Jan. 25, 1902.I 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
3 7 
swaying tufts, benignantly covering us. In such a place 
the kettle boiled that night to jokes so good and hearty 
that none thought of sleep until the chill of the dawn came 
on, and the blankets lay close, and the wind stirred gently 
the overhanging fans, 
The following afternoon we took up the march again, 
and by nightfall reached our permanent camp at Fish 
Eating Creek. 
Charlie made the coffee. Jimmy roasted potatoes, I 
watched the oatmeal, and Jerry joked for all while stak- 
ing out the tent. In the afternoon next day Jerry, Steve 
and I went out for deer. Jimmy being detailed to the 
swamp for turkeys. Catch, our slow-trail dog, soon be- 
gan to wag his tail suspiciously. We rode into a pal- 
metto patch and a stag sprang out like a shot. Neither 
of us was ready. Jerry's mule was dancing with him, 
my horse headed the wrong way, and Steve was behind. 
Pursuit is useless in such cases, and we rode on. A fox 
next time entertained us with a lively chase. He ran up 
a tree — quite a stupid thing for a self-respecting fox to 
do, I thought — and was shot. 
Near the prettiest spot of all the plain, where Glassy 
Island offers its oblong mirror to the eye, Jerry suddenly 
threw himself from his mule and, at a sign, Catch 
crouched in the grass. My friend had sighted a quarry 
of five deer, and he led me on the stalk — the swiftest, 
deftest, most artistic thing of all. At intervals I had to 
lie on the grass, panting in the hot sun, thinking of what 
an advantage a diamond-backed rattlesnake could take 
of me just then. One of the herd got up once to look at 
the maneuvers of our horses, and we lay flat in the thin 
grass without a breath. 
By a circuitous route to make a favoring bunch of 
palmetto, the interest was still strained to the highest 
pitch, and even Jerry whispered directions in a quaking 
voice. 
Soon a "now" from him brought me cautiously to my 
knees — but as it is a $500 fine to kill deer out of season, 
of course we didn't shoot. 
The. home-coming was always a thing I relished — the 
turning of our faces to the west, along with the night. 
Jimmy had reached the camp first, and his fire, shining on 
the waters of a little lake far ahead of us, was a most 
cheerful will o' the wisp indeed. E, M. 
Spring Shooting. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
At the December meeting of the New York State Fish, 
Game and Forest League, a resolution was passed recom- 
mending the passage of a bill prohibiting spring shooting 
of wildfowl in this State, excepting the counties of Kings, 
Nassau, Queens and Suffolk. This bill will undoubtedly 
meet with opposition from the market-shooter, hotel- 
keeper, guides and a large class of sportsmen, who are 
afraid that if they don't kill them, some other fellow 
will. And right here I want to say to these gentlemen 
that they are opposing their own best interests, and I am 
willing to wager that if this bill goes through that they 
will after one year's trial admit it. We met with this 
same opposition, and lots of it, in the passage of our 
county bill last winter. 
But after the splendid results last, year I do not know 
of a person in this county who is dissatisfied. The black 
duck and mallard stayed here and bred by the thousand, 
and from the opening day until the waters closed we had 
such duck shooting as we sometimes read about. The 
largest bag on marsh ducks for one day was made by H. 
N. Denny, H. C. Whitney and Frank Mullin, who killed 
forty-three, mostly mallards. 
I consider our law forbidding the shooting of ducks 
between the hours of sunset and sunrise, as vital to the 
interests of the sportsmen as the law forbidding spring 
shooting. Most of the marshes and rice beds in this 
State are hunted every day during the open season ; and 
if night shooting is permitted, the birds having no chance 
to rest or feed, will quickly leave for other parts. The 
marsh and fall ducks began coming from the north early 
in September, and during the months of October anci 
November our waters were alive with them. I inclose 
clipping from Watertown Daily Standard: '"Duck hunt- 
ing in and around Cape Vincent was never known to be 
as good. George Bilky was out three days and brought 
home sixty-nine fine ducks. There were some of inferior 
quality he shot that were not included. C. Garlock and 
Alexander Rigden shot twenty-four before breakfast." 
The main opposition to the passage of the county bill 
was that it did not cover the entire State ; that they 
could shoot ducks all around us, and we couldn't. Well, 
you fellows had your fun last spring. You shot thousands 
of black ducks, mallards and teal, that would have stayed 
with you and nested, giving you splendid sport on young 
ducks in September. All through the months of April and 
May our waters were crowded with all kinds of wildfowl 
resting and feeding and becoming almost as tame as 
domesticated fowl. Is it at all strange that thousands 
of these birds should have stayed here and nested, or 
that the birds who did not should have returned early in 
the fall with vastly increased numbers to the choice feed- 
ing spots which they found last spring? Is it at all 
strange that when the season opened and these birds were 
hunted in every part of this county, large numbers of 
them should have been driven into the other counties, 
affording the best shooting you have had for years? If 
stopping spring shooting in one county will produce such 
results — but we don't want you to. The sentiment in this 
county has changed to such an extent that I have been 
urged by some of the most vigorous opponents of the 
county bill last winter to write the following letter to our 
Representative : 
"Horn Elon R, Brown. Dear Sir: I have been re- 
ciuested by a large number of sportsmen in this county to 
ask you to secure the exception of Jefferson county from 
the proposed law. prohibiting the spring shooting of wild- 
fowl in New York State for the following reasons : 
"ist. . We already have a law for this county prohibit- 
ing spring shooting of wildfowl. 
"2d. The sportsmen are more than satisfied with the 
results of this law, as we had the best duck shooting 
last fall that we have ever enjoyed. 
"3d. We do not wish to be included with the other 
counties, who are more or less hostile to such measures, 
and the attending danger of its appeal each year." 
Our ambition is to mak? of Jefferson county g grand 
fish and game preserve, not for a favored few, but for all 
who love to fish and hunt. We have the best black 
bass fishing in the State in the waters of Chaumont Bay, 
made so by a wise law which permits the taking of all 
fish excepting black bass and muscalonge by means of 
licensed nets from Oct, 1 to May 1. Under this law the 
pickerel, eels and sturgeon have also increased very rapid- 
ly, the pickerel being protected by a State law during 
March and April, and but few of them being caught dur- 
ing the winter. We have asked our representatives to 
amend this law and making it Oct. 15 to May 15, believing 
that large numbers of pickerel and eels can be removed 
during the first fifteen days in May, and before any great 
number of bass run in from the lake. We also ask that 
sturgeon nets of 5-inch bar, 10-inch mesh be permitted to 
fish at any time of year. This law, I am sorry to say, 
applies only to the waters between Horse Island and the 
town line between the towns of Lynn and Cape Vincent, 
and includes Black River and Chaumont Bay. Hender- 
son Bay and the St. Lawrence River still cling to the old 
theory of no 1 net fishing at any time, with the inevitable 
result, the driving out of the game fish. 
Last spring I turned out two pair of Mongolian pheas- 
ants on the farm of Mr. E. R. Adams, on the north shore 
of Killar Point. One pair nested and hatched sixteen. I 
have been unable to learn from the other pair. I also 
turned out seven young birds in July. All these birds are 
alive and appear to be doing well. If these birds winter 
all right I shall turn out twenty-five pair in different 
parts of this county next spring. 
We want the sale of ruffed grouse forbidden in this 
State at all seasons. The position that Governor Odell 
has taken on the bonding of game during the close sea- 
son, making it easier and safer for the dealer in illegal 
game to carry on his unlawful business, is a. matter of 
regret to his many admirers in northern New York. We 
believe that the Governor has been misinformed and mis- 
led by the wily game dealer, and that when he has given 
this subject the proper investigation, which he surely 
will, he will be on the side of justice and good order. 
The gray squirrel, rabbit and ruffed grouse season 
should open at the same time, Sept. 15. The deer season 
should be shortened two weeks, and every sportsman in 
this State should appoint himself a committee of one to 
promptly report any violation of the game law which he 
may observe. W. H. Tallett. 
Watkrtown, N. Y., Jan. 10. 
The Maine License Plan, 
Boston, Jan. 20. — Senator McFarlane' s figures concern- 
ing the State of Maine's account with Ohio and Indiana 
sportsmen, given at the annual meeting of the Maine 
State Fish and Game Association at Bangor recently, are 
under a cloud. In a letter to the Maine Woods. F. L. 
Shaw, of Portland, throws a thunderbolt at them. Senator 
McFarlane will hardly care to dispute Mr. Shaw, for he 
says, over his own signature, "I had the pleasure of per- 
sonally guiding fifteen of these ninety-five branded sports- 
men, and must say that in my ten years' experience in 
hunting in the vicinity of Moosehead Lake, I have never 
seen a party of gentlemen who were more inclined to obey 
the laws than were the members of that party." It should 
be noted that Mr. Shaw is manager, or prominently con- 
nected with a business college at Portland. Me., and that 
the college bears his name. It should be added that Maine 
guides are too frequently underestimated. Some of them 
are scholars, who guide in the season to help pay their 
way at school or college. Many are farmers, mechanics 
and business men, who guide for sake of the ready money. 
Others guide in order to obtain an outing in the woods 
that they hardly feel able to take out of their own time 
and pockets. Senator W. P. Frye, of Maine, tells a good 
story. One day soon after he had been elected to the 
U. S. Senate, a member of the House called upon him. 
"You do not recognize me," he remarked, "and that is not 
strange." Mr. Frye had already made sure that he had 
seen the face somewhere, but was not able to recall the 
name. "Don't you remember • , who guided 
you for several seasons at your cottage at the Rangeleys ?" 
The Senator remembered his old guide in a moment. He 
had guided him to help pay his way at school and college. 
Had graduated, studied law, been admitted to the Bar 
and gone to California. There he had been successful : 
had drifted into politics, and been elected to the National 
House from his district. 
Mr. Shaw extracts Senator McFarlane's statement of 
account, made in his speech, as follows : 
Ohio and Indiana hunters in account with the State of Maine: 
To the value of 280 deer taken out of the State by them 
at $15 a head $4,200 00 
S00 deer killed in getting those 280, valued at $5 for food 
purposes 4,000 00 
Total $8,200 00 
Cr. 
Steamboat fare on Moosehead Lake, for 95 persons. $285 00 
3 guides for 21 davs, at $3 per day 189 00 
474 00 
Showing a total loss to the State of $7,726 00 
That is the result from one class, and a very undesirable one. 
Senator McFarlane then went on to give an account 
with ninety-five desirable sportsmen, charging them with 
ninety-five guides at $3 per day and other giant ex- 
penses, and shows the State to be benefited to the extent 
of $3,349, But Mr. Shaw's handling of the first account 
shows something different. He says: "These fifteen 
people" — doubtless he means the fifteen he guided — "ear- 
ned out ten per cent, of the game mentioned, and I can 
state from personal observation that not three more deer 
were killed by the party. Upon this basis, instead of 800 
deer being killed, there would be less than thirty— quite a 
difference." 
Mr. Shaw says at the outset of his letter : "I went to 
the meeting fully convinced that such a license is a neces- 
sity, but, after listening to some of the arguments ad- 
vanced in favor of the same, I must acknowledge that I 
am slightly on the fence. If the cause is, as I believe, a 
just one, why is it necessary to quote figures which any 
intelligent person can see are made up for the occasion." 
Further down he says : "How does this gentleman fig- 
ure the cost of these deer to the State of Maine? Why 
does he figure those carried from the state at $15 each, and 
those consumed in camp at $5 each? I would like very 
much to see the books from which this balance sheet is 
taken. Fair play is a jewe] and I djg not; believe, i\ \§ neces- 
sary to descend to these trumped-up figures and insinua- 
tions in order to prove that a license is needed. I inter- 
viewed the members of this party, and they expressed 
themselves as being in favor of a fair license. 
"The speaker gives in his balance sheet a credit of $5 as 
the total outlay for each individual from Indiana. As a 
matter of fact, the members of the party under my 
charge left three times that amount each, and I can pro- 
duce the evidence to prove this. 
"His figures of the other ninety-five people are just as 
unfair in the opposite direction. These same ninety-five 
sportsmen carried home three deer each, a total of 285, 
and like true sportsmen (?), killed but three deer each in 
addition, making six deer to each man. 
"How many of those who listened to his speech believed 
it possible for ninety-five sportsmen to kill 1,080 deer, and 
that ninety-five other sportsmen killed 570 deer? If the 
truth were known, I do not believe that the whole party 
averaged two deer each. If it is as he states, what were 
the guides who accompanied them doing? 
"Just because the chairman of the meeting has stated in 
his remarks, 'Met one Ohio or Indiana sportsman, who 
lived in a four by four black-looking tent and was eating 
his crackers and cheese out of his own grip/ need we 
brand all people from Indiana as 'game hogs and 
greasers?" 
The trouble seems to be that the fish and game ques- 
tion in Maine is saddled with a lot of imaginary figures. 
The assertion, made at that Bangor meeting, that $15,- 
000,000 are annually expended in Maine by summer guests, 
hunters and fishermen, is absurd, and not based on actual 
statistics. Something more reasonable might be obtained, 
were the Fish and Game Commissioners disposed to go at 
the matter. Hotel and camp keepers would cheerfully 
give figures, if they could be made sure, that names and 
locations were not to be made public, and confidence not 
betrayed. As for railroads and transportation companies, 
their figures are always to be had. Ten thousand guests 
at an average of $100 gives but $1,000,000. Will any- 
body dare to say that 150,000 guests, including summer 
visitors, fishermen and hunters, at $100 each, went into 
Maine last year? It would require that number at that 
average to leave $15,000,000 there. At $200 to the guest, 
which is too high an estimate, it would require 75»o°o 
guests to leave $15,000,000 in Maine. 
We must give Senator McFarlane credit for knowing 
that the Maine game laws permit of the taking out of the 
State or having in possession but two deer in a season, 
and why does he go back to the old law and charge each 
of the Ohio and Indiana hunters with taking out three 
deer each? Special. 
A New Hampshire View. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I see that the question of killing the Maine goose is 
again being considered. Some of the points made by 
advocates of the license are certainly open to criticism. 
It is said that under present conditions non-resident 
sportsmen can go to Maine, and by marketing the 
game they bring out, make money out of their hunting 
trips. 
A number of years ago I went regularly (usually in 
November) for five successive vears to the Maine woods, 
twice to the Parmachenee region and three times to the 
headwaters of Aroostook. On two of the latter trips I 
did not use a guide, and paid $4 per week for my board. 
My trips averaged three weeks each on the hunting 
grounds, and the total cost, with Boston as a starting 
point, was about $650. Once, when in Aroostook, I 
found the worst kind of a noisy, crusty snow, and I did 
not try to hunt — just waited for better conditions, which 
did not come. On the other four trips I killed five cari- 
bou and four deer. I never had a guide who carried a 
rifle. At the prices I found dealers in Boston were pay- 
ing for such game as I killed, mine would have brought 
about $150. I think I was more successful than the 
average sportsman of the day, and in those days game 
was fully as plenty as now, the limit was larger, and 
caribou were on the free list. 
A sportsman of to-day, with Boston as a starting 
point, goes to any of the well-fitted hunting camps in 
Maine, where everything is furnished, even to his two 
deer, which are hanging up somewhere in the woods 
when he arrives, in case he needs them, and spending two 
weeks on the hunting grounds, hiring a guide, his ex- 
penses will not be less than $100, and usually nearer 
$150. At ordinary market prices the two deer he brings 
out will sell for $20 each at the most. Perhaps he is 
one of the few who kills his limit, and has a moose to 
go with the deer; even then he will do well to market 
his game at cost, unless the moose has an exceptionally 
fine head. It is rather expensive to get out whole a 
moose or even a deer when killed some distance from a 
railroad. I saw in Aroostook two moose which were 
being taken out. The two sportsmen who had them, 
killed them fairly by still-hunting. These moose were 
killed all of twenty miles above Oxbow, in Arrostook, 
and they were a number of miles apart and quite a dis- 
tance from any old lumber road. The guides suggested 
taking the heads and a part of the meat out. The sports- 
men said, "No; they are going home whole with us, no 
matter what it costs." A guide was sent for a team, 
which went as far as it could on a lumber road. Roads 
were then swamped to each moose. After getting them 
to a lumber road they had to be hauled seventy miles to 
the (then) nearest railroad. Both of the moose were 
fair-sized, young bulls, and had their owners sold them 
they would "have only received a fair dividend on what 
they cost. 
There are a good many sportsmen who would not 
care to sell what they kill at any price. They are proud 
of the heads they have, even if only ordinary specimens. 
I have heads of moose and caribou and deer and some 
bear rugs. I killed them and I set them up. Collect- 
ively, they cost me a great deal more than I could sell 
them for, but I would not sell at cost. If any non- 
resident thinks he can go to Maine, or anywhere else, 
and make money by selling what he kills, I should ad- 
vise him to buy a foxhound and hunt silver-gray foxes. 
I have been on a number of hunting trips after moose, 
caribou, bear and deer, and they were successful trips. 
But once did any member of my party make money out 
0*" the \ vear last November two of my neighbor^ 
