The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
RED FOR SAFETY In HUNTING.
ADITCE no SPORTSMEN ~ THE
NORTH WOODS.
Growing Peril OF Hunting Deer In the
\dirOndacks - WoOdsmcn Ms Liable
TO Make Mistakes ~ NONices--eiose
shayes That some Vet Grams Have Had

began Floyd W. Abrams, fire warden of
Arietta, the largest township in the State,
bows my color for still hunting is red.
The three sportsmen who were extend
ing their cold. wet feet toward the roaring
blaze that emphasized the cracks in the
old cook stove which graced the hunters
hack at T Lake looked up at the speaker
with mingled surprise and interest, for
they thought the woodsman might finally
come to discuss a subject which they hesl
iated to introduce themselves, although
they possessed much curiosity over it.
Yea, my favorite color il red and
Abramss voice grew softer. revealing just
A hit Of the sorrow behind it. There was
Young woman in here this fall, and she
wore red cap. You could see it across
tho water. or far down the trail, and you
knew when you looked at it that it was
M bear no deer or bird. or any game
creature to tempt you to shoot.
Now, you know, 've had little trouble
in my life"
He spoke slowly and he gazed straight
through the window of the cabin into the
night as though he contemplated some
beacon on the distant mountain top
MY boy Will came home yesterday for
hain't got over it and probably never will
git over it, Poor boy! Honest and good
as the day ia long; got fine wife and bright
children. One Of 'em looks just as Fred did
will and Fred were still-huntin, you
know. They jumped up deer, VIII
went one way and Fred another
As Will rounded ridge he saw the deer
again. 1t stepped into clump Of bushes
and he did not see 1t move again. SO he
waited to get full view OF it and make
a sure shot.
In the meantime Fred came up on the
deer's track and stepped into the bushes
near where the deer disappeared, but Will
did not see him at first. After several mo-
ments Fred moved around a little. He
wore a brown suit and Will thought it
was the deer he saw. and he fired
For long time we thought we would
lose Will too 1t nearly killed him. 1t
has changed him a great deal. He nearly
lost his mind, and now Will sometimes
don't seem like the same person"
Abrams was silent for some moments " lille
the dry spruce in the old stove snapped
and cracked and gave out cheer and com
fort. The rattle Of a pan and footstep
outside caused the sportsmen TO Jump in
surprise.
ITS only deer, boys said Abrams.
, He has been coming down the trail by the
camp all summer. He picks up potato
parinRs and other things we throw out.
We have seen him from the lake in the
daytime. and he il very handsome deer
Il got into a hot bed Of shootin' down
back Of Piseco Mountain one fall. was
still-huntin', had made a circuit OF the
mountains and stopped on a ledge to look
around a bit.
L had not been there long before dis
covered some deer down behind that ledge
BY lying down fat and peering over l could
see their heads and hear them working,
hut in that position could not get my gun
n shape to fire with any certainty OF hittin
them.
As lay there I studied the ground,
and saw that might get on level with
the deer by making a long swing around
the ledge. / hesitated to attempt it be-
cause Of the danger OF alarming the deer
but | finally set out, and after an hours
lard work rea ched the level. | made only
n few steps forward before the deer heard
me ard away they went down before the
wind like wild horses
Suddenly down there, the guns began
TO c ack. There was a regular lombard
inert and the bullets few through the tree
tors had not thought OF q man being
in the woods during that hour worked down
the ledge My hair began to stand on
nnd. for it seemed as though there were a
dozen guns, and was not looking for an
cthor man in twenty miles.
Il turned and ran through the bushes
and over logs along the ridge and down
into the valley on the other side. Then,
hegan to work back by circuitous route,
and striking a stream, began to hunt
quietly.
As moved along | thought l detected
tho brown legs OF a deer ahead Of me. It
seemed to be feeding, and | raised my
gun to my shoulder, but without lifting
the barrel to a level with my eye. 4 had
every reason to believe that the object
! saw was a deer, and waited for favor
able shot
Soon the legs began to move toward
me and gripped the gun ready to shoot,
rs squinted across the sights man
walked out from behind the trees.
1T was an awful shock. / could not
speak; could not move, and l was so weak
that il was several moments before could
find my voice
That was a close one, Floyd" said one
NJ the sportsmen. 1t was something like
an experience had
Il saw in the bushes ahead what thought
10 he a black bear in the act of eating. l
could distinguish the round back that
moved uneasily now and then and | raised
my gun. had It against my shoulder and
lifted the hammer, then some strange
impulse prompted me to lower it.
I raised the gun a second time and took
careful aim, when that strange sensation
came over me and lowered 1t again, /
studied that black thing for little time,
and it seemed 10 me that II must be bear,
and 40 lifted the gun cnce more.
Then as fingered the trigger / saw
guide rse up with pack on his back. The
man had been making repairs TO his basket
A sportsman once told me OF an e1-
rerence he had while hunting on Ironde-
QUOT Bay" said the third hunter. "Tow-
ard evening he pushed his boat ashore on
he eastern side OF the bay across from a
runway.
He saw no one and he heard nothing to