American Game 279 



exceedingly scarce. Pigeon shooting is rather poor, 

 but at times affords good sport, bags of fifty and sixty 

 being made on the grain fields in the spring. Snipe 

 shooting is best in April when they come north ; it is 

 poor in winter. Grouse shooting has also been decreas- 

 ing. Wild pigeon seem to frequent the coast lands, 

 and dove the eastern part. 



The state is divided into eastern and western Wash- 

 ington by the Cascade Mountains. Ptarmigan are 

 found, but not in very large numbers, in all northern 

 mountainous counties. Ruffed and blue grouse are 

 most plentiful in western Washington, the latter fre- 

 quenting rather hilly districts ; but fairly good sport is 

 had around the Sound cities. 



Duck and goose shooting is generally good in the 

 western part of the state ; the various mud flats at the 

 mouths of rivers entering Puget sound are favorite 

 sporting resorts, including Skagit flats at the mouth of 

 Skagit river; the Stillaquamish flats at Stanwood, at 

 the mouth of Stillaquamish river, eight miles south of 

 Skagit; Swinomish slough and Nesqually, all on Puget 

 Sound flats. Whidby island is also a good point for 

 shooting. These points afford good snipe and pigeon 

 shooting when the grain has just been planted in the 

 spring, but not after it is up a few inches. Pigeon are 

 shot on the fields inside the dikes. There is no shoot- 

 ing of pheasant except on Protection island, which is 

 private property. Crab creek in Lincoln county is a 

 good point for the sportsman to visit. Moses lake near 

 this place is some thirty miles in length, but only about 

 half a mile wide. There is excellent duck shooting in 

 these waters, and large furred game is found near by. 



