Feb. 27, 1904.] 
189 
Game on Foifest Resefves. 
Redlands, Cal., Feb. i2.~Editor Forest and Stream: 
I inclose an account of a court decision that promises to 
affect vast areas of good game country throughout this 
State, if not elsewhere. There is one point worthy of 
consideration, however, and that is that game, especially 
deer, would have to be consumed on these reserves, as the 
State law strictly forbids the "having in possession" deer 
or deer meat out of season, Avhether killed in California 
or imported from another State or a foreign country. At 
any rate it is to be hoped that this matter may be speedily 
adjusted with a view of fully protecting the game and 
^sh; L. D. W. 
1 he report reads : "Much concern is being manifested 
III Santa Barbara and other sections of southern Califor-. 
nia over the decision iust handed down by Judge De 
Haven, of the United States District Court, Northern 
District of California, affecting the jurisdiction of the 
State over Government reservations for the protection 
of wild game and fish. Should the decision stand as final, 
a large part of the best wild game and fishing territory 
m Santa Barbara county and other parts of the State will 
be v/ithout protection against invasion of pot-hunters, 
who may kill deer, quail, and all varieties of game without 
interruption at all times of the year, save for regulations 
that may be established by superintendents of forest 
reservations. 
"In Santa Barbara comity there are two large forest 
reserves— the Santa Ynez and Pine Mountain— and they 
are filled with wild game. As the United States Govern- 
ment has no laws regulating the taking of game and fish 
on reservations, it is clear under the accepted interpreta- 
tion of Judge DeHaven's decision that nothing can pre- 
vent the wholesale destruction of game in Santa Barbara 
and other counties in the State where the Federal Gov- 
ernment has reserved vast areas of land. 
"Jwdge DeHaven's decision was based on a case taken 
Ijciore him from Mendocino county. An Indian, in whose 
rossession fresh deer meat had been found, was convicted 
ir. .:s justice's court. It was proved that the deer had been 
shot on one of the Government reserves, and United 
_ Slates District Attorney Woodworth took up the case of 
the_ Indian by contending that the State courts had no 
jurisdiction over Federal reserves, and could not there- 
fore enforce the State game laws. Judge DeHaven has 
sustained this contention, and the Indian was set at 
liberty." 
Springf Shooting: — An Appeal. 
Jo the Sportsmen of Neinf York State: 
In 1903 a law was passed stopping the spring shooting 
of wildfowl. It was a righteous and proper measure, 
because spring shooting of any kind is inherently wrong. 
No game birds should be killed while on the way to the 
breeding grounds, .although selfish men, especially 
market-hunters, will tell you that it makes no difference 
in the future numbers of birds. Recall the parallel case 
of the wild pigeon which became extinct in a few years 
because man insisted upon killing them while breeding. 
Is not one lesson enough? Help save our wild ducks 
and geese, some species of which are becoming danger- 
ously scarce. In the present Legislature a bill (Assembly 
No. 292) has been introduced by Mr. Hubbs changing 
the law of 1903 by making the open season end April i 
instead of January i. It has already passed the House, 
because there was not a sportsman in this great common- 
wealth that sent a protest to the Assembly. If you do 
not awake and kill the bill in the Senate, a decided retro- 
grade step will be taken in game protection in New 
York State. Why should a few market-hunters on Long 
Island have a law passed for their benefit that is directly 
opposed to the best interests of the citizens of the balance 
of the State? There are not two sides to this question — 
it is right vs. wrong, and the wrong is to kill birds that 
are about to breed. Is civics so dead in New York that 
a bad bill like this one can be railroaded through a 
Legislature without a protest from thousands of citizens? 
I appeal to all lovers of nature to remember the wild 
pigeons and help save the wildfowl by protesting against 
the passage of the Hubbs bill or any other bill that per- 
mits the killing of game birds in the spring. 
William Dutcher, 
Chairman National Committee of Audubon Societies. 
Capefcaillic in Ontario. 
Toronto, Feb. 17.— Editor Forest and Stream: The 
inclosed copy of letter from the superintendent of Al- 
gonquin Park will, I am sure, be of interest to the 
readers of Forest and Stream. The letter speaks for 
itself, requiring but few comments from me. You will 
notice the experiment has been made on a large scale. 
Let us trust that our most sanguine expectations may 
be fully realized. E. Tinsley. 
Algonquin Park, Cache Lake, Ontario, Nov. 25, 1903. 
—Dear Sir — I have much pleasure in reporting to you 
concerning the capercaillie shipped to the Algonq"uiu 
Park this fall. On the 22d of September we received the 
first shipment of thirty birds. Of these one had died on 
the way, and two were so badly hurt that they died on 
the day they arrived here; the remaining twenty-seven 
birds were liberated on a large island in Cache Lake in 
good condition. The next shipment was on the 7th of 
October. Thirteen birds were in good condition, and 
were liberated in the same place. The last lot. fourteen 
birds, came on the ist of November, and of the fourteen, 
one died on the way; the rest were in fine condition, and 
were liberated on the mainland, excepting three hens and 
one cock, which I kept in a house in the deer yard, mak- 
ing in all fifty-two fine birds. Of the last shipment there 
was a cock bird smaller than the rest ; he was in splendid 
condition and flew into a tall tree at once, so that I had 
no opportunity to examine him closely, but I do not thinic 
he was a capercaillie. The birds in confinement are do- 
ing splendidly, and feed well; they have improved very 
much since they came, and do not seem any wilder than 
pheasants. I feel confident they will do well. Of the 
others, several have been seen and seemed all right, as 
tliere is an abundance of feed, and the climate must be 
very much what they have been accustomed to. I feel 
sure it will prove a good venture. 
I will report to you further should any be seen through 
the winter, also regarding those in confinement. 
(Signed) G. W. Bartlett. 
EA AND 
reniN 
1^ 
i. 
he Good Time: Com'ng. 
It is very, very, wintry as I look out from my win- 
dow upon the fast falling snow; but there is a good 
time coming and we may all be happy again. February 
is nearly gene and March is, at least, a spring month 
in name, if not in reality. The days are lengthening 
fast, and the trout season will soon come round once 
more. I confess that I am very anxious about the 
trout in our mountain streams. The winter has been 
£o unusually severe, such quantities of snow have ac- 
C'.mula'ed pnd the ice is very heavy. If the weather 
changes suddenly, the break up may be a serious mat- 
ter. In still water, where it is quite shallow, what is 
called anchor ice is formed, that is to say, ice that ex- 
tends to and is fast frozen to the bottom. A big flood 
with heav;y ice may do great damage, particularly if 
gorges or jams have been formed and the water backed 
up above them. 
We had enough floods and freshets last fall, we think, 
but then we are not empowered to judge of such mat- 
ters. As far as I can learn, no great injury was done 
to the spawning beds of the trout, and the continuous 
high v/ater, from the first of June onward, was very 
favorable to the fish. The big trout were quite safe from 
the poacher who uses the snare, the net and even the 
rifle when the large streams are . reduced to the lowest 
fcbb during periods of drouth. It is astonishing what 
can be done by a man who is really skillful in the use 
of the wire snare. If the water is clear and low, the 
large fish are not safe even in pools of great depth. 
Trout may be hunted and chevied about until they 
actually lose their heads or brains — I believe that they 
have brains — and will lie close to the . bottom, with 
perhaps only their heads concealed, and allow the 
snare to slip over them. I would not have believed 
this possible in the big pools aforesaid, if I had not 
had proof positive some years ago. 
It is only when the temptation is great, I believe, 
that the net is brought into requisition, but I have been 
informed, upon good authority, that it has been used 
for the destruction of large brown trout when all other 
means have failed. One man told me that he had seen 
dynamite tried, but that the only result was that all the 
suckers in the pool were killed, the trout escaping under 
the rocks. This I doubt. During one of the ex- 
tremely dry summers, . several years since, a farmer on 
the upper Beaverkill told me that one man had killed 
many of the trout weighing from three to six or seven 
pounds with a rifle. That he knew positively-that at least 
one fish of the latter weight had been shot on his own 
property. He had known this trout for a long time, and' 
it was about _double "the size of a fish that, he had him- 
self caught with a minnow in another of his pools. All 
this may be taken for what it is worth, and with as 
many grains of $alt as desirec}. One thing i§ certain, 
an abundance of water means good fishing unless, in- 
deed, the river is constantly in flood. The trout are 
protected by a large body of water and do not become 
so shy. As we grow older we care more for size and 
quality and less for mere numbers. I think that our 
sport has been increased decidedly hy the introduction 
of the brown trout (Salmo fario), and the i-ainbow 
trout (Salmo irideiis), simply for the reason that we 
catch much larger fisb than we did in the good old 
days when Vv'c were young. 
I am referring to old well-known rivers not far away.- 
For some years there was great prejudice, against the 
brown trout, but this has greatly diminished. As for the 
rainbow, it is a nobfe fish and game .to. the .death. .Of. 
course, our first favorite is our old friend the brook! 
trout. . . 
It is nearly two months before .we can wet a line 
in our favorite stream, but we may think and talk about 
fish and flies to our hearts' content. The probabili-' 
ties are that after the unbroken cold weather this' 
v,-inter, spring will come with a .rush. Winter may 
linger with us, but when it takes its departure, there 
v,-ill be no returning to give us' a parting kick. (Blow 
would be. better, no doubt.) Soft, warm airs will come 
from the sunny southland, the birds will hasten to us,, 
buds will burst and leaves appear as if by magic. 
Swarms of ephemera will arise, and the rings made by 
feeding trout will be seen on every pool. AH nature 
will be alive and the angler wiir furbish up his weapons 
and be away, away, for the scenes that he loves best 
upon earth. Laugh if you wish, my friend, there is 
nothing like it or to compare with it in all this world. 
I feel sure just now that every thing will be favor- 
able, that the streams will be clear and just high, 
enough for good sport. I know that the trout will run 
large, and that many big fish will be taken. Now 
while there is yet time, inspect your tackle carefully. 
1-Iave all repairs made at once while the shops are not 
rushed with orders. See that your waders are in good 
condition and Stock up your fly book, if it has been 
neglected for a time. You can have much pleasure in 
selecting these carefully, a few at a time. A first-class 
fishing tackle shop is to me a thing of beauty and a joy 
forever. 
Theodore Gordon. 
"Charley, dear," said young Mrs. Tomkins, "I have 
done you a great injustice.", "In what way?" "I sus- 
pected you without reason. I asked several of your 
friends that you go out with of evenings whether you 
knew ho-w to play poker, and every one of them thought 
a mmute and said you didn't."— Washington Star. 
'Tis better to have hooked, and lost than never to have 
hooked at alh' • . . .• , 
My First Salmon* 
BY EDWARD A. SAMUELS. 
Before the Intercolonial Railway was built, anglers 
from abroad had to face a journey of no mean proportions 
to reach the magnificent salmon rivers of New Bruns- 
wick ; for they were obliged to proceed by rail or steamer 
to Shediac or Point du Chene, from which port another 
steamer sailed for points all along the north shore, Chat- 
, ham, near Newcastle, being the nearest point to the great 
rivers Nepisiquit and Miramichi ; the latter noble river 
with its numerous tributaries, each of which would in 
itself constitute a stream of no mean proportions, was in 
the earliei- days best known to visiting anglers, principally 
■ because it was more accessible by wagon from Newcastle. 
More ventursome anglers, however, preferred to visit 
the Nepisiquit, which was reached after a long and rough 
drive of some forty-five miles to Bathurst, an unpreten- 
tious little town at its mouth. 
Those who have in the long ago, taken this journey will 
agree with me that, running as it did through a monoto- 
nous stretch of barrens and forest lands which had been 
swept by fires, it was wearisome, in the extreme, for the 
roadbed was rough, the springs of the wagons unyielding, 
and the seats and their backs were anything but 
comfortable. 
The condition of things at the present time is of course 
quite different, for express trains and Pullman sleepers 
make the journey now a luxurious one, and points to 
reach which formerly required six to eight days' travel, 
are now arrived at in thirty-six hours or less from 
Boston. 
I suppose there can be no difl'erence of opinion with 
me when I state that New Brunswick, with its magnifi- 
cent river system, is the paradise of anglers. My linos 
have been cast in "many pleasant places" in this broad 
continent, but I have never seen elsewdiere anything to 
compare with the salmon rivers of that Province, some 
of which, with their tributaries, are navigable by canoe 
hundreds_ of miles, and contain at short intervals pools 
which vvill accommodate two or three rods for several 
days' fishing. The Restigouche, with its branches, is now 
the principal water in which large fish are taken, and the 
Miramichi is a close second to it ; and, speaking of the 
Miramichi, reminds me of what Charles Hallock wrote 
of it in his "Fishing Tourist," a volume that has given 
me more pleasure than almost any other book on angling 
that I have read. He says : "The Miramichi is in length 
over two hundred and thirty 'miles from its mouth to 
North Branch Lake, which is the source of the North 
Branch, which is a branch of the Southwest Miramichi, 
\yhich is a branch of the main river. Then there is the 
little Southwest Miramichi and the south branch of it, 
and the little south branch of that, the little north branch 
and the upper north branch. Then there is the Northwes* 
Miramichi, Avith its east branch, its south branch, and S(j 
