374 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Autumn in Southeast Missouri. 
Doniphan, Mo., Aug. 29. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The prospects for quail shooting this 
fall are better than for many years. Every 
farm, no matter how small, seems infested with 
them. Like last spring, the outlook for increase 
among these prolific birds appeared very 
gloomy—rain after rain, was the condition that 
presented itself, and we were all willing to be 
satisfied if we only had the numbers of the 
year before to open the season; but the last 
of May came and with it dry weather, and the 
month of June likewise, so every hen went to 
work with a good will and it was not long ere 
ample evidence of their close attention to their 
duties was seen everywhere. The dry spell was 
not prolonged, so that water holes still con¬ 
tained enough water to keep the youngsters 
from perishing while in search for drink. Up 
here in the hills watercourses are sometimes a 
mile apart, and young birds must have water 
after moisture has become so scarce that morn¬ 
ing and evening dews failed to show up. 
The razor-back hog is the gentleman who 
forms pond holes for these birds in slight de¬ 
pressions in the roads, or the holes where some 
giant oak has been uprooted by storm, or that 
relentless enemy of the hardwood forests, the 
different fungi. Here when a rain comes, the 
razor-back lies in comfort, rooting here and 
there in his search for worms or snails, and 
when surfeited with these, takes a cool siesta 
in the mud hole. Constant work on the part 
of his porcine majesty soon cements the bot¬ 
toms of these depressions, and in a short time 
they are truly watertight, evaporation being the 
only course by which the water leaves, and it is 
astonishing to see out in the timber how long 
these holes will retain water. 
Close to me there are no ruffed grouse, and 
but few are seen until one goes eighteen miles 
further north on Current River. The same state 
of affairs regarding ruffed grouse—that is, their 
disappearance—confronted us, and for many 
years they were a rara avis, but in the last 
two years they have begun to increase. Every 
theory was offered as to their disappearance, 
from wildcats to the razor-back hog destroying 
their nests; but none had more weight than 
others, and those that remained seemed to have 
picked certain favored sections in the pineries 
to try once more to place their names in our 
list of plentiful game birds. 
Like the quail, turkeys will be very abundant 
this fall. The heavy mast crop, of both black 
and white oak acorns, will hold them in the 
hills through the entire shooting season. Cover 
is very heavy, and they can be seen daily feed¬ 
ing on the half-ripe beggar lice. They will be 
well protected by nature, for the undergrowth 
this year is very thick. The usual custom of 
burning over the woods each spring to keep 
down the underbrush and tempt an early growth 
of the range grasses, was of necessity neglected 
because everything was too wet, so not only 
have these rank things thrived, but with them 
the numerous ticks and chiggers. 
Deer seem fairly plentiful in the hills, but 
will stay more toward the watercourses as fall 
approaches, the canebrakes furnishing good hid¬ 
ing places, and food is abundant. 
There appeared to be a good crop of wood¬ 
cock, but the first approach of warm weather 
sends them into the swamps among the tangles 
of greenbrier and the impenetrable elbow-brush 
sloughs. It is almost impossible to tell much 
about their increase, until the cool rains of the 
fall bring them to the north hillside slopes to 
gather angle and cut worms among the hazel 
and sumac thickets. Parties coming to Southeast 
Missouri for deer will find it a convenient and 
profitable place to outfit at Poplar Bluff, and 
descend Big Black River to Gillis Bluff or there¬ 
abouts. They will then be in the heart of the 
swamp, a fine deer range, lots of turkeys, 
thousands of gray squirrels, fine winter fishing 
and the luxury of casting for jack salmon (wall¬ 
eyed pike) in winter can be indulged in. The 
gold-plated tandem spinners with red-ibis or 
bucktail trailer are the best killers. Use plenty 
of lead, and the caster who cannot keep his 
party supplied with these and bass, certainly 
has lost his rabbit’s foot. 
Over west from there, ten miles, excellent 
quail shooting may be found; or, in fact, any¬ 
where in the hill section. But those wishing to 
visit the swift hill streams, should do well to 
start from Hunter, in Carter county, and float 
by boat to Doniphan. The scenery is beautiful 
and game abundant almost anywhere along 
the route. Quail can be found in the open 
timber, so no one need fear treading on the 
toes of the irate farmer. Fine turkey shooting 
can be indulged in if one will watch the bluffs 
carefully as he drifts by, and keep a good eye 
the first time the rustle of leaves is heard. 
Loch Laddie. 
Hunting in California. 
San Francisco, Cal., Aug. 29.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: Deer hunting in southern Cali¬ 
fornia has been almost a failure so far this sea¬ 
son, and but few parties are now trying to do 
anything there in that line. Those who think 
the hunting season not complete without a 
buck or two to their credit are preparing to 
go into the mountains of Northern California 
or to Oregon, where game is reported as being 
very plentiful. In Mendocino county deer have 
been killed within the city limits of several 
places, the many forest fires driving them from 
their usual shelter. Last Sunday Fred Schmidt 
and Nat Boas, two San Francisco sportsmen 
and members of the Point Reyes Club, bagged 
two very large deer, one a four-pointer and the 
other a Pacific buck. On Wednesday Mr. Rem¬ 
ington, while hunting in the north end of the 
preserve, brought down a large forked-horn at 
long range and reported seeing several others. 
If President Roosevelt were in San Francisco 
at the present time, he would be afforded an op¬ 
portunity' of indulging in his favorite pastime— 
lion hunting. Two lions have been seen in pre¬ 
serves of the Point Reyes Club during the past 
two weeks and that organization has invited 
the Country Club to join in a hunt for them. 
Mr. Pease, superintendent of the club, is very 
anxious that the preserve be rid of them, as a 
number of does and fawn have been killed lately, 
as well as cattle and sheep of nearby ranchers. 
Dove shooting is very good and is the big 
event of the weekly hunting excursions in the 
interior, while in the southern part of the State 
hunters are finding that there are about twice 
as many birds as there were at this time last 
year, when the supply gave out after the first 
[Sept. 5, 1908 
few days of gunning and hunters were oblig 
to take long trips to find places where sat 
factory bags could be secured. 
1 he wild turkeys that were liberated sor 
months ago in the mountains of San Bernardii 
county are doing well and are breeding sati 
factorily. A number of them have become 
tame that they come down to the poultry y ar 
of the farmers and hobnob with the tan 
turkeys. The Hungarian partridges liberate 
last May are also thriving and some of the 
have been seen with broods of baby birds. 
Deer hunting in the northern part of t. 
State and in Oregon is reported as being sple 
did at the present time, and hunters wl 
go to the game districts there have but litt 
difficulty in securing the limit. In southe: 
California hunters had had but little success ar 
the knowing hunters are waiting until the co 
weather comes before making any attempt 
get game, as they say that the deer are all bac 
in the inaccessible parts of the mountains du 
ing the hot spell. 
Mayor Jones, of San Anselmo, and L. Brizzi 
lara, of San Francisco, had an experience wii 
a wounded buck in Marin county recently th; 
they will not forget for some time. They wei 
hunting with a party of friends when one of tl 
party shot a buck which fell and afterward ro5 
and limped down into a canon. As it was ge 
ting late, Brizzolara and Jones volunteered to g 
down into the canon and get the carcass whi 
the rest of the party proceeded to camp to gi 
supper. In a short time they overtook the buci 
staggering along in the canon, and when th 
animal saw the men approaching he lowered h 
head and made for them. In dodging behin 
a tree to get out of the way of the infuriate 
animal Brizzolara slipped and the buck caugl 
him in the leg with his prongs. Both men man 
aged to get into trees, however, and were kep 
there until after midnight, when the remainde 
of the party, becoming alarmed at their ab 
sence, started out on a search and found then 
The buck, still on guard, showed fight to th 
rescuers and had to be shot before the me; 
could be rescued. 
Upham has just returned from a sir 
weeks’ hunting trip in eastern Oregon in com 
Pany with Walter Auble, of Los Angeles, am 
Dr. Auble, of Alturas. They went into Stein’ 
Mountains, Harney county, Oregon, where the’ 
found an abundance of game. They killed four 
teen antelope, three mule deer, two porcupine 
and a large number of sage hens. The larges 
mule deer weighed 250 pounds. 
h-- LI. Harriman and sons are camping at Peli 
can Lodge near Klamath Falls, and there is grea 
rejoicing in camp, for Roland has slain a bear 
It is reported that Mr. Harriman was more 
pleased with his son's prowess than if he hac 
bought another railroad, and thinks that in hi? 
younger son there is the making of a nimrod 
Old Henry Clay, the guide, declares that it was 
the prettiest bit of shooting he had ever seen 
and expresses it as his opinion that it is a pity 
that the youngster should be compelled to go 
back to New York to be stifled to death amidj 
brick and mortar. He doubts if there are any 
worse bears in Wall street than there are ia 
Oregon and thinks the youngster should be given 
a chance at the real articles instead of the i 
scrubby ones to be found in the money mart. 
A. P. B. 
