426 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Not. 27, 1897, 
to keep still with tlie game so near, but we shall get a shot 
sooner than If we rush ahead. 
Here comes the repeated chatter, so loud aud plain that we 
are sure of the tree, one of two that stand together among 
smaller ones. Sneaking softly about between these, avoid- 
ing dead twigs and sudden motions, we search for an open- 
ing that will give a view of the tree that holds the sqairrel. 
Only a glimpse can be had here and. there. One such shows 
a brighter patch aeainst the brown bars, half seen through 
the leafy twigs. The glass makes nothing more of it, but 
uncertainty is the spice of the sport, and the rifle is fired as 
much by faith as by sight. The reddish patch lengthens out 
and up" for an instant, and the next instant the jar of a 
bough tells where the squirrel jumped from the other side of 
the trunk into the big hemlock alongside, in which no eye 
could find him with any glass. 
Is that a squirrel or only a stub that we see topping that 
rotten stump as we pass on? Problem solved by the object 
dropping down under the stump, a place to which many red 
squirrels resort late in the season for winter quarters. It is 
somewhat like hunting for a needle in a haystack to stare 
around in the trees while any leaves are left, on the chance 
of seeing a squirrel that has kept silent and motionless, but 
the practiced eye will sometimes spy one, and more fre- 
quently when the boughs are getting bare, though in that 
case they seem to see the need of being correspondingly 
wary. How about that little round bunch silhouetted against 
the fcky in this tree-top? It is not the easiest kind of a target 
with its sky backing, but it looks suspicious, and a careful 
shot straightens it out into a squirrel, hanging for a moment 
by his slim, sharp claws, which instinctively gripped the 
twig when the bullet went through him. Where that old 
grapevine has interwoven itself with the thick- branching 
limbs of a low tree is securely placed the bunch of leaves 
that made a f quirrel's summer house. A shot through one 
of these sometimes kills an inmate and sometimes brings out 
one for a better chance, but shooting at the animal or the 
family of them unseen may cause only wounds and suffering, 
which the sportsman regrets to inflict, It is on ! merit of 
the. 25cal. rifle that it almost always kills such small creatures 
at once. 
So we have fared on with varying luck, and come to scat- 
tering trees at the border of the woods. A squirrel scampers 
along the ground and runs up the last one 20it. to where the 
stub of a little dead limb makes a sufficient perch. He is 
50yds. away, and the degenerate maiksman of these days 
prefers them closer, though we have all heard how the old- 
timer nipped their heads off without fail at twice that dis- 
tance. If you are go'ng nearer, you may as well sidle off 
to the right and not hint your scheme too plainly to the in- 
tended victim. There is also a better reason. Shooting from 
here, you would send your bullet out into the fields at a low 
angle and perhaps hit something else but squirrel and 
ground. The same if the game stood on a fence or stump, 
where the ground beyond could not be seen; while if the 
ball were to be sent up high enough to lose its headway in 
the air, it would drop with little chance of harm, especially 
if it is the light, round bullet. So you edge off to a point 
where you have the squirrel outlined against the tree and 
near enough to suit you. Then incidentally turning the rifle 
his way, you plant the white once more against the red, and 
end the hunt with a shot that spreads him motionless on the 
ground. 
We will not go gunning for pismires until the red squir- 
rels are gone. Bkistol Hill. 
GROUSE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. 
Editor Forest atvd Stream: 
The ruffed grouse, commonly called partridge, is a scarce 
bird in central New York at present, and, judging from re- 
ports received from various quarters, this is the case all 
over the State. Sportsmen hereabouts attribute the 
scarcity of these favorite game birds to the continued rains 
and cold weather which we had late in the spring and in 
early summer when the birds were nesting, and which it is 
believed prevented the hatching and rearing of new 
broods. This theory is apparently upheld by the fact that 
very few young birds have been seen this fall, and in some 
localities not one can be found. 
Many hunters insist that there are no better grounds for 
ruffed grouse anywhere in the State than are found in 
Oneida and Herkimer counties, and certainly there is an 
abundance of food and the best possible cover. Ordinarily 
excellent shooting is to be had during the open season, 
but expert wing shots say that it is almost impossible this 
year to make a respectable bag of grouse, and, as a rule, 
only old birds are flushed. If by chance a few young 
birds are encountered, an exceedingly rare occurrence now, 
they are sure to be small and weak flyers, which fact leads 
to the natural conclusion that they belonged to a belated 
brood. Pogsibly they may have been the outcome of a 
second attempt on the part of the mother to raise a family, 
her first eff'orts in this direction having been frustrated by 
unfavorable weather during the nesting period. 
In the fall of 1895 ruffed grouse were exceedingly plen- 
tiful in Oneida county, owing, doubtless in a great meas- 
ure, to the wise act passed by the board of supervisors two 
years before, shortening the shooting season at both ends. 
Perhaps the law was not as rigidly enforced as it might 
have been, but its beneficent effect was apparent in tlie 
increase of birds. Many of our sportsmen consider it un- 
fortunate that this law was rendered inoperative in the 
same year when there was such a marked gain in the 
number of grouse, and that the supervisors no longer have 
the power to legislate in their behalf. No sooner was the 
protective measure referred to repealed than the market-, 
hunter began to get In his work, and he kept it up until 
the close of the season. Thousands of grouse were slaugh- 
tered for the market in Oneida county alone, and most of 
them were killed late in the fall and early in the winter. 
Last year there was fairly good shooting, but it was not 
equal to that of the season previous. This year Bpor*^smen 
say they have not been able to bag a solitary bird where a 
year ago they killed ten or a dozen. At this time in other 
years long iitrings of grouse have been a common sight in 
front of the markets in Utica, but this season the dis- 
play is exceedingly meager. So many causes annually 
combine to retard the increase of the grouse, that it seems 
essential to afford them better protection than they now 
receive. The Black River Fish and Game Protective As- 
sociation earnestly advocates shortening the season for 
grouse and woodcock, believing, that for the best of rea- 
sons, shooting should not begin until Sept. 1 or, better yet, 
Sept. 15, and end not later than Nov. 15 in each y^ar. 
I have sometimes wondered whether or not the ruffed 
grouse in the Adirondacks had any definite purpose in 
constructing its nest near a footpath or trail. There are 
certain localities in the wilderness where one is almost 
sure of finding a nest or brood of young birds every 
spring (that of 1897 excepted), and it is a noticeable fact 
that most of these places are in close proximity to fre- 
quented paths. Of course, all grouse do not follow this 
rule, but enough do so to apparently indicate something of 
a preference in this direction, other things being equal. 
One can readily understand why the parent birds should 
choose to nest in the vicinity of a clearing or a patch of 
berry bushes, or if no more favorable place is convenient, 
near a clump of alders. They evidently make the selec- 
tion of such sites because of the convenience with which 
proper food is obtainable and perhaps, also, with a view to 
having as much space as possible for unobstructed flight in 
case of an emergency. It may not be easy to bring for- 
ward any convincing arguments in favor of the latter idea, 
but a wise bird would do well to take such a point into 
consideration. It is quite noticeable, too, that the wilder- 
ness grouse usually has an eye on the question of water, 
and builds its nest in a spot where plenty is to be had. A 
person can readily perceive the wisdom of all this, but 
just what idea the bird has in nesting near a path is not s~> 
easy to determine. Can it be that it believes man to be 
the least dangerous of its enemies and appreciates the fact 
that places frequented by him are as a general thing 
shunned by its four-footed foes? Some may, perhaps, be 
inclined to say that it is only a matter of coincidence, and 
that the nests are near the path simply for the reason that 
the path runs through the clearing or the clump of berry 
bushes, but snch ones will not be those who have closely 
observed the habits of the grouse. The birds' predilection 
for the neighborhood of a path seems unmistakable. 
While spending a vacation on North Lake, in the Adi- 
rondacks, one spring, I discovered the nest of a ruffed 
grouse in a brush heap only a few rods from our cottage, 
and not more than 10ft. from the footpath leading to 
a neighboring cottage. The boughs had been cut the 
year previous, and were almost identical in color with the 
bird and her nest. The mother bird was seen on her nest 
several times, but was not disturbed by our party, and 
seemed quite unconcerned, although a trifle curious, when 
we passed by. Once when she was temporarily absent, we 
paused for a moment to see what she had been so faith- 
fully guarding, and found that the nest contained ten eggs. 
We were in hopes that the mother would be successful in 
rearing a fine brood, and were very careful not to alarm 
her. One night, however, disaster overtook her in her 
home. Some of our party heard an owl during the eve- 
ning, and not long after a peculiar squeak, which sound 
was also attributed to his owlship. The noise came from 
the direction of the nest, but it was not until the next 
morning that the extent of the catastrophe which had be- 
fallen our feathered neighbor became known to us. Judg- 
ing from the appearance of the nest, the owl or some other 
robber had raided and looted it. All of the eggs were gone, 
and we were unable to find so much as a shell remaining. 
There were also other evidences of trouble, and many 
downy feathers from the grouse were scattered around. 
Whether or not the latter finally escaped from her enemy 
we never knew, as our vacation ended about this time, and 
we left the woods without catching another glimpse of her. 
W. E. WOLCOTT. 
UxiOA, N. T., Nov. 8. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Size of a Sea Otter. 
I FRESiTME that everybody has heard about the sea otter 
of the Northwest Coast country, and knows how very valu- 
able its fur is, and how hard it is to get. Probably most 
readers have read of the way in which this animal is secured 
by the long-range riflemen who perch on towers and watch 
for it day by day. Bat how many persons of the middle 
West or the East, or indeed about any other part of the 
country, know whit sort of an animal this sea otter is, how 
big it is or what it looks like? 
1 confess that, for one, my own notions about the sea otter 
were very vague. I supposed, taking it for granted without 
any advice to that effect or to the contrary, that of course 
the sea otter was just about like our ordinary otter, about 
the same size, th ough with a deeper and choicer fur. I 
knew that a really good piece of sea otter fur is worth much 
more than seal skin . Unce I saw a very pretty bit of trade 
over just such a thing. There was a handsome sea otter 
coat in a certain store in this city, which was offered for 
sale as seal skin. A certain lady happened to see it and ask 
about it, and was told it was seal and would be sold at such 
and such price. She put her hand on the fur, and being 
expert, and also having control over her countenance, said 
quietly that she would take the garment. She did, and is 
wearing it yet, about as good as n' w, though that was ten 
years ago or more. The fur is better than ttiat of the seal, 
I know where I can get a whole lot of raw seal skins, salted, 
and untanncd, for less than $10 each. They can be plucked 
and dyed (American dye) for about $5 each. It takes about 
a half dozen to make a coat or jacket such as ladies like to 
wear, and less than |40 will cut, sew and line it, making it 
an easy problem at |123 Usually we pay about two to four 
times that price for our genuine Loodon-dyed seal garment?, 
which were possibly dyed in New York; but the bigy;e8t pait 
of the price rises in the nerve of the dealer. There are tricks 
in all trades except the fur trade, and it is all one continuous 
gold brick game. 
But about my sea otter. The other day I was wandering 
around in a fur store here, talking otter to the accommodat- 
ing head of the house, who sometimes lets me into a secret 
or two in fur matters. I had a very pretty otter skin, which 
we were admiring, a river otter, very dark, which came from 
St. Paul market. 
"I'll show you a good otter," said the dealer, smiling and 
turning to a skin wbich was hanging on the wall. " What 
do you think of that? ' 
I turned and walked to the specimen, and saw that it was 
indeed an otter. But such an otter! I rubbed my eyes. It 
was an otter a good deal bigger than I was, a terror of an 
otter, yet surely an otter by the long, narrow, tapering skin, 
and by the quality of the fur, soft and deep, and with the 
guard hairs showing well. 1 could also tell at once that the 
skin, while large, was not a prime one; for the fur was shal- 
low beneath, and not so deep as it should have been on the 
back. Of course, I knew at the second glance that this was 
a sea otter, and that I had seen my first specimen of what I 
had supposed was a very much smaller animal than this. 
I got a tape and measured this skin, which was "cased" and 
stretched just as the ordinary otter ?kin i? by the trapper. 
The tail was short and stumpy, and I presume it had been 
broken oft' at about one-half or two thirds nf its length from 
the body. As the skin was, it measured 6Ft 4'n. from nose 
to end of taO. It was 17in. across I he back (a "cas' rt" skin, 
of course, is one not ripped open, but taken off wlfh only a 
cut along the hindlegs, being after that taken off over the 
head, and inside out). Just back of the head it was loin, 
across. The hind paw, which had been carefully skinned' 
out and split open, measurr d just lOin. across. Thus it may 
be seen that the sea otter is quite an animal, acd roughly 
speaking, about twice the size of the largest land otter. 
My dealer man said that he hart just bought this skin fat 
a figure which I should not name): "but he said be had de- 
clined an offer of $350 for it, made him by another dealer 
here in Chicago. The skin was large, he said, but not prime. 
(The surface was crinkly and burned, so lhat it would appear 
to be a summer Fkin ) Had it been nrime, it would easily 
have brought $800. It was intended for use in trimmings, 
and in that lorm the dealer expected to g^t much more than 
$350 for it. The hunter who killed it probably did not get 
more than flOO for it, for it was sold to this dealer by an- 
other dealer who is located further West. I never knew any 
fur dtaler to sell anything that he didn't make at least 
$100 profit on it; but they have to do ibis, because a good 
many of them have families to support. This is all I know 
about sea otters, and a good deal more than I knew day be- 
fore yesterday. They are a large and husky beast, but I 
would like to be chased by a few of ihtm. 
Warden Osborne Scored a Victory. 
M&v. 14.— Warden Chase S. 0;borne, of Michigan, has 
scored a decisive victory in the courts over the maiket-fish- 
ermen, and a still greater victory in that it includes the 
right of the State to confiscate material used in violation of 
the law. The Chicago Record of Nov. 12 has the following 
dispatch from Lansing, Mich : 
"The constitutionality of the act of the last Leeislature, 
prohibiting fishirg in the waters of the G'X'at L^kes from 
Oct. 31 to Dec. 15, and also of the act of 1893, providing for 
the seizure and destruction of nets and oth> r apparatus used 
in violation of law, were upheld by the Supreme Court to- 
day in a unanimous opinion. The quesli'm was raised by 
commercial fishermen, on whose application Circuit Judge 
Corbett, of Traverse City, issued an irjanction restraining 
State Game and Fish Warden Osborne from enforcing the 
closed season law. Claim was made that the law is uncon- 
stitutional." E. Hough. 
1206 BoxoK Building, Ctiica^o. 
LARGE ANTLERS. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Through the kirdness of Mr. A. L. Crosby, tbe taxider- 
mist, of Bangor, Maine, I have an account of some of the 
moose killed the present season, up to Nov, 2. Mr. Crosby 
had received for mounting the following mcose heads: 
Twenty eight kiUed in Maine, seventeen killed in New 
Brunswick, two in Quebec, and five killed in Nova Scotia. 
The heads from New Brunswick have the largest antlei;?, as 
follows: One of 66in. spread, one of OOfin., one of Sfin., 
and two of 58in. The best head from Maine spreads 61in., 
with l"3in. blades and 28 points. Some of the above New 
Brnnswick heads have already been mentioned by your cor- 
respondent Mr. Kisteen, who is giving some very interesting 
accounts of New Brunswick hunting grounds. It is a pity 
he cannot get all details of the killing of each large moose; 
when, where, and how each was killed, what rifles were 
used, and the number of shots needed, would interest readers 
of FoKEST AND STREAM. 1 kuow from expfrieucc that it is 
sometimes very difficult to gei full details from some hunt- 
ing parties, even when one has taken pains to advise them 
to try certain grounds and to recommend certain guides. 
Several years since, when t first became ambitious to kill 
such game as moose and caribou. I tried to find out about 
the best places, and at that time had some correspondence 
with a gentleman living in Fredericton, New Btunswick, 
and was advised by him to try some of the grounds of 
which Mr. Risteen is now giving such good accounts, and 
as I remember was also advised to engage the guide Braith- 
waite. I fully intended to try New Brunswick, but happen- 
ing to go first to Nova Scotia, I found at that time that 
moose were quite plenty there, and I went there three suc- 
cessive seasons, getting a mcose each season. I have never 
hunted moose since, as I thought I had killed enough. 
As for caribou, none of the heads taken elsewhere are 
equal to those of Newfoundland. In a clipping from a 
Bangor Maine r^per, I see that Mr. Crosby has for mount- 
ing a remarkable hesd. This caribou was killed during the 
present season, in Newfoundland. The antlers having 51 
points and are very symmetrical and massive, the brow 
antlers measuring 16m. in depth. On my first trip to Nova 
Scotia after moose, 1 was told that caribou were quite 
plenty, but I never have so much as seen fresh signs of 
them when hunting in the Province. When we were hunt- 
ing in Digby county, near the boundary rock, our Indians 
said the place to find caribou was over ia Qieens county 
around Dunraven Bog. The following season we_ were 
hunting around Dunraven Bog, and our guides said tbe 
cai-ibou grounds were over around the boundiiry rock. 
In Maine, when hunting for caribou, I iound it very 
uncertain about finding them. Tiiey seemed to be contin- 
ually going somewhere and never gi tiing there. On ihree 
trips 1 saw nine caribou in all and kiihd five, which were 
all I shot at. None that I saw had large horns. 
Judging from Mr. Risteen's accouutp, New Brunswick 
seems to furnish fine sport and good specimens of large 
game, and doubtless there will be a large increase in the 
number of hunting parties who will go there in the future. 
Bemficial as the new laws of Maine may be to its game 
supply, the law is not liked by many sportsm* n who nere- 
tofore have regularly gme on their hunting tiips to the 
Maine woods, and the New Brunswick game will be likely 
to suffer in coiisequence. E. M. Stahk. 
DUNBAKTON, N. fl^ 
_ ^ 
For Rest and. a Moose. 
Boston, Mass —Mr. C H. Cook, the genial and popular 
representative of the large commission houieof B.iss, Fdbyan 
& Co., has gone on his annual ti'ip to the Maine woods. 
He goes nominally for a much-needed rest, but as he is an 
indefatigable sportsman, we expect great results when the 
returns come in. Mr. Cook's reputation on small game is 
already established, as he has always returned with a full 
bag, but we understand that nothing short of moose will 
tempt him this trip, Nimbod. 
