FIRST VENISON IN CAMP. One morning in November, I met a friend on the street and the conversation that ensued landed me, together with 4 others, including a guide, on the shore of Moosehead lake 3 days later; quick time considering the distance, nearly 1,000 miles. Of course it took some hustling, but with such an incentive as a hunt in the big woods of the pine tree State, it gives much pleasure to throw a pair of blankets, a hunting suit, a rifle and other camp essentials into a chest. This we did, telegraphing our guide to meet our train on its arrival. The trip itself is a pleasure not to be forgotten, besides the varied scenery. Our tickets read via Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany, Boston, Portland, Bangor and Greenville, Maine, where we arrived at 8.30 p. m. We spent one night at a hotel in Greenville, on the shore of the lake. With daylight came the work of provisioning the camp. That accomplished, we boarded the little boat and steamed 25 miles up the smooth waters of Moosehead lake to our camp. We landed by canoe, our cabin being but a dozen rods up the shore, and soon had a fire crackling in the old stove of which the cabin boasted. The cabin, 14 x 15, contained a table, a bench, wooden bunks, which we filled with fresh pine boughs. Add 5 men, 3 chests and provisions, and room was scarce; but we crowded a carload of fun into it besides. and 3 We were not on shore half an hour until each man, armed with his favorite large or small bore rifle and instructions from the guide about the inadvisability of shooting one another, was slipping quietly up the old tote road, 2 going one way and 2 the other. My friend and I had reached the end of a small road leading off the main tote, and having arrived without making any noise were discussing the advisability of turning back, when I suggested that we walk into the forest a short distance either way. I selected the left, picked my way carefully to a log and mounted it when, to my surprise, 2 deer jumped up from the other side, sprang into the undergrowth and disappeared in an instant. I had not even time to discharge my gun into the air. I yelled for my companion and after I had made several attempts to describe the enormous size of the deer he diagnosed my case as buck fever. That night, with no venison in camp, we mapped out our trip, with the assistance of the guide, for the morrow; but the morrow came and went and we ate a bacon and flapjack breakfast the third day. I lost all hope of ever seeing another deer, much less of killing one, and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon I trained my gun on a ruffed grouse, awakening the forest with the report. I then started for camp a mile distant, securing another grouse on the way in. We had potpie that night, but it was a dejected crowd that climbed into those bunks. Five men 3 days in the Maine woods and nothing but ruffed grouse for the inner man! The wonderful stories of the wonderful numbers of deer to be found in the wonderful forests of Maine began to seem wonderful indeed. The morning of the fourth day we breakfasted before daylight and each man went his way alone. My route was the old tote road. I walked slowly, making no noise, for 2 hours, keeping at my work with grim determination, when suddenly I heard a queer, crackling noise in the forest off to my left. Instantly I paused, breathless and excited; my eyes followed the direction of the disturbance, and I scarcely dared to breathe for fear of frightening the game. Presently I saw something moving through the undergrowth, and was about to shoot, when it occurred to me that it might be one of my companions. I withheld my fire, and the next instant a big buck stepped out into full view not 60 yards distant. As I drew my gun to my shoulder he scented me and threw his head up in a graceful pose. I fired, aiming at his right shoulder. He dropped, unable to rise, and kept his head swaying from side to side. I ran forward, whipped out my hunting knife, approached and struck the deer back of his shoulder. He rose to his fore feet and swung toward me. Strangely enough, I did not lose my head, but managed to get out of the way, and then I struck him again, that time in the heart. As his beautiful eyes turned skyward, remorse came over me, and I felt like a murderer. The agonized look in the innocent eyes of that animal will live in my memory always. The venison was welcome in camp, for it was the first, and though we stayed 2 weeks we got but one deer each. I shall go again, but not for deer. The next time I shall hunt for bear, moose or wildcats. I can never again take the life of such a beautiful and harmless creature as a deer. C. C. Eckfeld, Marion, O. 140 AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY. "For sport the lens is better than the gun." I wish to make this department of the utmost use to amateurs. I shall, therefore, be glad to answer any questions and to print any items sent me by practical amateurs relating to their experi ence in photography. THE PRIZE WINNERS. RECREATION'S 9th Annual Photo. Competition closed November 30th, and the following list shows who drew the lucky numbers. The judges were A. L. A. Himmelright, who is well known to RECREATION readers as a hunter, traveller and way up amateur photographer; T. E. Niles, managing editor of the New York Evening Mail; and Frank Presbrey, an all around art connoisseur. There were over 500 entries in this competition, and many of the pictures are of a high order. The judges had a difficult task to select 29 of these for the prizes, and still a more strenuous one to decide which of these 29 should have the better prizes.. These gentlemen, however, did their work carefully and conscientiously, and their one regret was and is, that they could not give substantial recognition to a much larger number of the competitors. Redpoll Linnet on Sclater. Nest, W. A. B. The following were highly commended: Drifting and Undecided, Mrs. J. W. Bussey. Spring, A Robin's Nest and Swans, J. H. Blackwood. A Western Guide and Getting Supper, W. H. Four Abreast and Young Hawks, F. W. Dole. Garter Snake and Herring Gulls, H. G. Higbee. I See the Bunch, Fishing for 'Gators, Well Retrieved, W. N. Fisher. A Coming Brood of Quail, F. Chadwick. Nest of Redwinged Blackbirds, H. G. Phister. A Brace of Wilson's Snipe, H. H. Fraser. Close Quarters, F. T. Brehin. A Woodland Tragedy, G. W. Damon. Butting In, E. F. Cowgill. The Assembly on the Farm, S. W. Matteson. A Willis Creek Catfish, W. A. Whitecraft. A Skin Game, E. W. Edington. No Title, W. Brewster, Sec. Jr. No Title, W. Ide. No Title, Mrs. H. P. Gatch. The next competition opens May 1st, and will be conducted on somewhat different lines from the others. It always affords me great pleasure to look over the excellent reproductions of most interesting photographs published in RECREATION, especially those entered in your valuable photo competitions, along with photographic information, making RECREATION most desirable for those who believe and practice that "For sport the lens is better than the gun." "In Bad Company" was made with a Pony Premo No. 6 camera, 62x81⁄2 Plastigmat lens on a Seed portrait orthopedic plate, and printed on platinum paper; exposure, 1-100 second. The picture shows the shooting of a wild duck returning with the tame flock. The duck can not be seen in the picture, being covered by the splash made in the water by the shot. The camera has recorded this splash along with some of the feathers shot from the fowl. The method of securing the effect of the shot was counting from one to 3, having it understood that when 3 was called the shot was to be fired and the exposure made at the same time. There is no flash from the gun, due to the use of smokeless powder. "Whose Flush?" was made with a Pony Premo camera No. 6, 62x81⁄2 Plastigmat lens on a Seed portrait orthopædic plate and printed on platinum paper; exposure, 1-25 second. Both dogs have found the same bird, having approached from opposite directions. The dog on the right of the picture is too near the bird to take proper position, due to the wind being from him to the bird, but both were held in position several minutes until a tripod camera could be placed to show both dogs to best advantage. By drawing a line from the nose of each dog the position of the bird may be located in the clump of dried grass between them. "Return of the Fishermen" was made with a Century Grand Sr. Special camera, 5x7, fitted with a 62x81⁄2 Plastigmat lens, exposure, 1-120 second. This picture was made at Holly Beach, N. J., and shows the Scandinavian fishermen, who live there in considerable numbers, and the style of boats, etc., used by them in securing a livelihood by sea fishing. They frequently go. out 10 to 15 miles in these little launches. To watch them going or returning is extremely interesting, there being as many as 40 or 50 boats with 2 men to each boat, and usually all leaving or returning within an hour. Their wives and children are frequently grouped on the beach, awaiting their arrival to see the result of the day's work and welcome their return, the families adding interest to the scene. U. C. Wanner, West Phila., Pa. I made the photo of the bear in the woods on the head of the East fork of the Yellowstone river in the Park. I was going into Gardiner by way of the old Cook City trail, with pack outfit. I do not believe this bear was any tamer than any bear outside of the Park. as he was 40 miles from the nearest hotel, and was a genuine silvertip. I have never seen a large silvertip near a hotel. The photo was made about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, in July last. I had noticed some eagles soaring about the mouth of a small canyon as I was making camp, so I took my camera and went up to see what they were eating. They had the carcass of a calf elk nearly eaten. They seemed tame, and I hid near the bait, thinking to get a snap shot at them if they came back soon. In about 10 minutes I saw this bear coming down the side of the canyon, straight for the bait, which lay in the lower end of a small park. I slipped around near the upper end of the park and hid in some thick young pines at the edge of the opening. When he came to the park he stopped and looked around awhile, then started to the bait, but the instant he got wind of me he stopped and threw up his head to smell, as shown in the photo. I had no more than pressed the bulb than he turned and shot into the timber on the other side of the park. He had not seen nor heard me; the wind was all he wanted. The distance of the bear from the camera was 18 or 20 paces; stop 16; time, 1-50 of a second, if I remember rightly. N. W. Frost, Cody, Wyo. INFINITY FOCUS. It is frequently useful to know the distance at and beyond which all objects will be in focus when using a lens of known focal length and a given stop. To obtain the requisite information most photographers have recourse to the published tables, if they are at hand, but a simpler method consists in marking each lens with its constant, which, divided by the f number of the stop, gives the so-called infinity focus or distance beyond which all objects will be in focus. The constant of any lens is obtained thus: Let fa focal aperture or stop, inches. Then: F = K = equivalent focus of lens, in required constant; or —= fa x 12 fa and KF x 8.33. infinity focus in feet The following is a list of constants calculated for a confusion disc of 1-100 inches: Equivalent focus K. Equivalent focus K. LENGTHS OF EXPOSURE. I own a 4 x 5 Century Grand camera, which is fitted with a convertible lens, the different foci being 64 inches, 101⁄2 inches, and 141⁄2 inches. The longest focus requires a considerably longer exposure than the shorter ones. Can you tell me what the comparative lengths of exposure should be with the different foci, under the same conditions, to produce the same result? Also what causes this difference? Then, is it not true that the wider the angle the lens has the quicker it will work? E. W. Edgington, Le Mars, Iowa. ANSWER. It is only natural that the single elements of a convertible lens should require longer exposure than when the lens is used as a compound. Supposing that the working aperture remains constant with the use of the different focus lenses, and assuming that the 64-inch focus lens should require, on a certain subject, an exposure of one second, then the 101⁄2-inch focus lens would require 33-10 seconds and the 141⁄2-inch focus 46-10 seconds. As the approximate speed of any photographic lens is secured by dividing the equivalent focus by the opening of the aperture, it will be seen that with a lens which has an opening of one second and an equivalent focus of 8 inches, the speed value would be F8. If the focal length is increased to 16 inches, retaining the same opening of the diaphragm, which would be I inch, the speed of the lens would then be F16; so that, in this instance, should the 8inch focus lens require one second exposure the 16-inch focus lens would require 4 seconds exposure.—EDITOR. A FISH ASSISTANT. Last summer I punched some holes in a wooden box, hinged a cover on it and tied it to the dock in front of my cottage. I put about 20 velox and Dekko prints in it at II o'clock one night, and expected the motion of the waves to wash them by morning. In the morning I tested them with a 2 M N 208 and found plenty of hypo left. It took a half hour of constant washing to get them test proof. The next night I had the same number of prints to wash and as I had a 2 pound bass in the live box I put him in with the prints. In the morning by the most careful test there was no trace of hypo. The bass washed all my prints after that and made that part, usually the most tedious, the easiest of all. He received a few big fat minnows every day, and was given his liberty the day I left the lake. This is no fish story, but is true, and will be of great benefit to all photo folk if they will try it. I have no patent on it and it is free to all. |