524 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Oct. 25, 1913. 
like. They were No. 10s. 1 was so disgusted 
that 1 threw them overboard and loaded up with 
No. 4s. That settled the cripples. I had got 
some fine shot in with my other shells by mis¬ 
take. 
Next came a bunch of “horseheads,” and 
we tripped up three. Ten minutes passed and 
I was watching Mayland try to fix his ejector. 
He had bent it during the last shooting, when 
he cried, “Look out!" and looking, I saw three 
little grays swinging over the decoys. I pumped 
three shells into them and never touched a 
feather. Oh, yes, it will happen to you some 
time if it hasn’t already. Mayland smiled know¬ 
ingly, but I had my revenge on him; his gun 
wouldn’t work. Finally he dug the shell out 
and by this time the fog had lifted quite a bit. 
Not another bird came. The man below us 
took up his decoys, and pulled ashore. We 
could see a faint line of boats that seemed to 
be getting some shooting up off Manomet Point, 
so we took up anchor and decoys and started 
for the Point. On the way we saw several flocks 
flying up, keeping well outside, and arriving, we 
took an outside position. We got several shots 
from our new berth, netting one white wing and 
a butterball, when eight birds swung in over the 
man at our left. He fired, knocking down two, 
while the remaining six sheered and came by 
us. They were a long shot, and well in the air.' 
Mayland snapped on an empty shell, and I pulled 
twice. The leader crumpled and fell, wing over 
wing, then the one next to him, with wings held 
stiff, scaled into the water. The wind was fresh¬ 
ening from the northeast, and kicking up a nasty 
chop, when I put out after the cripple. Every 
time he’d rise on the crest of a wave he’d go 
under, then I’d row a few strokes and wait. 
Right here, gentlemen, I want to introduce you 
to the toughest coot that ever stopped a charge 
of No. 4s. I fired repeatedly, and I know I hit 
him, too, for he seemed to be getting weaker. 
When he got on his back he’d lay fanning the 
air with his feet, unable to dive, and just when 
I was about to pull—flop ! over and under he’d 
go. lake my advice and carry plenty of shells 
along when you go cooting. Sbme of those 
almost invulnerable cripples have an abnormal 
appetite, the way they can eat up shells, and they 
can digest them, too. Finally I caught him, 
when he wasn’t looking, I guess, and he flat¬ 
tened out and lay still. 
YV hen I got back to the boat the firing had 
slackened, and I rolled a “Bull Durham” and 
rested from my recent exertions. It was get¬ 
ting late, and just as we were pulling up the 
anchor preparatory to starting for home, six 
white wings came from the southwest, their long 
necks stretched out, going as though they were 
bound for the end of Cape Cod, and due in five 
minutes. Mayland s “pump ’ wasn’t working, 
allowing him but one shot at a time, so he took 
the first chance. Four of them came hurtling 
out of the sky, and I dropped two more. This 
ended the performance. We weighed anchor and 
got under way. I m not saying how many birds 
I shot, since we can t sell or give them away 
now, but we had an awful crowd for dinner. 
Note.—Some people won’t eat “coot,” but 
when skinned, .cleaned and soaked in water with 
a little salt in it over night, then parboiled with 
onion in the water for an hour before cooking, 
it makes a fairly palatable stew with potatoes 
and dumplings.— Author. 
Single-Barrel 16-Gauge a Winner. 
Hemingford, Neb., Sept. 25. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: The evolution of my gun keeps 
pace with the advanced ideas in game laws. 
When I first began hunting in Nebraska, game 
laws were unknown, and I used a ten-gauge gun. 
Then came the game laws limiting my bag to 
fifty grouse and fifty other birds, and I used a 
twelve-gauge double gun, and when the bag 
was limited to twenty-five grouse in possession, 
I used a sixteen-gauge. Now I am limited to 
ten grouse a day, and not more than ten in my 
possession at any one time, and I am using a 
single barrel sixteen-gauge gun, and yesterday 
I believe I found as much real pleasure in bring¬ 
ing in my ten grouse with the little single-barrel 
sixteen-gauge as I ever did bringing in fifty 
with the ten-gauge. Of course, we are allowed 
to bring in twenty-five ducks, too, and the old- 
timer who used to think a duck could only be 
killed with a ten-gauge gun would be surprised 
to see the mallards tumble out of the sky when 
the little sixteen-gauge calls for them. 
Then it is not all of hunting to kill. I think 
now I enjoy putting in the day tiddling around 
in the sandhills with the little gun and bringing 
in my ten grouse fully as well, if not better, than 
I did in the old days when I went out just to 
see how many I could kill. 
We had a fine hatching season in the hills 
this year, and the grouse are unusually plentiful, 
and the ducks are there by the million. The 
game laws have something to do with it, too, 
for it is seldom that you meet a man without 
his license, and as a general thing, they respect 
the law and want to see all violations punished. 
To-morrow I go to my old haunts in Cherry 
county, to hunt a little, visit some and ride 
around in that natural habitat of the grouse, the 
duck, the prairie dog and his compatriot the 
rattlesnake. I may tell you about it when I 
get back here. A. D. McCandless. 
Every Man a Game Warden. 
BY HERBERT K. JOB, STATE ORNITHOLOGIST OF 
CONNECTICUT. 
Thanks to a splendid dry breeding season, 
more birds and game were reared chis year in 
Connecticut than in a long time. Quail recently 
almost extinct are in some localities almost nor¬ 
mally abundant. The ruffed grouse also has done 
finely. Stopping of spring shooting has greatly 
increased the ducks. In this memorable year the 
Federal Government undertakes the protection 
of our migratory 1 irds. Our esteemed Senator, 
Hon. George P. McLean, has carved his ever¬ 
lasting memorial in the enactment of the Mc¬ 
Lean law. The nation has also prohibited the 
importation of wild bird plumage. Our ladies 
will be more beautiful than ever, and so v/ill 
our fields, woodlands and waters. 
Because we are beginning to have more 
birds and game again, shall we redouble our 
efforts to slaughter them and defeat the benefi¬ 
cent efforts of enlightened humanity and of the 
Creator? Civilization must have advanced far 
enough to make it reasonable to expect the in¬ 
telligent citizen — men and women alike—to as¬ 
sume active personal responsibility for the res¬ 
toration of birds and game in Connecticut. Laws 
and police are necessary, but if every intelligent 
and thoughtful person in the State who has any 
opportunity would make this a matter of per¬ 
sonal interest and concern, the result would be 
astonishing. 
Here are some few suggestions. Let every 
farmer and landholder see to it that on his own 
land birds are not wantonly disturbed or de¬ 
stroyed. Report violations of law to the game 
warden. Teach the children to watch and pro¬ 
tect the birds. Let every boy become a cham¬ 
pion of birds- and harmless wild creatures. Pre¬ 
vent your cat from hunting birds, and mercifully 
kill supernumerary or homeless cats that live by 
hunting. Observe the game laws yourself, and 
try to create sentiment that it is for everyone’s 
interest to have these laws observed. Feed 
birds in winter—suet and seeds for small birds, 
and grain under shelters in woods and fields for 
game birds where these are found. Back up the 
game wardens and encourage them to enforce 
the laws. 
In Connecticut this year we are introducing 
a new State system. We have an admirable new 
commission of fisheries and game, representative 
and non-partisan, one member from each county. 
They are gentlemen of standing and ability, not 
mere politicians, serving without pay because of 
personal interest in the subject. Two of them 
are able ornithologists, Dr. Sanford and Mr. 
Pease, and one, Rear Admiral Goodrich, is emi¬ 
nent in the service of his country. The new 
Secretary, Charles H. Pease, of Canaan, who will 
largely represent the commission to the public, 
is a genius, and Governor Baldwin could not 
have found a man more fit for this position. A 
publisher and writer by profession, he writes 
graceful and courteous letters promptly to cor¬ 
respondents. An enthusiastic student of birds 
and game, he owns and lives on a most pictur¬ 
esque estate which he is turning into a game 
preserve and bird refuge. The warden force 
are now paid far more adequately than before, 
and earnest efforts have been made to tone up 
the service. Politics is debarred, and it has been 
made understood that any employe who violates 
this regulation will be summarily discharged. 
The new superintendent, James W. Tyson, who 
is entrusted with carrying out the plans of the 
commission, is a thorough gentleman of scientific 
attainment and executive ability. With the co¬ 
operation of the public, the new regime may be 
expected to set a pace and example among our 
States of which Connecticut may rightly be 
proud. 
Again the Wild Pigeon 
Pewee Valley, Ky., Oct. 7. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: Enclosed clipping from one of the local 
papers. It may be of interest in your columns, 
as it is claimed all these birds are extinct: 
“Petersburg, Ind., Sept. 9.— Owen Smith, a 
farmer, living four miles west of this city, has 
reported the presence of thousands of wild 
pigeons that made their appearance on his farm 
about a week ago and which are roosting in 
the woods near his home. Because of the strict 
Government law prohibiting the shooting- or 
snaring of these birds, no- efforts have been 
made to capture any of them. These are the 
first wild pigeons that have been seen in these 
parts in the last twenty years.” 
F. H. Cleland. 
Squirrels collect much of the seed used for 
planting by the Forest Service. ■ 
