Sept. 25, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
247 
This is counted too early in the season to call, and we did 
not expect him to pay any attention to us, but he came 
either from our calling or just by chance. 
vVe went up stream and reached Mud Lake. Paddling 
quietly along close to one shore, keeping a watch, we soon 
had our patience rewarded by seeing a noble moose, with a 
great head of horns, walking in toward the lake on an old 
lumber road. Coining to a cleared place on the bank, he 
stopped; taking a good, long, steady look at us, slowly 
turned and, in no hurry, moved again into the woods. We 
cruised many small lakes and ponds, finding plenty of fresh 
signs of moose and caribou, and on their banks beaver have 
their homes. We put in eight days of this, and although we 
were up at daybreak, it seemed that night came too quickly. 
Going back down stream reminded me of our boyhood 
days, when we would pull our sleds up to the top of the big 
hill in the winter for the fun of sliding down. Just so here. 
Places where it took us an hour to climb up we would fairly 
fly down in five minutes. The ride down is nice, but going 
up is slow. Mr. Miles, the civil engineer who has come 
across country locating the line for the new railroad spoken 
of in a previous article, reports wonderful abundance of 
moo.«e in some parts of the intended road. There is plenty 
of them, but it takes work with skilled men to capture this 
lordly animal of the forests. 
There are a few places easy to get to from here. Some can 
be reached in one day where caribou and deer are plenty, 
where the languid city man, who can hardly muster health 
sufiicient to attend to business at present, would come for a 
month or two, he would surprise himself and friends on going 
back a brand new man, as full of life and vigor as the natives, 
who never have breathed other than the pure air from these 
their native forests. A. J. Raymond. 
EDMUNDSTOii, N. B., Aug. 17. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
News from the Chicken Fields. 
St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 11,— No reason as yet appears to 
make one doubt the general accuracy of last week's forecast 
on the chicken crop of this section. I have conversed with 
or heard from many more parties who have returned from 
shooting trips, and almost without exception they report 
lesults far below their expectations. 
At Grand Rapids, Wis. , 100 shooters went out on opening 
day, but all reported ■ the shooting very poor, the coveys 
being broken up and mostly old birds remaining. This, of 
course, means that the sooner was there and got the cream 
of the sport. 
At Hancock, Wis., very fair shooting was had on opening 
day by a few shooters, the birds all being the sharp-tailed 
grouse, not the simon pure chicken. 
At Palmyra, Wis , there is a "farmers' trust," a league 
formed for the purpose of stopping non-resident shooting in 
that vicinity. On opening day two Milwaukee shooters^ 
Judge Malloy and P. Barth— killed Ihirty-six birds in the 
league's territory, in defiance of the alliance. Are we to 
suppose that the Judge's title was really earned at bench or 
bar? 
The numbers of shooters are so great, and the supply of 
birds after all so limited, that a bit of country which has a 
supply of birds does not last long after it is once located. 
Very often it does not last so long as the first day of the 
season. Thus, at Brown's Valley, Minn., where the field 
trials were held, thpre was an abundance of birds last July, 
and everybody supposed that there would be plenty left for 
the runnings. Such proved to be very far from the facts. 
In some way the farmers got the notion that the field trials 
meant an onslaught of city shooters with no intention except 
to use their dogs in determining who could kill the most 
chickens, and this thought sat ill with the local mind. The 
farmers determined to forestall the invasion, and tney'did so 
pretty effectually, wiping up tlie birds over all that part of 
the country some days before the date of the trials. So I 
am advised by Mr. S. A. Smart, of the Great -Northern Rail- 
road, local secretary of the Continental Field Trials Club. 
A splendid sporting region once lay all about the famous 
Kandiyohi Lake couutry, west of these^cities, both for duck 
and chickens. Especially good for chickens was the strip 
some forty or titty miles wide, straight west, out toward 
Hutchinson, Glencoe, etc. This country is now reported 
shot out, especially at all points near the railroads Yet at 
Wilmer, not far from the Kandiyohi lakes, chicken shooting 
was good last week, Mr. Carrington Pnelps and myself 
contemplated a wagon trip out over this strip of couniry, 
between the two lines of railroad; and we thougbt that by tak- 
ing the middle of the strip, away from the to^-ns, we should 
get good shooting, though we had never yet had opportunity 
of putting this to the test. It is certain that this fall, such a 
trip would afford all kinds of shooting at ducks, for the 
whole State of Minnesota is this fall full of local ducks. 
1 hear again that Bird Island is good for ducks in "abun- 
dance, and also some chickens. This is in lower Minnesota 
and the gist of opinion now is that stated last week, that the 
legal season for chickens in lower Minnesota has been a 
failure. 
At and near and west of Larimore, N. D., there are some 
birds, and again it appears that upper Minnesota and Dakota 
were the best sections ©f the Northwest this fall. At Pem- 
bino, N. D , Prof. Edmund Osthaus, Mr. Clarence Draper 
and Mr. Ned Cavalier, of the field trials party at Morris 
Man., had very fair sport at chickens. They got thirty- 
seven in one day, and all the ducks they cared for. 
Near Pembina is a large marsh, which is worth taking 
into account. Here JMi-. W. S. Bell and Maj. J. M. Taylor 
had very fine sport at snipe, getting eighty yellow-legs and 
jacks. I am disposed to think Pembina has been about as 
good a place as any this fall. 
Mr. C. E. Robbins, of Fargo, yery well posted on o-ame 
matters, says one had to go west and south of that point to 
get any shooting. The Ed. Bowers and Clint. Smith party 
who camped out in the sandhills west of Sheldon, got over 
200 birds. 
At a point near Montevideo, in Chippewa county, Minn, 
the chickens are still faii-ly numerous, according to the re- 
ports of a machinery salesman, who lately drove across a 
good strip of that country. 
Near Hawley, in CJay county, llinn., the shooting at 
chickens has been good. 
In Ottertail county, Minn., the chickens have been on 
hand in numbers above the average, and that is one of the 
best sections to head for, thougn it has been much shot over 
for years. Above Ftrgus Falls the birds have been fairly 
plentiful. Near Tintah Junction there should be sport, ac- 
cording to the report of the local warden. 
It was in Clay county that one of the largest bags was 
made last week, 203 birds in two days. This was done by 
Messrs. W. B. Douglas, of Moorhead; R. D. F. Polk, G. B. 
C. Evans, Hon. Henry Feig and Dr. F. Sbipman, all of St. 
Paul. They divided into three parties the first day, and 
came in with fifty-two, thirty-seven and eighteen birds, re- 
spectively. 
Lake Park, Becker county, Minn., once very good, has now 
been shot out b}'- marketmen. 
White Earth Indian Reservation, once very good, has been 
shot by sooners of the Indians and breeds, who sell to the 
trader, who ships to market. 
Deputy Warden J. A. Jones, of Ottertail county, Minn., 
reports one bag last week of eighty-two chickens to three 
guns in two days, and another of 120 chickens in three days 
to three gans, all by St. Paul men. 
Executive Agent S. F. FuUeiton and Judge Orr went out 
together on opening day for a whirl at the chickens. They 
got twenty-four. 
An Important Case. 
An important case in game protection matters has just 
come up in the State of Minnesota, indeed, probably the 
most important in its bearings ever fought in the Common- 
wealth. It is the old case of the Indian over again. It is 
the policy of the State Game Commission to concede that 
the Indians have the right by treatj^ to kill and consume 
game on their own reservation without control by the State, 
but that as soon as they or their game shall be found off the 
reservation, the State may assume control. Indeed, any 
other interpretation of the law would leave the law itself 
practically a nullity. Already much game is killed off the 
reservation, carried into the reservation and shipped thence 
to market under cover of the Indian rights. Some time ago 
Agent Fullerlon seized such a shipment, 630 chickens and 
420 partridges, and now he and his associates have been 
sued on this account by Mrs. Julia Selkirk, Indian trader for 
the White Earth Reservation. Attorney T. E. Byrnes, of 
St. Paul, who is employed by the Game Commission, is much 
interested in this case, and thinks he can win it. Much de- 
pends on this, and if the Indian lady wins, it may be expected 
that the keen game dealers of St. Paul and Chicago both will 
not be slow to take advantage of it until they are finally 
knocked out. 
Interstate Work. 
Warden FuUerton, of Minnesota, is a deputy warden for 
Warden Bowers, of North Dakota, and vice versa. 
When Waiden Bowers learns of a shipment of game made 
into Minnesota he notifies Deputy Fullerton, and the latter 
seizes the game. The State's Attorney of Minnesota has held 
that a State can thus follow its own property from one State 
to another— even from North Dakota to JSfew York. This 
novel principle is yet new, but its significance may be seen. 
Comity. 
Let it be understood that there is perfect understanding 
and perfect comity between the game dealers of the Twin 
Cities and the game dealers of Chicago. Each knows the 
issue every time, and they help each other. Game dealer 
Cobb, the head of the craft in the Northwest, knows per- 
fectly what is going on in South Water street, Chicago. 
Dealer Cobb does not quite agree with those who think South 
Water street is not handling illicit game with continuous 
regularity, swiftness and despatch. 
Nearly Lost the Law. 
Minnesota nearly lost her game law the past season. A 
determined lobby— backed by Cobb, Turner and the Le 
Claire brothers (Baltimore Packing Co,), and led by a 
woman lobbyist— fought the bill in whole and part. They 
sought to cut off the appropriation, and for the time did suc- 
ceed in cutting off the right of the Game Commission to hire 
an attorney. The fight for decency was led by Mr. W. B. 
Douglas, of Moorhead. chairman of the game committee in 
the.House, and by Sam Hansen of the Senate committee. 
These made so good a fight that the law was restored and 
preserved as it now is, one of the models of the Union in 
game law. In token of the appreciation of such yeoman 
services, the sportsmen of Minnesota have made each of these 
gentlemen a present of a high grade shotgun, each to select 
his own make. Sam Hansen chose a Greener, and will in 
due course receive this from the works. Mr. Douglas chose 
a Parker, and this gun I saw at the wholesale house which 
ordered it. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship, |250 
grade, perfect in ^very particular and beautifully engraved, 
the gold plate bearing the infscription : "To Mr. Douglas, 
from the Sportsmen of Minnesota." A few of us went down 
with Mr. Douglas, Agent Fullerton acting as presentation 
man, when Mr. Douglas first saw this gift. He was natur- 
ally pleased, after the fashion of an infant with a new red 
wagon. The success of the men concerned in this fight in 
the Legislature, not the least of whom was Mr. Fullerton 
himself, was indeed matter for mutual felicitations. 
Minnesota Sooner Convictions. 
There were thirty- nine convictions secured against sooners 
in Minnesota during the month of August, or at least, that 
number have been turned in by the deputy wardens. This 
showing is a fine one. Deputy Warden Stephens, of Detroit, 
has been one of the most successful, and his name is becom- 
ing a terror in his part of the State. 
Non-Resident Licenses. 
Minnesota has a non-resident license as against North Da- 
kota and Wisconsin, which have non-resident license laws 
upon their statute books, and in several instances already the 
license has been collected from Wisconsin men who have 
come into Minnesota to shoot. The game wardens of these 
contiguous States are of much assistance to each other. 
Thus, when Warden Bowers, of North Dakota, was here this 
week visiting Warden Fullerton, they learned by chance that 
Deputy Warden Blanchard, of Moorhead, Minn., has lately 
been in the habit of issumg permits to certain favored friends 
in North Dakota who wished to cross the line and shoot in 
Minnesota. This will be stopped at once. These permits 
Lave been issued to Geo. Dobell, of Fargo, and of course 
without authority. 
It Will be Enforced. 
As was stated last week, some fifty non-resident licenses 
have been issued in North Dakota this fall, probably much 
more than that when all the counties are heard from. Last 
winter there was a penalty clause attached to the non-resident 
act, and the man who does not settle when he is approached 
by the warden is very apt to wish he had. This law is being 
enforced strictly, and there Is no getting around it. To those 
who have asked whether or not this North Dakota license 
can or will be collected, I would say : Yes, it can be and wiU 
be, Intending shooters may bear this in mind. 
Dr. J. E, Hinkins and A. A. Paterson, both of Chicago, 
have just returned from Pontiac, Livingston county. 111, 
where thpy have been spending two and one-half days witL 
Victor Emery and Hal Oppermann, chicken shooting; they 
found plenty of birds, but the hunting was hard on account 
of the intense heat. The dogs worked faithfully, but with 
difficulty, as the ground was very dry, and there was no 
available water except that which was carried on the wagon. 
The number of chickens killed were twenty six on the 15th 
inst., twenty-three on the 16fch and seventeen on the I7th, or 
sixty-six in all. The territory covered was about fifteen to 
eighteen miles each day. While hunting chicken they ran 
across numerous bunches of quail, many of which were only 
half grown apparently; all bids fair to good quail shooting 
after Oct. 1. 
Attempted Evasions. 
Recently Warden Bowers caused the arrest, near Castle- 
ton, N. D,, of a Mr. Leslie, of Ft. Dodge, la., and a Mr. 
Hallo ck, of New York city. Each of these loosened $25 
from his person. 
A more widely known instance occurred in the case of 
young Horace Lowry, son of the St. Paul street car magnate, 
and his three friends, who were found near Carrington, 8. 
D., a little over a week ago shooting with resident licenses 
which cost only 50 cents apiece. Warden Bowers told them 
he would have to take them to town unless they wanted to 
purchase a higher grade sort of license. They dug up $100 
between them. 
Another Party. 
Mr. Fred M. Stephenson, of Menominee, Wis., with 
Messrs. W. R. Cox and F. Deane, of Chicago, have gone for 
a five weeis' trip to the Jackson's Hole region after big 
game. 
A Warden Murdered. 
A dispatch of Sept. 3 from Denver, Colo., reports the mur- 
der of Warden W. B. Wilcox, whose body was found near 
where he had planned to arrest a party of eleven men who 
have been butchering game in the Williams Basin all sum- 
mer. The warden had been shot in the head and his body 
left lying in the woods. 
A rumor was current a short time ago that certain malcon- 
tents near Detroit, in Minnesota, had planned to shoot War- 
den Stephens, who had become hated by illegal hunters and 
fishers on account of his fearless work in his office. It was 
even reported that he had been killed. At last accounts, 
however, he was very much alive. 
More Chicken News. 
Faego, N. D., Sept. 16.— Still further confirmation is at 
hand of the belief expressed in Forest and Stream since 
the opening of the season, that the early reports of abundance 
of chickens in Minnesota and Dakota were unwarranted. I 
have traveled half across the State of North Dakota and have 
found no reliable chicken country and have heard of none. 
A few bags have been made near Fargo, mostly along the 
southwest branch of theN. P., in the hilly region and nearly 
as far south as Lisbon, S D. This I believe to be the best 
chicken country in North Dakota this year, unless that near 
Pembina be excepted. 
There are a few birds in Minnesota not far from Fargo. 
This week three Fargo shooters, Charles and Art Bowers 
and Elmer Btllmeyer, made a hunt of one day about ten 
miles from Moorhead and bagged thirty-one birds. This is 
one of the best bags made this season near Fargo. 
To-morrow I expect to meet Mr. 8, F, Fullerton, State 
Warden for Minnesota, at Campbell, Minn., for a try after 
chickens; of which more in due time. 
The Ducks are a Reality. 
The chicken crop has been mostly a myth, but the ducks 
are a reality. At this moment there is not time to write at 
any leneth of the trip in North Dakota with State Warden 
Geo E Bowers, but I will say to all who are planning a fall 
trip, that it will be far more than worth the $23 license fee 
to have a shoot in this State this fall. The ducks are to be 
found in thousands. I have never seen so many birds in any 
part of the ITnited States. The crop is the best for many 
years. Guides and sportsmen say this is because of the 
license law, which last year cut off' an enormous amount of 
shooting. 
Caught the Deputy. 
Deputy Milt Crary, of Crary, N. D., a town near Devil's 
Lake, sometime ago arrested a young man for killing a few 
ducks ahead of the season. A little while ago, after the sea- 
son had opened, this same deputy was arrested at the instiga- 
tion of this young man, under the cfiarge of shooting without 
a license. He claims now that he had sent in the money for 
his license, and that the auditor had not forwarded same to 
him. More than this, Crary made the bad break of pleading 
not guilty, and taking the position that he was going to test 
the law. This novel case of one of his deputies undertaking 
to test the law under which he was working, was too much 
for Warden Bowers, who read the riot act to Crarv. The 
latter is now trying to square himself with the warden, the 
law, and his fellow-townsmen all at once. 
Fairly Correct. 
The following forecast of the chicken and duck crop was 
made Aug. 27 by the Northern Pacific R. R., based upon re- 
ports of station agents, the best source of information then 
at hand. I am inclined to believe, from what I have learned 
during a brief stay in the Northwest this week and last, that 
the predictions were fairly correct, though of course each 
day changes the status of the chicken crop. It is now late 
to plan a chicken trip, but as to the ducks it may be depended 
upon that not for many years has there been such a supply. 
I can personally say that no man who goes to Dawson, N. 
D. , this fall will be disappointed. The list of points follows: 
PKAIKIE CHICKENS. 
Poor— In vicinity of Crookston, Aitkin and Brainerd, 
Mina,, and at Forest River, Jamestown and Dawson, N. D. 
Pair— In vicinity of Little Falls and Battle Lake, Minn. 
Good— In vicinity of Sauk Center, Fergus Falls, Perham 
and Detroit, Minn, and at Wahpeton, Valley City and Pem- 
bina. N. D. 
C-iEOi;.SE OR PARTRIDGES. 
Good— At Little Falls, Perham, Aitkin and Detroit, Minn. 
DUCKS. 
Good— At nearly all points. Especially at Brainerd, Ait- 
kin, Battle Lake, Fergus Falls, Perham, Detroit and Crooks- 
ton, Minn,, and at Dawson and Valley City, N. D. 
E. HouoH. 
1306 BoYCE BoiLDiKa, Chicago, 
