FOREST AND STREAM. 
S86 
0^ni^ $^ ^nd §mu 
Our readers are invited to send us for tfiese columns 
notes of the game supply, shooting resorts, and their 
experience in the field. 
WATER KILLING DEER. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In the issue of this v?eek my eye reverts again and 
^gain to D ■er8layer*8 article under the caption of "De- 
fends D-er it iping." At each returning glate the afore- 
said optic grovtrs wilder anH more inflamed, for this Com- 
munication is like the red flig to the bull to me. and must 
be so to thousands of my fellow readers of Forest and 
Stream 
It is refreshing to Iparn from Deerslayer somPthine: of 
the true standard of gentlemanly sport in the pffete East, 
■where we are told that enlightenment and the ethics of 
sportsmanship are advancing in an exact ratio with the 
decrease of game. 
We of the Middle and Western States are to be con* 
grathlated that our game Btipply is still so plf-ntiful that 
■we can afford to give the deer a fair chance fol: his life in 
the open, and we do not rf quire our victims to be driven 
into ponds by hounds nor led up to us on the end of a 
string in order to be shot. Deerslayer assures us that "it 
is great sport and no error." If this be so he cannot have 
told us all; he should have dilated upon the invigorating 
excitement of the tyro who has never hunted in this way 
before. He could make another story of the mental 
strain undergone during buck fever. He makes it clear 
that after the exhausted deer has been roped and drawn 
up to within a reasonable shooting distance (in the case 
of Deerslayer I should think 6ft. would be about right), 
then "the good old 10 gauge'' in the hands of "a man who 
ia cool-headed and a fair shot" is sure to kill. Why, his 
"own boy, who is a qhip of the old block, and only 
twelve years old, killed his deer the first time he went 
out." Now, I haven't any chip of the old block, but if 1 
had, and if under similar circumstances lie couldn't kill 
his deer the first time, I would disinherit him, but — I'd dis- 
inherit him if he did. 
Ours is a new country and we have much to learn from 
the East. When we find dogs running deer in our woods 
we shoot the dogs. If killing 5,000 deer every season will 
increase the supply, we can let the dogs alone and bend 
our energies toward the deer. And further, to be consist- 
ent, when we have any feelings in this matter which we 
wish to express in public we will do so over a nom de 
plume of Deerslayer or Deer Butcher, or some equally 
euphonious synonym. Frank Conger Baldwin. 
Mtobioan. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
"The man who is cool-headed and a fair shot is sure to 
kill the game." So says one of our "big game hunters" 
in your last issue, who tells us of his manner of killing 
deel— by toping and killing ■with a charge of buckshot. 
Need a man necessarily be a "fair shot" to murder a roped 
deer at a distance of a few yards? If this article in 
Forest and Stbeaji is perused by some of the "lawmak- 
ers at Albany" there will be some more laws to restrict 
such cold-blooded murders. 
How a man can call this "sport" is beyond my compre- 
hension. If you do not receive a good many letters con- 
demning such practices I shall be very much mistaken. 
Bird hunting has no fascination for this man, for the rea- 
son, no doubt, that wing-shootmg is too diffioult, and the 
pleasure experienced in knocking down an old cock grouse 
is unknown to him. 
He wants a "fair chance," but what kind of a chance 
has the deer got? None whatever. 
Such men ought to run a slaughter house and kill cat- 
tle, as there is j ast as much pleasure in that as in killing a 
tethered deer. W. N. Taylor. 
Maine. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
As a general thing I don't approve of a cross-fire argu- 
ment unless carried on in a proper spirit, but once in a 
while somebody will advance ideas which, while they may 
keep within the game laws, are wholly at variance with 
the laws of humanity. This, I think, is the case in the 
article by Djerslayer in your last issue. The methods of 
Hilling deer described by him are lawful (in some States), 
but there is a difference between butchery and sport. 
My boast is not how many deer I have killed, but how 
few. Those I still-hunted. I despise hounds, jacks and 
butchery, and will somebody with the same views answer 
Daersliyer as he should be answered? I can't puc it 
strong enough. W. L. Skinner. 
Massachusetts. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have been a reader of Forest and Stream for nearly 
twenty years, and for many years have hunted every 
fall and have killed game, large and small, and thought I 
was qualified by years of experience to set myself up as a 
sportsman ; but Deerslayer's article knocks the wind all 
out of my sails, and I fiad I must begin all over again in 
order to kill my deer in a "scientific way and with the 
best of appliances." Now, I learned years ago from 
Nessmuk and the other grarni old sportsmen whom the 
old readers of Forest and Stream are familiar with, that 
the best way to kill a deer was to stiil-huat them without 
dogs, or watch for them on runways when hunted with 
dogs, and shoot them with a rifle. There is nothing I like 
better thaa being up to date, so I am always on the look- 
out for ways and means to improve myself. Being a 
mechanic, i find it necessary to be up with the times in 
doing my work, and I know of no reason why we should 
not avail ourselves of modern ways and ideas when the 
time comes to take our trip into the woods after deer. I 
have thought as I read the aforesaid article over and over 
that if the deer could only understand that they were 
going to be killed with "the best of appliances" it might 
' be that they would not act so blamed wild and make such 
long jumps as they cross my runway. Then again, being 
a mechanic, the matter of dollars and cents enters largely 
into all my plans for deer hunting, and I discover that if 
I hunt my deer by this new and "scientific" way I may 
have more money in my pocket and stay longer in the 
yoods, as I have owned for many years a shctgun, and 
for the "scientific" killing of deer a shotgun is necessary 
and not the new Marlin whic>> I pumhased this fall. 
And if one witched to economfzoi still further he might 
leave out the shntgun and buy a good knife for $1, and 
after the "pxp°riencpd guide" had overtaken the straining 
buck' and secured him with a twitch-up he could cut his 
throat, aid still the supply of venison would be sure. . 
Deerslayer says he does not care for bird hunting. I 
suppose the reason ig, he has not been trained to hunt 
them in a scientific wav If he will purchase the Sep- 
tember number of Seribner's he will find an article on 
moose huntinff; and one of the illustrations is that of a 
man "with a fish pole, on the end of which is a noose; on a 
tree sits a partridge, and the "scientific" bird hunter slips 
the noose ovpr the head of the bird, gives a yank, and the 
suoolv of birds is sure. I simply p'lt this in, thinking that 
if Deerslayer would only hunt his birds in a scientific way 
he might come to enjoy the sport. 
Fancy shooters are able to kill their deer with a rifle 
ball put where it will do the most good, and having got 
used to that way, and having provided myself with such 
an old-fashioned weapon as a 38 55 Marlin, I shall con- 
tinue to follow the teachings of Nessmuk and others of 
that stripe. But as for the young hunter who has yet to 
kill his first deer, I wisgh to assure him that for a success- 
ful deer hunt, conducted in a scientific manner, that 
Combination of strong and "experienced guides," "forked 
sapling," "bit of tope," and "10-gauge shotgun and buck- 
shot" is hard to beat when the object is to make the sup- 
ply of venison sure; and if I had a boy of twelve years 
who under such circumstances could not kill that deer I 
would have him study for a dressmaker. Bullets. 
MKCHANICSVIIiliB, N. Y. 
Editor Forest and. Stream: 
In an issue of Forest and Stream of October last I 
noticed an article alluding to deer roping as "eport." 
What conception can Deerslayer have as to the meaning 
of that word? To rope a deer in the water from a boat is 
most brutal, if indulged in short of actual necessity. 
There is no sport where the animal has no chance for its 
life; it is natural for the deer to seek safety in the water 
when hounded and it would be a poor oarsman that could 
not catch a deer with a boat, and a poor man that could 
not kill it at a short rope's end by means of a 10-bore 
double gun. If Deerslayer thinkR it sport, why, there is 
an opportunity for plenty of sport of like nature that 
could be had at the Union Stock Yards of Chicago, could 
he get an engagement there. He would have in lieu of 
the lake the vast slaughtering pens; in place of the boat 
the plank walk over the stalls and pens; to remind him of 
the unsteadiness of a boat would be the planks, just wide 
enough to walk with ease; the 10-bore gun would give 
place to a stone sledge with which to hit them on the 
head; the rope, though used, would not be required in the 
narrow pen, though the actual work would have been 
accomplished by the "guides" (the boys on the plains). 
In place of hounds to drive he would have men to drive 
the "deer" (cattle) into the pens as fast as he could kill, 
and would that not be sport in his m'nd? 
Clarence Barclay Ward. 
Long Island. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
My spirit has been refreshed and my soul uplifted by 
Deerslayer's letter in your issue for Oct. 31. From my 
boyhood up I have been a creat admirer of Deerslayer. I 
met him in the pages of Fenimore Cooper, and at once 
knew him for a friend and brother; a sportsman who 
killed only so much game as he needed, and whose voice, 
even away back in the last century, was raised against 
the wanton killing which he saw going on all about him. 
You can imagine, therefore, the pleasure with which I 
discovered that my old friend was still livin-r and still 
roaming the familiar woods. To be sure, Deerslayer's 
sentiments, as advanced in his letter, are not quite what 
I had expected from Cooper's hero, but surely some con- 
sideration is due to age and infirmity 
Deerslayer doubtless is right. A "strong effort will be 
made to enact more laws to restrict the sport of deer 
shooting in the Adirondacks by prohibiting jacking and 
hounding." "Such things are always urged by a lot of 
fancy shooters with their high-toned ideas of still-hunting 
and wing-shooting," and "not by real old-fashioned 
hunters who go out for game and want a fair chance to 
get it." 
No one can doubt for a moment that Deerslayer is a 
"real old-fashioned hunter " H*s letter shows that he 
"goes out for game" and wants a chance to get it. Who 
would have the heart to deny him that right? I may 
seem radical, but I go even further than D -erslayer. I 
would have the laws materially modified for the benefit 
of the "real old-fashioned hunter" and his friends, and I 
believe that the true sportsmen are with me. 
Picture to yourself what these fancy shooters would do. 
They would take away poor old Deerslayer's "10 gauge 
shotgun loaded with buckshot," and give him a rifle. 
They would compel him to still-hunt his deer in the 
woods— compf'l him, perhaps, to walk several rods where 
there are no macadamized roads, no beer saloons, not even 
electric lights; compel him — but I will not pursue the sub- 
ject. It is painful. 
The pathetic thing about it is that Deerslayer, in his old- 
fashioned, honest simplicity, seems satisfied with the 
present laws. He seems to think that his rights are pro- 
tected now, and he fails to see the diffijulties by which 
he is surrounded. He says that when the guide has 
slipped a noose over the head of the swimming deer the 
sportsman "with the 10-gauge shotgun loaded with buck- 
shot makes the supply of venison sure," and that "if he is 
cool-headed and a fair shot he is sure to kill the game." 
The dear old man seems not to know that all men are not, 
like himself, cool-headed and fair shots. 
Now, certain slight changes in the game laws in the, 
direction of greater license would undoubtedly be of dis-' 
tinct benefit to Deerslayer and the other old-fashioned 
hunters, whose rights ought not to be overlooked. The 
modifications I would suggest are these: 
First — That all the deer be caught and painted with 
luminous white paint, so that they may be equally con- 
spicuous by day or night. 
S ^cond — That a large cow bell be attached to each deer, 
80 thdt his presence may be made known even before he 
comes in sight. 
Third — That a conspicuous bullseye with concentric 
rings be painted on the side of each deer behind th«? 
shoulder, so that Deerslayer and other old-fashioned 
hunters may tell at a glance where to strike. 
Fourth — That the deer be inclosed by barbed wire 
fences in small patches of woods near the camp, 
Fifth — ^That when the hunters are ready the woods be 
set on firp, and D ^erslayer and his friends furnished with 
axes, Thpy can then stroll quietly up to the deer and 
have thrilling and healthful sport, with the risk of losing 
th" game reduced to a minimum. 
Sixth — That when other game grows scarce Deerslayer 
be allowed to take his old grandmother, or any other 
person unable by reason of age or infirmity to resist, 
chain her to a post, saturate her clothes with kerosene, 
spt her on fire and then whang her with a crow bar. If 
he "have a cool head and take fair aim" she cannot es- 
cape. 
Finally— That the State of New York offer a bounty of 
$1 000 on Deerslayer and all the "old-fashioned hunters" 
of his party, with no close time. 
These few simple changes in the game laws, Mr. 
Editor, would doubtless afford our old friend Deerslayer 
much satisfaction, and the last one I have proposed 
would greatly please all th^ rest of us. 
Ed"Ward Williston Frentz. 
Boston, Maes. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have hpen a reader of Forest and Stream for a num- 
ber of years and have npver written anything for its col- 
umns, but I must have something to say in reply to Deer- 
slayer's defense of deer roping, I sincerely hope the time 
is near when every State in our glorious Union where the 
noble doer ranges will see the neceesity and wisdom of 
prohibiting all bounding and jacking, and put a heavy 
penalty in the statutes for the benefit of those who persist 
in following deer with dogs and killing them after they 
have taken to the water for safety. No hunter, be he old- 
fashioned or otherwise, in this learned and enlightened 
country would be guilty of such work, and I hope Deer- 
slayer is not sincere in what he writes, but does so simply 
for the sake of argument. I cannot see where any 
science is brought into use in sitting around and waiting 
until the game is driven into the water, and, worst of all, 
literally tied up to wait the pleasure of the butcher. It is 
nothing more nor less than butchery, and how any man 
can become a participant in such an unsportsmanlike act 
is a mystery to me. 
Now, Deerslayer, let me offer you a piece of advice: 
When you visit your preserve again, lay aside your shot- 
gun; if not already in possession of a good, reliable rifle, 
purchase one; and if you understand still-hunting, go 
alone; if not, get the services of a guide who can still- 
hunt and trail deer. Take to the woods. Match your 
skill and cunning against that of your game. You may 
not get sight of your quarry so soon nor with as little 
fatigue; but, let me assure you, when you do look through 
the sights of the genuine deer hunter's weapon, the rifle, 
and when its report sounds the death knell of a noble 
buck, and you stand over him with the knowledge that 
his chances of escape were equal to yours of securing 
him, it is a moment that will bring to you the supreme 
joy of your life. I for one cannot agree with you that 
there is no pleasure in deer hunting except with the jack 
light or hounds. W. R. Cline, 
Illinois. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The leading article on the editorial page of last issue of 
Forest and Stream was somewhat of a surprise to me, 
inasmuch as I learned thereby that the contribution in 
a recent issue of your paper signed Deerslayer was 
anything other than the product of some sarcastic sports- 
man inclined to write in a jocular vein. 
The statement that "a cool head, a 10-gauge gun and 
a good load of buckshot" are requisites to kill a roped 
deer at a 5ft. range is quite humorous, to say the least. 
It strikes me that Deerslayer, if an adept in the business 
of water killing, ought not to have entirely ignored the 
glittering axe and the festive club, and let us hope that 
the twelve-year-old "chip of the old block" will not neg- 
lect the use of these handy weapons when he reaches the 
age of discretion, since much valuable ammunition may 
be saved thereby. If the party who signs himself Deer- 
slayer really means what he says in his communication 
to FORKST AND STREAM, he can without doubt secure a 
steady job and good wages by applying at any abattoir in 
need of the services of a first-class butcher^ one who 
is frank enough to let the world know that he is not 
above his calling. I did, however, and do still believe that 
Deerslayer is merely a candidate for a place on a 
funny paper, and trust that my view of the case may be 
a correct one and that the pages of your excellent paper 
have not been defiled by the real sentiments of any such 
a creature as the article in question would indicate its 
author to be. S. 
Trot, N. Y. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
So the New York Mail and Express took Deerslayer 
seriously. I was going to do so too, but after reading 
the article over the second time I said "Pshaw! There is 
no human being could have your sentiments," and I con- 
cluded it was a little sarcasm sent Forest and Stream to 
stir up activity in favor of abolishing hounding. Really, 
do you want us to believe that a man wrote that article 
and that he wished his son to follow in his footsteps? I 
have heard of sportsmen who have hired guides to paddle 
them up to within a few yards of a deer swimming in the 
water to be shot at with a rifie, and I know of many cases 
of boasted moose hunting by calling and then shooting at 
the big fellow, who does not know enough to run when 
hit. I have heard of your ex-president out jacking and 
of other folks crusting, hounding in deep snow and all 
other questionable methods, but for supreme brutality this 
man Deerslayer takes the lead. Oh I Mr. Deerslayer, let 
us have your real name, that it may be emblazoned on the 
pages of the history of brave men. Ugh! Have your 
guide noose a deer in the water and hold him while you 
place your 10-bore shotgun at his head and fire slugs into 
him. Ugh! 
I am glad to inform you that in Ontario we have laws 
that prevent all shooting in the water, jacking, etc., and 
we hope to do away with the dogs next year. There is a 
license fee of $25 asked of foreigners who hunt, and I am 
sure it was caused by our being imposed upon for so long 
by a class of which_ Deerslayer is supreme grand master, 
Ontabio. . F. p. GAL»RAJTg. 
