w 
jA».2,ts«4.I FOREST AND STREAM. - • ^ 7 
they took to the cedar trees, and I am impelled to record 
my suspicion as a truthful chronicler that some of these 
unfortunate birds met their death as they decorated the 
topmost twigs of this cedar grove. 
Our exasperation must be put forth in excuse of this, 
and also in palliation for the man who immediately began 
(o shoot rai)bits. 
However, our accommodating friend soon left us, as he 
explained he had had the colic the night before, and his 
wife had objected to his coming in the first place. 
These excellent reasons we could not gainsay, although 
our regrets were expressed in a genuine and heartfelt 
manner. 
Two of the coveys which had been so enthusiastically 
pointed out to us by our friend's dog hied away to for- 
bidden land, and so our juvenile camp follower was dis- 
patched with our humble petition for signature. After a 
long time, giving the birds ample time to hunt brush 
piles and wander off into the adjoining woods, our am- 
bassador returned with hands and pockets and mouth 
full of hickory nuts. Although accepting the hospitality 
of the foreign power, it did not seem to have availed 
him, for he grinningly returned our permit, saying: "She 
wouldn't sign, but said you could hunt all you wanted." 
Her husband was absent, and catch a woman signing 
anything without consulting her lord if you can ! _ 
Next Willie was sent with powers plenipotentiary _Lo 
subdue the most obdurate man of the community, while 
the rest of «s hid behind a brier thicket lest our numbers 
handicap him. "No, sir, I said no living man could hunt 
on my land this year." "I quite agree with you," replied 
mild Willie, and this acquiescence on every point was so 
adroitly maneuvered that he brought away the coveted 
name. 
We climbed the fence promptly and found without de- 
lay two fine coveys, on which both dogs and men did 
good work. This was lunch time, but no time for it, 
and we ate our "snacks" in the full acceptance of this 
word. Our camp follower had been kept so busy throw- 
ing at rabbits — after getting over his hickory nut feast 
he kept his hands full for this purpose — that he said he 
wasn't hungry, but we divided our limited supply of 
sausages and biscuits with him and he ate without 
complaint. 
The last field we touched was a beauty for birds, if 
there ever was one, a hundred acres of black cover and 
as level as could be. We got up two large coveys and 
shot until four o'clock, when every one seemed to have 
enough, and we wandered home, the sun hanging very 
softly on the wooded knobs to the west, and the fierce 
and bitter wind which had been blowing all day lulling as 
it began to touch the quiet face of the night. M, 
NvsHViLLE, Tenn., Dec. 1. 
K Grouse and Woodcock Supply. 
Philadelphia, Dec. 21. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
In those sections of Monroe and Pike counties, Pennsyl- 
vania, with which I am familiar, the past season was the 
worst for grouse I have known. I cannot remember 
when it was so poor nor pretend to give the real reason, 
but you might travel for hours through the countr>- there 
and not find a single bird. Last year I counted in one 
day's trip in early November more than a score of birds ; 
how many I shot "is another story." This year, probably 
a little later, a half a dozen would be many; the greatest 
number in one day would be about six, not more, and it i,s 
likely some were counted twice. 
Some of the local wise ones think the wet season had 
something to do with the scarcity; others lay the blame 
on the fox and other vermin. There is no doubt there 
are many vicissitudes attend the bringing up of a family 
of grouse, from the time the egg is laid until the young- 
is ready for flight. Snakes artd four-footed beasts esteem 
the egg a delicate morsel, and the young bird and old 
ones, too, are often victim to their feathered brethren. 
1 have often seen where there has been a conflict be- 
' tween a grouse and some bird or animal, the feathers of 
the grouse leaving no doubt of its fate. 
In the section mentioned I do not think a close season 
entirely for a few years would make much difference in 
changing conditions ; the birds never have been plentiful 
within my knowledge within the last twelve years. I at- 
tribute this more to food conditions and fires than any- 
thing else. There are few if any beech in this section, 
' and I am told that in the beech woods the birds are more 
plentiful even this season. I have not verified it, but it is 
probable, as after November 10 I have found little in 
their crops but small buds, ferns, green leaves, and win- 
tergreen berries. Some birds are left for seed, however, 
and we hope for a favorable season in 1904. 
Jas. Barrett. 
Gardiner, Maine. — So much is being said and written 
i about scarcity of the ruffed grouse — locally _ known as 
: partridge — that a word upon the brighter side of the 
subject may be of interest. 
From a hunter's point of view, I do not know how 
many birds it requires to be called "plenty," but from an 
ornithologist's standpoint the outlook is improving in this 
district. The writer has been interested in outdoor study 
from childhood, and in the tramps through forest and 
field has never flushed so many birds as during the last 
^ season; ' _ . 
At Cobbosseecontee Lake, easily reached by electric 
cars, and lined with summer cottages, only a short walk 
; into the deep woods flushed a mother bird and her family. 
I The only weapon carried was a camera, so no harm was 
done the chicks ; nothing was bagged in any sense of the 
word, for the baby ruffed grouse refused to have their 
picture taken. In this case the mother bird ran a short 
distance before breaking cover. The trees were oaks and 
_the ground covered with old leaves; brakes and ferns 
j sheltered the leaves, making an ideal spot in which a 
[ partridge family could hide. ^ 
One afternoon two families were discovered in the 
vicinity of Rolling Dam Brook; this is some eight or ten 
miles from the lakes, showing the bird to be well dis- 
tributed. The place was an old wood lot; both birds 
burst with a whir-r from the cover of raspberry bushes 
without a warning rustle. One circled back on silent 
■wing to her family after the intruder had apparently d©- 
' parted ; the other came stealing through the tangle, dodg- 
ing' and slipping along among the shadows ; the observer, 
meanwhile, lying in a hollow, covered with brakes and 
branches, watching her through an opera glass. 
In years past one could walk for miles with never a 
whir of wings; this season almost every short walk into 
the woods has been rewarded with the blood-stirring 
rush of the ruffed grouse. The fact that the camera was 
not quick enough to obtain a picture was not the fault of 
the bird; she was there, well dressed and in picturesque 
surroundings. 
The work that the teachers of the public schools are 
doing will protect the game birds and all wild life more 
than any game law ever formulated. The numerous 
nature books in the public libraries are also a help. The 
writer realized the important results of such teaching 
upon hearing a little fellow of ten years remark, while 
gathering wild flowers, "Don't pick them all, leave some 
for seed." 
Game greed and collectors' selfishness will be reached 
in this way for the future generation ; meanwhile, let the 
game laws go on to restrict the present generation of 
thoughtless people. W. S. A. 
Easton, Md., Nov. 29. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
In a recent number sportsmen in different parts of the 
country were asked to report on the movements of wood- 
cock in their section. The Easton Ledger records that 
Lewis Booker and William Seward, Queen Anne's, 
bagged 58 woodcock in two hours in each of two days in 
a famous woodcock ground in the adjoining county. No 
date is given, but I have reason to think that the shooting 
was done within the last ten days, probably just before 
this cold snap. A neighbor of ours also told me that he 
bagged five one day last week in a pine woods close by. 
Our partridge season is somewhat disappointing; birds 
seem rather scarce, although there seemed to be numbers 
of them around during the summer and early fall, judging 
from their whistling, and seeing the old birds while driv- 
ing around the country. 
The prospect for ducks is likewise very poor; they are 
scarcer than I have ever known them at this season ; lack 
of feed is no doubt the principal reason, as the duck grass 
in these waters has almost entirely disappeared. 
Wheatland. 
Sayre, Pa. — Ere this is printed the season for ruffed 
grouse, woodcock, quail, squirrels and rabbits will have 
closed, and it reveals the fact that so far as northern 
Pennsylvania is concerned the supply ©f ruffed grou?e 
has been quite up to the average of former years. If 
anything, more woodcock w^ere bagged than during the 
season of 1902. Quail were about a normal crop, which 
means, of course, that a few birds could be taken in 
favorite localities and under proper conditions. Rabbits 
have been plentiful everywhere, fully up to the average 
of any previous year. M. Chill. 
New Hampshire Deer, 
DuNBARTON, N. H., Dec. 25. — The open season on deer 
in this State closed with November. From what I hear 
a much less number were killed than in 1902. There were 
two reasons. First, there were hardly any days when 
there was any chance for still-hunting. I was one of a 
party of four from this vicinity who went to Rumney, 
New Hampshire, on November 14 and remained twelve 
days. At first there were several inches of very dry leaves 
in the woods. On the third morning some five inches of 
snow fell and then turned to rain and then cold. The 
result was the noisiest traveling I ever had. Every step 
sounded like putting one's foot through a pane of glass. 
It is discouraging waiting for better hunting with such a 
foundation ; eight inches or so of fresh soft snow is 
needed. Hunting deer among the mountains of New 
Hampshire north of Plymouth is pretty hard work, and 
with a foot or so of snow it is harder still. During the 
night deer would come into the opening near our camp, 
but by daybreak they were usually well back on th>; 
mountain. On the last day of our stay came the only 
chance to hunt, and it was not very good. Several inches 
of stick}^ snow fell during the previous night, and every 
bough was loaded, and in small spruce growth one could 
not see twenty yards. A neighbor who was camping near 
us took the track of a large buck at daylight on that 
morning. He followed that deer for seven hours before 
finding where it stopped. He killed and dragged it out, 
reaching camp about dark. The buck weighed, dressed, 
170 pounds. It may seem easy to drag any sort of a 
deer several miles in that region, but those who have tried 
it do not think so. 
Another reason for the killing of less deer was on 
account of the season closing with November instead of 
December 15, as previously. I asked the chairman of our 
Fish and Game Commission why it had been done. He 
said too many deer were killed last year during the fifteen 
days in December. Now, none of these deer were killed 
other than by still-hunting. There was not snow enough 
with a crust for any crust-hunting. In fact, not once in 
a lifetime will there be such a snow in December. If 
two months is considered long enough, give us from 
October 15 to December 15. I think the majority of deer 
hunters in New Hampshire would prefer the above time. 
We cannot all hunt in Corbin's Park. 
. Now there is another question about deer. It is within 
recent years that they have appeared in the lower parts 
of this State. They are doing well and increasing. I 
can find tracks almost any morning within half a mile 
of my house. When these deer first began to appear I. 
with others, favored their protection at all times. Many 
of us have changed our minds, and we now regard these 
deer as a nuisance. They are demoralizing fox, 'coon and 
rabbit dogs. An owner of a promising young dog of the 
above sort is very likely when out hunting to jump a 
deer. Very often his dog will chase the deer, and hav- 
ing done, so once will again, and he cannot be broken, 
any more than can a dog which has once chased «heep. 
Another. objection is that this and similar localilies are no 
places to hunt de'er-^there are too many roads criscross- 
mg the country, too many houses, and too many domestic 
cattle wandering about in back pastures late in the fall. 
With an open season so m.any deer hunters woqld be 
cruising about that bullets would fly across the roads and 
into dooryards. In the town of Hebron, at upper end 
of New Found Lake (where there is an open season), 
the farmers and landowners have formed a league, post- 
ing their lands against all out-of-town hunters. The 
cause, too many cattle killed and too many bullets flying 
about. 
Now, I hear a good many farmers in this vicinity ex- 
pressing the wish for the deer to go, and the only way 
seems to be to kill them. The deer are certainly orna- 
mental, and that is about all. 
As for grouse, I never knew them so scarce as the 
past season. Since the season, closed I have (when out 
after foxes) started a few birds. With a first-rate breed- 
ing season next spring they may increase somewhat, but 
it will take a number of seasons for them to get back to 
their numbers of two or three years ago. 
Imported Game in New Jersey. 
Mr. Charles A. Shriner writes in the Faterson N. J., 
Chronicle: 
The arrival of the snow, which is about 15 inches 
thick over most of the northern part of New Jersey, 
has temporarily, at least, put a stop to the sport of 
local gunners, who, for some years, have indulged in 
shooting English pheasants in Warren county. The 
latter county is about the only place in the State whet-e 
good shooting of English pheasants can be had. This 
is due to the existence there of extensive game pre- 
serves, there being three farms owned respectively 
by Rutherford Stuyvesant, William K. Vanderbilt and 
Winthrop Rutherford. These three own several thou- 
sand acres of land lying near Allamuchy and Tran- 
quility, and the preserve thus created takes its name 
from the last mentioned postoffice. English pheasants 
are raised there by the thousands, there being also 
regular importations from Europe, but all the gunning 
there is done without a dog. When a shoot is ar- 
ranged the gunners place themselves in position, and 
men and boys beat the surrounding bush and brush, 
driving the birds into the opening in front of the gun- 
ners. Two and three hundred birds are thus killed in an 
afternoon. The preserve also has a deer and elk park, 
where these animals are permitted to roam about, the 
fence about the park being 8 feet high and over 8 
miles long. 
In addition to the sport of gunning for deer, elk and 
English pheasants, the owners of the preserves have 
established wild duck shooting. The wild duck which 
permits itself to be used for such purposes, is brought 
here from Ireland, and this year was the first when 
they were permitted to be shot. These ducks do not 
migrate, but will remain in the neighborhood of the 
pond on which they are placed. The imported birds 
multiplied rapidly, and several shoots were held during 
the present year, and at each of these shoots several 
hundred birds *ere killed. The birds have the peculiar 
trait of answering the toot of a horn. When a shoot 
is arranged men with horns are placed at each ex- 
tremity of the pond on the preserve. One set of tnen 
begins tooting, and the birds all fly in that direction, 
affording the gunners a chance as the birds fly over 
the water. Then the birds fly back to the toot of the 
gunners from the other side, and the killing continues 
until the sport is declared at an end. Although the 
owners of the preserves raise fancy collies and fox 
terriers, no bird dog is ever permitted on the pre- 
serves, this being done in order that the birds may 
remain undisturbed. 
Several local sportsmen some years ago took advan- 
tage of this state of affairs to provide sport for them- 
selves at the expense of those annoyed with more 
wealth, for the local sportsmen leased the gunning 
privilege on the adjoining farms. On account of the 
locality where the gunning is done, the local sports- 
men are frequently referred to as the Allamuchy poach- 
ers. Of course the Paterson sportsmen hunt the birds 
after the American fashion, and the birds are just un- 
certain enough to afford good sport. They rise slowly 
from the ground, but if the gunner gives them much 
of a chance the probabilities are that the bird will get 
back to the preserves, for they invariably fly that way 
when disturbed, and they can carry more lead than 
any other bird of their size. Although the birds show 
a preference for marsh and bog, they are frequently 
found in the open fields and that during the stormy 
weather and under cover when the weather is fair. 
There is no telling where they may be found. 
The birds frequently act in a most perplexing man- 
ner to the best bred and trained dogs. The latter are 
accustomed to quail and partridges, which almost in- 
variably rise at the approach of the gunner. The Eng- 
lish birds frequently run, and when they do run thej' 
get over ground more rapidly than does a startled 
hare. They lie to a dog and frequently very close, and 
the dog scenting the game is certain there is a bird 
where he points, only to be fooled, for while the do^ 
is pointing the bird is running away and may fre- 
quently be seen a quarter of a mile or more from 
where the dog pointed. 
But there is one dog in Paterson which cannot be 
fooled by any such antics, for, as the saying is, he is 
on to the game. That dog is the joint property of 
former Alderman William W. Stalter and Dr. William 
H. Pruden. The name of the dog is Trix, and he is 
a knowing cuss^ He evidently delights more in the 
sport than do his owners and he has not a bit of con- 
science left; whether this is due to his natural depravity 
or his associations is not known, but he will resort 
to the meanest kind of tricks to bring birds within 
reach of his masters' guns. To show how knowing and 
careful the dog is, a little incident may be cited; the 
incident occurred recently, at least so Dr. Pruden 
says, and that is just as good as if it had occurred, for 
Dr. Pruden never told a fib in his life. Trix was at 
Mr. Stalter's house when another dog was taken in; 
Trix became hufty at this encroachnient on his terrtr 
tory, and at once started out for Dr. Pruden's resi- 
dence, about two miles away. The doctor took Trijc 
down town with him and was very much surprised 
when Trix came to a decided §tan4 pe<ir th? C^U 
