Feb. 15, 1896.., 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
186 
ball crushing into his skull which caused the bear to wilt 
down as limp as a rag, and I am of the opinion that he 
never fully realized what killed him. 
After I shot, I heard the brush cracking further ahead 
I as other bears scampered off through a thicket. As they 
; appeared to be headed toward the other hunters, I fired a 
couple of shots to cause them still greater alarm, hoping 
that they would attempt to pass through the gorge where 
my friends were stationed and watching for them. After 
sticking and bleeding my bear, I marked the spot well 
. and proceeded southward along the trail, blazing the trees 
I to facilitate an- easy return to the game. All at once I 
I heard shooting in the gorge, and such a fusillade of rifle 
I reports as rang out I had never before listened to in the 
I pine lands. I hastened to the Bcene of battle and found 
that my companions had killed a she bear and her two 
I cubs. They had wisely waited until the animals, which 
I were traveling together, had reached an open place, near 
I where they had stationed themselves, and then began the 
I bombardment, which was so effectual that not one of the 
I three bears escaped. The half-breed soon arrived, and all 
I seemed to feel that the killing of four bears in one day by 
I our party was more than ordinary success. 
George and Frank were more than elated, and cheer 
| after cheer rang out through the trees until the whole for- 
I est seemed to tremble for miles about. We spent the 
I remainder of the day in skinning our game and in pack- 
ling the pelts and choicest portions of the meat to our 
I camp, not neglecting in the meantime to gratify our keen 
[appetites with generous and juicy slabs of roasted cub. 
I Feeling satisfied to let whatever other bears that might 
lyet be present in the locality remain to enjoy their pranks, 
I we bade farewell to the smouldering embers of our camp- 
Ifire and started homeward on the following day. In due 
I time we reached civilization again. Although I had killed a 
Inumber of bears before, I had never taken a more enjoy- 
jable trip, and as my friends departed with trophies of the 
Ihunt I almost regretted that it had not also fallen to their 
I lot to have killed the large bear which had fallen from 
my own rifle, for it was one of the largest of its kind that 
I any of us had ever seen. Albert Nemic. 
IMOOSE HUNTING IN MAINE IN 1850. 
I In 1850, before any laws were passed in the State of 
■Maine for the protection of game, moose were very nu- 
Imerous, even more so than deer, in Oxford, Franklin and 
I Somerset counties. They were frequently seen in sum- 
Imer time in lake and stream, and in winter it was a for- 
Isaken mountain that did not contain one moose yard. 
[The settlers of the wild regions depended on moose meat 
fto supply solid food for their families. In the Rangeley 
I Lake country especially was moose the prominent large 
Igame of the forest. 
I Deer were reported, plentiful in the eastern part of the 
I State, especially in Penobscot county, and hundreds of 
Jthem were sent to the Boston market. I once saw a 
Barge storehouse in Boston packed solid full of deer car- 
Icasses, a great many hundreds of them, and venison hung 
I outside every provision dealer's shop in the city. Caribou 
Iwere not plenty and were considered migratory animals, 
Braving through the vast wilderness of New Brunswick 
(and Maine, some years flocking into the State in droves, 
[then not showing up again for years. 
Crust hunting in the deep snow late in winter was the 
Icommon method of capturing moose, with dogs and 
fenowshoes: but the caribou, were exempt from annoyance 
[of dogs, for it was futile to put a dog on the trail of a 
Icaribou. Caribou when started would settle on their 
■haunches and leap like kangaroos, and even in 4ft. of 
know a dog had no business with them. But the moose 
Iwas an easier prey, and in a favorable time could be se- 
fcured in a few miles' drive. 
In spring and summer time, on lake and river, many 
pnoose were killed; they took to the water to rid them- 
• selves of the myriads of flies and gnats that infested the 
■forests in those wild regions in the warm seasons, and 
[also to feed on the water plants abundant in the ponds 
iand lakes of Maine. 
And this reminds me of an incident in my hunting life 
Rn the year 1850 on Mohychunkemunk Lake, one of the 
i Rangeleys, on the border of which lake I lived with my 
Ifamily twenty miles from a neighbor many years. 
I started one day to go down the lake in my boat to 
bet out to settlements for supplies, which I had to lug 
fen my back through the woods and over the mountains 
|>n blazed lines. Within two miles of my house as I was 
■paddling down the lake there was a bog of many acres 
povered with tall grass, through which a sluggish brook 
/made its way. This brook was bordered with alder 
pushes, and as I was paddling along approaching this bog 
K saw the alders beside the brook waving as if some large 
imimal was coming out toward the lake. I at once ran 
Iny boat ashore and taking my gun, which, by the way, 
|was a single-barrel muzzleloader (for breechloaders 
Iwere unknown in those times in the backwoode of Maine), 
■and creeping along through the tall grass and scrub 
tushes toward the brook I soon got within range of the 
Iinknown animal in the alders, and just as he emerged 
■from the tall bushes into the open bog I rose up from my 
fcover, and there within 30yds. of me stood a ma- 
. jestic moose who had just then lifted his head high in the 
feir and gave a fearful snort and started on a run for the 
lake. I at once fired, the ball striking the moose on the 
ijambrel and breaking the leg. He at once turned on me 
fend came leaping on three legs swiftly toward me. I 
■love into the tall grass and crept along as rapidly as pos- 
sible for a few moments, then carefully looking up over 
the cover I saw that the moose had stopped and was 
fctretching his long neck in every direction looking for 
fee. I then loaded my gun as quickly as ever I couid 
inder the cover and again rising up saw the moose wad- 
ing into the water as if to cross the narrows. I walked 
ilong toward him as he made his way into the lake and 
•when I reached the shore he heard me and turned partly 
round and looked toward me. He was then some 7 rods 
fcrom me and stood broadside on in the shallow water, 
■which came well up his sides. I aimed just back of his 
tore shoulders and fired. The ball skipped twice on the 
Ivater beyond him and I thought I had overshot him, as 
be did not fall. I again loaded my gun and as I was ram- 
bling down the last wad the moose fell. I then ran to 
lay boat and paddled out to him and cut his throat, but he 
Hid not bleed any. I then tipped my boat over on one 
■fide and filled it with water, sinking it under the moose; 
when standing in the lake, which was breast deep, I bailed 
but my boat in a short time, had my moose loaded and 
my boat in trim and made my way up the lake toward 
my home, proud of my prize. 
My wife was surprised at my sudden return home, but 
went with me to the lake and helped me dress the moose, 
which I found had bled inwardly, the bullet going 
through his vitals. Of the meat I salted some, put some 
in my ice house and smoked and dried some, and in this 
manner it supplied us with meat a long time. But it 
still seems queer to me that a bullet after passing through 
a moose should make two distinct skips on the water 
beyond. J. G. Rich. 
ADIRONDACK DEER. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
There seems to be a general wish among sportsmen for 
a change in the existing law for the protection of deer in 
the Adirondacks, and I notice that many game associa- 
tions have passed resolutions to be forwarded to the Legis- 
lature asking it to prohibit the hounding of deer; but I 
have failed to hear of any demand for a change in the law 
from the residents of the region in question. 
An experience of many years in those mountains has 
enabled me, I believe, to form a very just estimate of the 
character of its inhabitants, and I think, without very 
many exceptions, the sportsmen (?) of those parts would 
really prefer an open season all the year round. I am 
equally confident that, were a law passed by the Legisla- 
ture prohibiting hounding, more of it would be done 
than under the present statute, simply because the Adir- 
ondack people are strongly opposed to having such a 
law. 
I know of a case where the law was openly violated 
some few years ago, and an arrest was made and a con- 
viction was obtained much to the dissatisfaction of the 
people of the township in which it occurred. The violator 
could not pay his fine, so a contribution was made by the 
people with which to meet the amount of the fine and 
costs, and the culprit was discharged. 
If the Legislature prohibits hounding, it must appoint 
five times as many game wardens as are now employed to 
enforce the laws, or hounding will become general, the 
season opening when you please and closing when you 
please, few arrests being made and still fewer convic- 
tions. 
It is my belief that the open season for hounding should 
not commence till Oct. 1, for by that time the fawns are 
weaned and able to take care of themselves; and it should 
close Oct. 31. Still-hunting should not open till Sept. 15, 
and should end at the same time as the hounding season. 
Eight out of ten deer run to water by dogs in September 
are does, and "wet" ones at that, leaving an unweaned 
fawn to die from starvation and cold after the first hard 
frosts of October. Few are the dogs in the Adirondacks 
that will search out the bucks among the high ridges — 
where they await the hardening of their horns — and drive 
them to water. Not until Oct. 1, when this hardening 
process is accomplished, will the bucks leave their bache- 
lor quarters and descend to the lower levels in search of 
the does. Were it not for the large preserves, where few 
or no deer are killed, the most skilled huntsman's efforts 
in pursuit of this game animal would be futile to-day in 
several counties. Let us have a good law enacted, but 
above all let us have provision made for its proper en- 
forcement. John E. Forbes. 
Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, N. Y.— Editor Forest 
and Stream; I have been keeping track of the subject of 
Adirondack deer protection which is being discussed in 
Forest and Stream from week to week, and as the time 
draws near in which legislation on the question will take 
place, I feel that I too must add a mite to the contribution. 
My position is one that has been voiced by several 
articles in your paper and is this: stop hounding, stop 
jacking, and leave the season as it stands. 
The greatest good to the greatest number should not, 
in justice, be lost sight of in any changes that may be 
made. Any arrangement that will give the deer an equal 
advantage with the hunter, and at the same time give all 
classes an opportunity to try their hand in the sport, 
would seem to me at least to best secure protection for 
the deer and justice for all classes. 
I should like to see a list of those who are in favor of 
prohibiting both hounding and jacking, together with 
their argument therefor, laid before the Legislature. 
Do away with these two methods in which the deer is 
taken undue advantage of, and we could hunt from 
Aug. 15 to Nov. 1 for years to come and still have a 
goodly supply on hand. This is no idle fancy or theory, 
but the opinion of hundreds of honest sportsmen, and 
statistics would go to support it. 
I see that the game commission have formulated a law 
to lay before the .Legislature in Which they recommend 
that the season open Sept. 1. Now as far as giving all 
parties a fair chance is concerned, what would this 
change mean? It would mean that the great majority of 
teachers, as well as the great majority of parents who 
have to be at home during the school year, would be 
entirely shut out from participating in the sport, while 
the wealthy sports and nabobs (whose time is "anytime") 
together with the guides and natives would have it all to 
themselves. It seems to me that the injustice of such a 
course should be apparent to the most biased mind. 
It is self evident that to secure protection a sacrifice 
must be made, but the dish of sacrifice and sport should 
be served up to all alike. There is no justice in saying to 
one class, "Now help yourselves freely to the sacrifice, but 
do not touch the sport," and to another, "Eat your fill of 
the sport with just a tiny pinch of sacrifice as an 
appetizer." 
Aside from the unfairness already mentioned, in shut- 
ting off August shooting there is another and perhaps 
graver feature to be considered. Already we deplore the 
number of deer killed out of season every year. In fact 
those of us who know much about the woods are aware 
that in some sections the deer killed illegally each year 
outnumber those killed legally almost three to one. 
Now, game laws should be of such a nature as to com- 
mand the respect and support of all to the greatest pos- 
sible degree. Cut off August shooting and the result will 
be to create an extra inducement for illegal shooting, and 
that too by a class who under a just law would be least 
likely to violate it. 
The many and frequent shifts and changes made in the 
game laws, and the inadequate manner in which the 
people at large are informed of the laws, is in itself 
enough to stimulate a certain disgust, and a lack of con- 
cientious scruples in regard to their observance. To illus- 
trate: In 1894 a man can step out at midnight of the 14th 
and shoot a deer with all impunity, but if he does the 
same thing before midnight of the 15th in '95 he is a crim- 
inal liable to fine or imprisonment; again a man can 
stand in a certain spot and shoot a deer driven before a 
hound, but if he should take a step or two to one side 
(just over the "dead line") and repeat the act he incrim- 
inates himself. 
Granting that the hotel keepers and guides are the 
chief ones to be cared for in regulating the game laws 
(which, however, we do not believe), it seems to me that 
the fear of the summer and fall exodus to the woods 
diminishing if hounding and jacking are prohibited is 
more imaginary than real. Those who go to the woods 
for the sole purpose of deer hunting will doubtless go 
just the same, even if they have to try their hand at the 
only "fair way" of hunting deer, viz., still-hunting; and 
most of them will be much more in need of a guide then 
than now. More than that, it will make many of our 
citizens more rugged, more skilled in woodcraft, and 
more proficient in the use of the rifle, which are factors 
of no small consideration. 
Nor is there much doubt, if this course were adopted, 
that in a few years it would be just as easy to secure a 
shot still-hunting as it now is to secure one before a hound 
or under a jack. 
It is all very well to have the different views published 
in the sporting papers, but I fear that very few of them 
meet the eye of our legislators. I should like to see all 
interested see to it that the representatives from their own 
districts are posted early in regard to the moves that are 
likely to be made. The game laws are usually left till the 
last minute and then shoved through with little or no 
consideration; at least it looks that way. 
Hoping that a wise course may be pursued in the mat- 
ter and good results obtained therefrom, I am 
J. M. Graves. 
DUCKS FOR THANKSGIVING. 
Centreville, Jan. 14.— The day before Thanksgiving I 
made up my mind that I would like to have some black 
ducks for dinner next day if possible, so getting up at 
2:30 o'clock in the morning, I got breakfast, fed and har- 
nessed my horse and started for the marshes over at 
Barnstable. 
When I started it was about as hard a storm as one 
going duck shooting could wish for, and it was rather 
lonesome driving down through thej woods for £six or 
seven miles alone; but the thoughts of the ducks down 
there were enough to "keep the bears off," as the children 
say. 
Arriving at the stable, I put up the horse, got my boat 
and decoys ready and started out up into the marsh. As 
I pulled along the ducks were quacking all around me, 
and once in a while a bunch would get up from the grass 
when they heard me coming. 
Stopping at the point I had selected, I put out my de- 
coys, seven wooden ones, with a tame duck on one side 
and a tame drake on the other, then pushed my boat into 
the grass, covered her up well and lay down to wait for 
daylight to come. 
In a few minutes my drake began to call, and looking 
sharp I saw a bird coming in, which I found by calling 
to be a brant. All my calling had little effect, for he 
wouldn't come "worth a cent." Just then a black duck 
came in and lit. As it was quite dark I thought I'd make 
sure of him and shoot him sitting, but when I fired he 
immediately left for parts unknown in spite of the way I 
pulled the other trigger. 
I thought that was "rather hard on a feller," so when 
the next came in, which proved to be a pair, I thought to 
myself, now I will make amends for the last miss; so 
shooting at the one which I knew I would kill, I turned 
and let the other one have it before looking at the one I 
knew was dead. On looking through the smoke I saw 
both of the ducks going as fast as their wings could carry 
them. 
I now began to think my dinner next day would look 
scarce as to ducks, but when one came down before the 
wind and I killed him dead and then a pair came in and 
I got them both, I felt better. 
All the time I could see a great many brant flying 
around down the harbor, and was wishing some would 
come my way. Three sheldrake came in over the 'coys 
and I got two dead ones. Then a small flock of brant 
came in and lit on the water about a quarter of a mile 
from me, then jumped up and came right in when I 
called to them. They came straight for me until I rose 
to shoot, when they went into the air again just like ducks. 
I got one with the second barrel, missing with the first, as 
I was sure of getting two with the first. 
After a little while a pair of whistlers came in; one lit; 
the other didn't. I killed the one that didn't, and the 
other one sat right there with the decoys as if I hadn't 
shot. About the time the shot struck the water a coot 
came around the point and lit right in range of the 
whistler. What could I do but shoot them both, as I had 
but one cartridge in my gun? I killed them both, as I 
thought, but as I was fighting with a shell that stuck, the 
coot got up and flew away, whence I do not know, as 
I've not seen him since. 
One more black duck came down before the wind and 
was killed dead and that ended the morning's shooting, 
which being one of many, but entirely different from any, 
will be remembered as long as I shall live. 
Wm. F, Haxlett. 
Timber Wolves in Canada. 
Port Arthur, Canada. — Timber wolves were almost 
unknown north of Lake Superior until three years ago 
an old trapper, who had some snares set to catch lynx, 
caught three wolves instead, one of which was almost 
black in color. A short time ago he caught two more 
wolves in the same manner. They are getting quite 
numerous in this district; they are supposed to have come 
from Minnesota in pursuit of deer. 
On Monday two Indians were camped near Pigeon 
River, south of this place. They were alarmed to hear 
wolves howling in pursuit of a deer. They quickly put 
on their snowshoes, loaded their rifles and gave chase. 
The Indians had gone about 300yds. from camp when 
they saw five wolves worrying a buck red deer, which 
was almost dead from fright. The Indians shot three of 
the wolves; the others escaped. The men cut the deer's 
throat, then returned to camp with their prizes. 
J. E. N. 
