Oct. io, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
577 
Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock. 
Sullivan County, N. Y., Oct. 1. — Editor 
Forest and Stream: On Sept. 24, just before 
dusk, I saw woodcock flying southward, follow¬ 
ing the course of the river, and on other evenings 
during the remainder of the week. On Saturday 
two passed over me, not more than forty feet in 
the air. Doubtless these birds were moving in 
search of good feeding grounds in the lower 
country. The prolonged drouth must have 
caused woodcock to bunch, or collect in the cov¬ 
ers that remained in good condition for them. 
I flushed a number of single birds during the 
summer. 
There are more ruffed grouse than in 1907, 
but the broods I have seen have been small in 
number. There is no doubt, however, that some 
of the hens raised full broods. The young birds 
were well grown and strong on the wing in 
August. 
Extensive forest fires may have destroyed a 
few birds in certain localities in September, but 
I fancy that all the grouse were full grown, and 
in a country like this could easily escape. Last 
year I did not see one grouse while fishing, and 
it has been very gratifying this season to see 
single birds flying from one side of the river to 
the other. I do not wish to convey the idea that 
ruffed grouse are very abundant, but conditions 
were more favorable than in 1907 and the birds 
are not as scarce as they were last season. 
In a rough, broken country like this, with plenty 
of cover, there is not much danger of the ex¬ 
termination of these birds by shooting. They 
soon become wary and the broods break up early. 
An easterly storm with heavy rain has put out 
most of the fires, if not all of them, and all the 
streams are full again. The trout have had an 
opportunity to run up stream, and doubtless 
large numbers have taken advantage of it. I 
have seen a small brook heavily stocked in one 
night on a freshet. 
The license will, no doubt, deter many sports¬ 
men from other States from visiting this section. 
Theodore Gordon. 
South Norwalk, Conn., Oct. 3. — Editor Forest 
and Stream: I had not thought to add to the 
host of letters on the hunting outlook this fall 
and on ruffed grouse in particular, but I see so 
many who are optimistic and have such fine 
stories to tell about the birds being plentiful 
that I am moved to have my say in the interest 
of the sportsman who has not yet been in the 
woods for ruffed grouse. 
After the hunting season last fall I was over 
a good part of the State and have been in the 
woods a good deal this summer and fall and 
covered some of the best hunting covers, where 
in years past I was sure to find birds, and it is 
my experience that the birds are far from plenti¬ 
ful this fall. 
I ask you, sportsmen, how could it be other¬ 
wise? Last fall everybody seemed agreed that 
something had happened to the grouse and it 
was lamentably true. One school blamed the 
fox as being one of the causes of the shortage. 
Grouse were so scarce as to cause deep concern 
for the future of our grandest game bird and 
the fox had all winter to get in his deadly work 
on the pitiable few that were left. How, then, 
could there be the required number of breeding 
birds left in our covers to bring about a plenty 
this fall? 
Some will claim the birds moved back after 
the hunting season, but from where? I remem¬ 
ber the letters in Forest and Stream were pretty 
much the same from everywhere and a letter 
before me from the Biological Survey, Wash¬ 
ington, tells me that the scarcity was general 
over their range. 
No doubt in some favored section a few scat¬ 
tered birds may have gathered together after 
the season was over and given color to this be¬ 
lief, but on the other hand I know good covers 
left with scarcely a bird. 
We had a good breeding season and the birds 
left were very successful in bringing out good 
broods, and knowledge of this helps on the opti¬ 
mist. Through their experience in the woods 
START OF a FOREST FIRE IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 
Photographed by Townsend Lawrence. 
sportsmen last year were aware of the condi¬ 
tions and stood ready to do anything to give 
the birds a chance to recuperate, a good many 
going so far as to advocate a close season. 
Many of these—and the thinking sportsmen are 
dependent upon others for the reports of the 
fall shooting—and the men who this fall pro¬ 
claimed good sport and plenty of birds, are doing 
an injury to all. Moderation should be the key¬ 
note this fall with the one thought in mind of 
leaving sufficient birds in the covers to breed, 
for once gone you cannot bring back the king 
of game birds. No one has successfully reared 
him in captivity in any numbers and you are 
face to face with the cold facts that you have 
to depend upon the birds within your borders 
to do the work. 
We love ruffed grouse better than a season’s 
hunting, and out of my experience in the woods 
this summer and fall I beg of you to think well 
to his future and your sport and let moderation 
limit your bag. Wilbur F. Smith, 
County Warden. 
Effect of Fires in Canada. 
Montreal, Can., Oct. 3. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: The effect of the forest fires in north¬ 
ern Ontario has been to cause moose and deer 
to congregate in the green spots in some regions 
and to drive them a little further north where 
the forest was not burnt. The fires were very 
largely in old slashings, where the cover was 
good for deer and partridge food abounded. In 
these slashings the parts that have escaped fire 
will be full of birds and big game, and conse¬ 
quently full of wolves. Wolf trappers will have 
a good chance this year, and wolf hunters a bet¬ 
ter one than in other years. 
When in Sudbury, Ontario, last week a par¬ 
tridge came to a tragic end. Sudbury was sur¬ 
rounded by fire and the birds flew into town. 
This bird, frightened no doubt by the unusual 
sights and sounds, saw a plate glass window with 
a green blind inside upon which there were re¬ 
flections. She must have taken this for a tree 
which would afford cover. She flew full speed 
into the window, killing herself and leaving 
several feathers sticking to the glass. 
I do not think the fires have been very disas¬ 
trous to game, because they were not accom¬ 
panied with high wind and crept slowly, so that 
it was very easy to escape, even if one had to 
go through the fire. In this respect it was un¬ 
like the great Miramichi fire of 1825, or the 
Peshtigo fire of recent times. 
I traveled last week through many miles of 
burnt district in northern Ontario and found a 
great many fresh moose and deer tracks, all 
made since the fire, confirming previous experi¬ 
ences which show that the large game has a 
strong desire to re-visit its old haunts after a 
fire has passed through. 
The Canadian fires were by no means general. 
The Sturgeon Falls, French River country and 
the Soo-Desbarats-Massey-Sudbury country es¬ 
caped almost entirely. I have heard of no fires 
in the Mississauga Forest Reserve. 
L. O. Armstrong. 
Hound and Beagle Meets. 
The Mecklenburg, Chase City, Va., Sept. 28. 
—On Friday, October 23, will begin two banner 
weeks for sportsmen from all parts of the coun¬ 
try, for the National Beagle Club of America, 
W. G. Rockefeller, President, will hold its annual 
meet at the Mecklenburg. 
Widespread interest has been evinced in this 
meeting, and bookings from all parts of the 
country have been made. Numerous prizes, 
trophies, etc., will be awarded. 
Following close on the Beagle Club Meet will 
be the Grand Annual Meet of the Virginia-Caro- 
lina Fox Hunters’ Association, W. T. Hughes, 
President. This association always meets here, and 
a week of enjoyment follows, social pleasures 
being indulged in as well as stirring, enthusiastic 
daily hunts, prizes for various kinds and packs 
of dogs being offered. With 30,000 acres of 
game preserves, kennels of the finest trained 
dogs, lovers of the chase naturally turn to this 
as the star meeting place. The indications are 
that never will quail, wild turkeys and game of 
all kinds be more abundant. The foxes are more 
numerous than ever before, and a royal time for 
all sportsmen is anticipated. 
Mecklenburg Mineral Springs Co. 
