Atto. 26, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



168 



A MEMORY OF THE FRONTIER. 



I WAS raised on the frontier, where we always kept a 

 Uttle ahead of the schools. Whenever we Hved long 

 enough in a place for there to be scholars enough to start 

 a school, our family would move a little further west. I 

 have been in the mountains since June 10, 1860, Looking 

 over some of the Forest akd Stream letters has carried 

 me back to those boyhood days. 



Many a day and night did I put in after wild turkeys. 

 In 1854 we moved to Kansas, where father bought a 

 piece of timberland over in the Missouri bottom, aad put 

 up a shingle mill; and when I was not working on the 

 farm I would haul shingles to Atchison or blocks to the 

 mill. One day in the early part of December as I was 

 returning from the Atchison landing, I noticed where a 

 flock of wild turkeys had crossed the road since I had 

 been down in the morning. The snow was about 4in. 

 deep, and while it was not so very cold, yet it was cold 

 enough after dark to make any one who was out keep 

 moving. After supper I took down my httle rifle. The 

 arm carried 180 balls to the poimd; it was a splendid little 

 gun, made in the county, and cost $14. 



I started down the road and traveled as fast as I could, 

 until I reached the track, keej^ing my dog near me. I 

 had no difficulty in following the track. The moon shone 

 very brightly and I had to travel very carefully, for the 

 wild turkey is veiy shy, even if it is night, and sometimes 

 they will begin to fly when the hunter is 300yds. off. I 

 followed those turkeys all around through our cornfield, 

 along an old slough, through dogwood thickets, and 

 wherever they would chance to go. I knew I should 

 soon start them and was looking very carefully, yet with 

 all my caution. I was startled by that put, jDUt; and sure 

 enough, out of a very tall sycamore tree flew one, which 

 from the noise he made on the still night air, I thought 

 would weigh a ton. I stood motionless for at least fifteen 

 minutes; and finally saw one, then another, and then an- 

 other, imtil I counted seven. Then I told the dog to hunt 

 them up, knowing that they would watch the dog and 

 would not fly nearly so quick. As soon as the dog began 

 running around under the tree, I moved around to get 

 the turkeys between me and the moon. I located one 

 out about '4ft. from the body of the tree and near the top. 

 I moved very cautiously, and finaUy got him just right 

 and raised my rifle. As the sharp repoit rang out on the 

 clear, cold aii- out rolled a gobbler, and out flew the rest. 

 I listened and heard a number of them ahght. I had 

 killed a, nice fat gobbler, which Aveighed 141bs.^ dressed. I 

 reloaded my rifle, and shouldering my turkey, started 

 quartering toward home, not caring veiy much whether 

 I killed any more or not; and as I was not using much 

 care I flushed another. Then I made straight for home, 

 which I reached about 1 o'clock, tired, I caji tell you. 



Lew WHiMOT. 



"SHOOTING WITHOUT A GUN." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



It may be without question that the bow and arrow are 

 the earliest weapons known, unless, perhaps, we except 

 the club with which Cain killed his brother Abel. As a 

 means of amusement the bow and arrow have been 

 handed down to the present day and are now usually the 

 boy's first weapons. With them, I have seen boys so 

 skillful that it was considered a feat of ordinary marks- 

 manship to hit a robin at twenty paces, and when I was 

 a boy, too small to use a gun, I had a hickory bow with 

 which I could more easily send an arrow through an 

 apple hanging in the top of a tree than I could bring it 

 down with a club, and many a ground squu-rel, and 

 sometimes a black squirrel (there were no gray squirrels 

 in that part of the country then) feU to my aim, if it can 

 be said that one aims with a bow. It is an instinctive kind 

 of shooting, but when one acquires the knack, and if his 

 arrows are well made, of the right weight and length, 

 and as straight as is possible to make them, it is not so 

 difficult as one would suppose. I used no feathers or 

 other means of guiding them except to have the head 

 heavier than the "heel," so that it would balance on the 

 finger a little more than two-thirds of its length toward 

 the head, which was about Sin. long and Jrin. thick, 

 pointed, sometimes by burning, for a burnt point was 

 considered better and harder than any other. The stem 

 was smaller and gi-adually tapered toward the heel, where 

 it ended in a small knob for grasping with the thumb and 

 finger, and a notch cut precisely in the center. With a 

 bow of such strength and elasticity that any youngster 

 could draw a 3ft. arrow to its head, I have seen an arrow 

 diiven through a soft pine board. 



We knew nothing of the shng shot used by the boys of 

 the present day, a crotched stick fitted with a rubber band 

 and a piece of leather in the middle to hold a pebble, or 

 sometimes a kind of cup filled with shot that, in the hands 

 of an expert, is death to sparrows, frogs, and, I am sorry 

 to say, a good many of our song bu-ds. But sometimes we 

 used a conti-ivance that would throw a pebble or buckshot 

 with more force and as much precision, and was easier 

 to make. This consisted simply of a piece of hickoiy or 

 other elastic wood about ISia. long, tapering from a 

 handle for the hand, flat or oval, to the smaller end of 

 which was fastened a stout leathern cord a httle longer 

 than the stick, which ended with a loop to hold a pebble 

 or shot. When drawn and let go with the proper flourish 

 which practice alone would acquire, this weapon would 

 tlirow a buckshot with almost as much force as a rifle. 



We are all familiar with the old-fashioned slingshot 

 made of a strong cord and a piece of leather in the mid- 

 dle which, circled around the head a few times and one 

 end of the cord let go, would throw a pebble "out of 

 sight." 



The blow gun is stiU used, as many a bald-pate will 

 testify. "Shootin' off his mouth" is' a practice with 

 which some are more familiar than shooting with a gim, 

 and "drawing the long bow" may be classed with this 

 kind of shooting. This can be practiced at short or long 

 range, but if the shooter happens to be practicing on 

 some absent one whom he fears to meet in fair and open 

 competition the longer the range the better for him. It 

 is not always a harmless amusement and many an inno- 

 cent pei-son has been seriously injured by a careless or 

 spiteful mai-ksman, whose shots were too well directed 

 Corner groceries and other favorite loafing places of 



long winter evenings are the galleries in which this kind 

 of shooting is mostly done. Sometimes, though, one can 

 find a great deal of amusement in joining a party of con- 

 genial "mouth shooters", whose lies, if harmless, make 

 merry the time and hghten the heart of the man whose 

 business cares prevent him from indulging in any other 

 kind of shooting. 



"Shoot the hat" is not unfamiliar to those who happen 

 to be caught out with a straw hat long after the leaves 

 have fallen and when a warmer head covering is more 

 appropriate, if not more comfortable. 



"Shootin' craps" is said to be a kind of gambhng much 

 practiced, and "shootin' snipes," attended by some excite- 

 ment and earnest competition, was a regular morning 

 practice in our city until the police put a stop to it. When 

 the day began to break and the shooters could see well 

 enough, Italians by the score could be seen in the streets 

 with a bag thrown over their shoulders gathering up cigar 

 stumps and half -smoked "tobies," which were taken home 

 and after a cleansing process made into "dude sticks" and 

 mould "tobies " 



"Snap shooting" with the camera is probably the most 

 delightful as well as the most expensive recreation in 

 which both sexes, old and young, may take part, and as 

 there is no close season, there is perhaps more of this kind 

 of shooting done than any other. That there is no cer- 

 tainty of hitting the mark many a beginner, and expert, 

 too, will readily testify, but when a successful shot is 

 made the beautiful result more than compensates for the 

 misses. I am glad the Forest and Streaji has added this 

 to its many excellent features. There are so many varie- 

 ties of game for the camera shooter that one is at a loss to 

 know what to go hunting for. 



If one may be said to shoot without a gun while he 

 dreams, I have made a most wonderful record— what bears 



BABT CARIBOU, 



Photo by E. B. White. 



I have killed and what wonderful shots I have made in 

 dreamland. 



July 4 is an interesting day with us. The boys inherit 

 the family patriotism, and with their firecrackers and 

 little cannon create more din than ever sportsmen heard 

 at trap or afield. A jolly lot they are. I hope they may 

 five to celebrate many an anniversary of hberty and inde- 

 pendence. God bless the boy, and if he fives to the age 

 of a htmdred years may he retain some of his boyish 

 hilarity, for I think that the most miserable of all God's 

 creatures is the man from whom all the boy has departed; 

 and there are too many who know more about shooting 

 without a gun than with a gun. J. H. B. 



MoKbe3 Rooks, Pa. 



THE DUTY OF SPORTSMEN. 



In thirty-eight States and Territories laws have been 

 framed calling for close seasons for game. In many 

 States, after the laws have been passed, the people very 

 complacently sit down with their arms folded, and ap- 

 parently imagine that the laws are automatic and will 

 enforce themselves. This is a great error and an "irides- 

 cent dream" that should be quickly dispeUed. 



The sportsmen are the ones who make the sentiment in 

 their locality in favor or against game protection; they 

 ought to devote some of their energies toward the sup- 

 pression of poaching by others. I must confess to having 

 some impatience with those sportsmen who, while game 

 law violations are going on all about them by their neigh- 

 bors, wiU do not the first thing to put an end to such a 

 disgracefifi state of affairs, but are always ready to write 

 to some paper j)erhaps a thousand miles away and signing 

 their articles "A Sportsman," accusing outsiders, without 

 any particular care whether theii' charges can be actually 

 substantiated by facts or not. Sometimes they profess to 

 have abundant evidence to convict the violators. When 

 called upon to furnish evidence they say, "we presume" 

 or "general rumor" says "that John Jones is shootiag out 

 of season." 



If the law-abiding citizen wiU do nothing but talk, the 

 game laws wfil be openly violated. But if he sees that 

 every person who violates the law and whom he can get 

 evidence against is prosecuted, infractions will be few in- 

 deed. One ounce of action is worth more than ten car- 

 loads of talk. What does the poacher care if some one in 

 the close season says to him: '^'"ou ought not to kiU 

 game birds now." By bringing the gufity poacher before 

 some justice of the peace, and making sm-e that he gets a 

 fine with the costs added, you will find that a sudden 

 change has come over his clouded brain. 



The exceeding exceUence of this method is a crucial 

 test, and the problem to solve it is not of such an intricate 

 nature as was at first supposed. It is the dignity of the 

 court, the significance of the fine, the undesired notoriety, 

 the dehberation of the complainant, that brings the recal- 

 citi-ant man to his senses, and he wfil resolve that there 

 will be no more foolishness on his part. Let sportsmen 

 tiy tills method, and I know from personal experience 

 that the violations wfil be few. It is hardly necessary at 

 this time to say what everybody clearly understands, 

 that those who pretend to desire the protection of game, 

 but will not turn then- hand over to do the least thing to 

 help moraUy or financiaUy, are making false pretenses. 



Blow and bluster and idle talk will not protect game. 

 Talk is a cheap commodity, but to protect game means 

 work. It is far better to do some work in behalf of game 

 protection, and then ta,lk. Work is something more efii- 



cient for the purpose named. It is quite true there are 

 some black sheep in the fiock of sportsmen, and it would 

 be strange indeed if among the many hundreds Avho pro- 

 fess to be sportsmen there were not found some unworthy 

 to be called such. 



The poacher's votaries and apologists recognize the seK- 

 sacrificing patriotism of the weak-kneed-af aid-of -his-own- 

 shadow sportsmen, who dare not be known as being in 

 sympathy with the proper, equitable a.nd just enforcement 

 of the game laws. 



The overmastering sense of duty ought to prompt every 

 one in the interest of game protection to throw his weight 

 of influence against the filegal capture of game. We do 

 not have one law for the rich and another for the poor. 

 The laws are for all classes equally. Men with a large 

 bank account should not be spared on the ground of their 

 wealth or connections. Those men of legitimate tastes 

 for legitimate sport should awaken with a good degree of 

 interest toward secui-ing an efficient enforcement of the 

 game laws. 



The annual ' 'tinkering" of the game laws is an insid- 

 uous and baneful practice, especially in changing dates. 

 Sometimes, however, when a law is defective or uieffec- 

 tual it is advisable to secure the passage of new laws 

 to avoid the objections which have been found in the 

 old ones. As a rule the annual "tinkering" of the law 

 win not prevent the people from looking askance at the 

 statutes instead of helping enforce them. Let the sports- 

 men all unite for one purpose— the better enforcement 

 of the game laws, such as they find on the statutes. Ill 

 many cases the laws are changed before any prosecu- 

 tions have been brought imder them. There is not so 

 much in the law as there is ui enforcing it. Now, when 

 the danger of a total extermination of game has grown 

 to be real, and not mythical, it is time for action. It 

 is therefore especially incumbent upon the body of sport- 

 men to practice a prudent and wise economy in kiUing 

 game, but to see every filegal infraction of the law pun- 

 ished. A. C. Collins. 



Hartford, Conn. 



PHEASANTS FOR MICHIGAN. 



Holland, Mch., Aug. 8.— After considerable trouble 

 and much delay, we have at last secured our pheasants. 

 We sent at first to Oregon, but owing to the non-export 

 law were unable to obtain them there. We then wrote to 

 Mr. Yerner De Guise, Mahwah, IST. J., for both English 

 and Mongolian pheasants, but could get no pure bred 

 birds and had to be content with a cross between the two 

 a cross which Mr. DeG. says is more called for than the 

 pure bred birds. Nevertheless, I shaU endeavor to obtain 

 both kind in the spring. 



W"e bought six: birds, four hens and two cocks. The 

 males have a green head, a white ring around the neck 

 the middle of the breast reddish. Sides of breast more 

 golden, looking especially so in the sunlight; the rest of 

 body and the tafi gray, each feather barred with light 

 brown. The females are gray, pure on the breast, rest of 

 the body barred like the male. 



We intend to breed them in confinement and put out 

 the young each fall. Pheasants are protected by law in 

 this State, for five years. We have them in an inclosure 

 of wire netting 6ft. high and boards 6in. imder and lift 

 above ground, making the entire height 7m It is 

 covered with wire netting also. This run is 12x36ft with 

 an addition of 6 X 14ft., besides which is abasement under 

 a barn and 6ft. high, 10 x 14ft. in size. They have a grass 

 plot and plenty of gravel m the run. We feed thenisoft 

 feed, corn meal, wheat bran, etc., in the morning and 

 grain in the evening-, and plenty of cold water at aU times. 

 They are very light feeders, a handful of grain lasting one 

 bird a couple of days. ° 



The birds were very wfid when first taken from the 

 crate, but are comparatively tame now. The pheasants 

 show their wild nature, even in confinement, for when 

 my pointer or any person comes upon them suddenly 

 they drop m the grass and one can barely distinenfish 

 them. They wiU fie still longer than my dog cares to 

 point them. There is one thing in their favor they do 

 not stay together in a bunch like quail, so the boys can- 

 not get a pot shot at them. I have gone out to look at 

 them nearly every night for the last two weeks but only 

 once did I see two of them near together. Each one 

 seems to look out for itself. They prefer to roost on 

 the ground rather than on a perch. They can beat a 

 quafi in runmng and sneaWng away, and for this reason 

 I think that one without a good dog would see but few of 

 them in a day's tramp, even in a country where they were 

 very plentiful. 



The people here are very much interested in the pheas- 

 ants, and I have many callers to see them. I can ^wavs 

 get my dog to make a nice point on them, a novel sisht 

 to many. I shall watch them carefuUy and learn all I 

 can in regard to their habits. I hope to report success in 

 rearing the young next spring. 



We were very favorably impressed with JVIr. Houeh's 

 item on feeding quail. Some of us sportsmen here will 

 sow hemp seed on our shootmg grounds this fall and next 

 spring. 



The prospects for shooting here this f aU ai-e exceedinelv 

 sfim. Quafi were nearly externunated by the deep snow- 

 ruffed grouse scarce; but few ducks. A. G B ' 



The Baby Caribou. 



HOULTON, Me., Aug. 7.— Editor Forest and Stream- In 

 a late number of Forest and Streaji I notice that'voii 

 publish a letter from Mr. Chase in relation to the babv 

 caribou, m which he mentions that "Mr. Mansur and Mr 

 White were up from Houlton and photographed him '"' 

 ThinMng one of the photos might be acceptable. I mail 

 you one. We caUed there on our return from a fishing 

 trip, and Mr. Mansur held hun while I made a snap shot 

 He is as ' 'tame as a kitten." Sir. Mansur had hard work to 

 keep hun from chmbmg aU over hun. As shown in thp 

 photogi-aph, Mr. Chase had just pushed him off at arm's 

 length when 1 made the snap. Had I waited a quar terof 

 a second I might have got him in the act of strikine- TTa 

 wfil raise himself slightly on his hind feet and strike nnf 

 "straight from the shoulder," sometunes with one a3 

 sometimes with both feet, "quicker than fio-htnine- T 

 should not care to have an old buU stand wfthui 50ft nf 

 me and get a notion m his head that he could "knock mp 

 out,' for if he ^ nearly so quick as the little fellow no 

 mortal man could dodge hun. Mr. Chase was in town thp 

 other day and said that the little chap was fivelv and 

 domgweU. E.B.WHim 



