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FOREST AND STREAM. 
March 2, 1895. 
Advice is Cheap. 
Touching the prospects and plans of the Connecticut Associa- 
tion of Farmers and Sportsmen for the protection of game and 
fish, the prospects are at present not of a remarkable bril- 
liancy. The plans were for the vigorous enforcement of the 
game and fish laws — the plans remain the same. In the first 
place it will be well to remember that the Association is a 
voluntary one, and it moved along very nicely for a few years 
with funds. When the funds were exhausted the work stopped. 
The farmers were admitted free, and the sportsmen were to 
furnish the funds, for work. I find, however, that the sports- 
men, the onas mostly interested, are not willing to help 
financial^ to prosecute violators of game and fish laws. But 
help with advice, how to do the work, and how not to do the 
work, came pouring in (without the needed dollars) in such a 
manner that we have stored and on hand a large reserve fund 
of advise. This fund still increases, but as an asset it counts 
nothing. Our record is 175 successful prosecutions. 
Giving advice is like the Western man's way who was afraid 
of bears. One night there came rushing into his cabin a very 
large and apparently vicious bear. The man quickly climbed 
the ladder leading to the loft above, and when there, in his 
usual cautious manner he pulled the ladder up, so the bear 
could not get at him. 
The man's wife, being left on the first floor with bruin, tne 
situation was critical, as the means for going higher was cut 
off by her loving husband's solicitude about himself. The 
woman seized a burning braud from the fire-place, and com- 
menced to belabor bruin with it. Then the loving husband 
peered down and tendered his valuable advice as follows: "Hit 
'im on this side, Mary; now hit 'iui on 'tother side, Mary." 
The good woman succeeded in driving bruin from the cabin, 
and the cautious and discreet husband let the ladder down, 
and came down himself saying: "We licked 'im good, Mary, 
didn't we?" So much for advice. 
Not long since, I received word that fish were being netted 
contrary to law in a lake, about forty miles from this city. I 
sent a detective there with instructions to catch any person 
violating the law. He caught a man taking up his net, and 
brought him before the party making the original complaint, 
this man objected to the netter being prosecuted, and prevailed 
on the detectivs to let him go. The party making the com- 
plaint said (naming certain parties) "are the ones to be caught." 
The dectective wired me what to do. I replied, "Stay and get 
evidence against the President of the United States or any 
others violating the law relating to fishing." The detective 
soon obtained evidence against several persons according to 
law. I then turned my attention to the first man, and brought 
him before another justice of the peace who fined the netter, 
much to the disgust of the prominent sportsman. 
This is simply a sample case of the way sportsmen as a rule 
take hold of game ana fish law prosecutions. They show un- 
usual force and vigor and exceptional vitality, in wishing some 
poor "poacher" arrested, and signs of a rickety constitution 
when a prominent man is brought up with a round turn. 
They remind me of the woman who had attended the am- 
bulance classes and obtained the certificate, The street acci- 
dent she had earnestly prayed for took place. A man had 
broken his leg. She confiscated the. walking stick of a passer- 
by and broke it into three pieces for splints. She tore up her 
skirt for bandages. When all was completed, she summoned a 
cab and took her patient to the hospital. 
"Who bandaged this limb so creditably?" inquired the sur- 
geon. 
"I did," she blushingly replied. 
"Well, it is most beautifully done — most beautituily done; 
but you have made, I think, one little mistake. You have 
bandaged the wrong leg." 
The prosecution of poor "poachers" and letting prominent 
persons go scot free is — "bandaging the wrong leg." 
There are men who have a chameleon facility for assumin 
the guise of sportsmen, while sportsmen (as 1 understand the 
term) should be recognized with a pathetic certainty; they are 
men who are ever ready at all times to prosecute all wilful vio- 
lators of the game and fish laws. This week I was approached 
by a gentleman connected with our present Legislature, who 
asked my opinion about taking the month of June out of our 
open season mow from April 1 to July 1). I asked the reason 
for the proposed change. He said, "In my county our streams 
are very low in the month of June, and tne trout are netted." 
"Why do you not see that the persons netting trout are prose- 
cuted, you are a lawyer," 1 replied. He said, "the persons that 
net the trout are friends of mine, and they would kill my busi- 
ness, they are lawyers and judges." 
I then told him that, if "persons were mean enough to net 
trout in June, the mere matter of changing the date would not 
stop the work." 
Such valuable information, tendered me by this sportsman, 
reminds me of the following story: 
Daughter — "Mamma, that strange gentleman, who just got 
out, kissed me when we were going through the tunnel." 
Mother — "Child, why didn't .yon tell me at once, so I could 
call him to account?" 
Daughter— "Because, mamma, I — I thought we were coming 
to auocuer tunnel." A. C. COLINS. 
President Connecticut Association of Sportsmen and Farmers 
for the Protection of Fish and Game. 
Michigan Game Laws. 
"*' Editor of Forest and Stream: The amendments to the existing 
game laws which the State Fish and Game League, at the recent 
meeting at.Lansing, determined to ask from the Legislature, ao 
not meet wuh the approval of certain parties in the State and out 
of it. Nor was it expected that they would please those who 
abominate any^and alL measures which look toward game protec- 
tion. So long as ;men have porcine natures, just so long will they 
resist with porcine noises and porcine stubbornness any action 
which threatens to;.eurtail the gratification of their porcine de- 
sires. This class is now talking loud, in the hope of influencing 
oar legislators against the proposed amendments. 
The proposition to make the open season for deer the same all 
through the State is open to some objections, but it is not without 
its advantages. As the seasons now are, two classes are especially 
the gainers. These are the wealthy who have time and means at 
command to enable them to spend three weeks in the Upper Penin- 
sula and then come downj&nd put in three more in the Lower 
Peninsula, and the market hunters, who invariably pursue the 
deer to the last legal minute and as much longer as it is safe to 
do so. 
A season identical kCboth sections will cut their time down one 
half, the gain being on the side of the deer. 
The proposed open time, Oot. 10 to 31, is rather too early for the 
Lower Peninsula, the weather at that time ordinarily being too 
warm for hunting. The leaves are still thick on the scrbu oaks 
with which nearly all the old pine choppings are overgrown, and 
nobody but the man who has tried to stalk: deer in scrub oak tniek- 
ets, knows how those pesky leaves will rasp against his clothing in 
spite of ail his care. Nothing takes them off until the snow comes 
and freezes to them, weighting them down so that the wind car- 
ries them to the ground. The still hunter, too, is always longing 
for snow to assist him in tracking the deer and an open season m 
October will certainly deprive the hunter of the Lower Peninsula 
of that aid. Abetter open season than that proposed would he 
Oct. 20 to Nov. 10, certai nly not too early in the lower part of the 
State, nor, I think, too late in the upper Peninsula. However, if 
the Solons say Oot. 10 to 31, let it go. It will be so much tne better 
for the deer. Driving deer with dogs— "a-haoundin' on 'em," in 
local parlance— has long been iunder the ban of the law, but the 
hound's mellow bay is still far too frequently heard on the trail 
of deer, in this neck o' the woods. And more deer are killed in 
the water— contrary to law— than out of it. 
For my own part, I mast confess that I prefer to hunt with dogs, 
and I am not a lazy hunter, either. I love to hear their faint, bed- 
like tones in lug far distance, now swelling as the chase leads over 
some thinly clotned ridge, now dying awav in the thick cover of 
some dense svramp until my strained senses lose it or mistake for 
it the beating of the hot blood in my ears. And then that grand 
burst of music, filling the air with maddening pulsations. When 
having aroused the .quarry, they follow his flying footstep, 
straight toward the water which he knows will afford him saletv 
—from them, at least— tearing the morning air with lusty mouth- 
ings at every boundl He who could listen unmoved by such music; 
whose pulses would not hound; whose eye would not flash light- 
ning glances hither and yon in search of the coming deer; whose 
breath would not come quick and hard, whose very soul would not 
be moved within him, he indeed "would be fit for treason, strata.- 
gems and spoils!" I would not lend him my oldest gun, not to 
mention my aog. 
As to the claim that driving deer with dogs tends to run them 
out of the country, 1 have my own opinion about that, and it is 
shared by no less an authority than Mr. S. S. Van Dyke, the author 
of that most excellent work, "The Still Hunter." So far as my 
own modest experience as a deer hunter goes— my hunting has 
been confined to Manistee County— 1 am satisfied that the dogs 
frighten the deer far less than the still hunters do. Every farmer 
keeps a dog, and the dog is constantly chasing the deer which feed, 
oftentimes with, or near the farmer's cattle, which browse at their 
own sweet will in the nnfenced choppings. The deer easily shake 
the dog— seldom a good one— off, and soon learn to hold dogs In 
general in contempt. 
I used to hunt for several years at a place that was not affected by 
any hu nters except our own party. Three or four miles back of us 
there were always a plenty of still hunters. At the opening of the 
season we seldom had any success, but with each succeeding day 
the deer came into our section more and more, running away from 
the still hunters, and apparently untroubled by our morning run 
with our dogs. The last of the season was invariably the best for 
us, and as invariably the poorest for the still hunters back of us. 
Having stated my position and belief as to the dog question, I will 
now hasten to add that the law relating to the use of dogs in hunt- 
ing deer should be more rigidly enforced. Why? Because those 
who use dogs will kill the deer in the water, law or no law. That 
is the trouble. The average hunter cannot kill a running deer once 
in four times, and he knows it; consequently, he posts himself near 
some lake or river, waits until the deer has entered the water, and 
then opens fire with his magazine rifle, which permits of such rapid 
shooting that he may miss half a dozen times and yet kill with a 
lucky shot. The deer must have a chance and the dog hunting 
must stop. But I do love to hear a good dogl 
The proposed provision that deer shall not be transported by com- 
mon carriers unless accompanied by the owner, is a good one. It 
can he got around by shipping under cover, but it will help. So 
wdl the provision to limit each man's bag to two deer. Two are 
enough for anybody, except the meat hunter. I would go another 
step, and prohibit the sale of game, especially deer. So long as an 
open market can be found for them, so long will the pot hunter 
have an incentive and an inducement to lull all he can. Take 
away his niarKet and his occupation will be gone. 
Go still another step, and prohibit the killing of does and fawns, 
at least for five years. Buck's meat, especially it the buck be old, 
is tough, but we can stand it for that length of time. 
But what we need here in Michigan, far more than we need bet- 
ter game laws, is the better enforcement of the laws we now have. 
All the old denuded pine lands are wild and sparsely settled. The 
settlers, as a rule, are not in favor of game laws and violate them 
constantly. One warden, or two, in a county can do little or noth- 
ing in such a country and against such a sentiment. Every man's 
hand is opposed to him, and the only assistance he receives is from 
the Protective Associations in some of the larger cities. Convic- 
tions are hard to secure, and fines which country justices unwill- 
ingly assess are often ridiculously small. However, the protection 
idea is slowly gaining ground, and those who believe in it must 
keep up their courage and keep the protection snow-ball rolling. 
There are more deer now in Lower Michigan than there were five 
years ago. if co mm on report is true, and there is no reason why 
they should not continue to increase. I hope that the amend- 
ments will be passed by the Legislature, and 1 hope that the State 
Game Warden will b e more liberally treated in the matter of an 
allowance for prosecuting his work. F. A. MITCHELL. 
Manistee, Mich. 
New York Game Code. 
The bill prepared by the Senate Committee of the New Yorl; 
Legislature to amend the game code has been submitted. The 
main provisions of the measure are here outlined. The close 
seasons named in the bill for the State at large are as follows, 
the present close seasons being given for purposes of compari- 
son: 
Present Law. Proposed Law. 
Deer Nov. 1 to Aug. 15. Oct. 21 to Aug. 15. 
Hounding Oct. 11 to Sept. 10. Oct. 16 to Aug. 81. 
Squirrels Jan. 1 to Sept. 1„. Dec. 1 to Aug. 31. 
Hare Jan. 1 to Sept. f. Dec. 1 to Aug. 31. 
Wild fowl March 1 to Sept. 1. April 30 to Sept. 1. 
Qnail Jan 1 to Nov. 1. Jan. 1 to Oct. 81. 
Woodcock Jan. 1 to Aug. 15. Jan. 1 to Aug. 15. 
Grouse Jan. 1 to Aug. 15. Jan. 1 to Aug. 15. 
Snipe. May 1 to Sept. 1. May 1 to Aug. 31. 
Meadow Lark Jan. 1 to Nov. 1. Jan. 1 to Sept. 30. 
Trout Sep. 1 to April 1. Sept. 1 to April 15. 
Salmon Trout .Oct. 1 to May 1. Oct. 1 to April 30. 
Land Locked Salmon.Oct. 1 to May 1. Oct. 1 to April 30. 
Black Bass Jan. 1 to May 30. Jan. 1 to May 29. 
Muskallonge Jan.l to May 30. Jan. 1 to May 29. 
Salmon Aug. 15 to March 1. Aug. 15 to March 1 
Pickerel Not Protected. Jan. 1 to May 29. 
^ke Not Protected. Jan. 1 to Mav 29. 
Wall Eyed Pike Not Protected. Jan. 1 to May 29. 
Deer are protected for five years in Ulster, Greene, Sullivan 
and Delaware counties. One person may kill only two deer in 
a season. Transportation forbidden except of one carcass with 
owner. Sale forbidden from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10, except of 
venison killed out of State in open season. Hounding always 
forbidden in St. Lawrence, Delaware, Greene, Ulster, and Sul- 
livan. Killing of fawns, working and yarding forbidden. 
Ferrets for rabbit hunting forbidden. Kaobit close season 
in counties of St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, Clinton, Lewis, 
Warren, Hamilton, Herkimer, Bichmond, except Aug. 16 to 
Dec. 31. 
Bounty on for, $3, bear, $10, grown wolf. $30. pup wolf, $15, 
panther, $20. * \ ' ' 
„ Wild fowl shall not be pursued or killed between sunset and 
daylight, nor from "anyother than a boat propelled by hand 
or floating device," nor bough house more than 50 feet from 
shore. Boats propelled by hand may be used on the Hudson 
Biver below the Troy dam. 
Quail shall not be killed in Genesee, Wyoming, Orhans, Liv- 
ingston, Monroe, Cayuga, Seneca, Wayne, Tompkins, Tioga, 
Onondaga, Ontario, Steuben, Cortland and Otsego counties 
prior to Nov. 1, 1898. 
Woodcock and grouse shall not be trans-ported unless accom- 
panied by owner. 
Wild birds protected do not include English sparrow, crow, 
hawk, raven, crane, crow-black bird, common black bird, king- 
fisher. 
Mongolian pheasants are protected to 1897. 
Ice fishing is forbidden in waters inhabited by trout, salmon 
ti'out, or land locked salmon. Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Hud- 
son and Niagara Rivers, excepted. 
Trout, land locked salmon, salmon trout, may not be taken of 
less than six inches. They may not be transported save when 
accompanied by owner. 
Black bass may not be taken under eight inches. Close 
season for Lake George except from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31. { . 
Salt water striped bass may not be taken under eight mcbes; 
nor shall striped bass be fished for between Jan. 1 and April 30. 
All county supervisor's fish and game ordinances shall be 
repealed by this act and supervisors shall not be empowered to 
legislate on species of fish and game named in the act. 
The Long Island close seasons named in the bill are: Wild 
fowl, May 1 to Sept. 30; Plover, snipe, shore brids, except from 
land locked salmon, except from April 1 to Sept. 30; black bass 
except from May 30 to Dec. 31. 
Floating devices, sail boat and boats propelled by hand may 
L-e used for wild fowl shooting in Long Island Sound, Great 
South Bay, West of Smith's Point, Shinnecock and Peconic 
Bay. 
Maine Legislation. 
Editor Forest and Stream : The work of the Legislature in 
Maine in passing game laws, shows a lively interest, and an 
appreciation of the benefits that come to the State. The Maine 
Sportsmen's Fish and Game Association are so far getting all 
leg'slation asked for. The general law asked for, which will 
put the control of fishing in the hands of the Fish and Game 
Commissioners, has received strenuous opposition from some 
leading members of the Legislature, the matter being presented 
in three different reports from the Judiciary Committee, to 
which the bill was referred — one report is that the legislation 
is inexpedient. Another is a bill, but gives no authority to the 
Commissioners to limit or control the taking of fish in waters 
where prohibition is needed. The other bill gives them this 
power, and will do away with special legislation, as has been 
recommended by the Governor. The Maiae Sportsmen's Asso- 
ciation favoi the last bill, which is assigned for the 2Sth. If 
this bill is secured, then a large appropriation will be urged for 
the propagation and protection of fish and game. The outlook 
is good for securing these needed measures. 
The opinion expressed in the Forest and Stream that the 
people of Maine wanted a law licensing sportsmen coming into 
the State, is not correct. This suggestion is made by only a 
very few, and does not represent the feeling in this State. The 
people are realizing the benefits that come to the State from 
sportsmen that come here, and the great aim and effort is to 
make it more pleasant for those coming, and have the fish and 
game increased. They do propose, as the increased penalties 
of laws passed, making imprisonment pai t of the penalty for 
such as come here and kill the game illegally; to make it 
exceedingly warm for such sportsmen. The whole warden 
system will be changed by the law now proposed, and an effort 
made to enforce the laws to the letter. CHANDLER. 
lennet 
FIXTURES. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
March 5 to 8— Chicago.— Mascoutah K. G, J. L. Lincoln, Sec'y. 
March 13 to 15— Denver.— Western K. C. Co., E. T. Weiant, Sec'y 
April 10 to 13.— Pittsburgh— Duquesne K.C. W. E, Littel, Sec'y. 
April 16 to 19— Boston.— New England Kennel Club. D. E. Love- 
and, Sec'y. 
April 17 to 20. Los Angeles— Southern Cal. Kennel Club. 
May 8 to 11— San Francisco. Cal.— Pacific Kennel Club. 
Oct. 8 to 1 1.— Danbury, Conn.— Danbury Agricultural Society 
G. L. Rundle, Sec'y. 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Sept. 10— Morris, Man.— Manitoba F. .T. G, John Woolton, 
Manitou, Sec'y. 
Nov. 5.— Chatham, Ont— International F. T. Club. W. B.WellB 
Sec'y. 
NEW YORK DOG SHOW 
Feb. 19-22* Entries, 1607. Dogs Benched. 1406. 
A great success was the general verdict. And the nineteenth 
dog show, held by the Westminster Kennel Club, will pass into 
kennel history as a record event. With a larger entry than 
ever before, it became a question of no little importance how 
to provide benching for such a number of dogs on the limited 
space, comparatively, at command, but that Spratts Co. solved 
the problem satisfactorily everyone conceded, although to do it 
the aisles, among the larger dogs, had to be made a little nar- 
rower, and with the great crush at times, these passageways 
were almost impassable. The toy dogs were not placed in a 
very acceptable manner. They faced the wrong way in the 
passage, on the top row of the amphitheatre seats, and as there 
was little space between the cages and outside wall, the crush 
was terrific at times and many visitors could not get a glimpse 
at the little ones. Six rings on the main floor afforded ample 
room for judging. A new move on the part of the manage- 
ment was the employment of a batch of Italian attendants, a 
scheme that did not work very well. Although good and will- 
ing workers, their ignorance of the English language and 
aptitude for dog handling, provoked many an aggravated 
smile. The judging was in many classes considerably delayed 
and the Italian attendants with the crowded aisles may account 
for it. The judges on the whole got through their tasks accept- 
ably, and compared to the entry and number of exhibitors, 
there was little hard feeling. Mr. James Taylor, the English 
judge, had the most arduous task probably of his varied experi- 
ence; commencing on Tuesday at 10 A. M., he did not finish 
until Thursday morning, and he can perhaps tell his fellow 
countrymen how it is wejrto not clear up the judging of 1,000 
dogs in a few hours. Having to take notes on the dogs he 
judged while in the ring, his classes were considerably delayed 
in consequence. 
Mr. Mortimer managed the show in his usual able manner 
and the doing of it seems to come more pleasantly and natural- 
ly than in early years, still he labored under a heavy weight of 
sorrow in the very recent death of his eldest son and that he 
acquitted himself so well shows how thoroughly he is imbued 
with the kennel show executive ability. Mr. Terry was a busy 
coadjutor and kept a roving eye on all points; haviug recovered 
his health this year, he was able to enter into the full spirit of 
the affair. Mr. Cornell I also saw busy in the rings, but many 
of the former active members, while strolling through the aisles 
every day, confined their attention to sight seeing. The build- 
ing was at all times sweet and clean, "Sanitas" controlling any 
odor that might arise. The catalogues were tastefully ar- 
ranged, the border of the prize diplomas being used as a dec- 
oration and a very appropriate one, as the pointer is essentially 
the W. K. C.'s patron breed. 
The quality of the different breeds is spoken of in the detailed 
report. The weather proved, with the exception of Thursday, 
which was a little threatening, all that could be desired, and 
the crowds on Friday must have gone far to fill up the ex- 
chequer. Every exhibitor of any note and many who saw 
their first show put in an appearance during the week, Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore, Washington and Boston being fully repre- 
sented and to give a tithe of the names would fill too much 
space. Society, as usual, was out in force, aDd contributed in 
no small degree to the brightness of the scene. 
The dogs, as a whole, were shown in much better condition, 
a very gratifying fact, proving that Forest and Stream is read 
among men. 
H. W. Lacy. 
passage of the act, and for every alternate two years there- 
after. In the open years the close period is except from Nov. 
10 to Nov. 16. Black and gray squirrels, except from .Nov. 1 to 
Dec. 31; Trout, except from March 29 to July 31; salmon trout, 
POINTERS (Charles Heath, Judge).— The classes were quite 
well filled, and the quality of the dogs was good. Heavy 
weight dogs, 55 pounds and over, had five entries, of which 
Champion King of Kent and Robert le Diable were not for 
competition and the latter was absent. Lad of Kent, shown in 
excellent condition, won easily over Sanford Druid. Bitches, 
50 pounds and over, had four entries. Woolton Game carried 
