18B 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
attracted by the call at night, and be somewhere in the 
vicinity and ready to come to the morning call. This 
makes it necessary to pass some nights in the woods 
away from camp, and entails some small hardship. 
Moose callers vary in their methods, and somewhat 
in their call. My way is to call first four times; once 
to each point of the compass, because the birch horn 
is like a small megaphone and the sound goes farthest 
in the direction in which it is pointed. After thS 'first 
call, I wait about fifteen minutes between calls and 
then call two or three times. If a moose answers and 
is not close by, I immediately call two or three times 
to have him locate the sound well and then do not 
call any more so long as he is coming satisfactorily. 
Should he hesitate, I may call to hurry him, but am 
very careful about calling him when he is close by, lest 
he detect a false note. 
Where moose have been little hunted by calling they 
will often come boldly in without any coaxing, but if any 
coaxing is needed, nothing is better than to get into 
water and slosh around like a moose feeding. For 
this reason I like to call from the side of a brook. 
Beaver meadows make good places to call, and in them 
water can always be found. It is easier to_ call a 
moose down to low lands from the hill than it is to 
-call them up, probably because sound rises. For suc- 
cessful calling, still, frosty weather is best, and last 
fall was ideal in this respect. Out of six mornings 
I was in camp in the height of the calling season, four 
were perfect, with a clear, still, resonant air. As my 
guide expressed it, we could hear the call go away and 
come back again. Fred Talcott. 
P/ioviDENCE, R. I , Feb 27. 
Life in the Woods. 
v.— A Rainy Day ia Camp. 
Our preparations for stormy weather were not ill- 
advised, for the next morning the patter, patter, patter 
of the drops of rain on the canvas roof of our camp 
gave indications that there would be no hunting that 
day. The wind was laden with moisture, and it sobbed 
and sighed in the pine trees with , a homesick^ sort of 
sound. The drops of water hung from everything, and 
little rivulets ran down the sandy banking of our 
camp soon to be absorbed. Outside two meat hawks 
hopped about in a disconsolate sort of a way, and the 
smoke from our stove settled off to leeward, close to 
the ground, forming a small cloud of its own. One 
by one the boys turned out of the bunks, after a wash 
and ^ glance outdoors, came back looking almost as 
melancholy as the bedraggled jays outside. But after all 
a rainy day in camp is not a bad sort of a thing. There 
is always, in a party of four or more, plenty to do. In 
the first place there is the cooking, the baking and 
the boiling for a few days ahead. Then there are guns 
to be overhauled and thoroughly cleaned. Moreover, 
a man cannot be in the woods many days without the 
thorns and knots and snags getting in their work on 
his clothes, and so a rainy day affords a good time for 
a general process of mending. It is a good time, too, 
for writing letters, by which for a moment the threads 
of everyday life, which are severed when one plunges 
into the wilderness, are reunited. It is a good time 
for reading over the neglected bundle of newspapers 
and finding out what has been going on in the outside 
world. It is a good time, also, for perusing the pages 
of a book which has been brought to camp to help 
pass away the time. Then there is the ammunition to 
he looked after, and a dozen and one little things, so 
that a legitimate complaint of nothing to do is not 
easily found. A good pack of cards is not the worst 
thing to have around on a rainy day, for when other 
things fail to occupy the mind, a game with them is a 
pretty reliable sort of a standby to fall back on. 
Rainy weather is not the worst time for hunting, if 
one does not mind the discomforts of it. At such 
times it is far easier to steal through the woods quietly 
and take advantage of the unsuspicious game. In a 
locality where there are plenty of logging roa<is, a rnan 
equipped with macintosh and dry shod can travel with- 
out special unpleasantness, and where game abounds, 
trips along the roads are very frequently successful. 
However, we did not hunt that day. We had enough 
to do in camp, and all seemed tired enough and sore 
enough over their previous day's experience to stay 
in and rest. A rainy day In camp is a great tirne for 
talking, a "heep big talkem," as the Indian said. I 
believe it is worse than the proverbial old ladies' tea 
party which has done service as a standard for so 
many years. Of course, it wouldn't do to admit this 
at home, but among fellow sympathizers we can afiiord 
to be candid. In the afternoon of the day in question, 
we had an experience meeting, and being the youngest 
in camp, the old fellows insisted that I relate how I 
killed my first deer, and how I felt after it was all 
over. As nearly as I can remember, I told them of 
it about as follows: 
"My first deer. How well I remember it! The scene 
is pictured before me as plainly as if it happened but 
a day or so ago. I can see the winding 'tote' road, the 
edge of the heavy pine wood where I stood, and before 
it the partially charred area where fire and wind had 
worked as thoroughly as the ax of the busy pioneer. 
Then there were the huge rocks, which through the 
mists of early morn or in the twilight dim used to 
loom up as large as houses. To the left a high hill, 
which we called the 'Lookout,' and which towered above 
the trees, stood out in bold, relief against the sky, and 
over in front of it sparkled the arms of the Spread 
Eagle Lake which some imaginative cruiser had trans- 
formed in his mind into the outstretched wings and 
legs of our noted bird of liberty. I can remember the 
morning as if it weire to-day. The boys had bothered 
me because of my inability to kill a deer, and had told 
me that I did not get up early enough' 'The early bird 
catches the worm,' had been sung at me so often, that 
long before daylight, when the stars still held solemn 
watch over our shanty, I had crawled out of my warm 
bunk, hastily swallowed a little lunch and started over 
the road with the cold chills chasing down ray back 
like sleds on a toboggan slide, and the frost nipping 
at my ears and hands. Rosy fingered Eos had not yet 
appeared in the east when I started, but the first of her 
pyrotechnical display soon became faintly visible on the 
horizon. Every stump looked as big as a cow; and 
at every sound it seemed as if it must be a deer or 
perhaps a bear. Slowly and cautiously I prowled along 
the road carefully not to make any more noise than 
possible, but with my heart thumping so loud that it 
seemed as if it could be heard quite a distance away. 
The chariots of light sped rapidly on and, by the time 
I reached the edge of the woods the lamp of day was 
just beginning to show over the horizon, and had 
decked the frost covered foliage with all the glory of 
the prismatic hues. I was tired, and I was cold. I had 
crawled "out of a warm bed before my time, had seen no 
deer, had had no shot and consequently was disgusted. 
The scene, although a grand one, didn't have much charm 
just then; for to tell the- truth, when I started out I 
had confidently expected before the lapse of so much 
time to have shot one deer anyway. To say I was 
disappointed was putting it mild, and in this frame of 
mind I turned with the intention of retraversing the 
mile and a half for the purpose of getting some break- 
fast, when, snap! a stick cracked on the frosty air like 
the report of a small revolver. I turned quickly and saw 
coming straight toward me, on an easy lope, three 
deer bounding along all usconscious of any danger, A 
doe and two fawns, as beautiful creatures as nature 
ever turned loose to roam the wild woods. Up came 
the gurf. The old doe in the lead snififed danger and 
stopped. A hasty sight and bang went the rifle, and 
away went the deer at right angles to the course they 
had been pursuing. There was a big bend in the road 
and I ran down to it, hurriedly loading my single shot 
Remington, in hopes of meeting them around the turn 
and getting another shot. They never came in view 
again, and all I heard was a crash as if a small, dead 
poplai", of which there were many there, had fallen 
down. I then retraced my steps and tried to find the 
place where the deer stood when I fired, but I was so 
excited I couldn't find anything, and so I circled round 
and round, but no track could I discover on the frozen 
ground, nor trace of blood. I kept it up for nearly an 
hour, repeatedly going back to the woods and locating 
my position. Finally I was forced to admit that I must 
give it up and so, with a big lump in my throat and 
tears almost in my eyes, I started back, and stepping 
over a log, almost walked on as big and as handsome 
a doe as one ever looked on, lying stark dead. She 
hadn't gone over six rods from where I shot her, for 
the bullet striking the point of the shoulder, had gone 
as squarely through the heart as a surgeon's knife 
could cut. Perhaps I didn't shout. Perhaps I didn't 
throw my cap in the air. Perhaps I didn't look that 
deer over again and again, and then pat her fat flanks. 
Perhaps there wasn't a happier boy in Wisconsin, and 
perhaps I didn't make terrible work in my first attempt 
to dress a deer. Perhaps I didn't smear myself all over 
with blood and trudge back to camp, stepping high 
and with head way up. That is the way I celebrated 
my eighteenth birthday. That is the way I killed my 
first deer; and when I stuck my head in the. camp door, 
although I was bursting with a desire to talk with every- 
one all at the same time and keep it up, I managed to con- 
tain myself, and thinking to appear wise and like an 
old hunter, I merely said, 'I caught the worm.' " 
This account of my experience with my first deer 
seemed to put all in a rather reminiscent mood, and 
descriptions of incidents of various hunting trips fol- 
lowed in rapid succession. In fact more deer were shot 
and hung up that afternoon than during the progress of 
the entire hunt. At least, that is the reflection which 
would naturally come to a person after having listened 
to the ta:lk. As a sample, it being most fresh in my 
mind, I will try and give in his own language, as nearly 
as I can, Louis' account of how he killed a deer and 
lost two teeth in the- operation: 
"It happened the year we were:camped on the Musa- 
kono, about five miles south of the Pembine farm. 
While out hunting one misty day, having my double 
barrel Parker shotgun, I started several deer, but only 
got one shot and then missed. I began to look sharper 
and to be more careful. .Finally, I-struck a big runway 
and followed it up hill a little over the top and part 
way down, when all at once a deer came running right 
toward me. I waited until about four rods away, fired, • 
and pulled both barrels at the same time, accidentally, 
as I had gloves on. The deer was struck with such 
force that it fell over backward and lay bleating. In 
an instant a small buck followed the deer just shot, 
jumped over it, made two jumps and stopped and 
looked back at it. Now, I grabbed in my pocket and 
got another cartridge, took out the empty shell. Now 
the buck made two more jumps and stopped. I bleated 
to stop him. And now I couldn't get my. gun closed. 
I pressed on the cartridge to get it in, looked 
up and saw another buck following the tracks 
of the first two deer. A somewhat bigger deer. I 
bleated to. stop him. He was about six rods away; the 
first one about two. I began to. sweat. The cartridge 
would not go in nor come out. I took the head of the 
cartridge between my teeth : and pulled until two of 
my front teeth came out, but the infernal thing stuck 
just where it was. Now starts No. i again and looks 
down at the dead deer. He then ran his horns into 
a dry tree top, I bleated, and he stopped. By that 
time No. 2 got uneasy and started, made a jump or 
two, when I stopped him by bleating. Then I put all 
my force on the cartridge but could not crowd it in. 
The first buck started again and ran about three rods 
back of me, when with a 'wish! wish!' away the two 
went, and i'll ;be hanged if I could help it, the tears 
ran out of my eyes. Now I set to work to get the 
cartridge out again, found a rather straight stick, put 
"it "in the imuzzle of the gun, and found it was not very 
straight after all, but forcing it down, began to strike 
the -cartridge but not hard enough, and slamming it 
doWri my "finger struck the gun and gave me a severe 
wound. I finally succeeded in getting the cartridge -oiSt 
and felt better. Now I put in two new cartridges and 
was ready for some more bucks, but hone came,'«o I 
stepped down to the deer, which was a doe, and look- 
ing foi- my hatchet and, knife, found I had left them 
in camp and that I had nothing but a little pocket 
knife with which to dress the deer. Now to hang her 
up. I dragged the deer to a small ironwood tree, 
climbed up it and expected to bend the tree down to 
where the doe lay, but I got down about six feet away 
from her, so I had to tie the top of my tree to an- 
other tree, and then drag the deer there. I then 
fastened the ironwood to the gamble stick and let her 
go. The tree pulled her up about six feet, where she 
hung nicely. I had laid the heart of the deer on a big 
log, and now sat down beside it to eat my lunch. -This 
took some time, so that it was ii o'clock before I 
started back to camp, forgetting to take the heart. I 
got back about i o'clock. It was about three miles 
from camp to where the deer hung. 
"In camp I found a friend who, with his brothers, 
was hunting in the same neighborhood. He asked me 
if I blazed out. I told him no, but that I could easily 
find the place again. He remarked that he thought 
it would trouble me some to do it, and so it did. We 
tried for two whole afternoons to find that deer, and 
did not succeed. Next day was Sunday, and Monday 
morning we were to leave the woods for home. So, 
Sunday, the last effort was made to find the deer. I 
took all the necessaries and started from the place 
where I struck the river when coming out from the 
deer, and hunted and hunted until I came to a place 
which I pronounced the place where I hung up the 
deer, looked around, yes, there was the little ironwood 
tree on which I hung her up, and there lay the heart 
yet on the log. That I took along to show that I 
found the spot, but that some Indian had stolen the 
doe. 
"All I could do now was to hunt back and try and 
m.ake up for the lost one. I hunted very carefully; 
walked a hillside for a mile and a half, and sretting tired, 
stepped upon a sort of flat and heard a noise. ''There 
come a buck about eight rods away. I up and shot. 
-Down come the deer, but was right up again. I gave 
him another shot, and down he come again. I quick 
put m another cartridge. Just as he was trving to 
get up I fired again, and he rolled over, down the hill- 
.side. I walked on slowly, and he rolled on half way 
down the hill and then held up his head until I shot 
him through the neck. I dressed him; but did not 
have much to hang . him up with, except s-ome half- 
rotten sticks. I got him started, and down he came 
on my shoulder, hurting me so I thought I would faint 
away. But I stopped him coming down entirely and 
propped him up with his head part way to the ground. 
'There,' says I, 'hang there, I won't touch you again.' 
My shoulder ached so I was good and mad. Now I 
blazed out, and when I reached the river I heard the 
boys calling to me. They came with a lantern and 
helped me through the swamp, and as we went along, 
I told them my experience and how some Indian had 
stolen my deer. The boys laughed and made me mad, 
but when I reached camp I laughed, too. There I 
found my lost deer; for the Colonel and Henry had 
found the place befote me, and carried the deer into 
camp. In all my hunting that was altogether the most 
troublesome affair I ever had." Carolus 
Can Ducks Smell? 
In re ^■ 
LiMBURGER vs. Ducks. " 
Coahoma for plaintiff. 
Chari.es Cristadoro for defendant. 
This cause coming on to be heard in the High Court of 
i<OREST and Stream at the February Term, 1904, the 
parties appeared in court by their attorneys, whereupon 
demurrer is entered by plaintiff, who shows that in de- 
fendant s pleading he wrongfully assumes the attitude of 
plaintiff instead of defendant as he properly should; and 
said Limburger by his attorney, Coahoma, prays that the 
court_ shall make correction in this matter, and for cause, 
showing that a material point is involved as affecting the 
rights of said Limburger as plaintiff, and prays that said 
Coahoma, attorney for Limburger,. shall be named as 
plaintiff herein, -and said Cristadoro be made defendant 
wherein it is a material point, to wit, that the burden of 
proof be placed on said defendant to show that ducks do 
smell, in accordance with defendant's allegation to that 
effect, which said allegation should be supported by evi- 
dence, and not by mere surmise, inference, or other indi- 
rect and ineffectual process. 
And plaintiff further pleads that the assumption by de- 
fendant that the said ducks did smell the Limburger as 
the reason assigned for flying shy of defendant's blind; 
and that the circumambient atmosphere was so infected 
and made redolent by the obtrusive aroma of the said 
Limburger as to cause a deflection in the flight of said 
ducks away from the region whence emanated the said 
alleged aroma; and that said ducks, in consequence of 
the effect of said aroma on their olfactory senses, im- 
agined that the said blind was filled with noisome perils 
instead of live gunners, and deemed that the danger was 
greater to them from the occupancy of said blind by the 
alleged perils than by said live gunners; and deemed 
that to be a country that was unhealthy for ducks in 
consequence thereof, and so betook themselves elsewhere; 
plaintiff now says that all and several the said assump- 
tions of defendant are without sufficient warrant in fact, 
and should be supported by other and more material evi- 
dence. Plaintiff offers further to show that ducks often 
fly shy of blinds for no assignable cause, and that such 
shyness often results from the deportment of those who 
occupy said blinds; and that under certain circumstances 
far-fetched and fantastic reasons are someti nes advanced 
to account for empty game bags; and that in the case at 
bar a strong suggestion arises in that direction; and 
plaintiff further avers that no case can be cited by de- 
fendant wherein" ducks were known to fly shy of any 
blind by reason of said blind being occupied by dead 
men, but on the contrary. ' . •. 
Plaintiff further pleads that in his declaration wherever 
defendant joined issue the averment is not specifically 
made that ducks are indifferent to the appetizing odor of 
Limburger, but that all the fowls of -the air^ without 
discrimination, are: equally" and wholly- indifferent to all 
^smells and odors whatsoever; and dre in fact' 'witHdat 
the smelling faculty ; and now cites the case of C, Crow 
