with, a list of 

 twenty-nine bears killed and many wounded, besides a 

 fair show of smaller game. During the winter I bagged 

 a few turkeys, thirty coyotes, three small gray wolves, 

 six lynxes and two wolves. A. P. F. Coape. 



out a Hcense should be made liable, as they invariably 

 assist them in violating the law, 



Durtag the close season saw a gi-eat many signs of 

 moose, and saw no appearance of persons hunting with or 

 without dogs. There were but few killed in his district 

 last fall, during the calling season, as the weather was un- 

 favorable, but quite a number have been shot since the 

 new year came in. He did not see any signs of snaring 

 last fall. Mr. Crooker scoured the woods west of Liver- 

 pool Pdver for timber last year, for over one hundred 

 square miles; he found moose in numbers everywhere he 

 traveled. He was siuweying close to the post road at Port 

 JoUy, and in one day came across three yards. He also 

 states that there are numbers on the south side of Annap- 

 oUs, along the countj'^ line of Queens and Annapolis and 

 quite close to some of the farms. 



A SNAP SHOT ON A GROUSE. 



Boston, March 2.— Editor Forest and Stream: While 

 attending to the liberation of some pinnated grouse, im- 

 ported by our Association for purposes of propagation, the 

 thought suggested itself to me of snapping a Kodak at a 

 bu-d in the air. I tried it, and the result I send you by 



NOVA SCOTIA MOOSE SNARES. 



The report made by Secretary Geo. Piers, of the Inland 

 Game and Fishery Society, at the recent annual meeting 

 in Halifax, gives some interesting notes on the snaring of 

 moose, which appears to be carried on extensively: 



"Your council have much pleasure in being able to state 

 that, notwithstanding the numerous complaints received 

 by them from different parts of the Province of the fre- 

 quent snaring and killing, out of season, our most perse- 

 cuted moose, they are still increasing and have been shot 

 the last season where they have not been seen for yeaxs. 

 You will see by extracts taken from reports sent in by 

 your commissioners and agents that with the exception of 

 one or two counties they are graduallv adding to their 

 numbers. 



"Your commissioner, Mr. Archibald, Sheet Harbor, 

 writes that in his district they have not been so plentiful 

 for many years. While in the woods this winter he 

 started in one day three yards, one having six moose in 

 it. He came across a drove of caribou near Liscomb last 

 March wlien looking after some scoundrels who were 

 dogging. He had rehable men searching the woods last 

 fall looking after snares, but they were not able to detect 

 any in the act; they saw many snares and manv instances 

 where moose had been caught. 



"Mr. John Bower, agent atShelbm-ne, reports that moose 

 are more plentiful in his part of the country, more so 

 than they have "been for a very long time, there haviu"- 

 been killed to his knowledge the past season over forty*^ 

 He writes that partridges are becoming a thing of the 

 past. He attributes the desti'uction of them to the skunks, 

 which are overrunning that part of the Province. One 

 of the men employed by Mr. Bowser for your society to 

 search for snares found on Oct. 5 two decomposed moose 

 in snares and on Oct. 25 the same man found a live 

 moose in a snare, which he had to kill. " 



Mr. Daley, agent at Digby, has been most fortunate in 

 convicting three out of f nu- cases that he has had against 

 parties for kilhng moose out of season and dogging. He 

 also states that he has had no complaints the last year of 

 strangers going there to fish and leaving them when 

 caught on the bank of the river to decay. He liopes this 

 winter to be able to procure the deer from New Brunswick; 

 last winter the snow was not deep enough to catch them.' 



Mr. Pritchard, commissioner for Pictou, Antigonish and 

 Guysboro, reports from his own personal observation while 

 ui the woods last fall and from the testimony of several 

 sporting men, that moose are decidedly on the increase in 

 the above districts; cases of dogging were reported to him, 

 but he did not hear of any being kiUed in that way. Mr.' 

 Pritchard -wTites that bull moose are scarce; he says he 

 met a gentleman hunting when in the woods last season, 

 who told him he had seen fifteen and only two youn* 

 bulls in the lot. ° 



William Fahie, agent at Enfield, appointed in November 

 last, reports having found traces where twenty-six snares 

 had been set in the early part of the fall, and found four 

 recently set, which he destroyed; he also found a bear 

 trap set for moose. He estimates the number of moose in 

 the vicinity of Grand Lake, Nine Mile River and Kennet- 

 cook to be about thirty-eight, judging from the yards he 

 came across when searching the woods for snares. He 

 says that the rabbit snares in his district are innumerable: 

 the hedges are from 50yds. to one mile long: he ordered 

 the owners to take them down to 50ft., which they did 

 without further trouble. He is of the opinion that rabbit 

 snares should be taken up at the end of the year, as after 

 that they can be shot more easily than snared, and that 

 hedging should be done away with, as the hedges are the 

 means of destroying the partridges and are not required 

 for catching rabbits. Your council agree with Mr. Fahie's 

 suggestions. 



Donald lioss, of N. E. Margaree, reports that moose in 

 his district are not any more plentiful than they have been 

 of late years, but that caribou are increasing, and have 

 been seen in Larger numbers thLs fall than for many pre- 

 vious years. He only discovered four snares this season. 

 He reports woodcock and partridges as being very plenti- 



Samuel Davis, Barrington, reports having taken up a 

 number of snares and found traces where moose had been 

 caught in them and carried away by the poachers. He 

 also f oimd a large bear trap set in a moose path and by in- 

 dications aromid it a moose had been killed in it a few 

 days before. 



Mr. Kelly, agent at Yarmouth, ha.s seized fifteen moose 

 snares besides destroyina- a number on the spot. He has 

 a memo, of the luoose killed in his di'^trict during the 

 last season, wliich number fifty. He is also of the opin- 

 ion that guides taking aliens into the woods to hunt with- 



PINNATED GROITSE ON THE WTNG. 



this mail, believing you will be interested in this remark- 

 able specimen of marksmanship. 



The bu-ds went strong and fast from the crates, and if 

 you don't believe it was difficult shooting, try it your- 

 self. 



I believe the rank and file of some of the German sol- 

 diers fire with the stock of the gun at the hips. This was 

 my fii-st attempt at that j)osition. 



The Avhite in the photograph represents New England 

 snow; the dark over che bird, woods. The definition of 

 the woods suffered somewhat by my holding with the 

 bird, but the bird itself is fairly good, showing a good- 

 sized cock bound after his mate, which latter escaped me. 



Edward E. Hardy. 



A STORY WITH A MORAL. 



Long years ago, about dusk, clad in my hunting tog- 

 gery, I passed several gentlemen of my acquaintance who 

 were having a confab with some strangers, and one of 

 the latter noticing the weU-filled shooting coat and game 

 carriers asked when I passed, "What luck?" I answered, 

 "Forty odd since noon." Somebody in that group must 

 liave made some remark I did not catch, whereupon such 

 expressions as "Now is not this abominable?" "Just 

 think of such slaughter;" "What does he do with them?" 

 etc., followed me till I got out of range and haunted me 

 all the way home. 



I had not gotten my coat and leggins off before one of 

 the boys volunteered the information that three gentle- 

 men from the East were visiting so and so and intended 

 to do some hunting. I grasped my hat and with one leg- 

 gin on and one off hastened to see one of the local gen- 

 tlemen whom I had passed, and finding him at home ar- 

 ranged to handle the ribbons over his hunting team when- 

 ever it would be placed at the disposition of the visitors. 

 Mr. A. looked quizzically into my eyes, said "Certainly, 

 old man, get around by 7 o'clock to-morrow; and, bv the 

 way, load light and let them down easy; they do not 

 know what quail shooting in Texas is, and in a couple of 

 days they'll show the wolf, and possibly the hyena; I know 

 they will." 



To prevent being recognized I went to town, got my 

 long beard cropped short and blocked out a la Emperor 

 William, thence home, and without paying any atten- 

 tion to the remark that supper had been kept, began ran- 

 sacking an old trunk in search of a suit of so-called store 

 clothes. The men who had eyed me suspiciously since 

 my return, began to gather around me; and when I in- 

 quired whether they knew anybody I might borrow a 

 stovepipe from, one of them whistled significantly; and 

 later in the evening I casually overheard a kind-hearted 

 fellow who had been with me a number of years, remark: 

 "Boys, there ain't two ways about it, he's gone off, stark 

 splinter gone, we must watch him, he's liable to hurt his- 

 self." 



Promptly at seven next morning I drew up in front of 

 Mr. A,'s door, and to my astonishment not only Mr. A. but 

 also the Eastern sportsmen, whom I will call X., Y, and 

 Z,, were ready to start. The lunch basket, four ammuni- 

 tion cases and two dog-s were put aboard, the hunters took 

 their seats and Mr. A. said, "To the long arroyo, and 

 remember the days are short and horse flesh cheap," a 

 remark which played the tune to the horses' gait. After 

 reaching the arroyo the party ^divided, Messrs. A. and Z. 

 taking one side and Messrs. X. and Y. the other, and I 

 was directed to keep close up so as to have ammunition 

 always on hand. 



JMessrs. X. and Y. had not gone more than 50yds. when 

 their dog pointed, the covey was flushed secundum artein 

 and four misses scored. It would be tiresome to repeat 

 every incident of that day, suffice it to say that at luncheon 

 time 3Ir, X. had 16 birds, Mr. Y. 19 and Mr. S. 30. Mr. X. 

 remarked that he considered 35 birds enough for any man 

 in any one day. Messrs. Y. and Z. cursed, beg pardon no, 

 but regretted we'll say, their abominable shooting; one 

 used a "Greener ejector" he was unaccustomed to, and 

 the other a high grade Parker which was choked too 

 jnuch to be a good quail gun. 



Shortly after 3 o'clock all ammunition cases were empty, 

 every hunter having fired 100 rounds. Then the scores 

 stood:^Mr, X. 32, Mr. Y. 39, Mr. Z. 41, whereas Mr. A. had 



killed 76. I had the honor to drive these parties three 

 more days, and their scores unproved right along, and 

 such a thing as running out of ammunition did not occm- 

 again. 



As my revenge when they said farewell I told them 

 when refusing a tendered remuneration, that I was the 

 identical cuss whose bag of quail, on the day of their 

 arrival, had ehcited some stinging remarks, and that I 

 wished them to remember that pork, beans and cider, or 

 for that matter canvasback, celery salad and Pommery 

 three times a day, twenty-one times a week and 630 times a 

 month, become poor eating, and that for that reason the 

 local sportsman is as a rule much less destructive to 

 game than the visitors, who, although imquestionably 

 men of strong resolution, great self-control and true 

 sportsmen, generally end by verifying my old teacher's 

 remark: "Remember, my dear children, that appetite 

 grows by feeding." jjux. 



"PODGERS" ON PACIFIC DUCKING. 



San Francisco, March, '93.— The shooting season has 

 closed, and ducks of all degrees are flapping their win^^ 

 and doubtless holding conventions and congi-atulatory 

 meetings over the release from eternal vigilance that is 

 the price of liberty and hairbreadth escapes from leaden 

 messengers of invitation to the oven and the spit. If we 

 could comprehend the language of ducks no doubt we 

 would be highly entertauied by their tales of bad shots 

 and tons of lead wasted in vain efforts to bring them 

 down. ° 



They say that in a battle only one out of 600 shots kills 

 a man. By the same theory of calculation, how many 

 ducks or quail are bagged in a himdred shots? It is for- 

 tunate that we are not all good shots, or there would not 

 be a bird left in the countiy. Speaking of birds, I want 

 right here to make a complaint. I have a grievance. I 

 have a friend who is given to puns, and the wretch lies in 

 wait for me and fires them off every occasion. What 

 shall be done to such a criminal? Here is one he got off 

 on me yesterday. "Why was Macbeth a great sports- 

 man? "Because he did murder most fonl" (fowl). There 

 are occasions in the Uf e of every man where murder is 

 justifiable, and I leave it to you if this was not one of 

 them. 



Speaking of ducks reminds me of an effort we made to 

 pass a new game law in our Legislature. We are wont 

 to call our lawmakei-s Solons. That the term is used de- 

 risively I now fully understand, for in all my experience 

 I have never known such a combination of bigoted, 

 maHcious stupidity and ignorance as the exhibition just 

 given us at the hands of some of the gentlemen lawmakers 

 at Sacramento. 



The bin referred to contained a clause giving a land- 

 owner the right to say who should shoot on his property. 

 This was an outi-age; the idea that any free-born citizen 

 (born somewhere else) should be deprived of the privilege 

 of shooting where he pleased, was a restriction of the 

 hberties of the people. The next red flag that enraged 

 them was a clause including English snipe in the pro- 

 tected game. An asinine member named Stack opposed 

 the bill on the ground that it was English, and was copied 

 after and aping the English aristocracy and he was against 

 anything Enghsh, which he conceived this bill to be, for 

 did it not propose to protect English snipe onlv? Why 

 English? Why not American snipe as well? In fact the 

 whole thing was un-American and would interfere with 

 the personal rights of the people. Of course Mr. Stack 

 expects to be re-elected. 



The shooting clubs leasing the marshes have had a great 

 deal of trouble with the poachers, who have been upheld 

 by an association here, and which raises monev to defend 

 every case of trespass. The association is composed of 

 that class of gentlemen who are forntnst any restrictions 

 of any kind, and resent the idea that ownership or lease- 

 hold of shooting property gives any rights that they pro- 

 pose to respect. 



The clubs have a way of making it unpleasant for the 

 gentlenien that encroach on their preserves by sending a 

 keeper in a boat, who anchors broad off where they have 

 located, which, of course, causes the ducks to give the 

 spot a wide berth, or in event the intruders put out their 

 decoys on a pond, the keeper locates near and blazes away 

 at every duck that shows himself a quarter of a mile oft", 

 the result being that Mr. Poacher never gets a shot at a 

 bird within hail, and after a while takes himself to other 

 scenes. 



There is about as much prospect of our getting a decent 

 game law through, seemingly, as your getting that 

 famous Delnionico woodcock case tried. The law's delays 

 are proverbial, especially when the officials whose busi- 

 ness it is to try a case are trying very hard how not to 

 do it. I hope I shall live to see it reach the top of the 

 calendar— I shall in that case arrive at the distinction of 

 being "the oldest inhabitant." What a farce laws are in 

 such hands. The woodcock case will rival Jarndyce and 

 Jarndyce, and is getting ^as Artemas Ward says, to be 

 "very amoosin'." 



Our trout fishmg opens April 1, particularly appropriate 

 as to date, as the squab granger is industriously prepar- 

 ing an April fool for the early fishermen by cleaning out 

 the streams beforehand, a vested right of the dear people 

 to thwart the aristocrat, who wears good clothes and 

 fishes with a fly. The fun is all the greater from the 

 fact that it is against the law. We might as well hand 

 over our rods to the small boy now and not wait for 

 Christmas, as you suggest. There will be no use for 

 them as far as trout are concerned, but the boy can go 

 for catfish, and just think to what base uses do we come 

 at last. A split-bamboo relegated to buUheads ! It is 

 time for us old fishermen to climb a tree and go into per- 

 petual retirement. I wish I owned that bulldog with legs 

 in parenthesis that you show in the last number of 

 Forest and Stream; what fvm it would be to "sick" hhn 

 on to the law-breaking fisherman and send him home 

 minus the seat of his unmentionables. It would be stern 

 reality of his o ffense. Podgers. 



A New-Subscriber Offer. 



A bona fide new subscriber sending us 85 win receive for that Sum 

 the Forest akd Stream one year (price $4) and a set of Zimmerman's 

 famous "Ducking Scenes" (advertised on another page, price $5)— a 

 g9 value for $5. 



This offer is to new subscribers only. It does not apply to renewals. 



For S3 a bona fide new subscriber for six months tvill receive the 

 Forest and Strea.m dm-ing that time and a copy of Dr. Van Fleet's 

 handsome worii, "Bird Portraits for the Young" (the price of which 



