938 
I once saw a box of snared birds that was 
confiscated by a New York State chief game 
protector and his assistants. If I remember 
correctly, there were over sixty pairs of birds 
in this one box, and it was only one of three 
weekly shipments from one of many points, and 
this thing had been going on for years. 
I make no accusations now, because our 
game wardens are thoroughly wise to the game, 
and we of shotgun tastes can thank our lucky 
stars that it is so. It is no cinch to jam around 
in the brush for primary evidence and then put 
it up where it belongs and “get ’em with the 
goods,” so I say that we owe thanks to our 
game protectors and wardens for their efficient 
services. G. C. Davidson. 
Another Side Hunt. 
Owego, N. Y., Dec. 5 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: That the pernicious practice of the 
side hunt still exists in the civilized and enlight¬ 
ened State of New York is evidenced by an ac¬ 
count of such a hunt contained in the Novem¬ 
ber issue of The Angler and Hunter, which not 
only published a glowing account of the day s 
“sport,” but supplemented it with a half-tone 
photograph of the “second annual hunt of the 
Oneida Hunting Club,” showing the string of 
game slaughtered, together with four of the 
proud “sportsmen.” According to the published 
account of the hunt, “the figures show that there 
were thirty-five gray squirrels, eighty-nine red 
squirrels, twenty-two gray rabbits, four white 
rabbits, fifteen grouse, four woodcock and two 
plover, all bagged as a result of one day’s shoot¬ 
ing by the club,'' making a grand total of 171 
birds and animals slaughtered in one day in this 
age of growing scarcity of upland game. 
Evidently the fact that the side hunt has for 
a long time been looked upon with universal dis¬ 
favor by all sportsmen everywhere has not as 
yet filtered into the moral makeup of the deni¬ 
zens of Oneida county. F. J. D. 
[The publication referred to says it is “the 
official organ of the Anglers’ Association of 
Onondaga, the largest sportsmen’s club in the 
world.” While there are larger sportsmen’s 
clubs both within and without the United 
States, this one should exert sufficient influence 
to make unpopular the holding of side hunts in 
its own or nearby counties. That its “official 
organ” should print the story and picture re¬ 
ferred to is equally surprising, for Syracuse is 
the home of the State Fish, Game and Forest 
League, whose members are too progressive to 
sanction destructive side hunts.— Editor.] 
Texas Shooting. 
Grand Saline, Tex., Dec. 3.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: The quail season opened here with 
fine weather, but as far as I have been able to 
learn there have been no very large bags. One 
or two parties, however, have gotten almost the 
limit (twenty-five per gun), but as a rule the 
shooting is not what it should be. 
The extremely dry weather which prevailed 
from June 1 to late fall has caused the birds to 
emigrate to the localities where water is plenti¬ 
ful. It is noticed also that there are not so 
many birds as usual, and this is no doubt due 
to the very unprecedented drouth that evidently 
either spoiled the eggs or famished the young 
birds before they were sufficiently strong to 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
travel to water. At any rate, there is a very 
noticeable scarcity of birds at this time, for where 
formerly one could flush a dozen coveys in a 
day’s tramp, now it is very uncommon to flush 
half that number. 
There was a very large flight of wildfowl, in¬ 
cluding ducks, geese and cranes, about the 14th 
of last month. A brisk old time norther came 
up, and during the night the flight was almost 
continuous, and I do not think that I have heard 
as many birds passing in a long time. The bags 
of wildfowl have not been very large, but still 
some good ones have been reported. Owing to 
the scarcity of water in the streams and lagoons 
the wildfowl have not remained here in the usual 
numbers, but have gone on to the gulf coast 
country. 
The weather here in the South at this time is 
still spring-like, and only for the beautiful color¬ 
ing of the trees one not acquainted with the 
country would imagine it to be spring or early 
summer. However, there has been killing frost 
further south than Central Texas, and with an¬ 
other cold snap I look for another good flight of 
ducks and geese. F. E. W. 
In Louisiana. 
New Orleans, La., Dec. 4 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The hunters are still complaining of 
the hot weather and the lack of real sport for 
this season of the year. Quite a number of 
sportsmen were at the Rigolets, Lake Catherine, 
Chef Menteur, the Barataria section and along 
the line of the Grand Isle Railroad during the 
past few days and they report very poor luck. 
Only a few dozen ducks were bagged. A few 
quail have been killed and some deer, snipe, wild 
geese, brant, squirrels, rabbits and other game, 
but as a rule all of these have been scarce on 
account of the very warm weather. The hunters 
assert there is an abundance of game in the 
country, but it has been difficult to reach. It 
has been the latest hunting season known in 
Louisiana for a number of years, and it is at¬ 
tributed solely to the long drouth and the de¬ 
layed cold weather. The various wardens report 
any number of game in various parishes, but 
there have been comparatively few hunters up 
to this time. 
Those familiar with the subject say that the 
kill in muskrats this season will hardly be as 
large this winter as last year on account of the 
thousands of these little animals destroyed dur¬ 
ing the big storm which visited the Louisiana 
coast last September. But while muskrats will 
be scarce, it is expected several thousand will 
be slaughtered on account of the value of their 
furs. Women’s fashions for this winter call for 
fur hats of every description and this will stimu¬ 
late professional trappers and hunters to seek 
the muskrats. Their skins are worth from thirty 
to fifty cents and a good trapper can earn a very 
fair living in many localities of Louisiana mar¬ 
keting the skins. 
Arrangements are being perfected to hold a 
convention of all the game wardens of the State 
in New Orleans during the early part of next 
February. This date is preferred on account of 
the cheap rates on the railroads at that time. 
This convention will discuss the various hunting 
and fishing laws and the wardens will be in¬ 
structed in their duties. President Miller, of the 
commission, believes that much good can be ac¬ 
complished at the coming convention. It is prob- 
[Dec. 11, 1909- 
able that" the proposed amendments for the se 
eral game and fishing laws to be presented 
the Legislature at its session next May will coi 
before the convention. Governor J. Y. Sande 
of Louisiana, will be invited to deliver an a 
dress, and it is likely he will do so. Govern 
Sanders is an advocate of protecting the natui 
resources of the State, including fish, game a 
the forests and incidentally the construction 
good roadways through all the parishes. 
The number of winter visitors in New ( 
leans is probably smaller than for some time 
account of the mild weather up to this tir 
Some of the visitors are enjoying the sports 
the field and on the waters here. F. G. G 
European Partridges in Michigan. 
W. H. Wallace, of Michigan, writes to 
B. Mershon, of Saginaw, in that State in 
gard to the so-called Hungarian partrid; 
turned out there a few years ago. He sa 
“The imported gray partridges are scatte 
over quite an extent of country around I 
Port. We see a great many, and hear of soi 
It is my opinion that they are doing well, 
know that they are accommodating themsel 
to their surroundings, and I think they are n 
picking up everything that a quail ordina 
lives on. You probably remember there 
pheasants on Heisterman Island, and that a: 
living there a few years they took to budd 
on poplar and birch trees, something foreign 
their natural habits as I understand it. I 
tell you more about these gray partridges a 
there has been a snow storm or a fall of sn 
It is then easy to locate them.” 
Recent Publications. 
Tracks and Tracking, by Joseph Brun 
Cloth, illustrated, 220 pages, $1.25. I 
York, the Outing Publishing Company. 
Mr. Brunner’s book will appeal strongly 
all hunters, and above all to big-game hunt 
It has always been a surprise to us that 
satisfactory volume has been written on tra 
Nothing tells so plainly the actual events in 
life of the wild creatures as its tracks. F 
them we learn a multitude of things, of w 
the more obvious are where it went, at i 
rate of speed, where it stopped and what it 
while it remained in one place; and from 
these things it is in some degree possible to t 
the mental processes of this wild animal. Tr 
are important to the hunter who wishes m< 
to follow up and shoot at wild animals, o 
follow up a wounded beast. To the natui 
who desires to comprehend something of 
the undisturbed wild animal lives, tracks 
essential. 
Mr. Brunner’s book is well worth reading 
is full of illustrations, all interesting. The 
tents are divided into two parts, the first de\ 
to mammals, and occupying nearly 200 page 
the book; the second to birds, occupying 
than twenty pages. The first group is die 
into hoofed game and predaceous animals: 
hoofed game comprising most of the deer 
mountain sheep and the antelope, but no 
eluding any of the caribou nor the Colun 
deer. 
One wishes that Mr. Brunner had writt 
book many times larger and had illust 
many of his statements by more example 
