March i, igp2.J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
169 
found lodged against the hide on the further side, having 
gone through the lights in its course, upset as usual, 
with copper casing attached. Do you wonder that my. 
faith in the killing power of small calibers fell several 
degrees that afternoon while following and looking for 
a mere trace of blood along the trail? I am convinced 
that had the ground been bare of snow, I could not have 
followed the trail one-half the distance without losing it, 
and perhaps would have been cursing myself for such 
foolish shooting as to miss a deer at that distance or 
carelessly hit a staddle in range that I did not see. _ 
No, give me a caliber of .40, with at least 70 grains of 
powder behind the bullet for hunting deer. I would not 
care to pattern after Mr. Braithwaite, with a rifle of .577 
caliber, taking 160 grains of powder and ball of 500 
grains, as I think that is unnecessa^, even for moose. 
The present craze for smokeless small bores to hunt - 
large game will have its day. After the hunter has puz- 
zled his brain following up on bare ground several 
wounded deer which are only to be lost in the end, his 
faith in a .30-30 will gradually cease. The bullet is alto- 
gether too light, and the striking surface too small to be 
of practical value in letting blood flow sufficiently to aid 
the hunter on bare ground in tracing up wounded game. 
A flat trajectory is quite desirable in a hunting rifle. 
But it will not do to sacrifice a good-sized bullet, with 
heft enough to secure sufficient penetration, for the sake 
of cutting down trajectory. 
I may add that one other of our party, while out the 
first week on bare ground, came up to within 100 feet 
of a nice buck, with head down, picking up beechnuts. 
Our friend drew his .30-30 on to the deer and fired, 
when to his amazement the buck ran away. He followed 
the trail some distance, lost it. and after reconnoitering 
for some time, gave it up as an unaccountable. After 
breakfast next morning he shouldered his rifle, and 
remarked, that if he could not kill a deer at that distance 
he would not shoot at another, and left for home. 
Now I did not do that; but I did say that if I ever went 
hunting'for deer again that my old .40-70 rifle would ac- 
company me. Old Shekarry. 
Jamestown, N. Y. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have noticed with a good deal of interest the discus- 
sion going on in your paper as to the killing qualifica- 
tions of the small-bore rifle, with special reference to the 
.30-30. The article in the Forest and Stream of the 
15th inst. by Mr. Frederic Irland is to the point, and 
carries conviction in favor of the large-bore rifles. * 
Let me add my quota of evidence on behalf of Mr. 
Irland's argument. Last fall, while hunting moose on 
the Tobique River, I used a .30-30, much against my 
better judgment. 
Early one morning (the light was good) a large bull 
moose came out about 200 yards distant. I fired three 
shots. The third one hit. He fell full length on his side. 
A distinct impression was left in the mud, and he laid 
there for at least two minutes, got up, fell a second time 
full length each time, got up, fell a third time on his 
knees, then off. 
We hunted carefully for traces of blood, but none 
were to be found. I am convinced, with a large-bore rifle r 
I would have had my moose. 
J. W. Y. Smith. 
New York Game Legislation, 
Up to Jan. 30 forty proposed amendments to the fish 
and game law had been introduced in the Assembly and 
twelve in the Senate. A large number of these are county 
bills, and it is very gratifying to note that, with two or 
three exceptions, these bills ask for a shorter open season 
for the better protection of fish and game. Among the 
bills which apply to the State at large, and which every 
sportsman should urge their representatives to support 
are: 
Assembly bill No. 410, "Forest and Stream plank." 
To stop the sale of woodcock, ruffed grouse and quail at 
any time or place throughout the State. 
Assembly bill No. 598 provides that grouse killed in this 
State shall not be sold or offered for sale at any time 
or place throughout the State, and possession of the same 
shall be presumptive evidence that the same was killed 
in this State. 
Assembly bill No. 454. Amending section 52, adding 
the words, acids, sludge, injurious to the life of fish or 
fish spawn or destructive of the natural spawning beds 
or feeding places of fish, or otherwise disturbing the 
habits of fish inhabiting the same, and striking out the 
words [in quantities destructive of fish inhabiting the 
same] . 
Assembly bill No. 403, amending section 30, making 
close season for plover and other birds Jan. 1 to Aug. 31. 
Assembly bill No. 255, amending section 6 by striking 
out (before August 15, 1902]. 
Assembly bill 246, making the close season for wood- 
cock and grouse December 1 to September 15. 
Assembly bill No. 212, asking for twelve additional 
protectors. (This bill has passed the Assembly.) 
Senate bill No. 167 making the close season for grouse 
and woodcock December 1 Jto September 15. 
Senate bill No. 243, amending section 173 relating to 
the powers of game protectors by striking out the words 
[except the counties of New York and Kings]. 
Senate bill No. 338, making the close season for deer 
November 1 to August 31. 
Senate bill No. 339, amending section 6 by striking 
out [before August 15, 1902]. 
Assemblyman Day, of Jefferson, has introduced a bill 
making the close season for black and gray squirrels 
December 16 to September 15. 
I hope that this bill making the opening day the same 
for grouse, woodcock and squirrels will meet the ap- 
proval of the sportsmen of the State. 
For those who believe in a non-resident license, Assem- 
bly bill No. 253 provides that every non-resident of this 
State shall pay a tee of ten dollars, one haK t© go to the 
county iii which the license is paid, and one half to the 
State treasury. 
The local or county bills which may interest the resi- 
dent sportsmen are; 
Assembly bill No. 38, which amends sections 82-83, 
making the law in regard to fishing and spearing muscal- 
longe and billfish apply to Chautauqua and Cassadaga 
Lakes. 
Assembly bill No. 39 requiring a license fee of ten dol- 
lars from non-residents of the State to spear in these 
waters. 
Assembly bill No. 128, amending section 80, allowing 
nets to be used in Seneca Lake from May 1 to Septem- 
ber 30. 
Assembly bill No. 38, 288, amends section 82-83, mak- 
ing the law in regard to fishing and spearing muscallonge 
and billfish apply to Chautauqua, Cassadaga and Bear 
Lakes. 
Assembly bill No. 307 amending section 21, so as to 
permit the shooting of ducks from a battery with or with- 
out decoys on any part of Cayuga Lake during the day- 
time on Wednesday of each week from the first day of 
October to the 31st of March. W. H. Tallett. 
Watkrtown, N. Y., Feb. 6. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The awakening of friends of the Adirondacks, as shown 
by the exposure in your last issue, of the scheme to let 
in the lumbermen, did my old North Woods heart good. 
But why is there not an awakening among the honest 
sportsmen? I have been looking over the bills now slip- 
ping through to amend the fish and game law, and I 
tell you there is the worst lot of them that ever was 
seen. And they seem to be booked to go through. Our 
member who is on the committee says that you can get 
anything voted out "if you are right." I asked him if 
the Commission approved such legislation, and he said: 
"We don't have to ask them." I asked him if they had 
many sportsmen come before the committee, and he said : 
"All we want of them. They are mostly cranks." I 
wanted to oppose some of the bills, and asked him about 
it, but he said it would do no good and would be a waste 
of time. He said the members that had the right backing 
could get anything out, no matter who opposed. He 
said the committee knew some of the bills were bad, but 
had to let them out if they wanted to get any legislation, 
as the Speaker wanted to be nominated for Lieutenant- 
Governor, and was looking for friends in every county. 
That is why I appeal to you to let the public— that is, the 
sporting public — know what is going on. 
I was told also that the first fish law amendment signed 
by the Governor the last of the past week was one to 
which the Commission had filed strong objections. It 
was Assemblyman Fowler's bill legalizing fishing through 
the ice in Bear and Cassadaga lakes in Chautauqua county. 
One of the old Fish Commissioners told me that there 
had been a lot of brown trout put into Cassadaga Lake 
and many thousands of muscallonge had been planted in 
both bodies of water. I also learned that there are 
thousands of little houses on Chautauqua Lake where the 
men sit to spear fish, and that there is a bill gone through 
that makes a license fee for non-resident fishermen in the 
county waters. But the Speaker is from that county, and 
he is ambitious, as I have said, they say. He is the man also 
who is the bosom friend of the Deputy Comptroller of the 
State, Gilman, who is called Quiggs' man in New York, 
and who in Albany is called the head of the cold-storage 
combination to beat any legislation aimed to regulate 
the cold-storage places, such as those where a protector 
recently seized so many thousand birds illegally kept 
there. I do not know what has become of that case, but 
heard it was in the hands of a political law firm and would 
be buried. E. Wilson Salters. 
Brooklyn, Feb. 28. 
The Plank for New York, 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Assembly Bill 410 provides for the adoption in New 
York of the Forest and Stream's Platform Plank so far 
as to stop the sale of woodcock, ruffed grouse and quail 
at any time or place throughout the State. If you want 
it, ask your representative to support Assembly Bill No. 
410. I am in receipt of reliable information from Albany 
that unless there is a great change of sentiment in our 
legislators, especially those from Greater New York, this 
bill cannot pass at this session. 
It seems to me that the question is not fully under- 
stood by the people or their representatives. And that 
the vital importance of the passage of the bill is not 
appreciated. 
The danger of extermination of the small game of this 
State is imminent. The time has come when this bill must 
pass or our woodcock, ruffed grouse and quail are 
doomed. Few of us are aware of the immense quantities 
of game that the markets of this State demand each 
year, and that this supply must in the future come from 
the State itself, for the reason that nearly every State in 
the Union forbids the export of game, and the Lacy 
act, passed by Congress in 1900, has made the enforcement 
of these laws so easy and sure that it has cut off all 
those vast supplies of game that used to come from 
other States. This is the question that confronts the 
people of this State to-day. How long will the game of 
this State supply our markets? 
This danger, which threatens the game interests of 
New York, threatens every State in the Union as well, 
and many of them have been quick to see and guard 
against it by passing such laws as will preserve the game 
for the people to whom it rightfully belongs. 
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,' New Hampshire, Maine, 
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, California, 
Alabama, Kansas, Nevada, Missouri, North Dakota, 
Texas and Washington, have already passed laws which 
forbid the sale of game at any time or place through- 
out the State, and in nearly every other State similar 
bills are pending. Are our representatives at Albany 
so blind or indifferent to the interests of the people as to 
permit by their neglect the certain extinction of the 
small game of this State ? , W. H, Tallett. 
Watertown, N. Y., Feb 21. 
All communications intended for Forest ai*d Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
A Plea for Spring Shooting* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
As one of the great marty poor devils who are cona- 
pelled on account of their business to take their vacation 
in the spring of the year, I protest most heartily against 
the new proposed law just sent up to Albany prohibiting 
the shooting of wildfowl in the spring of the year. I 
cannot understand how spring shooting in New York 
of wildfowl will decimate them any quicker than fall 
shooting, and even not as much, as the young birds are 
flying southward, and are surely not as able to take care 
of themselves as when on the northward journey. 
Laws are being formed year after year in the interest 
of the wealthy sportsman and their game preserves, 
where they are allowed to shoot and kill to their hearts' 
content, and in some places out of season. 
As an illustration, take the Currituck Sound. It is 
mostly divided up into game preserves, and the State 
laws are such as to make it impossible for a poor man or 
one in moderate circumstances to go down there for a 
short shooting trip without a big bank roll; and where 
are we going to get the roll? 
We hear almost every week where some poor devil is 
arrested for illegal shooting; but who ever arrests the 
wealthy man for doing the same thing? 
We have a goodly number of sportsmen in this vicinity 
who work from thirteen to fifteen hours a day, and who 
can only get a vacation in the spring of the year. Now, 
the only shooting left us is the wildfowl, and now the 
wealthy sporting associations propose taking that from 
us. If they are sincere, and as they have had lots of 
sport all the fall and winter and have killed their share 
and also somebody else's, let them put up their guns 
until the following fall, but don't prevent us from hav- 
ing a little sport in the spring on the wildfowl. 
There are two classes who are killing off the game 
so rapidly, and they are the pot-hunter and his prototype 
the wealthy sportsman. 
There is no finer sport in the world than taking a 
good dog and tramping the fields for quail and partridge, 
but we thirteen-hour men never expect to get any of this 
shooting. Even if we should get a day off, where can 
we go? The well-to-do commuter living in the country 
aiound the large cities has compelled the farmer to post 
his land so that the aforesaid commuter can have it all 
to himself; and if the farmer protests, why, the com- 
muter refuses to purchase the farmer's produce. Then an 
association is formed, purchases a couple of dozen birds, 
posts all the land for miles around, and then cleans off 
all the game after the season opens after the first week 
or two. 
Now, I will guarantee, out of every one hundred small 
business men I can get seventy-five per cent, to sign the 
above statement of facts. 
Now, Mr. Editor, a good, common-sense law would 
be "Abolish the sale of all game and game birds." The 
poor can't afford to purchase them; so the only ones put 
out will be the pot-hunter and the wealthy man, who are 
in a very great minority. Lou. H= Johnson. 
New York. 
Wolves in Wyoming 1 and Colorado. 
Morgantown, W. Va. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 
following are some items from the Saratoga Sun, of 
Saratoga, Wyo., and the 1 North Park Union, of North 
Park, Colo., of recent date, which may interest those, 
who are interested in knowing where some of the wild 
creatures still exist and afford some of the topics for 
local mention. From the Saratoga Sun we quote: 
"Gray wolves are troubling the Brush Creek stock 
men this winter. They killed four head of cattle for 
Caleb A. Cook some weeks ago, and have done much 
damage in other parts. There has been a number of 
these pests seen on that creek the past two or three 
months. Last week William Turnbull took his pack of 
hounds up there, and he and Jesse Barkhurst and the 
ranchmen engaged in a two days' hunt for the vicious 
brutes. They saw four wolves, but were not successful 
in catching any. The only results of the trip was a bob- 
cat." 
"It is stated that a great quantity of elk, deer and an- 
telope hides are shipped from Rawlins that have been 
taken in Colorado, contrary to law." 
From the North Park Union we quote: "Notice is 
hereby given by the subscribers to the Wolf Bounty 
Fund that a bounty of $35 will be paid on each adult gray 
wolf, and $10 on each gray wolf pup, killed within the 
boundaries of North Park during the current year. Par- 
ties claiming said bounties will present the pelts to W. J, 
Dawson, of Walden, together with certificates from two 
responsible stock men, certifying the time and place of 
being killed. 
"Now that the Stock Association has made ample 
provision for a bounty on gray wolves, let our nimrods 
and sporting men get out and annihilate the droves of 
destructive beasts that roam over the park, A lively 
hunter or trapper can pick up a hundred dollars a week 
easy enough at the present price, $35 per scalp." 
Emerson Carney. 
American Duck Shooting* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I beg to acknowledge receipt from you of Mr. Grinnell's 
book on "American Duck Shooting." 
I have not had time to read it carefully, but I have 
looked over it enough to be able to assure you that I 
am delighted with it. I am very fond of all field sports, 
more especially those which come under the heads that 
are treated in Mr. Grinnell's book. It is a great pleasure 
to me to read his accounts of personal experiences and 
his explanations of many peculiar traits of the different 
species which are the result of his extremely close ob- 
servation. His quotations are also very aptly chosen, and 
to lovers of duck shooting are interesting in the highest 
degree. 
It is Useless for me to say all that I think of this book; 
I doubt if there are many as enthusiastic as I am on such 
subjects. I should think that one who knew nothing of 
duck shooting, after reading it, would speedily become a 
devotee of the sport if he had any natural inclination 
that way. Edwin F. Daniels, 
