53 ^ 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 6, 1906. 
Notes From the Game Fields. 
Last autumn Massachusetts sportsmen re¬ 
garded as one of the best in recent years for 
small game, and the present season, which 
opened Oct. X for squirrels, rabbits and grouse, 
bids fair to be even a better one. In Bristol 
county squirrels, rabbits, quail and grouse can¬ 
not be hunted until Nov. 1, the general opening 
day for quail, except in Nantucket, where there 
is a closed season until 1908. Rabbits, however, 
seem to be the exception this year, for not many 
of them have been seen. 
Railbirds were reported as scarce along the 
Connecticut shore of Long Island sound in 
September, but birds were bagged on several 
occasions in numbers sufficient to satisfy any 
reasonable person. 
Tfie duck hunters who were abroad in Central 
Illinois early in the open season found little 
game, as the waterfowl seldom visit this region 
in September unless there happens to be a cool 
wave late in the month. Still, hunters were 
abroad daily. Shortening the waterfowl season 
at both ends would be a wise move, without 
doubt. At present it 'opens Sept. 1 and closes 
April 15. 
While Game Warden Kleist, of Kenosha, Wis., 
was afield watching for lawbreakers, some one 
fired at him, he says, and the bullet left its 
double inark in his hat. He promptly arrested 
two men, certain one of them had tried to shoot 
him, but they claimed the shot was an accident. 
Farmers near Kenosha, Wis., are incensed 
over the action of six hunters who, on being 
ordered off two farms, threatened to shoot the 
owners. 
The law limiting the number of prairie 
chickens, ducks, etc., a shooter can kill in one 
day in Minnesota is undoubtedly a good one, 
and it may be responsible to some extent for 
the apparent abundance of pinnated grouse 
this season. But no hunter can have in his pos¬ 
session more than forty-five birds, and while it 
is believed this provision is not strictly observed 
by parties of shooters, individuals are careful 
not to be found with more than that number at 
railway stations and on trains. Cases are noted 
where men accustomed in other days to shoot¬ 
ing chickens as long as there were any to be 
shot during daylight, have been seen returning 
home before noon with their legal limit, and 
friends of protection claim the law is satisfac¬ 
tory. This year in a number of places the sports¬ 
men who shot the limit of chickens went to the 
sloughs for ducks, which were numerous during 
September and the conditions favorable, because 
of. high water. 
Several bears have been shot by sportsmen 
recently in the vicinity of Thief River Falls, 
Minn. Herman Leslin brought in the first 
bear, a large black one, and Henry Runnestraud 
shot a smaller one, while John Svenson killed 
one weighing nearly 500 pounds. Near Crooks- 
ton still another black bear was shot last month, 
and over in North Dakota a Milton farmer- 
sportsman killed the first bear seen in the 
vicinity this year. 
No doubt the city officials of Winnipeg, Man., 
who took part in the drowning of a black bear 
in Shoal lake recently consider their actions 
above criticism, but no sportsman would be 
guilty of an act of this sort. It seems the bear 
was sighted swimming across the lake and the 
power boat containing the party headed for it. 
Some one roped the bear, whereupon the latter 
tried to scramble aboard, which frightened 
everybody, but full speed ahead was called for 
and the animal towed until drowned, then taken 
aboard. 
A correspondent writes that at Goodes Ferry, 
Va., there is squirrel, rabbit and quail shooting, 
while turkeys are fairly abundant in the woods. 
Guides, although not necessary, can be hired at 
75 cents to $1 a day, and low rates can be ob¬ 
tained at a hotel three miles from the village. 
Black bass and perch fishing nearby in streams. 
Long Island Small Game. 
A prominent sportsman of this city who lives 
on Long Island and who shoots and fishes there 
as member or guest of several large preserve 
clubs, informed a representative of Forest and 
Stream this week that the indications for fair 
shooting when the season for quail and ruffed 
grouse opens, on Nov. 1, are favorable. Ruffed 
grouse, he believes, have increased materially 
this year, the open winter and mild spring favor¬ 
ing them in both their condition and numbers. 
Quail, he thinks, from his observations, have 
also increased at a satisfactory rate, and are in 
good condition. 
This gentleman believes the present laws on 
wildfowl should be amended. It permits the 
shooting of ducks, geese and swans during the 
months of October, November and December. 
In advocating an open season embracing the 
months of January and February, he asserted 
very positively that gunners in general who 
shoot on Long Island waters would indorse his 
opinion that winter shooting is desired by all. 
He admitted that at times winter shooting is 
rough work and not to the liking of those who 
cannot with fortitude undergo cold and ex¬ 
posure to icy blasts, but the gunner wishes to 
be out when game is abundant, and the winter 
months, he says, are more favorable than those 
of autumn. In taking this stand he wishes it 
to be understood that he is not in favor of 
spring shooting, as it is known generally, and 
the gunners as a class are with him; but whereas 
spring shooting at migrating birds is harmful in 
many other waters, he does not consider that 
it applies to Long Island for the reason that 
large numbers of ducks remain in its waters 
all winter, as a rule, particularly in seasons as 
mild as last winter, and the ducks are therefore 
in good condition, and shooting them is worth 
while. 
He asserted further that because the law is 
unpopular, the native gunners do not feel bound 
to obey it, hence there is winter shooting, and 
he believes it almost impossible to put a stop 
to it. 
So much of the Long Island land is owned or 
controlled by clubs that there is little oppor¬ 
tunity for the stranger to burn powder there 
this fall, unless squirrels or rabbits are his game, 
the latter being the more plentiful. And there 
are a few places where grouse may be hunted, 
one of them being in the vicinity of Manor, 
where grouse have been seen frequently this 
season. 
The Gulf Storm. 
Without doubt a great many anglers and 
shooters of the South suffered severe hardships 
during the great hurricane that swept over a 
large area of the gulf coast last week. At this 
season in the vicinity of nearly all cities on the 
Gulf of Mexico there may be found numbers of 
anglers in camps or club houses situated on the 
lowlands where the brackish waters abound with 
sheepshead and several other varieties of salt¬ 
water game fishes, and where the wood ducks 
tempt the gunner. Some of the best known re¬ 
sorts and the preserved lands and waters es¬ 
pecially, are not easily reached, boats or trains 
carrying the sportsmen to and from their des¬ 
tinations. The waters of the gulf cover vast 
expanses 'during the full moon tides of spring 
and autumn, and when it is known that these 
were backed up by the storm sufficiently to per¬ 
mit the wind to drive ships far inland, it follows 
that the camps and clubs suffered damage from 
the water alone, while the hurricane without 
doubt caused great personal and real loss to 
owners and members, if not accompanied by 
fatalities. 
New Orleans in particular is rich in clubs. 
Among them are immense numbers of shooters’ 
and anglers’ clubs. Some own vast salt marshes; 
others control stretches of water where the fish¬ 
ing is good; still others squat in obscure places 
where their members meet at the week-end for 
the fishing or to g^t a few shots at wildfowl. 
Again, groups of men organize and make 
arrangements with some fishing resort innkeeper 
to house and feed them when they can visit his 
place. There are clubs everywhere, and on the 
numerous holidays enjoyed by residents of 
leisure-loving New Orleans, these are crowded 
to their full capacity with members and their 
friends. 
Conditions Favorable in Wisconsin. 
The condition of our game, I think, is getting 
better. The wardens and sportsmen report deer 
more plentiful than they have ever seen them, 
since northern Wisconsin ceased to be one un¬ 
broken wilderness. Partridges are reported 
more numerous in the northern part of the 
state than they have been for years. Quite a 
number of outside sportsmen who have gone up 
there to fish have sent in and taken out a small 
game license when they got up there and saw 
how the shooting was, and they seem to be very 
much pleased. Prairie chickens and grouse are 
about as visual. I do not think there is any 
increase. They are protected in about the south 
half of the state. It is too early yet to say any¬ 
thing about ducks. Thousands of them nested 
all over the state this season, and the hunters 
got some very good bags the first few days 
after the season opened, but they are mostly 
killed off before Oct. 1, and after that time the 
northern ducks will come down. 
The game laws are generally respected. Of 
course there are places where hunters will not 
obey them and where conditions are bad; but it 
is getting better right along, and in some of 
those communities where they do not want any 
game laws or any protection, they have begun 
to realize that something must be done, or they 
will not have any fish or game left. 
As for any particular locality for hunters to 
go to, I will only say that all of our northern 
counties are good. Jonas Swenholt, 
State Warden. 
Madison, Wis. 
The California Warden Case. 
The friends of Walter R. Welch. J. C. Ingalls 
and John Davis, formerly game and fish wardens 
in the employ of the Board of Fish and Game 
Commissioners of California, are incensed over 
the recent action of the commission in sum¬ 
marily discharging these men without a hearing, 
following charges made by them concerning the 
official conduct of Chief Deputy Commissioner 
Vogelsang, the executive agent of the commis¬ 
sion, which they alleged was prejudicial to the 
honor of the commission and the interests of 
game and fish protection. 
The Santa Clara County Fish and Game Pro¬ 
tective Association of San Jose held a meeting, 
heard evidence and passed resolutions in which 
the resignation of Mr. Vogelsang was demanded 
of the commission, and sent to all of the pro¬ 
tective associations of the state circular letters 
stating its case and asking for similar action. 
The papers took up the case and commented in 
no gentle terms on the alleged misconduct of 
the commission’s executive agent, and various 
associations composed of sportsmen took similar 
action. Things look squally for Mr. Vogelsang, 
if all the charges made by the discharged 
wardens and the associations are proved. 
New Game Fields in North Carolina. 
Raleigh, N. C.—Game Warden John W. Up¬ 
church has returned from a tour in eleven coun¬ 
ties, and says that he everywhere found par¬ 
tridges plentiful. There are many young broods. 
The first birds are quite well grown. The law 
against shooting them before Nov. 1 has been 
very well observed this year. The chief violators 
of the law against shooting birds are poor 
whites in the cotton mill town. These have 
given trouble at Raleigh and elsewhere. Your 
correspondent has made a number of inquiries 
as to birds and finds that there is a good supply 
in this county, as well as in those counties im¬ 
mediately around it. 
A new railway is being opened northeast from 
Raleigh, and this is going to open a very at¬ 
tractive section for sportsmen. Very pleasant 
farmhouses are located in the country which is 
