so 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Ducking EI Dorado. 
Chicago, 111., Dec. 27. — ^There seems to be a new 
ducking EI Dorado at Moses Lake, some twenty-one 
miles southeast of Ephrata, which latter is about fifty 
miles east of Wenatchee, Wash., the latter being the 
point where the Great Northern Railroad crosses the 
Columbia River. Moses Lake is twenty-two miles in 
length and a mile wide in its widest place, but for the 
most part very much narrower. It is fed. according to 
the story of a Seattle, Wash., paper, by Crab Creek, a 
, strange stream which is not particular whether it runs 
over ground or under ground. The Indians call this a 
bewitched water, and wUl have nothing to do with either 
stream or lake. Not so two sportsmen of Seattle who 
visited this region a few weeks ago. Messrs. D. H. 
and Virgil Hall, who brought back after their little 
hunt a splendid mixed bag of birds, which included 
three swans, four geese and about one hundred mallard 
ducks, not to mention a few mixed varieties of big 
ducks. The lake itself is a great breeding ground, and 
although the ducks forsake it after the breeding season 
they return and spend their winter there. There is one 
settler, Charles Lewis, a big stockman, whose home- 
stead is on this lake, and he is the only inhabitant 
within very many miles. It may be supposed that in this 
remote region where the birds are almost wholly undis- 
turbed two Seattle shooters had royal sport. They 
seem not to have abused their privileges, and expect to 
return for another visit to their lonesome ranchman. 
They describe a small island in one arm of the lake on 
which the ducks and geese are said to nest in thou- 
sands during the summer season. This would indeed 
seem to be a ducking El Dorado worth remembering, 
and for that matter, worth preserving. 
The WisconsiQ Ducfc Law. 
The state of the duck law in Wisconsin is not at this 
time one wholly satisfactory, and if the threatened 
changes in other phases of the Wisconsin game laws 
shall be made, that commonwealth will be in a position 
to show its neighbors a set of game laws as inefficient 
as they were formerly good. 
The protective sentiment in Wisconsin seems to go 
by waves, and the game laws do not seem to show any 
settled sentiment as to the general desirability of the 
protection of wild game. This State, it may be remeni- 
bered, for a long time supported the famous dog in 
the manger law, by whose terms it pledged itself to 
stop spring shooting as soon as Illinois did. This 
principle of legislation has always seemed to be about 
as puerile as any that could be devised. 
In spite of waves of lawlessness and waves of peni- 
tence, however, Wisconsin did for a long time lead the 
sentiment of the Mississippi Valley in the matter of good 
duck laws. It stopped spring shooting, at least upon 
the marsh ducks which breed in some numbers in Wis- 
consin marshes; and although this half way measure 
was of course inherently weak, it showed the Wiscon- 
sin heart was in the right place. Moreover, the old 
law, which restricted shooters to the natural cover of 
the rushes, and forbade open water blinds, was one of 
the best measures which could have been devised by 
that State to induce the migrating birds to tarry for 
a time upon her marshes. I remember that when I 
first began to visit Wisconsin ducking grounds, the 
burlap blind, put out in the open water on the feeding 
beds of the ducks, was a common device and used 
with success by all of the market -hunters and by 
greedy sportsmen who are just as bad as the market- 
hunters. After a time the numbers of these blinds, 
more especially in Fox Lake and- adjoining waters, 
rendered it almost impossible for a wild duck to get a 
place where it could alight in safety or feed in quiet. 
The deep water diving ducks, redheads, bluebills, 
ringbills, and sometimes canvas backs could not even 
get out into the middle of the lake in twenty feet of 
water without running against one of these blinds. 
The result was that the birds were hammered and 
pounded out until they finally settled the question by 
rising pretty much en masse and gettiiig out to another 
part of the world. 
Then came the revulsion in sentiment which abol- 
ished these open water blinds and confined the shoot- 
er's concealment to the rushes or a Wind built some- 
where within the indefinite line of "natural cover." 
TThese old open water blinds were usually made of 
burlaps. The hunter would take some poles 15 or 20 
feet in length and sink them in a parallelogram oyt in 
the open water. Around three sides of these project- 
ing stake tops he would stretch a strip of coffee sack- 
ing or burlap. The blind was left open at one end, and 
the shooter pushed his boat in and lay riding in per- 
fect concealment and with a very decent wind break. 
By tying his boat to one of the stout poles he could 
manage to ride a very heavy sea, and of course in 
heavy weather and a good big flock of decoys he was 
very apt to get good shooting. This was all very well 
while it lasted. 
The Illinois law, like the Wisconsin law forbidding 
shooting from a blind beyond the edge of natural 
cover, was subject of much argument and construction 
and misconstruction. At last the objectors in Wis- 
consin overruled those who had stood oitt for some 
protection for the birds, and recently the Wisconsin 
open water blind law was killed in effect by the intro- 
duction of a clause which renders it lawful to shoot 
on any of the open waters of the State between sunrise 
and sunset from a paddling or rowing boat, propelled 
with an oar or oars from the side or sides of such boat. 
This change of the old law has already produced the 
results which might have been expected. The sports- 
men of the State declare that the new law has de- 
stroyed hunting on the lakes where formerly there was 
great sport. The present law permits the chasing of 
the birds by boats, and the ducks are pressed so closely 
that they never find rest; hence they simply leave feed- 
ing grounds which otherwise they would use. There 
is a large element of decent and tolerant sportsman- 
ship in the city of Milwaukee which protests at this 
jnw. It is to be hoped thjit this element may prove 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
leaven sufficient to affect popular sentiment at the 
State Legislature, where still more radical changes are 
threatened. 
As to the details regarding the change in the law, 
the following letter from Henry Overbeck, Jr., State 
game warden of Wisconsin, should remove any doubt 
and settle any discussion which exists even to-day: 
Madison, Wis., Dec. 20. — E. Hough: In reply to your 
telegram and letter regarding the shooting of ducks in 
open water, would say that as the law now reads in 
Sec. 65 on page 42, open water duck shooting is al- 
lowed. The section reads, "Provided, that it shall not 
be unlawful to hunt, kill or pursue any acquatic fowl 
on the open waters of this State between sunrise 
and sunset Of the same day with a paddle boat or row 
boat propelled with an oar or oars from the side or 
sides of such boat." I enclose the whole of the sec- 
tion referred to. Trusting that this will furnish you 
the necessary information you desired, and that it 
reached you in time. Truly yours, 
Henry Overbeck, Jr- 
The section referred to by Mr. Overbeck follows in 
full: 
65. Prohibited Methods of Hunting Aquatic Birds. — Section 12, 
Chapter 258, 1901.— Section 4563b ©f the statutes of 1898, is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows: Section 4563b: Any person 
who shall use, in the pursuit of any wild duck, goose, brant or 
other aquatic bird, upon the waters of this State, any sneak boat, 
or boat propelled by an oar or oars operated from the stern of 
such boat, or any sail boat, or boat propelled by steam,, naphtha, 
electric or other engine or machinery, or any battery, sink box 
or similar device, or who shall kill or attempt to kill or to pursue, 
whils occupying or using any boat, box or other device outside 
or beyond the natural covering of reeds, grass or other vegetation 
growing above the water, any wild goose, duck, brant or other 
aquatic bird, or who shall construct or use for the purpose of hunting, 
outside of such natural covering or upon the ice, any fixed or 
artificial blind or ambush, shall be punished by a fine of not less 
than ten dollars, nor more than fifty dollars, or by imprisonment 
in the cotinty jail not more than thirty days or by bo'th such 
fine and imprisonment; Provided, that it shall not be unlawful 
to hunt, kill or pursue any aquatic fowl on the open waters of 
this State between sunrise and sunset of the same day with a 
paddle boat or row boat propelled with an oar or oars from the 
side or sides of such boat; Provided, however, that in the waters 
of Lake Koshkonong in the counties of Dane, JefCerson, Rock, 
and in the water of Fox Lake in Dodge county, no float, paddle 
boat, scull boat or sneak boat, shall be used in the pursuit of 
any aquatic fowl beyond the point where the hunter may by law 
set his decoys. 
It will thus be observed that the sneak boat hunting 
on canvasbacks on Lake Koshkonong will continue to 
be unlawful. This sculling or sneak boat hunting as 
practiced on that lake was in the early times developed 
into an art .most destructive to the canvasback. It 
was an interesting art, showing well the skill and per- 
severance of the hunter in outwitting his game, but its 
result proved fair to be the destruction of all sport on 
the deep water ducks. It is comforting to know that 
at least this form of open water shooting continues to 
be illegal. 
There is still another phase of the Wisconsin duck- 
ing law which ought to be called to the attention of 
those who think that all restrictions are off in regard 
to duck hunting in Wisconsin. From a lay inspection 
of the law as bearing upon public nuisances, it would 
seem to be evident that duck shooting in the open 
water for more than 200 feet from cover will continue 
to be illegal. The clause bearing upon public nuis- 
ances reads as below: 
11. Public Nuisances, What Are.— Section 1498o, W. S., 1898.— 
The following are declared to be public nuisances: 
1. Any net of any kind prohibited by law while set, placed or 
found in any waters where such net is prohibited by law from 
being used. 
2. All seines or other devices, traps or contrivances set or 
found in any waters in a manner prohibited by any law relating 
to such waters, and any and all boats found in use in the taking 
of fish in violation of any of the provisions of these statutes. 
3. AH set lines, ropes or cables with more than one line at- 
tached thereto, either directly or indirectly. Set lines are con- 
strued to mean any line not held by the person using the same, 
whether having one or more hooks. This sub-division applies to 
inland waters only. 
4. Any nets spread upon or under the surface of any of the 
waters of the State which shall or might entrap or ensnare any 
wild fowl of any kind. 
5. Any trap, snares, spring gun, set guns or other device or 
contrivance which might entrap, ensnare or kill any animals, 
birds or water fowl protected by law. 
6. Section 8, Chapter 312, 1899: Any boats, lamps or lights 
when used in the unlawful taking or attempting to take fish or 
game. 
7. Any pivot or swivel gun or other firearm, not habitually 
held at arm's length, and discharged from the shoulder, while the 
same shall be in unlawful use. 
8. Any screen set in the public waters of the State to prevent 
the free passage of fish, or set in any strearn which shall have 
been stocked hy the Commissioners of Fisheries. 
9. Any boat, floating raft, box or blind set in open water or 
outside a natural growth of grasses or rushes sufficiently high to 
conceal the boat, raft or blind, or an artificial blind set in open 
water for the unlawful pursuit, hunting or shooting of any wild 
duck, goose or brant. 
10. Section 9, Chapter 312, 1899: Sub-division 10, Section 1498o, 
Wisconsin statutes of 1898, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
Sub-division 10, Section 1498o: All decoys set in any of the 
waters of the State, during the close season for the hunting of 
any variety of water-fowl as prescribed by law, and any decoys 
set in the water more than two hundred feet from the cover, 
which said cover shall be construed to mean the weeds, rushes 
or other vegetation in which the hunter may locate, or any place 
in which the hunter shall wholly or partially conceal himself. 
11. The unlawful use of any of the articles mentioned in this 
section, contrary to the provisions of law, shall forfeit the same 
to the State, and upon their being found under any of the condi- 
tions which shall render them public nuisances as specified herein 
they may be immediately destroyed. 
Thus the duck hunter in Wisconsin may chase ducks 
in the open water, but may not shoot over decoys set 
more than 200 feet from cover. Sometimes it takes 
a certain amount of study to figure out the real mean- 
ing of a game law by the time the legislators are done 
with it, and even then there is nothing established un- 
til after the courts have finished their work. By that 
time we are usually ready for another change in our 
game laws. It is not beyond hope that Wisconsin will 
see some of the error of her way and refuse to do some 
of the things which she threatens to do with her game 
laws at this session of the Legislature. 
Ducks in the South. 
That veteran Western duck shooter, Abe Kleinman, 
of this city, told me to-day that he was rather hopeful 
that he might be able to get South for a little duck 
shooting this winter. "I am afraid to take my gun 
out of the case," said he, "for fear I might get it dirty. 
It has been there for a long, long time." 
Abe thinks that a good duck country might be found 
along the new rice grounds of Louisiana and Texae 
[Jan. 10, 1903. 
rather farther to the east than the poiiits which hith- 
erto have been commonly accepted as the best ones for 
shooting along the Gulf Coast. • I have not heard much 
from High Island or Galveston for some time, and do 
not know what the outlook is in that part- of the 
world, but there ought to be some shooting left in 
those regions. 
Abe tells me that our old friend Billy Griggs is not 
shooting for the market this winter, but is running 
a fishing station «omewhere down in Georgia. Happy 
Billy, to get down in the South in the winter time and 
escape these Northern winters. For we are having 
winter here in Chicago for keeps jusi now, a cold wave 
with somewhat blizzardly accompaniments having 
taken the place of the snow and slush. 
Hoacds and Quail. 
Every once in a while some authority on dogs bobs 
up with the statement that somewhere in the remote 
past a good strong hound strain was introduced into 
that breed. There may be color for that statement. 
At least I am willing to say that the fox hound or coon 
dog of commerce will, upon occasion, take naturally to 
quail. The other day, when I was down shooting witli 
Warren Powel, the latter gentleman undertook to put 
his two coon dogs into the same wagon with a string 
of quail. He heard a loud yell from the driver, and 
arrived in time to see the last of quite a bunch of quail 
disappearing down the throat of one of the coon dogs. 
"He just took 'em off the string like he was eating 
peanuts," said the driver, excitedly. I never saw any- 
thing like it! I have no doubt that if rescue had not 
arrived, we should have seen nothing of our bunch of 
birds excepting the string and a few heads. Mr. Powel 
said he was sure this dog was swallowing quail without 
even getting his throat tickled by the wing feathers. 
Slaughter of Deer in the Northwest. 
Major M. G. Baldwin, of Kalispel, Mont., recently 
returned from the West Fisher district, and says that 
large bands of Indians have been hunting in that dis- 
trict ever since the opening of winter, and that they 
have killed at least 2,000 deer, not to mention other 
game. One miner reported seeing at an Indian camp 
sixty deer brought in as result of two days' hunt. 
These Indians are Flatheads and Kootenais. Their 
manner of hunting is to go in a large body on horse- 
back with large numbers of dogs and to deploy at the 
base of a mountain on which they intend to hunt. They 
then advance up hill, dogs and horsemen beating out 
all the cover. The deer run toward the top and are slaot 
down in large numbers in this kind of a circle hunt. 
The Flatheads, returning to their reservation, brought 
back an immense quantity of hides and had hundreds of 
horses loaded down with deer meat. They had lived 
nearly four months on deer meat beside what they 
brought back. In that part of the mountains there- had 
been two mild winters, and the deer wandered high up, 
but this fall the snow drove them down and the In- 
dians had no trouble in slaughtering deer in great 
numbers. 
Tennessee Man Gets Moose. 
Dr. Chas. E. Wait, of the University of Tennessee, is 
another Arnerican who went to New Brunswick this 
fall and enjoyed a successful moose hunt. Dr. Wait 
got a moose with 58-inch spread, with 25 points and 
a web of II inches. Experienced big-game hunters re- 
port this to have been the finest head seen for a long 
time, it being very perfect and symmetrical. Dr. Waite 
used a Winchester .45-70-500, smokeless powder, metal 
patched, and killed his moose with one shot. He says 
that he has with the same rifle and load killed four 
moose and two caribou, and needed only one shot in 
any case. . It is not believed that very many moose 
heads have ever been seen within the confines of the 
State of Tennessee, and it surely must be a source of 
pride for Dr. Wait to know that he has brought home 
so grand a specimen. 
But Not the Biggest. 
The Wait head must have been something of a moose 
head; but what shall we say to the moose killed this 
season on the Northwest Miramichi by Mr. Sterling 
Trevors, one of the employes at Burchill's lumber 
carnp? This head is reported to have had a spread of 
72 inches, which is getting directly into the Alaskan 
class. Mr. Trevors is stated to have been offered $200 
for the head, but did not think that was enough. This 
head is reported by the Chatham World, but I cannot 
say whether or not the measurements are accurate. 
They are so extraordinarily large that it seems there 
might have been a mistake. The New Brunswick heads 
are the grandest ones to be had near the Eastern 
Coast, but 60, 61 or 62 inches has been pretty near 
their limit. 
Indians Not so Bad. 
By the way, speaking of our Indians out in Montana 
and their deer killing, how about the sportsmen of 
Maine and vicinity? It is said that 8,000 or 10,000 non- 
resident hunters shot in Maine this year. Some say 
that 7,500 deer have been shipped. Some say that 20,- 
000 deer were killed. Others say 15,000; yet others say 
5,000 deer, and perhaps 200 moose. Pile all this game 
up in a pile, and it might set a fellow thinking. The 
pile of dead and wounded human beings would also give 
one occasion for thought, since we read of nine deaths 
and twenty-one serious woimds in the deer hunting 
field, one of the dead being a registered guide. We do 
pretty well in our deer .season out here in Wisconsin 
and Michigan, and kill nearly as many men out here 
as they do in Maine. I do not believe, however, that 
we kill quite so many deer, and if these Maine figures 
are reported accurately, I doubt if we send as many 
hunters into the woods as go into the wilderness of 
Maine. 
Life and Adventures of a Tin Cop. 
The other morning when I went down to my office 
1 found on my desk a tin cup. It was not a very dis- 
tinguished looking vessel, being old, a bit dirty and 
very mucji blackened b^y the si^ofeg of many camp 
