512 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec 28, 1901, 1 
Wallihan's Camera Shots'' a 
Thing of Beauty* 
I ARRIVED this Sunday morning from Chicago, and 
stopping at mj^ office I found upon my desk a copy of 
Wallihan's "Camera Shots at Big Game," and took it 
home with me. 
It is said of Stevenson's "Treasure Island" that the late 
Mr. Gladstone became so engrossed in its contents that 
he actually sat up the entire night until he had finished 
the book, refusing the entreaties of his family to "wait 
until to-morrow." And I'll wager it will so prove with 
every sportsman and lover of nature who peruses Walli- 
han's wonderful production. I certainly did my best to 
resist the alluring dinner signal and keep to my book, so 
engrossed Was I in its pages, and I only laid down the 
work temporarily to keep peace in the family. 
What the book cost the author in labor, patience and 
perseverance no one can ever know. The antlered halls 
of the mightiest of hunters can show no such trophies 
as Mr. Wallihan has brought down with his wonderful 
camera. The frontispiece may be called a masterpiece in 
wild animal photography. A cougar is photographed 
in mid air in the very act of springing from a tree at the 
man with the camera, actually landing within six feet of 
laim! The gigantic cat, with tail standing straight up 
from the moving body, ears erect and front paws slightly 
extended, with claws set for a deadly embrace, gazes in- 
tently upon the object of its attack as it moves swiftly 
through the air. 
What might have happened to "the artist on the spot" 
had not the pack of hounds given tongue the moment the 
animal left the tree to swiftly come upon the place where 
it alighted, I will not attempt to say, but certainly Mr. 
Wallihan's weapon of defense in the shape of- a penknife 
would have availed him little. But the cougar feared the 
dogs and instantly forgot all about the man as it made 
tracks for the open, only to be overtaken by the hounds. 
Slipping in a new slide, Wallihan hurries to the fray, and 
got a snapshot when things were most interesting, and 
before the dogs had stretched their foe lifeless. 
If a photographer ever succeeded in getting action and 
life upon a plate, Wallihan has in this photograph of a 
leaping cougar. 
Theodore Roosevelt, who knows a thing or two about 
cougars, elk, bear, etc., writes the inti-oduction. In speak- 
ing of hunting with the camera and in hunting with the 
rifle he saj-^s: "Of the two the former is the kind of sport 
which calls for the higher degree of skill, patience, reso- 
lution and knowledge of the life history of the animal 
sought." And when one sees the result of Mr. Walli- 
han's work he must admit that he possesses the above 
qualifications in almost unlimited quantities. 
To attempt to describe the plates in the book seems 
almost sacrilegious. The eye and not words should be 
the medium. 
"A surprised band" of deer in the open; another band 
of deer crossing the stream, "deer drinking," in fact, 
deer under any and every condition and surroundings are 
depicted upon these plates. "Deer crossing the river at 
night" makes one think of an etching by Rembrandt, with 
its deep shadows and faint reliefs. 
Bucks in the velvet photographed in the cover, and 
bucks in all their antlered glory are shown. 
"A hiding fawn" is depicted, and although every sur- 
rounding twig, branch and the tree trunk is photographed 
with most wonderful clearness, yet is the fawn far from 
being conspicuous. It takes a glance or two to locate the 
position of the strange object in the foreground, and then 
you can not swear that it is a fawn. When the mother 
doe warned it to go away back and lie down it certainly 
obeyed instructions. 
When one considers that many exposures were made 
at a distance not exceeding twenty-five feet from the 
object, it is only natural to ask, "How did he do it?" 
"A pair of elk" stand out so clearly upon the snow^- 
covercd incline 100 yards distant that one is tempted to 
try a shot at them. Another fawn has been caught by the 
camera hiding in the shallow growth. The timid animal 
lies there trembling, awaiting its fate, too frightened to 
run away. 
Six hundred elk are shown upon the snow-covered 
plain. Then upon a hill several antelope stand out in 
bold relief against the sky line, and later on this same 
band of antelope seem to be curiously interested in the 
camera, for they are taken head on and not many yards 
away. A band of mountain sheep feeding upon the scanty 
growth upon the mountain side within easy shooting dis- 
tance would seem to speak wonders in skill on Mr. Wal- 
lihan's part, when we appreciate the elusiveness of these 
animals. A mountain sheep, an old ram, not more than 
perhaps fifty yards away, again makes one marvel. I 
am skipping through the book, not attempting to notice 
every plate. 
A cougar in a snow-clad tree is not found at first 
glance, but there he is, close up to the trunk of the tree 
and partly hidden by a protruding branch. And again 
we see Mr. Cougar perched in the topmost branches of a 
tree eying the hound that has climbed the tree and is but 
a few feet away. A cougar hound will follow its quarry 
even if it must climb a tree. Another cougar, surrounded 
by hounds, rests upon its haunches and yeowls and spits, 
and the dogs hesitate about closing in. 
A wildcat at the very top of a blasted tree and the 
hound a close second — the dog barking and the cat re- 
turning the compliment with snarls and hisses. More 
treed gougars not twenty feet away — in fact almost too 
natural and close, even in the photograph, to make the 
beholder comfortable. Mr. Wallihan either believed he 
was never intended for cougar bait or carried his nerve 
with him, to "get next" to these brutes as often as he did. 
Certainly these cougar pictures, because of the dangerous 
nature of the beasts, are great. A cougar may run from 
a dog and refuse to follow a man, but when j^ou face a 
cornered cougar in a tree but twenty feet away, with 
nothing more deadly in the way of arms than a cam.era, 
acidents are likely to happen. At least the average man 
unfamiliar with cow^rs might be pardone(i for so {hink- 
The last cougar plate makes one think o! tlie Lion of 
Lucerne. In a recess upon a ledge in the rocky cliff re- 
poses a monster cougar — he having taken refuge there 
after a long run in front of the hounds. If the camera 
did not portray so true to life, and did not so clearly 
delineate every curve and line of the live and breathing 
animal, one might imagine the animal had been carved, 
like the Lucerne example, out of the solid stone. 
In writing this hurried sketch I feel that I have done 
almost an injustice to Mr. Wallihan's masterpieces, that 
should be seen and not described in words. But what is 
writ is wrote, and Mr. Wallihan must take the will for the 
deed and accept my best wishes and many thanks for the 
pleasure his work has given me. 
Charles Cristadoro. 
dilie ^dg md 0m 
Fixtures. 
March 5-19, 1902.~Eighth Annual Show of the National Sports- 
men s Association at Madison Square Garden, New York, 
The Last Day of the Season* 
The season is over, and as we sit chained to our desk 
many pleasant memories enliven the dreary hours — the 
last day of the season, when we were on some of our 
favorite ground with our grouse-shooting partner, with 
whom we have been afield for twenty-one consecutive 
falls. As we climb the steep hill among the laurels and 
hemlock we enjoy each other's companionship and the 
ever unfolding view as we go higher and higher. Across 
the hilltop and down into the woods of the next valley 
seems but a few moments, although it is nearly an hour's 
walk. 
Separating, we lay out the hunt, and shortly the guns 
are popping, and in most instances the grouse are dis- 
appeanng unharmed, and the little gray rabbit that 
"boused" out with such energy before the dog, is still 
runnmg in spite of the charge of shot which tore up the 
ground behind his little white flag. Getting together at 
the top of the next ridge, our chum has a chance to see 
us miss a beautiful right-quartering shot on an old cock 
grouse, which was so startled by our presence that he 
cackled like a young bird as he rose. A long tramp 
through brush and old slashing demonstrated our already 
strong belief that the grouse were all in the beech woods. 
Crossing the valley and well up to the head of the draw 
a hill of beech and hemlock is sighted, for which we im- 
mediately start. As we approach the woods an old 
grouse slips off a log, makes a short flight into the woods 
and one of the dogs is not to be found; but after calling 
him some time, the old grouse flies back, and alights in 
the thicket from which he was originally started, and the 
wayward dog, shamefacedly, returns. We now think we 
have the old fellow, and while the chum goes on the out- 
side I crawl into the hemlock thicket and boost him 
out; but as chum touches the trigger the grouse makes a 
sudden dart to the left and is safe for another season. 
The depression of an occurrence like this is only 
heightened by our missing a splendid chance as a grouse 
rose from the wood road and took it high above the 
timber. 
It is now time for lunch, and as this is one of the 
features of our day afield, we begin preparations. The 
first requisites are the dead and dried lower limbs of a 
live hemlock. The finer twigs are easily lighted, and the 
larger branches burn down into beautiful coals, over 
which we toast the sandwich. If the weather is cold, 
get a big piece of hemlock bark and warm it well, and you 
will find that it makes a most delightful seat and far 
superior to a cold and damp log. The cheerful little 
fire, the perfect companionship and the soothing eflect 
of the liberal sandwich, topped off by a small cigar, 
drive away the pang of the many misses of the forenoon, 
and after a half hour of pleasant chat, we again go 
forth to battle. The afternoon is only a repetition of the 
morning, a good number of birds and very bad shooting; 
but even this cannot destroy the pleasure of the woods, 
the delight in the work of the dogs and the never-ceasing 
charm of congenial companionship, so that the home- 
ward ride with four grouse under the seat is not one of 
depression. One old cock grouse's crop was so much 
distended that we opened it and found fifty-seven beech- 
nuts, one checkerbcrry, two unknown seeds and a quan- 
tity of torn-up leaves of the bishop cap. 
So the season has closed, and we have finished with 
thirty-four grouse, which brings us within the absurd 
legal liinit._ In all seriousness, what earthly good is a 
law of limit? It only restricts the law-abiding sports- 
men from the full enjoyment of the grouse season and 
leaves more to be shot by the market-hunter, which 
seems to us is protection which does not protect. I am 
heartily in favor of the non sale of game, and would also 
like to see an open season of all small game from Sept. 
iS to Dec. 15. and have no game in season outside of 
these dates. 
Uncle Josh. 
Adirondack Deer. 
Jamestown, N. Y., Dec. 16. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
I visited the Adirondack country again last fall as custo- 
mary for the past twenty-five seasons. Since my return 
have noticed in Forest and Steeam two articles relating 
to the hunting of and preservation of deer in that section, 
the writers giving their ideas as to the proper laws to be 
enacted for the game's preservation. 
The first article advocates that the open season should 
commence Aug. 15 and close Oct. 31; jacking to be al- 
lowed the latter half of August, hounding allowed from 
Sept. 25 to Oct. 15, only bucks to be killed before the 
hounds; and offers the following in support of above 
suggestions: "It would suit many who believe in hound- 
ing. Would give opportunity for selection of bucks and 
sparing of does; would suit the still-hunter by giving him 
the best of the season; would lesson tlie liability of the 
accidental shooting of m^xi in ^he wopds, ^tc," The 
writer of the second article does not advocate the justice 
in jacking- or hounding deer; he thinks the open season 
too long, and if deer are not to be exterminated the 
season must be closed on Oct. 31, as the principal slaugh- 
ter occurs on snow in November. 
Now, in relation to the first article, I do not believe 
jacking and hounding of deer would tend to their preser- 
vation. Nearly every State north of the fortieth degree of 
latitude has passed laws prohibiting the use of dogs in 
hunting deer, for the simple reason that venison killed 
before the hound is of a very inferior quality; that it is 
run and killed in warm weather, when a majority of it 
spoils, or must be disposed of so quickly as to be of little 
use to anyone. Up to date no State where the general 
dogging of deer has been allowed has a record of deer 
ever holding their own, and much less of their ever in- 
creasing in numbers. We cannot believe that the people's 
representatives of twenty odd States and Territories of 
the North have misunderstood the sad effects of hound- 
ing deer. 
In relation to the second article, that the hunting on 
snow in November is sure to annihilate the deer in the 
Adirondacks, we may ask, if such is the case, why has 
it not had that eflFect in the State of Maine? The open 
season there extends to the 15th of December, one month 
later than in this State, notwithstanding its more 
northern latitude and earlier snows to hunt upon. I think 
the Maine game law a very just one, for the reason that 
the open season on deer commences Oct. i instead o£ 
Aug. 15. 
Again, the does at that time are thin in flesh and not ia 
suitable condition (aside from furnishing sustenance to 
the fawn) to be of much value, when, if left to be huntedl 
in October or November, would have weaned their fawra 
and been in presentable shape for slaughter. 
I am also convinced that summer hunting is at best at- 
tended with many lost deer that are not recovered by the 
hunter, for the reason that they frequently cannot be 
traced on dry leaves more than a few yards from where 
they were shot because of their not bleeding or by mix- 
ing their tracks with others. Page 407 of Forest and 
Steeam gives an account of hunters in New Brunswick 
shooting sixteen moose and failing to recover eleven of 
them. _ Who can doubt that had that party hunted on 
snow instead of bare ground they would have secured 
ten or twelve moose instead of five? The trails could 
easily have been traced; even taken and followed the 
next day. 
The writer of the second letter also figures out that 
there were r,2oo and odd does killed and shipped out 
of the Adirondacks last season, which was in excess of 
the increase. Now, we have at least 12,000 square milefi 
of timber lands suitable for deer lying within the eight 
northeast counties of this State. If we cut this tract up 
into townships of six miles squa-'e, we have 333 1-3 town- 
ships, and allowing only ten deer to the township, we 
have 3,333 deer, consisting of, say, 1.333 bucks and 2,000 
does, which is a very low estimate. If such be the case, 
can there be a reasonable doubt that at the rate they are 
being killed the destruction will not deplete the yearly 
increase? Old Shekarry. 
Manchester, N. Y., Dec. 14.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: I hope that our lawmakers for this State will 
cut down the deer season. Make it the month of Octo- 
ber for open season; law otherwise as it is now. 
We had to go back further to find deer this season. 
Where they were plenty last year and year before, there 
was scarcely a deer this year. Anyway, the last two 
weeks should be cut out, if we hope to save deer for future 
hunters. E. G. Smith. 
The Massachtfsctts Season* 
Wakefield, Mass., Dec. 16— Editor Forest and Stream: 
All good gunners have their guns all cleaned and laid 
away, as it is now close season. There is one excuse for 
one to be found out now, and that is for the "rabbit" 
shooter. For the good legitimate rabbit hunter I have 
the highest respect, as that category many times takes in 
some of our old sportsmen who are too old to tramp for 
birds; but we have others who call themselves rabbit 
hunters who use a ferret, and another class which goes 
out in a party of six or eight Frenchmen and two 
hounds, one man armed with a single-barrel gun, the 
others carrying shovels, iron bars, an old bag and an axe, 
and perhaps a stick of dynamite, so that no rabbit escapes 
which takes to its burrow, whether it is in the earth or 
a ledge. 
More or less game birds are shot by these off-season 
hunters, and the rabbit and squirrel law should conform 
with the game birds — that is up to Dec. i. 
For my part, I would rather have the law run up to 
Dec. IS and commence two weeks earlier. Everybody 
was finding broods of little chipping qtiail on Oct. i. I 
was chained to business this fall, so I only got out once, 
but had a good day then. 
My Danvers friends all have had a great time shooting 
this fall, and they say there are many birds left over. I 
heard of one large flock of quail being seen on the last 
day of the open season. There are favorable reports on 
Mongolian pheasants. One man says "he would bet he 
started over fifteen one day." 
Cold weather struck in early here and froze up all the 
lakes, and the ducks have gone. The blacky ducks are 
probably stopping along our coast, where thousands can 
be seen at dawn of day taking their flight to the open 
sea. They feed on the river flats and marshes during 
the night. 
The boys are trapping many muskrata- and tninks in our 
brooks. 
I was glad to see that O. D. Foulks ,of Stockton, Md., 
had his "ad" in Forest and Stream. I was down to 
his home last spring. He and his family are most agree- 
able people to be with ; they have a good house, and it is 
situated in just the location for a shooter's delight, and 
the decoys and sink box and all the other traps to entertain 
the shooter were there. I saw more ducks and geese 
while there than I had ever seen before. There had 
been a big storm, and it drove them along. Of course 
you can't expect a flock of geese to alight in the door 
yard every morning, but from what I saw it is one of 
|he best of places for duclcs, 
John "^V, Babbitt, 
