^ @ @ 
later and shorfer, Houtidkig is a iime-tioiiofed mrfhod 
of hunting. The stag and the hound have been promi 
nent in iiteratui'e and art from the days of the earliest civ- 
ilization. The important thing to determine now ib when 
the deer shall be killed rather than how they shall be 
killed. It is difficult to enforce a law where local opinion 
•is strongly against it. As a compromise in settlement ot 
the vexatious differences which exist, I would suggest a 
short season, a late season, and let every one hunt as he 
pleases. 
"You will understand, hoAVeyer, tliiii is one man's opin- 
ion only, and that I am not authorized to iSpeak officially 
for the Commission." B. 
In a Goose Pit. 
Grasbv, p. Q., Oct. 30. — I have had a new experience 
in shooting, and think that perhaps it might interest some 
of your readers. 
On Oct. 10, 1899, H. E. Hibbard, Pete Largie and I 
arrived at Isle au Reaux, which is situated some twenty- 
six miles below the city of Quebec. We were called the 
irext morning at 3:30, had breakfast, and embarking on a 
one-horse "charette," Avith decoys, bushes, and straw, we 
drove down the island about a mile and a half to where a 
pit had been dug the day previous. While the guide tied 
the live geese decoys, we placed branches over the pit and 
straw on top of this, so that when completed it resembled 
the rest of the field of oat stubble. 
The four of us got into the pit, which Was feairely large 
enough to give proper elbow room to tlirce. We were 
settled down and all ready just as day was lireaking. We 
could hear the wild geese calling on both sides of the 
island, our decoys answering occasionally. We had been 
there about half an hour when a iiock of about a dozen 
appeared over the woods, heading for us, honking in 
great style. You should have heJard our decoys answer 
them. The flock was a little high, so they circled twice 
and then came in right toward us, setting their wings and 
dropping in quite gracefully for so large a bird. Our in- 
structions were that after they had alighted each should 
pick a bird and then shoot together, then as they arose 
give them the other barrel on the wing. 
They had no sooner dropped than I had two in line, one 
about 20 feet away, the other about 60 feet. Pete said he 
was ready, Hen nodded and the guide appearing pre- 
pared, I said "Pull," although I then had a bead on the 
furthest one only. We were sitting down when we 
fired first barrel, but jumped up and fired at the others -as 
they were going away. Heii feathered his nicely, and we 
saw it dropping slowly out toward the water, but did not 
recover it, although later the guide went in search. I 
got a bead on one as it was going away, but unfortunately 
pulled the wrong trigger, and although I quickly pulled the 
right one, I did not get a feather. 
We got out of the pit quickly, picked up Hen's bird, 
which was shot well— or badly— through the bpdy, also 
my bird through the head and neck. 
The guide had got nothing, and on inquiry of Pete, we 
found he had not fired at all. He was ready all right, but 
we shot quickly and on the quick jump up for second 
barrel he was too much crowded, he said. Subsequently, 
after all was settled down again and he had looked over 
the decoys, he said it was lucky he had not fired, as he had 
had one of the decoys covered. 
I picked up the two birds and was looking them over 
when the guide said some more Avere coming, and asked 
who would run with the two and hide them in the woods a 
couple of acres away. 
In place of sending him, I foolishly volunteered; and 
while I was running to cover a band of seven came over, 
but as they no doubt saw me running and the others 
scrambling into the pit, they did not decoy. 
The guide uses an old muzzle-loader, and was stand- 
ing up in the pit when another flock of about thirty came 
over the woods. Hen told him to sit down, but he 
wrent on ramming down the load, saying he was not yet 
loaded and wanted a shot himself- The result was that 
we got no geese out of those two gangs, whereas we 
should have had a half-dozen at least. I duly returned to 
the pit, where we four sat cramped rip for a time, but no 
more geese coming over, the guide said he would go down 
and search for the one Hen had feathered. 
He was not gone more than ten minutes when We heard 
our decoys making a great racket. A lone gray goose 
came sailing in and dropped down about 20 yards away. 
As Hen and I each had one goose, 1 suggested in a 
whisper that Pete shoot it, while we would cover her in 
case Pete missed. Pete thought this a good proposition 
and immediately bowled her over. We brought her into 
the pit and waited for more. She was a very pretty 
goose, but weighed only 4 pounds, while Hen's weighed 
SV2 and mine ioj4 pounds. 
' At about 9 o'clock Mr. Roberge came up with the team 
and took me for a ride around the island. We saw several 
bands on the rocks and on the water, some of thern flying 
up, out of which the boys in the pit secured two more. 
One band of about seventy-five came over the pit. The 
guide had not been satisfied with the' pit, and was digging 
another about a hundred yards further back. When they 
appeared he iumped into his partly dug pit, but, of course, 
was not hidden. They circled tAvice, coming very close 
to Hen and Pete; but as their instructions were not to 
shoot until the birds lit, they let them go over. When 
they were leaving the guide foohshly fired at them, but 
got nothing. Had he been in the blind instead of digging 
another pit, there would have been less talk and more dead 
geese. 
I returned from my trip around the island about 11 
o'clock. We then went to dinner, leaving the guide alone. 
On our return we found he had three more and had 
Avounded another, which he secured later in the day. 
In the afternoon a single goose twice came over, but 
would not decoy, and althougli she offered an easy Aving 
shot, we foolishly did not accept it, much to our regret, as 
no more came that, day. That afternoon I went with Mr. 
Roberge to visit his eel pots, and helped him secure fifteen 
nice big ones of from'3 to 5 pounds each. 
The day had been bright and mild, with hardly any 
wind after 10 o'clock. The geese could be seen on the 
rocks near the water sunning themselves, Avhile other 
bands M'ere out on the water some distance. There was 
j^'OKE^T AND joTHEAM, 
Hi) War of atlpfoachitig thfeirl, theirs Wete pi*ohaWy iOO 
on the south side and seventy-five on the north side of the 
island. 
The next day wc were up at 4 and got into tile pit al 
da3dircak. We Avaited patiently for a couple of hours, but 
none showing up, we sent the guide down on shore to 
see if he coidcl not start some of them flying, but they 
simply swam fuliher out on his approach. At 9 o'clock 
we returned to the house, as wc were going to spend the 
rest of the daj- on Isle a la Madame for ducks. 
The guide discovered that lie had left his bag of shot at 
the pit, and a boy Avas sent after it, who reported that 
eighteen wild geese got up from among the four decoys 
IN THE TIT. 
we had left there- In the evening Avhen the guide went 
after his decoys he claimed there Avere about twenty-five 
Avild ones with them. 
In going to Isle a la Madame there was a fair breeze on 
that made our small sail boat rock somewhat, enough to 
make Hen .say he preferred to be on land. As a proof 
that he Avas scared, he sang a couple of hymns, something 
I never heard him do before. Pete kept very quiet, but 
Avhen a Avhitecap dashed some spray on him he commenced 
baling, looking quite anxious the while. He said he Avas 
not making as much noise as Hen^ but that he Avas doing 
a poAverful lot of thinking. 
We. "put out our decoys at high tide, but could not get 
into a satisfactory blind, and although some 300 to 400 
ducks got up in a cloud some distance oft", and scA'eral 
flocks came over us, they Avould not decoy. I gave my 
bu.shes to the others and started off to explore the island, 
thinking nerhaps I could find some snipe or plover. On 
the further side I got two plover and lost one in the 
Avater. I theacL returned to the blind, which the tide had 
THE DECOYS. 
left about a quarter of a. mile from the Avater. As Mr. 
Roberge was to meet iis AVjth the boat at low-water mark 
Ave moved over there with' -the decoys. On our way a 
small flock of plover got itp,- and Hen Avent after them. 
At the report of his gun another flock got up not far, from 
Pete. I told him to leaA-e his share of the dunnage on the 
rocks and go after them. He seemed anxious enough to 
trv the shooting, but his load being all Nos. 2 and a, he 
sa'id. "PshaAV, I'll tear them all to pieces." As he had 
never done any trap or Aving shooting, I said, "You will, 
eh! We'll see?" He fired only once and claimed that he 
had shot at a big rock, simply to scare the flock up so they 
would go over to Hen. We asked him if he had "torn the 
rock all to pieces." and thereafter Avorked this "roast" on 
him on all possible occasions. I joined Hen after the 
plovei-. At the wind up he had fifteen and T had seven. 
The next day Ave spent in the pit, but as it Avas an ideal 
Indian summer day the geese would not fly, so we got 
nothing, the result of our hunting being nine geese and 
twenty-two plover for four guns, a great difference from 
the three days spent there last year, when three guns got 
eighty-one geese. 
The island is something over tAVO miles long, and con- 
tains over 500 acres above high-Avater mark, of which 275 
ate cultivated. Two hundfed and fifty yeats ago it W 
longed to the Jesuits. It has been cultivated for prob 
ably a hundred years. There are barns, a large factory, 
granary, root house, workshop and place for salting eel > 
atrd fisii. There is a telegraph station, where the Govern- 
ment cable lands, thence wire over the island, thence cable 
to Gros Isle quarantine station. There is a ridge running 
almost the whole length of the island, rising abruptly some 
40 feet on both sides, being from one to four acres in 
width. It was up on this ridge that we had the pit. Mr. 
Roberge has owned it noAV twelve years, during which 
time he has allowed only three days' shooting each year 
the past three years. Every year the fields are gleaned 
by the geese. He has been offered $25 for two guns to 
shoot on it for one day, but refused, so we were very 
fortunate in getting an invitation. The island is for 
sale, and can be bought for $5,500. I believe that a club 
can be formed of say tAventy or twenty-five members, and 
make an ideal .shooting box, where three guns could shoot 
for tAvo days a week from Sept. 15 till the ice takes, say 
Nov. 15 to Dec. I, and have good shooting year after year. 
Mr. Roberge makes from $700 to $800 per annum out of 
his dairy, sheep and eel pots, hence there would not need 
to be any annual dues; in fact, I believe it could be 
worked so as to return interest on the investment to any 
club taking hold of it. 
I will be pleased to give further information to any one 
desirous of forming a club, in Avhich CA^ent I must be 
counted in as one of the charter members. 
J. Bruce Pa-yne. 
He Was Cute, but I Got Him, 
Hartford, Mich. — Several years ago a farmer named 
Charles Andrews, Avho lived north of Hartford, Mich., 
came to me and told me there was an old turkey gobbler 
living on a corn field near the Avoods west of his house; 
but the old fellow Avas so cute he couldn't get a .shot at 
him. 
Early in November the first good "tracking snow" fell 
and early morning found me on my way to Andrews' 
corn field, determined to bag the old gobbler. I arrived 
soon after sunrise. Looking around, I saw plainly when 
the game had been scratching and eating corn. Looking 
tOAvard the heavy timber Avest of the field I saw a turkey 
lly directly west and light in a large burned swamp. It 
was one of our Michigan SAvamps, where tamarack,- oak 
and elm had been burned out by the roots and fallen to- 
gether, making the swamp nearly impenetrable. 
I knew at once that the wise bird had learned that the 
swamp AA'as a safe retreat for him. Filled with burned 
logs and pools of water, it would have stopped most 
hunters, as the old felloAv kncAv, biU he did not knoAV me. 
Marking well the .spot where he had lit, I made a start 
for it, knoAving he would haA^e to fly when he went out. 
for turkeys dislike wading. I tried to get as close to 
the spot as I could, for I knew he would not fly unless 
he saw I was coming directly upon him. After creeping 
through tree tops and climbing over and crawhng under 
logs until I thought I was near the place, I climbed 
up on a large elm log and looked around for the bird. I 
had stood on the log but a moment when I heard a 
rustling in the fallen timber about 50 yards to the left. 
Turning quickly I caught a glimpse of the turkey run- 
ning among the brush, and a moment later I heard the 
SAA'ish of his Avings as he started toward the corn field I 
had just left. I fired both barrels, but he Avas safe, as 
the shot fell harmless. I went back, keeping the line of 
his flight until I neared the clearing Avhere the corn field 
was located. I saw the marks of his wings on the snow 
and the tracks where he had lit and run tOAvard the field. 
At the edge of the clearing I saw where he had lit upon 
a large red oak log, and from that he had flown. I felt 
sure that he Avas too wise to take the chances oE going 
near the fartn house, and carefully noting the tracks upon 
the log, I saAv that he had turned around and flown back 
into the wood toward me. 
I knew he could not have gone past me in the heavy 
timber Avithout my hearing him. I scanned every tree 
top within sight, thinking he might have lit in some 
giant oak or elm, but I could not see him. Although I 
was greatly astonished, I knew that he had not vanished 
into air, but Avas trying to outwit me. 
Within about 50 feet of where he had stood on the log 
were two large buckwheat pines, very tall and thick- 
limbed from the ground to the top. I looked the nearer 
one over carefully, but faded to see anything resembling 
a turkey, though it was quite impossible to see through 
the dense foliage. However, a careful .survey of the 
other pine disclosed a pair of red legs up some height, but 
not a feather was to be seen. Bringing the Parker to my 
shoulder I aimed Avell above the visible legs. The report 
of the gun had scarcely ceased Avhen with great pounding 
of wings and crashing of boughs the turkey came down. 
When I returned home with my bird I found tliat he 
weighed 21 pounds. My friend Andrews thought I oughi 
to divide with him. since he had furnished the corn to fat- 
ten the turkey, but we compromised and he took a pan 
of rainbows and pitcher of cider. 
We had a great feast and I never was more proud of 
any game taken than of that same old gobbler. 
Sullivan Cook- 
The Vermont Game Season. 
AliLTON, Vt., Oct. 30. — Shooting in this part of the 
State has been fairly good this fall, much better, in 
fact, than last season. The dry Aveather of the past sum- 
mer was unusually favorable for grouse, and they are Avith 
us in good numbers. The new laAV will be without ques- 
tion a great thing for the grouse crop, as it prohibit^^ 
their sale, and also limits the number to be taken in orie 
day to five birds. In spite of the scarcity of nuts this 
fall, the squirrels are plentiful, and some good bags have 
been made. As to ducks, but little shooting has been, 
done, as the flight has not arriA^ed yet, owing to the 
mildness of the Aveather thus far. The deer season is now 
on in full swing, and the State is being pretty well covered 
by both the residents and out-of-the- State visitors. At 
this Avriting but few deer have been brought in. The 
open season for deer is regarded with little favor in the 
State, and the next Legislature may see its renal. 
Kenewah, 
