Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22
FIELD AND KENNEL

been received from the veteran sports
man Capt. w. A. Caster. "Uncle WASH"
as he is affectionately termed by thou
sands of sportsmen. is beyond doubt the
best known sportsman and authority on
field dogs in the country, and anything
from his pen will be appreciated by all
sportsmen:
Uncasville. Conn.,, December 16 1912.
Field and Kennel Editor Of Star:
In re that three-pound grouse terus
umbellus), referred to in your valued
columns, l am led from strong circum-
stantfal evidence to believe that pheasant,
so-called in your locality, was weighed
by hand and judged by the excited imag-
ination OF the lucky sportsman. and such
records do not form very reliable data.
Ihis fail killed one that weighed on the
above mentioned scales l would put at
th1rty-two ounces. This was the largest
one l have killed during my seven years
residence in the Nutmeg state. If
We're asked for an estimate Of their
usual weight in this locality l should
say from twenty-seven to rwenty-nine
ounces My experience with ruffed
grouse around my old home in northern
New York and in Vermont leads me to
believe that they are heavier there than
elsewhere: This may be caused either
m.
necticut game food is as scarce as real
nutmegs. l also believe that woodcock
are larger in northern New York than in
other places.
This, This OF course, applies to localities
adds to their growth. I recall once
going to favorite little piece Of cover
which usually contained a few BIRDS
L Killed seven cock in two hours and
when l walked through my home town
SARATOGA Strings 7 OF nj ho
OF friend. who was great sports
man, and showed him the birds. He
picked out one and remarked: my.
tn tnat th Is a who PIPER We walked over
and he tipped the beam at ten aud
one-quarter ounces. l killed one in
North Carolina that 1 verify believe
had as large a frame. but he was as
poor as church mouse. But the
average woodcock weighs three or four
ounces less than my big one. That
grouse of Mr. Kengla's was so much
out of the ordinary I had to be salts
fled as to its authenticity. A few words
as to my statement about helping to
kill $50 grouse in one season. To
present-day sportsmen this may seem
like a story from the Arabian Nights,
but when this occurred one could go
out any day in old Essex or Warren
grouse as you would quail There were
from eight to twelve, or even sixteen. in
flock / have learned better since. and
am not at all proud of the achieve
whom 1 shot was the best shot I have
ever hunted with, and was responsible
for about ESQ of the birds. All this
was done over an Irish setter. Not
real Irish field dog. red. with white
markings. weighing about fifty-five
pounds. I never saw him take tired
step. and he was useful until he was
over twelve years of age l shot with
old Bob. his owner, when he was
seventy-two years old, and he was
seventy when we killed the 800 grouse
I am going to North Carolina after the
holidays with Oscar Thees, and hope to
find some birds. l don't care for many.
only an occasional shot. just enough to
interest the dogs. Nine birds a day is
my limit, and my bag is oftener five or
six But 1 love to see the dogs work.
I have young Marse Ben puppy. out
to me by my good friend. Billy Titus,
who owned Count Whitestone Thees
has a Jay r. Whitestone bitch. and as
neither has been on birds We will do
some training as Well as shooting. l
thoroughly enjoy the Field and Ken
neT' column. locals and all. Wishing
my many Washington friends a happy
New Year. l am. yours.
WASHINGTON A. COSTER.
C"UNCLE WASH.")
Denton Morford has been on two hunt
ing trips this season and had good luck
on both. He first spent ten days in Caro-
line county Va. and brought home the
legal limit of fifty quail. They were real
birds with feathers on them. too. He
later spent a week in Amelia county.
Va, and while he did not bag so many
birds it was not because he did not see
them. but he says they were the biggest.
hardest flying lot he ever saw. The party
a wonderful variety of game.
One of them killed an enormous timber
wolf and several ruff1ed grouse. Mr..
Morford himself got two shots at deer.
but at the time was loaded for neither
deer nor bear. He also saw several wild
turkeys. but being a truthful man he
doesn't claim to have bagged them. He
saws his dog, Lady Marathon, worked
WELL but was outclassed by a splendid
pointer and setter belonging to sports
man of Amelia county.
The Southern Field Trials Club meet
ing, just scheduled at Letohatchie, Ala.
was one that lovers of the sport are
proud Of. With the best grounds in the
country. plenty of birds, splendid man.
agement and a great field of dogs. it
was a model meeting in every way. |
The leading authority on the sport says
of the meet: They were the class
trials of the year. the class trials for
several years. and unquestionably one
of the best conducted and best run trials |
ever run in this country" There We're
no surprises in the results, the dogs
running true to their form in nearly !
every instance. If there was an ex- |
ception it was probably Captain Hekes. |
for after winning two derbies he was |
unplaced here. Sadie G., the futurity |
winner was first in the derby, Artie g., |
second. and Babblebrook Bob. third In |
the alI-age stake the great Llewellin |
oog, Momoney. ran in a class to him |
self, doing perfect in two heats. Mel |
rose Mohawk. John Considne's good set |
ter. ran second. and George Clay, third |
Eight pointers ran In the two stakes |
but Ty Cobb was the only one to be |
carried into the second series. and he |
was not placed by the judges. Walter |
KidwelFs pointer, Kidwells Comet, ran
in the all-age. but put up a very ordi- |
nary race and was not carried over to |
the second series. The local owner de- |