228 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[March 21, 1903. 
more than a score of wild deer — whitetails — in the State, 
and but precious few antelopes, and these only in October, 
when wandering bands stray in from the mountains. 
Wolves, coyotes, foxes, skunks, prairie dogs and rabbits 
are lawful prey the year round. It makes the open season 
for pinnated grouse — our prairie chicken — and all other 
species of the grouse family from September i to Novem- 
ber_ 30, instead of from October i to November 30. It 
limits the number of chickens to ten per day during Sep- 
tember, and to 25 in November. This is the most objec- 
tionable feature of the whole proposed new law, and the 
hope is that it will be expunged before put to passage. It 
will simply give the gunners residing in or adjacent to the 
chicken grounds the privilege of extenninating the birds. 
It will deny sportsmen from the cities the rights enjoyed 
by those of the rural districts. But few men can afford to 
travel hundreds of miles for the sport, if it can be called 
sport, of killing ten half-grown, flabby chickens a day, 
and it is the man from the city who will be held strictly 
within the law. Conscienceless rural shooters can kill 
ten or ten dozen birds every day in the week with little, 
precious little, fear of detection or molestation. The fact 
that the bill is receiving the hearty support of all residents 
of the chicken country should be sufficient to condemn it 
in the eyes of all honest men who are really in earnest 
in their desire to preserve the birds. The supporters of 
the bill argue that the birds are too strong of wing and 
too hard to approach in October and November, and hence 
they are denied a sport that has been theirs since time 
immemorial. This, of course, is all tommy rot. The 
fact that the birds have a chance to match their strength 
and speed of wing against the cunning of man should 
only enhance the enjoyment of their pursuit. There is 
no enjoyment for the true sportsman in knocking over 
"cheepers" with hardly strength enough to rise out of 
the long grass. But when they thunder from beneath his 
feet and go away like the wind— well, that is an entirely 
different matter. It thrills him to the marrow and puts 
him on his mettle, and when he kills a bird, he's got a 
bird worth having, and it affords him satisfaction to know 
that it had an honest chance. 
To again legalize the killing of prairie chickens in this 
State in September means the undoing of all the good 
that our present excellent laws have accomplished. Octo- 
ber, aye, November, is plenty early enough to kill any 
bird so sure of extermination as our prairie chicken is, 
and September^ — that is simply preposterous. It is simply 
to return to the old days of no law at all. So far as the 
average Nebraska sportsman is concerned, he is well satis- 
fied with the game law as it now stands, and sees no 
call for enlarging the open season on any of our game 
birds or animals. If chicken killing is allowed next Sep- 
tember, the destruction of the birds will be incalculable, 
and if the Legislature is really in earnest about presen'- 
ing this royal bird, it will vote this proposed change down. 
The man who wants an open season in September also 
undoubtedly would like to have a gun for October and 
November that would be as effectiA^e at a quarter of a mile 
as his September gun is at fifteen or twenty yards. 
This bill also provides for the restoration of a short 
open season on. quail, and this meets with the heartiest 
approval on all hands. It sets aside November as the 
quail month, and while it would be pleasing to some to 
have it extended through December, the one month is 
ample. There are great dangers from heavy snowfalls 
in December, and on such occasions the birds are abso- 
lutely defenseles.s. The wildfowl seasons remain as be- 
fore, and there is no complaint on this score. It begins 
September i and closes April 15, and in this clause jack- 
snipe and yelllowlegs— heretofore unprotected — are in- 
cluded. It also makes upland plover and dove shooting 
allowable between July 15 and November 30. The open 
season for game fishes from April i to October 31, and 
shooters are limited to ten wild geese and twenty-five 
other game birds, and twenty-five fish per day. 
Speaking of the probable open season on quail, reminds 
me that the statistics I have gathered from all parts of 
the State during the past month show that fully 35 per 
cent, of the birds were winter killed. In fact, the past 
winter has been almost as severe on the quail as was 
the memorable winter of 1888, when they were all but 
totally destroyed. There were more quail in Nebraska 
last year than was ever known in the history of the State, 
and while the three years' prohibition of their shootino' 
was largely instrumental in this happy increase, the mild 
wmters had much to do with it. There is yet a good crop 
left over, and the sport next November should prove 
fairly good in all sections. As to the chickens, they have 
not been so plentiful in Nebraska for fifteen years, thanks 
to our splendid laws on this subject. 
S.^NDY Griswold. 
Elfc Starving in the Mountains. '^^^ 
The following is an excerpt from a letter from Bill 
Liddiard, "Rattlesnake Pete," of Pine Ridge Indian 
Reservation fame, now county judge at Ishawooa, Wyom- 
ing, and will explain itself: 
Ishawooa, Wyo., March 14.— Mv Dear Sandy— Th^te 
have been worlds of snow here this winter and the moun- 
tains are yet full of it, and old hunters say that fully half 
of the elk will starve to death. Their feeding grounds are 
under about five feet of the beautiful, and it has become 
so_ crusted that the animals can get to neither food or 
drink, and must necessarily perish. We are organizing 
here, and within the next week will haul out to accessible 
points to the elk all the hay we can procure. It mav 
.seem strange, but what deer I have seen lately seem to be 
in pretty good order. This elk question, however, is one 
for the immediate attention of the Government authorities. 
W. H. Liddiard. 
Big Horn County, Wyo. 
The main issue of the wildfowl from the south seems 
to have started up this way, and hunting parties are 
radiating daily to all points of the compass. The flight 
is an unusually large one. ' Sandy Griswold. 
An Enprlish lady who visited America many years ago used to 
tell the following story: On the voyage she was one day shocked 
by seeing a ship's officer knock down one of the crew who was 
inclined to mutiny. So much did the sight affect her that she 
retired to her cabin, and did not again appear on deck until 
land was sighted. Then she perceived at the wheel the man who 
had received the blow. Approaching him, she asked, with deep 
sympathy: "How is your head now?'' "^Kit'-m4--hy-nof, ma'am/' 
was the asawer. — Shootiaft Ti*w- 
'^Honest John*' Plumbley. 
OssiNiNG, N. Y. — Editor Forest and Stream: I am 
sending you a photo which would probably be of interest 
to some of your readers. This was taken four years ago 
at the camps situated at the head of Brandreth Lake, 
Hamilton county, in the Raquette Lake district of the 
Adirondacks. This is the last photograph taken of 
'"Honest John" Plumbley, who was so termed by "Adiron- 
dack Murray" in his book of the wilderness. Standing 
with his hand resting on the wolf (which, by the way, is 
supposed to be the last wolf killed in the Adirondacks), 
is James T. Blandford, who, with John Plumbley as his 
guides penetrated the woods to Brandreth Lake over fifty 
"honest JOHN" PLUMBLEY. 
years ago and purchased the lake and a large tract of 
land adjacent, acting as agent for Dr. Benj. Brandreth, 
founder of the great patent medicine concern now known 
as The Allcock Manufacturing Company. The land called 
Brandreth Park is now owned by Messrs. Franklin Bran- 
dreth, Frederick Potter and Gen. E. A. McAlpine, the two 
latter being sons-in-law of Dr. Brandreth. "Uncle John" 
died "about three years ago. He was then, and had been 
for some years, employed by the owners of Brandreth 
Park. C. G. Blandford. 
Nova Scotia Game. 
Secretary George Piers, of the Nova Scotia Game and 
Inland Fishery Protection Society, sends us his annual 
report for 1902, from which we take_ these paragraphs 
respecting game conditions in the Province: 
Regarding moose, I can say that they are holding their 
own fairly well, a condition of things which is largely 
due to legislation passed at the instance of your Society. 
Forty years ago dogging was much practiced by the 
country people, many of them keeping from one to three 
so-called moose dogs, a cross between the smooth-haired 
Newfoundland and the bull dog, for this purpose. Hap- 
pily this style of hunting our noble game is almost, if not 
quite, a thing of the past. 
Snaring has been more in vogue of late years, and is 
still carried on in out-of-the-way districts; but by perse- 
verance on the part of our agents in continually destroy- 
ing the snares, and always, when possible, bringing the 
law-breakers to justice, this evil also will, I trust, be 
stamped out ere long. 
Judging roughly from the agents' reports, I should say 
that about three hundred and fifty moose have been legally 
killed during the year. 
I regret to have to differ from my venerable friend. 
Commissioner Crooker, and others who think the license 
fee for non-residents too high. I do not think there is 
an American sportsman worthy of the name who would 
object to the forty dollar fee for an all game license, nor 
do I believe that lowering the fee would increase the 
number of visiting sportsmen one per cent. 
Agent Kelley is to be congratulated on his success in 
convicting the "gang of snarers at Oak Park, Barrington. 
These men have been carrying on a wholesale destruction 
of moose quite unhindered, as the men of this vicinity, 
appointed by the Society to suppress this practice, were 
afraid to act. 
Caribou have left our peninsula, with the exception of a 
few small herds. These should have a close season of 
some years. In the Island of Cape Breton, the caribou 
have greatly benefitted by the close time enjoyed by them 
some few years ago, and in some districts are quite 
numerous. . . 
The manner in which the red deer have multiplied 
during the few years since their introduction is most 
gratifying. They are now to be found in nearly all the 
counties of the peninsula. In Yarmouth and Queens^ 
counties, where last year only a few of their tracks were' 
seen, there is now quite a good showing of them, some 
quite near the farms. Our Yarmouth agent reported a 
herd of eleven, while Queens reported as many as seven 
having been seen at one time. Not one hag ^e?n killed 
durine the year, as far as can be ascertained. 
The Society must not forget that the close time for red 
deer will expire in 1904. Therefore it should ask the 
Legislature to further protect them. 
The country is well stocked with hares, excepting some 
places where disease has diminished their numbers. I 
think that the open season should begin on the fifteenth 
of October, as the hare is only then clear of ticks and fit 
for human food. 
You will see, by referring to the agents' reports, that 
there are still a few beavers left in Nova Scotia; but if 
they do not receive immediate and prolonged protection, 
there will not be one of them remaining after a year or 
two. 
Wildcats have become unusually plentiful and make 
great havoc among the smaller game. Other fur-bearing 
animals are about the same as reported last year. 
Ruffed grouse were very scarce in most of the counties 
in spite of their recent rest of three years. Undoubtedly 
the principal cause of this scarcity is the unusually cold 
and wet weather experienced by them for the last three 
or four years during hatching period. 
The woodcock, from a sportsman's point of view, is the 
most gamy bird we have, and I regret to say that year 
by year they are becoming scarcer in our Province. This 
is largely due to their wholesale destruction in the 
Southern States, where they have no protection whatever, 
excepting in South Carolina and Alabama. As is well 
known, the woodcock comes north about the end of 
March and during April ; so it is plain to be seen that we 
suffer for their want of protection while they sojourn in 
the South. Beside all this, our telephone and telegraph 
wires are fruitful causes of their destruction, being about 
the height of a woodcock's flight. 
There was the usual number of snipe during the breed- 
ing season and latter part of the summer, but as soon as 
the rainy weather set in they left for more suitable feed- 
ing grounds, and therefore the snipe shooting was poor. 
Pheasants are doing well near Windsor. A few are also 
occasionally seen at Hammond's Plains. 
I regret to say that I have nothing encouraging to re- 
port concerning pin-tailed grouse. They seem to have dis- 
appeared almost entirely from the place they were 
originally put out. 
Blue-winged ducks continue to increase, excepting in 
Cumberland county, where, greatly to the regret of all 
true sportsmen, the wanton destruction of spring shoot- 
ing is still carried on. . George Piers, 
Secretary. 
In this connection we print the following report recently 
received from Mr. George Seaman, who writes from 
Queens county: 
There have been over two hundred moose shot in 
this district (No. i), which includes the counties of 
Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby and x\nnapolis, this 
last season, mostly by our local sportsmen. Some Ameri- 
cans who have been down here have had very poor luck, 
and from all I can find out it is by having very incom- 
petent guides, taking up with almost any man that would 
say he was a guide. Even some of the Indians, whom 
one would suppose to be good guides, are no better than 
a common clerk out of a store. I will give you one little 
instance of a gentleman's trip here. He came from New 
York and thought sure an Indian was the right kind of 
guide to have, so secured one. They were out over fifty 
days before they got any game, and finally got a good bull 
moose by creeping on him. 
I do not wish to convey the impression that all Indians 
are poor guides. 
Moose have been and are now very plentiful in the 
forests here. The next season should prove a very profit- 
able one to sportsmen visiting this section. Bears have 
been very scarce this season. Caribou none to speak of. 
Red deer are beginning to prosper, but the close season 
is on them until 190.4. W^ildcats quite plentiful. Red 
foxes quite numerous. Partridges and rabbits very plenty. 
Of fish we have salmon and trout plenty in their season. 
George Seaman^ 
New Game Fields Near Boston. 
The general impression seems to be that one must take 
long trips to get good shooting, but I want to tell of a 
day's shooting within twenty miles of Boston. 
C., with his dog Wiz, Mr. P. and his Pont, and I with 
my English setter Ned, got an early train one Saturday 
morning, reached the grounds about 7:30, and started 
right in hunting. 
A small covert near the station gave up three par- 
tridges, but we didn't seem to connect. Following them 
we started to beat up the woods where they had flown, 
and Ned began almost immediately to make game. The 
bird flushed before he got into a point, but gave me a nice 
side shot, which I took advantage of. Going up a hillside 
Ned and Pont began to road. We didn't know which had 
the right trail, but Ned found them, and I was lucky 
enough to drop two of them. Ned found three singles, 
two of which I missed beautifully. But Mr. P. made up 
for it by making a beautiful double. His dog then started 
down the hill, going like the wind, but scenting another 
bird he nearly tore himself in two stopping. Mr. P. 
walked up a"nd killed the bird, which Ned brought to rne. 
We then beat up an alder run, as C. had joined us with 
a partridge. Ned came to a point, then backed out and 
came to me, then went on and pointed again. But he 
seemed undecided and I couldn't imagine what the mat- 
ter was until I walked in and put up a woodcock. When I 
killed it I never saw a dog so pleased. It was his first wood- 
cock. C. and Mr. P. each picked up another partridge, 
and I distinguished myself by missing one that Ned had 
passed by. Ned made up for this by running down into 
a swamp and finding a big bunch of quail. Mr. P. and I 
each got one out of the covey. 
After lunch, as we were going across a wheat field, we 
found another covey, but they wouldn't wait, as the covey 
was thin. Wiz pointed them in a growth of scrub oak 
from about thirty feet off. The others each got one, but 
mine didn't stop, and I thought I had missed him. But 
as I started on calling my dog, he came around a pine tree 
carrying the bird, which was flapping lustily. The singles 
lay very close, but we managed to find and kill one or two 
apiece. One of mine fell in a posted field, so I sent Ned 
in after it. He pointed, but wouldn't fetch it, so I left my 
gu» ^d walked 4owfl hinij when a big partridge got up 
