46 
FOREST AND STREAM 
MOOSE HEADS 
Two magnificent specimens with spreads 
about SO inches. These are unusually fine 
heads in excellent condition, and recently 
mounted by Sinibaldi & Smith of St. 
John, N.B. 
Finding that I cannot use them at present, 
I will dispose of them at bargain prices. This 
is a rare opportunity. If interested address 
E. W. Lovejoy, 
813 Broadway, Lowell, Massachusetts 
FOR SALE—Whole body ready to mount bull 
moose, elk, woodland caribou and deer speci¬ 
mens; different sizes of moose, elk, caribou, 
Rocky Mountain sheep, black and white tail 
deer heads; also scalps to suit the horns you 
now have. All guaranteed goods at trade prices 
to all. Duty free. Delivery guaranteed, bit- 
teen years’ experience in this business. Ship¬ 
ping all over U. S. A. Let me hear from you. 
Edwin Dixon, Dealer in Game Heads, Union- 
ville, Ontario, Canada._ 
WANTED— Sportsmen and bird dog fanciers 
to know that they can_ see ,.*J e “I*?, ^ 
America Trials in the movies. Why not have 
field trial night at your local movie theater? 
Birds in the air, famous dogs pointing and 
ranging, camp scenes, prairie life, and the 
famous handlers and their dogs just as they 
appeared at the All America Trials. For full 
information write WM. CORCORAN, care 220 
Third Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
THOMAS - 
The Thomas hand made split bamboo 
fishing rod has been perfected to meet 
both the all around and the various special 
requirements of the modern angling sport. 
Made of the finest bamboo, light, resilient, 
perfectly jointed and balanced. In t 
Thomas rod the acme of perfection has 
been obtained. Send for our interesting 
booklet. 
F.E. THOMAS, 117 Exchange St., Bangor, Me. 
If you want 
to buy a dog 
Read the KENNEL MART in the columns 
of FOREST AND STREAM 
118 E. 28th Street, New York City 
A BOOK FOR ANGLERS. 
D AINTILY bound in a cover of green 
leather, with ornamentation of gold, 
as becomes a book written by that 
eminent angler-poet and scientist, Dr John 
D. Quackenbos, Mr. Thomas 'Wright, of 
150 Barclay Street, New York, has given 
to the world a volume that is worthy in 
the matter of its contents to occupy a place 
on the library shelf with the beloved 
Walton. The book, which was published 
for the Anglers’ Club of New York, deals 
with the ancestry of the brook trout, but 
while we may pay tribute to the erudition 
and scientific accuracy of the learned author, 
with whose writings readers of Forest and 
Stream are familiar, we prefer to speak of 
this volume as it should be spoken of—a 
poem in prose and one of the few books 
since Walton that your true angler, who 
is always a poet, must own. 
The angling world owes a debt of grati¬ 
tude to Mr. Wright for having taken this 
series of delightful little essays or prose 
poems on angling, and given them a dress 
in keeping with their worth. In the de 
luxe binding, the handsome topography, 
and the series of colored plates, the book 
is an ideal Christmas present or a remem¬ 
brance suitable to any occasion. Then, too, 
every angler and lover of good literature 
will want the volume for his own library. 
Forest and Stream will supply it at three 
dollars, with ten cents extra for parcel 
postage. 
PROTECTING THE BEAR 
By Rupert Starbird. 
1 WAS pleased to read in the October 
number Mr. Schenck’s comments on 
protecting the black bear. I have just re¬ 
turned from a “pack” trip through a range 
of mountains in Idaho, which took most of 
the month of September. 
If I am not mistaken the State of Idaho 
places a bounty on bears for the reason 
that they are alleged to destroy sheep and 
cattle, which is going it stronger than to 
have no closed season. No doubt the sheep 
men and cattlemen control this legislation, 
claiming a loss to their stock from the 
black and brown bear. 
In the section I was in the cattle ranged 
all around and through the forest reserve 
and were only claimed and counted when 
the association had its round-up. It is 
next to impossible to prevent small bands 
of sheep from straying away from the 
main flock, and when they do it is likely 
to be good night. Everyone’s hand is 
against the sheepmen and the settlers like 
to have a nice fresh lamb or two hanging 
up handy. They argue that the sheep have 
strayed away; that the main bunch has 
passed on and that they may as well have 
mutton as for the coyotes to pick them up. 
One flock was driven out of the hills while 
I was there, which was several hundred 
head short. 
Now, is it right or fair to penalize the 
bear, when the loss from that source is 
nothing compared to other causes? The 
coyote is the “cuss.” Put bounty enough 
on his scalp so that it will be a paying 
proposition to hunt him. 
I met a bear trapper who has caught 
nine this summer and fall; skins not prime. 
No revenue to the state for hunter’s li¬ 
censes, no money spent along the way hunt¬ 
ing these bears. 
A sportsman would scatter from one 
hundred to five hundred dollars along the 
way on a bear hunt, then perhaps he would 
not get one. Even though a bear should 
like mutton, he would have to take a lot at 
five dollars or five^fifty per head to balance 
his value to the state as a game animal. 
This note will carry no weight as to amend¬ 
ing the Idaho game laws. 
I want to point out also that bear meat 
is sometimes very fine; and I know by your 
editorial that you do not like it. 
Last year, in April, I shot a brown bear. 
He was fat and just looking things over 
after his winter’s sleep. His appetite was 
still dainty, as he had only an ounce or 
two in his stomach from a pinyon pine, 
and his intestines were clean and white. 
In fact, he was a brand-new bear. We 
picked his bones for a week or ten days 
with as much relish as we would eat moose 
or caribou. I know what you mean and 
agree with you, that a man would have to 
be something on the order of an Eskimo to 
get away with it in the summer or fall. 
From time to time efforts have been 
made to protect the black bear in certain 
States, and from 1904 till 1908 the New 
York statutes provided for a close season 
on this species from a date in July until 
the end of September. However, the bear 
suffers from the bad name which we are 
told will hang a dog, and the prejudice 
against it is so strong that enforcement of 
a protective law proved—in New York— 
very difficult. Justices of the Peace would 
not convict under testimony that to some 
people seemed conclusive, and finally, for 
the benefit of the general game laws, it 
was thought better to allow the protective 
statute to be repealed. 
It is well recognized that most black 
bears are entirely harmless, but it is quite 
probable that now and then a bear is found 
that takes to killing sheep, or to causing 
damage of one kind or another, and for 
the crimes of such an individual the whole 
species is condemned. While -most lions 
and tigers prey on wild game, yet it is 
well known that from time to time one 
of these animals develops into a man-eater. 
Similarly the red and the black bears of In¬ 
dia, while commonly vegetarian, occasional¬ 
ly take to killing cattle, and when a bear 
does this it becomes very destructive. In 
his excellent book “Sport and Folk-lore in 
the Himalayas,” Mr. Houghton says that 
cattle killing is far more common in some 
districts than in others, and declared that 
the fondness of these bears for a meat 
diet is an acquired taste, which increases 
and becomes more and more common. 
It is quite certain that much missionary 
work must be done before State legisla¬ 
tures can be convinced that the bear is a 
harmless animal. Our correspondent 
should try to demonstrate—as he is doing 
—that the bear has a greater money value 
to the State when moving about on four 
legs than in the form of a dried hide. 
These are the arguments which nearly forty 
years ago were advanced by Mr. Hubbard 
in behalf of protection of Maine game, 
and we all know that at last these argu¬ 
ments brought about the desired legislation. 
Our correspondent is quite right in say¬ 
ing that there is bear flesh and bear flesh, 
but many of us have not often been so 
fortunate as to eat bear meat so good as 
that which he describes.—The Editors.] 
Game Laws 
In Brief 
United States and Canada 
Game and Fish Laws revised for 
1916-1917 is now on press. 
As important changes have been 
made in most states and provinces 
it is essential that you have the 
new edition of the 
Original Condenser 
and Simplifier of the State 
Laws 
Only ten thousand copies will be 
printed so you would do well to 
put in an order now. 
25 CENTS POSTPAID 
Forest & Stream Publishing Co. 
118 East 28th St., - NEW YORK 
