FOREST AND STREAM 
595 
th£ floeks and turn them away from their usual 
haunts with no benefit whatever to those who 
did the mischief. 
The writer is informed by an old friend, a 
fisherman on one of the outer islands of Casco 
Bay, that during the past season under Federal 
protection, coots, old squaws, blue-mils and many 
other varieties of water fowl have shown a re¬ 
markable increase in numbers, and have been 
much more tame than when the spring shooting 
was allowed. For several years the State of 
Maine has had a law protecting herons, bitterns, 
etc-, and these birds have shown a great increase 
in numbers under this protection, particularly 
the blue heron, which ten or twelve years ago 
was found only in very limited numbers, and now 
is often seen in flocks of ten to twenty-five birds. 
This bird is not of any real value, either as a 
game bird or as a scavenger (for it eats nothing 
but live fish, frogs, etc.), although it is sometimes 
eaten and is fairly good. When a boy the 
writer often ate blue heron, and if properly 
stuffed and baked the flavor is not unlike that of 
the sheldrake. 
Another wise provision of the Federal law is 
the five-year close time on sandpipers and other 
shore birds. At the rate these birds have de¬ 
creased in numbers during the past twenty years 
they would soon become extinct along the coast 
of Maine. 
Within the writer’s memory these birds were 
to be seen in flocks numbering thousands on the 
flats of Casco Bay, where no protection was 
given them and they were slaughtered in im¬ 
mense numbers from the time the first flock ap¬ 
peared in July until the fall flight was over. On 
these same flats to-day one may see scarcely one 
flock of perhaps fifteen to twenty birds in an 
entire season. 
However, the sandpiper and kindred species 
breed rapidly, and with proper protection afford¬ 
ed them for a few years there is every reason 
to believe that the old haunts of these birds will 
again be stocked with good sized flocks. 
It is to be regretted that state laws do not 
command the respect that the Federal law does, 
but such is the fact, and there are many viola¬ 
tions of the state laws regulating hunting, and 
especially is this true of Sunday hunting. With 
the great increase of foreign population in the 
manufacturing centers, we find a large number 
who make a regular practice of using the Sabbath 
Day as a day for hunting, and many a “would be 
sportsman” may be seen on Sunday tramping 
the woods for miles around and shooting at 
every living bird, from chickadees to eagles. It 
is the writer’s opinion that with the Federal law 
in force, giving subbstantial protection to migra¬ 
tory birds, the state laws will also be more strict¬ 
ly enforced, and the many true sportsmen who 
have a vote to cast for officers to enforce these 
laws will be careful to choose efficient men for 
the work. 
I would add here just a word about our State 
of Maine law relative to hunters’ licenses. There 
has been considerable discussion relative to the 
license fee of $25 required of non-residents for 
the privilege of hunting Maine’s big game- To 
a few who happen to own property in the state, 
but are not residents thereof, this appears too 
great a tax, but from the view-point of those 
most familiar with conditions in the big game 
region, this fee is only a just and equitable way 
of helping to maintain what may be called the 
great natural game preserve of the country. The 
farmers of Northern Maine every year bear 
heavy losses from damage to crops by deer and 
other game, and the state must reimburse this 
loss upon proof of same, and no more equitable 
way could be found than for those who hunt to 
pay the cost of maintaining the game. 
Each year it became necessary to guard more 
closely against the further decrease in big game, 
especially deer, as with the ever increasing prac¬ 
tice of making the annual hunting trip by auto¬ 
mobile, hunting parties are carried into hereto¬ 
fore unfrequented territory, and the hunting is 
not confined to sections that can be reached by 
a short journey from railroad or steamboat 
transportation. 
Where formerly the game commissioners were 
able to get an approximately correct return for a 
number of big game killed in any season, it is 
now impossible to do so for the reason that a 
very large percentage of game is brought out by 
auto parties and no report made to the state 
agents authorized to receive same, so that the 
record of game killed each year is probably far 
short of the correct number. 
It should always be borne in mind that while 
the army of hunters is constantly increasing, the 
percentage of game killed per man is each year 
growing less, and every true sportsman may 
readily see the necessity for closely guarding this 
natural resource for the benefit of all. 
BEARS AND DEER IN ADIRONDACK. 
Arden Lodge, Eagle Lake, Essex Co., N. Y., 
October 26, 1914 
Editor, Forest and Stream: 
Black bears weighing from 150 to 275 pounds 
are being taken in this town. More frequently 
this Fall than the alert buck deer. Fortune has 
thus far favored very young hunters, and many 
a boy in old Essex county can now wear his 
collar of bear claws with proud distinction. 
The local papers are full of reported captures 
of bruin who is in fine condition at present on 
his abundant diet of beechnuts and acorns. At 
least ten black bears have been killed in North 
Hudson, not to mention Minerva and Newcomb. 
Down Lake George way only last week a four¬ 
teen-year-old youngster was left in charge of 
the little farm by his father who drove to Ticon- 
deroga with a load of potatoes. Along about 
11 o’clock, this kid was aroused from his nap 
on the lounge by the bleating of this cosset lamb 
out in the barn yard. Thinking that some neigh¬ 
bor’s dog was worrying it, he seized an old 
muzzle-loading shotgun, loaded with coarse shot 
and which his father had told him not to meddle 
with. Reaching the barn he saw a great black 
object teasing his pet. The cow stable door 
was shut but a small open window commanded 
the yard, so that he could approach within 30 
feet of the great beast. With admirable presence 
of mind and knowing that he had but one chance, 
the youngster waited for a side shot and, aiming 
carefully behind the foreshoulder, let drive. 
When the cloud of smoke had cleared there was 
a 200-pound black bear lying dead beside the 
wounded lamb- It is safe to say that one whip¬ 
ping was postponed indefinitely. The pride of 
that father in his son is beyond expression. 
Among other successful hunts may be men¬ 
tioned that of our local nimrod, Lanson Moore, 
who motored over to the pond from Eagle Lake 
about a week ago. Hunters were scarce, as 
potato digging was in full blast then, and be¬ 
sides, the thirty days without rain had made the 
woods so “noisy” that even the partridges were 
J. W. Alker and Partner Make Killing at Caughnawanna (Canada) Hunting & Fishing Club. 
