92 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
I^^. 4, 1903 
I 
Days in Cherry County ♦ — IL 
Wymore, Neb., Jan. 12. — Editor Forest mid Stream: 
When I left the Stilson Ranch and started for home in 
October, 1903, with an invitation and a promise to return 
in October, 1904, the year in the prospective seemed a 
long, long time; but it slipped away as all years do, and 
from the retrospective view it seemed so short that I 
wonder what became of it. This is another illustration of 
the difference between a man's foresight and his hind- 
sight. 
True to my promise, October i, 1904, found me on the 
road between Hyannis 011 the railroad and the Stilson 
Ranch nestled in Survey Valley, forty-two miles away. 
Will Stilson met me at the railroad and carried pa;rt 
of my luggage to the depot; among other duffle, my 
kodak, and as he mounted the platform and started for 
the waiting room door, the bottom fell out of the kodak, 
and the twelve plates with which I had loaded it for 
the purpose of getting some pictures on the trip hit the 
sidewalk and were ruined. 
The day was fine, and the long drive behind a fine team 
through valleys and over hills was delightful. When 
we arrived at the ranch fence, a few miles from the 
house, I got out to open the gate, and several grouse got 
up. They seemed to be sitting all around the team and 
buggy, and as I had promised, if allowed to come back to 
that particular ranch, to keep the family supplied with 
grouse, I took the gun out of its case, put a few shells 
in my pocket, and again started for the gate, and as the 
grouse continued to get up, I killed five and threw them 
in the buggy; and as that seemed enough for all present 
needs, we finished our journey, arriving at the house at 
about one o'clock, where we found a good dinner await- 
ing us. 
I received a hearty welcome from all, and as the hay 
was all up and the fall work about all done, it was soon 
arranged that nothing should interfere with our hunting 
for the next week, if we wanted to hunt. 
After dinner we spent the most of the afternoon in 
visiting, until at just sundown the 'Squire and I took 
our guns and walked through a sunflower patch adjoining 
the garden, and in a few minutes brought in eleven 
grouse, the 'Squire remarking that I did better shooting 
than I did a year before. I think what he said was true, 
but I attribute it to the fact that I took it more deliber- 
ately, and allowed the grouse to get off a little further 
and gave the shot a chance to scatter out a little iriore; 
and I improved so fast in my shooting in two or three 
days that I hit nearly all my grouse in the left eye. Like 
Old Jason, "I never could shoot much, but just hap- 
pened to hit 'em in the left eye." 
On Sunday morning, it being forty-two miles to 
church, we decided to stay at home, and as we discovered 
that seven or eight himdred of their cattle had broken 
through the wire fence and come in from the summer 
range on to the winter range, we at once made our 
arrangements to put them back where they belonged. 
What is called the winter range consists of the hay val- 
leys, from which the hay has been cut, and the grass has 
come up green and tempting, and I did not blame the 
cattle, although having to put them back would, to an ex- 
tent, interfere with our plans for the devotional exercises 
of the day. So while Will went after the horses, the 
'Squire and I took an early morning walk through the 
sunflower patch before mentioned, where the grouse came 
to feed upon the seed of the sunflower, and enjoyed 
studying their habits. 
When Will arrived with the horses, we each mounted 
a good one and started with the cattle. It being the Sab- 
bath Day, we took no guns, but allowed four or fiv& of 
the stag hounds to go with us, and had the pleasure of see- 
ing a couple of fine chases after jack rabbits, the hounds be- 
ing successful in both cases, although the last race after 
an old black-tailed jack was the hardest and closest race 
I ever saw. 
By noon we had the cattle back on the range where 
they belonged, and then we took a ride up the valley to- 
call upon Mr. Tull and invite him to go duck shooting 
with us one day the following week. Mr. Tull — com- 
monly and lovingly called "Grandpap Tull" by his friends, 
and neighbors— is nearly seventy years old, tall, slim and 
wiry, and can go up the side of a sandhill like an ante- 
lope, and is still a dead shot. He used to hunt for the 
market, but will not kill a bird unless the law permits_ it 
to be done. Some of his friends tell the story on him' 
that in the old market-hunting days he was such a re- 
markably good shot that when a grouse got up in front 
of him and recognized him, it would drop as though shot,, 
and wait for him to pick it up. While this story may be 
simply an allegory or figurative only, I had good reason 
later on to respect the good judgment of the grouse that 
dropped without waiting for the charge of shot that was. 
sure to come. After a pleasant visit with Mr. Tull, ^ye 
rode home, and although it was nearly four o'clock in 
the afternoon when we arrived, we found our dinner 
waiting, hot and steaming. 
After dinner we studied the habits of the grouse in the 
sunflower patch again, and then laid our plans for the 
week's work. As I did not expect to start for home until 
the following Sunday, and we could kill all the grouse- 
that I was permitted to take home in a day, all we had. 
to do for a few days was to visit, ride horseback, have a. 
good time, and kill just enough grouse for the table and', 
the lunch basket. 
On Monday morning the 'Squire and I took another 
horseback ride lasting until afternoon. We visited the 
different ranges and climbed to the highest points of the 
sandhills to enjoy the view. From one, said to be the 
highest point in Cherry county, we could see in all direc- 
tions for twenty miles; Twin Lakes lay to the northeast: 
six or seven miles away, and numerous other lakes im 
all directions. 
After dinner we took a drive in the spring wagon, Will 
doing the driving; and we did a little grouse shooting, 
bringing home thirty-three grouse and a couple of jack 
rabbits to feed to the hounds. It is the rule in the cattle 
country to shoot every jack rabbit on sight, as they in- 
terfere with the hounds in hunting coyotes, because,- after 
chasing two or three jacks, the hounds are unfitted to 
chase and kill coyotes for that day at least. 
While on this little hunt, and while all three were rid- 
ing, a grouse got up in front of the horses and started for 
Montana — a way they have when being hunted, and this 
particular grouse happened to be on the 'Squire's side 
of the wagon, he shooting right-handed and I left-handed, 
so he threw up his old Parker and fired and killed the 
grouse. This is quite a feat when the horses are trotting 
along over uneven ground, arid when the dog next 
pointed, the 'Squire handed his gun to Will and tcid him 
to get out with me, as I was no longer in his class. Will 
and I got out and had some very nice shooting, but it did 
not interest the 'Squire— it was too easy for him. But 
later on while all were riding . again, a grouse got up 
under the horses' feet and whirled around the wagon and 
started on our back track, and as I v,'?s in the back seat, 
I whirled around, threw my gun to my shoulder and 
fired in the general direction of the grouse, and just hap- 
pened to center it and kill it dead, and after that had no 
trouble in inducing the 'Squire to get out when the 
actions of the dog indicated grouse. 
On Tuesday morning we took a team and wagon and 
drove to a valley four or five miles away called Rattle- 
snake Heaven, or Prairie Dog Paradise, after a load of 
cow chips for fuel. Mr. Stilson and Will each took a 
long-handled four-tined fork, with which to pick up the 
chips, and I took their Winchester shotgun, with which 
tO' shoot a few prairie dogs to feed to the hounds. 
The cow chips are found mostly in prairie dog towns, 
there being little grass and the ground being almost 
always smooth and bare, and by ten o'clock the wagon 
was loaded. By this time the sun had come out warm, 
and the rattlesnakes began tO' come out and lie in the sun 
near the mouth of the burrow in which he had taken up 
his winter quarters. We killed five snakes and skinned 
three of them, the other two having to be shot to keep 
them from getting into the holes, and one of the snakes 
shot contained a good sized prairie dog. Our experience 
with the snakes was reported to Forest and Stream 
shortly aftei" my return from Cherry county in a few 
notes relating to that subject alone, and the skins of 
three very beautiful specimens were sent to the editor of 
Forest and Stream. 
We arrived at home with our load of stove wood about 
one o'clock, and after dinner and a little rest, we took a 
drive among the little foothills of one of the great 
ranges of sandhills, and had some very nice grouse shoot- 
ing, coming home with thirty- four grouse, notwithstand- 
ing some unaccountable misses and aceidents of different 
kinds, which all added zest to our afternoon's sport. 
On Wednesday the weather was very cold and stormy, 
and we did not hunt We were already overstocked with 
grouse, and the disagreeable weather did not worry us. 
We visited, drove to the post-oflice, got the latest 
papers and the family mail-, and-_ate three square meals. 
Our grouse had all been pulled and "hung, upon the plat- 
form of the windmill over night and placed m the cave 
in the morning, where they would keep well until needed ; 
and if Ah-se-bun, the Indian who ate Fred. Mather out , 
of house and home in the Wisconsin woods, had dropped 
in on us, we could have given him more than "half 
plenty." 
In the evening Mr. Tull arrived to stay all night and 
go with us after ducks the next day. 
On Thursday morning the weather was still very cold 
and disagreeable, but we started for the lakes; and when 
we got too cold for comfort in the spring wagon, we got 
out and walked, and we walked and rode alternately all 
day. It was about noon when we arrived at Silver Lake, 
the most beautiful of the group oi lakes that form the 
headwaters of the North Loup River. It is about a mile 
across the east end of this lake, and the shore line is as 
straight as you could shoot an arrow, ^then it gradually 
runs to a point at the west end, nearly twO' miles away, 
and as it narrowed down the shores were lined with 
willows and rushes, making it an ideal place to shoot 
ducks. It was also very deep, clear and full of fish; 
black bass, croppie and catfish could be plainly seen in 
the water. The lake was covered with blue-winged teal, 
the larger ducks not having arrived yet. 
Having arrived and made sure that the ducks were 
there, the first step was to get on the warm side of a 
haystack near a water tank and open the basket of lunch. 
Mr. Stilson was not with us at the time, as he had taken 
a walk around the lake, but I knew the combination, and 
besides, he should have been there at that critical time. 
We found the basket to contain the breasts of twelve 
grouse, lots of bread and butter, pickles, pie and cake — 
•certainly a bountiful supply; but had Mr. Stilson not 
arrived in the nick of time, in all probability he would 
have had no dinner, as I have been taught from child- 
hood to improve my opportunities. 
After dinner we tried the ducks, but as both my com- 
panions got the start of me in a short time, I complained 
of the cold, and finally prevailed upon them tO' start for 
"home. Of course they had the advantage of knowing the 
•country, and being used to that kind of ducks, while all 
was strange to me, and at that time I had not had the 
:advantage of reading the discussions that have been going 
on lately in Forest and Stream, as to the proper manner 
of killing a duck, and might have shot one flying or 
sitting or sleeping, or caught one and kicked it to death — 
all of which I know now would have been unsportsman- 
like, and I have been "-lad ever since that the weather 
was so bad. After I got them well started on the way 
liome I got over my hurry, and a walk through the hills 
warmed me up, and we had some rare sport with thi 
grouse, and in fact I enjoyed the day as well as any H 
ever put in with the gun. While the weather was bad 
the company was good, the lunch was fine, and while 
could not claim to have killed my share of the gani! 
that day, 1 was pleased and proud of the results; an^ 
one thing that I especially enjoyed was listening to ni}] 
two coi-npanions, the best of whose lives had been spen! 
in the wilds of the West, as they told of experiences rare; 
interesting and ridiculous that they had passed througl] 
in years gone by, and through all this, and from whal 
each said to me when the other was not present, I coulc 
see the warm friendship and respect that each bore foi 
the other; and knowing them both as I think I do, it doe* 
not seem at all strange that such mutual feelings should 
exist. Both rugged, manly, generous and law-abiding, ] 
ask for no' better company under any circumstances. 
On Friday morning the weather was fine again, and! 
Mr. Stilson and I took a long drive up the valley tcj 
the west. The scenery of the sandhill country is beautiful; 
the air was pure and balmy, and the ride delightful. At 
a small house where we stopped for a drink of watei 
we found a woman with five or six children, the husband 
having been away somewhere at work for more than a 
month, and the family out of meat; and here we left all 
our grouse and drove home. 
Saturday came all too soon. This was the great day; 
I was going to the railroad on Sunday, and the fifty 
grouse that I was permitted to take home with me were} 
yet to be killed. It was to be a final and friendly contest 
between the 'Squire and myself, and we were both front 
Missouri and had to be shown. The weather was warm? 
and nice and the grouse would lay well, so we decided; 
that we would not go out until after dinner. If we couldi 
net kill fifty grouse in a half day, then I would go home- 
short. 
After dinner we drove about five miles to a cornfield.' 
The s.andhill corn is only about four feet high, and we 
could stand in it anywhere and see all over it, but the 
cover for the birds was not good, and they got up very 
wild. Each had a good gun, loaded with smokeless pow-., 
der and No. 6 chilled shot, and two good dogs. It was' 
three o'clock when we got to the cornfield, and the fun 
soon commenced. We killed our birds at from forty to 
eighty yards. Just at dusk we met at the further side of 
the field and counted up. We lacked just one bird of 
having the_ required fifty, and there was just one bird 
difference in our scores. I was satisfied to quit with 
the forty-nine birds, but the 'Squire told me to drive thei 
team around and he would walk across the field and meet: 
me at the other side. It was too dark for me to shoot, 
and I naturally reasoned that it would be too dark for 
him; but I was mistaken, and have always been sorry 
that I did not insist on his getting in the buggy and allows 
me to come home with what we had. 
On Sunday the ride from the ranch to the railroad was 
pleasant and interesting. Will and Mrs. Stilson came 
with me, leaving ihe 'Squire at home alone, and I was 
sorry that I could not stay with him. I arrived at home ' 
on Monday night with fifty grouse in fine condition, and ' 
distributed them among my friends, and on the first of) 
next October I hope and expect to spend a few days at:i 
the hospitable home of the Stilsons in Cherry county. 
A. D. McCandless. 
A Quail Hunt in Old Virginia, 
We^ had been counting the months, weeks and days 
to the opening of the game season in Virginia, and when 
the long-l6oked-for day arrived, we felt a sense of relief 
that the long probation was ended, and that the season 
was really at. hand. In the early morning hours, before, 
the sun had shown. its rim over the hills, our party, com- 
posed of Lou Jackson and Warren Rice, of Winchester, 
and Fritz Keidel, of Baltimore, pulled out over the level' 
valley ^pike to the farm of Mr. John W. Rice, situated 
near Vancluse, in Frederick county. The radiant light of 
a perfect November monving was breaking over the 
landscape when we drove up to the hospitable abode of 
Mr. .IMassie, the overseer of tlie farm. This gentleman 
soon made 'his appearance, when we extricated ourselves 
irom-a jumble of dogs, guns, etc., and got out. After a 
good' hot breakfast served in good old Virginia style, we 
got ready for the day's hunt. Starting out, Mr. Massie 
suggested that we get over into the peach orchard, where 
he had heard some birds calling the day before. The 
dogs were already over, and Comet, the English setter of 
Mr. Rice, had struck the birds. Getting them up, we 
succeeded in bringing down four. The others scattered, 
but were gotten up again, and two more fell to our guns' 
The dogs found birds right along, and there was a con- 
tmuous fusilade over those old Virginia fields. We 
called the sport off at 11 o'clock, having secured a fair 
number, and returned to the house for dinner. We were 
very enthusiastic over the morning's hunt and reviewed 
the incidents and excellent shooting of some of our party, 
while partaking of the well-prepared dinner set forth by 
Mrs. Massie. After satisfying the inner man, gun-cleaning 
came next, preparatory to the hunt in the afternoon. 
This through with, we struck a wheat stubble field, which 
was overgrown with foxtail four or five feet high, where 
shooting would be rather difficult. Ned, the Irish setter 
of Mr. Keidel, found the birds after pirouting around 
for some time, and when gotten up they flew into some 
heavy timber. Count found them here, and four birds 
were killed. Another flock was gotten up further on, 
but they were sharp and flew over on posted land. That 
settled our business with them, but there were other 
birds than these, and we kept on in search of them. The 
dogs found several more flocks out in the open, where 
shooting was not so difficult, and out of these 'we got 
what we thought our full share. The sun was nearing 
