August 28, 75 
323 
broader and bulkier in build. A fish weighing four 
pounds would generally measure eighteen inches in 
length. 
I know nothing of salmon or fresh mackerel, but these 
arc the finest fish, in my opinion, whose home is ex- 
clusively in fresh water. They are wary and shy, re- 
quiring strong and delicate tackle, together with skill in 
management when hooked, for they frequent the places 
in the pond where there are logs and stumps, and make 
the most villainous efforts to entangle your line. 
As I before remarked, they are rare in the rivers now, 
although once very numerous, and we are principally 
confined to the ponds fer fishing, where good sport can 
be had, but nothing to compare to the fun so gloriousl}’^ 
described in my sporting exchanges, in which .salmon 
and bass are the primary parties to the performance. 
For sea band-line fishing I wouldn’t give a “ dried-apple 
d The subject requires a strong expression. Our 
next finest and most usual fish is the silver or white 
perch, generally esteemed the best we have devoted ex- 
clusively to the griddle or pan, and no “sardine” for 
sport. They attain a weight sometimes of two and a- 
half pounds, are very numerous, in spite of the abom- 
inable gill-net and seine, and rise and strike with de- 
cision at the minnow. From thirty to a hundred is good 
sport per diem to a single hook. 
We have also a fish said to be peculiar to the Albe- 
marle Sound and the rivers which run into it. The 
name we know it by is the “red-eye” (you perceive I 
am a fisherman and not a scientist and it is so called 
because of a very bright streak of vermilion that sur- 
rounds that organ. It is of a bronze color, attains a 
weight of three and a-half pounds, broader than the 
chub and not so broad as the perch, bites exclusively at 
line bait, and very voraciously for a few weeks only in 
the spring. It is found only in the rivers, and is con- 
sidered our finest fish by most sportsmen ; but this opin- 
ion, I think, is due to its rarity and the difficulty in 
catching it. 
I would be glad to learn w'haf are the qualities that 
go to make up a game fish if these characteristics given 
do not fill the bill. And whether they do or not, I shall 
continue to make game of them as long as I can do as a 
friend and I did last fall : kill fifteen of them in an 
hour and a-half, some of which pulled our boat from its 
moorings. 
As yet we have not presumed to indulge in any “long- 
range” recreations, for fear his Excellency the Presi- 
dent might deem that we were preparing to resist the 
Civil Rights bill, and send down little “ Phil ” to sup- 
press and cany off our “ Birminghams,” with which we 
have replaced our Richards’ and Purdy’s. We have, 
however, a Game Association, and our county authori- 
ties have taken action to protect our small game 
from unlawful and unseasonable destruction. The deer 
were protected by the State laws before, and are quite 
plent}' in all this section. 
I never lose an opportunity to commend my sporting 
exchanges, both in words and print, to my friends, for 
to me thej' are the most delightful of my papers, and 
not a few of my subscribers have made inquiries that 
looked as if they purposed to take them ; but all of us 
down here are as poor as the mischief, and it is deused 
hard to “rub that out.” But for the wretched war upon 
us that has kept society disorganized since hostilities 
ceased, I would be fishing now instead of quill-driving. 
I will do .myself the honor and pleasure to see you 
when I come to New York. Warner Lewis. 
Opening for Grouse in Wisconsin. 
Editor Rod and Gun : 
The season for pinnated grouse (t. «., prairie chicken) 
shooting opened auspiciously on August loth, and be- 
held scores of sportsmen in the field. As a rule, the 
scores were good, the birds being well grown and lying 
well to the dogs. Reports from all parts of the State 
are exceedingly flattering, and the birds are generally 
more plenty than a year ago. This is owing to the fact 
that the close season is better observed than for- 
merly, and comparativeh' but few cases are heard of 
illegal shooting. In Columbia Co. a few were out about 
the 10th after pinnated grouse, but this was an excep- 
tion with the greater part of our gunners, who preferred 
to do a legitimate action a few days later, and were well 
repaid for their time by larger and finer birds. Thirty- 
six grouse were killed over a single pointer on the open 
ing day by two sportsmen, who spent part of the day 
only in hunting, and other reports are also good. 
Fred. 
Sport in California. 
Modisto, Stanislaus Co., Cal., Aug. 8. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
I wish to report a hunt some three of our shootists 
took the other daj', for publication, and if any sports- 
men of the Union can beat it, let us know of it. B. B- 
Garner, George Aulick and Lew IValden went down to 
the San Joaquin, some ten miles below here, and in 
about four hours’ time bagged eighty curlew. We in- 
tend to form a club here soon, and then the Rod and 
Gun will hear from us occasionally, when we can re- 
port anything of interest. We have ordered eight of 
Parker Bros.’ breech-loaders, and are anxiously await- 
ing them, so that we may test them in the field after 
curlew, and in the winter after geese and ducks. 
L. F. M. 
Night Shooting of Deer. 
Long Prairie, Minn., Aug. 18. 
Editor Rod and Gun; 
Autumn is close at hand, and another hunting season 
is opening to us. Then the delights and pleasures of 
shot-gun and rifle, the only drawback being the fact that 
game of all kinds is steadily decreasing in number, even 
in this favored count}-. When I first settled in this 
county, nine years ago, it was a perfect hunter’s para- 
dise; and although comparatively unacquainted with the 
nature and habits of any of the game, with the exception 
of wild fowl, what glorious times I did have! For in- 
stance, my first experience in shooting deer at night . 
We had about ten or tw-elve acres in turnips, and on 
the lower side, and furthest from the house, a cabbage 
patch. Now, I suppose there was hardly a night, from 
the middle oT September to the middle of November, 
but there was from one to twenty deer feeding on either 
turnips or cabbages, and finding that they munched so 
regularly, I concluded to have a crack at one. They never 
coming in until after dark, I was perforce obliged to 
try night shooting, and to shoot either from a hole in the 
ground or an elevation above, and there being no trees 
where I wished to make my stand, I had to take the 
former, and, as I afterward found, by far the best way. 
I went to the outer edge of the cabbage patch, and pro- 
ceeded to dig my hole. It was in low ground, near the 
edge of a slough, and I had a capital place for my first 
effort. I made my hiding-place about three feet deep, 
placing dead grass and weeds over the fresh earth, and 
making it so I could sit comfortably, with my gun rest- 
ing on the edge of the hole. Just before dark I estab- 
lished myself, and patiently waited the result. I had 
not long to wait. By the time it was fairly dark, I could 
hear deer playing on the prairie, and working over in 
my direction. Crack, snap, crunch; they came on slow- 
ly; and now — I may as well confess it — I became slight- 
ly agitated. My heart came up in my mouth ; mv eyes 
stuck out until you could almost hang your hat on them 
and I shook and trembled as if I had the ague; in short 
buck fever. 
Now I had shot deer before tliis and never was trou- 
bled in the least, but here was a different order of things 
from what I was accustomed to. In the first place the 
deer were coming up nearly behind me, and I was afraid 
if I turned that they would see me, and if I sat still 
they would have to go right by.me or over me (and from 
the way they were coming I was a little in doubt which 
it would be) before I could get a shot; however, I finally 
got turned about half-way around, and presently could 
see the shadowy forms of three deer. Nearer and nearer 
they came, and slowly the muzzle of my gun j'aised 
until on a line with the shoulders of the centre or mid- 
dle deer. I had a white rag tied around the end of the 
barrels, and when I |became satisfied that my aim was 
correct, I pressed the trigger. Bang ! A few tremen- 
dous leaps, a flourish of white tails, and they were gone. 
I stood up in my pit almost bewildered. The loud re- 
port of the heavily-charged gun having died away, it 
seemed to be deathly still. I was satisfied, however, 
that my aim was true, and that the gun was properly 
charged, and such being the case I felt confident that I 
had hit my game. I scrambled out and started across 
the prairie in the direction the deer had taken. I had 
gone perhaps two hundred yards when I saw some mo- 
tion ahead of me. I w-ent up to the spot, and there was 
my deer just giving its last kick. One buckshot had 
gone directly through the heart, three right around the 
heart, and four more through the shoulder. And yet 
that deer ran two hundred yards apparently unhurt, and 
when it did fall, fell dead. I afterward shot three deer 
in less than thrUe hours one evening from the same hole. 
My brother and I concluded one night that wo would 
try an original plan (original with us at least.) We too q 
large-sized tin pan, brightly scoured, to act as a reflector, 
and placing a lantern inside we fire-hunted on foot, my 
brother cariying the light and I the gun. We followed 
deer around that turnip patch for over two hours, and 
at last struck an old buck that would neither run from 
us to any distance, or allow us to get a shot. Finally, 
however, we followed him into the edge of the brush, 
and there he concluded to make a stand, and crossed the 
light on a slow walk. The report of the gun immedi- 
ately followed, three or four desperate leaps, and the 
noble fellow came to the ground with a crash that fairly 
shook the earth. J. 
Spring Shooting. 
Fort Wayne, Ind., Aug. 18. 
Editor Rod and Gun; 
i see frequently in Rod and Gun letters from sports- 
men in favor of abolishing spring snipe shooting. It 
might do well enough to pass such a law in the Eastern 
States ; but to prohibit spring shooting in the West 
would be virtually saying to the sportsmen that they 
should not shoot snipe at any time. In a few localities 
you might find fair shooting, but those places are few 
and far between. In the spring we have good snipe 
shooting, but in the fall they give us a w-ide berth, tl^ 
low grounds which are adapted to their tastes being 
dried up. I can’t see why some sportsmen are so de- 
cidedly opposed to spring shooting. The snipe aie mi- 
gratory, and never breed with us, unless it is a few 
which are wounded in the spring and are unable to con- 
tinue their flight northward. We all know that this is 
not their favorite breeding grounds, and nothing but 
misfortune will ever keep a snipe in this part of the 
country. Some will say, for eveiy snipe killed in the 
spring you diminish the fall flight four or five birds. 
We admit all that. I would like to know the difference 
between kilting a dozen snipe in the fall and killing a 
dozen in the spring. The effect is just the same ; the 
stock of snipe is diminished by one dozen birds, and 
that is all you can make out of it. It would increase 
the fall flight of snipe in some localities if spring shoot- 
ing was prohibited ; but who would enjoy the shoot- 
ing? I will answer by saying only a few could enjoy it. 
As it is, almost every one who sees fit to hunt can enjoy 
the sport. I have no doubt Western sportsmen could 
have fine shooting in autumn if they would go to the 
Illinois, Jlissouri or Mississippi rivers, but few of us 
could do that. The great mass of sportsmen are men 
who cannot spare the time that it takes to make such a 
trip successful. I have never hunted in the East, nor 
do I know much about their hunting-grounds, but am 
inclined, from what I have read in sporting papers, to 
think snipe shooting is the best with them in autumn. 
Be it as it may with them, I know our only chance is 
in the spring. 
I believe as strongly in protecting game during the 
breeding soason as any sportsman who ever penned a 
line for Rod and Gun. I think woodcock should be 
protected until October 1st ; they breed with us, and are 
not fit to shoot in July. Some sportsmen think if they 
do not hunt in July that they will have no woodcock 
shooting. They think the birds migrate in the latter 
part of July. I don’t think so. I believe the woodcock 
stay with us until hard weather forces them to seek a 
more genial climate. The shooting in autumn would 
no doubt be good enough if the birds were let alone 
until October ; but they are never let alone. A great 
many of them are shot in June, and a continual 
slaughter is kept up until you can scarcely find a wood- 
cock by the last of July. 
Wishing the new management of Rod and Gun suc- 
cess, and hoping they \^'ill give us more gun and less 
bugs and snakes, I remain, a friend of Rod and Gun, 
Fields. 
Plunket. 
Rutl.ynd, Vt., Aug. 18. 
Editor Rod and Gun: 
I have given to an old friend and shooting comrade 
the services of my dog Plunket. The only condition 
imposed upon the gift is, that he shall not be shown for 
prizes, and that he shall not be unworthily bred to. I 
have been forced to this because of the constant appli- 
cations of people for his services to such an extent and 
with such pertinacity, that to refuse them is to offend 
them, and to gratify them is to embark in a business 
not to my taste or in accordance with my other occupa- 
tions. Mr. Wilkinson, who will have all the profits of 
the use of the dog, is^an honest and reliable man . 
M. Goldsmith. 
