Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-04
KNOWS THE WOODS.
Warden Bartlett Down from
the Big Game Region.
Many Hunters and Lots Of Deer, but
Fewer Moose.
The Carelessness That Causes Many
Bad Forest Fires.

| Bad Forest Fires.
| Z
| 'iame Warden Albert Bartlett, who
has been about the head waters of the
81. John river, all summer, was in the
city, yesterday, on business at the State
House. Warden Bartlett is a stalwart
son OF the woods, has lived in them all
his life and knows them as one knows
| the race of a friend. He has been
ZIMMERMAN and guide. since boyhood.
and entered the warden service, last
July. He is man who sees life with
ont any frills on it, and tells things as
they are, and he has stories of the
Maine woods are not only absolutely re-
liable but full of interest as well.
In company with Warden Woodland,
ne ran into some pretty tough expert
ences, last summer, after he had been
IN the service about a month. They
started up Black River in a canoe. in
| tending to go to Depot Lake and thence
to English Lake, and as they thought
they could make the trip in week they
| took only a small amount of provision.
After leaving Black River. they had to
cut trail through the woods and drag
| their canoe with them. 1t was hard.
discouraging work and after they had
been dragging several days, their pro-
visions began to get low. Fearing that
they were off the trail. they began to
cast about for some way to reach a
fresh source of supplies. They struck
an old logging trail and knowing that
it must lead to water of some kind.
! followed it. 1t brought them to the
| head waters of Burnt Land Brook, a
tributary about IL miles long, emptying
into the st. John.
| They dragged their canoe down this.
carrying it much of the time. Their
food gave out entirely. and they lived
for four days on spruce cartridges
which were very plenty and could be
shot with a revolver. These however,
did not prove very substantial diet for
the kind Of work the wardens were do
ing. so they shot a deer. eating their
first venison before it was fairly cold
| BY eating four or five times day, they
kept themselves strong and we'll on a
purely meat diet. but they were might
| ly glad when they reached better feed
again. on the st. John. From the st
John. they headed for English Lake
| anu tIoiIi lIlcit I)dCh ~ IGpol Lake. On
| the way. they picked up their old trail.
and found that at the point where they
| left it it was only half mile from
| Mosquito Lake, which was not laid
down on their map and unknown to
them. The adventure was a novel and
somewhat rough one. but they came out
of it hearty and well.
| Warden Bartlett has just come down
| from the Aroostook swamps by way of
| the AmasuXas River to Chesuncook
| Lake. and he reports very hard travel
| ing. There was foot Of snow in the
WOODS and there was so much ice in the
streams that he had to break his way
continually. He doubts if he could
have made progress at all. had there
not been another canoe with him.
Asked what he thought about the
number of hunters in the woods, this
year. Mr.. Bartlett said that he was not
very we'll Informed. as he had been al
summer in Il region where but few
Sportsmen ever penetrate, but from
what he had seen since he struck the
hunting regions he thought there were
as many as usual. The country from
which he comes. though so difficult of
access, is a wonderful game land. On
his trip up the Southwest branch of the
st. John. he said that there was hardly
any time during the day when there
We're not Il or 20 deer in sight The
water was quick and the river full of
grassy islands and every new turn
would bring them in sight of more deer
In fact. he said, there were too many
deer.
He had recently visited Mr.. Careton's
grain field near Seven Islands, and
found the whole field practically de-
stroyed by the ravages of deer. Part
ridges were SO plenty as to be hardly
worth mentioning. Moose. however, he
regarded as rapidly becoming extinct
and his opinion is one to carry great
deal of weight. for he comes from the
region next the Canada line here if
anywhere, moose ought to be found
plenty. He says that it is a rare sight
| to see q COW moose with a calf. and he
| has seen it only twice, this year. He
states that he has been convinced for
| two or three years that if moose were
| not entirely protected by law, as carl
| bOu are. they would soon become ex-
tinct. and he has no kind of doubt that
| his fears are well grounded. Fewer
moose are being shot, and no big ant
Tered heads are seen. The largest head
he has seen this year bore only three
prongs. Caribou, he regards as prac-
tically extinct, and never likely to be
classed AS game again. Up in the burnt
Land Brook region. there are large, dry.
open boys. and caribou used to be very
plenty. Mr.. Sands found so horns there
in one season. a number of years ago,
but now caribou is never seen. Bear
and lOupcerviers are numerous in the
woods and swamps of that region, and
he and Warden Woodland saw signs of
them continually.
| Mr.. Bartlett had some interesting
| things to say on the subject of forest
| fires. He states that the Canadians
| and lumbermen never put out their
camp fires, but leave them burning. be-
cause they do not care what happens
to the Maine forests, and he thinks
foresters should be appointed to look