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FOREST AND STREAM. 



[April 14, 1894. 



Massachusetts Game Interests. 



Danvers, Mass.— Editor Forest and Stream: The Fish 

 and Game Protective Association of Massachusetts have, I 

 think, taken the right step to protect some of our game 

 birds by securing a law to make the whole of the year of 

 1891 a close season on quail. I feel very sure that the 

 sportsmen of Massachusetts will be pleased to hear of this 

 and will heartily thank the Association for introducing 

 the bill. There is now but one thing to do to improve the 

 situation, and that is stop the sale of quail in this State for 

 this year and I feel sure that the open season of 1895 will 

 give to the sportsmen as good shooting as they have had 

 for many years. There are a good many small flocks of 

 quail in the vicinity of our town that have escaped the 

 gunner and have survived the winter. The flocks have 

 from 4 to 10 birds in them, a,nd I have heard of as many 

 as 5 of these flocks that have been seen within a few days 

 and all of them within two miles of town, and there must 

 be many birds besides. These birds if not killed will re- 

 stock this part of the country in pretty good shape, and I 

 sincerely hope that they will all be allowed to live. But 

 if quail are allowed to be sold at all times of the year I am 

 afraid that there will not be as many birds another year 

 as there would be otherwise. If marketmen are to be 

 allowed to sell quail that come from other States, how is 

 any one going to tell how many of the birds come from 

 other States and how many from Massachusetts? 



The men who like to shoot have to contend with the 

 snaring of partridge. There is one man not 10 miles from 

 this place, who during the last season snared and sent to 

 market over 1,000 partridge. This is a good many birds, 

 but I am told this by men who are so situated that their 

 word can be taken as authority. We have no game war- 

 dens in this part of the State ; and as I understand the law 

 it is very hard to stop the snaring, as it allows a man to 

 snare on his own land and can allow any one else to do so 

 if he chooses. This is very nice for the man who snares, 

 but is rather hard on the man who likes to shoot once in 

 a while and goes into a piece of woods where he knew 

 there had been a brood of partridge all summer, only to 

 find when he gets there that there is only one bird left. 

 And there are lots of twines hung up on the bushes and 

 perhaps this on the first day the law is off. It makes a 

 man feel that the game laws as they are intended are good 

 things, but as they are enforced are very poor things and 

 no credit to the ones that make them, nor any protection 

 to the game; but I think the Game Protective Association 

 of Massachusetts is doing some good work, and I am satis- 

 fied that the only way to accomplish good results is to 

 accomplish it through these Associations. A. 



When George II. Reigned. 



Ogdensbtjrg, N.Y., April?.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In turning over the leaves of the second volume of "Laws 

 of New York from 1752 to 1762," I find that upon Dec. 16, 

 1758, in the thirty-second year of the reign of King 

 George II., the General Assembly of the Colony of New 

 York passed a law entitled "An Act More Effectually to 

 Prevent the Killing of Deer and Firing the Woods Within 

 this Colony." By the first section of this law it was en- 

 acted that if any person should kill or destroy any wild 

 buck, doe or fawn, "or any other Sort of Deer whatso- 

 ever" in the months of January, February, March, April, 

 May or June, such person should forfeit the sum of three 

 ounds for every such buck, doe, fawn ' 'or other deer" so 

 illed or destroyed. And by Sec. VI. it is provided that 

 "One act entitled 'An Act to Prevent Killing of Deer,' 

 passed in the twenty-fourth year of His Majesty's reign, 

 shall be and hereby is repealed," which indicates that the 

 killing of deer was regulated by law in the Colony of New 

 York at least as early as 1750. 



Section III. of this act of 1758 tells a sad story, and 

 perhaps furnishes an authority in favor of the passage of 

 the bill introduced during the present session of the Leg- 

 islature for retaliacion upon our Canadian neighbors. It 

 reads as follows: 



"And whereas several idle strolling persons come out of 

 other Governments into some parts of this Colony and 

 continue lurking about in private in the woods, and kill 

 and destroy the deer for the sake of the skins only, leav- 

 ing the flesh in the woods to rot, and at the same time 

 firing the woods, to the manifest injury of the inhabitants 

 of this Colony. For remedy whereof, Be it enacted. * * * 

 That from and after the publication of this act if any per- 

 son or persons, not being an inhabitant residing in this 

 Colony, shall come into the same and kill or destroy any 

 wild buck, doe, fawn or other deer, and being thereof 

 convicted as aforesaid, every such person shall, for every 

 such offense, forfeit and pay the sum of Five Pounds," 

 etc. 



Verily "the wisdom of our ancestors" is in the policy of 

 game protection. Let us continue to exercise the same 

 wisdom, and may "the absolute prohibition of the sale of 

 game" be not far di stant! Oswegatchie. ^ 



Shad Bun and Snipe Flight. 



"I have always noticed," said Dick Jones, the press- 

 man,who is the best authority on wing shooting in this sec- 

 tion of the country, and who knows every good piece of 

 sport-giving ground within forty miles of Washington, 

 "that when the first big run of shad comes up the river 

 there is always a good flight of snipe. I don't know the 

 reason for it. but in years of observation I have never 

 known the snipe to fail to come with the shad. During 

 the last year or two," he concluded, "there have been 

 more snipe killed near this city than for many springs 

 previously, and I reckon we'll have pretty good sport this 

 year." 



For the information of sportsmen not familiar with 

 good shooting ground for the jackies near Washington, a 

 few pointers may be given. The marshes in Eastern 

 Branch and the meadows along it above Banning's Bridge 

 are always apt to give a snipe dog rewarded work during 

 the season, and the marshes in the Potomac at the foot 

 of Seventeenth street and from there up toward George- 

 town have also been prolific of good bags to sportsmen 

 who hunt with sense and system. — Washington Post. 



Camp Notes from the Minnesota Woods. 



Pelan, Minn., April 2.— Editor Forest and Stream: I 

 have just returned from the Big Ridge country, twenty 

 miles east of here, the intervening stretch of country 

 being one vast muskeag, in which are small patches of 

 quaking asp. These large muskeags and aspen thickets 

 are a favorite feeding and hiding ground for moose. 

 The Big Ridge I refer to has been for many years past 



a favorite range for deer and bear especially. I have occa- 

 sionally found there moose and caribou. On th - present 

 trip, however, I found two saw mills running there, and 

 a gang of men cutting and hauling logs. This has spoiled 

 our hunting in that locality. The gold fever in the Rainy 

 River country has brought a great many people into that 

 region, and thus the game is being hampered and cor- 

 nered It will be but a few years, at this rate, until this 

 whole northeastern Minnesota forest will be cut up with 

 settlements, and the moose and other game will have to 

 emigrate toward Hudson's Bay, in order to find an un- 

 disturbed range. The black bear will come out of their 

 winter quarters now within a week or two, and I shall 

 be prepared to meet a few of them half way. 



Burton Harris. 



Birds' Eggs are Free. 



The Wilson Bill puts on the free list eggs and yolks of, 

 and eggs of birds, fish and insects. 



" That reminds me." 

 Enforcing the Game Laws. 



About three miles out from town on the road to Wills- 

 boro lives Barney McLane, on a little well-kept farm of 

 sixty acres 



Of what nationality Barney is would be hard to say, 

 and what the fashion of his attire still harder. 



In appearance he is of medium height, with an open 

 countenance and bright blue eyes. He has no regard for 

 style whatever, and utterly abhors that inoffensive crea- 

 ture, the dude. His long hair floats unkempt in the 

 wind and his sun-burned face is ornamented with a 

 i-idiculous spattering of rusty beard, reminding one of 

 a stubble field in August. He invariably wears in sum- 

 mer and winter a Scotch cap with the vizor turned to 

 the back, a long woolen outing shirt hanging outside his 

 trousers like a butcher's frock, and heavy rubber boots. 

 He was at one time employed by the Hudson's Bay Co. 

 as a hunter and trapper, and it is undoubtedly from his 

 wild life that he has adopted most of his peculiarities. 



Barney is inclined to be garrulous, and his drawling 

 voice is to be heard on all occasions. When in 1890 he 

 was appointed special police for the enforcement of the 

 game laws his importance knew no bounds. Late into 

 the night, seated on an empty cracker barrel at the vil- 

 lage store, he would harangue to an open mouthed audi- 

 ence of sturdy sons of the soil on the necessity of enforc- 

 ing the game laws. 



Not least attentive among his audience was Dennis 

 Holland, who though to all appearances serene, was in- 

 wardly boiling over with envy. The two had never been 

 on friendly terms, and now that one had risen to such 

 distinction among his fellows the other was filled with 

 fierce jealousy and bent on his downfall. 



One bright spring morning as Dennis was passing by 

 he espied his rival down by the edge of the pine woods 

 sawing kindling-wood. Instantly a plan flashed through 

 his brain whereby he could entrap the old man. What an 

 opportunity! Stealing into the woodshed he appropriated 

 a discarded soap box and crept down by the barn into the 

 woods. When within fifty feet of the siz, siz, of the 

 bucksaw, placing the box upon the ground he began 

 drumming upon it with his fists in imitation of a grouse, 

 slowly at first, then increasing into a prolonged rumble. 

 Instantly the saw ceased, then came a muttered exclama- 

 tion and the sound of departing footsteps. Soon the 

 worthy game-keeper appeared returning with his trusty 

 Queen-Anne musket. Assuring himself that no one was 

 in sight he began beating about for the supposed bird. 

 At the end of half an hour, seating himself on a fallen 

 tree to rest and mop his brow, he exclaimed, "By gum, 

 that war a rousin' big pa'tridge. I wonder where he is." 



"Right here," exclaimed Dennis, stepping from behind 

 a hemlock and presenting the box. 



"What are you a-doin' here!" cried the huntsman in 

 surprise and alarm. 



"Enforcin' them game laws," was the demure reply. 



Poor Barney! His chagrin was too keen for descrip- 

 tion. Of course Dennis promised never to tell, but you 

 may rest assured, kind reader, that within twenty-four 

 hours the story had been the rounds with sundry embel- 

 lishments which strict adherence to the truth would have 

 rendered unnecessary. 



If you ever happen to be passing through Belleville and 

 stop at the store to chat, don't mention the subject of 

 game protection if Barney McLane is there, for he is sen- 

 sitive on this point. B. 



A Washington Trapper. 



Washington, D. C, Feb. 24.— Until a few mornings 

 since my mental picture of a trapper had been such a 

 man as Cooper puts in his stories, living on the outside of 

 civilization alone amid numerous dangers, with long hair, 

 a long stride and a long rifle. But recently I have dis- 

 covered one doing an active business inside the city limits 

 of the capital of the United States. I got in my boat a 

 few mornings since for a pull down the river before 

 business hours, and while rowing along saw an old negro 

 man pull out from under one of the wharves a steel trap 

 with a muskrat in it. Pulling up" I found him to be a 

 venerable specimen of the "Ole Virginny nigger" type, and 

 consequently v ry friendly and talkative. He has twenty- 

 four traps which he sets under the wharves and along in 

 the holes made in the bank of the river by the numerous 

 rodents. He averages a dozen each morning, he tells me. 

 the hides of which bring fifteen cents apiece, at a local 

 furrier. This is not such a bad financial return for four 

 hours' work each day. 



"I had a funny 'sperience down yander by the bridge 

 dis winter," said he. "I sot a trap in a hole and I guess 

 I didn't fasten de chain tight 'nough, kaze de nex' 

 mornin' when I come down de trap was gone and I could 

 see where de rat had dragged it in de hole. Dat was las' 

 winter. Well, a few mornin's ago I was passin' dere and 

 I could see where de trap was still bein' dragged in and 

 out de hole, so I went home and got a spade and after two 

 hours' hard work I dug out dat rat." 



"Well," said I, "was the trap still on it?" 



"Yes, boss, it was on its tail; and dat aint all, it was a 

 she rat, and dere was four little ones in dere and each 

 one af dem had a little steel trap on its tail." 



He got his quarter. Roe Fulkerson. 



IN BILLY BOWLEGS' LAND. 



Palm Beach, Fla. — This region, from its ease of access 

 under present conditions by an all rail route and the ex- 

 cellence and variety of the fish caught in the lake and in 

 the ocean, must become a very great resort for those who 

 love variety in sport. Besides the lake and the ocean 

 which swarm with so many varieties of salt-water fish, 

 you have to go but a little way to the westward to come 

 to the fresh-water lakes, which abound in bass. The re- 

 sult has been that those coming for a few days have 

 lengthened their stay into weeks, because when one man 

 has caught a kingfish weighing 301bs. the other man feels 

 that he cannot possibly leave until he has done as well; 

 and a string of fish caught may consist of red snappers, 

 kingfish, groupers, with any number of the smaller fish. 



A few days since a party had an interview with a large 

 whale which rose quite close to the boat, and not one of 

 the little black whales so often seen along this coast 

 either, but one whose size would have made an old 

 whaler's eyes flash. A harpoon, however, was not part 

 of the fishing tackle, nor were any of the party ambitious 

 to capture a whale, and so a rapid retreat was made for 

 the shore. In the eyes of all the party his size was pro- 

 digious, while to the gaze of the colored boatman he 

 seemed like a veritable monster of the deep. 



Going westward from the lake you soon come into the 

 country of the Seminoles, where there is no lack of game. 



As almost all the fish caught are shown on the lawn 

 and weighed, the stories told have an element of veracity 

 that is quite charming, and the only romance allowed is 

 in the tale of those who got away, when the imagination 

 must be allowed some play or half the charm of fishing 

 would be gone. 



We have a summer sea, where the rowboat can be 

 safely launched from the shore and a day's sport enjoyed 

 on the open ocean, without a thought of clanger, amid 

 schools of fish eager to take almost any sort of bait. So 

 pass the days away, and the tired man of business goes 

 back to his di-sk browned and tired, but well and able 

 once more to take up his toil refreshed and invigorated, 

 and with a memory stored with pleasant recollections of 

 sea and shore and lake and woods. 



Billy Bowlegs is a frequent visitor at the hotel, where 

 he finds a ready market for his skins, etc. He dresses in 

 true Indian style and is quite an attraction. "Tiger" is 

 another Seminole brave who often visits civilization I 

 send a photo of Billy Bowlegs, that your readers may 

 know how our red brethren of the Everglades appear. 



April 2. — How does this account show for the fishing at 

 Palm Beach for one day? To-day three parties were out 

 on the ocean fishing for what are here known as kingfish. 



Col. Clow and Mr. Royce of Chicago caught 57, averag- 

 ing over 201bs. each. 



Mr. Merrill and Mr. Doming of New York caught 77, 

 averaging 17Albs. each. Mr. Vandergriff and Mr. Arms 

 caught 63, averaging tfOlbs. The day was fine, the sea 

 smooth, and the boats sailed merrily along with lines 

 trolling and the fish following, apparently eager to be 

 caught. The flying fish arose in flocks as they were 

 chased by the larger fish, and often were caught whde 

 in the air by the frigate bird, which swoops upon them 

 like a flash. Although the fishermen were not more than 

 three hours engaged in the catch, they all returned thor- 

 oughly tired from what proved the greatest day in num- 

 bers caught in the history of Palm Beach. None of them 

 needed to tell but the plain, unvarnished tale, for the fish 

 were there to speak for themselves. The three boats cer- 

 tainly did remarbably well. W. 



ON THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 



{Continued from Page 289.) 



The morning was not much improvement on the even- 

 ing, for there was every indication of a continuance of the 

 unpropitious weather. The wind blew fiercely, the waves 

 pounded the rocks with terrible violence, and a thick fog 

 arose from the valleys, that soon sought the waters and 

 began to creep outward, much to the dismay of mariners 

 as well as anglers. It was evident there was to be no trout- 

 ing soon, and, as a necessity, we hugged the snug quarters 

 of our tent, played "crib," read and made observations on 

 the weather, as if that alone had been the business of our 

 lives. The half-breeds busied themselves i n improving the 

 comfort of our tent by a generous spread therein of foli- 

 aged branches. Rain, which had been threatening all the 

 morning, soon came, and then we were prisoners indeed. 



After dinner the fog disappeared, the sun came out and 

 the massive clouds which had filled the heavens suddenly 

 broke and charmingly wreathed the summits of the 

 mountains, now settling below or hanging in patches on 

 the sides, again soaring above, displaying a long line of 

 irregular peaks lying far and brilliant in the streaming 

 light, and anon taking on gorgeous colors from rosy pink 

 to glowing red, as if ablaze with internal fires. Although 

 a northwest wind was blowing and the waves tossing in 

 froth, we concluded to try a little bay just opposite our 

 quarters that gave us a very comfortable lee. It was a 

 half mile through a decidedly lumpy sea to the desired 

 locality, but confinement in camp had become so irksome 

 that morning that any change we thought would be for 

 the better, so we took the boat and started for the land of 

 promise. It was a hard row o'er a sea that was festooned 

 in froth, but as it was a short distance the boys heeded 

 not the bounding billows. Now, if there were any place 

 that looked like an ideal spot for trouting, it was along 

 the rugged shore of this little bay. The entire bottom de- 

 veloped one continual line of broken and upheaved masses 

 of granite and trap-rock, and with such generous cover 

 for the fontinalis you'd declare they were here in count- 

 less numbers. 



Arriving at the bay we pulled to a rugged rock which 

 had but recently toppled from the cliff above, as an un- 

 bleached side of it evidenced, and around which the 

 waves were curling in anything but whispers or dimples. 

 We were confident we had reached a promising spot 

 where wary trout must lie, eager for some dropping or 

 passing prey. As light as the first flakes of snow, so we 

 flatteringly thought, two choice flies, a Parmacheene- 

 belle and a scarlet-ibis, were sent from my rod into the 

 tempting waters, but the only response, the spreading cir- 

 cles where the artistic lures so Bilently fell, Ned was a 



