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287 
the dogs all showed signs of birds right among us, and at 
last, several minutes after we had begun our tramping 
there, out went the whole of the covey from under our 
very heels, where it would have seemed simply impossible 
for them to have lain so long without discovery! We cut 
down four birds out of the rise, doubling on more than one 
of them, of course, and all being empty when two more 
birds rose from under our noses and sailed off unsaluted. 
Then a still stranger thing happened. We only picked up 
two of the last birds killed, and we all, four men and three 
dogs, hunted for half an hour in the dark and never did 
find three of the birds, which must have been killed quite 
instantly, as they were young birds and the fire was close 
and accurate. The dogs seemed to think that their day's 
work was done, and none of them being trained to retrieve, 
they simply quit when it got dark and refused to hunt 
dead for us. Much as we regretted it, we had to go away 
and leave three nice young birds on the stubble unfound. 
This little incident was fairly a puzzle to us, familiar as 
we were with the habits of these birds, and it shows well 
enough the main reliance of the prairie chicken for pro- 
tection, that of protective coloration. Once in the air, 
there is no disguising of itself possible for this bird, but 
many a dog treads close to where it lies and never gets a 
notion of its presence. 
No Future for the Chicken. 
We killed that day in all twenty -nine chickens, losing 
three, but still having a bag rightly to be called a fine one. 
We had a fine afternoon's sport, as we take it; though it 
cannot be said that we saw any great body of birds, for we 
killed a very large per cent, of all the birds we saw or shot 
at. This is what chicken hunting is to-day, not the old 
time sport when it was no trouble at all to bag twice as 
many to the single gun. As to the number of guns, the 
bag would no doubt have been practically the same had 
any two of them been out instead of four. A couple of 
dozen birds to a pair of guns is a good bag these days, and 
ought to be good enough. I really do not know of very 
many places in Minnesota where so good a bag as that 
could have been counted upon in the middle of September. 
Mr. Jones thought the law would be better if it opened the 
season Sept. 15. All of us agreed that the date of Aug. 20 
means absolute extinction for the prairie chicken. It is 
too eagerly hunted nowadays by great numbers of shooters, 
and it is too defenseless for us to hope that it will ever re- 
gain much of its former abundance. A nob'e bird it cer- 
tainly is, and worthy of a better fate than slaughter at a 
time when it flies Uke an owl, and can' hardly keep its 
head out of the grass for more than a couple of hundred 
yards. Even as we saw this bird, wilder, and more wary 
and more powerful, sometimes flying to a distance of a 
mile or more, the chance was 100 to ten against the bird 
in favor of the gun. I like a day now and then after 
chickens, and love the air of the wide fields of the prairie 
lands; but of the sport of shooting these birds I would soon 
tire, for it would seem too much a certainty to be a pleas- 
ure. For the experience of going out and hunting them 
for a week steadily in a country where they were abun- 
dant, I should not now care in the least. October is the 
best time to have fun with them, for then they have a 
little fun with you once in a while. 
Good Work. 
I will say for Mr. Jones that he has done his work well 
indeed in his part of the State, and kept the birds from 
the sooners. He wanted very much to have Mr. FuUerton 
see this with his own eyes. We found some coveys, such 
as that found last in the evening, which had never heard 
the sound or a gun before. There are many strips of good 
chicken country where the sound of the gun is all too 
familiar to the chicken, from the middle of July till snow 
falls in the winter. In spite of all that the best protection 
can do, I do not believe that this bird can be kept from 
extinction as a game bird worth counting upon. I shall 
next summer view with very great reservations any early 
statements to the effect that the chickens are going to be 
abundant at any place, no matter what part of the country. 
1 do not believe that the chicken is destined to survive in 
any numbers of consequence. Each season there will be 
a scrambling rush for the chosen locality, a few days of 
hurried and deadly shooting at what is left unshot by the 
sooners; then there will be a hiatus, of poor bags and of 
discouraging reports from parties who expected to get big 
shooting and failed to do so. As a bird to offer steady 
material for fall shooting, I think the chicken will hence- 
forth be a failure. If we are to try our guns and break 
our dogs, we shall have to fall back on the quail and the 
ruffed grouse— birds which are more tenacious, and more 
cunning in their choice of a home. I read and hear of 
many good bags of chickens made at one place or another 
—different points of the Northwest— but this does not 
mean anything as to the permanent supply of the birds 
upon the country. In the old days we never heard of 
any big bags at all, because there was no news in a bag. 
Now we learn of such shooting with interest, forgetting 
the many shooters who went out this fall and had no luck 
at all, but came back disappointed. 
I had only this one day with Mr. Jones, who enter- 
tained me very nicely, putting me in the place of one of 
those fortunate ones who wanted a bit of chicken shooting 
this fall and got it. It was a touch of the old times to see 
the good chicken dogs at work, and to hear the burst of 
wing of the big birds and to see the feathers floating off on 
the slant wind of the prairies. As such it was a pleasure, 
though nowadays it is hard to go chicken hunting without 
feeling a little bit sad over it— the change is so apparent 
from the earlier days. But one thing is sure: if this bird 
can be kept alive in numbers sufficient to make it a factor 
in our Western sports, it will be done by the work of such 
men as the wardens of this Northwestern country and 
their able deputies. It has been my good fortune to see 
some of the work of these wardens on the ground in the 
hottest battlegrounds of protective work in the entire 
West, and I come away with nothing but confidence in 
them and admiration for them and their success. If they 
do not win, it will not be their fault. E. Hough. 
BoycB Building, Chicago. 
Mississippi Quail. 
Blue Mousttain, Miss.— The crop of quail is good. The 
dry weather was favorable to them. Some are full grown 
aud some cannot fly yet. There are very few squirrels, there 
being no mast for them. Turkeys are few and far between 
N. A. ' 
A TIGER HUNT IN COSTA RICA. 
Big preparations were being made for our Christmas din- 
ner of roast pig with apple-sauce, venison chops and other 
dishes, and it was impossible to escape the odors Irom time 
to time wafted in fragrant breezes from the outside kitchen. 
All the doors and windows were of course wide open, 
because in Costa Rica we do not know what winter is, 
and there is hardly any change in climate the year round. 
As I was sitting at my desk, thinking of all the good things 
for dinner, one of my meu comes hurrying up with gun over 
shoulder and dog at heel, to tell me that he has that very 
morning and not a half hour before, seen a tiger pass 
through the bottom of the farm and enter the bush about a 
mQe from the house. He had seen the tiger carrying a young 
one in its mouth. Would I get my dogs and gun and hunt 
her? Well, yes, I would, and pretty quicklv, too. 
My neighbor, Mr. S., was easily induced to join the party, 
also a friend of his who was staying with him. So in all we 
were a party of four, including the man who had seen the 
t'ger. Mr. S. had a repeating shotgun, his German friend 
a rifle which would not go off, our guide a double-barreled 
shotgun, and myself a .44 rifle. It took us about three- 
quarters of an hour to reach the edge of the forest, where 
the tiger had been seen. Here the dogs became very excit- 
able, taking the fresh trail with spirit. No one who has not 
hunted in a tropical forest can realize how hard it is to make 
one's way through the bush; it is a matter of patience and 
machete work. Our German friend concluded to sit himself 
down on a log and await developments, while the rest of us 
followed after the dogs. We supposed the old tiger would 
not travel far, and this proved to be a good guess. What 
with the barking of the dogs and the noise we made cutting 
the way with our machetes, the old ti^er must have been 
badly frightened. 
At about this time we heard our German friend, whom we 
had left on the log, calling us at a great rate, and, as we 
made a circle back, could hear him calling, "I hear the 
tiger!" and there he sat on the same log, with his old rifle that 
would not go off cocked, and looking "pretty expectant. We 
all listened, and sure enough, we could hear a crying and spit- 
tmg about Toyds. off in the bush. We followed up the 
sound tiU we came to a snarl of old tree trunk and vines. 
We cut away the vines as best we could with our machetes, 
and there, squeezad up as close as he could get to a big tree 
root was a young tiger, scratching and spilling away at a 
great rate, and doing it well, tool I crawled in and grabbed 
him by the back of the neck. 
There were no signs of the old tiger; she must have been 
too scared to stay and see what was going on. Our German 
was very mad when told that his gun would not shoot, and 
m fact, threw the gun down on the ground and said that he 
would be blowed if he would carry it home; and so a peon 
was sent out for it. I took the little tiger home with me 
and kept him some time, but the facts are that the cook 
overfed him, and he died from the effects. 
We all enjoyed our Christmas dinner that day, including 
the little tiger, who had his share. 
A week later we had a calf killed by a jaguar, but that is 
a different story. They are all cowardly, and will not show 
fight to a man unless badly wounded. The black panther 
IS also found here, but is quite rare; on the other hand, 
the jaguar is common enough. 
This country is rich in game, and should be better known. 
„ Fred S. Lsman. 
HAoieanjA la Colombiasa, Costa Rica, Central America. 
THE JACKSON'S HOLE ELK. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
It is a very fortunate thing that the Forest akd Stream 
expressed its views on this matter so plainly, and brought it 
before the public notice so promntly; and there is no doubt 
that this highly-esteemed medium is thoroughly sincere in 
the view it takes of the matter, which is now open for dis- 
cussion, and which should interest everyone, and be entered 
into with a determination to suggest some plan to protect the 
elk from the fate of the noble buffalo, almost extinction. 
The writer is equally in favor of enforcing the game laws 
to the letter, as these laws are supposed to be made by men 
who thoroughly understand the habits of the animal and 
study its protection. But every sportsman knows (many of 
them much better than those who write the laws) that many 
of the game laws and conditions in a number of Slates are 
positively ridiculous. A very serious condition is going far 
to fast aid in the final extermination of the elk. The great 
inroads of civilization over the prairies and through'' the 
West soon thinned the buffalo out to an alarming extent; but 
this was due largely to wanton slaughter, when every cow- 
boy would ride his mustang lo one side of an advancino- herd 
and empty his revolver into the poor beasts as fasfas he 
could load and fire, leaving dozens of dead and wounded 
animals on the plains to rot or be eaten by the wolves. 
An entuely different and more serious condition "the elk 
have now to contend with, and one that will have to be con- 
sidered with great importance in framing a law for their 
protection in the future, notwithstanding the remarks of 
other old residents of Jackson's Hole, who (when they were 
told in explanation that Joshua Adams had taken pity cor- 
raled and fed some of the starving elk;, stated that it was 
imnecessary, that the elk thrived in Jackson's Hole lono- be 
fore Adams settled there. ° 
I am acquainted with Mr. Adams and with Mr H K 
Glidden, the manager of Moose Head Eanch. They are hard 
workers, very energetic and very successful, which accounts 
for the jealous remarks of their less successful neighbors 
Let it be understood that I am not upholding Mi Adams for 
violaimg the law, if he has done so. The very remarks of 
these narrow-minded old settlers proves the very point that 
is 80 disastrous to the elk. It is just this fact, that before 
Mr. Adams and dozens of other settlers came into the elk 
country and fenced off all the best feeding grounds in the 
beautiful valleys for their cattle, that the elk did thrive 
They are obliged to come down from the mountains in con- 
sequence of the heavy snows and seek their food in the val- 
leys, to find their winter feeding ground nature made for 
them fenced off for the benefit of ca'ttle and for the starva- 
tion of themselves. This condition does not only exist in 
Jackson's Hole nor m Wyoming alone, but in neariy all the 
best Elk countries. In my business I am in touch with all 
the guides and hunters of Montana and other States, and llie 
same story comes forward in the following heartrending 
words: "Elk died of starvation by thousands last winter vaf 
leys being mostly fenced off for cattle." One man writes that 
he found nearly 200 one morning in with the cattle stealing 
hay from the large stacks. Many were so weak with hunger 
they could scarcely stand. 
With all due respect to the game laws, it seems, under 
such conditions, the laws of htmianity would be uppermos* 
in any good man's mind, and no one would blame 5b-. Adam^ 
or any other man to open the bars, take in the starving elk 
and feed them. It would seem that even if they were fur- 
nished to public or private gardens and preserves it would be 
much preferable to the pres«nt and what appears a much 
worse future condition. Wm. W. Habt. 
New Yoek. 
VERMONT COVERS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
After thoroughly beating through many of my favorite 
covers with Bruce M., I am more and more convinced that 
this is an off year for game birds in this section of om coun- 
try. We have not found half a dozen young ru^ed grouse 
and very few old birds, which we have aUowed to go unshot 
at, preserving them for seed. In many of the woodcock 
coverts we did not find a single bird; in others one and two 
birds, all old birds. 
In company with Homer Lovering, Esq., of East Berk- 
shire, Vt., we visited a new ground where he was sure that 
we would find a few brace of woodcock. We arrived at 
this cover in a heavy rainstorm and saw signs eneugh to 
convince us that there were birds there. The next pleasant 
day, Sept. 18, we took along the colored wing-shot, Tom 
Anderson, and again visited this ground. We inquired of a 
nearby resident if there were any woodcock in his vicinity. 
"Oh, yes," he replied, "there are some hollow stubs over in 
that lot where they breed, and my brother got seven or eight 
one day." Thanking him for the information we 
passed on, and remarked that we were not after 
that kind of woodcock. We could write an interesting tale 
of the few hours' sport that we had that afternoon, but for 
the fact that the grippe has left us so enervated that we have 
not energy enough left to tell the truth in fuU detail; though 
it does make us snicker when we think about our two com- 
panions shooting the same instant at the same woodcock, and 
hear Homer sing out, "I hit him; he's my birdi" "All right," 
says the redoutable Tom, blowing the smoke out of his gun, 
and turning the white of an eye in our direction, "you can 
have the bird, and done take the glory too." Tom gathered 
in the next bird, which we kicked out from under Bruce's 
nose. Then they began lo make remarks about our empty 
pockets, etc. ; and it again makes us snicker when we think 
how the "old gentleman" went in, and snapped every other 
bird before H. or Tom could raise their guns. "It's the old 
hound that is the surest trailer" ; on him nail your flag for 
sure victory nearly every time. 
These were flight bhds, and we took them all away with 
us. That evening, a nice little supper with our genial host 
put us in good humor for our ten-mile drive home. 
Yes, Awahsoose, gyasculi were formerly quite common 
here in northern Vermont, and when the cars first began to 
run in our county, many a night gyascutus's shriek set 
numerous hairs upon end and the cold shivers up and down 
many a spinal column. There is now living in this village 
the son of a man who said that he would go "clear over to 
Piattsburgh" to see even the skin of a tornado that had done 
so much damage in the woods about there. In hunting the 
gyascutus the hunter should bear in mind that this animal 
has the power to eject a wad with great force and accuracy, 
even around a corner. 
Our club offers a reward to whosoever in this State, out- 
side of the county of Essex, kills by fair, legitimate still 
hunting, a deer with horns, and $10 a pound for the rump 
steak if it has a turnip's flavor. Out of some forty more or 
less deer that have been seen during the past summer in this 
section the writer has traced them down lo a single pair, a 
buck and doe, that have been roaming about the county 
among the farmers' cattle, creating a great deal of talk and 
excitement among the rural inhabitants. If either is shot 
it's ten to one that it will be the doe that will be potted. 
Stanstead. 
Sheldon, Vc, Sept, So. 
BAGS.1 
In the course of last year there appeared in a sporting 
contemporary Lord de Grey's wonderful record of game 
killed from 1867 to 1895. In yet another journal the present 
Kaiser William's record up to May, 1896, was published. 
Comparison, of course, is out of the question, but in placing 
the Emperor's figures by the side of the Earl's, we realize 
what a marvelous shot the latter gentleman is ; for the Em- 
peror is no mean sportsman, and yet his figures look very 
mean when placed side by side with those of the heir to th» 
Marquisate of Ripon. 
Of pheasants the Kaiser has disposed of 7,387, to the Earl's 
lll.lPO; 407 partridges are all the Emperor can put forward, 
while the earl's score is 89,401; the imperial record of grouse 
has apparently not been kept, 47,468 are Lord de Grey's 
figures; of rabbits the Kaiser has shot 638; Lord de Grey 
killed 300 more in the course of 1893 alone; during his 
career he has disposed of 26,747. Hares are the Emperor's 
strong point. He has shot 11,466, and even Lord de Grey 
can only pomt to two and a half times as many; 
2,735 snipe have fallen to the unerring aim of theEirl, 
and he has shot 2,077 woodcock to the Kaiser's two. The 
fifty-sis wild ducks shot by the Emperor compare but poorly 
with the 1,393 that the Eirl has killed; but the Imperial 
record of red deer is 738, while that of the Eirl is 381. One 
thousand, five hundred and twenty-four large wild boars and 
181 small boars appear in the Emperor's list, against ninety- 
seven pigs in the Earl's; ^ut whQe the latter can point to 
twelve buffalo, eleven tigers, two rhinoceros and 8,424 var- 
ious beasts, the Emperor can quote but one whale and 559 
different sorts of game — at least in this country, but at home 
he can boast of seventeen -foxes. Altogether the imperial 
bag shows 35,376 head of game, while Earl de Grey's con- 
tains 316,699. 
The King of Naples in a sporting tour through Austria 
disposed of 51,05« head of game In the year 1793 alone — 
shooting twenty times as many foxes as the Emperor has 
done in all his sporting career. Exactly 100 years later 
Earl de Grey disposed of 19,135 head of game, but no foxes, 
in the same time. In view of the fact that some 3,000 head 
of game were bagged in one day at the Marquess of Ripon's 
moor at Stutton last year, the great rec«rd of the Duke of 
Rutland, who in one day in the October of ^Waterloo year 
killed 135 head of game, does not look a very formidable 
bag for five hours' shooting, although early in the centtu-y it 
was considered to be a prodigiously fine achievement and 
worthy to be quotea with the forty-one and one half brace 
of partridges that Lord Kingston shot at Heydon on Sept. 
1, 1810, between sunrise and sunset, thereby winning 
a considerable wager. For wagers to be made on 
"bags" was quite a common thing early in the century. In 
I 
