346 
Mayor Swift, of Chicago; Corporation Counsel Beale. of 
Chicago, and Mr. Robt. Summerville, of the same city, 
also started yesterday for the Gaylord Club, of Wiscon- 
sin, for a deer hunt which will last several days. A 
number of other gentlemen go into the same neighbor- 
hood, which is near Waausaukee. on the Pike River. 
Mr. C. N. Souther, of the Milwaukee and St. Paul 
Railroad, with his friends, Prof. J. H. Long and Mr. C. 
B. Wright, all of this city, started Friday for a duck 
shooting trip to the big marsh near Lauderdale Lake, a 
few miles from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. There are several 
lakes in there which offer a combined shore front of 
thirty or forty miles, with a big extent of marsh adjoin- 
ing. This is the first marsh below Koshkonong Lake on 
the line to the Fox Lake district, and Mr. Souther has it 
fieured out that there ought to be some game in there, 
although he says there does not seem to be much hunting 
in that locality. He and his friends will explore and re- 
port results, 
Messrs. J. L. Jones, J. C. Corbet and Bob Bruin, of 
Chicago, and their friend, Mr. John Howley, of New 
York, this year made their annual chicken hunt with 
very poor success. They went to Minnesota, above 
Crookston, and in nine days' shooting only got forty 
birds. The local shooters said that the spring had been 
too wet, so that the birds were drowned out. Yet one 
young man admitted that he had gone out before the 
opening of the season and killed seventy-two birds one 
day. The shooters found the birds scattered and broken 
up, a cock here and a stray bird or so there, but had no 
real shooting. 
Sheriff James Pease, of Cook county, left this week for 
a ducking trip to the Poygan marshes of Wisconsin, 
where there should be some shooting unless it be true 
that the ducks have moved further south. No good bag 
of ducks reported anywhere this fall so far as I can learn. 
Mr. Harry Loveday, of Chicago, and his friend Mr. E. 
Hughes, of Chicago, are absent in Minnesota hunt- 
ing ducks. They are in OttertaU county, where at times 
the shooting is very good even in these days among the 
many lakes and marshes of that favored region, but they 
send back word that they have had no sport to mention 
and believe the ducks are south of them. They report the 
weather very warm this week. 
M. J. Carl Hunt, of Elmira, N. Y., who is at present 
visiting with relatives here, is back from a duck trip to 
Big Stone City, South Dakota. He says he shot in his 
shirt sleeves for two weeks and had no shooting of much 
interest, getting only a few ducks and no snipe at all. 
He did not know where the birds were, bat the weather 
was not right for finding them where he was. There 
were a good many geese in there. The water shut up 
there very suddenly in the cold snap and he thought the 
season was over. 
Mr. Dorsey Burgess, of Spokane, Wash., is in Chicago 
visiting friends and acquaintances. Mr. Burgess says that 
there is a bit of exceedingly good wildfowl country about 
125 miles northwest of Spokane in the Grand Coulee coun- 
try, which is a desolate corner of the world, a good way 
off from anywhere. The Grand Coulee is a vast soooped- 
out river bed, once thought to be an old bed of the Co- 
lumbia River, but now declared to be a glacial channel. 
In this strange country there is a river which comes up 
out of the ground, runs ten miles and then disappears, 
after making a good water course and establishing a big 
marsh. Here the ducks and geese breed in vast num- 
bers. Mr. Burgess says that he and a friend once got in 
there, and had more shooting than they cared to take. It 
is a very remote section, and no use could be made of the 
birds. 
Mr. J. D. Suggs, of Sugden, Indian Nations, is in the 
city. Mr, Suggs is one of the best known cattle men of 
the Nations, and he and his brothers have been engaged 
in ranching practically all their lives. At one time their 
ranch was the center of a magnificent game country, one 
probably never surpassed on the continent for deer and 
turkey. Then the railroad came through, and within the 
last five years the game has been wiped up completely, 
Mr. Suggs told me there was not a deer nor a turkey to 
be bad in his entire part of the Nations, about 100 miles 
north of Ft. Worth, Texas, in the- southeast corner of the 
Nations; and says that the only game left is the quail, 
which continue abundant. 
Mr. A. E. Cook, of Odebolt, la. , is in Chicago this week 
outfitting for a long trip through the West, in which his 
wife accompanies him. He will be out six months, and 
will visit Texas, CaUfornia and Oregon, 
Messrs. C. S. Dennis, Geo. B. Walker, Frank and George 
Wells are back from their long trip after muscallonge in 
the Manitowish waters and vicinity. They took a great 
many fine fish, and had sixteen 'lunge which averaged 
l71bs. Several of their fish went over 20 lbs., and they 
returned to the water all fish under 121bs. They report 
magnificent sport. 
Better Water In Wisconsin. 
The rains of the season have raised the water in the 
Northern Fox River, of Wisconsin, so that the mill men 
at Menasha now have all the water they need and to 
spare. The U. S, Government was very rigid during the 
low water season, and strictly enforced the saving of the 
water for navigation purposes. The Fox is now, by rea- 
son of the Government improvements, navigable from 
Green Bay to Portage, and there are fishways in all the 
dams. The low water of last season was unprecedented 
in the State of Wisconsin. 
Animals for the Washington Zoo. 
Billy Hofer, the Yellowstone dweller, well known in 
these columns as guide and correspondent, is also well 
known as field agent for the National Zoological Gardens, 
of Washington, D. C. His story of how he caught the 
beaver alive is about as good stuff as ever got into the 
paper, and he always has meat in what he writes about 
the Western country and its game. Mr. Hofer writes me 
now that he is just back from a long trip, in which he 
saw a great abundance of game of all kinds except bears. 
He adds that he will be coming through Chicago Isefore 
long, on his way East, with some more animals for the 
Zoo, among which will be some antelope. He states that 
the weather for three weeks preceding Oct. 15 had been 
extremely fine. 
The Mazama Club, of Oregon. 
Fifty members of the mountain climbing club, of Ore- 
gon, the Mazamas, made a trip out to the mountains the 
latter part of last summer. They climbed Mt. Pitt, near 
FOREST AND STREAM^ 
Ashland, some 350 miles south of Portland, from which 
city the party went by rail. Mt. Pitt is 9,760ft. in height, 
and little known by mountain goers. It has one glacier. 
The party, which included a number of ladies, had no es- 
pecial difficulty in reaching the summit. Miss May Ful- 
ler, vice-president of the club and a resident of Tacoma, 
was the first woman to ascend Mt. Rainier. The Maz- 
amas made many interesting studies around Crater Lake 
and other points of attraction, which are published this 
week in the Portland Press, Crater Lake was visited by 
the United States Forestry Commission, not long ago re- 
turned from their tour of inspection of the Western re- 
serves, as mentioned in Forest and Stream, Members 
of the Mazamas joined the Commission on this visit to 
the lake. In the party of the Commission at that time 
there were: Professor C S. Sargent, of Harvard; Profes- 
sor William H, Brewer, of Yale; General H. L, Abbott; 
Mr, Arnold Hague, of the United States Geological Sur- 
vey; Mr. Gifford Pinchot, the forestry expert; and John 
Muir, of California. . • E. Hoogh. 
1SJ06 BoYCK Bun-DBSQ, Chicago. 
DEFENDS DEER ROPING. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Now that the season is nearly over and our lawmakers 
will soon commence business again at Albany, there' 
seems likely to be a strong effort to enact more laws to 
restrict the sport of deer shooting in the Adirondacks by 
prohibiting jacking and hounding, because it is claimed 
that the game is becoming scarce and needs protecting, 
Such things are always urged by a lot of fancy shooters 
with their high-toned ideas of still hunting, wing shoot- 
ing, long range rifle practice, etc., and not by real, old- 
fashioned hunters who go out for game and want a fair 
chance to get it. 
Now, I don't care for bird hunting, but go in for big 
game. They say deer are becoming scarce; and yet over 
5,000 were killed last season and probably as many more 
this year. This does not look as if they were scarce. I 
am interested in a fine bit of deer country in the Adiron- 
dacks and when we go to our lake in the season we are 
sure of good sport; and under the present laws I don't see 
why the game won't last for the rest of our lives. Of 
course, we go at it in a scientific way and with the best 
of appliances. Our boats are light and swift, our guides 
are men of experience and our dogs are trained to drive 
the game to the water. We start the dogs out in the 
morning and then sit around in comfort and wait until 
the "music" comes our way, then jump into a boat with 
a guide and watch for the deer to come into the lake. 
Soon he dashes in and starts to swim across, and away 
we go as fast as a pair of oars can drive the boat, and' I 
have yet to see the deer that can swim as fast as one of 
those guides can row. The excitement of such a chase is 
intense and only big game hunters enjoy such sport. 
Overtaking the straining buck, the' guide drops his oars 
and with a long, forked sapling and a bit of rope deftly 
slips a noose around the head, and then the good old 
10-gauge gun with a charge of buckshot makes the sup- 
ply of venison sure. It is great sport and no error; and 
the man who is cool-headed and a fair shot is sure to kill 
the game. Why, my boy, who is a chip of the old block, 
and only twelve years old, killed his deer the first time he 
went out. Quite a number of deer have been shot on 
our preserve by ladies of the party. 
Now I venturf^ to say that the majority of the big game 
hunters who g i into the woods would have no pleasure 
or success without the jack light or the hounds; and why 
talk of making laws which will deprive them of the 
noble sport of deer hunting? We have plenty of game in 
sight and let us "let well enough alone." Deekslayer, 
ROE DEER HUNTING IN GERMANY. 
Schoneberg-Berlin, — Editor Forest and Stream: And 
now comes Mr. Thomas Elmer to the rescue of his friend 
Joe and sees it proper to pronounce my remarks on Joe's 
description of a German "deer hunt" an "uncalled-for 
criticism." Reluctantly, but in duty bound, I shall now 
attempt to convince Mr. Elmer that he is guilty of what 
he pleases to charge me with. 
Joe's letter was, in my opinion, intended to create vari- 
ous erroneous impressions among the readers of Forest 
AND Stream, at least among those, like Mr. Elmer, not 
versed in German sportsmen's practice and rules. From 
Joe's letter could be inferred that (1) roe deer are hunted 
in the Fatherland with IG-bore shotguns loaded with buck- 
shot; (2j that roe deer are extremely scarce in this country; 
(3) that a 16-bore was not a fit weapon for field shooting 
anyway, and (i) that the German sportsmen are very 
poor shots, etc. In short, Joe's letter was misleading. 
He labored under an erroneous impression upon all the 
points here enumerated. 
Joe was not invited to take in a "deer hunt," as Mr. 
Elmer puts it; he was asked to participate in a Treibjagd, 
i. e., a "drive" for hares. There is a wide difiference 
between the two. Hares are shot all the world over with 
shotguns, principally with 16 bore guns, which answer 
their purpose fiiUy as well as those of a larger bore. 
Shotguns are never employed in a deer hunt. Roe deer 
are by no means scarce hereabouts; they can be found in 
large numbers in most parts of Germany, The does have 
ten months sparing season in the year, the bucks only 
two, but true sportsmen never shoot a doe, Jpe killed 
what? A doe with her calf, a fawn. Joe not only irmo- 
cently sinned against the sacred rules of sportsmanship; 
he also sinned against the written law. The shooting of 
a fawn is punishable with a heavy monetary fine and, 
as a rule, with the withdrawal of the individual hunting 
permit for a number of years. His German friends did 
not turn him over to the State prosecuting attorney, as 
they would have done with one of their own countrymen; 
they made allowance for his ignorance of the law, took 
all in good humor and, to quote Joe's own words, invited 
him to drink a barrel of beer. 
Had Joe simply stated' his experience in Forest and 
Stream, without his general remarks before alluded to, I 
should not have felt the least call for any comments upon 
his letter. But he colored matters a little too strongly. 
Joe's shooting of a doe with her calf was a mistake, but 
one readily excusable under the circumstances. I should 
not have censured him for that, for we all have sinned 
similarly when we were beginners and younger. But Joe 
should not have felt so proud on his "double on deer." 
The circumstances did not warrant it. 
I agree with Mr. Elmer that "When-in Rome you 
[Oct. 81, 1896. 
should do as the Romans do," but Joe did nothing of the 
kind. Unintentionally he has done quite the contrary, 
and this notorious fact I wanted to go on record among 
American sportsmen through their recognized medium, 
the Forest and Stream. Armin Tenner. , 
NEW YORK FORESTRY AMENDMENT. 
Albany, Oct. 24.— The Fisheries, Game and Forest 
Commission deem it proper to furnish some information 
regarding the forestry amendment to the Constitution, 
which will be submitted to the voters at the coming elec- 
tion. The proposed amendment did not originate with 
this Commission, its preliminary passage through the 
Legislature having occurred in 1895, before the present 
Commission was appointed. Neither did it originate with 
our predecessors, the former Forest Commission, whose 
attention was not called to it until after the first passage 
of the act. Still, the members of this board, wiih their 
a.bundant opportunities for informing themselves in the 
matter, believe that the forestry interests of the State re- 
quire the adoption of this amendment to the State Con- 
stitution, and respectfully ask that all our citizens vote 
affirmatively for the same. 
If adopted, the leases thus authorized will conform to the 
provisions of Chapter 332, Laws of 1893, under which sev- 
eral leases were granted, all of which are still in force, and a 
source of revenue to the State. This provision is: 
Sec. 120. To lease from time to time, for a term not longer than five 
years, land within the forest preserve, not more than five acres in one 
parcel to any person, for the erection of camps or cottages for the use 
and accommodation of campers. Such leases shall contain strict con- 
ditions as to the cutting and protection of timber and the prevention 
of fires, a reservation for travelers of the right of passage over the 
land leased at all proper and reasonable times, and a covenant on the 
part of the leasee to observe all ordinances or regulations of the 
Forest Commission theretofore or thereafter to be prescribed; and no 
exclusive privilege of fishing or hunting shall be granted to any per- 
son. All revenues received from such leases shall be paid into the 
State Treasury, and shall be placed to the credit of the special fund 
estaWished for the purchase of lands vyithin the Adirondack Park. 
Owing to the immense territory owned by the State in 
the Adirondack region, now unoccupied by campers, the 
comparatively few leases that may be granted will in no 
way restrict or interfere with the wants or privileges of 
the public. There is plenty of room for all. But invalids 
desirous of a more permanent location and who are liable 
to be dispossessed by squatters can secure the accommo- 
dation necessary to life and health. 
There are also a large number of cottagers on the pre- 
serve who were there before the Forest Commission came 
into existence in 1885, It does not seem right to issue writs 
of ejectment against these people and seize their build- 
ings, especially as they are willing and desirous of paying 
rent. We prefer that these tenants-at-will should be 
made subject to some definite, business-like tenure, and 
that the State be permitted to accept the revenues thereby 
obtainable, as such funds are available for the further 
purchase of forest lands. 
By the terms of our printed leases only five acres can 
be leased to any person. Such lease is available only as 
a cottage or camp site, and forbids the use of the prem- 
ises for a hotel or any business, or for the sale of liquor. 
It prohibits, under a severe penalty, the cutting of any 
trees, and makes the lessee responsible for any forest fire 
on his premises. It gives the public right of way over 
the land so leased, and denies any exclusive right for fish- 
ing and hunting. 
We believe the amendment a desirable one, and offi- 
cially recommend its adoption. We ask every citizen to 
vote on the question and vote for it. 
Barnet H. Davis, 
President Fisheries, Game and Forest Commision. 
Rochester, Oct. 25 — Editor Forest and Stream: The 
proposed amendment to the forestry provision of the State 
Constitution, to be voted upon at the coming election, is 
opposed by the New York State Association for the Pro- 
tection of Fish and Game, and the following open letter, 
signed by the president, Frank J. Amsden, of this city, 
and approved by the eleven members of the Association's 
executive committee, has been given out: 
"The New York Association for the Protection of Fish 
and Game urges aU people who have ever visited or may 
hereafter wish to visit the Adirondacks or Forest Preserve 
to vote against the proposed amendment to the Constitu- 
tion permitting the selDng or leasing of forest lands be- 
longing to the State. 
"The Forest Preserve, or State Park, was created for the 
benefit of the public at large, and not for the individual 
benefit of a few lessors. If permitted, the best localities 
for fishing and hunting would be speedily leased for an 
indefinite term of years, the public excluded, and the pur- 
pose for which the preserve was created would be de- 
stroyed forever. 
"Several persons could combine under separate leases 
and control large tracts for their exclusive use and bene- 
fit, or could erect 'summer hotels' without number upon 
every available spot, stream or pond, and the beauty of 
the woods and the entire face of nature would be changed 
forever. 
"Some people urge that this would protect the woods. 
Every one of these lessors must have fuel. Wood only is 
available, and the axes and saws would speedily , cut fire- 
wood year after year until the woods would become only 
a timber slashing. 
"What would the residents of New York or Brooklyn 
say if it was proposed to lease Central or Prospect parks 
in parcels? The people should vote against any leasing of 
parcels of forest preserve. It is not a question of a small 
income to the State from its rentals, but it is a matter of 
public rights. The rights of the public should be pro- 
tected as well as those of State lessors," 
The Soortsmeu's Exposition. 
The Sportsmen's Association announce that the third 
annual exposition will be held in the Madison Square 
Garden, March 13 to 20, 1897. Spaces may now be re- 
served. 
The Association also announces the preparation of a 
sportsmen's hotel directory, indicating all hotels located in 
game and fish regions. Particulars respecting such hotels 
will be given to members of the Association, and there 
will be also a bureau of complaint, to which may be re- 
ferred all cases of ill treatment at such hotels. 
The FoEBST AND Stream is pvA to press eg,ch week on Tuesday. 
Correspondence intended for publication should reach us at the 
latest by Monday, and as much eqrlier as practicably. 
