274 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[April A, 1886, 
A WOMAN'S VERSION. 
After many weeks of planning, talking and preparing 
Mr, and Mrs. 0. and my husband and myself were ready 
to start on our long-talked-of camping trip one morning 
late in September. We were prepared to camp, shoot 
and enjoy life. Mrs. C. and 1 had never done much 
shooting, but we had our guns and were not afraid to 
use them. What little experience we had was encourag- 
ing, and we hoped to kill some game, 
As we were carried along by train we watched all the 
lakes and heard all the different opinions of tbe people in 
regard to game. Some ducks were seen, but the weather 
was too fine for many. About 3 in the aftprnoon we 
arrived at B., a small station in northern Minnesota, 
where we found our tents, which had been shipped sev- 
eral days before. We went to the hotel and spent the 
rest of the day in engaging teams, buying groceries and 
other necessaries and trying to find which direction to 
take. At last we had decided, and went to bed for the 
last time in four weeks in a house. It was raining and 
growing cold, so the prospect of living in tents was not 
very pleasing, but we had been told of all this, and did 
not expect to find all sunshine. 
When morning came, what a day came with it! Cold, 
windy, and rain most of the time. We prepared for our 
long ride, and having plenty of wraps, were soon enjoy- 
ing the ride and looking for game, camping places, etc. 
We passed many lakes, some of them large, with beauti- 
ful surroundings. After a ten-mile drive we came to the 
little village of M , where we afterward received 
our mail. As we were leaving the village we passed a 
party of hunters, and saw that they had found many 
ducks, so we were encouraged and drove four miles 
further out. There we found our camping place. We 
spent some time looking the country over, but afterward 
concluded we were wise in our choice. 
You that have camped can imagine the putting up of 
stoves and tents, unpacking of dishes, and getting some- 
thing warm to eat after our long, cold ride. We soon 
had some coffee, hot muffins and eggs ready, and they 
were relished by all. The driver had in the meantime 
secured a nice load of straw, and our two tents were up, 
ready to settle. Wp filled the ticks for our beds, spread 
the canvas for carpets, after putting a good layer of straw 
down, and made ready for the night. To be sure the 
straw was in humps, and it seemed a little strange to be 
out of doors, but we all slept well and I might say long, 
if Mr. 0. had not disturbed our morning dreams trying 
his sharp axe. 
The second day was a busy one. Unpacking, settling, 
putting boats in the water, and doing some exploring. 
We found we had camped at Lake George, a small but 
picturesque lake. 
Mr. C. and my husband found a point favorable for 
ducks and built a blind there and anothe? on the island. 
These did not prove much of a success in after days, but 
some ducks were captured. 
Mrs.O. and I had donned our corduroy suits, leggings and 
heavy boots, and were prepared for what came. We took 
a walk to the house — about a quarter of a mile away — the 
second evening, and of course carried our guns. As we 
were going along a pheasant rattled the dead leaves a few 
rods away. Shells were soon in my gun and I shot, but 
no pheasant could we find. We were encouraged 
though, for one of us had shot at something, at least. 
We were a curiosity to the settlers. Women with guns 
were unheard of there. We were called upon by all 
within two or three miles. One man came to see the 
"Injuns," and then it fell to my lot to be joked, being of 
dark complexion. One farmer came and made a long 
call, and astonished us all by saying he could not come 
again for a week. They were all kind, and desirous of 
giving all the information they could. From them we 
bought our milk, butter, eggs and vegetables. 
The first week was fine, and of course we did not ex- 
pect to see many ducks. We had time to explore the 
country and made many discoveries. We found to the 
north of us about half a mile Lake Jessie, and east of this 
a quarter of a mile another lake, which we call Lake Alice. 
Lalce Jessie contained an island of a few acres of 
land, and on this we found several good passes. The 
owner had commenced two log houses and had them up 
to the second floor, and how we did wish we could finish 
them and make a permanent place to do our hunting. 
It is an ideal spot, with plenty of game. A mile north of 
us were the Leaf Mountains. You see, we were sur- 
rounded by lakes, mountains and wooded land. We en- 
joyed it all; took long walks of six and seven miles some 
days, which was a good distance to carry a gun. Mr. and 
Mrs. 0. could not stand the long tramps, so my husband 
and I did the most of that. Mrs. C. would go out about 
the lake and camp, and always came in with game — one 
day a pheasant, an owl, a bluejay and a gray squirrel. 
She is a good shot, rarely missing what she aims at. We 
could shoot squirrels, gray, black and red, any hour in 
the day. Trees were full of them. Pheasants were 
plenty. We needed a good dog for them. We had a 
spaniel dog with us, a borrowed one, but never found 
what he was good for, and after two weeks sent him 
home. 
One morning Mr. 0. went out about ten rods from 
camp and was soon back with a pheasant. He asked my 
husband to come out and try for one, as there were more 
there, and in fifteen minutes they had killed three, so 
near to camp. We always had plenty of game to eat. 
Our camping stoves were of sheet iron, with folding oven 
and pipe made to telesoope, so it was a small affair to 
carry; but they do first-class cooking and baking and were 
good heaters; we were much pleased with them, and 
surely our husbands were, for they had home cooking and 
lived as well as if they were there. 
At last we found ourselves longing for stormy weather 
and ducks. This weather did come while we were 
there. There was only one day of rain, and then for only 
a short time, in all the four weeks. We finally found that 
ducks were coming more in the lake north of us than 
where we were, so we went over and toward night there 
were hundreds flying from Lake Alice to Lake Jessie. 
They were mallards and bluebills. My husband was sure 
it was a redhead lake, but the redheads never came. 
The only redhead he saw was on land, driving a team 
and holding a plow. Some or all of us would go over to the 
island in Lake Jessie and get on the passes and have good 
shooting every evening. I feel anxious to say that I shot a 
duck and winged another; but we did not get either,as they 
fell in the rice and we were without the much-needed 
dog. But it was enough to see them fall, and now I can 
see how the hunters become so infatuated with the sport. 
The cold weather, the gathering of decoys, the long 
tramp, hjm i and other hard work is all fun when you 
have killc tLe bird. As the fourth week of our camp 
life was near the end we knew our families must need 
our attention, so we began to prepare to leave Camp 
Daisy. A postal to B. brought Mr. H. and teams to 
our camp. We had had our breakfast and had packed 
the small belongings, and were only waiting to pull the 
stakes. It was all soon done, and we were sorry to bid 
good-hy to the little red squirrel who had been with us 
through all, making a home in one of the trees overhang- 
ing our tents, and using the tents for his promenades and 
chatterings; and to the lakes, camping place and pleasant 
surroundings. We all remember our pleasant trip and 
hope to return next year. 
Now this is a woman's version of a camping trip. If 
you see anything in it worthy of a place in our beloved 
Forest and Stream (which is a weekly visitor in our 
home) print it. If not the waste basket is always handy. 
Minnesota. 
NOVA SCOTIA GAME. 
The annual report of Mr. George Piers, secretary of the 
Nova Scotia Game Society, demonstrates a commendable 
activity by the society in enforcing the laws. The follow- 
ing paragraphs afford an interesting index as to the 
game supply and its preservation: 
The law which has been in force for the past two years 
was found, by experience, not suitable for the different 
classes of game. We found that by having the open sea- 
son for partridges as early as Sept. 15, combined with the 
abominable practice of snaring, in a few years more 
there would not be a bird left in the country. We also 
decided that the law prohibiting the killing of cow moose 
would not work, as numbers of cows were killed by mis- 
take, and left in the woods; and no hunter when seeing a 
moose in the thicket has a chance of telling what the sex 
is. Your secretary was continually receiving correspond- 
ence complaining most bitterly of that section of the law; 
and also that there were many more moose cows than 
bulls, the latter being principally young animals. 
By a misprint in the present law, hares were allowed to 
be taken or Sept. 1; they are then alive with vermin, and 
cannot be brought to market so early in the season with- 
out being more or less tainted. 
The majority of cock and snipe shooters wanted the 
open season for these birds to begin on Aug. 20, as it has 
been proved to the satisfaction of all observing sportsmen 
that the majority of woodcock and snipe, which are bred 
in the Province, leave here about the full moon in the 
latter part of August; and the cock shooters have to con- 
tent themselves with the few birds that are not strong 
enough to take Might with their earlier hatched brethren. 
The sportsman gets no shooting worth while until the full 
flight comes along about Oct. 20, which only lasts a few 
days, as they leave here about the full moon at the end of 
October to go to a more genial climate. 
The chief game commissioner had some 300 circulars 
printed and distributed throughout the Province, among 
those interested in the preservation of game, etc., with 
questions to be answered as to time of open season, etc., 
for game and f ur-baaring animals. These circulars were 
much appreciated by the gdneral public. The new law 
has been compiled as far as practicable from the answers 
received. A large proportion of persons both in the city 
and country are in favor of prohibiting the sale of all 
game for three years or even longer. 
The pheasants imported by your society some three 
years ago have undoubtedly been a success, and have not 
been interfered with by persons living in their vicinity. 
Mr. Price, of Kentville, who put out a few pheasants in 
addition to three hens sent to him by the society, states 
that thoy are thriving and becoming scattered throughout 
the country. Profuasor Butler, of Windsor, also turned 
loose a number of pheasants. I have heard of them hav- 
ing been seen on several occasions in different parts of 
Hants county. I strongly recommend that your society 
import say fifty pairs of pintailed grouse, a bird well 
adapted to our climate. The expense would be but small, 
the freight being the largest item. A few members of 
the Bociety imported thirteen of the above birds last spring, 
but too late to breed that year. The cost of the birds was 
$6, other expenses $28. Your council has tried to procure 
a few pairs of ptarmigan from Newfoundland, but with- 
out success. 
Commissioner Archibald says, "At Sheet Harbor, Mus- 
quodobit, Salmon River, and Moser River in particular, 
moose are more numerous than they have been for many 
years. At Liscomb, Guysboro county, they are also very 
plentiful. Several nerds of caribou have been reported 
near Moser River and Liscomb." Mr. Archibald reports 
about forty- six moose and one caribou having been killed in 
his district; he states that one head, horns and hide, sold for 
$64. From the large number of bulls that have been 
killed, he is of the opinion that there will be a great many 
barren cows for the next two years at least. 
C. R. Kelley, agent at Yarmouth, reports having sold 
eleven licenses for large and nine for feathered game, 
amounting to $420 He has been vigilant in keeping a 
sharp lookout on all foreigners who came to his district 
to hunt; he says a number of strangers who come to Yar- 
mouth do not take out 1 icenscs, but go by train to other 
seetii >ns of the Province, and avoid paying for their sport. 
During the last season there have not been so many 
moose taken as in the previous year; partly on account of 
the weather having been unfavorable during the calling 
season and of the law prohibiting the killing of cows, but 
mainly owing to the fact that moose are gradually disap- 
pearing in this part of the Province, Mr. Kelley knows of 
but twenty-three having been killed this year. The red deer 
have been seen on several occasions and signs of young 
with theui. 
Charles Clarke reports that there have been sixteen 
moose killed at Bear River. Owing to his keeping a 
sharp lookout for anarers, there have been no violations 
of the law in his immediate locality, but some sportsmen 
who were hunting to the westward, in the vicinity of 
fourth and fifth lakes, which represent the hunting 
grounds back of Weymouth, told him that they were 
literally covered with snares, and another season the so- 
ciety should send it couple of good men to destroy them 
and bring the offenders to justice if possible. Several of 
the moose so caught wore left in the snares to rot, The 
red deer have been seen occasionally and look weU. 
Commissioner' Crooker, Queens county, reports that 
last March, the snow being deep with a hard crust, he 
sent a reliable man in the direction of Ohio Settlement 
to look after doggers; he searched the woods for seven- 
teen days and found where a moose had been killed. 
Mr. C. has no doubt that the man was a great protection 
to the moose, as there were no more signs of dogging. 
He was also in the woods in the vicinity of Broad River 
Lakes (one of the best moose districts in the Province) 
with a surveying party for three weeks, and was con- 
tinually coming across moose yards, and saw several 
moose; there were no signs of poachers, nor did he hear 
of any being out. Mr. Crooker writes us that there are a 
number of lawless hunters who live at Ohio in Lunen- 
burg county, who keep a pack of bull dogs, and come 
over into Queens and Annapolis counties to hunt; it is re- 
ported that they killed eight moose last spring with their 
dogs; they are the sons of John and David Smith. There 
is also another notorious poacher by the name of Aaron 
Weazel. He hunts wildcats with a hound and drives the 
moose all over the country, Mr. C. has been credibly 
informed of two others by the name of Frank Rowden 
and Charles Connell, who snared four moose near the 
Randolph Lakes, and two others in another direction; 
notwithstanding moose are very plentiful. Mr. C. 
recommends that if a cruBt should form this spring, the 
society should send men in the direction where those par- 
ties having dogs would be likely to hunt. 
John Daley, agent, Digby, sold four licenses amounting 
to $80. There were not so many moose killed this year as 
last. Caribou are diminishing and he agrees with H. A. 
P. Smith that wildcats destroy the fawns. The red deer 
are frequently seen by persons traveling through the 
woods. Mr. Daley does not know of any moose having 
been dogged last spring in his county, but there were 
several cases in Annapolis which were reported to the 
society. Mr. Daley writes that he is credibly informed 
that not less than ten moose were dogged and killed last 
March and the first week in April in the above county. 
Dr. Bliss, agent for Cumberland, states that dogging 
moose was not indulged in in his part of the Province 
last spring. The fear of the law has certainly saved the 
lives of many moose during the last year. Snaring in 
Cumbei-land bpgins as early as the end of July or Aug. 1. 
The doctor thinks that about six moose were snared in 
the Athol district, most of them by old offenders. These 
men are very careful of themselves, visiting their snares 
by night with lanterns and altogether taking extra- 
ordinary precautions; some of them could have been 
"caught in the act" if reliable men could have been pro- 
cured at the right time; one or two of the poachers may 
still be convicted if thought best by the society to try the 
case. 
The abolition of spring shooting of blue-winged ducks 
on the Cumberland marshes has already proved the wis- 
dom of the measure. The open day last autumn was a 
record breaker and large numbers were bagged. There 
were no golden plover in the vicinity of Amherst last fall. 
David Freeman, agent at Kemp, Queens county, reports 
that moose are steadily increasing, and that there are 
quite as many bulls as cows. Last March when there was 
a hard crnst on the snow Mr. Freeman kept a vigilant 
lookout for doggers and says that there was not one ani- 
mal killed in that way; poachers knowing that they were 
watched. He found where moose had been started by 
hounds hunting for wildcats, which he thinks should not 
be allowed, as game is much harassed by the baying of the 
dogs when on the scent of their quest. 
In Mr. Freeman's visit through the woods last fall he 
found but one snare; the practice is pretty well broken up 
in his section of the county. Mr. Freeman hopes that the 
society will urge the Dominion Government to stop the 
exportation of trout. 
John Bower, agent at Shelburne, reports that moose are 
multiplying, 75 having been killed last season to his knowl- 
edge, six were shot within ten miles of the town. Mr, 
Bower, hearing that moose Bnarers were at work in Bar- 
rington municipality last fall, sent men to look after them, 
with the result of taking fifty-three snares. Bass was 
badly beaten when in the woods by some of those who 
lost their snares; he prosecuted them. Mr. Bower went 
to Barrington to attend the trial, which was a farce; the 
justice appeared to be afraid of the poachers and dis- 
missed the case. The ruffians had the plaasure of paying 
$14 costs. 
I. R. Ruggles, secretary branch society, Lockport, 
writes that their society has been the means of preventing 
the destruction of game out of season, and has no viola- 
tion of the law to report in the vicinity of Lockport; but 
in the districts on the borders of Shelburne and Queens 
counties, where the society has been unable to reach, un- 
lawful killing has been carried on, Mr. Ruggles sent out 
a man last spring when the crust formed to watch the 
suspected parties. The would-be offenders were on the 
grounds with their dogs, but the weather proved unfavor- 
able for them, and his man could get no evidence which 
he considered satisfactory. Mr. Ruggles begs to call the 
attention of this society to this locality, and urges that 
they take steps to have it closely watched during the 
snaring and dogging season. Mr. Ruggles was informed 
by a reliable hunter that he saw in two days' travel forty 
snares. 
Mr. Ruggles reports game generally on the increase; 
hunters tell him that there are more bulls than cow 
moose, also that there should be a larger bounty given for 
bears, as they are most destructive to young moose. 
More hares have been offered for sale this year than usual. 
Red deer and pheasants have been seen about thirteen 
miles back of Sable River. The fishing in the rivers and 
lakes has been almost destroyed by bad fishways, and 
unless step3 are taken to remedy existing evils there will 
be no fish in a few years in those waters. 
David Rurnley, Liscomb Mills, Guysboro county, writes 
that moose and caribou are numerous. Twelve of the 
former and two of the latter were shot between Moser 
River and St. Mary's. Mr. Rumley destroyed a number 
of snares. There has been one red deer seen in his dis- 
trict. 
A. O. Pritchard, commissioner, New Glasgow, in his re- 
port last year called your attention to the more than or- 
dinary increase of moose in Pictou and Guysboro coun- 
ties. This season they have not been so numerous, hav- 
ing been driven away by the fires at East Pictou into 
Halifax county. Snaring is not practiced as it was in for- 
mer years. It is fairly suppressed, that is, a9 far as it is 
in the power of three or four men to cover the vast forest 
area in these counties in search of snares, ThejXndians 
