226 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
\Sbpt. 15, 1894 
IN MANITOBA. 
Winnipeg, Aug. 31.— Mr. G. H. Merrick, of the firm of 
Merrick & Anderson, wholesale hardware merchants of 
Winnipeg, has heen naughty. He is an eminent, honored 
citizen and business man, and those who know him all 
unite in saying that he is, besides, a royal good fellow — 
but these enumerations are not the reasons for his naughti- 
ness. 
In an evil day last week he took his gun and sallied 
forth to the country, not far from this city, where game 
abounds. He saw some ducks. On the impulse of the 
moment — an impulse most potent because its possessor 
had a gun in hand — he accumulated three ducks, and 
thus was guilty of a violation of the game laws of Mani- 
toba. 
An information was filed against him and the case was 
tried on Thursday, Aug. 30. He manfully pleaded guilty, 
and was fined $10 and costs for each duck, the legal pen- 
alty of the statute being not less than $5 nor more than 
The rest of the day thereafter was a busy one for Mr. 
Merrick in answering telephone calls, all of which seemed 
to pertain to the price of ducks, to whether the shooting 
was good, etc. 
In Manitoba there is an admirable firmness in enforcing 
law. The weak 'and the poor are not made legal examples 
by invidious selection. The law is enforced for the com- 
munity, and not for a class. . 
Game wardens are numerous and guard quite closely 
the highways leading into town. Any suspicious turnout 
is liable to search. 
With all the danger attached to illegal shooting, parties 
go out frequently, taking care to provide thpmselves with 
fast horses, and thus equipped it is very difficult to catch 
them. While the officers can search the wagons of the 
suspected parties, they cannot search their persons. 
Mr. C. A. Boxer, of Winnipeg, who will be remem- 
bered as prominent in field trial matters a few years since, 
is now a Government game warden. He informs me that 
the greatest energy is necessary to suppress the violations 
of the game laws, and that many difficulties are encount- 
ered in capturing the violators. For instance, after shoot- 
ing chickens a game violator will skin and put them in 
his hunting coat. As the officer cannot search the person 
of the offender, and as it is difficult to classify a skinned 
chicken, it is readily apparent that the officers' task is not 
an easy one. Yet the energy displayed by the officers 
has a very deterrent effect on the lawless shooter, and the 
depredations are confined to the few. 
If there was a fraction of public sentiment of such game 
protection displayed by the public of the States, it would 
be happily auspicious for the future of game therein. 
B. Waters. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE DEER. 
Idlewild Camp. Second Connecticut Lake, Sept. 3. — '■ 
The still-h unting season opened here Saturday with Mr. 
Tilghman Johnston, of Wilmington, bringing in the first 
deer. It was taken in the South Cove with Gus Haynes as 
guide. The first two nights of the season were cold and 
wet and very unfavorable for hunting. The larder of the 
camp contained venison, trout, pheasants and English 
snipe for Sunday. Every boat is out to-night on the First 
and Second lakes, and several deer are sure to be brought 
in in the morning. Game has never been so abundant as 
this year, and sportsmen are delighted with the outlook. 
Mr. O. C. Bumford, proprietor of the Lake House at First 
Lake, Idlewild Camp at Second and the Sportsman's 
Cabin at Third Lake, has a pack of seven fine deerhounds 
ready for the running season, which opens Sept. 15. These 
veteran guides are to be at the lakes through the season: 
Ned Norton, Fred Washburn, Guy Haynes, Fred Hall, 
Lave Merrill, Bert Nutting, Jim Reynolds, Wyman Hug- 
gins and Jock Farnsworth. 
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. G. Rumford, Samuel C. Rumford, 
Lewis Rumford, Mr. and Mrs. Tilgbman Johnston, Miss 
Margaret Johnston, W. Poyntill Johnston, Tilghman 
Johnston and Harold Canning, all of Wilmington, Del., 
are at the camp for a few weeks' stay. 
Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Whidden, and Harold Whidden, 
and Paul P. Gould, of Portland, are at the camp for the 
season. Mrs. Whidden is an enthusiastic sportswoman, 
being an accurate shot and an expert angler. 
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. E. Whiteley, of Wilmington, joined 
the party Tuesday night for a week's shooting. 
Mr. John Place, of Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, came Mon- 
day for a two weeks' visit in this game land. 
The Idlewild Camps will be kept open till Oct. 1 this 
year and are a genuine sportsman's home. 
There were fifty people entertained at the lakes to-day, 
and the houses will be full till the close of the season. 
Claremoxt, N. H., Sept. 3. — Opening day for hunting 
(Sept. 1) made a great showing here. About every gun 
brought in from four to six grouse, and gray squirrels in 
abundance. Moody More, Walter Harriman and Alden 
Lowell, in about three hours' hunt, bagged fifteen grays. 
Everybody got some. To-day Frauk Haskell, Geo. Noyes 
# and Mr. Foster bagged twenty-seven grays, and all the 
hunters are happy. 
No water in the brooks yet. I fear it is a death Mow 
to trout. Columbia. 
Manchester, N. H., Sept. 7. — "You fellows should stop 
hunting for five years and then you would have something 
to shoot," said a prosperous Goffstown farmer to me the 
other day. The remark, though not conveying a new 
idea, was certainly a true and good piece of advice, and 
although it may be a long time before it is heeded by the 
sportsmen of this State, deserves serious consideration. A 
good illustration of what a close season, covering a series 
of entire years, will do, is had with deer in Vermont. 
They have been protected there for a number of years 
continuously, and are now reported so plenty in sections 
around Rutland that farmers complain to the Game Com- 
missioners that they destroy their crops. In some instances 
a drove of eight or ten deer visit a field at one time, and 
unless watched for and driven away, do great damage. 
Evidently there is sport ahead in the" Green Mountain 
State for somebody when an open season is reached on 
that class of large game. 
The first day of September, the beginning of the game 
season in New Hampshire, found the conditions for hunt- 
ing far from satisfactory. Tbe severe and long-continued 
drought drying and scorching the whole face of nature, 
and leaving little but dust, dry watercourses and lifeless 
vegetation, where green fields, babbling brooks and 
thrifty plant life of every description should abound. 
Farmers are naturally more than usual afraid of tires 
bping started by careless sportsmen, and from every point 
of view the opening has proved dull and disappointing. 
The best bags reported brought into tbe city thus far were 
taken Sept. 1 by A. H. Weston, H. M. Moody and Frank 
Dowst. 18 partridge and woodcock; W. C. Clarke, 12 
partridge, quail and woodcock. After we have a heavy 
rain storm more activity will be found among hunters. 
Payson. 
OREGON NOTES. 
Portland, Oregon, Aug. 29, — Jack McFall and Mr. 
Lipman have just returned from a two weeks' cruise in 
the Olympics for big game and fish. 1 listened a whole 
afternoon to Jack's relation of scenes and incidents of the 
trip. They certainly had a royal time. There was plenty 
of elk, plenty of bear and plenty of deer, and fish (trout) 
under eighteen or twenty inches were not considered 
worth hooking. That is a great and almost unknown 
country and, for fish and game, I believe it to be the best 
on this continent. The only trouble is that it is a hard 
country to get through. The character of the country 
affords pretty good protection for the fish and game and 
will for many years to come. 
Mongolian pheasants are very plentiful, but through 
the stupidity of our Legislature proper protection is not 
afforded them. As the law reads they, as well as other 
varieties, may be shot after the 1st of August. It is a 
shame and the better class of sportsmen refrain from 
killing them. The idea of killing the mother that has a 
dozen little featherless creatures depending on her for a 
living is very obnoxious to sportsmen that carry a heart 
around with them. 
J. Roberts Mead, George Dehardy and the writer will 
shoot canvasbacks on the famous Green Lake on the 
Parmer RobiDSon, distrustine the aim of Farmer Smith, whom he has 
invited lo go shooiiinr with him, takes the precaution to do up old 
Ponto in a Y ankee shot- proof dog blanket. 
Washington side of the Columbia the coming season. 
Great sport is anticipated. The great flood that visited us 
last June entirely destroyed many of the very best canvas 
lakes, either filling them up entirely or burying the wap- 
atos so deeply that even the beastly, disgusting carp will 
never be able to dig down to them. In fact the great 
majority of the very best lakes along Columbia Slough 
and down on Sauvie's Island have been entirely ruined. 
The current in-the river carried most of the sediment to 
the Oregon side and left the Green Lake comparatively 
free. It is said that what is one man's loss is another 
man's gain, and in this case we are disposed to hope that 
the old adage may prove true. It certainly has proved 
true in some respects, for when Mead paid the lake a 
visit recently to prepare for the shooting season he found 
that some one that believed in the adage had been there 
and "swiped" nearly a thousand loaded shells, all our 
bedding, axes, etc. S. H. Greene. 
TEN DAYS WITH PRAIRIE CHICKENS. 
Many moons have passed since I last sent a communi- 
cation to Forest and Stream, for it has been a long time 
since I had the pleasure of going off with gun and dog. 
Press of business two years ago, then World's Fair year 
last year (when we all felt it our duty to remain in Chi- 
cago and entertain friends) deprived me of two outings, 
those short seasons of relief from care and trouble which 
are always looked back upon as the bright spots — the 
oases of the dry and dusty journey of business life. 
But if I have not been able to go myself, I have sent 
others to these shooting grounds, and, thanks to Forest 
and Stream, have seen many persons who have enjoyed 
the shooting in South Dakota through information gleaned 
from your columns. 
This year it has been my good fortune to be able once 
more to take two or three weeks off, and I have just re- 
turned from a most successful shoot. Successful not only 
from a hunter's standpoint, but because of the renewed 
vigor and energy which one always brings back from a 
few weeks' sojourn in the clear, bracing air of the high 
prairies of Dakota. 
Our party, consisting of Messrs. W. T. Underwood and 
Chas. Arnd, of Chicago, and myself, started via Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Monday evening, Aug. 13, 
arriving at Armour, South Dakota, the following after- 
noon at 5:30. We had telegraphed ahead for a team and 
found it waiting us at depot. Dogs, guns and baggage 
were quickly loaded in, and we started for a drive of six- 
teen miles northwest from Armour to the little town of 
Harrison, arriving there about 6 P. M. 
Mine host John Ernessey had everything in readiness 
for us and we soon had our baggage unloaded, shooting 
togs laid out, shell-cases filled, and everything ready for 
the morrow, and the opening of the shooting season 
(Aug. 15). 
We found many hunters headed for Armour, and 
thought best to push out further into the country, and 
the results showed the wisdom of the course. To any of 
the readers of Forest and Stream who are contemplating 
a trip for chickens we can recommend these grounds. A 
team can always be had at Armour at reasonable rates, 
with a good driver, familiar with all the surrounding 
country. Mr. Ernessey and his good wife will make it 
pleasant for any one stopping with them. Mrs. E. is a 
capital cook and* ready to serve meals at any hour of the 
day or night; her table is supplied with the best the land 
affords, with an abundance of sweet butter and rich milk. 
By inquiry of the conductors on the Chicago, Milwau- 
kee & St. Paul R.R. I learned of other places along this 
popular road where good chicken shooting can be found. 
Many of the conductors are enthusiastic sportsmen, and I 
have always found them ready and willing to give all in- 
formation needed to find good hunting grounds. One of 
the best locations is in the vicinity of Waubay. This is on 
the northern line of the C. M. & St. P. R.R. about sixty 
miles east of Aberdeen and 225 miles west from St. Paul. 
One can hardly go amiss for 'good shooting along the 
northern line of this road, but the further you get away 
from the larger towns the better, as almost every town or 
city of any size has its corps of hunters, and they keep 
the nearby grounds shot out. At these smaller places 
good shooting can be found all through the month of 
September and late into October, while near the larger 
towns one must be on hand at the opening of the season, 
as the birds soon become wild and scattered. 
The following is our score for the ten days' shooting, 
and considering the fact that we hunted only in the early 
morning, about two hours, and two or three hours in tbe 
evening, we think the count fair: Aug. 15. 38; 16, 65; 17. 
36; 18, 40; 20,44; 21, 19; 22, 26; 23, 57; 24 (i day), 37; 25 
(i day), 13; 27, 32; total, 407; an avtrage of over 40. 
If any of your readers desire any further information 
as to where to go, route, etc., I will be glad to answer any 
inquiries. S. C, Glover. 
Game in Middlesex Fells. 
Malden, Mass. — Editor Forest and Stream: It gives 
me great pleasure to read your editorial in issue of 1st 
inst. of the movement to colonize the Mongolian pheas- 
ant in the Middlesex Fells. It is an idea that I have 
thought favorably of ever since, there seemed a likelihood 
of the Fells being reserved. With careful trapping out 
of the vermin and attending to the food supply, such a 
colony ought to thrive and get a good bold in three or 
four years. With such care the grouse and quail would 
also increase. There are not many left, but I hear of 
two coveys of grouse. There are some portions of the 
reservation that are arable and might be continued as 
such to supply the necessary food, part of which might 
be left ungathered every year, the other part might be 
gathered and placed in small stacks in the most sheltered 
places, near the roosting places; other suitable game might 
be added at discretion. With such a sheet of water as 
Spot Pond and a feeding place like Turkey Swamp, it oc- 
curred to me that wild ducks ought easily to be colonized 
there, and might be induced after a few years to make it 
a regular feeding ground. As one who has had some 
experience with both pheasants and wild ducks I think 
there is a good chance of both succeeding. It might be 
necessary to pinion a few of the latter for a year or two 
and look after them some during the winter months. 
J. M. P. 
Expensive Speculating. 
"DOCK" Oatley and Jim Smith, the two Foster men 
arrested in Olneyville yesterday morning, when carrying 
quail and partridge to market in the season when the kill- 
ing of these birds is prohibited, have been prosecuted on 
warrants for each and every bird in their possession. They 
pleaded guilty on each case. 
Oatley was fined $20 on each of fourteen cases and Smith 
on each of twen ty-three cases The total of fines was $740 
and the costs amounted to $251.50. 
At noon to-day they were still in the cells at the Johnston 
bridewell, and they were completely crushed by the severity 
of the penalties imposed. 
It is understood that they are able to pay the amount of 
money required to settle the cases, hut they feel it, a great 
hardship to pay out so much. One of them had several 
checks in his possession, signed by marketmen, who paid 
fancy prices for illegally killed birds. 
If they do not pay the fines and costs they will he taken to 
jail. If thev are committed and prefer being jailed rather 
than part with their gains from the illegal traffic, they will 
stay in jail a long time. They will be allowed twenty-five 
cents a day for the first thirty days, and fifty cents a day 
thereafter. It will take about three years to work out the 
total amount, including committal and jail fees. 
Game Warden Penney has been waited upon to day by a 
number of the friends of the two prisoners, anri they impor- 
tune him to "let up on them." He firmly declares he cannot 
do anything of the sort, and declares that the game society 
has entered upon a crusade against pot-hunters in this State, 
that will be prosecuted without distinction and regardless of 
who may be drawn into the toils, until the pot-hunters and 
"fences" learn that they must desist from their illegal 
traffic, or suffer consequences that are to be feared. 
Mr. Penney has also been encouraged by offers to-day 
from numerous true sportsmen, who place at his disposal 
any funds that may he needed to prosecute the work, and rid 
Rhode Island of tbe pot-hunting that has depleted the game 
which should thrive and be plentiful in this State.— Provi- 
dence (JR. I.) Journal. 
Chickens, Ducks and Geese 
are going to be very plentiful along the line of the Northern Pacific 
thissea8on. Make your arrangements to go and get some of them. 
Send Charles S. Fee, General Passenger Agent, St. Paul, Minn., 4 
cents in stamps for "Natural Game Preserves of the Northwest."— Adv. 
Prairie Chickens. 
Recknt reports received by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- 
way from stations in the prairie chicken country of Minnesota and 
South Dakota all indicate a prospect of the best hunting for years. 
Chickens are very plentiful and in fine condition. Duck shooting 
prospects are also good. Full information can be had by addressing 
Ticket Agent, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, 207 Clark street, 
Chicago.— Adv. 
A deer has been seen several times of late in western Massachu- 
setts and northern Connecticut. It is a full grown animal and shows 
a quick pair of heels to chance comers. At, one time it strayed to the 
confines of SpringBeld, being seen in a patch of woods. Then a 
glimpse was caught of it in the Belchertown meadows, and a fisher- 
man saw it swimming in the Agawam River. Later it turned up and 
disappeared near Stafford Springs, Conn. It is barely possible that 
this deer has strayed down from the Green Mountains in Vermont, 
where deer are protected by a very strict game law, but tbe better 
opinion seems to be that it escaped from the private herd of some 
wealthy resident of either New Hampshire or Vermont. Wild deer 
are not unknown in Massachusetts, however, in spite of the surprise 
caused by the sight of the one referred to, In the dense woods of 
Cape Cod deer still roam in a primitive state, thanks to the law which 
seldom permits the hunter to take a shot at them.— Evening Post. 
