





































































































FOREST AND STREAM. 








Hunting in Louisiana. 
Editor Forest and Stream: ; 
In November, 1898, Wade Hampton, of 
Birmingham, met me in a small town in 
Louisiana, ready for an extended trip on the 
lakes in the northern portion of the State. We 
had been on many fishing and hunting trips to- 
gether and had planned a trip in Louisiana, 
having heard of its wonderful amount of game, 
in the way of ducks, geese, turkeys, deer and 
bear, and anticipated great sport. ; 
Several days were devoted to getting supplies 
and information about the portion of the State 
we intended to go through, then we boarded the 
train for Mooringsport, with our old setter, a 
trusty companion of many trips, and supplies for 
several weeks’ stay. Arriving at Mooringsport, 
we purchased a skiff of cypress wood, about 24 
feet long by 3 feet broad, equipped with a chest 
capable of holding a great quantity of supplies 
and ammunition. The skiff was loaded, and 
summoning our guides, we all embarked for 
the trip across the lake. 
In the northern part of this State there is a 
string of lakes extending from Shreveport, La., 
to Jefferson, Texas, and in times past steamers 
plied between Jefferson and landings down Red 

River. The former steamer channel was filled 
up, or not deep enough on account of the 
many levees made on the rivers adjacent to 
these lakes, and it had been some time since 
boats were through this part of the State. 
After a trip of several hours we finally landed 
and dismissing our paddlers, who returned, we 
made camp not far from the camp of a fisher- 
man, who informed us that there were plenty 
of ducks and geese around in the cypress brakes 
that covered the lake We devoted several days 
to hunting the geese, which were so wild that it 
was impossible to get in range of them, then 
decided to go down the lake past Mooringsport 
and up into a small lake about forty miles 
south, Accordingly we broke camp early one 
morning, and embarking, attempted the long 

journey down the lake and across to M. A 
stiff wind was blowing, lashing the lake into 
foam, and causing large waves. We did not 
know the force of the wind and waves until 
about a mile from land, when we became aware 
of the fact that we were going to have a 
struggle to make the trip in safety. The lake 
at that point was full of cypress needles and 
we were in imminent danger of being swamped 
We battled with the elements from early morn- 
ing until late in the evening, until finally, think- 
ing of a big sail cloth we had to cover our am- 
munition box, I took an oar, and slipping it 
through a ring in our chest, so as to hold it 
steady, we strapped the cloth to the oar and had 
a sail something on the order of a leg-o’- 
mutton, and getting before the wind, found 
we had a great improvement on the oars. The 
waves were running so high that it was nearly 
impossible to row, so we put all of our energies 
into steering the boat before the wind, and 
finally landed on a sandy -beach where the 
waves broke one behind the other in an end- 
less procession. 5 
We were still on the wrong side of the lake, 
but it was still blowing a stiff gale, and we de- 
cided to wade ashore, camp and try our luck 
in the morning. So, wet and hungry, we made 
land, prepared a slight supper and lying down 
by a roaring fire slept until morning, both be- 
ing entirely worn out. 
The sun came up bright and warm. We 
found the wind blowing directly in our faces 
and had much trouble in getting our boat 
launched, having to wade out several hundred 
feet before being successful. Finally after 
trying for nearly two days, we again found our- 
selves at M., and started on our long trip into 
Clear Lake. 
One mile from M. we entered a narrow 
bayou or channel connecting the two lakes and 
followed its narrow and winding way, fre- 
quently coming up suddenly on large bunches 
of ducks and geese, from which we had good 
sport. In some secluded places were found 
many muskrats and beaver, with occasional 
otter indications, and late in the evening we 
got a glimpse of deer. 
After two days we reached 
landed on a large island, well wooded, with 
undergrowth, the moss hanging in long 
festoons from tree to tree, making it almost im- 
possible for the sun to shine on the ground. 
It was the most dismal forest we ever saw. 
Every imaginable vine trailed from one tree to 
another, making a perfect network overhead. 
The ground being covered almost entirely with 
small undergrowth and palmetto fan leaf, and 
adding the darkness of the woods, it made a 
disagreeable picture. We did not much mind 
the looks of the island, for we had been told of 
the abundance of game that was to be found 
there. Deer were plentiful and in the great 
canebrakes the small black bear was anything 
but scarce. 
the lake and 
We found a suitable landing place, and having 
heard that somewhere in the interior there was 
an abandoned hut, we decided to make for it, 
as we intended to stay several weeks. We 
therefore pulled our boat well out of the water, 
and making packs of our bedding and pro- 
visions, started on, hardly knowing which way 
to go. After walking half an hour, we sepa- 
rated and tried to find the place by going in 
different directions. We had been separated 
about an hour and neither had found the place. 
Hamp called every now and then and I 
answered, I naturally thought he had found 
the place and would come and help me get our 
traps there, as my load was very heavy, and 
I was completely fagged out. He kept calling 
but still did not come to my assistance, and [ 
got very angry and started toward him, but 
before going very far I stumbled on the place, 
but he was nowhere to be found. In a little 
while he came in and would hardly speak to me 
because I did not help him with his load. Each 
thought the other had found the place and 
would not help. We soon straightened it out. 
Our old dog, who had faithfully followed us, 
treed a ’possum, which we had for supper that 
night. 
Early next morning not thirty feet from 
camp, the old setter came to a_ stand and 
flushed a covey of partridges, from which we 
shot enough for breakfast. Afterward we 
hunted turkeys, taking our dog with us. After 
being fooled several times by the dog in the 
brush, I heard a rustling about fiity yards ahead 
of me, and thinking it-was the dog, waited to 
see him come out in a little cleared space, 
about ten feet square; but into the cleared spot 
jumped one of the largest bucks I ever saw. 
He had a most magnificent pair of antlers and 
head, and his size was remarkable. I had with 
me a double-barreled gun, carrying small buck- 
shot in one barrel and turkey shot in the other. 
I only caught a glimpse of him, but that was 
sufficient. I fired both barrels at a distance 
of fifty yards, but the buck was moving so fast 
and it being so thick I failed to bring him 
down, although he received part of my buck- 
shot. I called Hampton, and we started on his 
trail, which led us for many a mile through 
dense woods, marshy ground, and finally after 
trailing nearly all day, it entered a canebrake 
and we had to give it up, as it was too dense 
for us to go in, besides we had no hounds to 
send in ahead of us and stood little chance 
of coming on the buck in such a place without 
dogs. 
After several days spent in hunting turkeys, 

it turned off extremely cold and a heavy snov 
fell and covered the ground about six inche 
deep. We decided to quit the island and re 
turn down the bayou to Soda Lake, away t 
the south of us. We spent about a week on th 
bayou. After leaving Soda Lake, .there is 
bayou that runs into Red River, and has 
good current, so that for several miles one cal} 
go along without touching the oars. As wi 
were leaving the lake we entered a swift strean 
of water rushing with great force over a water 
fall about ten feet deep. This, some ok 
trappers told us, we would have to go ove 
in order to get into the bayou leading to th 
river. We decided to risk it, although we wer: 
not in favor of it very much—taking a ten-foo 
drop over a fast running stream, and it winding 
around like a snake and only thirty yards wide 
is not much fun. About two hundred yard; 
above the falls we entered the swift water anc} 
shot over the falls like a cannonball, and a:| 
our boat was flat-bottomed, we managed by| 
some swift and careful movements to keep hei 
afloat and not be washed into the bank or 
our many turns. 
After rowing all night and being nearly frozer| 
we entered the Red River and stopped ai}: 
Shreveport, after being out nearly six weeks| 
and going by skiff over 175 miles, 
W. O. Wuitaxker. | 
{ 

Association of New Jersey Sportsmen! 
Mr. Epwarp Winstow, secretary of the Mont-|: 
clair (N. J.) Gun Club, informs us that on last) 
Saturday evening the representatives of fifteen |' 
or more clubs and associations met at the Mont- 
clair Club, and after the dinner President Batten, |! 
of the Montclair Gun Club, presented Dr. A. K.|' 
Fisher, the noted naturalist and sportsman, of 
the Biological Survey, Department of Agricul- | 
ture, Washington, D. C., who talked for three- | 
quarters of an hour on the necessity of New| 
Jersey passing laws that shall prohibit the shoot-|| 
ing of wildfowl in the spring. At the close of|'! 
Dr. Fisher’s address, and after some discussion | 
it was unanimously and most enthusiastically de- 
cided to organize an association to be known |! 
as the Association of New Jersey Sportsmen for 
the Protection and Propagation of Game, said as- 
sociation to be composed of the clubs and asso- 
ciations that are in sympathy with the move- 
ment, each club or association to have one rep- 
resentative in the general committee or govern- 
ing body, and that its forces consist of a presi- 
dent, secretary and two other members whom | 
the president may select with power to add to || 
its members as needs may arise. , 
Among those enrolling as charter members |' 
were: E. F. Duffy, of the League of American | 
Sportsmen; Jos. Crawford, secretary of the Essex | 
Fish and Game Association; Victor L. Hesse, 
of the Audubon Society; W. G. Smith, secretary | 
of the Passaic Fish and Game Association; Sam- | 
uel Huntington and Percy H. Stewart, of the | 
Log Cabin Gun Club, of Plainfield, N. J.; George | 
Sweezey, of the League of American Sportsmen; ! 
Chas) “TeeDay, “Srs secretary of the New Jer-|! 
sey State Sportsmen’s Association; Thos. S. |! 
Doremus, secretary of the Troy Meadows Fish 
and Game Association; F. M. Sendle and Wm. |! 
Kussmaul, of the North Caldwell Gun Club; M. ! 
R. Baldwin_and F. R. Wickes, of the Orange |! 
Gun Club; E. E. Hallinger and Dr. L. E. Calver, |! 
of the Jersey City Gun Club; Dr, Hunter, of the |! 
North River Gun Club; Herbert A. Teatle, of |! 
the Smith Gun Club of Newark; F. V. Carlough 
and Thos. Dakes, of the South Side Gun Club. 
In addition to this letters from over thirty |! 
other clubs promising support were received. Be- 
fore adjournment several hundred dollars were |, 
pledged by those present to aid in the prose- 
cution of the work. Mr. George Batten was |+ 
elected president and Mr. Ed. Winslow secretary. 
§ 
§ 
t 


