Friend P ((William Porter, publisher of the Spirit)). –

Upon a perusal of that excellent work on ‘The Field Sports of America’ by ‘Frank Forester,’ I regret very much, to see his remarks upon the Deer Hunting of Long Island. His comments upon the Field Sports of our country, are generally so true, his descriptions so graphic, and so directly appealing to every manly impulse, that his readers not well acquainted with the ‘ne plus ultra‘ properly followed, of all Long Island sports, namely, its deer hunting, would reasonably conclude that it was really unworthy of the attention of any true sportsman. This is the description as given by ‘F.F.’

[quotes 4 paragraphs from “Field Sports, from “On Long Island, especially at Snedecor’s and Carman’s” to  “…It is just the thing for a Broadway dandy, and for nothing on the broad earth beside.” [end quote]

Now in sober earnest, this is all a perfect ‘lie, Bill.’

The deer hunting of Suffolk Co., and especially that in the neighborhood of Snedecor’s, is carried on very differently.

The hunting ground of that vicinity covers an extent of over 70,000 acres [p 152] of woodland and pine plains, with no clearings or settlements. Through it, flow several streams, the main one, being the Connetquot River, to which at some period of the day of the hunt, the deer seem ‘bound’ to come.

The time and exact place of their taking to water, depends so much upon their place of being started, the close or far off pursuit of the dogs, the wind and state of atmosphere, that but little accurate calculation can be made upon it. It is customary for those who are strangers to the hunting ground, to take by lot the places or stand upon the river, there to await the sooner or later probable appearance of the deer. This part of the hunt, however, which ‘F.F.’ seems to consider quite the whole, is but ‘bagatelle,’ compared with the other, the most essential, and the most manly and exciting. This is, mounted upon well bred, strong and sure footed horses, by the aid of noble, well bred, and fleet hounds, to traverse the almost unbounded woodland and thickets, to seek the track, and when once well started upon it, to endeavor by every means of hard riding, by an intimate knowledge of the country, of the habits and manner of running of the deer, taking into consideration, wind and atmosphere, also whether it be buck, doe, or fawn, to head off, not drive, and thus secure a chance to shoot before the deer finally takes to water, where the guns of those upon the stands are ready to receive them, and where the dogs are most apt to lose them. To do this, calls into requisition every quality of a sportsman: proper management of the hounds, strength and endurance in the river, and the same qualities in the horse; for these hunts frequently continue from the rising to the setting of the sun. This part of the hunt, upon which the other altogether depends, requires a thorough knowledge of the country, and hence limits very much the number of its followers.

To traverse the thickets and woodlands of these hunting grounds, at the speed which oft-times through the course of the hunt is demanded, calls for a far quicker eye, and a far stronger hand, than those of the much vaunted fox hunter of England, coursing over his open fields.

It often happens that the best of hounds are put at fault by the deer. If not pressed too closely by the dogs, they will traverse a circle and then jump at a tangent from it, and run anew. An old dog is up to this ‘dodge,’ but young ones are confoundedly bothered, and after vain efforts to recover the track, will give up, unless the hunter be with them, to take them around on a larger circle and thus ascertain the line which the deer took on their last jump from the circle. Calling into requisition almost human intelligence they likewise ‘back their tracks,’ that is, after running a certain course, they retrace their steps for a long distance almost foot print on foot print, and then jump off on a new course.

Could human ingenuity devise a better plan to throw off the scent of dogs, and put them at fault? I have known them also when driven from their woods to the cultivated fields in the region of the South Bay, to which water they frequently take early in the season, run in among a drove of cattle or flock of sheep, most clearly for the purpose of confusing scent. All these, and other artifices known to the experienced hunter, are often practised, and repeated several times, by the deer, in the course of a single hunt. As illustrative of a few hour’s sport, and of the number of deer which still frequent the hunting grounds of Suffolk Co., I will give you a narration of a short hunt, as furnished to me, and which resulted in the killing of two deer, with the right and left barrels, by a gentleman residing on the Island, and who is much attached to the pleasures of hunting.

Having heard of deer tracks having been seen at the head of a brook some miles east of Snedicor’s, it was concluded between Oby((Liff’s son Obadiah, also known as Oba, would have been 30 years old in 1849)) and him (generally hunting together) to go there, and see if any deer could be started.

The morning was every way propitious, being still, clear, and cold. The start was an early one, and as the white frost upon the ground, trees, and bushes, gave way before the rising sun to heavy dew drops, the dogs also being in excellent running order, high anticipations of a fine day’s sport were indulged in.

Avoiding the wood roads, and taking a bee line through the thickets, to arrive as soon as possible at the expected starting ground, they had hardly reached within a mile of the ‘promised land,’ before Harkaway and Shot, two as good dogs as were ever ‘wrapt in skin,’ the former a noble, keen-scented, and fleet, English fox hound, imported by E.M., the latter a fine specimen of the Long Island breed, while trotting leisurely along, the wind being from the north, suddenly winded something in the thicket. Without opening, the scent apparently being very strong, with heads high in the air, they instantly dashed on, and after gong about forty rods, opened their soul stirring music, and were away.

It would seem to be one of the habits of the deer in this section, when the wind is on the northern board, after being started to run into it, or a little aslant against it, and after keeping this course for a certain period, to run directly the reverse. Availing himself of a knowledge of this habit, L. endeavored to keep about on a parallel line with the dogs, but yet somewhat ahead of them, about opposite to where he supposed the deer would be running, awaiting the time when he thought they would turn toward him.

After running about mile thus, judging from the music of the dogs, the deer did turn, and were coming directly at L. Instantly holding up his horse, he looked sharply to the east, and in a few moments, over the oak bushes (the heavy wood having been burnt and cut off) came a deer, another followed, and thus there came on in Indian file, running at lightning speed (the dogs not being over sixty rods behind), four of them, a noble buck in the lead.

In order to secure a double shot, to alight from his horse was the work of a second. The sharp eyed buck, however, saw the motion, and instantly swerved to a right angle far beyond gun shot, and was immediately out of sight. The rest, however, came on. The horse stood motionless, and L. was screened by him. When within ten rods, L. suddenly sprang from behind his horse, and as he did so the deer parted, one to the right, and two to the left. He pulled one barrel to the right on the single deer, and conscious from his aim that it was a hit, turned quickly to the left, and shot another, hitting each of them in the fore shoulder, and breaking it. The one first hit, made a few bounds, stood, and dropped, the other fell instantly on being hit. The well trained dogs soon came on, and without stopping to smell the dead, followed on the track of the living.

At the hunts described by ‘F.F.’ at Snedecor’s, there are, as there always should be, if the party be large, rules and regulations for the carrying on of the hunt.

Those who go upon the ‘brush,’ as it is termed, endeavor after starting their deer, as I have above described, to head them off and kill them. Surely it requires no mean skill, when the game is under full speed, closely pursued by the noble hounds, from on horseback to fire with the ‘eye of faith’ and with fatal effect, guided by the mere fleeting glimpse of the white stag, as it occasionally shows itself through a thicket of the densest description. Or, if more fortunate to head the deer off on some narrow wood road, of the width of a wagon track, and overhung in the bushes and trees, to pull the sure trigger as the deer bounds over the narrow space.

Any derivation from the well known rules of the hunt, such as smoking, firing at passing small game, or moving around with bushes, oftentimes not only robs the offending party of the chance of a shot, but also by immediately turning the deer short back upon his tracks, spoils the chances of other members of the host.

A dozen of champagne, therefore, can be considered but a mild punishment, especially when we reflect that the party fined drinks probably more than his individual allowance of it. The selling of the venison, at auction, at which only the actual members of the hunt are allowed to bid, certainly must be considered an impartial division of the spoils.

I cannot conceive either, how taking a stand on the river, is so ‘lugubriously dull.’ The positions, by no means being certain for a shot, all have high anticipations for a chance. The deer may run high up, or low  down, they may be turned from any course by a hundred contingencies, and besides which, as is most generally the case, there are several packs of dogs on each side of the river, their incessant music as they, with their object of chase, approach or recede, double and turn, keep all in their hearing strung high with suspense and anxious hope. The furnishing of ‘high living by day,’ all will conceive a very excusable defect on the part of ‘Liff’ and ‘Sam.((Sam Carman, Liff’s opposite number operating an inn for sportsmen along the Connecticutt (or Carman’s) River a few miles to the east.))

‘High play at night,’ is certainly inexcusable on the part of the hunter, but, at the same time, I think it rather unjust to slur over a ‘Long Island hunt’ by reason of vices, imported into an ‘unsophisticated region‘ by the designing stranger hunter. It must, however, in justice to the natives, be stated, that instances are very rare where funds are transferred from the Long Island wilds to the pockets of the stranger. I believe that, beyond all dispute, it may be laid down as a ‘fixed fact,’ that he who plays a regular built Long Island party is bound to lose. This information is given to check any further cause for such imputations as are thrown out by ‘F.F.’

And while in the mood for imparting valuable information let me add, in opposition to ‘F.F.’s’ views, that I consider a Long Island Deer Hunt and Deer party, are not the things for a Broadway dandy.

Should, by any accident, such a breathing creature be in induced to mount a horse and try the ‘brush,’ the chances are a hundred to one, of the dogs being out of his hearing within three minutes after the deer are up; of his being denuded of his clothing by the thickets, and of his suffering divers and sundry mutilations of his skin.

Should he take a stand, how probable that, in his excitement, he will either shoot himself or some passing friend imperfectly seen. Or, if escaping all of the above, he should venture at ‘high play,’ if my view of a Long Island party be at all correct, he will soon be minus all his change, large and small, (cents he does not carry,) and be seen toward the close of the evening, making memorandums on a visiting card of his losses, to be repaid at his in-convenience.

Therefore, Exquisites, don’t come.