106 
IS 
Times and Seasons- 
Milton, Mass., April 20. 
iETTEBS FROM SPORTSMESN. 
The Close Season for Game Birds- 
SpniNCFiELD, Mass., April 24. 
Editor op Rod and Gun: 
For the past few years there has been a constantly increasing de- 
sire among many of our best sporismen to have something done for 
the protection of our game birds. This desire is findin? expression 
in the very rapid increase of local clubs, state associations, and best 
of all, a National Association, from which we expect ereniually to 
accomplish this much needed result. What we want and must have 
is unanimity of action. We want a full and free discussion, and a 
nnanimous adoption of the opinion of the majority. Then we can 
accomplish something worth while. I may have peculiar views, if 
so, I am willing to modify them, and agree with the majority of the 
sportsmen of the country. 
I have shot every season for more than twenty-five years, and have 
come to the conclusion that the first of October is early enough to 
commence shooting woodcock, ruffed grouse and quail. I have al 
ways been opposed to shooting woodcock in July. I will admit that 
they are excellent eating although not full-grown, but I am satisfied 
that if we kill them off on their breeding grounds the chances are 
that the next year, we shall not have so many broods, if any at all. 
I believe that it is generally conceded that in favorable seasons they 
return to the same locality, year after year. I know that there are 
many breeding grounds that are almost sure to produce their quota 
of birds every season, owing to their proximity to the line of flight 
of the main body of birds, when they come north to breed. There 
are other localities— out of the way places— where if you kill them 
off in July you are sure not to find any birds the next season; nor 
even after, unless by accident, perhaps, some stray bird wanders 
that way, and liking the place, adopt it as their home. Woodcock 
are certainly not fit to kill nor eat for nearly the whole of Angusi 
and September; they begin to get in condition the last half of Sep- 
tember, and by the first of October are in prime condition, and wor- 
thy the pursuit of sportsmen. There are many who claim that if we 
do not kill them in July we shall uot get a shot at them at all. as 
they migrate south, and that we arc only saving them for the pot- 
hunters around New York and along the coast. Now I do not be- 
lieve that this is the fact to any great extent. I have studied their 
habits faithfully for years, and have paid particular attention to this 
point, and am satisfied that they do not wander far from their breed 
ing grounds unless forced to do so by want of food. When they are 
moulting they give out but little scent, and no matter how keen a 
nose your dog has, be cannot find them unless by accident he stum- 
bles close on to them. Then again, they arejn the most out of the 
way places. 
1 have at this season flushed them in every conceivable place, on 
the top of high hills, by tne side of the trout stream, in the hedge- 
row, standing com, briar-patch, and have made up my miud that 
there is no telling where to find them. But wait until the first of 
October, and visit the alder or birch cover, there is no trouble with 
the dogs now, nor any uncertainty about where to find your bird, 
he is at home and welcomes you with glorious music as be rises, 
and now you need the“eyeof faith and the fiuger of instinct,*' for 
you have not a half-fledged inooccat. nor a sickly skeleton to deal 
with, but a full-grown, full feathered bird, worthy any effort you 
may have made to obtain him. One more poiut which I consider of 
great importance is, that in July shooting, especially with a young 
dog, many nests of ruffed grouse and quail are destroyed. Your 
dog isuot to blame, he know* uo better, he finds sceut that appeals 
to all Che better feelings of his nature, what more natural than that 
he should follow it up. aud, even if he does not break the eggs, he 
wilt most assuredly put his nose to the bottom of the nest, and 
grouse will never go near it more. Again, your pup finds a callow 
brood, he may forbear, but the chances are that one or more, per- 
haps all of them then and there end their brief career. 
Many sportsmen will find it very, very hanl (1 know how it is 
myself ) to give up September grouse shooting, but fn view of the 
fact that at least one half of the grouse shot by sportsmen are killed 
before the first of October, and that they are more easijy found and 
killed by pot-hunters early ill the season, would it not be well to 
protect them until they have arrived at maturity and are heller able 
totakccareof themselves. This the inotit noble of oiir game birds 
is nearly extinct, aud if we are to have any spurt with them iii the 
ffiture we have got lo do somethiug. 
As 1 said before, if any one has a better plan, or the majority 
should see fit to adopt anything different, 1 will use iiiy utim»>t ef- 
fort to accomplish the much desired result. And right here 
1 wish to record my solemn protest against the murderous practice 
of snaring them at anytime. Noiwithstaudiug our present law, 
more grouse are snared every season than are shot by sportsmen- 
aud it must be stopped if we ever expect to see them in season. 
I am aware that many breeds of quail are not fully grown on the 
first of October, and that miny think that the first of November 
is early enough. I agree to that myself; but my idea of a praelical 
law is that wc shall have but one opening day; that we ^hal) not 
give the pot hunters a chance to murder half grown grouse wiien 
shooting woodcock, (^uail breed and spend most of ibeir early 
days in the open, and it is rare that you find them when hunting 
for woodcock or grouse, and but few arc killed until the leave.- arc 
off. No true sportsman will shoot them until they are grown, and 
pothunters will forbear, as they are not worth much. If we can 
prevent there being trapped at any time, we shall always have 
plenty of quail unless killed by the hard winters. Now' let ns all 
unite;' letevery sportsman in the country join the nearest club, or 
if there is not one within reasonable distance, go to work and or- 
ganize one. It is very easy to do this, as }’on can gel a copy of 
rules and by-laws from any club, and adopt or modiiy to suit. 
Let every club join the State Association, send delegates, and in- 
struct themasto what the majority of the chib desire. In this way 
we shall have a discussion that will ventilate the subject thoroughly, 
and when the National Association mt;ets we shall huve a 
body of men that know what they want, and w ho w’ill be prepared to 
advise such legislation as shall suit the whole country. We may not 
accompUsh all we wish in one year or two. but eventually we must 
JjQVy brother sportsmen, depends upon you, Jl, 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
Reading in your valuable and interesting paper an article entitled 
“Abolition of Summer Shooting,” it struck me I should like to give 
to the public my own ideas on this subject. Since 1 was old enough 
to lift a gun the m-ijority of the time has been passed by me in 
shooting and trapping. I am now very close to fifty years of age. 
A natural lover of birds and their habits, with au extended experi- 
ence in these matters, I want to give to the reading public ho*.v 
these new’ law's strike men of my kiud. The laws in force and those 
proposed are like the handle of a jug —always on one side. 
All laws for woodcock that I have seen passed are entirely for the 
benefit of the rich man, not one is just to the poor man. For in- 
stance, a fine is imposed for any person shooting or having in hit 
possession these birds during a certain specified time. Mr. has 
a plenty of money, and if so inclined, cau shoot w’oodcock out of 
season; if caught, can pay the line without feeling it, while the poor 
man doing the same, for lack of the lucre, would go to jail or peni- 
tentiary. Now such a law to men of my kind, to the middle classes, 
raises a spirit such as you w’ould feel, Mr. Editor, if you were 
grossly insulted; we consider it an outrage. We are as strongly in 
favor of protection of game as the rich mau, and with just laws will 
do as much to forward this object as lays in our power. We con- 
sider that iustead of a fine for killing birds out of sea'^on, that the 
law should be made imprisoumtmt for thirty or sixty days, and no 
bail taken; such a law would be a real protection. 3Iany years ago 
the}' passed a law' in Rhode Island making it a fine lo shoot wood- 
cock between the fist day of January and the twentieth day of Sep- 
tember. A sportsmen's club was formed ; Mr. William Gardner 
was delegated by the club to prosecute anyone breaking the bird 
law. Mr. Duty Green, a wealthy man, was an active member; (the 
treasurer, I believe.) This Mr. Duty Green came to me, a poor man 
who was shooting for his bread and butter, (I got my living with my 
dog and gun) and said : ‘ Fertia Aldrich, I don't want to distress 
you, aud for that reason I warn you not to be caught shooting wood- 
cock." From him, this to me had its desired effect. I dared not 
shoot for I had not the money to pay the fine; if caught, I should 
have to go to jail. How was it with the wi'allhy treasurer!’ He w as 
the first man fined under the new law; was caught by Mr. Gardner, 
and made to pay bis fine; he and his wealthy friends shot that sea* 
son through, and we poor men did not dare. This, Mil. EniTOii’ 
was a striking illustration of the working of the law’ as between the 
jioor and the rich. If that law had read thirty or sixty days in jail. 
Mr. Green and bis rich friends would have stood on the same ground 
&'* the poor men; no birds w’ould have been killed out of season. 
We would like the law s made very much stronger as ’•egards the 
shooting woodcock in the love sca-on; one mother-bird killed at 
this time w'ould be equal to killing five oirds, as the woodcock lays 
four eggs, and a« a general thing hatches all of them: thus you des- 
troy the iie-t and old bird. I cannot see as it makes woodcock any 
more scarce if they are killed in July and August, than if killed in 
September; lo kill Ihe birds you then have to make live shots, and 
with some shooters many more; so also in September. Woodcock 
were never so plenty as some folks make them out to be, from the 
fact they never lay but one litter in a season, although some shooters 
will have it they lay tw’o, aud sometiims thr».‘c. This is ignorance, 
and theynever could ha\e watched the habits of the birds closely, 
for the w'oodcock never lays but oue litter iiuIesN the first litter is 
destroyed by a cold, backward spf ing. The w ild pigeon lays but two 
eggs, aud at tlie same rime is one of the most numerous of the feath- 
ered tribe, but this is ueeoimled for by t lie nuiniKTuf nests iu u 
Season. I think 1 have shot as many woodciK;k as any man iu the 
north, and tho-e that know me will confirm this ^tatcment; the 
most I ever shot in one day was 3.>. I have ofren se^n people wlio 
have sho: 100 in a day from any days in succession (that is let them 
tell it.) Thirty years ago I was in Mie prime of life and could sln ot 
well; I was shooting for my bread and butler. 1 averaged at that 
lime (luring tlie months of July and .\iigust about 2 > woodcock ptT 
day ; in the slimmer of isn I averaged 2*) wcuMpMH'k jier day. I don't 
mean to say that woodcock are as plenty now as thirty years ago. 
but that 20 birds in a day. whether tbiriy years ago or at pn sent, is 
a good day's siio* ting. If there was nothing but the dog and gun 
to destroy woodcock we should always have them, but we must bear 
ill mind how rapidly tlieir favorite haunts are being invaded and 
ilestrt»ycd by man. 1 and others nf my class will do all in our power 
lo protix't this bird in the love sens -n, but the prevnt l.iws for 
shooting out of «easoii will not stop the rich man from taking his 
ch uce at them and risking the line for so doing. There are two 
kinds of sportsmen in ibis country: first, the summer woodcock 
shooter who gets part of Irs living from sh<*oting, who never kilN a 
bird to waste: he gives hundreds of others who never shoot a chance 
to eat game killed by him. The other class consists of men mostly’ 
wealthy. Tliis last-named do not want to go shooting in thu sum- 
mer fur it is pleasure alone they go for, and to perform any kind of 
labor that makes them sweat kills all the pleasure. This class w aiit 
to stop everybody from shooting until the fall months, and could 
they have their own way nr> poor man should ever shoot al all. 
Now look al our markets every fall for the last tw enty years and see 
the hundreds of woodcock, quaii, grouse and partridge that spoil and 
are dumped out. Can any one uphold the killing of game birds to 
waste rather than killing the same al a time of year when there is 
imt one lost, a useful pur]»ose made of them all. There are changes 
that could he made in the laws in whieli all wouhl take the same 
interest. It will be hard work to ever make u certain class feel 
that any law which can be got round for a few dollars (w hich to them 
is considerable but to the rich is nothing) can be just, or that will 
make them willing to obey or take au interest in. Serve all alike, is 
thcrequestof Feutia W. Aldukh. 
Omaha Sport- 
Omaua, April 30. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
A side hunt by the members of the Omaha Sportmen's Club, took 
place on the 21st inst.. time one day. losing side to pay three dol- 
lars per each member, into the ireatury, for the purchase of books, 
etc., for the use of the club. Mr. J. Bndd. master of transporta- 
tion, Omaha and North-Western R, R., and W. J. Hahn, Esq , mer- 
cliant, were chtisen captains. The latter’s side was beaten, but not 
vanquished. A brief statement of the number and kinds of birds 
captureU .jnay be jntercatiug. They sum up aa fohows; Hutchins 
geese, 12; Canada goose, 1 ; Mliite-front geese, 8; Snow geese, 3; 
Sandhill crane, 4: Mallard's. 20; Widgeon, 2o; Gadwall duck, 28; 
Wood duck, 2: Blue-wing teal, 50; Green-w’ing teal, 6; Canvas-back 
ducks, 3; Red-head ducks, 2; Ruddy duck, 1 ; Golden eye, 1; Buff- 
hearted merganser, 1; Pintail, 3; Scaup dneks. 3; Shoveller ducks, 
15; Wilson snipe, 79; CurK*w, 3; Marbled Godwir, 3: Hiidsonian 
Godwit, 2; j’ellow’-shanks, rails, sandpipers and kill-deer plover, 81; 
hawks, 4; owls, 1: red-breasted snipe, 10; and rabbits, 2. Consider- 
ing the unfavorableness of the time selected, the score is regarded 
as a good one, averaging nearly 27 head of game to each man partici- 
pating in the hunt. Eleven members chosen were unable to go out 
on account of business engagements, which could not he postponed. 
The Esquimaux Curlew (nur/uniwi oorta/is) are heginnning to make 
their appearance in their way to the North, Their passage will occupy 
about two weeka. Our sportsmen muat improve the opportunity as 
we shall see no more of them until May shall have come again wi»h 
its Tcrnnl smiles. Whence do these quick winged, beautiful Ibirda 
come? and whither do they go? is the oft-repeated inquiry, and I 
may add when and which way do they return? Wilson gives a des- 
cription of these birds as seen about the sca-coasts, but the habits 
be describes are so unlike their appearance here, that I have some- 
times queried whether they belong to the same species. They may 
return in one continuous flight to the South, or perhaps by the sea 
coast, but they certainly do not stop here on their return, 
A convention to organize a State Sportaman's Association will 
convene at this place on the 28th day of May instant. After which 
delegates to the National Convention will be selected. Our Sports- 
men are indeed earnest and will do their whole duly in the great 
work of preserving game and fish in this country. 
Initiatory steps are being taken to organize a Range for rifle prac- 
tice, in which, po-*ttion^ %vill be made a specialty. Twisting one’s 
self into an ampersand in order to shoot a small cannon, w ould 
subserve a very ridicnloue purpose in shsuting buffalo, elk, ante- 
lope, dcor, or even Indians. It may answer as a pastime at Wimble- 
don, or Creedmoor, but it will never do for sportsmen in this lovely 
land of peace and game. Let us have ^quH^e, stand up, off-hand 
practice that shall educate the uerve and eye to a degree of steadi- 
ne'^s and precision that w’lll challenge the admiration, whilst it will 
sub&er\'e a useful purpose. B. E. B. 
Columbus Alive- 
Columbus, Ga., April 5 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
Thiuking it might interest you and some of your readers to know 
we are endeavoring to do our share in protecting game birds from 
utter extermination, I enclosed you a copy of a game law as passed 
by the General Assembly of Georgia dui'ing its last session. This 
law we are determined to rigidiy enforce. 
I have never yet intruded upon cither your time, space or pa- 
rience; but now something see:n< to have tak< n possession of my 
d )gs, and I cau no longei retrain from telling my troubles, and ask- 
iag. “ D’.d yon ever see the like? " A few weeks ago I received a 
bitch imported from the Dunaitar Kennels, Gotland. She W’as a 
perfectly developed animal and had every mark of blue blood, was 
besides with whelp by a dog that bad taken prizes at both field 
trial and bench show. The genealogical tree (pedigree sounds vul- 
gar when applied to blue Mood) of these dogs ri minded me of 
nothing so much as a banyanj tree— it seemed literally, without he- 
giitning and without end. Of couree 1 exnected big things from 
the offspring and anxioualy l(X)ked forward lo the day when they 
should the light or kierally when light should see them. Ou 
the Ut one pup W’as born which the bitch immediately dined upon; 
on the night of the 3d she gave birth to others— I don't know how 
many, as she was just masticating the last one in view when I 
op«. lied the door of her house. Thinkiug perhaps she might have 
some more I put a boy to watch her. ^he did have one more and 
this one is now living. I will be glad to know if yon or any of 
your readers ever knew' of a similar case. Three days in partu- 
rition. and eating up her young as soon as brought forth. 
Another of my dog troubles is that concerning a two year old 
setter, a mo^t magnificent brute, that I had just got iRto goodwork- 
iug condition. This dog from being the most tireless, active, and 
the lunliesc dog I ever saw, has now become well nigh helpless. 
The trouble seeiiiH to be mainly in his fore shonidcrs and chest, but 
his spine is hIj-o sometimes affected. I have had him examined by 
every one about here w ho knows anything of dogs, buttheir pbys- 
ic.s and remedies although s rictly followed, have done no good 
w haicver. The only cause that I cau assigu for his indisposition is 
the expoMire he underwciit last February on a duck hunt in Lake 
Jackbon Fla. It was a very cold da}', remarkably so for that 
c iinaie, the sleet was hurtling through the cold, cutting air with as 
iiiiich energj' as it does in less favored climes, i'here were hun- 
dreds of ducks in the lake but no boat. This, however, did not 
bother me long, I wanted to shoot and to do so must wade. I did 
wade, and kept wading in water waist and breast deep for three 
lioiirs, niy dog keeping by my side and retrieving my ducks without 
oiH'e going to the shore. Within a month from that time the deg 
exhibited the symptoms spoken of, and in moving was totally una- 
ble to gallop or nin. being compelled when in the biggest hurry to 
content himself with trotting. lie also seems to suffer niugh pain 
sometiinws, when rising after having been lying down for any length 
of time. Twice since he was first affected, he has seemingly en- 
tirely recovered, but ill a day or two w’ould relapse into the same 
slate. Can it be rheumatism? Tige. 
Thanks to Boone- 
New Jerset, April 20. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
Will yon kindly allow' me the privilege of thanking— through the 
medium of your columns— “Boone" for his excellent article on “ J. 
Cypress, Jr " and “Frank Forester”; and for the very sound ad\ice • 
he gives to sportsmen with regard to abuses that were indeed the ' 
bane of poor Herbert's life, and are only too common now. like 
the friend he speaks of. 1. too. am fond of dog aud gun, but if to be 
fond of profanity and liquor is to he a sportsman, most certainly am 
I not one. Let us all unite then, with “Booue” in raising the name 
of i-portsman. till it is synonymous with all that is manly, honorable 
.'iud temperate; and all honor to “Booue" Arst tq 
point tJie row! 10 ih,‘» most (JwfBlile 
k 
