28 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan. 13, 1894. 



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A DEER HUNT IN NEW JERSEY-1893. 



Near the close of the deer season in New Jersey, a chase 

 occurred lasting two days which seemed to me to be 

 worthy of record in Forest and Stream, and I have 

 persuaded a gentleman who participated in the hunt, and 

 in fact, directed it, to write out its particulars for publica- 

 tion, and his account is subjoined. Supplementing it, 

 from what I know of the ground, and from conversation 

 with my friend, I will say briefly that Port Elizabeth, the 

 village near which the chase took place, is near the 

 Maurice River, in Cumberland county, and three creeks, 

 Menantico, Manumuskia aud Muske'e, empty into that 

 river near the village. The "deer woods" of New Jersey, 

 consisting largely of scrub, oak and pine, approach within 

 three miles of the village. These "woods" are of con- 

 siderable extent, and if the Russian Jews do not continue 

 their advance into them, will for many years to come, 

 preserve the deer, which are fairly plentiful. My friend, 

 the Colonel, has omitted to state tbat on the first day 

 of the chase some shots were fired at the deer 

 without effect, however, on the second day no shoot- 

 ing was allowed, it being agreed that guns might be 

 used after 4 o'clock in the afternoon, if the deer were 

 not previously captured. As the deer was killed by the 

 dogs no shot was fired on the second day. Further, as 

 the chase progressed tired dogs were brought to heel, 

 until they were rested, and tben put on the trail freshj 

 so that the deer was always pursued by fresh hounds, 

 until about 4 o'clock of the second afternoon the whole 

 pack was loosed upon her. The doe weighed, dressed, 

 901bs. F. S. J. C. 



The Story of the Chase. 



A southerly wind and . a cloudy sky proclaimed a hunt- 

 er's morning, as a party&f us tumbled into an open wagon 

 ot 5 A. M. on the seventh day of this month (December). 

 After a ride of four miles we were on the ground, and 

 each hunter silently sought the stand he had selected, 

 while the driver, with a couple of fine deerhounds, entered 

 the woods on a drive. The morning was indeed a typical 

 one, still and frosty, with just a suspicion of air from the 

 southwest. Hardly had the dogs entered the ' 'neck" when 

 the buglelike cry of Old Jock went echoing through the 

 woods to the distant stands. It was immediately taken up 

 by Jule, and in ten minutes the game was afoot and flying 

 for life before the eager hounds; now leading off a mile 

 straight, then doubling on her (it was a doe) tracks, dodg- 

 ing in every direction for an hour or more, when, finding 

 it impossible to shake off her pursuers, she broke out of 

 the neck and headed for Jones's Mill Pond, intending to 

 take water there 



Two of our party had been delayed until 9 o'clock get- 

 ting off that morning, and while on the way to join us 

 suddenly ran into the deer coming down the road. They 

 stopped, cast the leash from their hound, and the deer, 

 meeting this unexpected obstacle, turned and ran back for 

 a mile or so. The two hounds, "catching the double," now 

 joined in, and the three were pressing the doe closely. 

 She changed her tactics and again tried short doubles, 

 and after an hour's furious run succeeded in throwing the 

 dogs off for five or ten minutes. They soon picked up the 

 lost scent, and the deer having considerable start, another 

 hour was spent in short runs and circling. All the hunt- 

 ers being thoroughly acquainted with the woods, left their 

 stands and were clossing in with the chase, thrilled with 

 the music of the houuds and as eager as they to catch a 

 view. 



About noon the deer took water in Manumuskin Creek, 

 near Reeves's Mill, waded up the stream about 400yds., 

 went out, made a short circuit on the opposite side, and 

 again entered the stream and waded up to a point where 

 the stream divides out into a number of shallow rivulets 

 encircling numerous small islands. Selecting a hummock 

 of grass on one of these, she lay down to rest and await 

 results. 



The hunters searched each side of the stream for a mile, 

 but failing to find where the doe had come out, got a boat 

 and believing her to be concealed on one of these islands, 

 proceeded to search them out in detail. About 4 P. M. 

 she sprang from her hiding-place not over 30ft. distant 

 from one of the hunters, and in five minutes six dogs 

 were on her flying heels. Straight away on her back 

 track she flew for a couple of miles, and then commenced 

 dodging in short, sharp circles until dusk, when, finding 

 it of no avail, she again headed for Manumuskin Creek, 

 taking water about half a mile above our village, Port 

 Elizabeth. 



It was now dark and we succeeded in calling off the 

 hounds, with one exception, Old Jere swimming the 

 creek and picking up the trail again on the opposite bank. 

 The doe now went straight away for another two miles 

 through open meadow, but finding she could not shake off 

 the hounds, made for Maurice River, opposite the village 

 of Buckshotem, where it is 200yds. wide. She swam 

 across and the chase ended for the day. 



We gathered our hounds, gave them a good warm 

 supper and bed, then waited eagerly for the morrow. 



At gray of dawn next morning we stood upon the 

 banks of Maurice River with a boat in readiness to cross, 

 awaiting sufficient daylight to see. The stillness was only 

 broken by the crowing of the cocks on the surrounding 

 farms, or by the occasional cry of the eager youngsters 

 of the pack, or the suppressed whine of the older dogs. 

 We crossed, unleashed the dogs and were "casting" up 

 and down the bank when a long note from Martin an- 

 nounced the finding of the trail. It was open meadow 

 for miles, and the doe had walked out of the water the 

 evening before and lay down in a bunch of rushes 100yds. 

 from the bank. Soon the pack opened on the trail, and 

 in another moment the game sprang up in full view of 

 dogs and hunters, making straight for the river, into 

 which she plunged, heading for the opposite bank. 



We all tumbled into the boat and it was a race for the 

 opposite shore. The deer breasted the river like a tug, 

 with head and neck only out of water, and landing first, 

 started across a mile of meadow and open farm land for 

 the woods, being in full view of hunttrs and hounds the 

 entire distance. In three minutes the dogs were on her 

 track and the villagers were aroused from their slumbers 

 by the deep-mouthed chorus less than a mile away. The 

 day was as lovely as the preceding, and every bush and 

 leaf sparkled in the quiet dawn with its frosty jewels. On 



reaching the embankment of the West Jersey Railroad 

 the deer doubled back and struck north to Manantico 

 Creek, but not wishing to take water yet swerved back to 

 the left, and for three hours tried every available tactic 

 with which to throw off the hounds, but failing in this, 

 she took water in the Manantico, fording it and entering 

 a dense swamp, lay down a half mile from the bank. 



We had lost twenty minutes going half a mile up 

 stream to an old mill dam and crossing. On the opposite 

 side the dogs were again let loose and the chase was soon 

 on again. For an hour she ran in long leads and then 

 adopted entirely new tactics. After gaining considerable 

 space on the dogs by short doubles she would take an old 

 lumber road where there were no bushes to catch the 

 scent and speed away down the middle of it for half a 

 mile, then turn short on her track and run back a quarter 

 of a mile, where she would leap off, and after running a 

 short distance commenced doubling and back-tracking 

 again. 



For a while this gave her an advantage, the dogs over- 

 running the track where she dodged off and losing the 

 trail for five or ten minutes We soon caught on to the 

 trick, however, and whenever a fault occurred with the 

 dogs, two of us would hastily take back a hound on each 

 side of the road and soon pick up the lost trail. 



So went the chase until about 2 P. M., when the deer 

 again took to water, crossing the creek and laying down 

 on the opposite hillside. We crossed and beat down the 

 bank, when the doe sprang from her bed in full view of 

 dogs and hunters. The dogs were cast loose and again 

 the race for life commenced. It was very evident to us 

 all that the deer was greatly fatigued, as were we like- 

 wise, but the knowledge that the game was well nigh 

 spent infused renewed life, and away we all went, deer, 

 dogs and men, the latter scattering in different directions, 

 each one anxious to be in at the death. 



The deer now ceased to make any long leads, confining 

 herself to short doubles, abrupt turns and back-tracking, 

 all in the space of a mile square. Every now and then a 

 quick, sharp burst of music (not to the deer) told us that 

 the dogs had caught a "view," and we now changed our 

 policy of silence to loud and encouraging cries to the 

 pack, urging on the laggards to renewed efforts. 



Round and round the circle flew the chase; a "view 

 hallo" from some one told the deer was in sight; shorter 

 and shorter grew the circles, until, just as the sun was 

 going down behind the low trees, a wild chorus of bays 

 told us the chase had ended. Running up from all direc- 

 tions the hunters closed in to find the deer down and sur- 

 rounded by the pack of baying, tired hounds. Pipes were 

 lighted, a pole cut and the quarry lashed to the middle, 

 and as darkness deepened we entered the village. That 

 night, around a warm fire and amid circling smoke, we 

 discussed the "points" of the hunt until nodding heads 

 carried us one by one to our homes, where we continued 

 the unflagging chase— in our dreams. J. H. W. 



CEPHUS DODGE'S TWO SHOTS. 



Occasionally I see accounts of some notable shots re- 

 corded in Forest and Stream, such as killing two wood- 

 cock at one shot, or two grouse at one shot. This brings 

 to mind that I once shot two ruffed grouse with oiif bul- 

 let. It was not a very remarkable shot, however. I had 

 been hunting deer one sunny day in October, without 

 even getting a chance shot. They seemed to be laid up 

 somewhere out of sight; and as I was somewhat tired, I 

 sat down on the dry leaves, leaning my back against a 

 long log, when I heard the queerest of all queer noises. 

 I couldn't guess what it was until I looked over the log; 

 and then I saw about three rods distant two old cock 

 grouse walking slowly around on a little circle of two or 

 three feet diameter, each one keeping opposite and facing 

 the other, all the time keeping up that low cawing noise. 

 They made no attempt to fight, but appeared to be having 

 a serious quarrel. Now, the most natural thing to do 

 was to lay the rifle across the log, and when both necks 

 came into line to cut both heads off; and this I did. 

 "Potted," did you say? Well, perhaps so. But I thought 

 then, and think now, tbat the birds made a cleaner broil 

 than if they had been killed on the wing and filled full of 

 No. 6 shot. 



I remember many remarkable shots made by old-time 

 hunters, some of which may be worth mentioning now. 

 Away back somewhere in the '30s there lived a man in 

 Ashtabula county, O., by the name of Cephas Dodge, who 

 for aught I know might have been grandfather or great- 

 uncle of Ira Dodge, of bear hunting fame in Colorado. 

 At that early day the country along the northern border 

 of the State was sparsely settled as compared to the pres- 

 ent population. Deer and wild turkey were plenty, and 

 Dodge was a noted hunter, and was consideeed a dead 

 shot on deer. He used a heavy rifle with large bore, as 

 such guns were thought to be a prime necessity then and 

 there, where the face of the country was comparatively 

 level, with rather open but heavy timber, and mostly clear 

 from thicket and underbrush; consequently deer were shot 

 mostly at long range. 



It was after a fall of snow in November that Dodge 

 came out of the woods very late one night, and said he 

 believed that he had broken the record of all the remark- 

 able shots that were ever made. 



His story was about as follows: Early in the day he 

 started five deer, which kept together and which he fol- 

 lowed a roundabout way during the day, without getting 

 a shot within reasonable distance. Toward night they 

 began to bunch, as he said, but would start again before 

 he could get in shooting distance. It was getting near 

 night, cloudy and stormy withal, and he concluded to 

 shoot into that bunch when he should see it again, let it 

 be short or long distance. A half mile of travel brought 

 him in sight again. As he said, he couldn't tell heads 

 from points, but he held high and pulled for the center, 

 when the bunch vanished at once. On going up he found 

 one deer which had fallen dead in its tracks, and, follow- 

 ing, in less than eighty rods he found two more. Now it 

 rather strikes me that had I made such a shot I would 

 have gathered up the slain and gone home satisfied. But 

 Dodge knew well enough that the two live deer which 

 were left would not go far without a halt, so he followed 

 the trail until he saw a dark spot in the distance which he 

 thought might be the broadside of a deer. He drew up 

 and fire-i, it being so dark that he could barely see the 

 sights on his gun, and the two deer started off on a run. 

 He found spots of blood on the snow, but night had closed 

 in and it had grown so dark that he could follow no 

 further, so he left for home. 



The next day the two deer were found; shot plumbl 

 through and near where he had left the track the night I 

 before; those with the others were hauled in with a team, I 

 and Dodge was ready to make oath that he had fired hisl 

 gun but twice at the five deer. 



As might be expected, they proved to be an old doe and 1 

 her two fawns and two yearlings, supposed to be the 

 fawns of the year before, tbat were still following the 

 doe. In the early davs it was not rare or uncommon toj 

 find one yearling and sometimes two following the mother 

 doe irrespective of the later family of fawns; but in later 

 times such families were generally broken up and scattered 

 by hounding and hunting. Had those five been a mis- 

 cellaneous lot of old deer they would not have kept to- 

 gether ten minutes after being started the second time. 



Grand View, Tennessee. ANTLER. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[From a Staff Correspondent.] 

 Rabbit Money. 



Chicago, 111., Dec. 29. — From North Dakota I have the 

 following letter: 



"I have just finished reading your appeal to sportsmen 1 , 

 on behalf of the hungry people of Chicago, and wish you 

 to know that I am in line with the kind of charity you 

 suggest. Jack rabbits are abundant in North Dakota, but 

 sending them to Chicago would benefit the transportation 

 companies more than it would the hungry; so I inclose $S, 

 cash and will ask you to hand it to the proper committee 

 or wherever it will do the most good. Just hand it in as? 

 from a reader of Forest and Stream, as I desire no 

 acknowledgment in print or otherwise." 



I do not counsel the sending in of one cent of cash by 

 sportsmen outside of Chicago to feed the poor of Chicago, 

 It is like a drop in the bucket, and settles nothing. More- 

 over, it is Chicago's bucket, and Chicago ought to feed hei 

 poor, and no one's else. Therefore, I have sent back the 

 $2 with as much thanks to the giver as though it were 

 used. I am not a philanthropist, and I don't want any- 

 thing but a carload of rabbits, the freight on which the 

 relief committee will pay, at 82 Market street. We shall' 

 be hearing of the Forest anc Stream fast rabbit freight 

 for the Chicago poor next, but I don't want to joke about 

 this. Let the fat and wellfed laugh. The hungry are not 

 laughing. Send the rabbits. 



Foxes. 



"C. D. F.," of Hunter, N. D., has the following to saj 

 about foxes and fox colors: 



"For many years I have studied closely the habits and 

 natures of the fox, and have successfully hunted and 

 trapped them in several States. I do not think I evei 

 lived in a locality where black or silver gray foxps were 

 not seen now and again by farmers, teamsters and araa 

 teur sportsmen generally. They see them but nevei 

 catch them, and methinks a closer inspection would show 

 them to be the gray or the cross fox, or perchance some 

 homeless dog. 



"Few men have lowered as many brushes as I have 

 myself, and I have never seen a living fox that I for an 

 instant supposed to be a black or silver gray. The cross 

 fox wears a beautiful coat and when the sun strikes it just 

 right has quite a silvery look and is doubtless sometimes 

 mistaken f or his more aristocratic neighbor. With tbie 

 variety, however, as well as the still more plebeian gray 

 I ani quite familiar. 



"Once, some dozen years ago in M. Ryder's wholesale 

 fur store in St. Paul. I was shown a skin of what they 

 called the black or silver gray, and was at that time in- 

 formed that both names were used for the same annua: 

 whose fur was in some cases almost black, while lightet 

 in others and more of a silvery gray. I have before me 

 as I write the latest price list from Back, Becker & Co. , 

 of Chicago, who quote black fox, $75 to $100 and silver 

 fox $50 to $100. If by the latter is meant the silvei 

 gray, they are considered of different values at least, if 

 not of two distinct species. I will say in conclusion, that 

 a veteran fox chaser of my acquaintance claims the black 

 or silver gray to be a sport or freak bred from the common 

 red, and stoutly avers that he once unearthed a lamily 

 consisting of a mother red and four young cubs, one of 

 which was black and suckling side by side with three 

 golden colored chaps, all of which he captured and all of 

 which died on his hands soon after. What a group that 

 would have been for taxidermical skill." 



The veteran fox chaser mentioned has solved "C. D. F.'s," 3 

 question, though no fellow can find out just how or why 

 some red foxes are black, some silvery and most red, any 

 more than we can tell why one bear cub is cinnamon and! 

 the other dark in color, as sometimes happens. The 

 Natural History department of Forest and Stream c ould 

 tell some interesting things on this subject if it would. 



Auxiliary Rifle Barrels. 



An "Enquirer" writes as below in regard to auxiliary 

 rifle barrels: 



"I am intending soon to change my habitat to the 

 wooded parts of Wisconsin. I shall be where deer and 

 black bear are plentiful, and am considering what kind 

 of a gun I shall use. Can you tell me about the auxiliary 

 rifle that is so largely advertised for use with shotgun? I 

 have never had an opportunity to examine one. Do you 

 consider it an effeetive weapon, and would >he strain 

 from an auxiliary of large bore — say .45-70 — be too great 

 for a shotgun of 8 or 91bs.? I want the combination of 

 shot and rifle, and I want a large caliber for the latter. 

 I have lost many deer shot through and out with .38cal. 

 The shock is not great enough to stop the game at once 

 and the hole when small is apt to close and prevent 

 bleeding externally. No small bores for me in future." 



I regret that I can not give advice as ? to the purchase 

 of guns, as the matter is so much one of personal prefer- 

 ence, and there are so many good ones in the market. I 1 

 will say, however, that I have not known so large an 

 auxiliary barrel as .45cal. Will the readers of Forest, 

 and Stream give their experiences hereon? 



Near New Orleans. 



"W. L. B." wants to know and says: 



"Will you please inform me, as soon as conven- 

 ient, of the nearest place to New Orleans that good 

 quail shooting may be obtained. None of my friends! 

 have hunted in that vicinity-, and I ask this of you as you, 

 are looked upon as the great source of information con- 

 cerning the game haunts of the country." 



Thanks. The people are not on to me yet. About New 



