328 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
^April 27, 1895. 
I had a large calibre rifle but could not let the oppor- 
unity pass even if I scared all the deer out of the moun- 
ains, so I opened fire, and in a few minutes killed five. 
The nearer ones were shot through the neck, and at those 
urther away I held well hack on the body, making a side 
shot that avoided mutilating the large pectoral muscles 
which constitute the choice portion of the grouse. I ex- 
amined the dead birds with the greatest satisfaction. I 
could not escape a feeling of regret that I had so rudely 
interrupted their morning meal in such a murderous 
manner, that gave them no chance for their lives. In 
fairness to myself, however, I will add that after killing 
five, I laid aside my rifle, although a dozen birds were 
sitting on the rocks and trees within easy range. With 
pieces of rock I soon had them on the wing and carefully 
watched their manner of flight and places of cover, for I 
intended to come back in the afternoon and try them 
with the shotgun. 
All grouse frequent water during the middle of the hot 
summer days, and I was confident of finding them along 
the little stream of ice cold water that trickled down 
from a tiny spring near the summit of the mountain. 
Wending my way down the stream, as it starts on its 
long journey to the Missouri, I reached the main canon 
and following it, arrived at the ranch where I was stop- 
ping. 
After dinner I saddled my horse, and with shotgun and 
an assortment of shells, I started to renew my acquaint- 
ance with the grouse. 
I rode up the stream until within a short distance of 
the place where I had encountered them in the morning 
and tied my horse. I proceeded up the stream on foot, ex- 
pecting to flush the covey at any moment from the scat- 
tering brush. On nearmg the source of the stream, the 
brush disappeared and the only cover left was a little 
fchrub, resembling willow, that grew in bunches near the 
water's edge. I was becoming somewhat discouraged, 
when I was startled by the rush of wings as the covey 
broke from under one of these bunches near the water. 
Now, the conceited wing-shot who has never tried a 
side snap at a frightened blue grouse as he twists off 
down the side of a mountain, has something yet to learn 
concerning the profession. I killed a bird with each 
barrel, but immediately resigned my honor by missing 
the next two. They were further off, and I failed to 
make the necessary allowance for speed, but only suc- 
ceeded in Sending the contents of a couple of choke bores 
across their wake. 
The covey was scattered among the trees and brush, 
every bird stowing himself away out of sight as effect- 
ually as a badly scared quail. I looked for them in the 
trees where they had perched in the morning, but not a 
bird was in sight; they had taken to the brush, which 
grew higher than a man's head, making it almost impos- 
sible to shoot with any assurance of success. I tramped 
around through the brush and kicked them out in all 
directions and managed to get one more. I now had 
three beauties that I had killed in a perfectly legitimate 
manner, and I was satisfied. 
Their average weight was about two pounds and a 
quarter; their color was blue, but not of a uniform shade, 
the upper part was a dark tint merging off into a beauti- 
ful rich coloring underneath. The wings were long: the 
pectoral muscles extended farther back, and were more 
highly developed than in other grouse, giving greater 
power to sustain flight in the rare atmosphere of high 
altitudes. 
Whether or not they are always so easily approached, 
and as slow to take wing while feeding in the morning, 
as they were when I first encountered them, is a question 
that I am, as yet, unable to answer. It is possible that the 
fog had some bearing upon the case, at any rate; they 
were as game a lot of birds in the afternoon as the most 
fastidious hunter could desire. That was my last visit 
to the blue grouse, and it certainly was one of the most 
interesting experiences of my summer's sport, and I look 
forward with plesasure to the time when I can again call 
upon them in their mountain home. F. J. M. 
TEXAS AND THE SOUTHWEST. 
A GREAT CIVET CAT. 
Probably one of the most curious episodes which will 
form a part of the sportsman's annals in the future oc- 
curred on the night of the 31st of March— the eve of 
April Fool's day. 
Mr. A. B. Critzer, of this city, enjoys quite a reputa- 
tion as a game and gun crank, and has surrounded him- 
self with nuaierous trophies of the chase, which he has 
placed in one of his show windows. The collection was 
a very pretty one, consisting of hawks, ducks of all kinds, 
snipe and several specimens of the long-legged stilt birds 
of the coast. 
Last Saturday a pair of Mexican Indians came shuffling 
up Commerce street, one of them tenderly bearing in his 
arms a pretty civet cat. As they passed Critzer's store 
they stopped and inquired if anyone therein des'red to 
invest come coin of the realm in the cat. 
"How much," queried Critzer. 
"Quinze pesos, signor," sang the greaser. 
"Fifteen dollars! Pshaw! I'll give you four bits." 
Quickly the Mexican handed over the animal and re- 
ceived the half dollar. The civet cat was duly placed in 
the back part of the store where a leather strap separated 
him from liberty. Now, if there is one thing above an- 
other that a civet cat loves, it is leather. In fact, it is 
condiment, appetizer and. cocktail to a civet cat, and the 
specimen at hand, being a full grown kit, was no excep- 
tion to the rule, and when the shades of night had envel- 
oped the city and the turmoil of the metropolis of the 
southwest had subsided into silence, the night watchman 
. started on his nocturnal tramp, and as he passed the 
jewelry store he saw something dart in and out of the 
show window containing the stuffed birds. He quickly 
and quietly slipped around to the back way, where he 
awoke Ernest Critzer and Chris. Stafford, whose sleeping 
apartments are upstairs, by throwing small pebbles 
against their windows. 
Ernest awoke, located the noise of the pebbles, stepped 
to the window, silently raisedit and whispered: " What's 
up?" 
"Burglars!" hissed the officer. 
Quickly slipping into some clothes, the pair of sleepers 
silently crept down stairs into the store below, with a big 
six-shooter in each hand, looting for the burglar.^ 
"I hear him!" said Chris. "He's trying to get in the 
front show window. Let's get him." 
So they crept and crept until the front of the store was 
reached," and were startled nearly out of their wits as the 
officer beat on the window with the end of his club. 
"What's the matter?" asked Ernest. 
"It's the cat. He's eating up your birds," yelled the 
officer. 
Sure enough, the civet cat hadcocktailed on the leather 
strap, taken a bite out of the buckle, and repaired to the 
stuffed birds, when the banquet began in earnest. First 
he tackled a succulent spoonbill drake, ate the head and 
chewed the stuffing out of him, then devoted his atten- 
tion to the heads of the stilts. 
He tackled the larger portion of the fat green wing 
teal, followed by juicy bites at the counterfeit widgeon. 
He took a few slices of the bluebills and prairie chickens 
winding up by demolishing a jack-snipe, leaving nothing 
of this bird but the legs dangling from the string on 
which it had been hung, and the panel. 
When the armed posse discovered Kitty he was in the 
act of picking his teeth, but upon finding that he was 
discovered he quickly disappeared. They ransacked the 
entire house from cellar to garret, but no civet cat could 
be found. As the stuffed birds had all been heavily 
poisoned vith arsenic, the only thing to do was to wait. 
But to the astonishment of everyone, the beast was 
discovered hiding in the moss of the show window, alive 
and well, and evidently anxious to have another "go" at 
the stuffed birds. He was heavily collared this time and 
fastened by an aluminum chain, but alas, he made a 
meal of the chain, and the civet cat is gone. 
Texas Field. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
New Laws for Wisconsin. 
Chicago, 111., April 18. — Earlier mention was made of 
a bill before the legislature of Wisconsin which bids fair 
to become a law. To-day I have copies < f the law as ac- 
tually passed and approved April 15. There is much in 
this measure of interest to the sportsmen of this vicinity 
especially, as there are few sections more visited by those 
in search of sport than the great and beautiful State of 
Wisconsin, The game laws of Wisconsin are of more 
actual importance to Chicago sportsmen than those of 
Illinois, for the markets if Chicago have practically 
cleaned out the best of the Illinois game, and no State is 
less visited by the shooters and fishers of Illinois than 
Illinois itself. 
The new Wisconsin law retains the former clauses on 
spring shooting of wildfowl, namely, forbidding the killing 
of mallard, teal and woodduck in the spring,but permitting 
other ducks to be killed in the spring up to May 1. The 
regular season on such latter ducks opens Sept. 1. 
Plover and snipe are protected in spring under the new 
law, the open date on plover, snipe, woodcock, quail, 
•ruffed grouse, prairie chicken, mallard, teal or woodduck 
being Aug, 20, the closing date Dec. 1. The provision in 
regard to hunting with dogs seems to have been changed. 
I do not now find any prohibition of using dogs in hunt- 
ing chickens, but cannot state this positively, for this new 
law carries no general repeal clause, and the old section 
may stand. The use of dogs for hunting rabbits was 
once forbidden all over the State, but exceptions of cer- 
tain counties will be noted in the clause on deer hunting, 
which is given in full below, 
Wisconsin Deer Law. 
It is unlawful and prohibited— 
1. To kill, capture or take by any kind of device or contrivance 
whatever, or to pursue with intent to kill, or to take or worry any 
deer, buck, doe or fawn between the twenty-first day of November in 
each year and the succeeding first day in November in the year fol- 
lowing; all the months of the year except the first twenty days of 
the month of November being hereby declared the close season for 
the animals above named in this section; provided, however, that the 
killing, taking or worrying of any deer, buck, doe or fawn is hereby 
prohibited in the county of Sheboygan for the period of five years. 
2. To hunt deer, buck or doe in the night time; or at any time with 
dogs. 
3. To use a dog or dogs to hunt rabbits during the time the law per- 
mits the huniingof deer; provided that this subdivision shall not apply 
to the counties of Green, Dane, Rock, Walworth, Kenot-ha, Racine, 
Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Fond clu Lac, Columbia, 
Winnebago, Calumet, Dodge, Washington, Iowa, Crawford, Grant, 
Manitowoc, Kewaunee and that portion of Door lying south of Stur- 
geon Bay and Lafayette. 
Mongolian pheasants are very properly protected for five 
years. The salary of the Fish and Game Warden is set at 
$1,800 per year, but he also has clerical duties with the 
Fish Commission. 
Good Fish Provisions. 
The anglers are in luck with the new Wisconsin law, 
which is a stringent one in many ways. Trout can be 
taken from April 15 to Aug. 20. Bass are protected from 
March 1 to June 1 — a good many Chicago anglers want 
to remember this, too. Also, they must bear in mind the 
new clause by which muscallunge are protected up till 
June 1. This same provision extends to wall-eyed pike. 
Fishing through the ice with more than one hook and 
line is prohibited. Other items of interest are to be seen 
under the head "Public .Nuisances." 
Wisconsin Fishways. 
An excellent provision was added to the Wisconsin law 
a day later than the above-mentioned sections, namely, 
an enactment compelling all dam owners to put in fish- 
ways. Wisconsin is very deficient in fishways, and this 
new wrinkle will help the fishing on many a lake and 
stream ovt* r a wide section of country. 
Following are the provisions as to public nuisances: 
PUBLIC NUISANCES. 
Section 19. The following are declared to be public nuisances: 
1. Any net of aDy bind prohibited by law, while set or found in any 
-waters where such net is prohibited by law from beiDg set or used. 
2. All seines or other devices or contrivances set or found in any 
waters ft>r catching fish in a manner inhibited by the laws relating 
to such waters. 
3. All set lines, trout poles, ropes or cables, having more than one 
hook attached thereto, directly or indirectly, sec in any waters con- 
trary to law. 
4 Any net set for the ensnaring, entrapping or drowning of ducks, 
wild gtese, or other stater-fowl. 
5 Any traps, snares, spring guns, or other devices or contrivances 
set for the purpose, of trapping, ensnaring or killing any animals, 
birds or water fowl, the trapping, ensnaring or killing of which is 
prohibited by law. 
6. Any boats, deer lamps, or lights, while in use in the unlawful pur- 
suit or numing of deer 
7. Any pivot or swivel gun or other firearms not hell habitually at 
arm's length and discharged from the shoulder, while in use for the 
-unlawful shoouug of any animal, water fowl, or birds. 
8. Any screens set in public waters to prevent the free passage of 
fish in trout" streams which have been stocked by the State Commis- 
sioners of Fisheries. 
9. All boats, floating rafts or boxes, or hlinds set in open water 
outside of the natural growth of grasses or rushes, in use for the un- 
lawful, pursuit, hunting or shooting of any duck, geese or hrant, and 
all decoys set for the unlawful decoying of such water -fowl during 
the close season therefor. 
10. The illegal use of any of the articles mentioned in this section 
contrary to the provisions of this act shall forfeit the same to the 
State; and in any prosecution for such illegal use of the same the 
court may, upon conviction, adjudge m addition to the fines and for- 
feitures by thi-> act imposed the forfeitures of such articles and issue 
a warrant commanding that such articles forfeited be destroyed, 
A Still More Important Feature. 
The above will give an outline idea of a very good game 
law, and it is the wish of all sportsmen to have strict 
game laws passed. There is still another feature, how- 
ever, of perhaps more vital importance to some few 
Chicago sportsmen than any of those mentioned above, 
and this one can hardly classify as a game law at all, but 
only as a freak of unconstitutional legislation — if indeed 
it has gone so far as actually to become legislation. To- 
day I have a' rumor that a determined attempt was made 
to open all the preserves of the State of Wisconsin to the 
public, and I am told that last night an act was passed to 
this effect. This, of course, would mean heavy litigation, 
for no club of any standing would for a moment look on the 
provision as anything but an unconstitutional act, which 
would be knocked to pieces by the Supreme Court of the 
State at once of a case being brought. This attempt was 
backed by some disgruntled persons, no doubt, who do not 
like to see fine shooting belong to men who are willing to 
pay to keep it fine, and who therefore do the entire public 
a benefit by keeping up a breeding ground, 
I do not yet have particulars of this last important 
feature of this interesting new law, but have wired for 
details and hope to add the full facts in time for this 
issue ot Foeust and Stream. I think it will be some 
time before the legislature of any State does away with 
the ancient law of trespass. Our jewels will certainly 
not be safe when that happens. 
All About Fish. 
Mr. L. A. Corey, now stopping in Chicago, is a Big Horn 
Basin man from Montana, and a neighbor of Col. Pickett 
on the Gray Bull. The other day Mr, G rey came into 
this office with the head of a big muscallunge which he 
had mummified by a process of his own, and he told me 
a fish story which of course is true. He said that the 
'lunge was caught by Mr. Chas, Nixon, of the Chicago 
Inter-Ocean, and that when it was landed it was observed 
to have cut into its nose the figures "82." The fish was 
taken in lb04, and aB it was a rule of those waters to re- 
turn fish under Gibs, weight, and as the lunge when 
taken weighed 18lbs. , Mr. Nixon thought that he had a 
good line on the rate of growth of the muscallunge, 
which he figured to be in this case about a pound a year. 
If the man who turned this fish loose will now tell what 
it weighed when he did bo, we shall have a very interest- 
ing little bit of knowledge, for no fish is more mysterious 
than the muscallunge in regard to habits. 
The work on the great Chicago Drainage Canal, by 
which Lake Michigan will soon be turned into the Gulf 
of Mexico, has left near Summit a long strip of the river 
bed of the Des Plaines River, in which are a great many 
fish. The Fish Commission has determined to seine these 
out and put them back into the flowing water, and the 
work was to have been done this week. 
Over $2,500 of illegal nets were seized and destroyed 
on Lake Winnebago, Wis., last week. 
Mr. F. M. Fish, of Chicago, who has been spending the 
winter in the South, has just returned to his home in the 
North. Mr. Fish was at Rockport, Texas, at the time of 
the big blizzard. He says the inhabitants did not know 
what to do when the snow came. He also visited Atlanta 
and other Georgia cities, and was much pleased with the 
trip, barring the extremely cold and most unusual 
weather attendant upon the great southern storm. 
Mr. Eddie Bingham and Mr. W. P. Mussey went up 
last week to the home of the former on Lake Koshkonog, 
Wis., and came back with 52 ducks, mostly bluebills. 
Eddie Bingham owns up to killing all but six of them, but 
the other man is not yet heard from. 
Mr. C. A. Young, of Columbus, Ohio, a well-known 
shooter in tournament affairs, is in Chicago on business 
this week. 
About Laws. 
Writing about the vagaries of game legislation, and 
thinking more especially about the occasional freaks such 
as that proposed in Wisconsin, of abolishing the law of 
trespass in the case of game preserves, I am reminded of 
a reverse case of wisdom by which the court displayed 
the remarkable action, and not the legislature. It is one 
of the stories of the Hon, Geo. Fulton, the genial ranchman 
who did so much to entertain some of us down in his 
State this past winter, and it is a story which Mr. Fulton 
tells with great glee. It seems that the State Legislature 
of Texas took the singular action of passing a law prohib- 
iting the traffic in liquor — a most extraordinary thing to 
do, one would think, for the State of Texas. At any rate, 
in a certain town was a certain printer who was also a 
justice of the peace — his sign reading " C. M. Barnes, 
printer & Justice of the Peace " — and beforejthis dignitary 
came the first case under the new enactment. The 
argument was long and learned, and the deliberations of 
the justice sufficiently profound and long to be in keeping 
with the gravity of the occasion. In the midst of the 
deepest silence he at length delivered his decision : 
"It is the verdict of this cote," said he, "that the 
defendant is dicharged, an' that the prosecushun kaint git 
no action agin him. The stoppin' o' the sale o' licker is 
clar'ly agin public polercy, an' I hyerby declar' this law 
unconstitooshenel on the face of it." 
History goes on to tell that the "verdict" was ac- 
cepted as good law in that community, and was never 
after called into question. 
It used to be one of our pleasure's to get Mr. Fulton 
telling stories, and apropos of nothing much I am tempted 
to repeat one or two of his Spanish stories. You know 
Spanish is half the language of Texas, and all residents 
are supposed to understand it, though the conversation 
does not always show that, as witness that of the friend 
of Mr. Fulton's who was visiting him , and who had lost his 
horse one morning. To a greaser by the wayside he 
spoke as follows in query? 
''No lo visto uno bob-tailed caballo come vamoosing 
down the road here with a lariat round his eabesa?" 
("Have 50U seen, etc., a horse with a lariat round his. 
neck?") 
