226 
FOREST AND STREAM„ 
LSbpt. 19, 1896. 
The thousand acres of their preserves are in Baltimore 
county, on the neck of land bounded by Seneca Eiver on 
one side, Middle River on the other, and the Ch(j8apeake 
Bay in front. 
RUFFED GROUSE SHOOTING. 
A PARTY of sportsmen were one day discussing the 
various kinds of game birds when the question, "What 
is there so fascinating about ruffed grouse hunting?" was 
asked by one of the party. One said it was because of 
the sm-roundings; he liked to be in the woods at that time 
of the year, and enjoyed the tramp even if not a bird was 
bagged. Another said it did him so much good to get 
away with such a smart bird, when he did get one. 
Another said, "When you have shot one on the wing you 
have done something, and you have got something too." 
Another said he had hunted them a good many days, and 
thoue;ht it very poor sport. 
"Ever kill any?" asked the man who is always asking 
questions. "Well, no, not many; they would always get 
up when I wasn't expecting it, or get up on the other side 
of a thicket, or dodge behind a big tree, or fly up after I'd 
passed by them, or fly out of a bush so close to my head that 
it took my breath. It always seemed to me that they 
were laughing at me when they flew away with that 
'chuckle, ehuekle.' Somebody tell us how it is done." 
"I never hunted them any." "Neither did I," said sev- 
eral others, 
"There's Ed Hathaway over there in the corner. He's 
shot hundreds of 'em. Ei, you're absorbing lots of in- 
formation from this crowd, and are giving none in return; 
you have smoked three cigars since you've said a word. 
Now, then, out and give these youngsters some prac- 
tioal hints about it." 
"So long as it's partridges you want to hear about I 
don't mind talking some," said Ed; "if it was chickens 
I'd not have a word to say, for the man that can't kill a 
chicken has no business with a gun; and the man who 
cares to hunt them, except for a day now and then, likes 
very tame sport. Duck shooting is all well enough, but 
you're always at it in bad weather and getting wet and 
muddy. Quail shooting is, of course, good enough for 
anybody; but a man wants variety to his sports as well as 
his food. Excepting the quail, the partridge is altogether 
the most important of the game birds in the North half 
of the United States to-day. There is no other bird that 
so taxes the hunter's shooting skill, and none that exceeds 
his table qualities; and last, but not least, he is here to 
stay. There will be good partridge shooting long after 
the ducks are practically exterminated, and the cMckens 
only a memory. 
"I can't give you yoimgsters any special pointers just 
now. Perhaps I better just give in my experience, as 
they say at class meeting. I was not brought up in a 
partridge country and was entirely familiar with quail 
nnd chicken shooting before I ever saw a live partridge. 
In shooting quail I used to shut one eye and take sight, 
just as I would if shooting a rifle at a target. If it was 
open ground the quail was most always killed. I seemed 
to have plenty of time to take deliberate aim, see that it 
was correct and then pull the trigger before the bird got 
aOyds. away; and even in the woods had time to look out 
for trees and still get the bird. 
"When it came to partridge shooting entirely different 
conditions prevailed. The cover was very much heavier; 
the birds, instead of rising 4 to 6ft. away, got up aaiy- 
where from 5 to 50yd8. from me and took advantage of 
anything that would hide them in flight. If in a clump 
of undergrowth they always rose from the further side 
and flew low until out of gunshot. If there was no 
underbrush they would dodge behind the first big tree 
and keep it between me and them. It is doubtful whether 
they fly any faster than quail, but there was so much 
brush by which to note their speed, and they go up so 
far away, that it seemed they were not in sight long 
enough for shot to reach them; then they were always 
getting up when I didn't expect it, and made so much 
noise that it scared me half to death. On account of the 
scare and their quick disappearance I did not shoot at 
more than half of the birds that got up. The first twenty- 
five shots did not stop a single bird, and one that was shot 
at while sitting in a tree flew straight up above tbe tree 
tops, then flew out of sight. I began to think I was hoo- 
dooed on partridge and would never kill one. The near- 
est I came to kiWing one was when tracking it in tlie 
snow, and expecting a flight it rose from the further side 
of a log lUft. in front of me and went straight away. 
After the smoke cleared there was quite a cloud of feath- 
ers floating where I last saw the bird, but that was all I 
ever saw of it, 
'About the last day of that season one bird was killed, the 
o«]y one after many miles of tramping, and dozens of shots 
that missed. There was something wrong either with 
the gun, myself, or the system of shooting. The chief 
trouble seemed to be that the birds flew too fast, and the 
brush bothered me too much. I had heard of men who 
shot with both eyes open and looking at nothing but the 
bird (not seeing the gun barrels at all), and began to prac- 
tice that method, shooting at both stationary and moving 
objects, and was surprised to find how soon I was able to 
shoot about as accurately as when looking along the 
rights, and found the shot could be made in about half 
the time, or less. 
"I also resolved that my eyes should take no notice of 
intervening brush or trees; that they should see nothing 
bat the bird. The habit of shooting at targets with both 
eyes open was easily acquired, but when it came to field 
work it wslB very difficult to keep from dropping into the 
old way, and the only way to break it up was to con- 
stantly remember that I was shooting not to get birds, 
but to learn to shoot without seeiQg the gun barrels. It 
took the whole season to fairly break up the old habit, 
and it was found very much alive at the beginning of 
the next season, but was promptly suppressed. 
"Dm-ing these two seasons and untU near the close of the 
next my shooting was altogether on quail, most of it being 
in woods of varying density. I found that as many birds 
were killed in the open and many more in brush than 
formerly, and felt that I could kill partridges; so the lapt 
week of the third season I took a trip for them, but bad 
weather prevented all but one day's hunting. On this 
day I saw six, shot five times and bagged four. Two of 
them were killed at a double shot, both birds rising at 
once, one flying squarely to the right and the other going 
straight away. 1 also found one bevy of quail, which 
scattered in a very close thicket of young white oaks, and 
got seven of them at seven conseoutive shots. The missed 
partridge was a low-flying, straightaway bird, in fairly 
^open ground. One would think it an easy shot, and I 
don't see why it isn't; but all the same, find I miss a larger 
percentage of such flights than any other. Why? I 
don't know, and will be mighty glad if some one will tell 
why. This score is not to be considered an average one. 
It was made when in perfect training and perfect health, 
both of which are important factors. I have missed many 
a one since then, but a great many have also found it too 
late to get away. To be a successful ruffed grouse shot 
requires a great deal of patient and careful practice; but 
after the art is once acquired, it is the most fascinating of 
all upland shooting. When you hear a man say he doesn't 
care for partridge shooting, set it down that he can't shoot 
them." O. H. Hampton. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Quail In Minnesota. 
Quail have made their appearance in Minnesota in 
larger numbers than have ever been known before. They 
are abundant in the Mississippi River Valley below Lake 
Pepin. They are also numerous this fall in Wisconsin, 
east on about the same parallel as Wabasha, Minn. 
Duclcs. 
This is going to be a good duck season in Minnesota. 
Mention will be made later of data. 
The Quail Crop. 
It is a singular fact that there seems to be such a thing 
as good game year or bad game year. This seems to be 
one of the good game years, and the abundance of game 
seems not to be confined to one section of the country or 
to any one sort of game bird. For instance, the quail 
crop is reported good from many different parts of the 
country. Lower IlUnois will offer good quail shooting 
this fall, and so will the lower portions of Indiana. 
Around ]?aoli and Orleans, on the Monon R, R., a friend 
tells me the birds are very abundant. The country there 
is rough and sparsely settled, the population not always 
absolutely friendly to outsiders. There are a few deer 
and an occasional turkey to be had there. 
From western Tennessee I have assurances that the 
quail crop is something almost unparalleled. My informant 
also adds: "More squirrels than for many years past." 
The same gentleman states that along the Hatchee River 
the turkeys have done well this season, and that he knows 
of several broods nearly grown, to which he will pay his 
respects in October. In the South there is still a little 
game left. I only pray it will not be butchered off the 
way the game of North Dakota was, the way that of all 
the West was butchered. 
Protection in Texas. 
Forest and Stkeam was the first paper to start the sud- 
den wave of sporting travel which went to Texas last 
winter. In this Foeest and Stream conferred a very 
questionable benefit upon that State in some ways and in 
some instances. But Forest and Stream was also the 
first to recognize the drift of this and to urge a better 
enactment and observance of game laws. It appears the 
men of that vast empire have at length begun to realize 
that even their great accoimt in game cian be overdra wn, 
and bids fair to be overdrawn before many years. Even 
in Texas the rapid growth in protective sentiment is ap- 
parent. To-day I have a letter in point from Mr. B. F. 
Williams, of Quanah, Tex., who writes: 
"We organized a game club here last year, but we are 
now reorganizing for the protection of wild birds, fish 
and aniraala throughout the State. Under our present 
laws it is hard to catch and convict anyone violating the 
game and fish law. They are shipping plover from here 
every day and the hunters are killing quail and shipping 
with them. We have had a man hired and with them 
for a week and as yet have not sufficient evidence to con- 
vict them. 
"We shall lease 25,000 acres to protect quail until we 
can get a law passed that will stop the wholesale slaughter 
of game." 
The above is only one of several similar announcements 
coming of late from the Lone Star State. Ponding a law 
of the right sort and means to enforce it, Texas men will 
find it a good practical way to get rid of quail netters and 
other folks of that sort to ask them kindly to leave the 
country before half -past 2 the next day. I have known of 
several instances where market netters and shooters could 
not find it in their hearts to refuse a request of that kind 
when politely worded. 
The Snipe Crop. 
It is too early yet to get an estimate of the snipe shoot- 
ing for this fall, as the jacksnipe are not yet down. At 
Lake Minnetonka, on the night of the last day of August, 
I heard one jacksnipe. On Sept. 8 I saw two jacksnipe at 
a bit of water about ten miles from St. Paul. 
Mr. F. R. Bissell, who has a little cottage at Water Val- 
ley, Ind., tells me that since the opening of the season he 
and wife have killed 204 birds of all kinds included, 
mostly yellowlegs. He killed one white egret (the greater 
egret), a few jacksnipe and wood ducks. 
Withki the next two weeks we shall hear of the jack- 
snipe in lower Wisconsin and upper Indiana in good num- 
bers in aU probabiUty. 
The Ducic Crop. 
Unless early indications prove to have been deceptive, 
we shall have in the West, say in Dakota and Minnesota, 
an exceptionally good year for ducks. The great drought 
of the past few years, which prevailed all over those two 
States and also over Iowa and Wisconsin, has left a great 
many of the old sloughs dried up, it is true, and all the 
lakes show a lower waterline than was the case in the 
{)a8t; but there is a great deal more water this year than 
ast, and the shooting is expected to be a great deal bet- 
ter. The flight is thought to be a trifle earlier than com- 
mon, so far as can be determined at this date, though, of 
course, that depends on later developments in the weather 
in the extreme North. Ducks and geese are already ap- 
pearing in upper Dakota, which resident shooters say are 
migratory birds from the North. There has already been 
considerable sport at the local birds which bred low down 
in the States above mentioned, but some way this does 
not seem t» entirely fill the bill with the veteran wild' 
fowler, who longs for cold October and the ■whigt/Uog 
wings of the strong flying travelers. 
Jimmie McKay, of English Lake Club, Kankakee River, 
Ind., made high bag on opening day at that club: 33 
ducks and 17 jacksnipe. Of the ducks 22 were blue- 
winged teal. 
Mr. L. B. Clark, of Chicago, has gone for a long trip in 
Minnesota after ducks. He will visit Big Rice, Muskrat 
and Tamarack lakes, all of which are well up to the 
northern end of the State of lakes, toward the timber 
belt. Tamarack Lake was a few years ago one of the 
most phenomenal mallard grounds on the face of the 
eartli. It was then shot down almost to death by market 
hunters. For two years it has not been shot so much, and 
it may be very good this year. 
As an instance of the sport of modern duck shooting, 
as it sometimes happens, I would cite the case of Mr. C. B. 
Dicks, of this city. Mr. Dicks was out for several days, 
including opening day, and he succeeded in killing one 
duck, which cost him, including all attendent expenses, 
just $100. Ben says he killed two other ducks, but they 
fell in the mud and he could not get them. "You ought 
to see me hustle for them ducks," said he. "When I saw 
'em lyin' there on the mud I knew each one of 'em was 
worth over $33. And yet I couldn't get to 'em. Ain't 
that tough?" 
The Dove Crop. 
In the South, which is the only part of the country 
where dove shooting is practiced, the doves have afforded 
a great amount of sport. Mr. Etheridge, of Georgia, with 
whom I lately talked of this style of shooting, said that it 
was. when rightly practiced, capable of good sport, but he 
decried bitterly the custom of certain shooters who made 
a practice of baiting fields hired for the purpose (spread- 
ing out grain for feed for a number of weeks, thus 
attracting all the doves in the country to the field). After 
the birds hav^e been well wonted to such a field the shoot- 
ers make arrangements for a grand butchery, and the 
numbers of the birds are such that bags of 2,000 adav are 
sometimes made. This is not sport, but mere slaughter. 
Much better is the method described as practiced by 
Tom Divine, with a pail of sangaree, a fan, and a boy to 
pick up the birds. Anent the mention of this, one of Mr. 
Divine's countrymen, Mr. Benj. C. Miles, of Brownsville, 
Tenn., says: "I have been shooting a few doves d la Tom 
Divine lately, but to his equipment I have added a cot 
and a book, and instead of having the nigger boy retrieve 
I let him keep the flies off with a big palm leaf." 
The Deer Crop. 
I notice current comment in the daily press to the effect 
that deer are now very abundant at both extremes of the 
country. As is of course well known, they are plentiful 
in Maine, and it is stated that they were last season 
shipped into the Portland, Ore. , market in such numbers 
they could not all be sold, and the huaters were ordered 
to send no more in for sale. 
What the deer supply will be in Wisconsin remains to 
be seen. It is very likely that the deer will be abundant 
as they were last fall. There were a good many hunters 
in Wisconsin last season, and there will be more than 
ever this year, but the legal hunting does not much affect 
the game supply. It affects the supply of hunters a good 
deal, for I am told that tbe records show that thirteen 
men were killed in the woods of Wisconsin and southern 
Michigan last fall, accidentally shot by hunters who took 
them to be deer. This does not include the cripples. 
I am asked by Mr. C. W. Evers, of Bowling Green, O., 
where a small party of four — himself, a Sandusky doctor, 
a newspaper man and another friend — can get good deer 
shooting in Wisconsin. They have been going to differ- 
ent parts of Michigan, and have been to the Rockies, but 
do not want to go so far as the latter place this year. In 
answer I would say that when in Wisconsin two years 
ago I saw enough of the country around the St Germaine 
lakes, and the region between there and the railroad to the 
east, to make me feel sure the deer were very abundant 
there. The sign was plentiful and I saw some deer, though 
not hunting for them, it being then close season. I should 
think any party knowing how to hunt deer could go in 
there, say at Woodruff, and thence up to Plum Lake or 
Star Lake over the new spur of the Milwaukee road, and 
make a very good hunt there, moving back from the set- 
tlements after making proper arrangements at one of the 
above points for guide and accommodations. 
Lake Vieux Desert has good deer shooting nf-ar it, and 
so has Big Sand Lake, and a dozen places. Also I can 
pei-sonally recommend Fay Buck, of G. W. Buck & Son, 
Manitowish, as a guide who is honest, well posted and 
reliable as they make them. Fay Buck and his partner 
on the trapping lines can take a party to deer and see 
that they are well outfitted for the trip. 
The Moose Crop. 
We are going to have a moose country all of our own 
out here in the West before long now. In 1898 the moose 
law will be up in Minnesota, and there will be a grand 
moose country ready for investigation above Park Rapids 
and all the Lake Itasca region. Mt. J. Dodge, of Duluth, 
informs me that he constantly hears of numbers of moose 
in the region to the west of Duluth. He speaks of Bug 
Creek as an especially good range. Many moose have 
been killed illegally in Minnesota, but the law has been 
of great benefit. We have a moose country within 
thirty hours of Chicago. 
Off for the West. 
A party outfitted at St. Paul this week for a trip to the 
Gallatin country, the Yellowstone Park and the Jack- 
son's Hole country. They expect to be gone three months. 
The party includes Messrs. D. Velie and S. H Velie, of 
Kansas City; W. L, Velie, of Moline, 111., and Lieut. Bruce 
Wallace, of Helena, Mont. 
Mr. S. Crawford Wrenn, of New York, ovtfitted with 
party at St. Paul this weeJs for a long trip through the 
Big Horns and other parts of the Rockies. The party in- 
f'.ludes Messrs. Frederic Geraghty, of Jersey City; T. L. 
Livingstone, of New York, and Bernard Belladene, of 
London, England, Mr. Balladene was disappointed at 
not finding any buffalo around St. Paul. 
Montana Abiding Places. 
Mr. Will Cave, of Missoula, Mont., kindly volunteers the 
following help for the gentleman who lately inquired 
about a place in Montana where there was not too much 
winter and not too few deer. Mr, Cave knows what he 
is talking about, and is a hunter of skill and knowledge of 
tUe region in which he lives. He says: 
^•In response to your invitation in Forest and Strbam 
