The San Francisco call., 1898-07-30
CONCERNING THE
 HUNTERS AND BIG GAME.
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Jack Lemmer, the well-known angler and "black jack" exterminator of An tioch, Is authority for the following news item concerning the opening days deer shoot on the Tamalpais Gun Club pre- serve.
 The boys-well, I mean Frank La Coste. Johnny Bergez, Billy Brown and Billy Burg, the crackajacks of the club were figuring for weeks before the season opened how they would surprise their friends on the evening of the first day of the cannonade with large and tender ven ison steaks.
 Il think it was on the 12th or 18th of the month. I'm not positive now which day, but at any rate the keeper. Ben Johnson, sent word to Bergez that while out herding cattle he ran across a spiked buck and lassoed the beauty as 1t leaped from the brush into the open, and held 1t captive waiting instructions from the club.
 "Bergez immediately called q conven- tion of the rough riders and at a meeting 1t was decided that the deer should be led 10 some Isolated point in the demesne and sin shot at rom distance of 300 yards by the party in question.
 On the morning of the 18th inst. the sharpshooters of the club opened fire on the highly prized game, which was tied marksmen. The boys tossed a a coin in t5r for positions. Bergez had first shot and after taxing down the rife q dozen times from his shoulder he finally managed to steady his nerves by great effort, but his aim was poor, the bullet taking quite a slice of bark from the tree foot over where fuss meant
 Billy Brown won second place, but he was too confident and undershot the game, the leaden missile from a Krag- der the spiked buck, that now realized the danger Of its position. It is hardly necessary to say that Brown was wild. He had wagered a wine supper with his friends that the bullet would enter llrGer the shoulder blade and cause instant ly; III do him sure and La Coste in- wardly prayed that the second Billy would e.4lt shoot wide of the mark also.
 ohle dne sharp crack of the Winchester deer never budged an inch The bullet went wide of Its mark and whstIed over in's,r the nead or Otto Snoozer, who. was en- toying an early morning breakfast on a mountain peak a mile from where the crack marksmen stood.
 1Jo "a "a Coste was the -ast man to the trap. he handled a Mauser rife which he said was presented to him by the King of Spain two years ago.
 Carefully the butt was placed firmly against the right shoulder and a deliber- ate aim taken at the deer, which was standing broadside to the marksman But La Coste's, hand trembled and the
 
 glass of wine relieved the mans excite ment of the moment, and again Frank drew bead. but large drops of cold precipitation fell from the hunters fore head on the rifles barrel and once again the weapon came down.
 {" Give me that bottle. I can't stand this thh hurss strain any longer, parked the his mouth and finished the contents
 Now, I'll wind up this job in style muttered the last of the Mohicans as the rniSnd pinOprlU n md rC1I ly aim taken at the first deer of the sea- son: Crack The buck leaped hgn in the air and shot like a bullet downhill and into the canyon unscathed by the enemy: La Coste drew too much in advance of his game, and the bullet from the Mauser cut the rope that held the yearling a captive"
 Denis Donohoe Jr. and friends are up to their eyes in sport in the game coun- try that surrounds the town of Layton vile, Mendoeino ls gin County MT Mr.. Donohoe camped in the Bald Mountains and that tyro at rife shooting can bowl over a spike or forked-ho9rp any morning or
 Dr. Charles Litton and T.. L. Levings of this city joined by G.. H. Haigh and J. R: Powell of Heaidsbprg, recently re- Leech Lake Mountain. north of Round Valley. The sportsmen enjoyed a very pleasant outing and report having had excellent shooting and fishing During their stay in the mountains they bagged twelve bucks and basketed numbers of trout
 Tomorrow the Marysville Gun Club will enjoy it's annual outing and dove stew at Sheltons Cove. It goes without saying that a glorious time will be en- ioyed by the invited guests, among whom from this city will be Otto Feudner. who expects to uphold his reputation for ami mate ard inanimate bird shooting
 Last Saturday Joe Nealon killed a nice buck near Novato. making his third for the season. Joe. who is fond of the sport Is an excellent shot. and will soon make as good a marksman as his father. The latter will be seen on Sunday evening homeward bound with a good-sized spike buck swung to his shoulder. The ex- Assessor knows exactly the spot where the buck Is ip hiding. and it Is handballs to peanuts that one deer will be cuIled from the "sniked' family of the Novato ridges next Sunday.
 Sportsmen who are camped in the mountains are sending reports of the good times they are having with rifle, gun and rod.
 The Martin -Shsttuck party. camped at Bug Creek Humboldt County. are enjoy ing daily feasts of trout. dove and veni- son. They write that deer are so tame that they walk into camp on missions of curiosity.