450 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



I Nov. 25, 1B«3. 



THE FIRST "CLOSE SEASON." 



From the neiv " Gavie Laws in Brief." 



When you come to think of it, that prolonged voyage 

 of Father Noah with the animals shut up in the Ark was 

 the first "close season" of which we have any record. 

 Old Noah, as one might say, had the first game preserA^e 

 in history. Thus it appears that game protection is an 

 ancient and honorable institution, its origin coincident 

 with the Deluge. The beneficent results of that close 

 time were far-reaching even to the uppermost parts of 

 the earth, and far-extending even to the present time. If 

 the human race owes its own preservation to the fact that 

 Noah had sense enough to get in out of the wet and knew 

 enough to stay in while it rained, quite as truly do we 

 owe all our shooting to the sagacity and enterprise of the 

 pioneer game preserver of the earth. 



As a game protector Noah was a decided success. He 

 shut in all species of game, and the inclosure of gopher 

 wood was pig-tight, bull-proof and horse-high, as the law 

 demands. No poachers presumed to trespass on the pre- 

 serve. There was nobody to say that he didn't know it 

 was close season, or he didn't faaow that elephants were 

 included in the law. During all the year and more that 

 Noah was in command not a gun was fired on any kind 

 of fur or feather. 



There is nothing in the record to indicate that Noah 

 himself had any sporting instincts or cared particularly 

 for hunting big game ; but among his claims to distinction 

 it must be put down to his credit that he was the great- 

 grandfather of the most renowned sportsman the world 

 has ever known. For Noah begat Ham, and Ham begat 

 Cush, and Oush begat Nimrod, who "was a mighty 

 hunter before the Lord." The very fact that Nimrod's 

 achievements in the chase 

 are thus referred to in the 

 chronicle of the times, and 

 were thought worthy of re- 

 cord along with the story of 

 the Deluge and the peopling 

 of the earth, shows us that 

 even in that primal age his 

 fellow men accorded to an 

 expert sportsman recogni- 

 tion and honor for his sports- 

 manship. The fame of Nim- 

 rod has endured from that 

 day to this; his name still 

 stands for prowess with the 

 weapons of the field; and 

 budding sportsmen forthese 

 thousands of years have 

 swelled with pride when 

 local editors have tickled 

 their vanity by dubbing 

 fchem "mighty Nimrods." 



Inasmuch as Noah lived 

 for three hundred and fifty 

 years after his voyage in the 

 Ark, it would not be in the 

 least unreasonable to as- 

 sume that he survived long 

 enough to witness some of 

 the hunting exploits of his 

 own posterity; to take a 

 just pride in the redoubt- 

 able skill of his great-grand- 

 son, and to hear, with the 

 indulgence of an old man 

 for the exuberant fancy 

 of the young, the hunting 

 yarns which Nimrod used 

 to spin as they sat around 

 the fire in the cabin at night. 

 We may almost fancy the 

 venerable patriarch at such 

 times beaming on the story 

 teller with senile smile, and 

 making reply, "Yes, son, 

 you are a great sportsman, 

 let you tell it; but when I 

 was a younger man than I 



am to-day ,|away back in my six-hundredth year, long 

 before you were born, I had a little game pocket of my 

 own, such as the world will never see again. And come 

 to think ot it," he would add, reflectively, "I allow it was 

 a lucky thing, Nimrod, that a man with your true sports- 

 man proclivities was not in the Ark along with me and 

 the game." 



For as it is now, so was it in the days of Noah. From 

 the time of Ihe Flood to your own, my dear sir, who 

 ahall read these pages, never yet has youngster told a 

 hunting story that his elders could not go him one better. 



Our curious and interesting picture of the Ark is from 

 one of the rare volumes of De Bry's Voyages, printed at 

 Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the year 1591. It has been 

 engraved for the Brief from a copy of the book now in 

 the possession of the editor. Old as is the drawing it is 

 yet of a date some two hundred years more recent than 

 that of the manuscript preserved in the British Museum, 

 from which we have taken for our title page vignette 

 the quaint picturing of the Hares leading the Dog to the 

 gibbet. 



There were artists in those days. This picture of the 

 animals coming out of the Ark and the older caricature 

 of the Hares and the Dog are inimitable in their way. 



erroi-s from time to time, one in the issue of Nov. 11, 

 near the bottom of page 402. The way you have it 

 punctuated it reads, "the little wolf Briggs," w'hereas 

 I meant to have paragraphed this and used "The Little 

 Wolf" as the title to the narrative. In the eighth line 

 from the last, on page 403, in speaking of the way Bige- 

 l"w was rigged up, you have it that he borrowed the 

 Kid's "shape." This was, I think, written "the Kid's 

 shaps," for I meant the leather riding leggings most of 

 the cowboys wear. 



This year's trip was very successful, beautiful weather, 

 everyone well and no accidents. While Dakota is full of 

 hunters we had no difficulty in finding fair shooting. 

 Sharp-tailed grouse were very plentiful, some ducks, and 

 we had two good days of goose shooting. One afternoon 

 five of us got fifty-five. W. B. M. 



WAS HE HIT OR PLAYING POSSUM? 



We had feasted on rank bacon for more than three 

 months and were as meat-hungry as only hunters can be, 

 with all chances against us, when one morning old 

 Snoozer growling savagely, called our attention to the 

 hillside opposite camp, and I mentioned to my partner 

 that there must be a deer over there. S. grabbed his 

 gun, and had not gone over 200yds. when I heard him 

 shoot and call me. Not knowing what might be the 

 matter, I picked up a rifle and started on a run to join 

 him. "No hurry," he calls, "I got him. Just step up 

 and pass your opinion on that shot." I joined S. and he 

 pointed out a large buck down on his isack and beating 

 the air with all fours, apparently in his death struggle. I 

 could see the bullet hole a trifle above the tip of the 

 shoulder, and the distance being nearly 300yds., praised S. 



ENDING OF THE FIRST BECORDED CLOSE TIME ON ALL SPECIES 



As Seen by a Caribou Hunter. 



Editor Forest mid Stream: 



The picture of the woodland caribou in last week's sup- 

 plement is beyond criticism; simply perfect. 



Pine Tree, 



The Saginaw Crowd. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Now that ' 'Podgers" the Commentator has given over liis 

 commenting, and more's the pity, it appears to be in 

 order for some of the rest of us to take upon ourselves the 

 duty of saying that Mr, Mershon's story of the "Saginaw 

 Crowd" has been admirably well done throughout; and 

 for one I can testify to appreciation of it. May the 

 Crowd gather together for many years to come and the 

 Crowder- in-Chief be there to tell of it for the rest of 

 us. Henry R. Brown, 



Mr. Mershon notes "There have been a few typographical 



Fac-simlle from De Bry's Voyages— LeMoyne's Brevis Narratio — printed in the year 1591. Engraved for the 

 Game Laws in Brief from the original in the possession of the editor of the Brief. 



for his excellent marksmanship. "I'll go around and 

 bleed him and bring him down. My pocket knife being 

 rather dull I told S. to go ahead and I would bring him 

 a skinning knife, I returned to camp, got the knife, and 

 upon rejoining S, on the spot, whei'e I only a few minutes 

 before had seen a large buck in his death struggle, there 

 was nothing but a few blood spots and some haii', while 

 S. stood scanning, the surrounding brush with eyes as big 

 as saucers. 



Well, we looked for that buck for a whole day and 

 never found him, not even with Snoozer's help, and to 

 this day, had I not seen the fresh tracks and blood, I 

 would be hard to convince that the whole thing was not 

 a day dream, caused by a stomach overloaded with musty 

 bacon. . Mux. 



Alabama Game Conditions. 



Seuia, Ala., Nov. Nov. 8 — For a number of years fol- 

 lowing the war game of all descriptions became very 

 scarce, as all the newly made citizens bad old army mus- 

 kets and blazed away at everything from a tomtit up, 

 wild or tame. But now affairs have changed; thanks to a 

 wholesome game law, game has again become plentiful. 

 Squirrels and quail are found within a mile of the city 

 limits, turkeys within two miles, ducks in the river at the 

 city wharf nearly eveiy morning that is cold, and on the 

 ponds close around throughout the day; deer within 20 

 miles, the grounds being easily reached by rail. Ducks 

 are coming in earlier and in greater quantities than has 

 been known for years, consequently the market is well 

 stocked with game killed by pot-hunters of dusky hue. 

 The sportsmen have had but little sport owing to a long 

 drought that makes hunting difficult. A party of gentle- 

 men went on a deer hunt a few days ago, but it was too 

 dry to be a success, only one deer being the result of a 

 two days' hunt. As soon as the remainder of the cotton 

 crop is gathered, fox and cat hunting will be in order, as 

 there are several fine packs of hoimds here, and great 

 sport is anticipated. 



Fishing for trout and perch has been excellent through' 

 out the year, and is still fine. I shaU tell you of a bear 

 hunt that I am going on shortly. May, 



"BiNKiNS went out hunting this morning." "All alone?" "Yea: 

 didn't even take a dog." "S'pose he'll kill anything?" "No; not un- 

 less he gets melancholy and commits smclde."— Washington Star. 



THREE DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



Although the reports from most aU of the easter i 

 counties of Pennsylvania are that quail are very scarce, 

 and most of the gunners are bringing in very smaU bags, 

 there are some counties that still have a few left. 



Two of us— Landis H. Davin and H. Thurman— left 

 Philadelphia Oct. 31 to pay a visit to our old trap-shooting 

 friend Wra. Spicer, at his home in DanviUe. And on 

 our arrival at 6:30 the next morning Spicer was there to 

 meet us and hustled us off to his home, where his good 

 wife had a steaming warm breakfast ready for us. Then 

 we were hurried into the wagon with two fine ponies 

 attached, and in a jiffy were oft: along the river road 

 almost before we had time to look at the dogs or anything 

 else, as Billy said we were late and everything would be 

 shot off before we got there. There were lots of gunners 

 out, this being the first day of the season. The rabbit 

 shooters were thick and then- hotmds had the birds pretty 

 well scattered before we got at them, but we had a fairly 

 good day and came back at night with two quail and two 

 rabbits, and I certainly think we could have gone over 

 the same gi-ound the "next day and doubled it. We re- 

 turned with such appetites that I thought we would dis- 

 may Mrs. Spicer, but the more we ate the better she 

 seemed to like it. 



This day our team left us about five miles from town on 

 the farm of Mr. Davis, one of the finest in this part of the 

 country. The son of Mr. Davis gave us a hearty welcome 

 and told us to pitch in, but tliat there was not much 

 game, as a party of eighteen the day before had only been 

 able to get two rabbits and one quail. Before we had 

 been out a half hour a covey of birds flushed wild and 

 went to cover along a small creek, where we marked 

 them down, and from that 

 time until 12 o'clock we had 

 some good shooting. When 

 we came in for lunch the 

 count was thirty-three quail 

 and one rabbit. After an 

 hour's rest we took another 

 short tramp and succeeded 

 in bagging ten more quail 

 before the wagon came for 

 us. The bag this day was 

 forty-three quail, one rab- 

 bit, one squirrel, two snakes. 

 The next morning it was 

 raining, but nothing daunt- 

 ed, we started for pheasants 

 in Wolf Hollow, fourteen 

 miles oft". The day was a 

 disappointment to Spicer 

 and J. Kessler, who was 

 with us witli his dog, as we 

 found that the men in the 

 neighborhood had skinned 

 out the pheasants very ma- 

 terially; in fact Mr. Craw- 

 ford told us that he had 

 killed only the day before 

 nine pheasants over the 

 same gi'ounds that we htint- 

 ed, and we only got four 

 pheasants, three quail and 

 one rabbit. Spicer and 

 Kessler said they cotild have 

 started a great many more 

 close to town, and we would 

 not have had a ride of 

 twenty-eight miles, which 

 up and down hill in this 

 country takes considerable 

 time. But we were more 

 than satisfied with the trip, 

 and hope at some future 

 time to be able to repay 

 our friend Spicer for his 

 kindness. They were cer- 

 tainly three pleasant days. 

 Total bag: Sixty-seven quail, 

 four pheasants, four rabbits, 

 two squirrels and two snakes. The best that has come 

 into this town so far this season. 



Laj^dis an d Thurman. 



American Dog and Chinese Pheasants. 



Holland, Mich., Nov, IS.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 I inclose letter which you have forwarded me from Mr. 

 C. J. Ashley, Shanghai, China, As I am unable to take 

 advantage of Mr. Ashley's excellent offer, I send you his 

 letter for publication, if you desire, so that any one 

 wanting Mongolian pheasants and having such a dog as 

 Mr. A. wants, can exchange to advantage. A. G. B. 



Shanghai, Oct. 11, — A. O. B.: Dear Sir — I see in 

 Forest and Stream of Aug. 26 that you are anxious to 

 get the pure-bred Mongolian pheasant. It was from here 

 that om- Consul, Judge Denny, sent several lots of pheas- 

 ants to Oregon. I can send the pure-bred pheasant from 

 here to New York. I am not in the business of shipping 

 pheasants, being a resident here many years and fond of 

 sport, I am anxious to get a good dog, either an Irish 

 setter bitch about two years old and well trained, especi- 

 ally to reti'ieve, as very few English dogs that we get 

 here retrieve, or a pointer bitch of good breed and well 

 trained, to cross with dog that I have, I will guarantee 

 to dehver in New York city two dozen pheasants (as you 

 may direct, so many cocks to so many hens), you to 

 deliver the dog in New York city. Of com'se I should 

 have to ship several lots of birds to insure having two 

 dozen, but if a few more than two dozen should anive 

 safely you are welcome to them all. If we can agi'ee to 

 exchange an early answer will oblige, and the pheasants 

 can be landed in New York in time for breeding next 

 spring. If you look up the Forest and Stream of March 

 10, 1893, page 230. you will see something of our shooting 

 last winter. C. J. Ashley. 



Pennsylvania Wild Turkeys. 



MUNCY, Pa., Nov. 13. — Last week some bags of 6, 8 and 

 10 ducks each were brought in. Wild turkeys are re- 

 ported very plenty on the Bald Eagle Mountain, west of 

 this place. They have come down to the corn fields. 

 Pheasants are plentier than last year. There was some 

 fun with the squirrels, but it did not last long— the know- 

 ing ones had all the fun, the rest had the hunting. 



J. M. E. 



QAM£. 



