Mat 15, 1897.J 
38S 
ing more than 1,000,000 abandoned the hoimty method. 
Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota have tried to rid their 
lands of pocket gophers and ground squirrel?, but the effect 
of the laws was far more evident on the county treasuries 
than on the animals. The destruction of 1,000,000 ground 
squirrels in one county in Washington did not exterminate 
the species, and Montana, in killing 713,193 squirrels and 
189,678 prairie dogs in 1887, probably made little impression 
on the total number in the Slate. 
In the early '703 California authorised the lerying Of 
spetial taxes at high rates for killing gophers and ground 
S(|uirrels, and iater enacted laws providing for the division 
of certain counties into squirrel districts in charge of inspect- 
ors, and required owners to kill the jquirrels on their land 
or pay for having them deslroyc-d by Itie inspectors. Sys- 
tematic efforts were made to exterminate these pests, but the 
attempt was abandoned on account of the expense. So 
little effect had these laws that to day squirrels are practic- 
ally as abundant as ever, and not long ago an inquiry was 
received from a resident in one of the counties which was 
most active in the work cf extertaiuation asking whether 
anything had ever been done to check the increase of the 
Califqrnian ground squirrel. Nearly 3,000 000 sparrows 
have been destroyed in Illinois during the last five years, and 
probably as many, if not more, have been killed in Michigan 
Since 1887, but the laws have accomplished so little that 
some doubt exists as to whether tie birds have perceptibly 
diminished or not. Some ornithologists in these States assert 
that the decrease is quite noticeable, while others acknowl- 
edge that the boimties have bad little if any effect. 
On the island of Bermuda, which has an area of less than 
twenty scjuare miles, an attempt was made to exterminate 
the Boglish sparrow only ten years after the specits had been 
introduced; bht after two years the experiment, which had 
cost more than .$3,500, was abandoned as impracticable. In 
India, where the loss of life and of domesticated animals on 
account of the depredations of wild animals and snakes is 
enormous, bounties are paid in most of the Provinces. The 
official returns for 1893 showed that 2,828 people and 85,131 
head of cattle had been destroyed by animals, while 31,313 
persons and 5,123 head of cattle were said to have been 
killed l.y snakes. In this year bounties to the amount of 
117,448 rupees (nominally $58,734) were paid for the killing 
of 15 308 wild animals and 117,120 snakes. Ahhough these 
expenditures have been maintained lor twenty years, the 
number of animals annunlly killed shows no perceptible de- 
crease, and it is impossible to estimate what the extermina- 
tion will finally cost the Government. But if bounties have 
failed to accomplish the actual extermination of any species, 
there can be no doubt that they have secured the destruction 
of larg« numbers of noxious animals, and have done some 
good in checking the increase of such species as wolves and 
coyotes. If premiums are paid in several States, do not in- 
volve too great expense, and can only be maintained long 
enough, they will do much toward the accomplishment of 
the desired end and may be regarded as a legitimate expend- 
iture of public funds. 
Substitutes for Bounties. 
The unsatisfactory results attained by the direct payment 
of rewards from public funds long ago led to the attempt to 
gain the same end by other means. 
In colonial times the Indians were encouraged to kill 
wolves and other animals, and the planters were often re- 
quired to kill a certain number of blackbirds, crows or squir- 
rels each year under penalty of fine. Scalps of crows, squir- 
rels, and even wild cats, were received in lieu of taxes, but 
as this method had some disadvantages in practice, the scalp 
certificates issued by county officials were accepted in pay- 
ment ot taxes. 
CompeUtive hunts and prijtes offered by gun clubs some- 
titaes cause the killing of a suiprising number of birds and 
animals In Ohio a few years ago nearly 1,000 sparrows 
Were killed in one hunt, and the Spirrow Club of Siratford- 
on^Avon, England, reported that 19,000 sparrows were des- 
troyed during the year 1887. The Virginia Field Sports 
Association distributed $100 in prizes for tne killing of nearly 
1,000 hawks in 1888; this was less than one-fifth what it 
■would cost the State for bounties. Prizes offered by the Lu- 
zerne County Sportsmen's Club of Pennsylvania in 1895 
secured the destruction of 378 animals, forty -two hawks and 
four owls. In the rabbit drives of California, which are 
sometimes paid for from public funds, as many as 20,000 
jack rabbits have been killed m a day. The great danger 
in the case of prizes is that useful and injurious species will 
be killed indiscriminately ; but under proper restrictions this 
could be avoided, and clubs might do much more toward the 
extermination of animals than is now accomplished by 
bounties, 
Another expedient which has been resorted to, particularly 
in North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Manitoba, 
is the free distribution of strychnine or other poison. The 
results seem to be quite satisfactory, and it i=! said that more 
animals are destroyed at much less cost than uncer the bounty 
system. Reference has already been made to the ground- 
squirrel legislation of California, which promised so m\ich. 
but accomplished so little on account of the expense, not- 
withstanding the fact that everything was done to render 
the laws effective. 
Summary. 
(1) Bounty legislation has existed in the United States for 
more than two centuries and a half, and has been thoroughly 
tested in most of the States and Territories. 
<3) Rewards have been paid (a) on large animals, such as 
wolves, coyotes, bears and panthers ; {b) on small mammals, 
particularly gophers, ground squirrels and rabbits; (c) on a 
Jew birds, such as crows, English sparrows, hawks and owls. 
(3) This legislation has probably involved an expenditure 
of over $3,000,000 in the last quarter of a century, and the 
expense seems to be increasing instead of decreasing. Single 
laws have caused an outlay of nearly $200,000 in less than 
two years, and it is safe to say that any act which carries a 
sufficiently high reward to insure its operation wiU cost from 
$5,000 to $20,000 per annum. 
(4) Objections to the boimty system may be grouped under 
four main heads: (a) Expense, which is usually out of all 
proportion to the benefit gained, and may be greater than the 
county or State can afford ; (6) impossibility of maintaining 
bounties in all parts of an animal's range for any length of 
time; (£■) impossibility of maintaining equal rates in all 
States; ((/) impossibility of preventing payments for animals 
imported from other States, for counterfeit scalps, or for 
animals raised especially for the bounty. These objections 
.have never been satisfactorily overcome, and most laws have 
f ailpd through one or another of these causes. 
(5) Bounties have not resulted jn the extermination of a 
single species ia the United States, and have failed even in 
the island of B.-rmuda, which has an area of less than t9v'enty 
square miles. 
(6) Rewards for wolves, coyotes and panthers are now so 
generally paid as to check the increase of these species to 
some extent, but premiums on ground squirrels, gophers and 
other small mammals have accomplished little or nothing, 
and bounties on birds may do great harm by encouraging the 
killina: of useful species through ignorance. 
(7) Extermination of noxiou' animals is usually slow, and 
cah be accomplished more effectively and economically 
throtigh the efforts of individual land owners than by the 
lavish ei^peuditute of t^ublie funds. 
Pinnated Grouse in Ithode Island. 
Westerly, R. 1., May 1.— Editor Forest and Stream; A 
cock pinnated grouse was brought into my office to day by a 
farmer, who, seeing the bird strutting among his duclis, 
thought it was an owl, and fchot it, Edwin R. Lewis, 
knie ^dg mid Quiu 
A TEN DAYS' OUTING IN THE WOODS 
OF MAINE. 
Oct 25, 1896, a party of six left Haverhill, the City of 
Boots and Shoes, for a ten-days' outing in the woods of 
Maine. Leaving on the 7:20 P. M. train, v^e arrived in 
Bangor about 5 A.M. It was a frosty morning and our 
night's ride had given us keen appetites. We wended our 
way up town, accosted a policeman by the name of Jasper, 
through whose courtesy (?) we were informed where we 
could find a "hot sausage" at that early hour. 
By 7, after a good breakfast, we were again on our way 
to the home of the moose, cafibou and deer. We were 
pleased to find as we journeyed on that all the small ponds 
and streams were frozen; in many places snow had fallen. 
Now and then a glimpse of that wonderful Mt. Katahdin, 
■with its snow tops glittering in the .sunlight, would burst 
upon our view. Truly, it is a magnificent spectacle. 
Our train was an express, and by 11 o'clock we stepped 
on to the platform of a 7X9 station, where our guides were 
in waiting. What did we see but a young buck cantering 
up and down the platform. I turned to speak to Mr. Nel- 
son, when, lo! his rifle was out of its case and he was fum- 
bling in his pocket for a cartridge. At that moment a 
guide touched him on the shoulder, saying, "That is a tame 
deer." The cook prepared a lunch. While we were doing 
justice to it the guides were getting our traps and pro- 
visions to the river. In thirty minutes' time we were 
ready far a canoe ride of eighteen miles up the Penobscot. 
It is a delightful ride; think it would add two years to a 
man's life. Part of the way the water runs still and deep; 
is as clear as crystal. Again it is shallow. There the river 
bed is covered with rocks and pebbles, with occasionally a 
'boulder. The canoe is obliged to hug the bank. Again it 
rushes along at such a speed it would seem impossible for 
a canoe to pass, but the pike poles in the haiids of a skill- 
ful guide insure a safe ascent. 
By 4 P. M. we came to a log camp, where we were glad 
to eat a good supper, smoke, listen to a few deer stories 
from the guides, and turn into beds of hemlock boughs. 
We were sound sleepers, and the cook, after much shout- 
ing, succeeded in rousing us, saying it was 7 o'clock 
already, and were we going to sleep all day? We knew 
by the aroma of coffee, etc., what was expected of us, and 
soon were all seated at table, as we supposed, when 
there arose a yell from the river. Some of the party 
rushed out, while those who staid in were more 
frightened than they were willins to acknowledge. 
What a sight for our artist! Mr. Herman in the icy 
water up to his shoulders, wiping his eyes and 
mouth, trying at the same time to get the points of the 
compass that he might wade ashore. The canoe was float- 
ing down river, and the bow soon caught fast on the bank. 
He floated ashore, and the guides helped him to the cabin, 
gave him a good rubbing, some advice about a canoe, and 
later a few lessons in the use of the paddle. After the ex- 
citement caused by the mishap had subsided, we ate our 
breakfast, and were on our way up river again. At noon 
we came to the Bear Rip Falls. It is a sight never to be 
forgotten — ^the water tumbling down in immense volumes 
over those ledges and boulders. There is a carry about a 
quarter of a mile long. How they can get a drive of logs 
over such a place I cannot well conceive. 
As we were rounding a bend two miles beyond we spied 
a buck and two does only about 75yd8. distant. They 
looked surprised as well as we. It took Mr. Franklin a 
very few seconds to draw a bead on the buck with his 
.38-55. The guide fired at one of the does. Away they 
went into the bushes, the buck with his flag at half mast. 
Mr. F. thought he had missed the buck, but the guide said 
he was surely hit; consequently we paddled ashore, and 
not far from the river found blood spots. We followed 
the trail a half mile or so and lost it. 
Look where we would, there was no sign of deer track or 
blood spots. The guide said he would take a small circle 
in pursuit, and in fifteen minutes we heard a shot. Making 
a hustle in the direction of the sound, we we found the 
buck dead, with his head resting on a log. It didn't take 
the guide long to dress him, and then what a lug to carry 
to our canoe. He was a 2001b. fellow, with eight points, 
the best specimen we found while in the woods. Notwith- 
standing the added weight to the canoe, we were at our 
destination by 4 o'clock. On the way up our game num- 
bered four mink, seventeen partridges, five ducks, a hedge- 
hog, an owl and the buck. The camp was lOOy-ds. from 
the river in a little clearing surrounded on all sides by 
hemlock and spruce trees. 
The next day it rained in torrents— no bunting that day 
— but on the next it was fine. We donned our hunting 
rig and set forth with the guides, going in four different 
directions. We expected great sport, as the day was just 
the one for hunting, and the leaves just damp enough to 
steal along noiselessly. We were not all in camp again 
imtil 3 P. M. The cook prepared a feast of good thi'ngs: 
broiled partridges, venison, potatoes, biscuit and coffee. 
We took a long tramp that day, and for game had a lone 
partridge. Next day more hard work, but good luck. Mr. 
Nelson and myself took the old "bark" road that followed 
along the ridge. We kept to this for about three miles, 
jumping a puniber of deer. Leaving the road, we "went 
directly east that we might not lose our way. We had 
gone only a short distance when we started, as near as we 
could judge, a half-dozen deer. What wind there was 
came from the direction of the trail, so there was no dan- 
ger of their scenting us. We followed the trail until they 
came down from a run to a walk, then we slowed to a 
creep, and some of the way to a crawl, and soon the large 
ears of a doe came into view; then she stood head and ears 
in sight, in good rifle shot. 
Soon, out of a fallen tree top, a buck's head appeared'. 
After surveying the country he pulled himself together, 
and out he came. What a beauty, and a white one tool 
Not a minute later, and five were in full view — two bucks 
and three does. Mr. N. pulled on the white one, but be- 
fore I could get sight on the other buck he was ofl^; how- 
ever, I got the Lyman sights in line on the largest doe, 
and pulled. Mr. N. dropped the buck almost in his track, 
shot through the heart. The doe traveled about 200yd8. 
before she dropped. It was no small task for us to dress 
the deer, hang them up and blaze a trail out to the bark 
road. We reached camp by 2 P. M. The rest of the party 
returned soon with three deer, and a lot of small game. 
The next day was spent in getting the deer out to the 
river, and down river in canoe to camp. 
None of us were inclined to hunt deer the day follow- 
ing, 80 took a short trip into the alders for partridges. We 
kept up a bang, bang until noon. We got twenty-six par- 
tridges, two rabbits and the wing of a bluejay; also Mr. 
Warren, who had not ventm-ed far from camp before, 
as he was always there to look after our welfare, brought 
in a freak in the shape of a mottled doe that would weigh 
12-51bs. — great luck for the fat man of the party! Sunday 
was a day of rest. Monday we were up, breakfast eaten 
and off in the canoes before sunrise. After going about 
four^ miles together we separated, part on one side of the 
river, part on the other. We found it a rough country — 
the best place for game. On our return trip there were 
five deer hung up in different places along the river bank. 
It was dark as a pocket an hour before we reached camp. 
Mr. Edwards got the largest buck, and Mr. Herman hung 
up the only spike-horned specimen. 
That night we decided to start for home tb« next day, 
as we had all the deer the law allowed us. Tuesday we 
broke camp, and by 10 o^clock we were five miles down 
river with the deer of the preceding day's shooting gath- 
ered in, making twelve in all, packed with oursel ves'in the 
five canoes. We pulled into our old camp by 4 o'clock, for 
the night. Next day we arrived at the little station with 
l,7401bs. of venison— quite an express bill at $1.50 per cwt. 
* * * * * -X- * 
Now we meet to talk over the good time gone by and 
plan for a like trip -this season, only further in the wilder- 
ness, when we hope to bring moose and caribou out. 
45-70. 
A BUFFALO ROMANCE. 
Charlotte. N. C, April 17. — I share considerable inter- 
est in the few remaining buffalo, and therefore take the lib- 
erty of inclosing a newspaper article relative to a band un 
known to me. It strikes me as comical. 
On my recent visit to the Washington (D. C ) Park I found 
all the animals looking in excellent condition. One of the 
buffalo cows had calved three weeks previously and the 
youngster seemed strong and healthy. I have communed 
with your columns for so many years that I feel somelibertv. 
Even while traveling I am not happy if I cannot find For- 
est AKD Stream each week. W. D. Cloyes. 
This is the story our correspondent sends us, as told in the 
St. Louis Olobe-Democrat: "The recent wedding of Myrtle 
Morrison, the famous Nowha county girl broncho buster, 
and Frank Dupree, a part-blood Sioux, caused quite a sensa- 
tion among the aristocracv on the Sioux Reservation and in 
adjacent territory. Miss Morrison is a handsome young cow- 
girl, noted far and near for her proficiency in the art of 
horse training. She has had many admirers among the 
frontier beaux, but always declared that she would never 
marry any man who could not ride, shoot and throw a lariat 
better than she cou^d, and as SHch men are extremely scarce, 
it appeared probable Miss Myrtle was doomed to a life of 
single blessedness. However, last fall, bay being scarce on 
the upper Bad River range, her father removed his family 
and stock to Bier Plum Creek, a tributary of the Cheyenne 
River. Here Myrtle first made the acquaintance of the 
good-looking, daring young half-breed who has since become 
her husband. 
"Frank Dupree is a splendid horseman, a thorough cow- 
hand, and apparently devoid of fear. The Duprees are 
among the wealthiest stockmen in the State, counting their 
cattle bv the thousands, and Frank, like many other half- 
bloods in that section, has received a very fair education. 
Still, JMyrtle was not much attracted toward the swarthy 
young youth until one day they happened to be riding to- 
gether, and came in sight of a herd of sixty or seventy buf- 
falo, which the Dupree family have raised on their own 
range from a few calves caught years ago, when buffalo meat 
was the principal article of diet for the entire Sioux nation. 
Although this herd is kept from straying far from the home 
ranch by Old Man Dupree's cowboys, they are fully as wild 
as their ancestors, who once blackened the prairie west of 
Chacuberlaiu with their shaggy bodies. 
"The young couple rode up quite close to the herd before 
the animals were aware of their presence, and Frank, in a 
spirit of bravado, urged his broncho alongside of a huge bull 
buffalo and sprang from his saddle to the animal's back; in 
an instant the whole herd was stampeding madly across the 
prairie, with the old bull leading the van. Dupree's fool- 
hardiness had placed him in an extremely dangerous predica- 
ment. If he jumped or fell from Ihft buiialo's back he would 
certainly be trampled lo death by the pursuing herd, and if 
he retained his seat until the animal became tired and sulky it 
was equally certain that the brute would make a furious as- 
sault upon him the moment he dismounted. So all he could do 
was to cling to the animal's back and await an opportunity to 
escape. But it was not until the herd had run fully two 
miles that he saw the least chance of leaving the back of his 
novel steed and esc.iping alive. Fortune at last favored him, 
and the animal ran tor some distance along a deep, narrow 
washout, with almost perpendicular sides reaching to a height 
of fully 30ft Here Frank sprung from his seat and slid 
down the bank of the depression just in time to escape being 
trampled by the closely following herd. 
"Meanwhile Myrtle had lassoed her companion's horse and 
was hurrying after the r^idly retreating buffalo. She 
reached the spot where Frank had dismounted just as he 
