A Chicken Hunt in Manitoba. 
New \ ork City, Jan. 21.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Having noted the article in your issue 
of January 14th, regarding the game conditions 
in Saskatchewan, I thought you and some of 
your readers might be interested in a little 
prairie chicken hunt that I enjoyed this fall at 
Oak River, Manitoba. 
This town, a few miles east of the Saskatche¬ 
wan bolder, is surrounded by the same type 
of prairie country as is found throughout the 
greater part of the above province. Having 
completed my work with Glen Osborne, the 
local hardware and sporting goods dealer, I sug¬ 
gested that he join me in the field until train 
arrival. Being an enthusiastic hunter himself, 
Glen immediately consented and set off to find 
Doc, the local veterinary, to do the driving. 
At just three-thirty Doc drove up with a big 
gray mare and stout buggy. Doc, by the way, 
proved a good sportsman, and, with his gray 
mare, who thought no more of walking over 
four-foot brush than over four-inch wheat stub¬ 
ble, made the best combination I have ever 
hunted with. 
Following the prairie trail north, Doc soon 
brought us into the open, and turning out of 
the trail, struck off over the stubble toward 
the bluffs (thickets), in which the chickens con¬ 
ceal themselves during the middle of the day 
and early part of the afternoon. 
After we had passed several of these without 
starting anything, a very likely looking bluff 
was approached. As the mare drew near a big 
jackrabbit started along the edge of the thicket 
on my side. Swinging the gun into position, 
I dropped him with a charge of No. 6 shot 
at twenty-five yards. 
Glen and I then dropped out of the wagon 
and each took a side of the bluff, which was 
about forty yards long and from ten to fifteen 
yards wide. About half way along this, a beau¬ 
tiful cock bird jumped from the center and 
circled directly in front of me. As he was 
only a few yards off, and flying in perfectly 
open space, he fell an easy victim to my first 
barrel. Tossing the birff in the wagon that 
cllowed closely to us, we climbed in and drove 
o another bluff a short way ahead. Glen again 
00k the left and I the right. Just as we -ap¬ 
proached the far end a bird jumped from the 
enter and was promptly covered by Glen, but 
s the bird turned in my direction, he lowered 
us gun and allowed me to drop it. 
Several more bluffs were beaten out. but no 
irds started. Doc then swung the mare across 
he stubble toward a slight depression well 
overed with patches of low brush. As he 
rove by one side of this, several birds were 
een in the stubble on the opposite edge. He 
ien drove out of sight behind some bushes 
len and I climbed out and carefully approach- 
d the Hurds through a hollow bluff. Upon 
■aching the end of the cover five birds bound- 
* lnto the air with-so much noise that we 
icame confused and managed to secure only 
one apiece. Marking down several of these, 
I proceeded to the left while Glen followed 
around the right side of a series of small bluffs. 
A few minutes later I jumped a bird directly 
in line with the sun and consequently missed 
' with both barrels. A sh.ort distance further 
on I jumped two almost together, and man¬ 
aged to secure one. Glen on his way over 
shot one of the birds previously marked down. 
Doc, having marked down the two that I 
missed, now gathered us in and started the old 
gray on a run across country. By this time 
the birds had left the bluffs and were in the 
open seeking food. One of these jumped from 
under the horse’s feet and gave me a most 
beautiful shot while quartering away to the left. 
Though I fired both barrels, he continued his 
flight, and settled in a bluff a short distance 
off. Glen and I followed and soon the bird 
dropped in response to the bark of Glen’s gun. 
A little later a flock of a dozen birds jumped 
ahead of us and quietly faded away in the dis¬ 
tance. On approaching a good looking bluff, 
Glen and I alighted and presently had two 
birds in the air. Glen managed to reach one, 
but the other was too far off. 
Doc from the wagon marked number two 
down, and soon had us on his heels. The old 
fellow, however, was somewhat scared and 
took to wing out of range. Later two more 
were started on the off side of a bluff. Doc 
once again from his high position marked them 
down near a straw stack, distant about a half 
mile. 
Approaching this carefully from the point 
of a bluff, we both emerged in time to see one 
of the birds rise on the near side of the stack. 
Both guns barked simultaneously, and the bird 
dropped. Secretly each thought that his shot 
had done the deed. 
On glancing at my watch I saw that it was 
nearly five and I must return for the five- 
thirty train. The last bird was gathered and 
laid with those in the wagon, that making nine 
birds and a jackrabbit as the result of the hour 
spent afield. 
On the way back Glen missed an apparently 
easy shot from the wagon. But, as in my case, 
the motion destroyed his aim. A large flock 
also passed directly over the wagon, but out 
of range. Town was reached just as the train 
drew into the station, so I hastily bade good¬ 
bye to my good friends, and gathering my gun 
and grip, boarded the train. 
This was one of the most pleasant shooting 
trips that I have ever enjoyed. With a good 
horse and driver, chicken shooting is truly a 
royal sport. Being almost entirely in low 
scrub or open stubble they are much easier to 
shoot than their Eastern brother, the ruffed 
grouse. 
While passing I might state that I disagree 
with the natives in regard to the style of gun 
and size of shot needed. The prevailing style 
used is a heavy full choked thirty-inch barrel, 
twelve gauge with usually number four or five 
shot. Personally, however, I found a light 
brush gun with twenty-eight-inch barrel all that 
was desired. I also found number six and even 
seven shot quite heavy enough. 
In practically all of the more recently settled 
paits of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the 
prairie chicken was very abundant this fall. 
During a few hours’ ride on the train I have 
frequently seen dozens of these beautiful birds 
from the car windows. W. A. Chandler. 
North Carolina Legislation. 
Raleigh, N. C., Jan. 11 .—Editor Forest and 
St team. A bill, which is different from any on 
record in the State, has been introduced in the 
Legislature. Its author is representative Jack 
Dillaid, of Cherokee county, the most westerly 
in the State, and it is for the protection of in¬ 
land fish and game, placing the work in the 
hands of what is to be known as the North 
Carolina Game Commission, composed of three 
members, to be appointed by the Governer. It 
is the purpose of this commission to take the 
place of the State Audubon Society, and it is 
said that the latter will not antagonize the 
measure. 
The Legislature two years ago took many 
counties from the control of the Audubon So¬ 
ciety and considerably crippled the latter. It is 
said that the counties thus taken from under the 
supervision of the society have not done very 
well. Under Mr. Dillard’s bill the game com¬ 
mission is given great power, governing the fish¬ 
ing and hunting, being given authority to appoint 
county wardens and make rules as to the amount 
of game which may be killed on a single day, 
and to close the hunting season in counties as 
long as it is considered necessary, where game 
is found to be scarce, and needs to be put 
under special protection. The wardens are to 
be paid out of the license fees of $10 for non¬ 
resident sportsmen, this being the present 
amount. The bill does not cover salt water fish¬ 
ing, but is intended to protect waterfowl. 
F. A. Olds. 
Reports from Currituck county, N. C., indi¬ 
cate that since the charge of this county in re¬ 
spect to game and other birds was taken from 
the Audubon Society, very little regard has been 
paid to the law, and it is declared that in many 
parts of that county each man is a law to him¬ 
self. Residents of the county have organized a 
game and fish league, but market gunners and 
fishermen there seem to feel that this league 
exists chiefly for the protection of its members 
against the operations of the law. 
Meantime, as already suggested in Forest and 
Stream, the wildfowl seem to have taken the 
matter of protection largely into their own hands, 
and except on stormy days and during the night, 
spend most of the time out at sea, where they 
are safe from pursuit by battery man, point 
shooter and bush blind shooter alike. 
All the game laws of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and now in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv. 
