6 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
the antlers, for any deviation from the typical style 
(which is that of the Rocky Mountain wapiti) must be 
considered accidental, we must turn to the animal itself, 
aiid what do we find. In nearly all seasons of the year, 
except winter, the color of the coat is apparentlpy in- 
distinguishable from that of the Rocky Mountain species, 
and I have seen a number of heads, killed in winter, that 
resembled precisely the Eastern animal, being in nowise 
any darker. But as a rule I believe in winter the head 
and neck of the Olympic wapiti, together with the legs, 
reaching to groin and rump, is black, varying in intensity 
and in a mixture of brown, among different individuals. 
This peculiar coloration I have never seen in the Eastern 
wapiti, and when in this pelage the Olympic animal could 
be always readily recognizable. It is to l3e expected that 
all the animals inhabiting a conntry subjected to such 
an annual rainfall as is northwest Washington Avould 
be very dark in appearance, and this is almost universally 
the case, all colors being intensified, and it is not sur- 
prising that the wapiti should prove to be no exception to 
the rule, but assumes at certain seasons a partly black 
pelage. This coloring is practically the only character 
there is by which the wapiti of the Olympics and Rocky 
Mountains can be separated, and when it is absent the 
animals are indistinguishable from each other. 
Black-tail Deer (Odocoiletis beimicous). 
The true black-tail deer was the only species repre- 
sented in the mountains. Although signs were seen every 
day, the animals themselves did not appear to be very 
plentiful, considering the amount of ground we passed 
Over, and even during the rutting season in September 
and October the bucks were not often seen. The summer 
coat of this deer is of quite a different color from any 
Eastern species, being of a more fiery hue, and looks 
very handsome when seen in the thickets, which, however, 
is not often, for in spite of the brilliancy of its coat the 
animal is not readily observed. Red and green being com- 
plementary colors assimilate and prevent the bright one 
from becoming too conspicuous. The black- tail has all 
the action of the Virginian deer, and never jumps with 
the rubber-ball motion of the mule deer, and in flight 
carries its tail well tip. Its short legs do not permit it to 
stand high, and the body is chunky, and I imagine would 
weigh more than the aA^erage Virginia deer of the .same 
size and age. About the settlements it is persistently 
hunted and its numbers have been much reduced in late 
years. 
Wildcat (Felis *tifa fasciata). 
The wildcat is very numerous in the Olympics, and all 
that I saw were remarkable for the rich chestnut red 
color of their coat. Some specimens, notably the one T 
brought back with me, resembled mahogany in their 
coloring. It is a large animal for this form of lynx, and 
like all its tribe exceedingly savage. 
Black Bear (Ursus americanus), 
Blaek bear were very numerous in the mountains, and 
we met with them, or evidence of their presence, con- 
tinually. We, however, only obtained two specimens, an 
old male and a cub. The animals were very shy, un- 
usually so, and cowardly, and would go off on a full run 
the moment any of us was sighted. They visit the 
streams when the salmon are running and become very 
fat on the fish they catch. There are no grizzlies in the 
Olympics, and only occasionally, as I was informed, is a 
cinnamon bear seen. It would be interesting to compare a 
series of the black bear of these mountains with one of 
their Eastern relatives and ascertain if there is any 
character for separating them. If the Louisiana and 
Florida bears are separable it would seem not unlikely 
that these animals, living in this remote corner of the 
United States, might also possess claims for distinctness. 
Mindful of the often wonderful individual variation there 
ia seen in the' skulls of nearly all species of mammals, it 
would not be safe to form an opinion on the specific 
status of the Olympic bear without having a number of 
.Specimens available to judge from. 
The Fisher (Mastela penanti pacifica). 
In certain parts of the mountains the fisher is not in- 
frequently met Avith. Two specimens were obtained- — a 
male and female. The first was shot out of a tree, among 
the branches of which he had taken refuge ; the other 
was caught in a trap. The female is much the darker of 
the two. The male is much more grizzled gray on the 
head and neck than the ordinary Eastern fisher, though 1 
have a specimen in the museum from Wisconsin that is 
also rather remarkable for the extent of this same color- 
ing that it exhibits. This animal is exceedingly quick in 
all its movements. Although in the recesses of _ the 
Olympics, individuals are occasionally seen and sometimes 
shot or trapped, yet the fisher must be regarded as a rare 
•animal everywhere. 
Its fur is long, thick and glossy, and it is a beautiful 
creature. Sometimes an individual is taken nearly jet 
black, and such a specimen is regarded as a great prize. 
The tail is very long and bushy and adds nnrch to the 
graceful appearance of the animal. Martins are not un- 
common in certain parts of the mountains, but we did 
not get any. 
The Red Sqwirr el. 
The red squirrel is no Ishmael. He is not a wanderer, 
for he loves his home, stays there and fights for and de- 
fends it After the snows came I could always find him in 
the same big hemlock that was his hiding place through 
■the; fall. How often have I watched him — when the snow 
was deep in the forest and all other wild creatures, with 
the exception of the chickadees, under the cold and frosty 
hand of winter, silent — daintily picking his dinner of hem- 
lock cones ; then, as he found himself observed, "sassing," 
snickering and making faces at me with motions so full of 
pent-up energy. The whiteness of the snow, the dark 
green of the hemlock, the brown of the Httle cones on 
which he feeds, the bright winter sunshine and his own 
red coat shining amid it all, make up a picture that I for 
one would like to see once more. Truly I hope his shadow 
will never be less nor his numbers fewer. 
, , PiN-E Tree. 
0^tti^ 0^^* 
A Deer and Turkey Hunt in 
Mississippi. 
Jackson County, Miss., June 9. — B, F, Pickett, G. H. 
Howze, S. D. Denny, O, H. Broun, L. M. Morris and 
the writer, of Jackson county, on the Gulf Coast of 
Mississippi, and Geo, E. Sage, from Mobile, have hunted 
in October and November of each year for deer and 
turkeys in the swamps on the headwaters of Pascagoula 
River, since 1882. We have a club house furnished with 
all the conveniences and comforts that are needed. Dur- 
ing the summer of 1898 the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas 
City Railroad had been built through our grounds, and a 
considerable town biiilt around our camp. As this meant 
the ruin of our game preserve, we were anxious that all 
of the members of the club should be present at our last 
hunt. The quarantine and yellow fever scare had pre- 
vented all of us from joining in the hunt in the fall of 
1897. Again tha scare of fever placed a quarantine by 
Alabama against Mississippi on Oct. i, 1898. 
The writer being the originator of the hunts, and having 
more leisure time than the others, it devolved on him to 
make all arrangements of the hunt. Contrary to past ex- 
periences the month of October was cool for this latitude. 
I left my home on Monday, Oct, 17, with my wife, who 
was to stay at a friend's, some two miles from our 
camp. We reached our destination about 9 o'clock that 
night, Tuesday morning broke clear with a trace of 
frost, which added greatly to our comfort. I spent the 
day in getting our provisions in camp and arranging 
everything for the hunt. That night Pickett, Howze, 
Broun, Denny and Morris came in ; also Haywood, our 
colored cook; Henry, our driver, and Pomp, our handy 
man. 
I had found a flock of turkeys going to roost that even- 
ing, and we were to go there before daylight the next 
morning. Sage did not come, as quarantine prevented. 
At 10 o'clock we turned in with the alarm set at 4 o'clock. 
The next morning promptly the alarm went off and soon 
all were dressed, and after taking a cup of good coffee I 
took Pickett, Denny and Morris where I had seen the 
turkeys the evening before, while Broun took Howze to 
where he had seen a flock of turkeys go to roost. After I 
had placed my party around the pond where I had located 
the turkeys, I went to where I knew turkeys were usually 
found. Just as the birds were greeting the. morning 
with their songs, I heard Pickett's big gun go off, and soon 
a fine young gobbler flew down near me and a soft, low yeep 
brought him nearer me, and the first turkey was credited 
to my score, and going back where I had left the others, I 
found Pickett with a large four-point buck, which he ex- 
plained walked by him as he was sitting down by a tree 
waiting for turkeys to fly down. We were jubilant over 
our success, and soon had our game in camp, where we 
found Broun and Howze, who failed to get any game. 
After breakfast we sent a telegram to Sage, giving our 
success and urging him to come. The remainder of the 
morning was spent in an unsuccessful drive for deer. That 
evening we crossed the river and hunted in a big swamp. 
Morris and Henry each got a turkey, with two flocks 
located to return to early next morning. On returning to 
camp we found a telegram from Sage saying he would be 
with us next day. 
We retired at 10 o'clock that night with the alarm set 
for 4 o'clock next morning. At the appointed time we 
were up, and after getting our coffee we crossed the river 
and went to the place where the two flocks of turkeys were 
located, and with the coming of day the boom of guns 
was wafted out on the still fi'osty morning that told game 
was found. At 8 o'clock we were back in camp with the 
following scoi-e on turkeys: Denny 2, Morris 2, Broun 
]; Pomp 2 and the writer i. We sent our game to friends 
in Mobile, and wired Sage the result, with an earnest 
wish for him to join us, which was answered the quaran- 
tine officers would not permit him to come, but would let 
him come to-morrow. We hunted for deer the balance 
of the morning, but failed to get any, although we started 
four. That evening we failed on turkeys. Friday morn- 
ing we got a fine buck, credited to Broun, and were back 
in camp by 10 o'clock, where we found Sage, to the joy 
of all. While we were waiting for dinner. Pomp came in 
and reported that he had just seen a large buck run into a 
thick swamp near camp, and we decided while waiting 
for dinner we would try and get that deer. After directing 
otir party where to stand, Broun and the writer took the 
dogs and carried them to where the deer was seen, and put 
them on his tracks, and we just then discovered the deer 
coming out, who, seeing us, turned back, but the dogs 
were in hot pursuit, and soon I saw him coming toward 
me, and a lucky shot with njy 25-20 Marl in on the run 
laid the old fellow out, 
Denny left for home Saturday. We hunted for deer, 
and Broun killed a very large old buck, while Pomp killed 
three turkeys with my little Marlin while on a stand 
waiting for deer. 
Howze left us on Sunday, and we sent our turkeys and 
the hams of the venison home, except enotigh for our 
Stmday's dinner. 
We spent Sunday in camp resting. 
Monday the following score was made on turkeys: 
Sage 3, and Broun, Pickett and the writer i each, Mon- 
day night Gaillard, of Mobile, Ala., and a former com- 
panion in some of our hunts, joined us. The writer had 
killed a turkey just at night Monday, and saw^ another 
gobbler go to roost in the swamp some two miles from 
camp. As Tuesday was to be the last day we were to 
hunt, and Gaillard had just come, it was the wish of all 
that he be given a chance to kill a turkey, and the 
surest chance was to go where the writer had seen the 
gobbler go to roost. Tuesday morning the alarm went 
off at 4 o'clock, and the writer was up with the in- 
domitable Pickett, although sixty-two years old, with 
him ; but the balance of the boys were slow in arising, as 
we had company until li o'clock, and when coffee was an- 
nounced, none were ready. After hurrying them a 
little, we got across the river, where we separated, the 
writer taking Gaillard, and as we parted from the others 
Pickett gave Gaillard his hand, saying: "Good-by, old 
fellow; it is nearly daylight and you are a mile and a 
half from where you have to go; and that long-legged fel 
low [the writer] will make you run all the way, and a 
you are soft he will kill you." 
The morning was cool and frosty, and we had to hurry 
to make the place where I had left the gobbler, but we go* 
there just as the day was making its appearance, and 
not knowing the exact place where the turkey was, I tool-. 
G. to a tree where I thought the turkey was and sat down 
to wait for more light, but on looking up over our heads 1 
saw our turkey in the topmost branches of a tall cypress 
tree, I showed it to G,, who fired one barrel at it sitting, 
and snapped the other at it flew off. The turkey was ap 
parently untouched, but I listened, and heard it lighi 
heavily in a tree some 400yds, away, and soon a dull thur 
was heard, I knew the turkey was dead, but G, hac 
not heard its fall, and was crestfallen at. his failure to kil 
at such a fair chance, and was loath to believe the birc 
was dead. After hunting in the cane for some time, 1 
found the turkey stone dead, Pickett's, Morris' anc 
Broun's guns were heard, and when we returned tc 
camp the morning's hunt stood: Morris 2, Pickett i anc 
Gaillard r. That evening Sage got one and the writei 
two turkeys. This ended our hunt. Squirrels and quail 
were not counted. C.. H. Wood. 
Nova Scotia Game* 
In his latest report as Secretary of the Game and Inlanc 
Fishery Protection Society, Mr. George Piers says: 
Moose and its Sale. 
Moose, our noblest game, are not diminishing, but, al' 
though there are numbers of these fine animals in Nov; 
Scotia, it will require all the energy of the Society, as wel 
as more funds, to keep them from the like fate of the ten 
of thousands of buffalo that were to be found but a i&M 
years ago on the western prairies, where now all thaB 
remains of them is a few bleached bones. If the sale ol 
moose meat is not soon prohibited, this will be the case ill 
Nova Scotia also. We must remember that hunters ar<l 
increasing at the rate of two to one of moose. FormerlJ 
the sport of moose hunting was confined to the militaryS 
with a few exceptions. Now it is quite different, as all 
most every man who is fond of an outing, and who get! 
a week or two's holiday during the fall or winter, goel 
off for a moose hunt. Then there are increasing numberA 
of American sportsmen who come here annually for th* 
above sport. Last, but not least, are the Indian and whiti 
poacher.s, who kill during the open season for the marketl 
and before and after that time slatighter to supply thi 
lumber and gold mining camps with fresh meat at 5 centf 
per pound. This is robbing the farmer, he not beinjl 
able to sell a quarter of fresh beef to these camps, whici 
he would undoubtedly do if the sale of moose and cariboi 
were prohibited. I verily believe there are as many a 
these fine animals killed out of season as during the opei 
period. Of course, people in general know nothing of this 
as it is kept very quiet; and when the proprietors of th: 
camps are prosecuted they swear that it was ox beef tha 
they purchased. No doubt the poachers sell it as such, bu 
Mr. Lumberman knows better, and it is only his way p 
cheating the devil. The Game Society has had positiV' 
proof of this having been done, 
I received a letter a few days ago front the mayor 0 
Truro, asking the Society to use its influence in securini 
a law prohibiting the sale of moose and caribou meal 
He stated that one butcher in Truro had sold twenty-on 
carcasses of moose last fall and in the early part of thi 
winter, besides what others had disposed of. I c.ontinuall; 
receive letters such as the above from different parts 0 
the Province, I have to answer that it would be useles 
for the Game Society to ask the Legislature to pass sue' 
an act, as I am aware that a number of th! 
members are of the opinion that the game laws as 
only made for the convenience of a few city sportsmen, I 
the sale of moose and caribou meat were stopped, ever 
poor settler could kill a moose when hard pressed for fres. 
meat, and would not have to leave his home for a week i; 
order to do so; because, as soon as the poachers foun' 
that they could not sell the meat, they would cease froi: 
their unlawful work; and the moose, not being continul 
ally harassed, would become comparatively tame, an* 
would yard within a mile or two of the farms, as they useif 
to half a century ago. Then sportsmen did not have tm 
go long distances to kill all the moose they desired, ^1 
there were plenty in the vicinity of Nine Mile River, HamI 
monds Plains, Guysboro Road, Mount tiniacke, etc. T^ 
same could be said of other counties also, as well as « 
Halifax. If this game were not marketable, they wouraj 
in a very few years, again become as plentiful as of olc 
Not many years ago, at W alton, Hants county, there wer 
onlj' four or five moose in the whole district, owing t' 
rope, dogs, and the gun, used at all times of the year. A: 
agent was appointed, and as a result of his first searc' 
for snares he sent me nineteen, and before the seaso: 
closed I received ten more. I have not heard of a snar 
having been set there since that time. Our agent reporter 
ten moose having been shot dm'ing the year 1898. 
Caribou and Deer. 
I do not know whether the caribou are moving this wa 
or not, but there have beeii. more seen this year than fo; 
many previous years, A small herd was seen near th™ 
Guysboro Road, about twenty-five miles from Dartmout 
where they had not been observed for fifty years. The 
were also reported as having put in an appearance i 
other sections of the Province. ' 
Judging from the reports that I have received, the re 
deer are doing well, considering the small number pu 
out. One of tlte two that were set at large at Harrietsfiel 
last year was shot at French Village, The three me; 
who took part in the killing of it were prosecuted and fine'* 
$50 each and costs. 
Imported Birds. 
1 cannot say much about the pheasants, as I was nc|l 
shooting last autumn near the places where they were ptV 
down. However, I saw a fine cock not far from our exi 
hibition grounds in October, and often hear of them fror' 
the country people. Mr, R, Bishop, of Beechville, Halifa: 
county, tells me that there are a good many about his farrr 
and that there are two cocks to every hen. He does no 
think that they increase as fast as they should do. Mi 
H. N. Wallace purchased a trio in 1897. He raised thirt; 
> 
