FOHEST AND STREAM. 
[Sept., 29, 1900. 
him with his packing. The next morning he left, and we 
heaved a sigh of relief as he disappeared from view in 
one of Hogarth's antiquated vehicles. 
That was the last we ever saw or heard of the Parson 
from Indiana, but though lost to sight, to memory he will 
be always dear. Fayette Durlin, Jk, 
One More Squirrel Hunt. 
When September comes I just naturally begin to think 
about the woods and hickory nuts and mast (.beech nuts 
and acorns), and Avonder if any "chips" are to be found 
under the trees. This year there wasn't any time to go 
and see, but the "boys" said there was no "mast" and 
no squirrels, so I took the gun with me 'way down to 
Mitchell, where they were reported to be plenty, but it was 
not so, and it took mighty fine hunting and lots of it to get 
only a few. It wasn't at all satisfactory, and when I 
got home the gun was put away with a sigh of regret at 
the thought that I was "chained to business" and might 
as well give up shooting for good. After a day or two 
I felt that I roust have one more stroll through the Harris 
Woods, if there wasn't a single squirrel in it, just to ad- 
mire the big trees once more, and to recall the many 
restful afternoons and glorious autumn mornings I had 
spent in those same woods. I took the gun along, more 
for company than anything else, for the report was no 
mast and no squirrels. 
It was one of those hazy afternoons — not a breath of air 
stirring, and just warm enough to make one feel a trille 
lazy, and the atmospheric conditions were such that the 
bits of rotten wood loosened by a woodpecker could be 
heard falling through the leaves a hundred yards away. 
On reaching the woods the bicycle was shoved into a 
fence corner behind a bush, the gun taken 'from the case 
and I hegan the walk along the old familiar hog path 
that I had followed so many times years ago. Right oyer 
there is where I got the fox squirrel as he was coming 
leisurely down the big oak, and over there is But 
what is this? Beech nuts, and the ground almost covered 
with "chips." Squirrel here sure, and he will be back 
here for supper, and I will see him about breakfast. 
Further along the path is an old oak that used to be a fox 
squirrel den. Wonder if there is one there now? Yes; 
look here. A pile of walnut hulls. That is fox squirrel 
sign. And here are more beech nut "chips" — lots of them. 
There will be some shooting here about 4 to 5 o'clock 
this evening. Here the path begins to follow the edge of a 
shallow ravine, and the "chips" are to be seen at intervals 
all along the path. It isn't much use to look for the 
squirrels now, for thej' are keeping ([uiet till about 4 
o'clock, and perhaps later, but I know now where they will 
be when their feeding time comes and begin to think there 
will be pretty good sport, so I sit down on a comfortable 
old log that has been a restful seat for me many times 
before to-day, and tell myself what a good time I'm 
going to have 'long about 4 to 5 o'clock, and just think 
how the old gun is going to wilt two or three squirrels 
with No. 7 chilled shot. 
Presently there is a faint sound of squirrel barking 'way 
over toward the edge of the woods, and I get up and listen. 
It is away off to the southwest? No, southeast. It is the 
hardest sound to locate exactly that I ever listened to. I 
slip quietly along down the ravine, walking where the 
leaves are washed away so as to make no noise. The 
barking continues, and after getting a hundred yards 
nearer to it I have it located out at the edge of the woods, 
and guess he is up a sugar or a beech close to it. Can't 
tell which, but when I get within 50 yards, get a glimpse 
of him as he whisks round the tree from me. I work up 
within 30 yards, and the barking still continues, but he 
is out of sight on the other side of the tree. I know that 
presently he will get curious to know what has become of 
me, and will come round. After five minutes' waiting he 
whips round and shows, hanging head downward on the 
side of the tree, and is an easy mark. While waiting to 
get a shot at this one, a fox squirrel is barking off to the 
right of ine, and after getting the gray I try to locate the 
fox squirrel, but he has quit barking, and "l fail to get a 
sight of him. Another gray has begun to bark over to 
the foot of the bluff, and I go over there, but he quits, and 
I cannot tell which tree he is on, so sit down and wait for 
the squirrel to do the hunting. In about ten minutes he 
breaks out again on a tree that stands on the edge of the 
bluff. He is in plain sight, but it is a long shot, but as 
his side is toward me and there is little chance for getting 
closer, and there is a hole in the tree, and his next move 
will be to get into it, I shoot. He falls and comes to the 
ground some 20 feet down the bluff side and starts up 
the bluff. I give the other barrel quickly, but think it was 
a clean miss, for he goes right up to the tree and round 
it. I watch for a sight of him going up the tree, but see 
nothing of him, and conclude he has managed to reach 
the hole. I climb the bluff and go to the tree and find him 
dead at its roost. Two others had been barking while I 
was waiting for a shot at this one, so I go over there and 
wait a while, but see nothing of them. 
Then I take a stroll over to the northwest corner of the 
woods and hear two more, but can't find them. See lots 
of "chips" under some beech trees, and make up my mind 
that there will be just three squirrels bagged right "here 
this evening. I sit down and take it easy till 4 o'clock, and 
then start to go slowly and noiselessly to the various trees 
where signs have been noted. Over at the, south side I 
hear a faint patter of "chips," and slipping cautiously 
along, presently locate the tree. Now is the time to exer- 
cise the utmost caution, for if the squirrel sees me he 
Avill immediately hide or start in a wild -race over the 
tree tops in an effort to get to a hole. There is no need to 
hurry, so I approach very slowly, being careful not to 
make the least noise, and presently get within fair shoot- 
ing distance. The leaves can be seen moving, but no squir- 
rel, for the leaves are too thick. I think of going round 
the tree to get a better view, but it isn't safe, and if T 
keep quiet he will come in sight sooner or later, and I will 
get him. After a few minutes he runs out on a long, slen- 
der limb in plain sight, and is quickly brought to bag. 
From here T go to the ravine, where sign was first 
noted, and find another one busy with the beech nuts. I 
get close enough, but the leaves are too thick for me to 
see, but not for the squirrel, for he sees ni" and with a 
terrified chatter starts down the tree Avith lip-htning speed 
to get iiito a hole some 30 feet below him. He come; $p 
fost t!)3t r fB.nnot take a snap shot till hc is within a foot 
of the hole. Evidently he is hit, for instead of going into 
the hole, he jumps onto a limb and in a moment his fore- 
feet let go and he hangs by his hind feet, and a mmute 
later falls, catchmg on another branch and hangmg as 
before. While I am trying to decide whether to give him 
another shot he lets go and falls to the ground. 
This makes four, and the bunch looks pretty nice. Got 
enough for a good Sunday breakfast, anyhow, but there 
will be some more to get on those other beeches, so I 
slip over there and find two on one tree. Now when I 
shoot one of them, the other will make a run over the 
tree tops for a hole, so I take a couple of shells in my 
hand so as to be ready for some rapid work. The first 
shot brings one of them, and the other is in the next tree 
the first jump, and racing over the treetops at breakneck 
speed, and I am shooting fast, the ejector throws out the 
empties and I can put in fresh ones. The squirrel is a 
good ways off, and there is only a glimpse to shoot at. 
1 keep it up till five shots have been hred. Two of them 
were hits, and as he runs out on a long limb to take a 
big iump into the next tree he hesitates, and, of course, is 
lost, for there a shot reaches him that kills. Now there 
are six on the string, and it is getting to be a "mighty 
interestin' " squirrel hunt. Til go and see about that old 
fox squirrel and then go home. The old fox squirrel^ was 
found on a beech, sending down a shower of chips. There 
were so many leaves I couldn't get a sight of him, so 1 
shot where 1 thought he was, and didn t get him. He 
struck out over the tree tops and then the shooting began. 
Six shots were more than he could stand, and instead of 
jumping into the next tree, he jumped to the ground, and 
was unable to get away. He was an extra large old fel- 
low, and probably one that I had had fun with more than 
once before. The string felt so heavy by the time I 
got home with them that I weighed them. The seven 
weighed 10 pounds. I was pretty tired when I got home 
and the gun lamed my shoulder, but say. I'd 1-ke to go 
again to-morrow. O. H. Hampton. 
Tcmpetatores of Recently Killed Game* 
In a recent copy of the London Nature, Mr. G. Stal- 
lard prints a note on the temperatures of recently killed 
chamois, wdiich will have a certain interest for big-game 
hunters. Quoting Mr. E. N. Buxton, who says in his 
"Short Stalks," "A friend of mine once took the tem- 
perature of a freshly killed chamois, and it stood at 130 
degrees F." Mr. Stallard goes on to give the results of 
some observations made by him on this point. During 
the last three years he has determined the rectal tem- 
perature of twenty-nine recently killed chamois. These 
he divides into three classes: 
A. Those successfully stalked and dropped dead by the 
first shot (twelve observations). 
B. Those shot running (seven observations). 
C. Those wounded at the first shot, but only brought 
to bag after an interval (ten observations). 
In every case save two in the class first mentioned, the 
temperatures taken within five minutes of death ranged 
between lOi.i and 101.9 degrees, the average being about 
101.5 F. But a kid four or five months old had a tem- 
perature of 103.2 degrees, and a doe wounded eight days 
Sefore a temperature of 102.4 degrees. 
Those which were shot running all droppea dead in 
cheir tracks, or died almost immediately. In these_ seven, 
the temperatures were decidedly higher than in the 
previous class. They range from 101.5 to 104.5. 
In the third class 'the temperatures are still higher, and 
range from 101.7 to 106.7. Similar results were ob- 
tained by a Swiss friend of Mr. Stallard, who found that 
animals driven by dogs always showed a higher tempera- 
ture than those stalked and killed by the first shot. 
These investigations are precisely what we should ex- 
pect, but they are not without interest for big-game 
hunters. 1-4:1 
Texas Duck Shootin<y. 
Editor Forest' and Stream: 
Will the recent flood in Texas injure the shooting for 
ducks and jacksnipe? I suppose the salt water getting 
in a sweet water lake will kill the food, but d® you think 
that if we have plenty of rain it will wash the salt water 
out of the marshes and the jacks will come in? 
I live in Galveston, the stricken city, but thank God 
lost none of my people in that terrible cyclone. 
We have — or did have — very fine shooting on^ Galves- 
ton Island, and near there Col. Moody has his fine lake. 
I was talking last year with one of his market-hunters 
and he told me that he had often killed 300 canvasbacks 
in a day.- Col. Moody ships these ducks to New York 
and gets $3 a pair for them. At High Island, T&x.. 
thirty miles from Galveston, the duck shooting included 
all kinds and geese. I mean to say all the common 
varieties, with snow geese and brant principally, and 
jack or Wilson snipe. Two friends of mine bagged ov.er 
100 there after three last spring. 
I prefer duck shooting, although T do shoot snipe a 
great deal. My best bag last spring, wnth a friend, was 
T2g, at Alvin. Tex., thirty-two miles from Galveston. 
High Island is better for ducks and geese, although win- 
ter before last a friend and myself bagged 108 jacksnipe 
there on Dec. 24. C. B. 
[The recent Galveston horror has no special signifi- 
cance with reference to ducks and jacksnipe. So far as 
it concerns the jacksnipe, it occurred before their time 
of migration from the North, and in any event their 
habitat and feeding grounds are outside the salt water 
area. As to the ducks, it does not affect them in the 
least,] 
"Watmng to Battery Shootefs. 
In previous years it has been lawful to begin battery 
shooting in Great South Bay Oct. 1, but it must be remem- 
bered that the law has recently been changed, and that 
Section T04 of the Game Laws as amended bv Chapter 
605 of the Laws of rgoo says that "Wildfowl mav be 
taken by aid of any floating device at any distance from 
shore in Long Island Sound, in Shinnecock, Gardiner and 
Peronic Bays, and except from Sept. 30 to Oct. 10, both 
incki.sive, iij Great South Bay west of Smith's Point." 
Battcrj' shooting, therefore, >viU not te laAvful in Great 
South Bay until Oct. 20, and gunners will govern them- 
selves accordingly. This provision of the laAv will be 
found in the Game Laws in Brief and Woodcraft Maga- 
zine for July, 1900, and, of course, Avill appear in the 
October Brief. 
An Arkansas Example. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The country lying around and south of Alma, in Craw- 
ford county, Ark., has some good fishing waters, espe- 
cially the two streams known as Big and Little Clear 
Creek and Rosie Lake with its outlet, knoAvn as the 
Deep Slough. Big Clear Creek has many fine black 
bass, crappi«s, catfish and various other kinds of fi-sh, 
while the small stream swarms with what is known here 
as sun perch. Rosie Lake is a body of water seven miles 
long and averages one-half mile wide. In many places 
the water is very deep, and the outlet, which is from 25 
to 100 feet wide, in many places is 10 feet deep. These 
waters are alive with crappies, black and sun perch and 
both kinds of catfish, and in Avinter thousands of ducks 
stay in this lake and the Arkansas RiA^er, AA'hich lies just 
south of the lake. I have had some good fishing this 
summer on the slough and lake. The last time I spent 
an evening there I was accompanied by Harry, my sevep 
year-old boy, who is the most expert fisherman, age coi 
sidered, I have ever seen. Arriving at the bridge which 
spans the slough on the road leading to the lake, we 
hitched our horse, and placing Harry on the bridge with 
a small cane fishing rod, with a medium hook and 
sinker baited Avith a fish worm, I went down to a log 
some 60 yards from the bridge, where I was engaged in 
making change to pay a darky for some bait which he 
had dug for us, Avhen I heard a commoition at the bridge, 
and looking in that direction I saw Harry on his feet 
pulling with all his might and calling for help lustily, 
while his fishing rod was bent almost double, and just 
above the water' rose the head of a catfish that looked half 
as large as the boy. The darky made a run to his aid. 
while I called to Harry to hold his fish above water. The 
darky reached him, grasped the rod and landed a 10- 
pound catfish in good shape. Maybe there was not one 
hapy boy on that bridge. When I asked him how he 
managed to catch such a big fish he replied: "Some- 
thing pulled on my hook and I thought I had it fastened 
to a log till I saw his Avhiskers sticking out of the water. 
Then I kncAv it was a whopper and I just went to pull- 
ing and hollered for help." 
This ended our luck at. the slough. We Avent to the 
lake and getting in a boat soon had all the fish Ave 
Avanted, landed our boat and drove home in the cool 
evening twilight. 
The people of this section obey both the fish and game 
laws, and as a result we have good fishing and all the" 
quail and duck shooting that any one could ask. Quail 
in droves are raised all around Alma. I have a small 
pasture five acres in extent inside the corporate limits of 
xMma, and in this two broods of quail haA'e been hatched 
and reared this season. Bob White sits on the fence and ' 
calls to his mate by the hour while people are passing ■ 
all around him. 
Leaving this section and going forty miles north to 
the line betAA'een the counties of Crawford and Washing- 
ton, in the mountains, the squirrel hunting is as good 
as any one could ask. The gray squirrels are numerous 
and just now are engaged on the hickory nuts and 
acorns and on the corn Avhere fields adjoin the woodland. 
[ have made some good bags in the last tAVO weeks, kill- 
ing from two to six at each trip in the woods, and could 
have doubled this, but I never kill any more than we 
want to eat. Four years ago I bought a place here and 
made :pie a summer home, and each season I spend tAVO 
or three months here at Brentwood and never fail to have 
all the squirrel shooting I Avant. to say nothing of the 
fox hunting Avhich I have Avith the best pack of hounds 
I ever saw. and Avhich I have kept here. 
But that is another story. I am preparing to go back 
still further in the mountains to camp a few days. Avhere 
there are some deer and wildcats, to say nothing of foxe'S 
and squirrels, When I return I'll give the readers of 
Forest .\nd Stream my exnerience and also tell them 
something of an Arkansas fox hunt. • . 
J. E. Loudon. 
Brfntwood, Ark., Sept. 4. 
The Delaware (River. 
Mr. Wm: R. Hallowell, who tells us in a postscript 
that he is sixty-eight years of age, Avrites from Shoe- 
maker's Eddy. Upper Delaware RiA-^er; "The fishing for 
black bass has not been very good here this season, on 
account of the river being so very low, the hot sun and 
large quantities of small shad and other food fish. Hoav- 
ever, I had a pleasant outing and fair sport. I 'took in' 
some fi.sh. My largest bass weighed 4% pounds. I had 
one of 3J^ pounds, two of 3 pounds ; also my share of 
the, small ones, from r pound up, and 3-pound pickerel. 
I had 1113^ own skiff here and fished nearly every da v. 
I had a verj' pleasant outing, which did me lots of good," 
The Brook Trout World Beater. 
Worcester, Mass., Sept. 20. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
.Adirondack brook trout are not in it with Maine trout. 
We haA'e on exhibition in this city a speckled brook 
trout caught last spring Avhich weighed at the time he 
Avas taken 15^ pounds. This trout was taken in a Maine 
pond, wild and unfed. He is as perfect in form and color 
as anv small brook trout I ever saw. I think this trout 
a world beater. At all events, if not. T am sure the read- 
ers of the Forest and Stream would be p-lad to know 
who caught a larger one. A. B. F. Kinney. 
The FoKEST AND Stream is put to press each week on Tuesdaj'. 
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