e* 



268 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mat 4, 1882. 



DECOY DUCK SHOOTING. 



I TELL you there is nothing like it! that is, duck shooting 

 over decoys. It beats your fall quail shooting or your 

 autumn rabbit hunting "all hollow!" Just imagine yourself 

 (if you have ever tried it) aboard your schooner in one of the 

 many sloughs which perforate your hunting grounds, and 

 getting up long before daylight, 'with the cold but bracing 

 air circulating" around .you. After getting your hot cup of 

 coffee, and With a pocketful of hard tack, off you start. A 

 brisk walk (after landing in the schooner's boat) of a few 

 minutes brings you to the place where you have left ypur 

 skiff tied in some little cove just off the' main pond. You 

 get iu, lay your gun beside you, whistle in your dog, and, 

 shoving o!T. paddle silently out upon the pond. It is still 

 dark, but nevertheless you hear the ducks rising and whiz- 

 zing, as they pass in dark streaks over your head; and the 

 geese, flying more slowly, but filling the air with their cease- 

 loss honk! honk! Your blind is situated near the other end 

 of the pond; so paddling slowly around the shore with as 

 little noise as possible, you silently approach. 



The eastern horizon is now being tinged with a scarcely 

 perceptible light, which gradually increases as the day ap- 

 proaches. 



On reaching your blind you proceed to set out your decoys, 

 which occupies you some time, as you have nearly three 

 dozen. 



You can easily distinguish things now, and the ducks arc 

 flying thickly around. 



You then shove your skiff in the blind and putting up one 

 or two bunches of tule, to cover the entrance, you" arrange 

 your things handy and are ready for your shooting. ' 



The cuiious thing is that now that you are ready for them, 

 the ducks don't seem to be half as thick as they were before. 

 But soon you see a flock coming "down wind" right toward 

 you, and, on their near approach, they prove to be canvas- 

 backs. Suddenly they spy the decoys, and wheeling in one 

 unbroken circle they prepare to alight ; but you not taking 

 the chances, wait until they are over you, and then pour two 

 barrels in quick succession into their midst, and down come 

 three fine drakes. 



As your dog springs out of the blind to retrieve them j r ou 

 reload your breech-loader and look out for another advent. 

 Your dog is just bringing in the last duck as, glancing 

 quickly down the pond, you see a flock of teal just skimming 

 the surface. As they get abreast of you (they are quite a 

 distance off) you blaze away and look up (of course you ex- 

 pect to see the water covered with dead and wounded)— 

 there, all alone, flops one poor little teal with a broken wing! 



You are just thinking what was it that made you make 

 such amiss, when suddenly you hear splash! splash! accom- 

 panied by a whirr of wings, and peeping cautiously out from 

 your blind, .you espy the water in front of you dotted over 

 with a flock of ducks. Suddenly your dog moves in the 

 boat behind you. The noise attracts their attention toward 

 the blind. Quick, or they'll be gone! You spring up sud- 

 denly and pour in a barrel on the Sit, and as the survivors 

 rise, startled and bewildered, you give them another shot. 

 Yon have made a good shot this time and it keeps your dog 

 pretty busy. 



So the day wears away. Now you have a shot at a flock, 

 now at a single duck, sometimes at geese, both white and 

 gray; other times, but more seldom, at magnificent swans, 

 some weighing twenty-five pounds. And upon your return 

 in the evening to the schooner, loaded with your game, and 

 as you sit around the cabin table, sipping your coffee, yon tell 

 your comrades— w ho have had their fun at other pond's — how 

 prettily you knocked that drake canvas-back, or how finely 

 that goose tumbled; or you don't see how it was possible you 

 could miss that mallard— you had such a fine shot. And so 

 you continue telling your day's adventures till j t ou tumble 

 into your little bunk "and there have another duck hunt in 

 the land of Nod. Duck-call. 



A GEORGIA DOVE MEADOW. 



IN YOUR issue of February 23, I noticed a sketch con- 

 tributed by "T. B. A.," headed "A Dove Meadow." 



We have just such a place as described by him in an adjoin- 

 ing county, a nd my curiosity has been greatly excited to know 

 the cause of the constant visit of these ' 'holy birds, " as called by 

 some, to this waste and barren looking meadow, and I am 

 not yet satisfied as to the cause of their visits. I had never 

 heard of another such place until seeing the communication 

 of "T. B. A." He says some think that they come for 

 grave] ; others say for salt. In the case of ohrs' it cannot 

 be for salt, for we have no salt in our soil. We, too, like 

 "T. B. A.," have spent many years in blissful ignorance, of 

 this "happy hunting ground" so near at hand, until last 

 August a countryman from the low grounds of Qgeech.ee 

 River, in 'Washington county, being in town and seeing a 

 number of us making preparations for a big dove hunt to a 

 distant grain-field, remarked in a casual way to the writer, 

 that if we would come clown his way ' 'we could kill more 

 of them sort o' birds than we could bring home;" and he 

 then told of this secluded meadow. He said he had been 

 living near there all his life, and he had never known a 

 summer when there were not hundreds and hundreds of 

 doves there every day. Upon inquiry from responsible par- 

 ties livine: near the place, I found that there was just such a 

 place as described, and that there were always doves there 

 during the summer. 



Upon this information we made up a party of some six or 

 seven and visited the spot, We reached the spot or what 

 we thought was the place as described, about nightfall, 

 completely broken down by a fide of twenty miles over a 

 perfect sa'ndbed of a road, in the scorching August sun. The 

 roads were indeed so heavy that we sometimes had to get out 

 and walk and carry our guns on our shoulders, and it was 

 even then all our horses could do to pull the empty vehicles 

 through the sand beds. It was amusing to see our lazy 



man, Dr. A . who sometimes keeps but one eye open, for 



the reason that it requires less energy to keep one eye open 

 than two— to see him trudging along through the sand, 

 coat off and collar opened, dripping from head to foot with 

 perspiration, a. nine-pound breech-loader across one shoul- 

 der, and a bag containing a hundred loaded cartridges swung 

 across the other— trudging alone as if every step was his 

 last, 



As we thought we had reached our journey's end, we 

 were about to unhitch our horses and prepare for supper, 

 when we found that we. had taken the wrong road : 

 and to our horror we were completely lost, A. dark cloud 

 was fast approaching, night was upon us and we way down 

 in the river swamps, .and not a sign of a house for miles 

 around If 7 nr kind reaLr, fc,»V3 ever bee;: m i e-imilar fis 

 you can imagine our feelings, We were indeed a disgusted 

 party, A II of us wished ourselves at borne. De Lamar T , 



the most disgusted one in the party, would, I think, then 

 and there have taken a solemn oath never to go on another 

 "dove hunt." 



To shelter ourselves from the approaching storm we 

 bounced into our wagons and determined to drive until 

 shelter was found, and soon, to our joy, the kindly light 

 from a farmer's house came in sight, and we were in a very 

 little time under the hospitable roof of a young bachelor, 



Dr. G . The next morning wc rose bright and early to 



repair to the "salt lick," as the "dove meadow" was termed by 

 the Gauntry people around. The party were all at the high- 

 est, pitch of excitement, Johnny B was so completely 



filled with enthusiasm that he even forgot to eat his break- 

 fast, After a ride of about a. mile we readied the longed 

 for place. The meadow was a flat bottom of some forty 

 acres or more, grown up in weeds waist high, and without 

 trees or grass. Near the center was a barren strip of ground, 

 some fifteen feet wide and a hundred feet long; not a single 

 weed or blade of grass was growing there. Before we had 

 unhitched our teams the doves were flying in — singly, and 

 in pairs, and in bunches of four or five, never more than 

 that, They seemed to come, not from one direction alone, 

 but from all directions. And — well we had some just as. 

 tine sport as could be wished for by a moderate wisher. 

 The party, with six or seven guns, bagged within the space 

 of about two and a half hours a hundred or more birds, all 

 wing shots. Some very, very bad shooting was done, too. 



We then turned our 'footsteps homeward. But the great 

 wonder was to us why the birds came there. We could see 

 nothing for them to eat. They all seemed to be making for 

 the barren strip, and would light there if allowed to do so. 

 If you can give the reason of their constant visits you will 

 greatly oblige a number of us. 



I cannot fail to notice quite a laughable occurrence during 

 our trip. Before retiring to beds and pallets at Dr. G.'s 



house that night, Frank G -seemed somewhat anxious for 



the safety of the horses, and finally concluded that lie would 

 swing his hammock under a shed adjoiuing the stables and 

 sleep there, and to guard them took his gun with him. After 

 he had gotten soundly to sleep one of the party slipped down 

 and stole his gun from him without waking him. Frank 

 slept soundly all night, and toward the approach of day a 

 festive cow In search of forage wandered under the shed 

 and touched the hammock with her horns. Frank awoke, 

 startled of course, with the idea that the thief had come. 

 His movement frightened the innocent bovine equally as 

 much, and she rushed frantically away. Frank jumped for 

 his gun, when lo! to his horror the gun was gone. The 

 imaginary thief had, he thought , awakened him in the act 

 of stealing his gun. He came tearing to the house, waked 

 us all up, saying that a thief had come, had stolen his gun, 

 and would have stolen the horses too, but he had waked 

 just in time, to prevent it. He was positive in the assertion 

 that he had his hands on his gun but a moment before it was 

 stolen. We humored the joke for a while, but finally "let it 

 out on him, " after we found he had been waked by a cow. 

 Frank never sleeps away from the party any more. 



Spabta, Ota. E. 8. W. 



NOTES FROM A VETERAN. 



I HAVE been much pleased with the stand you have taken 

 in favor of abolishing spring shooting, also with the 

 numerous letters from your remarkably able corps of cor- 

 respondents, all taking' the same side of the question. In 

 fact, there is but one side to it, "like the handle to a jug." 



Although the resolution I submitted to the recent Sports- 

 men's Convention at Albany, recommending the adoption of 

 a clause prohibiting all spring shooting throughout the State, 

 in the proposed new game law, was yoted down by a large 

 majority, every speaker, with one or two exceptions, ad- 

 mitted that the principle was right, and ought to be carried 

 out by legislative enactment, but if this State now took such 

 an advanced step without the concurrence of adjoining 

 States, we should lose our spring sport and sportsmen in 

 other States reap the benefit. But if a general law could be 

 passed governing all the States it would meet their hearty 

 approbation. 



The reply was, let New York State do right and trust to 

 the. good sense of the other States to follow up the good ex- 

 ample set by the "Empire State. " It is almost certain that 

 so good a law, a law that must commend Itself to every 

 thinking person, would not have to wait long for adoption 

 by adjoining sister States. 



The longer spring shooting is permitted the longer shall 

 we have to wait for such fall and winter shooting as wc had 

 fifteen or twenty or thirty years agone. 



It is agreed by some that as ducks, snipes, 'etc., are migra- 

 tory birds, spring shooting does not tend to lessen the num- 

 ber of birds in a' given locality in the fall. Such reasoning 

 is hardly worthy of consideration, as it is a well-known fact 

 that all "migratory birds pursue about the same line of flight 

 in the fall as in the spring, unless seriously disturbed while 

 passing to their northern breeding places. Hence, every 

 pair that is kdled in the spring depletes the fall birds from 

 eight to tenfold. 



I have carried a gun for more than fifty years, but for the 

 past fifteen years my r shooting has been almost exclusively 

 confined to ducks and grouse, and I know that duck shoot- 

 ing is far from what it was even ten years ago. "Breech- 

 loaders" are no doubt largely responsible for this, at least 

 must share the responsibility with spring shooting. 



I firmly believe that my proportion of birds to the amount 

 of powder burned will bear comparison with most shooters, 

 for 1 seldom take chance shots, preferring to kill rather 

 than to wound birds and not get, them. 



I am much interested and greatly pleased with "Ness- 

 muk's" communication in the Forest and Stkeam of this 

 week, as I have been in all his former letters, and most 

 cordially recognize him as the "true sportsman." May the 

 race increase. 



My favorite gun is a 12-bore, 30-inch barrel, and weighing 

 less than 8 pounds. My charge for ducks is gj-drs. powder, 

 11 oz. No. 6 shot. Let no one turn up his nose at such a 

 "popgun," unless he can show a better record with his 

 cannon. 



With it, loaded as above. I have bagged forty-five ducks in 

 less than a day's shooting, nearly every bird killed on the 

 wing, and never more than two at, one, shot; and, further, of 

 the forty-five birds, forty-three were picked up dead, and two 

 had to be shot again by my boatman. In grouse shooting, 

 when I see a, bird on the ground, or in a tree, I prefer "kill- 

 ing him on the spot," rather than to flush him and run the 

 chance of wounding him by a snap shot, to die a slow death 

 in some thicket, When lmiss my game I always hope, as I 

 did not kill, that I did not wound, 



T have heard sportsmen use language when a miss occurred. 



that would lead one to think it was a vile reptile or veno- 

 mous beast they were contending with, instead of a beautiful 

 winged creature seeking its own preservation. Vulgarity 

 and cruelty are entirely out of place and not to bo indulged 

 in by the true sportsman; neither does he delight in slaugh- 

 ter, or in mutilating his game by rough handling or other- 

 wise. 



It will often, if not generally be found true, that many of 

 the scenes we have been engaged in afford more real satis- 

 faction in such review than we experienced at the time of 

 their occurrence. 



Still I doubt if any of us regret the hardships, wettings, 

 tramps, portages, and other numerous annoyances we have- 

 been subjected to, or even accidents, when not followed by 

 permanent injury. 



Certainly such has been ray experience during the more 

 than half a century that has passed since I caught my first 

 trout or shot my first, pari ridge. Oh, how well 1 remember 

 that time. Since then I have in the pursuit of pleasure and 

 of game been obliged to sleep on frozen ground, and once — 

 and fortunately but once — had to lie "three in a bed" ill a 

 Canuck's cabin! I have-been snowed under in Canada — 

 have been to the bottom of Lake Ontario during a gale, and 

 have gone ashore on a trunk, etc. And, although I never 

 drank a drop of whisk v or other stimulus, never took the 

 slightest cold, nor suffered any lasting inconvenience from 

 such exposures; and I would not that I had escaped any of 

 these and other rough experiences. 



Market shooters — may their race diminish — are a "law 

 unto themselves," and not often aspire to the distinction of 

 sportsmen, so I pass them by without remark — at least for 

 the present — and will close' by stating that I am greatly 

 pleased to believe the trap-shooting at pigeons or other live 

 birds by "game protective" societies, is fast falling into dis- 

 repute, and will soon be banished from these associations. 

 The sportsmen in Michigan have set us an example that wc 

 would do well to follow. At their annual meeting, business 

 of a higher order than trap-shooting engages their thought 

 and time. And when the N. Y. State Association reach as 

 elevated a position, it will receive and deserve more consider- 

 ation than now falls to its lot. J. H. D. 



roecniKEBPSiu, N. Y., April 32. 



WYOMING GAME LAW. 



Editor Forest and 8tre«w: 



I enclose herewith a copy of our game act. You no doubt 

 will observe, as I have, imperfections. It is not perfect. Can 

 an act be formulated that shall meet every contingency? We 

 hope to be strong enough to break up the hide traffic. Our 

 league will soon be organized in whose ranks you shall see 

 the leading gentlemen, capitalists, and professional men in 

 this Territory, as well as federal and territorial officials. 



We have worked faithfully and patiently to secure this 

 much. It was the best we could do. Our people are devel- 

 oping and better measures will obtain in future. 



Our Eastern friends should take up the measure our M. O, 

 Mr. Post, has so persistently and religiously worked for in 

 the Committee on Territories during the present session of 

 Congress. 



You are making a gallant and meritorious fight, We need 

 the united strength of the nation to break up the barbarous 

 and inhuman slaughter of our noble game. We heartily en 

 dorse your effort and wish you God-speed . 



' Cheyenxk, Wyoming. M. C. BakkwELL. 



AN ACT FOR THE I-EOTECTTON OF CUME. 



Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of 

 the Territory of Wyoming: 



Section 1. It' shall be unlawful to. pursue, hunt or kill 

 any deer, elk, moose, mountain sheep, mountain goat, ante- 

 lope or buffalo save only from August 1 to November 15 in- 

 clusive in each year, or kill or capture by means of any pit, 

 pitfall or trap any of the above named animals. 



Sec. 2. It shall be unlawful to kill or destroy by any means 

 any ruffed grouse save only from the 15th day of August to 

 the loth of October in am 1 vcar. 



Sec 3. It shall be unlawful to kill or destroy any 

 colon or quail for the period of live years from the passage of 

 this act, and thereafter only during the month of September 

 of each year, or for any person to kill any ptarmigan, pinnated 

 grouse, sharp-tailed arouse or sage grouse or sage hen, save 

 only from July 15 tcTNovember 15 "inclusive in each year, or 

 kill in any one day more than fifty of any of the game birds 

 hereinbefore mentioned. 



Sec. 4. It shall be unlawful to kill any snipe, green 

 shank tattler, godwit, curlew, arose!, or plover between the 

 1st clay of April and the loth day of August in each year. 



Sec' 5. It shall be unlawful to kill any wild duck, brant 

 or goose from the 15th day of May to the loth day of August 

 in each vcar, or at any lime to trap, net, or ensnare any of 

 the birds" mentioned in this section, that it shall be unlawful 

 to kill any fowl or bird that subsists on insects only as food 

 at any time in each year. 



Sec, 6. It shall be unlawful to sell or expose for sale the. 

 carcase or any part thereof suitable for food of any of the 

 kinds or species of animals or birds protected by this act save 

 during the open season provided by this act and for thirty 

 days next succeeding the time limited for the killing of such 

 animals or buds. Provided, It shall be lawful to sell any 

 colon or quail for the purpose of breeding, or the taking of 

 the same alive for preservation through winter. And it shall 

 "also be lawful for any person to take alive on his own prem- 

 ises at any time and in -any manner any of the animals or 

 birds hereinbefore mentioned for the sole purpose of domesti- 

 cating, or for scientific or breeding purposes. 



Sue. 7. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to 

 obtain by barter any- green or untanned hide or hides of any 

 of the animals mentioned in section one of this act, and 

 furthermore it Shall be unlawful foi any corporation, com- 

 pany, person or persons to transport or have in their posses- 

 sion for transportation any green or untanned hide fir hides 

 of the animals mentioned in 'section one of this act afti r th 

 expiration of sixty (60) days from the passage of the act. 

 Provides, That, none of the provisions of this section BttaH 

 apply to hides in transit through this Territory from other 

 States or Territories. 



BBC. 8, It shall be unlawful for any railroad company, 

 express company or common carrier or any of their agents 

 or employes or other person or persons to receive or have in 

 iheir possession for transportation any carcases or parts of 

 i of any Of the birds or animal-: named in this act or 

 to transport the same after the expiration of ten days next 

 lug the time limited for I he killing of such birds or 

 animals, Provided., That none of the provisions of this see- 

 tion shall apply to game in transit through this Territory 

 from other States or Territories. 



