336 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 26, 1911. 
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In the High Sierras. 
Alleghany, Cal., Aug. 12 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: I have just returned to my cabin on 
the Queen Radigunde quartz claim at Jungletown 
on the Kanaka from an experting trip of five 
weeks’ duration that carried me across three 
counties in California—Nevada, Plumas and 
Sierra—on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada 
range, along what the gold hunters of the region 
are pleased to call the serpentine contact of the 
father lode of Northern California in contra¬ 
distinction to the mother lode of the central 
portion of the Golden State. Incidentally to my 
mineral reconnaissance I indulged in some fish¬ 
ing and hunting in the headwaters of the Yuba 
and Feather rivers. 
There had been an unusually heavy fall of 
snow last winter, and as a result the rivers re¬ 
mained higher than in normal years, and the 
water cold. Fishing in consequence was poor 
until about July 1, when the floods subsided and 
the temperature of the water rose some. Since 
then the trout have risen with avidity to both 
fly and live bait. It takes the latter to get the 
big fellows. Recent fishing parties all report 
catches to the law’s daily limit of rainbow and 
mountain trout. 
Hot weather prevailed here from an unusually 
early date this summer until the "dogstar began 
to rage,” when it moderated, but the nights have 
right along been so cool that plenty of woolen 
covering was needed. We have here a blend 
of the alpine and oceanic climate, and the cool 
nights make it a joy to live, though in the day 
time the mercury will crawl up to the 90° F., 
sometimes pretty close to the 100 mark. 
This is a poor year for big game in this region 
except bears. Deer are scarcer this season than 
in any of the past five years. The last winter 
did not make its appearance until Jan. 9 and the 
cervines remained in the high altitudes until the 
tnow began to fall, and the first precipitation 
-ontinued without cessation for a week. The 
aeer could not get out, and perished miserably. 
The mountain quail, which under protection had 
become very numerous last year, also delayed 
their migration to the foothills and valleys, and 
thus died in large numbers. Then an influx of 
predatory animals made sad havoc among the 
survivors. 
Wild pigeons (doves), once very plentiful 
hereabout, have become nearly exterminated by 
the annual slaughter at wholesale for camp 
stews. I see now and then a few grouse and 
tree squirrels and only occasionally a rabbit. 
Bears are plentiful. They se«m to thrive. 
They are of the small black variety, but are not 
hunted much except by ranchmen remote from 
the settlements. Bruin has a “sweet tooth” for 
pig, lamb and kid, and gets very bold in his 
raids when the hankering for fresh meat comes 
upon him. The farmers set steel traps, and 
when the bear is caught, finish him with a shot 
from a rifle. The hide is made into robes or 
sold to tourists, and the carcass usually thrown 
to the hogs and chickens-, but the fat is always 
saved, rendered out and refined. It is held in 
high esteem by the wives of the ranchmen for 
the cuisine. They consider it superior to the 
hog lard of commerce. They utilize it as “short¬ 
ening” for bread, biscuit and pie dough. Also 
more particularly for “deep frying” of such 
articles as doughnuts, crullers, Saratoga chips, 
potato pancakes, fritters and croquettes. That is 
a pointer for caterers to the epicures. 
Carnivori are more numerous in Sierra and 
Nevada counties than in many years past. I re¬ 
fer to wolves, coyotes and mountain lions. The 
latter follow up the herds of sheep, goats, horses 
and cattle in the drives from the winter quar¬ 
ters in the foothills to the summer ranges in 
the mountains. The increase of coyotes and 
wolves in Nevada and Sierra counties is at¬ 
tributed to a migration from the hinterlands of 
Plumas county because of the invasion of that 
territory by the Western Pacific Railroad, and 
also the burning over last year of immense areas 
of forest. The coyotes exercise a most per¬ 
nicious activity in preying upon feathered and 
small furred game, and also in robbing the poul¬ 
try yards of the outlying ranchmen. 
Recently I saw a beautiful silver gray fox 
making a sneak upon a flock of chickens right in 
town. In one of my recent trips I also met 
with a mountain beaver, one of the kind that has 
no tail “to speak of,” and corresponds, I be¬ 
lieve, to the nutria of Argentina. Occasionally 
I get a glimpse of porcupines and woodchucks 
and quite frequently a scent of polecat and civet. 
The Chinese placer miners hereabouts readily 
pay fifty cents a piece for carcasses of the skunk. 
The oil from the fat of the latter is used by 
them as an external application for the cure or 
relief of the pains of rheumatism. They will 
also pay a fancy price for the dressed carcass 
of a lynx, fox or wildcat, which they make the 
piece de resistance at a festival banquet, and by 
the way, the Digger Indian and Piute will often 
make the gopher one of the ingredients of a 
potlatch acorn stew. 
There is some regular trapping done in North¬ 
ern Nevada county of fur-bearing animals. A 
ranchman at Backbone last winter showed me 
a collection which included several black fisher 
skins, bobcat, marten and some prettily marked 
raccoons. He shipped the consignment to St. 
Louis dealers and got the top price for the 
fishers. 
But I must make a long period here. “Pard- 
ner” has placed a flask and a crystal goblet at 
my elbow with the announcement that break¬ 
fast will be ready in a few minutes. I shall 
in a future letter tell of encounters with the 
ubiquitous rattlesnake, of such rare sights as 
the swarming of colonies of ladybugs, of myriad 
butterflies in migration, of hosts of grasshoppers, 
of a spectacular thunder and lightning storm, 
and of a recent remarkable display of a shower 
of meteors and aerolites. California is truly a 
land of wonders in its flora and fauna as well 
as in its geology and climate. 
That breakfast! “Pardner” has improvised a 
table with boards laid across rocks on the ter¬ 
race on the creek bank in the shade of the leafy 
alders, sheltering the table and diners with a 
canopy and portieres of mosquito bar. The 
"table” is covered with a paper “cloth” and nap¬ 
kins of patriotic colors. And the menu! Trout 
broiled over live coals within a wrapping of 
maple leaves, a la Digger Indian; a stew or 
ragout made, Grass Vailey style, of doves, 
grouse, quail and squirrel (the three latter were 
unintentionally bagged yesterday while shooting 
the wild pigeons) ; boiled bacon and wild greens, 
“belled” mushrooms, cucumber fritters, gypsy 
potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, wild raspberries 
and gooseberries, Roquefort, Pekoe tea, coffee 
(the latter to go with the cigarettes). Upon the 
“table” are also such modern innovations as. 
domino sugar, tabasco, shaker salt, corn relish, 
camp sauce, celery bitters, evaporated cream, 
mustard, salad dressing, salted almonds, lemon 
flavoring, mint wafers, stuffed olives, etc. 
The coffee is a blend of five varieties of Cen¬ 
tral American berries, so my purveyor tells me, 
and it is a beverage so cheering and stimulating, 
yet so harmless, that I believe if in general use 
it would obviate the need of the so-called cereal 
“coffees.” I can drink it at night just before 
retiring without suffering insomnia. It is sent to 
me already roasted and ground in five-pound 
cans. 
The cigarettes are also unique. The “wrap¬ 
pers” are sections of a hollow reed, filled with 
the strongest of imported Turkish tobacco. I 
do not use them, but “pardner” does. He 
smokes while I wash the dishes, it being my turn 
to do the scullion act. 
A physician tells me that he recently read in 
a medical journal that the hog and deer were 
the only animals subject to trichinae. That is 
the first time I ever heard of deer carrying 
them. Does any reader of Forest and 
Stream know of any instances? I know that 
bears are sometjmes infested, but it is news to 
me that the cervines are. Also, I read in a re¬ 
cent newspaper that a trapper in Oregon was 
making a great success in trapping coyotes and 
wolves with Limburger cheese as a bait lure. Can 
any reader verify the alleged fact by experience? 
I admit the strength of Limburger, but that it 
is a magnet to Lobo is a new one to me. 
William Fitzmuggins. 
Duluth a Game Center. 
Duluth, Minn., Aug. 18 —Editor Forest and 
Stream: Sportsmen here in Duluth are in the 
heart of the greatest big-game country in the 
States. It frequently happens that moose, deer, 
bears, wolves, bobcats and lynx invade our city 
limits and during last November a deer was 
killed on Superior street at Eighth avenue west, 
or right in the center of the retail business sec¬ 
tion of Duluth. 
Prairie chickens and partridges are found in 
fairly good numbers within thirty miles, and 
duck shooting can be indulged in quite satisfac¬ 
torily by the man who is satisfied with a mod¬ 
erate bag. 
All winter sports find their devotees here. 
Skiing and jumping, coasting, ice-boating, horse 
racing on the ice, hockey, curling, etc., are en¬ 
joyed by hundreds. 
The man or woman accustomed to descriptive 
wording could write a book on Northeastern 
Minnesota entitled, “The Sportsman’s Para¬ 
dise,” which would be read with the greatest 
pleasure by all true lovers of outdoor life. 
G. W. Preston. 
