Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-22
NAMES TINE PLACE.
ps. slshep Tsl's Why Il win csallaus Il
Be the Great Dame County.

name Is so well known tnaJ mourning
more than the mention of 1t will be
necessary for residents OF the eastern
United States, has committed to paper
his reasons for believing that Maine is
to continue to remain the great hunt
Ing ground of the east, as against a
growth in the Canadian sporting repu-
tation. DR.. Bishop, who Is now at Me-
gantic, and who Is a prominent member
of the Megantic Fish and Game club. a
famous hunter and persistent fisher
man, has studied the game conditions
of eastern North America critically;
such an utterance ~ he recently adj
dressed to Passenger Agent Hougftton
of the b. & A. road. ID therefore high
| " significant. Maine people and all
those thousands who annually look to
Maine as the greatest game region OF
the nation, will be interested in the let
ter, which follows:
| September 10, 1897.
Mr.. Geo. M. Houghton, Gen'l p. & T.
| Agent, Bangor & Aroostook n. r., Ban
Dear Mr.. Houghton:-1 hnve your es-
teemed favor asking me for my views
by your road, and what the effect OF the
recent change in the game laws relative
| to moose will have upon spOrtSmen, VINO
have always hunted in Aroostook county.
| l note with considerable regret in the
advertisement of a local taxidermist the
statement that 1.-THE change In the moose
law will send many sportsmen. who like
| to go calling. to Canada, In fact many OF
our customers are going there In Septem-
Der l think this IL erroneous, Tor you
will find that the gentlemen, who have
heretofore hunted in Maine, will stand by
their old grounds, and for the following
reasons:
|. A license ranging from SO in the prov
ince of Quebec to $40 in New Brunswick
and $40 in Nova Scotia. up to 500 In New
foundland is charged for each rifle. A
non-export game law exists. ana a DUTY
of 30 per cent Is collected on all arms and
ammunition carried into canada. re-
bate is made on what is brought back into
the states again,-provided you can find
the officer who collected your money. The
most potent disadvantage of hunting In
Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. especial
ly by sportsmen who have killed moose
in Maine. is the incompetency of the pro-
vincial guides. You can count on the fin
gers of your two hands all the competent
moose-callers in both Nova Scotia ana
New Brunswick and when you begin to
compare the guides of that section with
our Maine guides. the former Will be
found in the position Of the man that fell
out of the balloon.
There are plenty of moose in the lower
how to get them. | have had experience
with them, and the Maine guide that was
taken down by our party,-although not
familiar. with the cOuntry.-secured the
moose. All the good guides in the prov
inces are already engaged by their former
patrons. and the sportsmen going into
Canada this fall will be at great disad-
vantage in this respect.
There are no deer in Nova Scotia and
only Il few in New Brunswick contiguous
to the Maine borders.
1t is very unfortunate that the Maine
laws relative to moose were Numbered
over last winter. but the best of the hunt
ing season for these animals is still open,
the still hunting season being In the
month of November.-and Is not that
method the most sportsmanlike to hunt
this noble game.
Aroostook. county abounds. with moose.
Take that section of the country. say
diameter Of twenty-five miles, the circle
comprising an area bounded by the Mus
quacook lakes. Big Machias and Aroos-
took rivers and the Munsungen lakes. and
you have a section containing more
moose to the square mile than any part
of the eastern continent, where 1t is safe
to say there will always be found moose,
and long after the last specimen is ex-
tinct in Canada, there will be moose
breeding in this section. even if the ex-
listing game laws are never improved
upon. Not only the statistics of your
road. but the bags Of individual sports
took county is the home of the moose.
and the Mecca of all who love to hunt
this largest of our eastern game.
MAINE GUIDES.
The Maine guides are the most intelli-
gent, perSevering and skillful class of
hunters to be -ound. The accommodations
for spOrtsmen and the ease with which
the hunting grounds are reached along
the line of your road: the large number
of commodious camps and hunting out
| fits that are owned and managed by COM
petent and trustworthy hunters. and the
abundance of game of all kinds, cannot
fail to hold the support and patronage
of every true sportsman, who has tasted
| the pleasures of a trip in your country.
| No other section can hold up such a bill
| of fare, and l predict the usual increase
| in the number that will visit the New
| Northeast the coming season.
| Too much cry is being made on account
of the change of law affecting the calling
season. How many moose are actually
| shot that come to the birch-bark horn
after the first of October? Nine out of
every ten so killed are shot In the close
season heretofore, in the last week or ten
the open season. 1t is the exception to-
get moose by calling. and think the
| disappointment consequent upon the
change in the law in reference to calling
will easily be forgotten. Out of eleven
bulls that have fallen to my lot. l have
not secured one from calling, but have
shivered every bone in my body for
nights and days waiting to ''see the bull
come down." and observed the guides lu-
bricate their calling apparatus with
enough "fire-water" to float the white
| squadron.
This calling business brings to my mind
IA conversation with New Brunswick In
dian guide. When asked II he ever called
moose he replied. Yes Call UNI good
many times did they ever come
DOWN. was the next question, to which
he answered NO not yet. SpOsum when
UNI do come He'll UNI lot come
| Nearly all of my friends are going as
usual to northern Maine; and from pres
ent indications. evidenced from the fact
that many guides in surrounding terri
tories are locating in ArOOstOok county.
realizing where large game is to be found,
] there will be large influx of sportsmen
into your country this fall.
/ Very sincerely yours.
i Heber Bishop.
Il Bangor Commercial.
Private Ralph H. Blackington Of Co
H. TillsOn Light Infantry, N. G. s. M.