Accessible field sports the experiences of a sportsman in North America / by "Ubique".

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

genitors ; while tlie clear, sparkling waters are well stocked with the voracious muscalonge and the active impetuous black bass.But he who is desirous of visiting this elysium in pursuit of game must be no feather-bed sportsman -no grumbler at imaginary troubles, or shirker of hard work ; for, once he leaves the edge of civilisation, no rooftree will be found to greet the eye after a hard day's tramp, no luxurious downy couch on which to rest his wearied limbs, but, often unjDrotected, he must submit to the pelting of the pitiless storm.No ; he must ' accept mother earth for his bed, his hunting blanket for his covering, the heavens for his canopy, and-if fortune should favour '^V ariety is the spice of existence ; " and without an odd contretemps we should become a very A NIGHT S ADVENTURE.6 animaginative, unambitious, namby-pamby lot, unfit for tlie wear and tear, bustle and excitement, tbat all must endure before their course is run.To those determined to accept the conditions, a word on the best sporting gear may not be out of place.Pirst and foremost, a good double-barrel of ten bore, that will throw ball as well as shot ; an abundance of ammunition, not forgetting buck-shot; a couple of strong bait-rods, about fourteen or fifteen feet each ; several of Buell's patent spoon-baits, reels, &c., &c., with a good assortment of strong untied hooks.Your camping equipments I leave to yourself, or rather to your Indian guide; one thing, however, let me advisemake them as light and few as possible, as many an arduous journey across rugged portages is before you, when you have not only to carry these etceteras, but also your canoe.Why this rigmarole ?some may justly inquire.Now for my reason.Numbers frequently ask me where sport is to be obtained, as they are desirous of an expe- dition, but know not in what direction to guide their steps.They do not want to travel as far as the vast prairies of the West, and if they did, only small game could be obtained, unless beyond civilisation.Let me, therefore, advise them to make choice of the afore- mentioned wilds ; they are easy of access, and there a ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS.large variety of fisli and fowl are to be found.Duck in great numbers taunt this locality, as well as snipe and plover, wbicb select this retired nortbern situation as a breeding place, wbere tbey can safely raise tbeir timid, helpless families, without fear of the constant intrusion of the much-dreaded lords of creation.From Toronto proceed to the village of Orillia, at the head of Lake Simcoe.At this pretty little place you will have no difficulty in procuring one of the Chippewa Indians from the village of Rama, on the other side of the lake, to undertake the duties of Palinurus, for a moderate remuneration.All of these redskins may safely be trusted, and they will be found, not only excellent hunters and trappers, but very obliging, as long as you keep them from the curse of their race, whiskey.Of course, as soon as they leave civilisation, they cannot obtain their dire enemy unless you should give it, or, what is equally culpable, leave it in their way.How I became acquainted with this region was strange and unlocked for.Some years since, having business in Toronto, I was detained longer than I expected, and got both out of funds and out at elbows.Returning from the Post Office much disappointed and disgusted at the dilatoriness of my friends, I turned into a tavern to have a glass of ale, when I chanced to run foul of a former acquaintance who had turned sation ; for as certain as the red man vanishes before the progress of the stream of emigration, or the morning mists before the gladdening rays of the rising sun, does game before the dreaded sound of the squatter's axe, or the sharp report of the deadly rifle.CHAPTER II. FIRST DEER IN" AMERICA.Although this is but a reminiscence, and one of a day a few years gone by, the feelings, incidents, et ceterasâ re much the same as every tyro experiences when he sees the first antlered monarch of the woods prostrated at his feet.How many lately have written of their advent in salmon fishing, their novitiate with dog and gun on the boundless heather or golden stubble; but not one has touched on the pleasurable sensations first experienced as you draw the keen edge of your hunting-knife across the graceful, swan -like neck of the deer that has succumbed to your skill as a shot, or your knowledge of the hidden mysteries of venery.While visiting in Canada West, I chanced to make the acquaintance of a young Highlander ardently devoted to the chase, and who, when he found that I was also a would-be disciple of the chaste Diana, at once proposed, as the season was suitable and business afiairs did not 14 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS.interfere, that we should start for the gigantic and then unbroken woods which covered the township of Oro, lying on the edge of that placid sheet of water, so well known for its lovely woodland scenery, Lake Simcoe.After a great deal of bad travelling, both on foot and horseback, over the most villanous roads that ever unfortunate was condemned to progress on, we arrived late at night opposite Snake Island, then inhabited by a remnant of the once numerous and powerful Chippewa Indians.The distance across to this island retreat was too far for our lungs to inform its denizens that two benighted travellers were desirous of joining them, and, as there was no boat, a camp fire and blanket were required to do duty for roof and feather bed.But, alas !our limbs and bones were demoralised from our former life, and absolutely refused to be satisfied, so that both tossed, fumed, and fretted till the sun thought proper to make his reappearance.Nor was that all ; a scoundrelly wolf, whose midnight propensity for serenading had taken hold of his thoughts, kept up a most objectionable chant, however pleasing it might have been to his lady-love, till we wished the brute in Jericho, or any other remote district ; not only that, but I will not say that fear had not a little to do with my feelings, for I can distinctly remember, as I listened, my blood became undergoing culinary operations, tlie aged matron, with a talent that denoted great skill in adapting herself immediately to circumstances, snatched a very battered and greasy straw hat off the head of one of the filthiest youngsters, and made it do duty for dish-cover.Of course, any squeamishness would have been a base return for the anxiety displayed that we should not eat our morning repast cold.An hour afterwards we were all en route, three buoyant, graceful birch barks transferring the party, which was now aug- mented to ten, and three half-fed hounds, to the oppo- site beach.Well, all that forenoon to mid-day we tramped, tramped, tramped ; the only alteration in the per- formance being an occasional halt, when an acute observation of some sign would cause comments from all parties, excepting we two pale-faces.First, it would be a broken twig ; next, an indentation of the ground and thirdly, what would not have appeared to the uninitiated a rarity in sheep pastures.Although this was all Greek to us, we determined to look knowing, say nothing, and possibly, like many another under similar circumstances, get credit for being perfect Nimrods.A halt was at length called for, and old Chief John, no small bug, spoke like an oracle.The deer had gone to the big swamp, and if we wanted buck ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOETS.ear to the ground, and remained in that ludicrous and ungraceful position for some minutes, exciting greatly my curiosity.On asking him for an explanation, naught but a grunt could I get for an answer, and a non-describable wave of the hand, as if to invoke silence.After manoeuvring thus, my nearly exhausted patience received the explanation that one of the hounds was running a deer, and that they were coming this way.Immediately afterwards I was bundled into a canoe, and although I had never previously handled a paddle, was now forced to take one of those implements and attempt a trial ; but no use-the obstinate composition of birch bark would only spin round and make most indisputable signs of objection to its freight, which were manifested by the gunwale several times taking in water and almost upsetting, so that my now irate companion almost got out of his wits with rage.At length I attained a slight dexterity, and succeeded, assisted by the skilful steering of the Chippewa, in propelling our frail boat under a cedar that grew on the termination of a promontory.Whatever might have been my doubts before as to my friend's assertion that game was afoot, they were now dissipated; for, true enough, the deep voice of a hound could be distinctly heard resounding through the forest, and coming towards us; every bound the good hound spoke, " L'homme propose et Dieu dispose.''CHAPTER IV. WILD-FOWL SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS.Something like thirty-five years ago Colonel Hawker wrote a work on duck shooting, which not only lauded this amusement to the skies, but thoroughly and lucidly explained how it could be successfully followed in England.His descriptions were terse and clear, his sketches graphic and true, the whole interspersed with a certain amount of romance, which gained his work many admirers, and this description of shooting many votaries.The result, as might be expected, was that from duck shooting only being followed by those who shot for the market, it became a fashionable sport and many who previously ignored such amusement, -as much as a genuine foxhunter would running a bagged fox, or a crack shot killing a bird on the ground, -followed the now popular mania, and spoke with as strong superlative expressions in its favour as they formerly would have used in its condemnation.During * You've racked your constitution By getting drunk again.