206 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sbft. 11, 1897. 
Frank Bush aud Ben Davidson, who were arrested for kill- 
ing doves, thrushes and other song birds. 
In MIchieran. 
Last week, at Harvard, Mich., Charles Barton liberated a 
dozen and a half of Mongolian pheasants, about half grown, 
the first he has turned down from his stock. He has been 
having fair success at raising the birds. 
In Minnesota. 
Local papers of Minnesota, notably tho^e at Duluth, state 
that the big game of the State, moose and deer, are doing 
well, and are bound to be very abundant whpn the season 
opens. In Itasca county, the moose and deer are reported so 
numerous that the the farmers have been obligtd to sit up at 
night to protect their gardens. This I do not doubt. I have 
known a great mauy men, sometimes ve ry good men, from the 
city who were oni on fishing trips, who have felt obliged to 
sit up nearly all night, arm^d with a lifle and a headlieht, 
to p'-event the deer frnm climbing into their boats and as- 
saiiir^ them. I expect it is prett y dangerous out there about 
this time. 
In Colorado. 
Judge Wm. Thomas, of Chicago, is just back from Routt 
county, Crl , a district very famous for its big game, and he 
reports that the Indians are de'trrying game in most dis- 
astrous fastiion in Routt and Rio Bbnco counties, not far 
from Meekfr. He saw many piles of deer bides The 
Indian is aware that the best buckskin comes from summer 
hides. 
In Wisconsin, 
At Phillips, Wis., Aug. 28, Vincent Polgart, of Chicago, 
ninetfen years of age, was accidentally killed while bunting 
at night. The young man was the son of Andrew Polgait, 
of Chicago, and had recently come to Phillips 
AtPiairie du Cbien, Wis., some disgruntled person cut 
down the orchard of the local deputy warden. The act was 
one of so-called revenge upon ih-; warden for making arrests. 
At Efiu Claire the deputy warden has been fired at by 
sooners. 
in Montana. 
L H. Parker, of the Murphy Cattle Co., near Billings, has 
begun the establishment of a big kennel of wolfing hounds, 
to be used in the work of ridding the range of the wolves 
which destroy so much young live stock. He expects to 
spend $3 000 in getting bis dogs together He will use the 
best^he can fio * of greyhounds, stag hounds, foxhounds and 
Russian wolfhounds. 
Personal. 
Mr. F. B Huntington, trav ling auditor of the Wisconsin 
Centra) line, called bt the FuRbst ajsd Stream office this 
wei k Mr. Huntington is an old member of the Fokest 
AND Steeam family, so old that he is known as Grandpa in 
canoe meets and other sporting gatherings. Yet he is on the 
right side of thirty, and a hustler. E. Hough. 
18C6 BoYCE Building, Chicago. 
MY FIRST DEER, AND HOW I LOST IT. 
If the game laws in this southern part of Florida were as 
well obserted as they are in other States, g»me of all kinds, 
from q laii to deer, would be much more abundant than it is. 
However, ihey are not all killed, as it is the purpose of this 
ar'icle to show. My fiiend D , like the writer, is very fond 
of hu- ting, especially deer and turk( y Jfo hing pleases him 
belter than to take a dny rfif on Siturdays from cultivating 
his orange and lemon grove, or vegi table patch, and going 
after a deer, many a one of which tias be brought home. 
He was home»t.« adiog a tract of pine and oak land of 160 
acre^ in a good hunting country, atd when I first met him in 
1886, was living alone. H- being instrumental in tinding 
me a homestead of the same s-ize, and wittiin a mile and a 
half of his own, it in needles^ to say w:th so many sympa- 
thies in common, we were oftf-n togetlier. D hated cookirg 
and I liked it, so he wou'd get me to cook breakfast, while 
he t' nded some choice trees in the grove of ten Hces 
When out aftergame, his favorite mettiod was still-hunting, 
no di>gs bv day, nor larierns by night for bim ; po?sess< d of 
won< erful sight, he could sp a a deer by the mere quivering 
of an ear when nothing ( Ise was vifible in the thick bushes. 
Many a lime his hepciottd one out to me when I could dis- 
tinguish noihicg but a clump of palmetto bushes, until there 
wa a perceptible movement. 
Oae evenine, soon after our mid day meal (it was a Satur- 
day for D was too conscientious to leave his work any 
other day, or to hunt on Sunday), we .«tarted out together 
for a favorite spot, situated betwem two lakes, with a sma'l 
stream running between, a floe feedmg ground for th"^ game. 
I took up a s aed under a large pine tree and awaited devel 
opmentB. D. decided to go on lurther to the branch (?maH 
strcHm) to listen for turkey calls. It was nearly sundown, 
and there is very litt e twilight in this latitude after the sun 
has dropped below the trees, for the timber is so thick that 
it is icnpossible to see the sun actually set as one sees it over 
the ocean. Well, it was getting dusk and I was straining 
my eyes into the galheriog gloom to catch a dght of any- 
thing moving, when out from a clump of ba\ bushes border- 
ing the lake on my right and about 200yds. off 1 shw three 
deer cautiously feeding ano coming toward me. How my 
heart thumped at the prospect of getting a fair shot. I had 
a .33 Remington, D.'s fav rile pi ce. In my excitement I 
took off my large hat, and this ailracted their attention, and 
two of them, both does, bounded off. Not so their escort, 
the buck, he ran a little way, then turned and faced me 
sideways; a beautiful shot for steady nerves; but I was 
rattled, most decideflly rattled, for raising the rifle on my 
knee while sitting, to the level of my face, and pulling the 
trigger 1 was struck all of a heap, as the saying is, at seeing 
that buck bounding off with his scut high in air as though 
nothing had happened worth mentioning, and I was left 
lamenting my hard fate. While engaged in kicking myself 
(figuratively speaking; D CHme back, and I had to insist 
that the iitle was Oiriy and threw high, etc. So that was 
how 1 1 St my first deer, but there is a sequel to it, but that 
is another story, which, with the editor's permission, shall 
be told in another issue, StjoiEB 
Those Rhode Island Chicken Partridges. 
Philip S. Raitdolph of Philadelphia, a summer resident 
of NarrM.gHD-,ett Pier, Rhode Island, who was detected 
sneaking into the woodt> after chicken partridges in August, 
was, on trirtl, found guilty, and paid fines and costs amount- 
ting to $107. The case Wai9 managed by the Rhod^ I&latid 
Game Association. 
MAINE MOOSE AND HUNTERS. 
KiNEo, Sept. 15. — It becomes apparent that the bolt among 
sportsmen accustomed to do their fall hunting in this State, 
will be heavy, and that before the open season is many days 
old that scores of Americans, with American guides, will be 
camping on the trails of New Brunswick moose, which are 
reported very plenty. And this because sportsmen do not 
care to hunt on snowshoes or be toted out of the woods on 
sleds, as one must who would hunt in Maine after Nov. 1. 
This result of our abbreviated moose season has been feared 
from the first and worst fears bid fair to be realized. Here 
at Kineo. not a dozen guides are looking forward to a fall 
trip in this State, while at this time last year good guides 
were at a premium. 
Among the well known sportsmen who are going across 
the line for the first time are noted: W. T. Jenkins, Frank 
Decker, M. L. Pratt, E, C. Grew, of Boston; G. A. Worth, 
Messers. Minton and Grinned, New York city; Gustav 
Heyrs, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; John T. Gardner. Brookline, Mass. ; 
F. S. Arnold. Philadelphia; J. B. Brainard, East Orland, 
Me. ; and W. S, Miller, of Bangor. All of these gentle^nen 
have hunted in this State for many years. With one or two 
exceptions they are going into the Restigouche region and 
will push up that river as far as the Kedgwick. 
Last week in the Dover, Me., Municipal Court were tried 
four eases of violation of the game laws. G A Worth, of 
New York city, was found guilty of having venison in his 
possession during September, 1896, and fined $40 and costs. 
An appeal was taken to Febfuary next He was convicted 
on the testimoney of a trapper of unsav ory reputation^ 
who just previous bad been arraigned and pleaded guilty to 
killing a deer and trapping beaver in violation of the law. 
H F. Gillette, of Chicago, and Mr. Worth, were tried and 
acquitted of a charge of killing a deer last week north of 
Moosehead Lake. The trapper in question, Arthur S. Cro?s, 
keeper of Lawlers camps on Allegash Lake, has arquired 
notoriety as informer on a large number of sportFmen, and 
many of his charges have proved false. In his cases mit- 
temus was suspended and he was ordered out of the woods. 
In the case of the students who are under bonds for kill- 
ing a cow moose last July at Caucomgomoc Lake, it is an- 
nounced that Sept. 6, a capias will be issued and an officer 
sent info the woods to bring them into court. It will be 
remembered that the boys, Walter G Merritt, of D anbury, 
Conn., and Stanton W. A Forseman, of W llliamsport, Pa., 
are under $1 000 bonds, and failed to appear in court on 
August, the dale of their adjourned hearing. County Attor- 
ney Hayes, of Foxcroft, believing they are about to leave, the 
State asks for the capias. Qtjinsigamond. 
THE JACKSON'S HOLE-ELK. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Please permit me to say a word in behalf of Mr. Joshua 
Adams, who is keeping a band of elk on his ranch in Jack- 
son's Hole, Wyoming. I know Mr Adams, and can testify 
that he is a law-abfding citizen, Whatever the right or 
wrong of this particular case may be, I am confident that 
his intent in this matter was strictly honest During hard 
winters in that country, the yearling elks do die in great 
numbers. During my visit to Jackson's Hole, some years 
ago, I saw hundreds of skeletons of elk that had died from 
starvation the winter before. They had come down in great 
bands, and had tried to raid the hafstacks of the few ranch- 
ers then in the Hole; but they were fenced off, because the 
ranchers needed the hay for cattle. 
Thtre was very little hay cut in the Hole in those days, 
and what was cut was wild. Now, long irrigating ditches 
have been taken out. and plenty of red-top and timothy are 
grown. I am confident from what I learned long before 
any one took any interest in enforcing the game laws in 
northwestern Wyoming, that for every elk that Mr. Adams 
retained for his own use he saved a score for the wilds. 
I do not mean to excuse anyone for violating the law, but 
permit me to say that the root of the trapping of the big 
game, like elk, is found ia the EaS't among the most influen- 
tial of the readers of Forest and Stream — among the 
owm rs of big eame preserves, who are in haste to aecumu 
late stock. Kill the marke t for live mammals and none will 
be trapped. When Mr. Adams says he did not intend to 
ship iheee animals, 1 believe him. He is a straightforward 
man. But even if he had wished to ship them, the real 
criminal worthy of denunciation and contempt would have 
been the consignee. 
I have no personal interest in this matter. I have no 
hope, I am sorry to say, of ever seeing Jackson's Hole again, 
and Mr Adams never did me a favor, that I should write 
this from graiitude. I write it fimply to defend a square 
man, and because I know that the game laws are at worst 
as well enforced in Jackson's Hole as they are in the Adi- 
rondacks. John R. Speaks, 
New XoHJr, Sept. 1. 
HUNTING RIFLE CALIBERS. 
San Francisco, Cal., Aug. 25.— Editor Forest and Stream: 
Some time fcince, in the columns of FoRiiST and Stream, 
there was much discussion anent the best rifle for big game. 
I apprehend this matter will again have to be aired ere long. 
I have for years stood firmly for my faithful ,45-90 for use 
on all our American large game. My fealty to this arm, 
however, received a considerable loosening last year upon 
reading Mr. Chanler's account of the execution of the Mann- 
licher rifle on the largest African game. Here was a very 
small bore weapon (.31 cal., I believe), with a light bullet 
and a decidedly light weight powder charge, smashing and 
paralyzing the most resistant animals in a manner superior 
to the big double express cannon, with its 6 to 8 drams of 
black powder This opened my eyes, and watching the 
reports written by reliable sportimen, such as Mr Roosevelt 
and Mr. Hough in this country, as to the killing power of 
our .30 cal. smokeless rifles, I am convinced that big borts 
and heavy charges are doomed. 
Sickness in my family has prevented -^tay Jesting my 
newlj -purchased .80 30 this year on game; but my friend 
M., a very experienced hunter and expert rifleman, ha'^ 
recently returned from his annual hunt, and is a total coc- 
vert to the new rifle, which he took along with misgivings 
as to its stopping power. He, of course, used the soft-nceSl 
bullet, and states that the killing power of this when used 
on deer far surpassed that of any 90 or 100 grain charge of 
black powder that he evor used; while for accuracy, flatness 
of trsjectory,- freedom from smoke and recoil, lightness of 
weight, etc , this little weapon ia unequaled. 
My ideal rifle at present, at least an ideal that can be real- 
ized, is the .30-30 Winchester take down with shotgun butt, 
Lyman bead sight, the ivory bead being much reduced in 
diameter, and Lyman long sight. Leave the regular rear 
sight that is furnished with the rifle in its slot, but file 
away the SOOyds. leaf, and. turn the 100yds. and the 300yds. 
leaves down flat on the barrel, to be used for twilight shoot- 
ing; also file off all sharp angles of this sight, to avoid 
injury to hand in grasping the rifle. 
I consider it a desideratum also to have a compartment in 
the butt for a jointed rod, for one is very liable to lose or 
break a detached rod. And right here I wish to emphasise 
the ever present necessity of a rod for this or any other rifle- 
shooting smokeless powder. It will not do lo put off clean- 
ing until to-morrow if used to-day, otherwise the sportsman 
will soon have that abomination on his hands — a pitted 
barrel. Benzine will soften the residue, so that a little effort 
soon cleans the barrel. A good lubricant is then to be 
applied. Hitherto I have ridiculed the idea of an "all- 
around" rifle for game; but with its short range and long 
range cartridges, this weapon ought to approximate the 
ideal. I hope we shall soon have unbiased reports on the 
effects of this little rifle on moose and the larger varieties of 
bears. I feel sure they will be favorable. RoEEli. 
VIRGINIA'S GAME. 
Editor Forest and St/ream,' 
A game item or two from "ole Varginny*' I thought might 
not be amiss to your many readers. Strange it is that we 
have no pheasants to speak of on tnis side of the Blue Ridge. 
Further east, in the Plat Woods, there-are Forae few, but not 
to the extent you find this gamy bird in the Northern States. 
Squirrels are always an average crop in this section. The 
forests are all hard wood ; oak, hickory and chestnut pre- 
dominating. 
The partridge is destined to be the coming game bird of 
Virginia. The Legislature of last year very wisely enacted 
a law prohibiting the killing of this delicious bird for two 
years, and consequently they have become quite numerous, 
and when they come in" next year it will be rare sport in- 
deed to gun for partridges. 
Then we have the rabbit, that rare bit upon which ohr 
colored citizen delights to feast, and its name is legion. In- 
deed this is a "crap" that rarely fads. The season is soon 
upon us, too, during which Br'er Rabbit has "to have legs 
and use legs" if he wants to escape, even for a short while, 
the heartless gunner and his rapacious beagle. 
Along the foothills of the Blue ridge, in the Ragged Moun- 
tains and the Monticello Mountains, we find plenty of wild 
turkeys, and it takes a more than an ordinary shot, to be a 
succef sful turkey hunter. 
There are a few deer along this side of the Blue Ridge, 
hut they don't take kindly to a civilization that brings with 
it Winchester repeating rifles and long-winded hounds. 
South of the James Riv^r, in Buckingham county particu- 
larly, where there are wide stretches of- timber lands, there is 
said to be a good many, as also farther east, toward Tide- 
water, Va., they are said to be plentiful. 
The game laws are not very strictly observed in this State, 
more*s the pity. The laws are not as strict as they should 
be, and need revising and made more general. 
Pennsylvania's Legislature, at their session this year, 
passed a model game law, anci one which other Stales might 
copy with credit to themselves, and make every true sports- 
man proud that he had laws for the protection of gime that 
could be enforced and that meant just whi,t ttiey said. 
James H. Ferotjson. 
Chablottesvillb, Va., Aug. 30. 
The Prairie Chickens. 
Sheldon, la,, Sept. 1. — The hunting season has fairly 
opened, and it looks like old times to see the trains loaded 
with sportsmen bound for various points in Minnesota, 
Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. 
Coming up from Omaha on the train to day I counted 
seventeen sportsmen, and judging by the sounds emanating 
from the baggage car, they were well provided with dogs. 
Chickens are unusually plentiful in all four States, though 
as the season opened in South Dakota on Aug. 15, that State 
must be pretty well shot over by this time. I learned of 
several good bags being shot in the vicinity of Armour and 
Plankinaton, a section in which I had a very satisfactory 
hunt last year, and in the neighborhood of Redfleld and 
Frankford birds are reported as being in great number, all 
along the line as far as Getty8t)urg. 
Nebraska has (or had) plenty of chickens along the line of 
the F. E. & M. V. R. R.. from Neligh as far wtst as Gordon. 
Some ilk gal shooting was done in thi^ section, but a few 
timely arrests seem to have put a stop to it. On the Harting- 
ton, Bloomfield and Creighton branches of the same road 
(northeast Nebraska) chickens are very plentiful; southwest- 
ern Nebraska also reports plenty of birds alontr the "High 
line," west of Holdrege. and also along the Union Pacific 
from Kearney to North Platte 
The northwestern part of Iowa, and southwestern portion 
of Minnesota, also has a good many coveys in spots; though 
considerable illegal shopitng is reported from the vicinity of 
Wbrtbington ana Heron Lake birds are still plentiful there. 
My own chicken shooting will be confined to two or three 
days" this season, and I shall then go with my wife to Kabe- 
kona Camp, Cass county, Minn., where we expect to put in a 
few weeks shooting ruffed grouse and ducks, and also to have 
a try at the new muskalunge and bass waters. I will let you 
know the results of the trip later on, and also send you some 
pictures if the camera works. W, R. Haloj. 
A Tennessee Preserve Opportunity. 
Graisd View, Tenn. — In looking over a recent issue of 
Forest and Stream I was very much interested in the 
accounts of game preserves. Not many years ago the deer 
and turkey were found here in larg? numbers. Where are 
they to day? gone, never to return. Now this locality would 
be an ideal spot lor a game preserve. There are hundreds of 
acres of land here on the plateau that are fit for nothing else,' 
and which could be purchased for a reasonable figure, 
There is scarcely any wmter here, and this would be another 
advantage. Our climate and water are excellent, and no 
better place for invalids cpuld be found. Our scenery is 
magnificent. All in all this could be made one of the best 
shooting parks in the country. * L. M, Starring, 
When the Iieaves Fall. 
Yoo ask about my outing. No, T do not go in summer 
Summer camping in the Ozarks is not sport, but martyrdom 
Mosqui'oes are bad, ticks we>rse, and jiggers- jiggers are un' 
speakable. Summer Is good enough for the fishermen, poo 
