The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-12
Things of Interest to the
Hunter and Angler.
WINGED PESTS in THE WEST.
The Present Season Likely to BE
Known as Mosquito Year.
swarms OF Insects Make Life Miserable for
SpOrtsmen I'm Michigan, wisconsin and
Minmesota-Relief Expected Soon
Northwestern Farmers Plagued by Deer

N0FtnwesuSEm FhEmtefv fhhkueb Ny WccH
In the woods OF the Northwest this is
likely to be known hereafter as the mos
quito year.
The drought in the Adrondacks, with
the acc Impairment of scattered forest
fires, has had the effect OF destroying in
sect life, and existence there, now that
rain has fallen, is more than endurable.
In the Northwest, however, there has
been plenty of rain all through the spring,
vegetation, always enormous, is now more
than usually lush, the ground surface,
made up for two feet or more Of rotting
timber and moss, has been soaked for q
yard down, and every sort Of ssasonabe
insect Is in the air
In 1900 there was a great amount OF in
sect life in the Northwestern forests. Sand
flies, deer flies. black aies and mosquitoes
were plentiful They made life burden,
not only to anglers, who were in some
measure prepared for it, but to wild animal
life as well.
Bears and wolves were driven from the
deeper reCesses of the tamarack swamps,
finding existence impossible there, and
even on the uplands, or wooded hills. the
deer were forced out and betook them
selves to the lakes, where they got tenn
porary relief by burying themselves In
the waters until only their nostrils stuck
out. In fact, every form of the North
western fauna took to the water and even
wildcats, which do not like cold water.
any better than tame cats, got little ease
by wading in and keeping their fur wet.
The season of three years ago, how
ever, is not to be compared to the present
season for pestiferous insects, In every
part Of the West where deer nies, black
flies and sand files are commonly found
they exist now In swarms, and the mos
quitoes are terrors. They seem to be
pretty equally distributed throughout the
northern parts of the wooded States OF
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The prevalence of vicious insects has
worked hardship upon the keepers OF the
little hotels scattered about the forests.
Hundreds Of guests have gone home not
because dissatisfied with the fishing, though
that has been poor, but because they OBJ
ject to being eaten alive.
Luckily for the sylvan inn men the insect
time will end by force Of nature pretty
bliOTLly luCIo Will DC A0W HOSuuNOtb
or files by the middle Of July or the 2Oth say,
and by Aug. 10 there will be none at all
So the rodmen and long-oane-pole men
can 60 back to the woods then and every
thing will be serene once more.
In the black fly regions the suffering
is now intense. The black fly, like the
dser-Hy, carries a stiletto and brings blood
from the punotures. It gives q sharp
lanoet-like pain to the sufferer and pur-
sues him with a savage animosity yielding
only to gun or club, though 1t does not
leave behind 1t the poison Of the mosquito
1t is a rapid and persistent insect, pur-
suing it's quarry for miles along the trails,
and three black flies have the capacity
to work and feel like a thousand, Just az
a half dozen coyotes in full cry will sound
like a million. This insect, however, is
not so expert at getting through the crevices
OF cabins, under tent clothes and through
the interstices Of nets as the mosquito:
1t is not so industrious at night and it yields
more readily to the smoke treatment.
The deer-ly and the sand-ly have each
pecuiiarities, but they hurt consumedly,
and in this are like their cousin pirates
1t is the deer-fy which is most often re-
sponsible for driving the animals to the
lakes.
They are not any fonder Of deer blood
than Of cow blood or horse blood, and
would kill any or all Of them but for the
protection Of the water; They would kill
an elephant II they could get him and keep
HIM IN a dry place.
Their probosces are longer than the bills
of the mosquitoes or black flies, will 10
through tougher substances and penetrate
to a depth that is remarkable when the
size OF the fly is considered. 1t 10, how
ever, only dangerous In the open and can be
kept out of tent with little trouble. A
small smoke made at the door will be gen
orally sufficient to drive 1t away, though Of
course when a man Is out In a boat trolling
for muskallonge OF casting for bass he can
fish only with one hand and must aght
with the other.
One of the strongest and most poison
Gus of the insects common TO the northern
parts OF Wisconsin and Michigan alike,
though more plentiful In some places than
In others, is q minute gnat, OF a brownisb
hue. that possesses the attribute OF praoti-
air. except by hard gazing. and when on the
skin has to be hunted for scientifically,
though the neighborhood CT the bite is
appreciable enough
Even on the skin OF white man II is
difficult to find this insect, and on the skin
OI all iuucb Do iOOhou Will -
microscope. This is the far northern gnat
that the Indians call Anosim, an abbrevia-
ton Of mo see him." or you cannot see
him." Like a good many other Indian
corruptions and COMBINATIONS of English
sentences. the name Ia perfectly descriptive
of the villains appearance, though 1t does
not describe its effects.
Nosms, or flies, or mosquitoes, however,
are all chiefs in their particular lines and
oble to make the angler long for his club.
II IL now demonstrated a thousand times a
day In the woods that there 10 no patent
nostrum that will stand of these pests for
any length OF time, even though 1t be plas-
tered on until it is sixteenth OF an inch
thick.
The nostrums are all good In ordinary
times and nearly all OF them have penny
royal for basis, but In this year, more re-
markable for singing winged insects than
any year OF which fishermen have record,
mosquitoes and flies seem positively to dote
on pennyroyal. At least they 90 at II as
IL 1t were the one tn ing for which they have
been waiting all through their loneliness.
and when they got through with II there 10
little left OF II or of the skin which was once
beneath il. Anything with a strong infus-
sion OF pennyroyal ID good while II lasts
against insects which do not swarm In mil
lions and are not savage with thirst FOR
gore, but this is not pennyroyal year.
The ang lers who have visited the woods
since June have taken along head nets
also. They are made of mosquito netting,
fit over the top of the hat and come far
enough below the shoulders, In happier