182 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[MARCH 3, 1894. 



"HUNTING WITHOUT A DOG." 



Silverdale, Wash. — Under the head of "Hunting 

 Without a Dog" in issue of Feb. 3 a correspondent sign- 

 ing "B." strikes the keynote according to my ideas. I 

 will not use a dog for any kind of game when hunting 

 alone. I prefer the Indian method, still-hunting, in the 

 broadest sense of the word; and that embraces a great 

 deal. It means, first, an unlimited stock of patience, next 

 absolute noiselessness and wearing of clothing from toe 

 to crown, which will allow one to press through brush or 

 dry grass without a sound, provided he knows how to lift 

 and put down his feet. The still-hunter must be a lover 

 of nature, a sort of homespun naturalist, if he would be 

 successful; for he will have to gain a minute knowledge 

 of the habits and characteristics of his game, and in so 

 doing will suffer some disappointments and lose some 

 good shots. He must, as "B." says, be a snap shot, though 

 he will have many chances to use all the deliberation he 

 may wish to. He will, learn to observe the slightest 

 "sign," to harken to the smallest sound, to familiarize 

 himself almost unknowingly with all the bird and animal 

 calls, the plant and insect life, and a thousand other 

 things familiar to the silent disciples of the gun who seek 

 solitude and the company of nature alone rather than the 

 more boisterous company of a canine companion. 



Still-hunting is the best method that I know of of teach- 

 ing a man to pay attention to little things in detail and to 

 note seemingly unimportant things. 



I know many Indian hunters, all still-hunters, all suc- 

 cessful, and I find some surprises among them once in 

 a while. For instance, a Siawash "told my fortune" 

 from my pipe not long since in this way: The pipe lay 

 on the table and picking it up Joe looked at it a few 

 moments and said, "You smoke much." "Why?" "The 

 pipe is new, yet it is much burned inside. You are right- 

 handed, for the top of the bowl is match-burned on the 

 right side and not on the left. You have strong teeth 

 and strong jaws, for the new mouth-piece has a mark to 

 fit your teeth on top and underneath. You use strong 

 tobacco, for there is much oil in the bottom of the bowl. 

 You smoke at home and away from home, for the bowl 

 is polished smooth where you carry it in your pocket." 

 Joe is only a Siawash Indian and a still-hunter, but he 

 ' 'read the sign" on the pipe comprehensively and cor- 

 rectly; and it struck me very forcibly that still-hunting 

 teaches a man to observe and to use the senses that have 

 been given him to the best advantage. 



I think "B." is right in his preference for the method as 

 against that of using dogs, and I extend my trigger 

 hand to him in fellowship, for I too enjoy a day off and a 

 ramble among those familiar spots, nooks hidden in the 

 thicket's heart, dells beside the stream or pine-girt 

 glades of the mountain ranges and tule-f ringed ponds of 

 a dozen States — sj)ots as familiar as my own house. 

 Their inhabitants too are equally well known and have 

 furnished me with an interesting volume of natural his- 

 tory, always readable, always new, and in which finis is 

 not yet written. My sketch book has many a curious 

 portrait in water color, pencil or India ink of these same 

 dwellers of this, another world than ours, and its every 

 page recalls some interesting bit of nature with its own 

 setting, obtained only by meeting the original on equal 

 footing and sketching them while they were unwittingly 

 the most natural of models. 



"B." has opened the right book and read the first twoor 

 three chapters; may he keep at it, for it grows decidedly 

 more interesting as one reads on. El Comancho. 



THE ADIRONDACK DEER. 



Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 19. — Editor Forest and 

 Stream: Just once a week I clean my guns. I don't 

 mean to say that I go hunting that often or that the guns 

 need an oil bath. I get Forest and Stream every Sat- 

 urday and read the stories of the chase and wax enthusi- 

 astic. Then I clean my guns for want of better use to 

 put them to at the time. A fellow must do something, 

 you know, to work off the effects of the perusal of the 

 stories of "Podgers," "Kelpie," Lew Wilmot, Mr. Hough 

 and others. 



I want to echo Mr. Cheney's wish that there be a grow- 

 ing sentiment in the Adirondacks against running deer 

 with dogs. To my mind it is far more unsportsmanlike 

 than "jack" or night-hunting. With dogs, the deer has 

 no chance of escape. With C. R. Egbert and Emmett 

 Lathrop — two of God's noblemen who live in Auburn, N. 

 Y. — I and my brother went up into the Grasse River 

 country, on a fine preserve in St. Lawrence county, last 

 year and the year before. On the latest trip we took the 

 new Adirondack railroad at Herkimer. As we approached 

 the mountains every station gave us an addition of hunt- 

 ers, and almost every one had from one to three dogs — 

 hounds. At Fulton Chain Station the majority disem- 

 barked, and my recollection is that there were eight 

 huntei-s and twelve dogs. Others scattered themselves 

 along at other stations. We proceeded to Childwold and 

 then by wagon to our hunting ground. Our party were 

 in the woods nearly three weeks and we got five deer. 

 We could have obtained more but we didn't need them. 

 On my return trip I waited anxiously for the train's ar- 

 rival at Fulton Chain. There four hunters and seven dogs 

 got aboard, and three dead deer were thrown into the 

 baggage car. Each hunter had his pack full of skins. 

 They fell to discussing the events of their hunt and soon 

 were pulling the skins forth to illustrate how they "did 

 the business for that big deer." Every skin had a bullet 

 hole in the neck. Of the dead deer in the baggage car, 

 two were shot in the neck and the other in the head. I 

 asked one of the hunters how many deer they shot on 

 still-hunts. ' 'Still-hunts!" he said, casting a pitying glance 



at me, "Who the woula go still-hunting when he is 



dead sure of getting a deer with his dogs? You see, the 

 dogs chase 'em into the water and we can get to 'em and 

 shoot 'em in the neck dead easy." 



"And how many did you get by night-hunting?" I 

 asked. 



He pitied me again and replied, "Not a blanked one. 

 Dogging is the easiest and surest. These deer up here are 

 on to the light racket, and it's only once in a great while 

 that one will stand. Most of them run like the devil 

 when they see a light." 



These hunters, so they told me, had ten skins in their 

 packs, and the three whole deer in the baggage car. They 

 were not the same ones I saw get off the train at the 

 Chain on the trip into the woods, but another party. I 



have often wondered what "luck" that other party with 

 the twelve dogs had. 



In St. Lawrence county dogging is not allowed. As a 

 result the Grasse River country is well supplied with deer. 

 It might almost be said that the woods and marshes are 

 full of them. Of the five deer killed by our little party 

 last fall two were shot at night. With my own eyes I 

 have seen deer run from a jack light, or rather I have 

 seen their eyes for a moment and then heard them plung- 

 ing away through the woods. I well remember my first 

 experience with a jack lantern. I had been very anxious 

 to see a deer's eyes at night, blazing back the reflection of 

 the light. I went to Burnt Bridge Pond with Uncle Hi 

 Hutchins, one of the oldest and best guides and hunters 

 in the Grasse River region. He paddled me about the 

 dark pond for an hour before I got a sight or a shot. We 

 could hear deer in the water at various points, but they 

 ran away the moment the light flashed across the water. 

 At last we heard a deer tramping through the alders. 

 The noise was about five rods on our left. Uncle Hi 

 veered the bow of the boat in that direction and 

 signalled for me to open the light. I did so, and 

 there, directly in front, ' and only for an instant, 

 I saw two balls of fire— the deer's eyes. At once, and 

 before I could lift my gun, they disappeared. I held the 

 light steady and Uncle Hi pushed the boat ahead with a 

 strong sweep on his piddle. The light penetrated the 

 alders, and I was enabled to make out the form of the 

 deer plunging madly for high ground and the somber 

 woods. I lifted my gun and fired. The deer dropped 

 dead, the bullet having penetrated the paunch. "That 

 deer has been shot at before by a jack-hunter," said 

 Uncle Hi. We examined it after lifting it into the boat 

 and found on its back the distinct mark of a bullet. I 

 am convinced that when that deer saw my light it felt 

 impelled to do as Bill Nye did when he found the location 

 of the cyclone — go away from there. While in the 

 woods I heard numerous stories of deer running away 

 from lights. In fact, there is one deer at Burnt Bridge 

 Pond that seems to be proof against hunters. Uncle Hi 

 says he is "an almighty big buck," and has dubbed him 

 "Big Sandy." For eight or nine years Uncle Hi and 

 others have tried to get a shot at "Big Sandy," but have 

 failed. He treats a jack-light with withering contempt. 



I saw in a Utica paper some time ago some figures 

 relative to hounding, jack and still hunting. The num- 

 ber killed by the hounds, if memory serves me right, was 

 more than double that secured by means of jacks, If the 

 deer in the Adirondacks do not increase — if they are 

 wiped out entirely — hounding will be the prime cause. 

 This is the opinion, not of a great hunter, but of an ordi- 

 nary sportsman who has given the subject some study. 



Speaking about remarkable shots, they tell of one up in 

 the Grasse River country that deserves a place in Forest 

 and Stream. Mr. Henry Wise, of Auburn, N. Y., was 

 hunting on Burnt Bridge Pond one day, when he saw a 

 deer on the shore. He was beyond rifle range, but a little 

 matter like that never discouraged Wise. He raised his 

 rifle and pulled. The bullet struck the water, glanced and 

 penetrated the deer's heart, killing it instantly. I did not 

 witness this shot, but it came to me from reliable persons 

 who were present. Fred Leslie. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



[Ifirom. a Staff Correspondent] 

 In Iowa. 



CHICAGO, 111., Feb. 22.— Hon. J. G. Smith of Algona, 

 la. , did not receive the appointment of State Fish Com- 

 missioner, which went to Geo. E. Delevan, editor of the 

 Estherville Vindicator, a political friend of Gov. Jackson. 

 Mr. Delevan may be an older soldier, not a better. And 

 politics we have always with us. 



Mr. Smith, by the way, writes me under date of Feb. 22: 



"Yesterday, Feb. 21, the Iowa Legislature passed the 

 'Hunters' Trespass Law.' It is a law which I think will 

 cause more trouble than any other Iowa law. I doubt 

 very much whether the law is a constitutional one. It 

 seems to me that it would be a good plan for the sports- 

 men of Iowa to raise a fund and make a test case as soon 

 as possible. Many of our best lawyers think that it will 

 not stand the test." 



The Iowa farmer has apparently been downtrodden 

 again by those awful hunters. When the details of the 

 statute are better known we shall probably find that it re- 

 sembles many other laws framed by the rural Solons, a 

 good deal more perf orated than penetrating. 



In Dakota. 



G. L. Cross, a cold storage man at Sioux Falls, S. D., 

 was fined $25 and costs last Wednesday for having in his 

 possession illegal prairie chickens. The sportsmen of 

 South Dakota are beginning to value their game. 



In Illinois. 



The Tuscola wolf chase ended the second day in the 

 killing of a wolf which must have been a timber gray, 

 since it is described as being "large as a mastiff." 



In the past few months dog poisoners in Ottawa, 111., 

 have killed nearly 100 valuable dogs of all breeds, in value 

 probably of $5,000. On Feb. 17 nine dogs died, among 

 others those belonging to Attorney-General Moloney, ex- 

 Mayor Young, Deputy Treasurer Dowell, Alderman Beem 

 and others. Deputy Dowell's dog was worth $175. 



Mr. G. W. Rexroot of Virginia, 111., writes that quail 

 have wintered very well indeed about his town, and a 

 good supply seems assured for the coming season. 



In Arkansas. 



Sportsmen of the State say that a good and reliable dog 

 trainer, who could be depended upon, could find an ad- 

 mirable location and good patronage at Devall's Bluff, east 

 of Little Rock. 



Mr. Jos. Irwin, of Little Rock, asks for information on 

 how to carry hive minnows for bait without loss by death 

 in transportation. Can any one tell him a better way than 

 the old one of frequent changing of the water? 



In Texas. 



Mr. G. A. Wheatley, president of the Austin (Tex.) Rod 

 and Gun Club, writes as follows of that far away but 

 always interesting country which is every year coming 

 closer to the sportsmen of the North: 



"The Austin Rod and Gun Club, organized May 3, 1893, 



has a, membership of sixty. The house of the club is, 

 located upon the club property, about nine miles above 

 Austin, on the Colorado River, and six miles above the* 

 great dam built across the river by the city of Austin. The 

 fishing lake of the club is eight or more acres surface,' 

 maximum depth 40ft. It is stocked with black bass. Dur- 

 ing the coming spring the club will build a commodious, 

 club house, and next fall will have good fishing, and also 

 good hunting on the large (or Colorado) lakp, which is 30] 

 miles long and one-half mile to one mile wide. 



"The winter here being very mild, we have good fishing: 

 all winter, and good duck shooting on the lake. The sur- 

 rounding hills are filled with deer and wild turkey." 



In regard to the alleged illegal killing of deer by Gov.. 

 Hogg of Texas, the dispatches had the following: 



"Austin, Texas, Feb. 22.— Sheriff White of this county, 

 armed with a warrant from Nacogdoches county, arrested 

 James Hogg, Governor of Texas, for alleged violation of 

 the State game law while in Nacogdoches a few weeks] 

 ago. The whole matter is a vent of personal spite, but 

 the Governor gave the required bond and says he will* 

 promptly pay the fine. An investigation, however, shows 

 that this county, like many others, is exempt from the 

 operation of the game laws." 



Where is Dr. Thomas of Chicago? Dr. Thomas, this is 

 Gov. Hogg — Dr. Thomas, Governor. 



In Ohio. 



The Ohio Senate on Feb. 21 knocked out the bill prohib- 

 iting the sale of game. It hasn't knocked the plank out 

 of the sportsmen's constitution, nor the determination, out 

 of their hearts. 



In Chicago. 



Cumberland Club is at this writing holding high jubilee 

 at the Lodge in Indiana, and this is billed to be the princi- 

 pal shooting festival of Washington's Birthday. 



Garfield Club shoots live birds to-day at the grounds, 

 Robinson avenue and West Madison street. 



Calumet Heights Club had 85 members present at its 

 last club gathering, and has the brightest of hope for the 

 future. Improvements have been made on the club prem- 

 ises. The annual election is March 7. 



The Chicago Fly-Casting Club had to postpone its ban- 

 quet to-day, not enough members signifying ability to be 

 present. 



Unknown Disease. 



Mr. Joseph Irwin, of Little Rock, Ark., wrote recently 

 asking advice about his pet pointer dog, Jack, the little 

 fellow over which we lately had so much sport together, 

 The dog was suffering from some sort of mysterious dis- 

 ease which his owner thought might be rabies. There 

 was constriction of throat and hoarseness of the voice, 

 with noticeable irritableness and disposition to snap ai 

 other dogs. No convulsions or difficulty in drinking 

 water appeared, though food was swallowed with diffi- 

 culty. Mr. Irwin had put the dog into confinement, and 

 was very anxious to know what was the trouble, as nc 

 one in his locality could define it. What little could be" 

 done here was too late, for the next day Mr. Irwin wrote 

 that it was all over. 



"Poor little Jack," said he, "to-day was so much worse 

 and suffered so much I could not stand it longer, and 1 

 had him shot. Thus one of the staunchest friends I ever 

 had was lost to me. I shall always regret his loss." 



This is too bad. The little fellow was one of the hard- 

 iest, merriest little fellows I ever saw, and a treasure of a 

 dog all around. There is only one consolation in his end, 

 and that is that the undiagnosed malady was not hastily 

 set down as "hydrophobia." In a human being it migbi 

 have been called diphtheria. E. Hough, 



909 Secukitt Building, Chicago. 



The Vagaries of a River Bed. 



Vermillion, Clay Co., S. D., Feb. 11. — I came here since 

 1861. At that time it was pretty wild; there were noi 

 more than a dozen settlers. Game was plenty. There 

 were elk, deer and antelope and a few buffalo, but nol 

 many close to Vermillion. Of ducks and geese and swans 

 and brant there was no end. 



At that time the Vermillion River emptied into the 

 Missouri right at the town of Vermillion, and it was alive 

 with fish. But it has all changed here now. In the spring 

 of '81 we had a big flood and the Missouri cut across a 

 large bend about three miles south of Vermillion. Thai 

 left the old Missouri bed for the Vermillion River to spread 

 out over, and it is more like a swamp now than a river.; 

 It has almost spoiled the Vermillion River for fishing. If 

 is about seven or eight miles to the mouth of the Vermil- 

 lion now, but having all grown up to wild rice it is quite* 

 a place for ducks.. About six miles north of Vermillion! 

 on the Vermillion River there is another great duck! 

 country. In a wet season the bottom is from a half tcl 

 three quarters of a mile wide, and it is a continuous! 

 swamp seven or eight miles long. For the last three oi 

 four years it has been dry and ducks have been scarce 

 but I think that when we have a wet season they will be 

 plenty again. 



I am afraid that the pinnated grouse have been prettj 

 nearly all killed off or caught off. I have not seen on6 

 for a month and I know they were plenty this fall. I are 

 afraid they are going to follow the wild turkeys, which 

 used to be plenty here, but I don't think that there is on* 

 left. I see that the Mitchel Gun Club is taking steps tc 

 put a stop to this game slaughter. 1 hope they will sue 

 ceed. 



I think we will have a good many ducks and geese her< 

 this spring. The ground is frozen hard and the slough™ 

 will hold the water well. I suppose it is not right to shoo'l 

 ducks in the spring, but that is the only chance that w<l 

 have at them because they do not stop here much in thw 

 fall. J. D. S. 



The Testing Institution. 



Mr. Armin Tenner tells us that the American Gue 

 Testing Institution is in working order. It is situated at 

 Dexter Park, Brooklyn, N. Y., that being the post-oflict 

 address. Mr. M. F. Lindsley has withdrawn from th<i 

 advisory board. 



Lead-Poisoned Wildfowl. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Speaking about birds dying with shot in the gizzard* 

 Mr. Knotte, who keeps the shooting box at Liverpool 

 Indiana, always scolded the boys for throwing shot aDO(W 

 loose, for he said it would kill the chickens* H. C. t \ 



