Aug. 15, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
255 
Snap Shots at California Game. 
Los Angeles, Cal., July 25 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: Opening of the local dove and 
deer season, July 15, after the usual rosy tommy- 
rot retailed by local newspapers, proved a sore 
disappointment to the tyro sportsman whom it 
misled into the mountains, while the veterans’ 
faith, in their predictions of hard hunting in 
hot weather for few bucks, proved particularly 
well placed. The bird shooters have had all 
the best of it thus far, but may count the dove 
season as practically closed. The birds were in 
flights six weeks ago, traveling along well-es¬ 
tablished aerial paths, and once the sportsmen 
had them located the end of the year’s dove 
shooting could be called at hand. 
Last summer a heavy crop of weed seeds and 
grain, particularly of wheat, together with much 
water everywhere, had a tendency to scatter the 
birds. This, coupled with their rather unusual 
plenty, strung out the sport over a longer period 
than usual, but this year’s conditions are more 
nearly the average, and that means about ten 
days or two weeks of good shooting. The bird 
1 supply was only fair. 
Great good in the cause of game preserva¬ 
tion has been accomplished for the doves. Ten 
years ago it was not uncommon for good shots 
to knock over three to five hundred a day. The 
limit was made fifty at first, not without oppo¬ 
sition, but so much benefit resulted that a further 
reduction of twenty-five went into effect two 
years ago, and has become so popular that the 
man who is not satisfied with two dozen is a 
rarity nowadays, ashamed to express adverse 
sentiments if he has them. 
Affording a pleasing f variety of shooting in 
the summer when nothing else is to be had by 
the gunner, the dove fills in a considerable space 
on the sportsman’s calendar, and now that the 
automobile has made it possible to leave town 
at 3:30 or even an hour later, without arriving 
on the grounds too late, there are many experi¬ 
enced shooters who say they prefer doves to 
I any other kind of scatter gun sport to be had 
j here. The best time is the afternoon, often 
j from sunset to dark, and the trip affords a 
pleasant relief from the heat of the day, gives 
j a good appetite, and works for sound sleep. 
| Regarding California deer hunting there is a 
well founded idea that any man who goes in 
for that game seriously is not above reproach 
mentally. Certain it is, if any of us had to 
| work for business as hard as we do when deer 
j hunting and call it pleasure, we would feel hard 
{ used, indeed. Nor can I say personally that I 
| am so enthused over venison of the often dry, 
j tough character of some of these southern Cali- 
i fornia muleys that have been eking out a miser- 
j able existence among the chaparral and sage 
; brush. 
For me, the fun is all over when I get a 
deer down ; generally long before that. Hiking 
j up steep hills and fighting dry, dusty brush in 
j the blistering sun is a fine, strenuous game, no 
j doubt, but as a recreation I misdoubt it takes 
a whole lot more out of a man than it puts into 
j him. Eliminate the hot weather and make the 
; game quail in winter; it suits me better. In 
| fact, I will work harder for the limit of quail 
] and feel better satisfied than to hunt deer. 
1 Southwestern Oregon spoils a man for local 
' deer hunting, however. I notice generally the 
fellows who have been there let the less lucky 
ones work here. 
The supply is light as regards bucks, although 
does are seen frequently and, I am afraid, 
killed oftener than one hears about. It looks 
as if the present was not to be a bumper sea¬ 
son for any kind of game. The deer have been 
well protected by law and last year seemed to 
be increasing notably. Old hunters think the 
wildcats and mountain lions increased also, and 
rather out of their proportion. Whatever buck 
scarcity there is, these grizzled veterans seem 
satisfied to set down to the discredit of vermin. 
There have been several fires this summer, 
although the watchfulness of the wardens has 
done grand service in protecting the watersheds 
and localizing the damage wherever blazes have 
been started. Tom, Dick and Harry cannot go 
into the forest reserves unhampered nowadays. 
The rangers and fire wardens seemingly are 
everywhere, and all have an eye to windward 
for the game law violator also. Gradually this 
thing is becoming better systematized to the 
delight of sportsmen and nature lovers generally. 
The dollar hunting license law raised over 
$100,000 last year and bids fair to do better this 
year. An immense fund thus secured was to be 
expended in the protection of resident and in¬ 
troduction of alien species. Sportsmen who 
observe, wonder whether the balance of this 
money is to be spent; if so, when, and what 
for. The experiment of liberating Mexican 
wild turkeys in our often treeless hills, and of 
experimenting with the Hungarian partridge, 
used to a well-watered country, is not one that 
commends itself to those who think this money 
should be expended for some real good, rather 
than to make a noise and purchase a favorable 
impression. The sportsmen have a right to con¬ 
sider themselves custodians of this money. They 
practically subscribed it, and the general im¬ 
pression that better protection should be given 
to the native varieties that already have shown 
themselves adapted, and are acclimated, rather 
than to experiment with alien birds whose adap¬ 
tability is extremely problematical, certainly 
should be given deference. 
Southern California has at last been recog¬ 
nized on the Board of Fish Commissioners by 
the Governor’s appointment of Michael J. Con¬ 
nell, of this city, to fill the vacancy caused by 
the resignation of John Bermingham, Jr. Mr. 
Connell is a member of the Bolsa Chica Gun 
Club and an enthusiastic sportsman. An effort 
in behalf of Professor Holder was made by his 
friends, the genial professor’s heart, in all that 
pertains to rod, gun and game or fish being a 
guarantee that he would endeavor to do the 
cause real good in the position. Mr. Connell was 
well supported also, and his lively interest in 
the matter is a good augury that he will accom¬ 
plish something in behalf of the peculiar in¬ 
terests of the game and fish in this section which 
have been neglected somewhat in the past. The 
job means a vast amount of work and there is 
no remuneration. Mr. Connell has a splendid 
opportunity. It is a pity both he and Professor 
Holder could not have gone on the board and 
made a majority. Then something would have 
been done well worth while. With Professor 
Holder to outline legislation for the sea fishing 
and Mr. Connell to look after the game and 
fresh water fish, such a team could not be bet¬ 
tered. Edwin L. FIedderly. 
A School for <hc Novice. 
Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 10 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: Rail shooting is so local a sport 
that gunners generally know little or nothing 
about it. 
I have always regarded this as unfortunate 
because I know of no form of shooting which 
approaches this in its excellence as a school for 
the beginner. Boys, girls and young men take 
a certain interest, to be sure, in shooting at 
artificial targets, commonly called clay pigeons, 
but these, for a variety of obvious reasons, are 
unsatisfactory substitutes for a living bird. 
The man who has a young relative whom he 
desires to teach to shoot can do nothing so use¬ 
ful for this young person as to go out with him 
for three or four days during the rail season 
and give him a few shots at the birds. The 
instructor should, of course, go without a gun, 
and should give his whole attention to seeing 
that the pupil does his best. The pusher, or 
shover, will not be the least interested of the 
three occupants of the boat, and will often make 
useful suggestions. The pupil should be told 
to take his time in shooting, learning delibera¬ 
tion first, and then quickness. The instructor 
standing behind the pupil as he shoots can often 
explain to him just why he missed a particular 
shot, or why he hit. 
I do not wish to imply that this notion is 
original with me. It must have occurred to 
many men, and was called attention to several 
years ago in an editorial which appeared in 
Forest and Stream, and which—perhaps be¬ 
cause I have long been a rail shooter—appealed 
to me very strongly. As it happened I had a 
boy of my own, whom I instructed in accord¬ 
ance with the suggestions of the editorial, with 
excellent results. 
This is what you said, and I will ask you to 
reprint it, because otherwise many of your 
present day readers may not be able to see it. 
“Rail shooting is a charming sport, but a sport 
for women and children and aged men, rather 
than for the hardy sportsman who, tough of 
muscle and long of wind, is able to tramp hour 
after hour through New England woods and 
swamps, or over the slippery prairies, or rough 
mountains of the Northwest, or among the pine 
woods and old fields and briery thickets of the 
South. What can be more luxurious than to 
stand or sit in the boat, and to be shoved 
smoothly and slowly among the wild rice fields, 
while the tame slow-flying birds rise in front or 
on either hand, and gently flap their way to a 
hoped for place of safety. The gunner has 
abundant time, a clear field. There is no need 
to allow much for crossing shots. Rarely, to 
be sure, if a bird js started within a foot or 
two of the shore, or of the thick cattails which 
the boat cannot penetrate, a snapshot is called 
for, but for the most part the shooting is open 
and easy. 
“For this very reason the rail grounds offer 
a capital school for the small boy or girl who 
desires to learn to shoot. Properly equinped, 
and standing in the bow of the boat, the novice 
has every opportunity to do well, while the in¬ 
structor, sitting on the midship thwart, may 
coach the pupil and explain why each stmt was 
missed, why each mistake was wrone, and what 
must be done when the next bird gets up. The 
pupil who shoots too quickly may be checked 
