TJic Country Gciitlcuiaiis Magazine 



209 



Jaunting, ifishing, anl) ^hooting. 



DUCK SHOOTING IN CANADA. 



FARMERS have by nature a dash of the 

 sportsman in them. While they Hke 

 to see their crops glowing with the harvest 

 ]5romise, and their turnip fields not altogether 

 destroyed by the nibble of the hare, yet, we 

 think, a true farmer would never like to walk 

 his fields without hearing now and again the 

 whirr of the partridge and the pheasant, or 

 the tlnid of the hare, as she limps away, 

 startled from her cosy seat. ^Vith a true 

 sportsman heart pervading the British ten- 

 antry, there would be little danger of the 

 game being extenninated, even though the 

 game-laws were not nearly so rigorous ; 

 and I think that true - hearted landlords 

 would not grudge a day now and again, 

 across the stubbles, to tenants who could 

 realize the difference between poaching and 

 egitimate sport. When landlords and ten- 

 ants come to have something of a friendly 

 and common interest in their game, we may 

 look for fewer evils flowing from misunder- 

 standings in regard to game. With occa- 

 sional opportunities for shouldering a gun, 

 Avhen my boyish strength could give effect to 

 my instinctive love of sport, I fortunately or 

 imfortunately contracted the habit of blazing 

 away at crows and pigeons, rabbits and hares ; 

 and, I may as well confess it, when an un- 

 lucky partridge or pheasant would cross my 

 path, could I be blamed for just wishing to 

 see how I could fly at somewhat higher 

 game? 



Coming to Canada a few years ago, I 

 found that these instincts thus awakened did 

 not entirely die away, but rose into stronger 

 power as I saw the track of the moose and 

 deer, or heard the old gabble of the goose, or 

 the well-known sough of the wild duck. For 

 some kinds of sport Canada is unrivalled. 

 The very stillness and majesty of her un- 



VOL. I. 



tracked forests, in some fine autumn morn- 

 ings or evenings, when the sky presents its 

 almost unmatched deep blue, and the foliage 

 glows in all its wondrous colours, give an 

 impression which can be felt only once in a 

 lifetime. And when along with this external 

 beauty is combined the excitement of seeking 

 such game as the caribou or moose, any one 

 who joins in this sport for the first time must 

 necessarily have new and strange sensations. 

 Or let us suppose it to be winter, and a 

 novice takes to his furs and snow-shoes, fol- 

 lowing the track across leagues of snow, with 

 the thermometer 30° below zero, and a 

 sharpish wind, I am sure that there would be 

 a new experience of life gained by the true- 

 born Britisher. 



Perhaps more pleasant and not less novel 

 would be found the wild-turkey shooting on 

 the prairies. The wild turkey is one of the 

 most beautiful and noble birds that can any- 

 where be seen ; and any one who wishes to 

 get a dash of new blood into his domestic 

 broods, or restore something of the beautiful 

 copper tinge, could easily secure one of the 

 wild birds from Western Canadian prairies. 

 I might allude also to the woodcock, snipe, 

 and other kinds of game, which in certain 

 parts of Canada are very plentiful ; but, as 

 might naturally be expected from her im- 

 mense lakes and rivers, waterfowl is even 

 more abundant at certain seasons than any 

 other kind of game. The swan, goose, and 

 duck are very abundant. For the most part, 

 they breed further north, and winter further 

 south, thus passing through Canada twice 

 a year, and affording magnificent sport, espe- 

 cially in the months of October and Novem- 

 ber, when the weather is almost perfect. 

 Duck shooting may, perhaps, be regarded as 

 very much the same all the world over ; yet 



