FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 14, 1899. 
be only a tenderly cherished memory. All of which 
renews the strength and timeliness of Forest and 
Stream's platform "Prohibit the Sale of Game." 
Agitate that in and out of season, and then keep on 
agitating it until the end of time, "avows the consensus 
of inteUigent, far-seeing, local sporting opinion," and 
perhaps through this medium — and' assuredly through 
no other present visible agency- — will the sportsman _ be 
able for years to come to temperately enjoy the shooting 
privilege, with its appreciated rewards. 
Greater uniformity and stability of the game laws is 
another imperative requirement. The many and fre- 
quent changes have a misleading tendency; they shake 
the average man's confidence in the integrity of the 
sentiment back of the law, and create disrespect for it 
among those who recognize the value of a good law 
righteously enforced. Generally speaking, the game 
laws of New York are not permitted to remain undis- 
turbed long enough for the country people to become 
acquainted with their provisions. The law as it applies 
to ruffed grouse does not protect the birds in this section 
of the State — ^and the same factors are at work in all 
parts of the State, it may be naturally inferred— to the 
extent that it should. To permit the open season on 
grouse to continue through December invites a slaughter 
lhat might well be avoided. The back-country farmer 
is ready and alert to take advantage of the December 
snows, when the grouse take to the trees promptly, and 
he pot-shoots them without any compunction of con- 
science. The local markets during a period of De- 
cember snow bear testimony to the force of the above 
statement. Then the farmer comes to town with his 
bunch of grouse, and continues to come as long as the 
snow lasts and the birds tree good. It is during that 
month that the annual cleaning up of the grouse supply 
occurs. A fine fall of snow, a $10 breechloader and a 
vigilant-eyed party turned loose in the woods, is a com- 
bination which the grouse in a tree is unable to regularly 
circumvent. 
Better, however, than to attempt to regulate these mat- 
ters, to clear the vision of the politicians to a sensible 
view of the situation— better than all this is the simple, 
•straightforward adoption as the law of the State, of the 
Nation, of Forest and Stre.ui's "Prohibit the Sale of 
Game"' clause. That will clear the atmosphere, stop the 
clamor save the game, and vield an enactment easy to 
enforce. ^ Chill. 
This being all we cared to carry, we started for home, : 
taking a shady path down a small creek, and when about 
half a mile from home we saw two fine wild turkeys fly 
across the valley and light on a hillside near where we 
were. In a very short time Jowlcr was barking furiously, 
and the "put put" of a turkey told us that he had treed 
one. Hastily cocking my gun, I slipped in under the high 
bank of the creek and waded down opposite to where the 
dog was standing, and peeping up the hill I saw the turkey 
almost directly over me. Hastily slipping my gun up the 
bank, I drew a quick bead on the turkey's breast and 
fired. There was a crash and a thump on the ground, and 
the turkey rolled doAvn the hill right against me. I 
dropped my gun and grabbed her by the neck with both 
hands, and yelled "I've got her." It was a very large ■] 
hen, and very fat. Talk to me about the joys of triumph. I 
Never in all my life have I felt happier than on that beau- 1 
tiful June evening when John and I walked into my ' 
father's yard, I with my gun and ten squirrels, and he 
Avith that splendid bird on his shoulder, and we walked 
out under a shade tree and cast at the feet of those ,' 
three venerable ministers "my first turkey." J. F. L, ' 
Deer in Southern New England. 
Providence, R. I., Oct. 5. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
In the Journal, of this city, for Oct. 3, I think, was an 
account of deer shooting here in Rhode Island. The deer ■ 
— a doe — was shot by a fox hunter of Exeter, in the 
w-estern part of the State, and weighed I32lbs. The Fall ■ 
River, Mass., News said the other day: 
"One of the interesting items of recent information is 
as to the appearance of deer in southern New England. . 
The Hartford Courant comments editorially upon the • 
fact, saying that several deer have been seen this fall in 
the vicinity of Winsted, and that others have been re- • 
ported in Middlesex county. The Springfield papers re- 1 
port that Deputy Sheriff Bouton, of Belchertown, had 
seen deer as he was driving between that place and 
Granby. In Massachusetts all seasons are closed seasons 
on deer. There is satisfaction in this fact. It would be 
too bad if huntsmen should destroy or even molest these 
gentle denizens of the forest, which are welcome to out' 
woodlands and which we hope can find sufficient shelter 
and nourishment to enable them to endure our winters. 
Certainly they could gain nothing in this respect by 
migrating northward. Let them live ajid mitltiply under 
the protection of law." W. A. S. 
Some Old Weapons. 
'Charlestown, N. H., Oct. 3— Editor Forest aiui 
Stream: I am siu-prised that your correspondent, F. 
B., who seems to be of Austrian birth, did not under- 
stand the word "slutzen." It is given in the German 
dictionaries as "a rifled gun," but said to be a provmcial- 
ism. It evidently refers to the length of the gim, and 
not to the rifling, and comes from the old Scandinavian 
word "stib," "st.ybbe," or "stubbc," found in the Anglo 
Saxon Danish, and ' Icelandic languages, corresponding 
with the Latin "stypc," and the basis of our words 
"stubbed" or "stunted," meaning something short and 
stifif. 
Another correspondent recently speaks of an old breech- 
loader, which he could not identify, and in which the 
breech block opened on a hinge, but which leaked gas 
fearfully at the joint to the barrel. It was the old "Hall 
carbine," built at Harpers Ferry, between 1830 and 1840. 
Each member of Congress had one, at the time of the 
appropriation for them, and one member, who was not a 
sportsman, gave his in charge of my father, who had the 
reputation of being a pretty good shot, I could beat the 
old gentleman at the target with it, however, and it Avas 
practically in my hands for two or three years. It Avas 
in some respects a com-enient Aveapon for military pur- 
poses, as it could be loaded without rising, when one 
was sitting or lying down, and Avithout exposure to the 
enemy. 
The J^oz. "ball which it carried was too big for squirrel 
shooting, however, as it tore the game all to pieces, and 
the sights Avere so coarse and clumsy that it was not 
possible to "draw a fine bead" on the head of the game, 
i remember, though, shooting a red squirrel, "end on," 
•once Avith it, AA^hen all I could find of hirh afterward Avas 
part of the skin, Avith the tail and paAvs attached. I 
afterward tried it with shot, but not with great success, as 
it "scattered" in an outrageous manner, probably due to 
the rotary motion given the shot by the rifling. 
We have had a slight touch of equinoctial, and the 
ground has been moistened a little, but I see no noticeable 
rise in the brooks or river. One of my young friends 
was good enough to bring me a nice, plump, young, gray 
squirrel last Aveek, which my daughter fricasseed, and 
which we relished hugely. It is the only game I have 
heard of so far in this region, but the ncAVSpapers report 
deer quite abundant in the northern part of the 
State, and I think it probable that Mr. Stark or 
some other one of your New Hampshire correspondents 
may soon give us an account of a successful hunting 
expedition. Alas! I can only look on, read and enjoy 
the stories of success, and comment and criticise occa- 
sionally, AA'hen something aAvakens my memories of the 
past. 
Thank "Shoshone for dubbing me Nestor. Since I can no 
longer play the part of Achilles or Ulysses, I am very aa'cII 
contented with that cognomen. Von W. 
Central New York Game. 
Ithaca, N.' Y. — The shooting season has suliiciently 
advanced to show that a pretty fair supply of ruffed 
grouse is to be found in local covers. In fact, the birds 
are more nitmerous than they haA^e been for at least 
three years. It is itnnecessary to specially mention the 
many good covers hereabouts in which a number -of 
birds should be taken daily. Suffice it to say that almost 
any road leading out .from Ithaca will bring one into 
likely covers. Spencer Summit and Van Etten, points 
on the I^ehigh Railroad, south of the city, are sur- 
rounded with especially favorable covers, out of which 
good bags can be taken daily. Iiideed, were it not for the 
merciless daily shooting of a couple of market-shooters 
who operate in that locality, it would fulfill the claim of 
being the best grouse grounds in tliis part of the State. 
There is considerable quiet rejoicing .'irnong local 
gunners over the return of the woodcock. There arc a 
fcAV to be foimd on the uldtime grounds, but probably 
iri no wise up to the expectations entertained earlier in 
the season. John McCormack, one of the best-informed 
and most active sportsfuen of the local brotherhood, dur- 
ing the course of a recent entertaining talk on shooters 
and shooting, said to the writer that tlie long continued 
scarcity of woodcock is an astonishing factor in the 
problem of the central New York game supply, and can 
be acounted for in no other way, so far as his experi- 
ence extends, than by ascribing it to the close, hard 
shooting out of these birds on local grounds from year 
to year. It is the man avIio Avants the last bird, and 
who keeps on shooting ixntil he gets it. Avho in lar- 
part is responsible for the sorrj'^ state of things now ex- 
isting. The late John Doty — honest, brave, rugged 
John — ^was wont to stoutly contend that this Avild sav- 
agery in shooting, this fierce appetitie for the total ex- 
termination of the Avoodcock. simply left no birds familiar 
with and attached to local covers, to return and bring 
Avith them new comers. Depleted and barren covers 
Avere. the result. 
Now, McCormack may be wrong; Doty's hypothesis, 
theory, or whatever you may elect to call it, maj' be at 
fault; but the one vivid, indisputable fact stands out 
clear and distinct .above all discussions pro and con, 
namely, that the woodcock have practically gone the 
way of the.bufifalo, the pigeon and so many other forms 
of wild life. Ten or fifteen j^ears ago Ellis Hollow, a 
low, swampy reach of ground, twisting otit southeast 
of Ithaca, had a state reputation as a fairly ideal wood- 
cock cover. The birds were there in great abundance. 
One would need a pocket full of .shells to go in there for 
a little shoot.. To-day that great outlook of country 
is in the main untenanted, and echoes only the forlorn 
note of a straggling longbill. There were other good 
local grounds, over which enjoyable shooting was to 
be had, but the glory of all; these has departed, and to 
get two or three birds out of them noAv one must 
work with the patience of a prophet and with the vim 
and masterful energy of a hod carrier. The annihilating 
methods of the game hog, to speak without equivoca- 
tion, have simply blotted the woodcock, as a game bird 
to be considerably reckoned with, out of local existence. 
Were it -not for. the impregnable habitat of the ruffed 
grouse, coupled witli his matcWess Avarinegs, he too would' 
A North Dakota Hunt. 
Fort Ransom, North Dakota.— On my deer hunt I had 
with me tAVo Aveapons I never Avorked before— a small 
kodak and a .30-40 smokeless Winchester. For over 
twenty years I never used but a-.44-40. a very handy rifle 
in thick timber, and I don't think 1 ever lost a deer_ 1 
struck with this rifle. I sold it this summer, with the 
imilerstanding that if I went to the woods I was to 
have the use of it. A Aveek before I intended starting I 
bought the .30-40, and the day I started a friend handed 
me the kodak, loaded Avith twelve rounds. I fired eight 
times Avith the kodak, and eleven times AA'ith the .30-40. 
1 killed four deer. The rilie being strange to me, I did not 
get onto the first deer until the fifth shot, and Avhen it 
landed it was enough— the bullet struck him close to the 
heart. The first thing I noticed as I got up to him was 
the small hole Avhere the bullet entered. I turned him 
over to find a hole I could stick my four finger.s into. So 
I made up my mind the rifle would do its Avork if the man 
behind it was all right. 
Hunting Avas bad, as there was no snow. One mgiit 
about bedtime it snowed a little. Next morning Ave Avere 
up in good time, but after breakfast it turned Avarm. The 
snoAV would not last until noon. 1 struck a track before I 
had my smoke finished, so had to put my pipe in pocket. 
The track was fresh, and i made haste. Slowly, as the 
snoAv was going fa.st, I followed out to an opening, and 
there stood" not over 50yds. from me a beautiful buck. I 
raised my rifle to drop him in his tracks; but he would 
not have it that Avay. He made a bolt for the timber 
pretty lively, broadside on. 1 tried to catch him behind 
the shoulder, but it struck a little too far back. However, 
the next brought him down stone dead. The bullet holes 
were 3in. apart. I hung him up Avherc he had fallen. 
Coming home to camp, I took a shot at the ChippCAvay 
Indian burj'ing ground on the banks of the river, Avith an 
(jid log house in background, Avherc an Indian killed an- 
other Indian, supposed to be accidentally. No one has 
lived in it suice. .30-40. 
My First Turkey.' 
It was my good-fortune to have spent my boyhood upon 
a farm amid the hills and valleys of northwest Arkansas, 
and nowhere is the air purer or the winds more re- 
freshing, and in truth it is a place where the loA'e of 
simple, healthful pleasures of rod and gun can be indulged 
in to satiety by him who loves these, the purest and most 
harmless of all sports — it is an ideal place. 
l\ly father's house Avas always a stopping place for those 
very genial and useful members of .society, the Methodist 
circuit riders. When at breakfast one day my mother an- 
nounced that she wanted "the bovs" (meaning my brother 
John and myself) to knock off Avork at noon and go 
squirrel hunting in the afternoon to kill some squirrels 
for the preachers Avho Avere coming tliat day to begin a 
protracted meeting, you may rest assured that there were 
two boys Avho watched the sun as he climbed to the 
meridian, and finally. Avhen that sweetest of sounds, the 
old-fashioned dinner horn, sounded, Ave lost no time in 
answering the call. In those days I kneAv nothing of 
breechloaders, but did my .hunting Avith a small, old- 
fashioned percussion cap, double trigger rifle, running 
120 bullets to the pound. A hasty dinner, a rubbing out of 
the rifle, and with my dog Jowler in front and John, Avho 
Avas too small to handle a gun, but Avas useful in "turning 
the squirrels and carrying the game," bringing up the 
rear, I was soon in the forest, intent on the very pleasant, 
if rather colossal, task of feeding three Methodist 
preachers, the number assigned to our house during the 
meeting. I will not attempt to describe that particular 
hunt,, but Avhen the sun began to sink behind the western 
hills a count .showed that Ave had ten nice fat squirrels. 
Catskill Deer and Cows. 
From the Catskill Mountains comes the news that the 
deer Avhich are overrunning Ulster and Delaware counties 
in large numbers, under protection of a laAV which forbids 
all persons to shoot them during five years from the time 
when the law went into force, have exercised a pernicious 
influence over the cows of those counties. It is reported, 
that the deer, having lost all fear of the proximity of man, 
haA"e frecpiented the pastures and barnyards, have sought 
the society of the mild-cj'cd and normallj-- phlegmatic 
kine, and have caused tho.se usually sedate animals to 
imitate the frisky habits of their somewhat remote 
cousins of the forest. 
It is said that the Ulster and Delaware county cows 
have learned to leap Avith ease and agility over fences 
which formerly were sufficient to keep them within terri- 
tory assigned to them, and that they have been roaming 
over the country with the deer and helping to do injury 
to crops. 
Thus do we see tliat it is not man alone who is easily 
lured from the path of rectitude by the deceitful charms 
of a bad example, — Albany Journal. 
Elk in the Olympic Forest Reserve. 
D. B. Sttei>lku, forest superintendent, is taking up the 
question of preserving the scattered bands of elk in the 
(.)lympic reserve. 
"My instructions from the Interior Department," said 
he yesterday, " are to co-operate Avith the State game 
warden in the enforcement of the State game laws; but 
I have not yet had a chance to confer Avith Mr. Little. 
My opinion, however, is that some measure of discretion 
is A'csted in the Commissioner, and my interpretation 
of that discretion is to allow no hunting in the reserA^es. 
"There are only two or three bands of elk in the State 
outside of the Olympic reserve, and those can be 
reached by trails over Avhich you can drive a wagon, so 
it is only a question of a very short time when those 
bands Avill be exterminated. 
"The reserves should be maintained for the preserva- 
tion of the timber, and also as presen'es for game, and 
until I have some different instructions from the De- 
partment my policy Avill be to allow no hunting what- 
ever." — Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 
An Extraordinary Buck. 
Dunbarton, N. H..— Editor Forest and Stream: 1 
inclose clipping from Manchester, N. H., Daily Union:' 
"Mr, Bombard, of Cleveland street, shot a magnificent^ 
buck weighing lyslbs. Avhile in Canada last Aveek. The 
buck's antlers spread about 6ft." Of the numerous in- 
credible reports of game, I think the average reported for 
the daily neAVspapers is neA>er equaled. Just think of a 
buck Avith horns spreading _6f t. 
I saAV a someAvhat similar account last Avinter in a 
NeAv York daily. A deer AA'as seen on the track just in 
front of a train. There Avas quite a race between thel 
engine and deer, the latter keeping but a fcAv feet ahead; 
until, reaching a oond by side of track, the deer jumped; 
into the water and SAA'am across. As this Avas said to have' 
happened during the latter part of January or early in' 
February and in the northern part of NeAv York State, 
the remarkable part Avas finding in that region at that 
time an open pond. C. M. Stark. 
Game in Texas. 
High Island, Tex., Sept. 29. — The guides tell me the 
feed is as good as they have ever seen it. Our lakes, 
have been protected as against tide water, and -the millet 
