496 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sept. 24, 1910. 
scarcer some say, arid under this system of 
preservation the average size of the deer is 
smaller, owing to scant food in winter. The 
overflow of deer to neighboring lands, however, 
maintains a great supply. Deer, as soon as hunt¬ 
ing begins on lands surrounding a preserve, herd 
into the protected belts. 
The difficulty with the careless shooters is lack 
of training. Boys and tenderfeet commonly mis¬ 
take men for deer. Good hunters are commonly 
the most careful of men, and I have hunted with 
woodsmen year after year and never looked into 
the muzzle of one of their weapons. Instinc¬ 
tively they keep their guns pointed at the ground, 
to the right or left or up. There are fool woods¬ 
men of course, as the man who carries his rifle 
or gun cocked or scratches matches on his rifle 
when it is cocked. A modern rifle compared 
with old-time weapons seems like a toy, and it 
is difficult to get over the feeling that a little 
rifle is of little harm. One sees half a dozen 
men pouring bullets across a lake at marks, and 
beyond that lake, unthought of, is a road fol¬ 
lowed by loggers. Glancing nickle-jacketed bul¬ 
lets make an ugly sound in the brush. Already the 
man-shooting has begun. Raymond S. Spears. 
Hunting in California. 
San Francisco, Cal., Sept. 14.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: The deer hunting season in some 
counties of the State is rapidly drawing to a 
close, especially in the counties around San 
Francisco Bay, and within a short time those 
who wish sport of this kind will be compelled 
to make long trips to the northern part of the 
State. So many hunters have been visiting the 
nearby districts that bucks are now extremely 
difficult to secure, and but few are attempting 
to hunt outside the preserves. In Mendocino 
county and in that section of the State deer are 
very plentiful, and those who can take the time 
to go there are almost certain of securing re¬ 
sults. With the completion of the new addi¬ 
tion to the line of the Northwestern Pacific 
railroad from Willits to Shivley a great deal of 
new territory will be opened to sportsmen, and, 
they can then get into the choicest part of the 
northern territory without experiencing the 
hardships now necessary. The opening of the 
Western Pacific railroad through the counties 
of Butte and Plumas has also opened a new 
district where deer are still fairly plentiful. 
The dove season is now open in most sections, 
and with the grain harvest completed these birds 
are easily found. The extremely dry season in 
this State this year has resulted in many streams 
now being dry. where formerly there was an 
abundance of water; hence doves are to be found 
in a more restricted territory arid in greater 
numbers where there is any shooting to be had. 
In the vicinity of Pleasanton they are plentiful, 
and the same is true through the San Joaquin 
Valley. There is also good sport to be had in 
the vicinity of Paso Robles, where quail are also 
to be found in large numbers. 
With the grain harvested it will be but a short 
time until geese commence to make their appear¬ 
ance from the North, and hunters are predicting 
a good season, as there is an abundance of food. 
Managers of the different duck shooting pre¬ 
serves are preparing for the season which opens 
in about a month, and the indications are that 
much attention will be paid to this sport during 
the coming season. Several new preserves have 
been secured and a great deal of permanent im¬ 
provement work has been done. The old Suisun 
district, which has been abandoned by several 
clubs owing to the poor sport secured there for 
several years, will receive an increased amount 
of attention during the coming season, as last 
year it afforded its old time quota of sport. 
A. P. B. 
Native Birds Overlooked. 
New Orleans, La., Sept. 15. — Editor Forest 
and Stream: The game commission has placed 
orders for 500 pairs of Chinese pheasants to be 
shipped here during the late fall. The orders 
were placed with fanciers in Pennsylvania and 
Oregon. It is proposed to distribute these birds 
among farmers over the State and to set the 
eggs under bantam hens and finally to liberate 
the young birds when they become sufficiently 
numerous. Pheasants are protected under the 
Louisiana law until Dec. 1, 1915. It is thought 
the plan proposed will prove a success, and by 
the time the protective law expires, the woods 
and fields will be filled with these beautiful birds. 
It is stated the climate of Louisiana, especially 
in the northern portion of the State, will agree 
with the pheasants. 
President Miller, of the new commission, says 
plans are being perfected for the establishment of 
hatcheries for the raising of spoonbill catfish, 
green trout and sac-a-lait. The hatchery for 
spoonbill catfish will be located on the Atcha- 
falaya River, in which stream they abound. The 
spoonbill catfish roe brings twenty cents a pound, 
and when made into caviar, sells for $1.50 a 
potifid. More than 200,000 pounds went from 
this State last year. The revenues from this 
source alone ought to be at least $5,000,000. The 
commission will leave for Washington shortly, 
for the purpose of consulting with the Bureau of 
Fisheries, and will endeavor to get the bureau 
to send an expert here who will superintend the 
establishment of the fisheries. 
Much interest is being taken in the opening of 
the hunting season this year. The new hunting 
laws passed by the recent Legislature are be¬ 
ing studied, and it is thought they wi'l be ap¬ 
preciated by the hunters. It is certain the pleas¬ 
ure hunters, generally speaking, are better 
pleased with the new’ acts than they were with 
the old laws. The new regulations were in the 
nature of a compromise to some extent, and 
there were concessions on the part of the hunters 
and the game commission. Public sentiment 
seems to l e more with the commission than it 
was some months ago. The real hunting season 
does not commence until October and November, 
although a few birds may be killed in September. 
Hunting licenses are being sold in this State 
now and reports from the various parishes are 
to the effect that the demand for these' licenses 
will be larger than last year. Wardens report 
that young quail are abundant and doves are 
also plentiful. The grain crops in Louisiana 
were larger than usual and the birds have had 
a harvest and are in good condition. Old hunters 
who have visited the Barataria section,, the 
marshes on the Gulf coast and the mouth of the 
river, say they are convinced the ducks and 
geese will be exceedingly abundant this winter. 
Wild turkeys are plentiful in the northern and 
central parishes. 
Some discussion is going on in reference to 
the number of aigrette herons in this State. 
President Miller, of the game commission, con¬ 
tends there are about seventy-five families of 
this bird being protected on Bayou St. John here. 
W. P. Brickell, a prominent hunter of thirty 
years’ experience, claims that he has seen con¬ 
siderably more than 150 herons in the rice sec¬ 
tion. He asserts also that he does not believe 
either Mr. Miller qr any of his wardens can 
tell the difference between an aigrette heron and 
a kap-kap. He says it is difficult to distinguish 
between these two species. However, Mr. Mil¬ 
ler is regarded by experts in Louisiana and 
elsewhere as being well informed theoretically 
and practically, and he has • devoted several 
years in the fields to the actual study of birds. 
He is also widely read and has lectured before 
scientific societies and contributed articles to 
leading magazines of the country. . F. G. G. 
Genesee County F. and G. P. Assn. 
Batavia, N. Y., Sept. 17. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: At our annual meeting, held last night, 
the following list of officers were elected for the 
ensuing year: President, Albert W. Tyler; Sec¬ 
retary, W. W. Dorman ; Treasurer, Dr. Geo. W. 
Cottis; three directors for three years each, Dr. 
H. M. Spofford, Albert J. Squires, Geo. W. Wat¬ 
son; Vice-Presidents, Oakfield, J. W. Heal; Staf¬ 
ford, Howard W. Tyler; Pembroke, Bernard 
Shumway; Elba, I\ T . H. Howland; Bethany, Les¬ 
lie Putnam; Byron, A. R. Cash; Alabama, Julius 
Ingalsbee. The outgoing officers will continue 
their work in behalf of the association, but de¬ 
clined re-election, thinking it best to put in a 
new list of officers and not get into a rut. As 
a result of reorganization and incorporation a 
year ago, and through the co-operation of the 
State League and otherwise, we have secured a 
warden for the county, planted some Hungarian 
partridges, which are increasing rapidly, distri¬ 
buted pheasants’ eggs for breeding, also some 
pheasants and also a goodly number of trout 
fingerlings, and we are anticipating better hunt¬ 
ing and fishing in the future. 
Ciias. W. Gardiner, ex-Sec’v. 
Major Taylor Fund. 
An intimate friend of the late Major J. M. 
Taylor writes us that the latter died a poor man, 
and that as a consequence his widow was left 
practically in destitute circumstances. In view 
of Major Taylor’s long and valuable services for 
the promotion of sport with dog and gun, and 
the high esteem in which he was universally 
held, this friend suggests that a fund be raised 
for the benefit of the widow, a suggestion which 
under the circumstances will appeal to the philan¬ 
thropic impulses of all sportsmen. We will be 
pleased to take charge of such contributions to 
this fund as may be forwarded to us, and will 
see that they are promptly acknowledged and 
forwarded to Mrs. Taylor. 
To Dog Owners. 
Danbury, Conn., Sept. 12.—Forest and Stream Pub. 
Co., New York: Please discontinue my advertisement 
concerning' setter, as he is sold. Had twenty-five re¬ 
sponses and a personal call to this little advertisement. 
Such results in advertising I have never had from any 
other sportsman’s journal, and all the inquiries came 
from gentlemen—no humhuggers among Forest and 
Stream readers—and I only wish I had twenty-four more 
dogs like him to sell. 
Very truly yours, 
Chas. F. Brock el. 
